The leader of a successful rock band in Equestria has everything he could want. But when he's offstage, he feels empty inside, and he's not sure if this lifestyle can fill the void... until he meets a certain cyan pegasus.
The leader of a successful rock band in Equestria has everything he could want- the money, the fame, the power, the fans. But, despite having the lifestyle of his dreams, something is strangely amiss; when he's offstage, he feels empty inside, and he's not sure if this lifestyle can fill the void... until he meets a cyan pegasus with a multi-colored mane.
My name is Shadow Chord, and I am a young pegasus stallion living in Equestria. I am the frontpony for Midnight Manes, a rock band that has become well known throughout the land.
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When I was a foal, I lived in a different land, one known as Terretia, where my life wasn’t very great. Other ponies constantly made fun of me for being “different”. Everypony (other than myself) had bright and deeply colored coats and manes. I was made fun of since I was born with a gray coat, green eyes and a black mane. For some reason, nopony else had a mane or coat similar to mine. For that, I was constantly subjected to insults, laughter, sometimes even physical attacks. It didn't help that the sky here was almost always a dark gray, with the air stale, and a dull feeling surrounded everything. In fact, I can't recall the last time I'd seen the sun. The fact that it hardly ever rained led me to believe that it was, in fact, the greed, envy and other vices that made the land the way it was, not the elements.
Unfortunately, my family was never around to help me in my times of hardship either. I never knew my father, and my mother and brother were always out partying, and constantly using drugs. I despised the thought of drug use, not wanting to harm myself in any way. That was not any kind of escape for me.
I soon found my escape, though. When I found a music player that somepony had discarded (and strangely, it was working perfectly), I discovered that the one thing I had that was anywhere near an escape for me was when I could walk down the shorelines alone, listening to my music. I’d listen to basically any type of song, as long as it had a good tune, but I was really fond of rock music. When I had my music player on, it was like I was in a different world, with no cares about being ridiculed, being abandoned by parents who thought that using drugs was more important than family, living in a world where greedy and power-hungry ponies only cared about themselves; none of these bothered me when I had my music player.
One day while walking home from the beaches, I came across an electric guitar that was being thrown out of a store by a stallion, along with some other items. I asked him why he was throwing it out, and he informed me that he was closing his store and retiring. He said that I could have the guitar if I wished, since he had no use for it. He also gave me a small amplifier and a beginner’s method book to playing guitar. This touched my soul in a manner of speaking, since this was the first true gift that had been given to me.
Soon, I found that not only was listening music a great escape for me, but I found the same care-free pleasure in making music with my guitar, as well as writing and singing my own songs. I didn‘t think my voice was that great, but I didn‘t care, since my mom and brother were never around to hear me from my room. With more and more practice every day, I eventually had the guitar mastered. Not long thereafter, I received my cutie mark- a guitar pick surrounded by a flame.
From that day on, music became my passion- my life. I spent nearly every day thereafter learning as much as I could about the guitar and music in general. By the time I was out of school, I longed for the day that I could make music my life, but every other pony told me otherwise. Like with other bands, my teachers mistook my love for music as a desire for fame and glory. That wasn’t my true goal. I simply wanted to be successful doing what I loved to do. Unfortunately, I was told to look for a “suiting career.” It became sadly apparent to me that there was no hope for a life of music in Terretia.
One day, a couple of years down the line, an incident changed my life in a way I'd have never imagined. My mom and brother were arrested and sent to jail when they were discovered to have had a large amount of drugs in their possession. Their sentence would be for many years to come, and the house would now be empty, except for me.
I took this as a sign. I was now on my own, and though I had been able to look after myself for quite some time now, I wasn’t going to spend one more minute of my life in Terretia. My life would go absolutely nowhere if I remained here. On that same day, as I stood out in my front lawn, I decided that I was getting as far away from this land as possible.
All throughout my foalhood up to the present day, I’d always heard talk of a different land, one that was a long, long distance from where I lived. A land called Equestria. A land that did not have the pain, suffering, wars, and discomfort of Terretia. A land where your dreams can easily become a reality, with the simple concept of drive and dedication. And most importantly, a land where everypony has one of the most vital things in life- friendship. A land where you were looked at as an individual and loved for who you are. Sadly, the only talk of this land was just from mentioning it- Equestria was unimaginably far from Terretia, and apparently, the only way to get there was to keep traveling and traveling until you found yourself there- at least, that's what everypony here said. Most ponies in this land didn't care for anything that Equestria had to offer, anyway. They only cared about themselves, and wished only to see how powerful they could become here in Terretia.
I, for one, could not stand things such as greed and pride, and I made a decision that my new home was going to be Equestria. I went back to my house and packed what few things I had- the money I had saved up from working at a wood mill, a job that paid well, but was definitely not my type of job. Unfortunately, finding a job in Terretia could prove to be very difficult, and everypony had to take whatever job was offered to them first in order to try and make a living.
Living with two drug abusers, I didn't have a lot of possessions to myself- the only other things I had were the two things I held dearer than even the money I had on me- my music player, along with my guitar and amplifier. I put these in the one suitcase I had and went to sleep.
Early the next morning, I gathered my things, headed to the train station and bought a one-way ticket to Equestria. It would take a long time to reach this place- I would have to travel by land, then by sea, and then by land once more before I reached Equestria. For me, I didn't care one bit. I'd travel as long as I needed to in order to escape this land of selfishness, prejudice, hatred and despair.
Within an hour of waiting, the train arrived. I handed the ticket to the colt that was standing at the door. After looking around, I found the cabin I was assigned to. It was a small room- with a desk, two chairs & a bed, and I had a long trip ahead of me, but the room was more than satisfactory. All that mattered to me was that it was my way out of this horrid land.
The whistle sounded and I felt the train begin to move. Furthermore, I felt a great sense of relief. I was leaving my troubled life behind me and starting over. It was almost like I was being reborn. Slumping down onto the bed, I sighed with contentment and got out my music player. As the the train continued moving, I could literally feel all of my stresses and troubles literally melting away as I left Terretia for good.
*******************************
After a week and a half of being on the train, I boarded a ship, where I sailed for a total of thirty-nine days. Once more, I embarked on another week-long train ride before I finally arrived in Equestria, coming to a stop in the city of Ponyville. Stepping out of the train, I could immediately tell the difference between this land and Terretia. The air was clean, not polluted; the sun was shining brightly, but without the harshness; and one could actually feel the love and friendship flowing through the land. Taking a few moments to stand still and soak in the air, the warmth, the happiness. I knew that I was truly at home here.
Within two weeks, I came across three ponies while playing my guitar in the park one day, who were musicians like me. There was Virtuoso, a pegasus with a white coat and blue eyes; Lightning Shredder, a unicorn with a green coat and orange eyes; and Striker, an Earth Pony with a yellow coat and violet eyes. And like myself, they all had jet-black manes and a love for rock music.
Seeing as I was a musician and new to Equestria, they offered to take me into their house, seeing as I didn't have a permanent place of residence yet. I tried to refuse the kind offer, feeling like I would have been a freeloader, but the four wouldn't hear of it. They simply could not turn down helping a fellow musician in need. So, they took me to their house, where I learned that they had actually been trying to form a rock band for quite some time. They had the drummer (Striker), the bass player (Virtuoso) and the lead guitar player (Lightning Shredder), but they needed a singer and a second guitar player.
They had been impressed with my guitar playing skills, and asked if I’d like to join as their guitarist. I told them that I'd be overjoyed to, since I wanted to make music my life. Though I wasn't too fond of my voice, I enjoyed singing. I informed my new bandmates that since I had gotten used to playing guitar and singing at the same time, I could be the vocalist as well. Eager to finally get the band under way, they gladly agreed. We talked long into the night, discussing everything from the kind of sound we wanted, to the band’s name.
I actually ended up naming the band unintentionally. While we were writing down a list of possible names, I wrote down Midnight Manes. This was once used to insult me when I lived in Terretia- other kids liked to call me a "midnight-maned freak". I figured that if by chance it was selected, a name once used to put me down could benefit me. The name was chosen, and we began practicing that same evening.
….That was three years ago.
*******************************
The four of us walked out of the studio, having finished an interview with the Ponyville Express about the events in the upcoming weeks.
In the past two years, our passion for music has brought us to new heights, where we never ever had expected to go. We went from being a small underground band, getting more and more fans with every song we released. Our goal as a band was to just be successful in our music, and we somehow have become a popular name in these lands. Though we came from Ponyville, we now spent the majority of our days in Manehattan nowadays, doing interviews and media appearances at least twice a week. We even had a second house here in Manehattan.
We've released two albums, which have both reached high on the music charts. We’re also known for our rebel-looking type of style, wearing black pleather vests, hoofbands around our forelegs, as well as chains and studs as accessories. We have merchandise for our band, and have become known throughout Equestria.
I’ve basically got it all. The money, the power, even…dare I say… the fame? I'm financially secure, being able to have anything I want. We have a basically uncountable number of fans that continues to grow by the day, and I am no longer made fun of. Those days are over; now ponies want to come up and chat whenever they see me. You think that anypony in my shoes would be content... but for some odd reason, there are times when I don't really feel content. I know that my three bandmates are content. I don't mean to sound ungrateful- they are not only my bandmates, they're my friends- and that's something I never really had before. And if it weren't for them, I would never have come this far.
I will say that I don't necessarily feel this way all the time. Whenever I get onstage, I feel great, because I'm doing what I love. I feel great when I'm meeting fans, when I'm interacting with the media. I have tackled everything that was ever against me, and I have actually made something of myself, and for that I am so grateful.
So far, we've only been at playing nightclubs and theaters, for no more than 1,000 fans at a time. That's changing, because in a few weeks, we're scheduled to be a headlining performance at an open-air festival in our hometown of Ponyville. We're all super-stoked for that... but, there's something else.
Sometimes when I’m alone, I get this empty feeling inside, and I'm not sure what it could be. I know it's not the usual case of a musician missing his family, since I never really had one where I once lived. But the feeling has gotten pretty bad at times. I'll admit that I've shed tears on more than one occasion when I was feeling extremely alone. Is it depression and I don't know it? Could it be loneliness? There have been times when I can almost hear the laughter and insults from all the ponies who hated me back in Terretia- that's when the feeling is at its worst. I usually forget about it whenever I'm onstage, though. Knowing that we're making a life from music helps to take the edge off of it.
But it always manages to return at some point, and I always end up wondering- what is it that I’m looking for? Just what it is that is causing this emptiness? More importantly, what can fill this void?
I’m not sure at the moment- but there’s a small voice in my mind that tells me to just keep going- that soon, I am going to find a fill for that emptiness, and it will bring me true happiness. I just hope the voice is right….
I had been waiting in line for about twenty minutes now, getting impatient and bored.
Winter Wrap-Up had recently finished, and we had set a new record this year. After this, the Mayor soon organized a festival in celebration. One of the main events was that the Midnight Manes would be playing. Next to the Wonderbolts, the Midnight Manes was a show I did not want to miss. And unlike the Wonderbolts, I had yet to see the Midnight Manes play.
“Ugh… will they hurry up?” I groaned, tilting my head back with boredom.
“Just a few more minutes…” Pinkie Pie told me. She’d been waiting with me, wanting to get the tickets to the festival as well. We’d arrived early, so we were pretty close in line. It wasn’t that I was afraid of tickets running out- entrance to the festival was free, but they were expecting to have at least 50,000 ponies in attendance, and spots that were close to the stage had to be sold... probably to help pay the band, I guess. With a number that large attending, I wanted to be sure that I got good seating for the concert. I didn’t want to be way in the back.
Finally, the windows of the booths opened and a cheer arose from the line of ponies. Many of them tried to rush the lines, but a security pony spoke into a megaphone, telling everypony that the lines needed to be orderly so that the tickets could be distributed properly.
Luckily, we only had eight ponies ahead of us, so we didn’t have to wait long. We approached the window and spoke with the mare sitting behind the booth.
“Two front-rows, please.” I said as Pinkie handed me her bits for her ticket. I gave the amount of bits required for the front row spots. The mare entered the amount and a ringing was heard. For a moment I wondered why the ringing sounded to begin with.
“Well, would you look at that!” she said. “You two are the first of only ten to win backstage passes. After their show, present this to the staff and you’ll be able to go backstage and meet the Midnight Manes in person!”
She handed us our tickets, along with two VIP laminates.
“Congratulations! Don’t lose these!”
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” I exclaimed “Can this get any more awesome?”
“This is so neat!” Pinkie spoke at what seemed like 50 words per second “We’re gonna get to see the Midnight Manes and now we get to meet them backstage! I can’t wait, I can’t wait, I can’t wait!”
“Well, I said I’d help Applejack out today.” I told Pinkie “They’re gonna be making a lot of cider for the festival, and I told her that I'd give them a hand. I’ll see you later.”
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie shouted as she headed toward Sugarcube Corner.
I made my way to Sweet Apple Acres, where I spotted Applejack bucking apples out in the orchard. She saw me coming as I walked over to her.
“Howdy there, Rainbow! Ah sure appreciate you offerin’ to help us out. This festival’s gonna call for a LOT of cider, but it’ll sure get us a lot of money! Did ya get yer tickets yet?’
“Just got back from getting them.” I answered proudly. “And I got something awesome along with it!” Smiling, I held up my VIP pass and said “I get to meet the Midnight Manes backstage after the show! Pinkie got one too.”
“That sure as hay is a lucky strike fer ya!” Applejack said. “A’hm not as big a fan of them as y’all are, but since A’hm runnin’ the cider stand, Ah actually get backstage fer free. Ah just might go and meet them with y’all if Ah ain‘t got nothin’ better to do.”
“I think you should.” I told her while knocking some apples out of a tree. “Besides, what’s the point in having access to backstage and not use it?”
I spent the next couple of hours helping Applejack gather apples. Once she determined that she’d gathered enough for one day, I headed back home, where I placed my ticket and VIP pass into a secure location where they couldn’t get misplaced. I couldn’t help but feel hyped up. Not only was I getting to see the Midnight Manes, but I now got to go backstage and talk to them!
Seeing them all was gonna be insane, but I was really looking forward to meeting Shadow Chord. Call me typical, but he was my favorite pony in the band. He always seemed to put everything he had into his music. I identified there with him- both of us put everything we had into doing what we loved. I'd read stories about how he came from a not-so-good life, and he overcame all the odds that were against him to make his dream happen. Whenever I heard their music, his voice, I could sometimes lose myself in it. He truly put his heart and soul into it. He just seemed to be such an admirable pony. Hopefully he wouldn't be weirded out by me. Even though I didn't know what about me could weird him out, it was a thought that somehow creeped into my mind anyway. I shook my head and disregarded the thought.
One thing was for sure- the Post Winter Festival couldn’t get here soon enough!
*******************************
The next few weeks passed by slowly, yet quickly at the same time. I did my usual daily routine, as well as helping and hanging out with my friends. I also spent quite a bit of time on Sweet Apple Acres helping Applejack- they needed more cider than they’d needed in a while. The other ponies sometimes dropped by to help out as well. We didn’t want Applejack ending up like she did during Applebuck Season, after all!
Then, the day I’d been waiting for was finally here- the day of Ponyville’s first annual Post Winter Festival.
I got up earlier than I usually did, heading over to Pinkie’s place to meet up with her. She answered the door before I could even knock.
“Hi Rainbow Dash!” she said in an excited voice. “No time to waste, let’s get going!”
The two of us headed to the edge of Ponyville, to large clearing where the festival was being held. Even though it was still kind of early, the festival was kicking off to a good start. Quite a few ponies had already arrived. I’d heard talk that ponies from Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Manehattan, even Canterlot that were coming to this.
“Howdy, Rainbow! Howdy, Pinkie!” Applejack’s voice cut my train of thought. Our heads turned to a large cider stand, where Applejack, Big Mac and Granny Smith were busy getting their cider ready.
“Hi Applejack!” Pinkie piped as we approached the stand.
“How are y’all likin’ it so far?” Applejack asked.
“Well, we just got here like a minute ago.” I began “But it looks like it’s starting off pretty good.”
“To tell ya the truth, the festival ain’t even started yet. It’s supposed to start in about half an hour.“ Applejack told us as she reached under the stand and gave us 2 small slips of paper.
“This is fer y’all helping us with the cider.” she said as we looked at what she gave us- they were vouchers for free unlimited cider.
“Applejack,” I said “Are you sure? Unlimited? Do you guys have enough?”
“Trust me.” she answered with a grin. “We actually wound up with a lot more than we though we had, and we couldn’t have done none of it without y’all. It’s the least Ah could do for mah friends.”
“Thanks AJ!” Pinkie said, reaching over the stand to hug her friend.
“Well, we’ll be back for the cider later on.” I said, walking off. “It’s a little too early for it now.”
Applejack laughed and waved to us before she continued to help set up the stand.
“Rainbow Dash! Pinkie Pie!” I heard Twilight Sparkle’s voice call from behind us.
We turned and saw her approaching, along with Fluttershy and Spike. The three of them had "STAFF" laminates around their necks. That reminded me, we needed to get our passes out.
“Hey, guys!” I shouted back, getting my pass and donning it.
“Can you believe the Post Winter Festival’s finally here?” Twilight said, grinning from ear to ear. As the Winter Wrap-Up organizer, Twilight had been asked by the Mayor to help organize the festival as well. With Spike and Fluttershy’s help, Twilight had helped not only to organize Post Winter Festival, but did an awesome job promoting it. No doubt, Twilight was one of the reasons that so many ponies were coming to this, and she was nothing short of proud to have helped bring this together.
“Today’s gonna be unquestionably, undoubtedly unforgettable!” I answered.
“And we get to see the Midnight Manes backstage tonight!” Pinkie added, bouncing with anticipation.
“I remember you telling me about that last week!” Twilight said. “Fluttershy and I are actually helping to keep the festival organized. We got to meet them earlier this morning.”
“Wow! That must have been amazing! What was it like? What did they say? What did YOU say?” Pinkie began inquiring.
“They’re actually very nice ponies and they're all very humble and down-to-earth.” Fluttershy said.
“You actually wouldn’t be able to tell these guys apart from other musicians.” Twilight added. “They don’t have that huge ego like a lot of musicians do, and they treat their fans just like they treat a friend.”
Before she could continue, we could hear a microphone being plugged in from the stage, so we began approaching. Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike said they would see us later, and headed toward the back of the stage, probably to give the staff some help. As we got closer, we couldn’t help but notice the size of the stage. It stood towering over the already growing crowd. Mayor Mare was now on the stage, looking miniscule compared to the space and size of the stage she stood on. She took the microphone and began addressing the crowd.
“Welcome, everypony! Today, we celebrate not only the return of spring, but we are also here to celebrate the hard work and dedication from everypony during Winter Wrap-Up, which led to us setting a new record! So, today we gather here to relax and have a good time. Ponies have come from all over Equestria to take part in this event, and we will not let anypony down! We have all sorts of festivities and events that will be going on throughout the day, and you won’t want to miss any of them! So, without further ado, I hereby declare the first annual Post Winter Festival to begin!”
The crowd cheered and the festivities kicked off.
Mayor Mare was right- there was plenty to do here. This festival was, essentially, a huge carnival. In addition to the stage, there were carnival rides nearly everywhere you turned. There also were food and concession stands everywhere.
I spent most of the day socializing with my friends, running into Rarity, as well as Fluttershy again. Pinkie and I stopped by Applejack’s stand a few times for a mug or two of cider, occasionally going on some of the rides. From the time the festival started, the crowd of ponies got larger and larger in number.
The festival carried on as the sun set and the moon began to rise. It wasn’t long before the now massive crowd began heading to the stage for the Midnight Manes’ show.
Pinkie and I began heading to the front, when we were stopped by a colt who was working as security.
“You two have your tickets?” he asked. We showed him our tickets, as well as our laminates and he opened the rope blocking the pathway to the front, gesturing for us to go in.
We found an awesome spot right smack in the middle of the front row, where we waited patiently… okay, maybe not so patiently… for the show to begin.
Suddenly, we heard a voice behind us.
“Why, hello, girls!”
It was Rarity, who was walking toward us with Applejack beside her, who was carrying an extra tray of cider.
“The cider stand’s pretty slow right now.“ she said, setting the tray down. “So Granny Smith told me that she an’ Big Mac could run the stand no problem. Ah figured me and Rarity would find y’all here.”
Looking to the stage, I could see Twilight and Fluttershy speaking with the Mare, though I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying. Once she had finished speaking to them, Fluttershy spotted us and led Twilight and Spike down the stage to where we all stood.
“Mayor Mare told us that we’d helped out enough for the day, so we can take it easy now.” Twilight said.
“There’s nothing like getting together with friends on a day like this!” Fluttershy quietly exclaimed with a sigh.
We waited anxiously as crew ponies began setting everything up for the show, testing out instruments and checking equipment. As I stood waiting, my thoughts went to Shadow Chord.... jeez, I sounded like such a fanmare. But I couldn't help it. I really admired him, though I hadn't met him yet. But that was going to change tonight. I really hoped that they played my favorite song of theirs- "More Than Just The Music". The song was about overcoming odds, and staying true to your friends, as well as yourself. Being the spirit of loyalty, I myself lived up to that song. I hoped to Celestia that I would be able to hear it live tonight. But what was I worried about? That song was one of the greatest hits- of course they would play it!
After another ten minutes, the lights illuminating the stage went out and it became dark. A loud cheer rose from the crowd of ponies, which was stretching from the front of the stage to the edge of the giant field, from left to right, taking up nearly the entire field where the festival was taking place. The darkness was overpowered by excitement; everypony knew what this meant. It was time for the show to begin.
A deep, powerful voice came over the speakers: the band’s famous intro.
Mares and gentlecolts…
Are you ready?
The crowd enthusiastically responded with another wave of cheering. We began cheering as well, ready for the show to begin.
I ask again. ARE…YOU…READY?
The cheering became louder.
Then get up if you’re sitting down… The Midnight Manes have come to town…
Don’t just stand there like a block It’s time for everypony to rock!
The voice was from Mayor Mare. Smiling with excitement, she trotted into the room where all of us were waiting. The four of us had spent the last hour and a half getting into our stage gear and warming up for the show.
“Just about.” Virtuoso answered, stretching his forelegs out while I checked my guitar over one more time.
“Excellent! You’ve got quite a crowd out there, and they’re all very excited! You ponies go out there and give them a show to remember!” The mayor exited the room, leaving us to prepare for what was about to happen. And like the anxiously waiting ponies, all of us were nothing short of excited.
We had played shows at nightclubs and performed specials during interviews, but this was something that we had never done before. This was our first time performing on an open-air stage, and for the first time, we had at least 50,000 ponies waiting for us. Though we had never expected to make it this far, we were nothing less than thrilled to be able to play in front of a massive crowd like many music giants.
The four of us simultaneously locked hooves and shouted “Midnight Manes! Showtime!”, a sort-of good luck tradition that we had always done before the beginning of each show. A security pony came in and informed us that it was time. We grabbed our instruments and followed him down the narrow hallway to where the stage was. As we got closer, we could hear the ponies out there. Never before had we heard sound from so many ponies. Then, we could see the lights coming from the front of the stage going out. Then, a cheer arose, sending electric surges through us.
Time seemed to slow down as we continued walking. The cheering soon turned into something that was like music to our own ears: the powerful chanting, “Mid-night Manes! Mid-night Manes! Mid-night Manes!” Believe it or not, this was the first time we’d actually had a crowd chanting our band’s name.
We approached the room adjacent to the stage and waited. Our breathing, though constantly steady, became deep inhales and exhales. This was a phenomenal sensation for anypony to experience.
From the corner of my eye, I saw one of the tech crew press a button on a soundboard. Then, we heard our intro.
Mares and gentlecolts…
Are you ready?
I ask again. ARE…YOU…READY!?
I shook my head wildly in anticipation, then took a very deep breath, exhaling slowly.
Then get up if you’re sitting down… The Midnight Manes have come to town…
Don’t just stand there like a block It’s time for everypony to rock!
Mares and gentlecolts,
I give you… The Midnight Manes!
The lights came up on the stage, signaling our cue to go on. We braced ourselves and then walked out onstage. Upon our appearance, the already deafening cheer got louder and nearly shook the ground. We all felt a surge of excitement and ecstasy that we had never before felt. After a couple moments of standing and facing the enormous crowd of ponies, we began playing our intro song, “Feel This Power”, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Along with us, ponies everywhere began bobbing their heads and swaying their manes in rhythm to the song as the music flowed from the speakers and through the crowd. I got to the microphone and began singing:
Come with me on a journey now Like you’ve never seen before It’s time for all those dreams To now become reality
I can see the thrill in your eyes… I can feel the chill down your spine…
As my bandmates and I began the chorus, I could hear the ponies begin to sing with me, making me belt out the words with more might and adrenaline than I’d ever sung.
If you feel this power Get your hooves in the air! If you feel this power Sway your head with me! If you feel this power Raise your voice Make some noise Feel the power!
We continued the song, and the crowd continued to sing with us. I’d been gazing proudly out at the crowd before us, thrilled beyond belief. Looking at this gigantic number of ponies cheering and singing, I knew now, without a doubt, that we’d made something out of ourselves. As we continued playing, I looked down and locked my view with two of the staff members we’d had lunch with earlier in the day- a pale yellow Pegasus named Fluttershy, and a purple Unicorn, named Twilight Sparkle. Her dragon buddy… I think his name was Spike, was seated on her back. This time, they had four other ponies standing next to them, enjoying the show. Though none of them were screaming wildly and losing their minds, I couldn’t help but to keep my eyes on them for a bit.
To the left of Twilight Sparkle, there was an orange Earth Pony wearing a western hat, who was standing beside a white Unicorn with a lavish, curly mane. Both of them were looking up with soft smiles, nodding their heads calmly and gently to the music.
I couldn’t help but laugh on the inside when I looked to Fluttershy’s right- a bright pink Earth Pony was in a rather hyper state- jumping up and down in rhythm, grinning from ear-to-ear, while swinging her head in rhythm and singing along.
I then looked to the right of the Earth Pony, and saw a beautiful cyan Pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane. She was looking up at the stage with a smile on her face, swaying her head and mane, singing the lyrics to herself. She then turned her view to me and our eyes met. We remained like that for a few moments. Though she continued to sway her head, her eyes kept locked with mine. As we looked at one another, I felt some sort of feeling spark from deep within my soul. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was, since I’d never felt anything like that before. It was a bit strange, I’ll admit.
By this time, the song was over, and I had to focus my guitar. We finished the song and the crowd responded with a roar of enthusiasm. I approached the microphone.
“Good evening, Ponyville!”
The ponies responded with a loud roar, but I was determined to get them going.
“I said, good evening- let me hear you!”
An even louder wave of cheers satisfied my request.
“We are the Midnight Manes, and, believe it or not, we are right here from Ponyville! We are stoked to be a part of the first ever Post Winter Festival! This is our first time playing for such a large crowd, and we could not have asked for a better place to play! We’ve got an incredible show for you all, and the night’s only begun! Now Ponyville, make some noise!”
Once the crowd quieted down, we began playing again. Throughout a span of nine different songs, I would keep looking down at the rainbow-maned Pegasus. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t help myself from looking over at her. She didn’t seem to mind one bit, though, as she gave a wide grin every time our eyes met. After playing a new song that we hadn’t released yet, I spoke to the crowd.
“Man, you ponies are awesome! This next song is for anypony who gives it their all in life, no matter what it might be that they’re doing. This song is for anypony who might be undergoing some tough times. Trust me, I’ve been there; we’ve all been there. Believe me when I say, never give up- as long as you stay true to the ones who care about you, and as long as you stay true to yourself, you’ll always end up right where you want to be. This one’s called More Than Just The Music!”
We began playing the powerful chords and beats to our possibly most recognized song yet. Along with cheers, I could hear ponies voices blending with mine as I sang:
If there ever comes a day When you don’t seem to know the way And hope seems too far Keep your head up high Look into the sky Don’t lose who you are Others might show you hate And say you’re not that great But don’t listen to what they say Just keep pressing on Then the sorrow will be gone And you’ll be headed for a new day
As I continued, I looked down at her once more. She’d been swaying her head enthusiastically, but as soon as our eyes met again, she stopped. Time seemed to slow down… no, seemed to stop, as she began singing the chorus along with me:
Don’t ever let them put you down For doing what you do Let the song free your mind You’re gonna pull through It’s more than what they think They’re gonna get what they give It’s more than just the music It’s the life that you live!
My other bandmates continued to look out at the ponies who were all singing in unison, sending a feeling beyond magical through the air of the festival. However, I was entranced by a different type of magical feeling. As I stared into the magenta eyes of this Pegasus, I felt that same feeling from earlier begin to spread throughout my entire body. Whatever this feeling was, I was pretty sure that I liked it. And it didn’t happen when I glanced at other ponies in the audience- it only came whenever I was looking at her. The empty sorrow I’d been feeling lately seemed to have vanished. True, it was never there whenever we performed, but this time, it seemed to have disintegrated. For a split second, I wondered if that the sorrow would return, but that question evaded my mind as I continued to look at this cyan Pegasus.
After we finished the song, I was filled with a sense of adrenaline as I’d never felt. Feeling daring, I set my guitar down, and backed up. The crowd seemed to know what I was up to, as they all raised their hooves up. I darted forward and sprang off the stage, landing onto the supporting hooves of the ponies who’d traveled top come and see us. Indeed, they truly were our support. If it weren’t for our fans, we’d be nowhere. We’d be nothing. I shut me eyes and savored this for a few moments. Then I pointed to the stage, and surfed my way back as the ponies helped to push me forward. Getting back onstage, I grabbed my guitar, wiped my brow and spoke again.
“Heck yeah, Ponyville, that was nothing short of amazing!”
I took a moment before saying, "Well, allow me to introduce to you the ponies of Midnight Manes! Behind me on the drums, we have Striker, fillies and gentlecolts!”
Striker stood from his stool and raised his drumsticks above his head.
“Over here on the bass,” I said, gesturing to my right, “is Virtuoso!”
Virtuoso stretched his forelegs out and took a low bow for the roaring ponies.
“On lead guitar,” I nodded my head to my left “Lightning Shredder, everypony!”
Lightning Shredder pointed to the crowd and played a small solo on his guitar. I was about to begin the next song, until I heard Virtuoso speak from his microphone, taking me a bit by surprise.
“And of course, fillies and gentlecolts; on guitar and lead vocals; the one and only Shadow Chord!”
I quickly raised a hoof to the crowd, and began playing once the cheering had quieted down again.
*******************************
We played another seven songs and an encore of three before we thanked everypony for coming out and bid farewell with a closing song.
The four of us walked backstage, feeling a huge sense of pride. And not the bad kind of pride, either. We were proud that we had given everypony a great show, and we were grateful beyond words for the hospitality we had been shown. After a few high-hooves and a group hug, we set our instruments down and relaxed for a few minutes before the meet and greets began.
The show had been a huge success, and now we were preparing to do our first meet and greet with the fans. After a few minutes of catching our breath, the headed toward the backstage booth where the fans would be coming to in a short bit.
We were seated at a long table and were each given a permanent marker by two security ponies, who then asked if we were ready. We said that we were, and they went to the opposite side of the room and opened the door. The sound of clamor and commotion could be heard through the entrance, lowering when one of them said “All right, everypony, one at a time. Let’s form a line and we can get this underway.”
A line of what we guessed were about twenty to thirty ponies began filing into the room. Ten of them had been selected as VIP when they bought their tickets, and the rest of them had upgraded their tickets to backstage.
The meet and greet was really not that much different than from meeting a fan while we were out and about. We’d sign their merchandise, and speak with them for a bit before moving on to the next pony.
Next, I was greeted by a lavender Earth Pony with a mane that was dark blue with pink highlights. She batted her eyes at me.
“Hi, there, Shadow Chord.” she said in a suave overtone. “I’m Glamour Gem.”
“Well, it’s a pleasure, Glamour Gem.” I answered, getting my marker ready to sign anything she may have had. She slid an open copy of our first album toward me. I noticed that my bandmates had signed the inside booklet, so I proceeded to do the same. I quickly signed and slid it back to her, only to be stopped by her hoof coming to rest gently on mine.
“You know,” she began “You’ve probably heard this a million times, but I think you are the most gorgeous pony out there.”
In part, she was right. I’d heard it on a few occasions. But this wasn’t some type of ego-booster for me. I tried to make sure that I never got a big ego, so I tended to disregard comments such as this one. So, I thanked her, ready to move on to the next fan.
“To be honest, sweetheart,” she said, her voice becoming more suave “I’d love to meet up with you at some point. I’m sure you and I could become great friends.” Once again, she batted her eyes at me.
At this point, I was starting to feel very uncomfortable, and was not sure how to approach this situation. Calling me 'sweetheart' and making suggestive offers was quite unsettling. As if answering my problem, I heard one of the security ponies tell her. “All right, miss. The line’s getting held up, we’re gonna have to ask you to move along.”
She took her album and began walking away, but not before turning around, looking at me with lowered eyelids and blowing me a kiss. I sighed with relief once she was gone, and shook my head.
The final five came in. To my relief and joy, it was Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, along with the group of ponies they had been with during the show. The two of them walked over toward me.
“Ah, hello again, Twilight. Hello, Fluttershy, Spike.” I greeted.
“Hi, Shadow Chord.” they answered simultaneously.
“So, how’d you guys like the show?” I inquired, happy to finally be speaking with some ponies who weren’t telling me about how they were “my biggest fan” or something like that. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed hearing comments like that, and I loved our fans, but in truth, I actually wanted fans to talk to me as a pony, not some sort of deity. It was much easier to carry on conversation that way.
“It was actually very enjoyable.” Twilight Sparkle told me. “You four definitely helped to make this first festival a great start.”
“I’ve never been to a rock concert before,” Fluttershy added “And I thought it would have been too intense for me, but I had a very good time.”
The hyper Earth Pony was now getting a poster signed. She seemed just as hyper as she greeted my fellow bandmates. After Fluttershy had finished speaking, the pony had approached me while the white unicorn began speaking with the rest of my bandmates.
“Hi, Mr. Shadow Chord!” she said in a chipper tone. “My name’s Pinkie Pie, and you guys had the absolutely most wonderful, fantastic, super-duper, incredible-”
“Pinkie!” the others shouted.
“Sorry!” she said with a grin before calming down and continuing, “You guys were amazing up there!”
“Thanks, Pinkie. And please, no need to call me mister. I’d like for everypony to just call me Shadow Chord. So, was this your first time seeing us?” I asked her, signing the poster.
“Yep!” she replied.
“I always thought that rock bands were rather barbaric,” the white unicorn with the curly mane said. “But the show wasn’t really chaotic like I’d heard, and you four are so mellow and polite.”
“Why thank you, Miss Rarity.” Virtuoso said, taking her hoof and nodding his head downward.
“And you, Virtuoso, are such a gentlecolt!” she said, blushing mildly and letting a small giggle escape.
“What’s your name?” I asked the orange pony with the hat.
“Name’s Applejack,” she said, shaking my hoof. “Mighty pleased t’meet ya, Shadow Chord! We had quite a day here, don’cha think?”
“Sure did.” I said.
“Say, Applejack,” Twilight said “How did you guys do at the cider stand?”
“We raised quite a bundle of money!” Applejack said “Sweet Apple Acres is gonna have some more additions on the way.”
“Sweet Apple Acres?” I asked Applejack, shocked. “You mean, you make that Apple Family Cider?”
“I sure as sugar do!” she answered proudly. And she had a right to be proud.
“Applejack, that has got to be some of the best cider I’ve ever had- and I’m not joking around. I’m gonna have to come by Sweet Apple Acres at some point and get a bulk or two.”
“Why, thank ya kindly, Shadow.” she replied. “We appreciate heain' good reception on our family’s products.”
Looking around the room, Applejack seemed to notice something.
“Say, where in the hay is Rainbow Dash?” she asked.
“Oh, she had to talk with one of the weather patrols.” Pinkie said. “She’ll be along in a few minutes.”
As soon as Pinkie had said those words, the door opened up and time seemed to stop as in walked the cyan Pegasus I’d been interacting with from the show.
“Sorry I’m late, guys.” she said in a scratchy, but pretty voice. The ponies all made small talk with her as she went from Striker, to Lightning Shredder, then to Virtuoso, and then finally to me. The other ponies continued to talk with my bandmates. Once again, the two of us locked our eyes in a gaze and once again, I felt the spark inside me.
“Hi!” she said.
“I’m glad to see you made it back here.” I told her. “So, your name’s Rainbow Dash?”
“The one and only!”
“So, Rainbow, was the show enjoyable?”
“Enjoyable?” she asked me. “It was the awesome-est, radical-est, coolest rock show I’ve ever seen!”
“I really appreciate hearing that. I‘m really glad you came out to see us.” I quickly noticed that she didn’t have an album, poster, or any kind of merchandise on her.
“Did you bring anything to sign?” I asked her, and she slammed her hoof down.
“Aw, hay!” she exclaimed. “I was, but I left in such a rush this morning, I forgot to bring my album with me!” I didn’t want her to be disappointed.
“That’s not a problem, Rainbow Dash.” I said. I removed one of the pleather hoofbands on my foreleg and said that she could have it. She looked at it, eyes wide and mouth agape.
“Shadow Chord… are… are you sure?”
“Of course.” I told her. “I’ve got plenty of hoofbands, anyway.”
I passed the hoofband down to my bandmates, letting each of them sign it. Then, Virtuoso passed it to me, and I wrote:
To Rainbow Dash:
You’re an awesome pony, and I'm glad to have you as a fan. Come see me whenever I’m in Ponyville
Yours,
Shadow Chord
I gave her the hoofband, and she looked at it, touched at the message I wrote.
“How often do you guys come to Ponyville?” she asked.
“We’re usually in Manehattan because of our schedule, but we’re actually looking to get a studio built down here in Ponyville.” I answered her, “This is where we’re from, after all. Hopefully within a year, we’ll be living here again.”
“That would be so cool!” Rainbow said with enthusiasm.
Just then, Double Platinum, our band manager, came in and told us that our train was ready, so we got up and bid farewell to the six. After hugging the other five, I came up to Rainbow Dash and hugged her. As she wrapped her forelegs around my shoulders, I felt the spark come up again- and this time, it stayed with me.
“It was so great meeting you, Rainbow Dash.” I told her.
“Same here.” she answered.
We shared the hug for a few more moments before they filed out of the room. The four of us then followed Double Platinum to our personal train to Manehattan.
As the train departed Ponyville, I went to my cabin and got out of my stage gear. I laid my somewhat weary body down on the bed. It was usually after a show when I would get that empty feeling inside me, but tonight, it was not there at all. I felt nothing but contentment and moreover, I felt complete… I felt alive.
And I know that it wasn’t just from the huge and successful show we’d just performed. It was also because of her. There was definitely something about that Pegasus, though I wasn’t exactly sure what. She continued to go through my thoughts as I dozed off into a deep sleep.
****** 7 MONTHS LATER******
The four of us had been playing more and more shows since the Post Winter Festival. We’d even played a few arenas now. We had been writing songs to record a third album in the next year. As we came to our house, we noticed that a letter had been sent to us. This wasn’t unusual, we got quite a bit of mail. But upon opening the letter and gathering around to read it, the words got our attention immediately:
To Shadow Chord, Virtuoso, Striker and Lightning Shredder:
Next month, we citizens here in Ponyville will be celebrating Nightmare Night, along with the rest of Equestria. Each year we carry out a traditional festival and the citizens of Ponyville all take part in it.
Because of the success of the Post Winter Festival and the reception we received, I am sending you this letter to see if you four would be willing to perform again here in Ponyville at the Nightmare Night Festival. Please contact me soon if you wish to do so, and we can begin making arrangements.
Sincerely yours,
Mayor Mare.
I looked up at my fellow bandmates, who were already grinning and nodding their heads in agreement. I had to say it, anyway.
“Anyone up for a little trip home to Ponyville?”
We began making preparations to respond to the Mayor that day. I was looking forward to returning to Ponyville and playing again. And then, I also remembered... this meant that I'd be able to see Rainbow Dash again.
“All right, guys. I should be back in a few hours.” I called to the other three as I exited the house.
I made my way through Ponyville, savoring the sunlight, the cool breeze, the friendliness emitting from the ponies who were bustling about with their business.
We had arrived yesterday in Ponyville from Manehattan, and the Nightmare Night Festival would be taking place the next day. Once we sent word to the Mayor that we would be glad to play at the Nightmare Night Festival, arrangements were made for a longer, more festive Nightmare Night. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would even be making an appearance, and the four of us were among the guests of honor who would be joining them for dinner before the festival. Unlike the Post Winter Festival, however, we would be staying in Ponyville for at least a week after Nightmare Night.
As I had stated and planned in the past few months, we would be speaking with the Mayor and a few other ponies after Nightmare Night about setting up a recording studio here in Ponyville. Life in Manehattan was nice, but we all missed our real home. With a recording studio and with Double Platinum moving down, we would be set to live and continue our music in Ponyville. I was in high anticipations about this.
The place I was headed to now, though, was the Ponyville Schoolhouse. Mayor Mare thought that, since I had come from a rough start in life and overcame all odds, and since the students here were fans of us as well, that it would be great for me to come and and talk to them about not giving up and following their dreams. And I could never turn down an opportunity to inspire others to follow their heart's desire in life.
I arrived at the Schoolhouse, and was greeted outside by a pony with a deep purple coat and a pink mane.
“Good morning!” she said. “I assume you are the famous Shadow Chord?”
“Just plain Shadow Chord, please.” I told her with a grin. I extended my hoof and said “And what’s your name?”
“Cheerilee." she said, returning the hoofshake. "I am the teacher here in Ponyville. All of the students are very excited to meet you, but not all of them are here yet. If you can give me just a few minutes, I’ll be right back out to introduce you!”
I nodded and she went back into the building. While I was waiting, I heard a voice that I’d heard from somewhere before.
“Shadow Chord! Fancy seeing you here!”
I turned around and recognized her from somewhere- a lavender Earth Pony. She had blue and pink-highlighted hair. Next to her was a younger Earth Pony foal, with a pink coat. she wore a tiara on her head.
“I recognize you from somewhere, but…” I trailed off.
“Glamour Gem? Remember from the Post Winter Festival?”
“Ah, yes.” I said. I immediately began feeling uneasy, remembering the way she had acted from the show.
“Who’s your friend?” I asked, trying to keep her from making any advances.
“My name’s Diamond Tiara.” the foal answered for her with a smile. “She’s my big sister.”
“Hmm.” I said. “For sisters, you look surprisingly different.”
“No, I kind of adopted her as a sister.” Glamour answered. “She’s an only child and she always wanted a bigger sister. We have a lot in common, so it kind of worked itself out.”
“That’s awfully kind of you.” I complimented, hoping she wouldn’t take that as a sign to advance on me. I sighed in frustration on the inside when she stroked my shoulder.
“Oh, you’re too kind, Shadow.” she giggled, and batted her eyes… again.
“Come on, Glamour!” Diamond Tiara said, tugging on her foreleg. “Let’s get inside before it starts.
“All right.” Glamour said to the filly. “I’ll see you inside, handsome.”
Once again, she lowered her eyelids at me. I cringed, but I was glad that she was gone. There was just something about her that didn’t quite click with me. And furthermore, something in my mind told me to be wary of Diamond Tiara as well.
“All right, Shadow Chord!” Cheerilee’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Just let me get the students set and we’ll bring you in.”
I waited at the door as I heard Cheerilee speak to her students.
“Class, it’s time to begin. Now remember, Mr. Shadow Chord has graciously offered his time to speak with us, so I want you all to give him your full attention. And also remember that he’s here to talk with us, not sing. He’ll be singing with his band tomorrow at the Nightmare Night Festival, and you'll be able to hear him sing then. Now, let's all give a warm Ponyville welcome to the one and only Shadow Chord!”
She opened the door completely and I walked in, greeted by the enthusiastic applause of the students.
“How are you today, Mr. Shadow Chord?” Cheerilee asked as I seated myself on the stool that had been set for me.
“I’m doing fantastic!” I responded. “I’m glad to be back home in Ponyville.”
“Well, we are all very glad to have you here!” she said.
While she began explaining to the class what I would be talking about, I faced the class. As I examined the room, I noticed three young fillies sitting together- a white Unicorn, a pale-yellow Earth Pony and an orange Pegasus. Standing behind the Unicorn was someone I recognized- it was Rarity, the ladylike Unicorn from 7 months ago. Behind the Earth Pony was a large stallion with a deep red coat and an orange mane. But my heart skipped a beat when I saw who was behind the Pegasus- it was Rainbow Dash! We smiled at one another before Cheerilee concluded her explanation and allowed me to begin speaking.
I spent my time there explaining to the class how I came from a rather rough foalhood, where it was almost impossible to do what you wanted to do, to be what you wanted to be. I explained to them how I was constantly made fun of by other ponies just for looking different. I noticed that Diamond Tiara, along with a silver-colored filly sitting next to her, seemed to shrink and back down into their seats when I explained how it was wrong to put someone else down just because they were different.
“It does not matter what color your coat is, what you do for a living, where you come from,” I explained to the class. “We’re all ponies at the end of the day, but we are all an individual pony with our own special talents, and nopony has a right to tell you that you’re lower than them or that they’re better than you. You, and you alone have the potential and ability to be whatever you want to be. Never let anyone stop you from getting there.”
I proceeded to tell them about how I left the place where I grew up and came to Ponyville, and how my success happened when I got here.
“Here in Equestria,” I told the fillies, who listened with curiosity, “Possibility is right here within your reach. All you need to do is just reach out for that star and grab it. When I first got here and started with my band, we actually weren't trying to be a famous band. I actually never thought I would be where I am today- I just wasn’t used to that kind of life. But I soon realized that our hard work and dedication made us a very successful band. I learned that you should always strive toward your goal, no matter how hard it might seems at times to get it.”
The three fillies I’d seen before looked at their flanks, which had no cutie marks. I felt the need to say something.
“There are times when it will seem like you may never get what you’re trying to get. But believe me, you can! You just need patience and the dedication. Don’t let anypony else tell you otherwise. Whatever it is you’re trying to get- you’ll get it sooner or later. Just keep your head up high and keep going at it.”
The three fillies looked up at me with grins on their faces. I felt a sense of contentment and pride, knowing that those words had an effect.
“Always remember- don’t let anypony change you. Never let anypony tell you that you’re worthless. No matter what, never ever give up. And always, always, believe in yourself. And before you know it, you’ll be right where you want to be. Thank you all for hearing me.”
The classroom applauded me, and I continued after they were done applauding.
“Now, who’s going to be at the Nightmare Night Festival tomorrow?” I asked with a wide grin.
The classroom buzzed with answers such as “I will! You bet! Wouldn‘t miss it for anything!”
“Well, as you know, we'll be playing there. Come and say ‘hi’ if you see me!” I told them.
Cheerilee addressed her class once again, “Thank you very much, Mr. Shadow Chord; we really enjoyed your visit. Now class, I want you all to remember what he has told you today, because he’s right. You can do anything as long as you believe in yourself. Thank you again, Mr. Shadow Chord, and we will all see you tomorrow night. We're looking forward to it!”
She then dismissed the class for the day. I approached where Rainbow Dash and Rarity were standing as the fillies began exiting the building. I pulled Rainbow into a tight embrace.
“I didn’t expect to see you here” I told her. “But I’m glad nevertheless!’
“It’s good to see you, too. I was sort of chaperoning for Scootaloo, here.” she said, motioning to the orange Pegasus. I knelt down.
“Scootaloo?” I greeted.
“Hi, Mr. Shadow Chord.” she answered with a smile.
“Just Shadow Chord.” I told her. I looked at the Unicorn and Earth Pony and said. “That goes for you two as well, okay? No need to call me mister, I liked being called Shadow Chord.”
“I don’t believe we’ve met.” I said to the Earth Pony.
“Ah’m Apple Bloom!” she said. “And this is mah brother, Big Macintosh.”
“Pleased to make yer acquaintance.” Big Macintosh said, giving me a firm yet friendly hoofshake.
“And what’s your name?” I asked the Unicorn.
“Sweetie Belle.” she answered. “And this is my big sister, Rarity.”
“Ah, yes, it‘s so nice to see you again.” Rarity said.
I looked over to my left, and spotted Glamour Gem giving Rainbow Dash a dirty look. Diamond Tiara was doing the same to the three foals. As soon as she noticed me, though, Glamour began exiting the building, but not without blowing me a kiss and mouthing the words to ‘hit her up”.
She left and I gave an exasperated sigh.
“Are you all right, darling?” Rarity asked.
“I’m fine, but there’s this pony named Glamour Gem who is kind of starting to get on my nerves. She was hitting on me earlier when she came in with this filly named Diamond Tiara.”
The three fillies made gag-like noises at the mention of her name.
“Not a very nice pony, I take it?”
“Are you kidding?” Scootaloo asked. “All she does is make fun of us!”
“What for?” I inquired, curious yet disgusted at the mere mention of that.
“Because we don’t have our cutie marks.” Apple Bloom said forlornly. I knelt down and faced the three fillies.
“Well, you three- just remember what I told you. Don’t let little Diamond tell you that she’s better than you. Honestly, since she puts you down, that makes her worse. Trust me- just keep at it, and you’ll have your cutie marks before you know it. Did you know that I wasn’t a foal- I was a colt before I got mine?”
The three looked up at me in wonder.
“Yep. So there’s no need for you to worry about never getting them- you will get them when the time is right.”
After talking to them, the three of them decided to go outside and plan for their “cutie mark crusade” as they called it.
The four of us spent about ten minutes or so engaging small talk while the three fillies played outside.
“Well, I’d better get home.” Rarity said.
“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh agreed.
The two of them got their siblings and headed out. I watched as Scootaloo followed Apple Bloom.
“Do you need to take your sister home?” I asked Rainbow Dash.
“Huh?” she asked before realizing what I meant. “Oh, no- Scootaloo’s actually not my sister. She just kind of looks up to me, and I took her in as my sister.”
“That’s pretty kind of you.” I said to her. “I just can’t believe that they get made fun of by that filly.”
“Yep.” Rainbow said with a grimace. “And I’ll be the first to tell you- watch out for Glamour Gem as well. She used to make fun of me when I was a foal. What’s worse, is she thinks she’s the prettiest mare in Equestria, and she thinks that she can get whatever and whoever she wants.”
“All she does is creep me out.” I said.
After a few moments, I said “So, are you doing anything important?”
“Not really.” she said. “I’ve gotta finish my costume for tomorrow, but that will only take me about thirty minutes.”
I decided to take a bit of a risk.
“Well, I don’t have anything important either.” I took a breath and asked “Wanna hang out with me today?”
“Sure!” she said enthusiastically.
“All right- I need to drop by my place first. I’ll show you around while I’m there.”
With that, the two of us headed toward my house, where I showed her around the house, going from the practice room in the basement, to the balcony upstairs. The two of us then went into my bedroom so I could retrieve my money. She immediately noticed a photo of me with the Wonderbolts hanging on the wall by my closet door.
“You’re a fan of the Wonderbolts?” she asked in amazement.
“Sure am.” I replied, reaching into my closet. “I take it you are as well?”
“Other than you guys, they’re the only performers I’ve taken personal time to see live.”she answered. Then, she must have noticed my bookshelf.
“No way!” she said. “You have the complete Daring Do series too?”
“Big fan." I said. "I actually managed to get my copy of The Griffon’s Goblet signed by the author.”
“Oh my gosh, that is so awesome!” Rainbow exclaimed.
I now had my money. I closed the closet door and said “Anywhere in particular you’d like to go to?”
“Hmm.... nowhere in particularcomes to mind, really.” she answered.
As I looked around, searching for an idea. Then, my eyes came to rest on a note that I hadn’t realized was there:
Shadow Chord,
The three of us went to the bowling alley for a little while. Be back later. Drop by and play some rounds with us if you want.
Lightning Shredder
I turned to Rainbow Dash and asked “You ever go bowling?”
“It’s been a while since I've done that,” she answered “But I do like to bowl a few games every now and then.”
“All right, then we'll just head over to the bowling alley. My treat.”
“Are you sure, Shadow?” she asked.
“It’s no problem.” I said. “The rest of the boys are there as well, so I figured we could meet up with them. Besides, this will be a great way for us to hang out.”
After locking the house up, we headed over to the bowling alley, engaging in conversation as we trotted through Ponyville.
“I didn’t know you weren’t originally from Ponyville.” Rainbow said to me. “What’s your home town like?”
“To be honest, Rainbow Dash,” I explained, “I consider Ponyville my actual home town. The place where I came from is legions away from here, and I wish to stay as far away from that place as possible.”
She looked over at me with a concerned look. She seemed to be realizing that I grew up in a place that wasn’t too great.
“In Terretia- that’s the land I’m from,” I continued “Everypony there is so consumed by selfishness, intolerance, pride, you name it. Like I said earlier today at the schoolhouse, I was made fun of. And I’m actually starting to understand something. It wasn’t just because I looked different. I’m beginning to believe that I was also mistreated for being a pony who didn’t really care for myself above anypony else. I tried to help and befriend anypony I could, and I guess I was regarded as somepony who was weak, who didn’t have any kind of ambition.”
“If only they knew of your ambition.” Rainbow Dash said with a warm smile. “You said that everypony else had really bright colored coats and manes, and that you were the only one who had a dark coat.”
“Right.” I confirmed.
“I find that kind of weird.” she told me. “All of the bright-colored ponies are the selfish kind, and you, the only pony with a dark coat, are the one who cares about others.”
By now we’d reached the bowling alley, and we came to a pause in front of it. After a moment of slightly awkward silence, she spoke up again.
“Shadow, I’m gonna be honest with you. You’re a really admirable pony.” she told me. “I couldn’t imagine living in a place like that. And you put up with all of the troubles you went through. You left that place and came here, and because you knew not to give up, you’ve made it.”
I was at a loss for words. For the first time in my life, I was being given a true compliment. One that was sincere, not just from an over-the-top fanmare. This was an honest compliment, and I didn’t know what to say. I just looked straight ahead of me.
“You okay, Shadow?” she inquired, noticing my expression.
“Nopony….” I trailed off and cleared my throat. “Nopony has ever said anything like that to me before. Ever.”
“Are you serious?” she asked. I looked at her and nodded.
“I really appreciate hearing that, Rainbow Dash.” I responded. “Hearing things like that are what makes everything I’ve done worth it.”
We hugged again, and once more, I felt that spark from seven months ago. I began to think I knew what it was- friendship. For the first time, I was actually making a true friend.
Sure, my bandmates were there for me, but they were my bandmates. We had gone through thick and thin, but here was somepony who was looking past the music, past the lights and pyrotechnics, and seeing the real Shadow Chord. I savored the spark as we hugged. We then broke apart and went inside. I quickly found Lightning Shredder, Virtuoso and Striker heading toward us.
“Guess you decided to drop by after all, eh?” Striker asked.
“Mm-hmm.” I answered. “You guys remember Rainbow Dash from the Post Winter Festival?”
They nodded their heads in affirmation. Just as they did that, I heard another familiar voice.
“Shadow Chord!!”
Before I could turn around, I was tackled by a flash of bright pink. It was the hyper pony who had been beside Rainbow at the show.
“Oh my gosh, it’s so good to see you again!” she said, speaking in almost a blur. “It’s me, Pinkie Pie! I was here just minding my own jolly business, when I saw Striker! He remembered me and offered to let me bowl with them, so of course I said yes, and now you’re here!”
“That’s great Pinkie, but I can’t breathe!” I said in a muffled tone. She quickly jumped off, saying “There we go!”
Getting up, I said, “Well, are you all up for a few more rounds?”
Everypony gladly agreed to keep playing.
I paid for two All-You-Can-Bowl rates and joined the others. We were shown to our lane, and got situated. Lightning Shredder set the game up while Rainbow Dash and I got our bowling balls. Soon, the game was underway.
Rainbow was a surprisingly good bowler, having scored three strikes on her first three tries. As she seated herself next to me while Virtuoso took his turn, she asked “So, are you guys going back to Manehattan after the show tomorrow?”
With satisfaction and excitement, I informed her, “We’re actually gonna be here for at least a week after the show. We’re actually getting ready to build that recording studio that we’ve been planning for a while.”
“So that means you'll will be moving vack to Ponyville permanently?” Pinkie asked, her eyes wide.
“That’s right.” Striker told her. “We’ll be back once the studio is complete.”
“Yippie!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Oh my gosh, I know what we’ll do! We’ll throw you all a welcome back party! It’ll be the best party ever!”
“You don’t have to go through all that trouble, Pinkie…” Lightning Shredder said as he picked his bowling ball up.
“She won’t take no for an answer.” Rainbow Dash told him. “Besides, she’s the best at throwing parties, and she’ll give you one for the record book.”
“In that case,” I said, “We’d be glad to let you throw a party for us, Pinkie.”
*******************************
We bowled a total of five games before we all decided to call it a day. Rainbow even asked me to fly her back to her house, which I was happy to oblige. We continued engaging in small talk before we finally reached her house.
“Thanks for hanging out with me today, Shadow.” she told me. “It was a blast.”
“I had an incredible time, Rainbow.” I said.
“So, I guess I’ll see you at the show tomorrow?” she asked me.
“I’ll tell you what.” I answered. “Why don’t you stop by my house tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll set you up to get backstage throughout the show this time.”
“All right!” she replied. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon!”
We hugged once again, for a bit longer this time before she went inside. I made my way back to my house, excited for the events to come tomorrow. For the events to come this week. This was going to be a fantastic week for sure.
I woke up, feeling relaxed and excited. Nightmare Night was here, my costume was complete, and the festival was on its way! But there was more to it this year. Not only did I spend the entire day with the one and only Shadow Chord yesterday, but he was coming by this afternoon to see me again! And he was planning for us to hang out through the entire Nightmare Night Festival!
I still had quite a bit of time before he dropped by, so I headed to Sugarcube Corner to get some food. I got to Ponyville, thinking how awesome it was to actually be friends with the lead singer of the Midnight Manes! I didn’t ever once think that would happen with me, but it was, and I couldn’t be happier. As I was making my way to Sugarcube, I was interrupted by a voice.
“Rainbow Dash!”
I looked and saw Glamour Gem coming my way. Here came trouble….
“Yeah?” I asked, keeping my guard up.
She reached me, and surprisingly, didn’t have any insults to say. However, she did say something that wasn’t very friendly nonetheless.
“Rainbow, my dear, listen close.” she began. “I don’t know who you think you are, but Shadow Chord is mine, do you hear me?”
“Yours?” I asked, a bit confused.
“That’s right.” she continued. “He might not be my coltfriend now, but he’s going to be, one way or another. Nopony has ever been able to resist my charms, and I’ll have him yet. I saw you talking with him yesterday, and I’m only going to say this once: you have no business with him.”
“Chill out, Glamour.” I told her. “We’re just hanging out. He‘s-”
“That’s how it always starts.” she interjected, “And the next thing you know, he’s buying roses and jewelry for you. That is my place, not yours.”
I quickly got tired of this, so I decided to cut the conversation short.
“Look, Glamour Gem.” I stated, “You don’t even know him personally, so I think you need to bring your expectations down just a bit.”
She gave me a glare of anger.
“You don’t tell me when to lower my expectations.” she argued. “You don’t know what I’m capable of. Besides, as if he’d ever befriend somepony like you, Rainbow Dash. You aren‘t worthy of anyone‘s friendship, especially Shadow Chord‘s”
Now I was getting mad. She had some nerve, trying to tell me that Shadow couldn’t be my friend.
“And you don’t tell me who can and can’t be my friend.” I objected. “I wasn’t gonna say this at first, but now I think you need to hear it. Keep in mind that I was the one he was talking to yesterday… and he said that you creep him out. Now I can see why, since you were hitting on him, and now you’re claiming that he’s ‘yours’ as you say.”
Glamour Gem gnashed her teeth and let out a growl before she turned around and walked away. As she left, she spun around to face me.
“You’ll see, Rainbow!“ she snapped. “Shadow Chord can’t resist my charms! You just stay away from him! He is mine!”
I shook my head in disgust and pity. Something was wrong with her head. Putting what had just happened behind me, I went into Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie Pie was sitting at the table… along with Lightning Shredder, Virtuoso, Striker and Shadow Chord.
“Good morning, Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie exclaimed. Upon hearing my name mentioned, Shadow turned around and grinned.
“Well, look who it is!” he commented. “Come on over and join us, Rainbow!”
I was more than happy to oblige. I seated myself at the empty seat next to Pinkie.
“We were all just having a nice chat over some lunch!” Pinkie told me. “Dig in, Rainbow!”
I helped myself to the treats that Pinkie had laid out, as the rest of the group had done.
“So, how has your morning been?” Lightning Shredder asked.
“Not too bad, except for a few minutes ago.” I said. “I ran into Glamour Gem just outside.”
“She give you trouble?” Shadow questioned.
“Yeah.” I responded. “I think you need to be on your guard, Shadow Chord. She came up to me, and told me that your were ‘hers’ and that I needed to stay away from you.”
Pinkie looked up from her cupcake she had been devouring, a look of irritation on her usually bubbly-expressioned face.
“That crazy pony is nothing but a heap of trouble.” she sneered. “She has no right to tell you to stay away from him.”
“Don’t worry about it, Rainbow Dash.” Shadow assured. “I meant it when I said she gave me the creeps, and now I know to keep an extra twenty feet from her now.”
Fortunately, we didn’t speak about Glamour any longer after that. We kept ourselves occupied with the band telling us of the adventures they’d had in their time as a band, and they heard about several of our adventures from Pinkie and myself. When we were done with our lunch, Virtuoso spoke up.
“All right, guys, I’m gonna go take it easy for the rest of the day. I’ll see you all this evening at Town Square.”
“Take it easy.” Lightning Shredder said as Virtuoso exited the building. “I think I’m gonna have a day to myself as well. See you tonight.”. With that, he headed out.
Striker informed us that he was going to hang out at Sugarcube Corner with Pinkie, leaving Shadow and me to ourselves. to ourselves. We left Sugarcube Corner, where Shadow said he had something he wanted to show me.
“It’s a something I have set up for the Nightmare Night Festival after our show. I spoke with the Mayor about it, and I have some friends setting it up right now..”
We went over to Town Square, where he led me over to some kind of structure that looked like an incomplete house. Except this one just had wooden framing and black tarp for its walls and roof.
“What is this?” I wondered out loud.
“It’s a Nightmare Night Haunted House.”
“Haunted house?” I’d heard of that somewhere, but I’d never seen one.
“A lot of places don’t have a haunted house, so I can see why you‘re not sure of what it is. There’s huge one in Manehattan, and I wanted to bring one to Ponyville.”
“So, what exactly is it?” I asked
“Well,” Shadow began, leading me toward the structure and stopping at what looked like the entrance “Of course, ponies enjoy getting the living daylights scared out of them on Nightmare Night, but they usually need to rely on pranksters to do that.”
I let a laugh escape, proudly stating that I was one of the best Nightmare Night pranksters in Ponyville, and that every year, I always helped ponies in nearly jumping out of their skin.
“Then you’re really gonna like this.” Shadow responded, “You see, with a haunted house, ponies don’t have to rely on pranksters. What they do is walk through this house, and in every room, we have ponies that are dressed up in scary costumes, sometimes hidden in places where the ponies going through can’t see them. When they least expect it, the pony in costume jumps out and scares the others. It’s a really fun experience, and I think that Ponyville would enjoy having this.”
A unicorn walked up to Shadow Song.
“Well, it’s just about done.” he told Shadow. “You have all the scare actors we need?”
“Just about, Double Platinum.” Shadow answered. “I’ve got a few more recruits, and they’ll be ready by tonight.”
Shadow then turned his attention back to me and asked, “So, what would you think of helping out with this tonight?”
“That sounds awesome!” I exclaimed, mesmerized and thrilled about the concept.
“Excellent.” he commented, “We could definitely use you as a scare actor. The costume you have- will it scare others?”
“I’m going as an evil sorceress this year.” I answered. “Hopefully that can fit somewhere in this house.”
“Sure can.” he replied. “There’s actually a dungeon room in here where you’ll be perfect. In fact, why don’t I show you all the rooms now!”
With that being said, he led me through ropes that made the queue line and through the black curtain that marked the entrance. We found ourselves in a narrow hallway. All over the room were ghastly faces, paintings of broken windows, and signs that said things like ‘TURN BACK NOW’ and ‘DANGER! KEEP OUT!’
“This is our first room, the entrance hall.” Shadow explained, “There’s no spooks in here, this just kinda sets the mood for everypony coming through.”
He led me to the end of the hallway and through a curtain that had the words ‘POINT OF NO RETURN. ABANDON ALL HOPE.’
In total, Shadow Chord led me through the following chambers: a graveyard, a mad scientist lab, a swamp, a maze, a dungeon, a blackout room and a cavern, each room awesomely decorated and detailed. This was sure to be a hit tonight, and I was looking forward to being a part of it.
*******************************
We spent the rest of the day hanging out, telling each other about ourselves. We ran into a few of our friends, some of who were going to help out at the haunted house. Eventually, we went over to my house, where I got into my sorceress costume. Shadow Chord said it looked awesome, and that it’d definitely scare the guests. We then dropped by his place so he could get his costume. Though he didn’t put all of it on (seeing as he had a show to do first), he came out of his bedroom with dark makeup around his eyes.
“So, what are you this year?” I asked, not entirely sure from just the eye makeup. He grinned, revealing two long fangs.
“A vampire, eh?” I noted. “That’s awesome!”
“Thanks, Rainbow.” he replied. “Well, let’s get over to Town Square. The show starts in two hours.”
We made our way over to Town Square, where ponies were beginning to show up in costume. I was preparing to say farewell to Shadow Chord until after the show, when he motioned me to follow him.
“Come on, Rainbow.” he beckoned. “We haven’t had dinner yet.”
“Wait, I’m allowed backstage?” I questioned, a bit stunned at the idea.
“You’re allowed anywhere backstage if you’re with me.” he answered. “And remember, I said I’d get you backstage the entire night.“
“Oh my gosh! Thanks, Shadow!” I nearly shouted.
“Sure thing, Rainbow Dash.” he said. “Now, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are going to be arriving soon, and we’ll be having dinner with them. The dining area’s just this way.”
I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous at the thought of having dinner with the Princesses, but excitement overpowered the nervousness. We went through a long, narrow hallway that was directly behind the stage. We passed through several doors, and finally stopped at the third. He opened the door and we walked into a room with a rather large table.
Already, Striker was there, and, almost unsurprisingly, he’d brought Pinkie Pie with him. Striker, like Shadow Chord, was in his stage outfit, but had a whited-out face with black around his eyes and lips. Pinkie Pie was dressed as a witch this year. Twilight and Spike were here as well.
“Hi, Rainbow!” Twilight said, having glanced in my direction. “Hi, Shadow!”
“Hi, Twilight.” we answered simultaneously, entering further into the room. Shadow pulled one of the chair out for me, and I took my seat. He seated himself next to me and we made small talk as we waited for everypony else. Twilight’s costume was, as she explained, the dark mage Ganenhoof, which she had created to fit in with the haunted house. Spike was dressed as a red-scaled dragon this year. One by one, the rest of the group filed into the room; Virtuoso came in first, followed by Lightning Shredder, both in stage gear and face makeup, and then the Mayor joined us, clad in a Ghostbuckers costume. Finally, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna arrived.
“Good evening, everypony.” Celestia said in her warm, friendly voice.
“And a pleasant Nightmare Night to everypony.” Luna added.
The two Princesses took their seats at each end of the table, and shortly, waiters brought the food out to us on large platters with shiny domes over them. I hadn’t really eaten at any fancy restaurants before, so I wasn’t sure what kind of food we’d be consuming. But when the domes were removed and set aside, the sight and scent of the food made my appetite skyrocket. It looked and smelled amazing- and there seemed to be a countless amount of it. I could hardly wait to dig in, but being around royalty, I waited for them to serve themselves. After they, along with the Mayor, got their food, I saw Twilight reaching for the food, and the band began to as well, so I took that as the okay to dig in. My taste buds went completely wacko, I’d never had anything that was this appetizing.
“It is nice to see you back in Ponyville, boys.” Celestia said.
“Great to be back.” Lightning Shredder replied. “Manehattan’s a nice city, but it can’t beat our home town.”
“So, when are you going to be releasing a new album? I’m looking forward to hearing it.” Celestia stated, which kind of struck me dumbfounded. I never thought that Celestia, the royal princess, would be a fan of rock music.
"You like rock music, Princess?" I asked.
"Why, yes, Rainbow Dash." she responded. "Of course, many ponies may think that I would never listen to anything like that, but the truth is, I have a very wide taste in music, and the Midnight Manes are one of my favorites. Not only do I enjoy their music, but I also admire them for having overcome so many trials."
"I have to say, Princess, that's pretty cool!" I said.
“The new album should be underway before the year is out.” Shadow answered. “We’re planning on having a studio built here in Ponyville so we don’t have to stay in Manehattan.”
“If you ever need any assistance, Shadow Chord, I’d be more than happy to help.” Twilight said. The group said that they would take her up on the offer.
After dinner, the band gave Twilight, Pinkie and me the “grand tour” of the backstage area, showing us where they would warm up, set everything in place, and get ready for shows. After chilling for a while, Mayor Mare poked her head in and let everypony know that it was showtime. I watched as they grabbed their instruments and headed out. The band beckoned for us to follow him. On the way to the stage, Shadow informed me that we could see them perform from the stage entrance area. We got to where they needed to be, and the lights went out.
Their intro played and I could hear the audience begin cheering louder and louder. When the intro was complete, I watched as the four of them stormed out onstage, playing with all their might. I jumped when I heard a loud BANG! and was temporarily blinded by a bright flash of fire. A rush of excitement came over me as I realized that they were using pyrotechnics- something that I’d never seen them do before, but definitely a great addition to their show, especially during the Nightmare Night Festival.
I was actually feeling kind of special tonight- I wasn’t in the crowd looking up at the stage like last time. Shadow Chord invited me to watch from backstage as a special guest. After their first song, Shadow addressed the crowd.
“Good evening, Ponyville!”
The cheering increased, and he spoke again when it lowered a bit.
“And happy Nightmare Night as well! This is a really special evening for everypony here at the festival. We couldn’t have picked a better way or a better place to celebrate, and that’s right here with you! Everypony’s having a good time, and the evening’s only beginning! Here‘s a song you‘ll recognize!”
The four continued to play their hearts out, giving the excited crowd a stage spectacle that they’d never given before, with laser lights and pyrotechnics. Halfway through the show, Shadow Chord decided to mention the haunt.
“You ponies are incredible! Now, don’t forget that this show is only the kick-off of Nightmare Night! There’s gonna be plenty more to do after this; one of them is a new idea that we’ve personally brought here to Ponyville. How many of you like getting scared on Nightmare Night?”
The crowd, including Pinkie Pie, gave a cheer confirming his question.
“Then you’ll want to drop by the haunted house we’ve built. Now you’re probably wondering what that is. It’s basically a huge walk-through attraction full of creepy rooms where spooks jump out and give you a good scare! You’ll find it just to the right of Town Hall, so be sure to visit it!”
He looked back at me and gave me a smile before speaking again to the ponies in the audience.
“All right, for this next song, I want everypony to sing with us! We’re so glad to be back in our home town, and we want to hear our own friends and neighbors along with us. This one’s called More Than Just The Music!”
The band began playing the familiar tune. As Shadow Chord’s voice began singing the melody and blending with the singing of the audience, Pinkie began singing as well. She was soon joined by Twilight and Spike, and then I joined in as well, being in an extremely good mood tonight. During the song, Shadow looked back, smiling warmly when he saw us singing along.
*******************************
After a few more songs, Shadow addressed the crowd once more.
“We’ve got one more song for you tonight. But remember, you’re not going home after this! We’re gonna continue the fun right after the show! You’ve been an awesome audience, and we’ve had a blast up here, but like I said, the fun has only begun!”
They played their closing song and came backstage. Twilight congratulated them on a show well done, and both me and Pinkie voiced our agreement. We continued to converse as each band member went back to their dressing rooms and got into costume. After a few minutes, they each came out, clad in a different costume.
Striker was some sort of ghoul, from what I could gather, wearing a long back robe. Virtuoso was definitely a werewolf and Lightning Shredder was, as he explained, the “Ghostly Greeter”, wearing a tuxedo and an old-fashioned top hat.
Now that everypony was in costume, the eight of us headed toward Town Hall. We weaved our through the crowd, making our war to the haunted house, which already had a line forming, waiting for it to open. Eerie dim lights, shades of red, green and yellow made the haunted house look menacing, but in an awesome way. The band led us toward the side, where ponies dressed as numerous types of spooks were gathered. I noticed Applejack was also here, and surprisingly, Rarity and Fluttershy in costume. Virtuoso got on top of a podium, and with a megaphone, addressed everypony.
“All right, everypony.” he said. “Let me first thank everypony for helping out with the haunted house tonight. It’s going to be a blast, and we’re just about to get started. Let’s all get to our designated chambers and we can open up.”
Everypony filed in through the secret entrance, and we all walked through the haunted house, each pony going to their assigned spots. Shadow, Twilight and myself walked through each room. Dim light laid out over each room, sending off eerie shadows. In some rooms, bright flashing lights would go off, illuminating the darkness momentarily. Spooky music played throughout the haunt, giving a sense of dread and anticipation. Virtuoso and Spike went into the swamp, and Striker and Pinkie took their spots in the maze. Twilight, Shadow and myself went into the dungeon, where we waited for Lightning Shredder to go and welcome the crowd. While we waited, we saw Fluttershy come into our chamber, wearing a long black cloak, like Shadow Chord.
“Fluttershy?” I asked, wanting to find out what I’d been wondering since I saw her outside. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t like Nightmare Night.”
“I used to.” Fluttershy said with a soft grin. “But after Princess Luna showed me that there was nothing to be afraid of, I grew to like the holiday more and more.”
“And you’re going to be scaring others?” Twilight asked, seeming just as shocked as me.
“Nope.” she replied. “Everypony knows that I get frightened easily, so I’m going to do what I do best. I’m playing the victim!”
Me and Twilight looked at her and I scratched my head.
“You see,” she explained to us “I’m going to be acting like a pony that everypony else is after. They said it helps to create a sense of scare in anypony coming through.”
At this pony, we heard Lightning Shredder’s voice through the megaphone.
“Greetings, foolish fillies and gentlecolts, and welcome to the first annual Nightmare Night Haunted House! We’re all here to have a frightening-good time, but we must go over some rules first, so here they are. No lights of any kind, no running, no pushing, no shoving. We ask that you please show respect toward our spooks, so please do not touch them or insult them. No food or drink, no hanging about, and of course, no escape! The most important rule of all: Have fun!”
We could hear the growls, howls and snarls of the spooks as the guests walked through the haunt, which were followed by the screams, and yelps of the guests, followed by their laughter. When they got to us, I braced myself. I hid behind a curtain and peeked out. At the right moment, I jumped out and gave off a loud growl, causing the ponies to jump back in fear.
‘This is awesome!’ I thought to myself ‘I could do this every year!’
I exited the curtain and hung behind them in the shadows, unseen. I saw Fluttershy run up toward the ponies, her acting spot on.
“Help me! They’re after me and they’ll get you next!” Fluttershy gasped.
While their attention was focused on her, Twilight jumped out and startled the group, followed by Shadow Chord. Sure enough, they backed up, and I gave another snarl, which made them run forward and into the next chamber. We all bumped hooves and laughed as we heard their screams from the next chamber.
We continued to scare groups of ponies as they came through. I waited in my spot, and then, saw another group coming up. I jumped out and did my scare, only to be greeted by the smug face of Glamour Gem, who was dressed as a ghostly bride.
“Oh come on, Rainbow Dash.” she muttered with sarcasm. “You can do better than that. I don‘t see why they let you help out with this”
I sighed in exasperation as she continued to lead her group- which was her friends, and well as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Fluttershy ran up to them, doing her victim act.
“Oh no, help me!” Glamour mocked. “They’re gonna get us!”
The group all laughed with one another. In response, I saw Shadow Chord jump out and hiss, which managed tO make them jump back a bit. But then, Glamour Gem lowered her eyes at him.
‘Here we go…' I thought to myself.
“There’s the stallion I’ve been looking for.” she said before moving toward him. “How about a vampire’s kiss for the blushing bride?”
“Glamour Gem!” I heard Twilight’s voice “Leave him be! You’re not allowed to do that!”
“Not a chance, Twilight Sparkle.” she answered, putting her hoof on Shadow‘s chest. “I’m sure that Shadow will be happy to allow this.”
“Security to the dungeon!” Shadow called out.
Within seconds, two large stallions came up with flashlights and approached Glamour Gem and her friends.
“All right, miss,” one of them said “You and your group have violated the rules of the haunted house. You're out of here.”
They led them away, but Glamour called out “Hit me up some time, Shadow!”
“She doesn’t give up easy.” Shadow grumbled in frustration. “At least they won’t be allowed back in.”
The night went on, and we soon forgot about Glamour Gem’s antics. We took a few breaks from the haunted house, having other ponies replace us while we went and took part in other festivities, but we kept going back to the haunt to scare other ponies. No doubt about it, the haunted house was one of the best ideas for Nightmare Night yet!
*******************************
Eventually, it was time for everypony to get some sleep, and the haunted house closed. Twilight, Spike and I were talking with Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity about our eventful evening. After the band thanked everypony for helping out and assuring that it would return for the next Nightmare Night, they approached the six of us, Double Platinum and Princess Luna following them as everypony else left.
“We have an idea if you’d like to hear it.” Striker said.
“It’s sort of a tradition for the ponies who run our haunted house to have a sleep over in the house itself.” Double Platinum told us. “We’ve got extra sleeping bags and an tents that are large enough to house all of you, and the band would love to have you if everypony is up for that.”
We all nodded our heads in agreement, and Double Platinum went to get the supplies. We all moved to the graveyard chamber, the room that didn’t have tarp over the roof. It was also the largest chamber, which gave us plenty of room. We all continued speaking about the evening that we’d had, and before long, Double Platinum returned with the supplies, as well as some of the road crew, who set up the tents and started a campfire for us.
Before he and the crew left, Double Platinum gave us a huge tray filled with sweets, as well as a couple barrels of cider, stating that we’d earned all of it.
“So, is everypony gonna help out next year?” Striker asked us. Every one of us said that we were not missing it.
“If you guys want,” I said “I can come up with some ideas for rooms and chambers.”
“And that way we could make next year’s haunted house even bigger and better.” Shadow Chord agreed.
We continued speaking and celebrating long into the night, consuming our sweets and cider, talking about various topics. It was many hours later before we all decided to call it a night, everypony completely tuckered out from the awesome Nightmare Night. The band bid us goodnight and went into their tent. The six of us got into our tent and drifted off to sleep.
I was looking forward to seeing what this upcoming week had to offer.
Seven months came and went after Nightmare Night- not necessarily uneventfully, but it was just the typical schedule of the Midnight Manes. An interview here, a concert there, and so on. Then came the day that all four of us had undoubtedly been waiting for- the day that the studio in Ponyville had finally been completed, and everything was set in place. That’s right, we were returning to Ponyville- home.
We sold our penthouse in Manehattan, not needing it any longer since we wouldn’t be staying there for any extended amounts of time. Fortunately, we didn’t really know anypony personally in Manehattan, so there were no sad farewells- only the anticipation of finally being in our home town. After signing autographs for a few fans who had spotted us at the station, we boarded our train and found our cabin. To be honest, I kind of felt the way I did when I moved to Ponyville for the first time. Within minutes, the train began moving and our journey home began. As we left Manehattan, I turned on the radio that was in our cabin, and heard the classic jam “Ponyville Groove” by the rock legend Ace Card. Laughing and grinning, we all began singing along.
Been a year since I was here On the streets, I was passing my time away To the left and to the right Buildings towering to the sky It’s out of sight in the dead of night
Continuing our laughter, my bandmates pointed at me, saying “Take it away, Shadow!”, meaning they wanted me to go solo for the next verse
Here I am And in this city With a hoof full of bits And baby, you’d better believe
The three now joined in again and we all sang the chorus in unison.
I’m back! Back in the Ponyville Groove I’m back! Back in the Ponyville Groove
We continued singing along merrily, excited that all four of us were, indeed, ‘back in the Ponyville groove’.
*******************************
The day that the train arrived back in Ponyville, we went to go and get some food from Sugarcube Corner. I opened the door, only to be greeted by darkness.
“That’s strange,” I said to my bandmates “They usually aren’t closed at this time. Maybe we could-”
I was interrupted when the lights all of a sudden came on, and a swarm of voices rang throughout the building.
“SURPRISE!!!”
The room was filled ponies and tables with treats, along with a large banner that said, “WELCOME HOME, MIDNIGHT MANES!”
Pinkie Pie came forward, raising a wine glass. The other ponies in the room followed suit and she spoke.
“We are so happy to have you back! Welcome home!”
“Welcome home!” the ponies repeated.
The four of us approached Pinkie and gave her a group hug.
“You’re crazy, Pinkie…” Striker said, “But we love you and we appreciate this.”
“It’s no trouble! I said that I’d throw you guys a party when you moved back here!” she answered with a grin. Four of our usual Ponyville friends came up beside Pinkie- Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack, each greeting us with a friendly embrace. We began to tell them about what had been going on since the Nightmare Night Festival. I was busy telling them about the day-long concert we were playing next month when I heard the door open. Paying no attention, I continued speaking.
“The bands playing so far are us, Linkin Ponies, 30 Seconds To Canterlot, Filly Idol, Nine Inch Tails and-”
I was cut off when I felt somepony tap on my shoulder. I would have asked for them to wait until I was done speaking, but when everypony started cracking up, I turned around.
“Hi, stranger.”
It was Rainbow Dash. I pulled her into a hug.
“I was wondering where you were.” I told her.
*******************************
The party continued for the next two and a half hours, all of us exchanging stories and updates. Once the party was over, we all went our separate ways for the day, as we usually did. Rainbow asked if she could tag along with me, and I was more than happy to have her along.
“I’m looking forward to living here again.” I spoke as we trotted through Ponyville. “I really missed living here.”
“We really missed having you guys here.” Rainbow Dash added. Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening and jaw tightening.
“What’s going on?” I asked her.
“Shh." she began, before whispering, “Glamour Gem’s over there.”
My head moved to the left, where she was motioning to. Indeed, there was that irritating mare, speaking with Diamond Tiara and another friend. She didn’t seem to notice us, but I didn’t want to give her the chance.
“All right, let’s go this way.” I said in a hushed tone.
I led Rainbow over to the where new recording studio stood, which had not been opened yet. Therefore, Nopony was allowed in, except for us.
“C’mon, she won’t think to look in here. We can take refuge until she leaves.”
Unlocking the door, we went inside and I turned on the lights. Rainbow Dash looked at her surroundings. Since we were here already, I decided to go ahead and show her around the place. I took her from room to room, explaining the purpose and uses of the rooms and equipment. We stopped in the practice room, which we had decided to build as an addition to the studio.
“So those are the instruments you use during your shows?” she asked, looking over to the wall on the right, where six electric and three acoustic guitars stood on stands.
“Actually, they aren’t.” I explained. “These are just our practice instruments.” I picked up one of my practice guitars, seated myself on a nearby stool and picked at a few strings.
“You can pick it up if you want.” I told her. Grinning, she did so and sat on the stool across from me. Then, to my surprise, she began strumming a tune.
“Rainbow, do you play?” I asked.
“A little bit.” she replied. “I play when I write songs. It‘s one of my hobbies that most ponies don‘t know about.”
“So you write songs as well?” I inquired, a bit more surprised.
“Yeah, but they’re not any good.” she said, hanging her head in mild embarrassment.
“C’mon Rainbow.” I said. “No songwriter should ever have any doubt about their songs. It happens, but it isn’t true.”
“You think so?” she asked me, perking her head up.
“Absolutely. I mean, I hated all of my songs, but look where they got me.”
She picked at a couple of strings, appearing to be going over something in her head. After a few moments, she looked at me.
“Do… do you want to hear one of my songs?” she asked, gritting her teeth in hesitation.
“I’d like that.” I said.
She pondered a few more moments, probably thinking about which one to let me hear. Then, she nodded and got up from where she was sitting. She then walked over to the guitars and replaced the electric she was holding with an acoustic. She then seated herself and cleared her throat.
“Now just bear with me, Shadow.” she said. “I’m not that good at singing either.”
“And no singer should ever doubt their voice either.” I answered with a grin.
“This song… I…” she stammered. “I… I actually wrote this song after I met you.”
“Is that so?” I asked. “Now, I’m even more excited to hear it.”
Clearing her throat once more, she began strumming a slow and slightly haunting tune. Then, she began singing the lyrics.
If this world is wearing thin And you’re thinking of escape I’ll go anywhere with you Just wrap me up in chains But if you try to go on alone Don’t think I’ll understand
Stay with me… Stay with me…
In the silence of your room In the darkness of your dreams You must only think of me There can be no in between When your pride is on the floor I’ll make you beg for more
Stay with me… Stay with me…
She finished playing and said “That’s as far as I got.”
I was at a loss for words. Her voice was actually very mesmerizing.
“Rainbow, that was great!” I exclaimed. “It’s a really haunting song.”
“I still need to finish it.” she said. “It’s not done yet.”
“If you want, Rainbow,” I told her. “I can help you finish it.”
“Would you really?” she asked in wonder.
I nodded my head, and we both began exchanging lyrics and ideas, but none of them seemed to fit the song. We continued for about fifteen minutes. Then, I remember a song I was working on a while back. I had been inspired by our mild sorrow in Manehattan, our constant longing to be back in Ponyville. I had not finished this song either, so I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to see how it would go with Rainbow Dash’s.
“There’s a song I haven’t completed, so if you want to hear it, maybe it will work for the song.” I said. Rainbow nodded and I began playing my guitar, adding the lyrics.
You’d better hope and pray that you make it safe Back to your own world You’d better hope and pray that you wake one day In your own world ‘Cause when you sleep at night they don’t hear your cries In your own world Only time will tell if you can break the spell In your own world
As I sang, Rainbow began moving her head in rhythm, indicating that she liked it. Then, she began playing and joined in singing the chorus after I’d sung my piece. Together, we began closing the song out. The song and music seemed to flow brilliantly between the two of us.
Stay with me Stay with me Stay, stay with me Stay, stay, stay, stay, stay Stay with me
After the song had finished, Rainbow hopped out of her seat, excitement rushing through her.
“That was awesome!” she exclaimed, bumping hooves with me.
“You know, Rainbow, you should have that recorded.” I told her. “That’s a song that nopony will forget anytime soon after hearing it. In fact, I’ve been meaning to give the equipment a test run. So, why don’t we come down here tomorrow afternoon with the rest of the band, and we’ll make a recording.”
“Sure, why not?” she asked.
*******************************
The next morning, Rainbow Dash stopped by our place, the other five ponies joining her. Twilight informed us that they had to go on a mission that was ordered by Princess Celestia. Before Rainbow walked away, she assured me that they would be back in time for us to record the song. She gave me a hug and the six left.
The hours passed. I went and visited a few ponies that I hadn’t seen in a while, then I met up with Striker for lunch. He informed me that he and Pinkie Pie were becoming close friends, much like Rainbow Dash and I were. We also spoke of our suspicions that Virtuoso was building a similar bond with Rarity. After we finished, I returned to the house to find it empty. That was no bother to me, so I picked up one of the Daring Do books and began to pass time until Rainbow returned.
However, when sun began to set, I became a bit concerned. Rainbow Dash, nor any of the six had returned. I was just about to make my way to Rainbow’s house, thinking she may have forgotten, when Princess Celestia herself showed up.
“Shadow Chord, thank goodness you are here.”
“Is everything all right, Princess?” I asked, giving a bow.
“We need your help.” she said, not needing to answer my question.
“Help? What’s going on?” I inquired, trying to keep as calm as I could. She entered, and motioned for me to take a seat. When I did, she followed suit and began her explanation.
“As you know, I sent Twilight and her friends on a mission today. They were to vanquish the evil foe known as Tacis. Long ago, he once wished to rule the entire world, as most evil beings do, but was banished by the great hero Melodia. No one knew where Tacis went, but he wasn't heard from again. However, just last week, we discovered that he had been hiding out in a region of badlands west of here, a place where nopony usually sets hoof in. From what my scouts have gathered, he’s been planning to return to Equestria and attempt to take it again in a quest to conquer the world once more.”
“I sent Twilight Sparkle and her friends to get rid of him, but they have been captured and imprisoned in the castle. Now, he has escaped to another hideout, and has left one of his minions to oversee them. You, Shadow Chord, must go to the castle. There, you are to rescue my six pupils, preferably vanquish the one watching over them, and find out where Tacis has fled to.”
I bowed and inquired, “Of course. I am at your service, Princess. But, why me? What makes me the one for the task?”
“You will receive the answers you seek later. For now, you must head to the castle. Take this.”
She produced a map to the castle, and then what appeared to be a small glass orb that fit into my hoof.
“Should you see the minion left in charge, throw this orb onto the ground with all of your might. When it breaks, it will take effect and vanquish him.”
I bowed once more and said, “As you wish, Princess.”
She arose and said “Get some rest. You leave at dawn.”
She left the house and I awaited the next day, where I was to embark on a journey like I’d never been before.
The morning came faster than I had expected. I left Ponyville without letting anypony know where I was going. I certainly didn’t need any press making headlines about how I “saved Equestria” or anything like that. Following the map, I made my way to the badlands. Upon arriving, I looked around, seeing why nopony would come here. Nothing but dark gray rocks, no sign of any type of vegetation. Looking at a mountain up ahead, I saw the dark, shadowy structure of the castle that Celestia had spoken of.
Not wanting to take any risks of climbing, I took flight and made my way toward the castle. When I finally got to the gate, I paused for a moment, looking around at the intimidating fortress that surrounded me, and wondered- what was I doing here? And why was I chosen? For Celestia’s sake, I was a musician, not a warrior! How was I going to ‘vanquish’ this thing I’d been sent to deal with?
Then I shook my head, remembering- even if I was doubtful, I still had friends in there that needed my help. And I recalled the times when I’d told other ponies to never have doubt, to never give up, and to always believe in themselves. Yet here I was, doubting myself, when my friends and even Princess Celestia herself were counting on me.
And of course, Rainbow Dash was in there, captive along with the rest of them. Rainbow Dash… even though we hadn’t gotten together regularly, thanks to our life in Manehattan, she had become my one real friend. She always was willing to listen to anything I had to say, always ready to help me out if I needed it. Every time we came down to Ponyville, her and I were usually at one another’s side. She was my best friend, no question. And I especially couldn’t let her down.
Heaving a great sigh, I made my way through the opening in the ancient gate. The castle was dark and eerie, not really a place I’d wanted to be in- alone, no less. I stopped and listened, seeing if I could hear any of my friends, which would help bring me in the right direction. Alas, I heard nothing, so I looked around the hall that I was in, hoping that one of the doors would lead me to where I needed to go. My eyes settled on a half-opened door that had several bolts and locks on them, as well as barred windows.
‘That must lead to the dungeon’ I thought, going through the doorway. Making my way down the long, dimly lit corridor, I saw that I was indeed in some type of keep. Smaller doors similar to the one I went through lined the walls. However, all of them were empty. I wondered, then, where the six were being held.
I made my way back to the hallway and tried one of the doors on the other side. It was a long spiraling staircase, which led to an empty room in one of the towers that had a huge section of wall missing. Cold air whipped through the room, and from this room I could see quite far. As I stood there gazing at the land below me, a gust came through and nearly took me off balance. To fall from this height would not be good, so I left that room quickly.
I searched another room, which led to what seemed to be an abandoned library. I checked to see if there might be any kind of map or guide to this castle, but to no avail. I ran from room to room, checking each chamber but finding nothing, all the while becoming more and more frustrated by the minute; time was limited, and who knew what could happen to my friends at any moment!
I returned to the ‘dungeon’ to check again, making sure that I left no cell door unchecked. But every single one of them was empty, no signs of anypony having occupied it in a long time. This was just great! Here I was, sent to rescue six ponies who were not only important to the Princess, but important to me as well, and I couldn’t find them!
“NOW WHAT AM I SUPPOSED I DO!?” I shouted out to nopony in particular, rather out of frustration. I knelt down on the cold floor, feeling bitter defeat. My voice echoed through the empty halls and rooms, to be heard by nothing more than the stones that laid the foundations of this accursed fortress. Then, my head perked up when I heard a voice.
“Is somepony there?”
The voice was muffled, but I could understand it. It sounded like Twilight’s voice as well.
“It’s me, Shadow Chord. Is that you Twilight?”
“Shadow Chord!”. This time, it was Rainbow’s voice, but it was still muffled. I looked around, seeing where her voice might have been coming from.
“Guys, where are you? I can’t see you anywhere! And is everypony together?”
“We’re all here.” Twilight responded. “We’re in a secret room that’s hidden behind the wall. Tacis ordered his assistant to put us in here so nopony could find us!”
“Do you know how to open it?” I asked, following her voice to the proper wall where the room was located. I finally found the source at the wall that ended the room.
“Look behind the prison door to your left.” she answered. “Do you see a brick that is sticking out of the wall?”
“I see it!” I told her after I searched for a moment. Not needing to ask what to do, I pushed the brick inward, and was greeted by the sound of grinding stone. I went back to the wall and sighed with relief to see a door slowly opening. Out of a pitch black room came my six friends.
Rainbow was the first to run out, and upon seeing me waiting at the doorway, she flung herself onto me, wrapping her forelegs tightly around me and burying her face into my chest.
“Thank Celestia you’re here, Shadow!” she said, tightening her grip. I followed suit, not wanting to let go. We held one another good minute or two, both of us so relieved to see one another.
“All right, save all the fancy-shmancy stuff.” Applejack said, though not in an offensive way. “We’ll all thank him later, but right now, we’ve gotta get outta here!”
The seven of us began walking to the gate, eager to get back to Ponyville. As we trotted along, I asked Twilight why I was chosen by Celestia to come here.
“I’m not sure about that.” she replied. “Not much is known about Tacis, except that he was an evil tyrant over a millennia ago. He ruled over a particular kingdom, and it was known for being absolutely silent.”
“Silence?” I asked, slightly confused.
“Apparently, Tacis claimed to be the embodiment of silence” Twilight explained. “And he felt that everything around him should not have any sound. He tried to take over the entire world, but the Prince known as Melodia defeated and banished him. If he continues to try and re-take the world, it can pose a real threat.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“Well,” Twilight said “The Princess sent us here to defeat him with the Elements of Harmony, but when we tried, it didn’t work. It seemed as though he paid no attention to it, and he was able to make his escape. Then, he ordered his assistant to imprison us, and we were stuck there until you got us out. The next thing we have to do is figure out how we can banish him if he decides to return again.”
By this time, we got to the gate, but unlike when I arrived, it was shut. We tried opening it, but it would not budge. Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice rung out from behind us.
“Going somewhere? I don’t think so!”
We turned about to see a black unicorn walking toward us. Sharp teeth glistened from a grimacing mouth, and searing yellow eyes staring angrily at us.
“It’s his minion…” Pinkie whispered. “And the Elements didn’t work on him, either.”
“I see you had a clever little helper to get you out.” he growled. “But it is of no matter. You have nowhere to go, and no way to defeat us. Your Elements were useless, and now you’re all going to experience eternal silence!”
He let out a nearly deafening cackle, and all of us wondered how we were going to get out of his mess. Then, I looked down, where I saw the small glass orb that Celestia gave me. I remembered her words:
“Should you see the minion left in charge, throw this orb onto the ground with all of your might. When it breaks, it will take effect and you will be able to vanquish him.”
I stepped forward, grasping the orb. My heart was pounding with nervousness, but I knew that I was being counted on.
“I think you’re a little confused about who’s going to be defeated here.” I told him.
He scoffed, and asked “And just who are you to make such a statement?”
“It doesn’t matter who I am.” I answered. “What matters is I have the means to defeat you.” I held up the orb, which was now beginning to produce a faint glow.
The other six looked at the orb, confused as to what I was talking about. An evil grin slowly spread across the minion’s face, and he let out another laugh.
“You have nothing that can defeat me, nor my master!” he proclaimed. “Even the Elements of Harmony could not hope to compare with our powers! What is a simple orb going to do? Just remember, pony- silence is golden!”
As soon as he made that statement, a force field went up around him and he looked upon us with an evil grin, one of sinister victory.
“That’s what Tacis did when we used the Elements!” Rainbow Dash said. “It’s useless!”
“No, it isn’t.” I announced to my friends.
I held the orb above my head, and then, with all of my might, hurled it to the ground. As it shattered, time actually slowed down, and then came to a stop and a bright cylinder of light came from where the orb landed. I looked around at my surroundings, searching for some type of clue as to what I needed to do next.
The minion was frozen, staring at me with a hateful glare. My friends were also frozen in time, their gazes were that of awe and fascination. Then, I looked back to where the light was shooting up from the orb. As I looked into it, I could see some type of outline, but I wasn’t sure what it was. I squinted my eyes to get a better focus, and then realized- it was a guitar. A guitar that seemed to be made of light itself.
As I stood looking at the glowing instrument, I heard another voice echoing through the castle. It wasn’t from my friends, and it wasn’t from the minion. In fact, I didn’t know whom it was from. But I heard it clearly.
“Play… and he will be defeated.”
“Who is this?” I asked.
“Pick up the instrument,” it said, not answering. “and play… it is the only way he, or Tacis can be defeated. For music will overcome silence.”
The voice didn’t speak again. But, trusting in what it said, as well as my instinct, I reached into the tunnel and got this guitar of light. I could feel a cool, somewhat electrical sensation as I came into contact with it. As I held it, I felt the electric vibe begin to slowly move throughout my entire body.
All of a sudden, time went back to normal. I could hear my friends draw a breath of fascination and surprise when they saw the guitar in my hands. The minion, however, had a different reaction. The evil glare quickly melted from his face, replaced by one of panic and fear.
“No…” he said in a hushed tone. I looked him in the eye.
“No…. No! it can’t be!” he said.
I wasn’t sure why he became afraid all of a sudden, but it placed a newfound confidence in me, and I was sure that we were going to make it. Remembering what the voice had told me, I stepped forward, staring into his fearful eyes with raw determination. The cool electric was beginning to run through me at a slightly quicker rate.
“If silence is golden,” I firmly declared, “Then music is worth double its value!”
I began playing faster- I wasn’t sure if I was even in control, because this cold electric feeling was now rushing through me at an astounding speed, and I played with hardly any effort. Everything around me began to fade out- the minion who looked at me in terror, my friends who gazed with fascination at what they were witnessing. It was just me and the music I was playing. As I played even faster, I felt myself actually begin to levitate in the air, and a bright glow began surrounding me and the guitar.
When I played to a peak, I shouted to the six, “The Elements! Now!”
Nodding, the six sprang the Elements to life, and the minion screamed in protest. It had worked- the music had brought down his force field of silence, which allowed the Elements of Harmony to take full effect.
“NOOO!!!!!” he screamed one final time before vanishing completely.
The light coming from the guitar and the Elements temporarily rendered everypony sightless. When the light had vanished and we opened our eyes, the minion was gone, and the gate had reopened. I noticed that the guitar was gone, but I also noticed that I was wearing a necklace with a golden guitar pick. Everypony stared at me in wonder.
“What… what was that, Shadow Chord?” Rarity asked.
“And how did you know what to do?” Fluttershy added.
I stood there in silence. Honestly, I was a little dumbfounded myself. Whatever had just happened was incredible, but I had no answers either. I swallowed and blinked.
“Honestly… I have no idea.” I informed them. “Princess Celestia gave me that orb and told me to throw it to the ground if I were to encounter any enemies here. So when I shattered it, this guitar of light appeared and a voice told me to pick it up and play it, and then the minion could be defeated.”
“Well, since we got rid of him,” Twilight said. “Let’s get out of here. I’m sure that the Princess can explain everything else. Thank you for coming to rescue us, Shadow Chord.”
“We sure as hay owe ya one, Shadow!” Applejack said, hugging me. “We don’t know what we would’ve done if y’all hadn’t shown up.”
“Thanks Shadow!” Pinkie said, “And that guitar solo was so neat!”
“Thank you so much, Shadow.” Fluttershy said, half above a whisper.
“You have our greatest thanks, darling.” Rarity said.
We exited the castle and began making our way back to Ponyville. All along the way, Rainbow Dash walked alongside me. When we finally got to Ponyville, she stopped to pull me into another tight embrace.
“Shadow, we can’t thank you enough for helping us out back there.” she said. “We all thought we were done for!”
“It’s no trouble Rainbow.” I assured her. “I was starting to get really worried about you when you didn’t come back.”
“I’ll admit, Shadow.” she said. “I was afraid I’d never get to see you again. I’m so lucky to have a friend like you. We all are.”
“It’s really not a problem. I know you all would have done the same if I’d been in your situation. And I wasn’t about to have it to where none of us could have seen each other again. You’re all my friends, and I was more than glad to do this.
Rainbow Dash once again hugged me, pressing her head into my chest. I wrapped my forelegs around her holding her close. As we stood there, we heard Pinkie, who was slightly ahead of us, along with the others.
“You guys coming or what?”
We hesitantly broke the hug and caught up with them.
“Well, let’s not forget,” I told Rainbow, “We’ve still got a recording to make.”
“Thank you so much, Ponyville!” I shouted to the roaring crowd of ponies. “Marilyn Maneson is up next, don’t go anywhere!”
With a final riff of our guitars, we closed out our set for the show. After throwing our spare picks and drumsticks to the crowd, we went backstage.
It had been about a month since I rescued Rainbow Dash and our friends from the grasps of Tacis, and we had been living care-free ever since, without a worry in the world. Rainbow and I made our duet recording, which both of us kept locked safely away, as we both treasured it.
The two of us hung out almost daily, and we had bonded our friendship even more. Now, we were playing the day-long concert that everypony had been looking forward to for quite some time.
We had just finished our set, and were walking backstage. The other six were gathered in the room, as Celestia had promised to come to this festival and give us the answers we were looking for regarding our run-in with Tacis. Why she chose the concert, I had no idea, but I really didn’t care. As long as there was no threat, I really didn’t think much of this Tacis. I also told my bandmates, who were more than happy to keep it a secret- like me, they probably didn’t want to deal with the press harassing us about it.
We opened the door to find our six friends laughing, giggling, and shouting. Wondering what they were up to, we entered the room, closing the door behind us. We could hear Twilight saying something- rhyming, in fact. She was also holding up a video camera, one that she had just recently gotten.
“… And aint’ no other pony troll it down like me I’m Twilight-licious!”
The six broke out in another fit of laughter.
“I‘ve got one, I’ve got one!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, jumping up and down in her seat. Twilight set the camera on her and said “Go for it, Pinkie!”
With a giggle, Pinkie began her rhyme.
“I’m the P- to the INKIE To the P- to I- to E- And while I’m at it, ponies Won’t you please be friends with me? I’m Pinkie-licious!”
After the howls of laughter subsided, Twilight focused on Fluttershy.
“Let’s hear one, Fluttershy!” she laughed.
Fluttershy looked at the camera nervously, and then quietly began murmuring
“I’m… the F- To the L-U-T-T-E-R-S-H-Y And the thought of ponies watching this Makes me want to cry I’m… Flutter-licious…”
Everypony stared at her with concern and worry for a few moments as she hung her head, squinting her eyes shut. Then, she looked up at us, a sly grin slowly forming on her face before giggling, which caused everypony, including us to laugh in delight.
This went on for everypony- from Applejack, to Rarity, to Rainbow Dash (who insisted on wearing her sunglasses during hers). And then, just as I had suspected, Twilight put the camera on me.
“Your turn, Shadow Chord!”
“Really, guys?” I asked with a grin.
Everypony urged me to do one,
“Go for it!”
“C’mon, Shadow!”
“Do it!”
Even Rainbow, who was sitting next to me, gave me a slight shove on the shoulder, urging me on. I sighed and thought for a moment, figuring out a rhyme. I should have done that earlier on while one of the other ponies were doing theirs- I knew I’d have to do one. So, I began:
“I’m the Shadow to the C-H-O-R-D And there’s no other pony Rocks it out like me I’m Shadow-licious!”
The laughter ensued, and even my bandmates came up with their own little 'Pony-licious' rhyme. As we were all making small talk, Celestia finally arrived. After bowing in respect, she seated herself on the recliner, facing all of us.
“As I promised, I am here to give you the answers you seek. You, especially, Shadow Chord.” she stated.
“First of all, allow me to assure everypony that at the moment, there is no threat from Tacis. He has fled to an unknown region, and has surely heard of what happened at the fortress where you encountered him. Now that he knows about you, Shadow Chord, he will think twice about trying to conquer the world again.”
“But what exactly happened at that castle, Princess?” I asked her, “Or rather, what was that guitar of light? Why was it able to vanquish the minion? And there was this voice…”
“As you know, Tacis once wished to rule the world under a tyranny of absolute silence. Hundreds of ponies tried to defeat him, but nopony could- he was able to protect himself with a force field of silence, rendering any spell cast against him useless. Melodia, the one who defeated him, was not only a great warrior, but a talented musician. He was skilled in combat, magic and music. He soon discovered that music, combined with a bit of magic, could break the force fields. With his friend, who was a powerful wizard, they created a violin made of magic, containing it within a magical orb. Soon after this, Tacis attempted to take over Melodia’s fortress. When the moment arose, Melodia smashed the orb and got the violin. When he played, the music he played was actually a form of magic that destroyed the force field that protected the evil tyrant. This allowed the wizard to banish Tacis and his followed. They rendered the world safe from his reign.”
“A few years later, the wizard was gazing into the future. He could only see a small bit, but he foresaw that Tacis may return. He spoke this over with Melodia, and even though they could not travel into the future, they devised a plan. They created another orb of magic- but this magic was made so it would take the form of whatever instrument Melodia’s descendant could play. He then spoke into the orb, telling the right one to play the instrument to defeat Tacis. The orb was kept safe by the Royal family for years, up until the time you used it, Shadow Chord.”
I sat there, bewildered at what I had heard. It seemed as though everypony else was just as amazed.
“So… you’re saying that the voice I heard was…”
“That was the voice of Melodia.” Celestia answered, “Your ancestor.”
“My ancestor???” I asked, nearly choking.
“The orb would only work for his descendant.” she explained. “And your lineage traces show that you are a direct descendant of Melodia.”
“What… what does this all mean, then?” I stammered.
“It means nothing more than the fact that you are the one who has the means to defeat Tacis, should he choose to strike again. Other than that, it simply means that you are a great musician, along with three other great musicians, who have thousands of ponies who enjoy the music you make.”
“But, let’s say that he does resurface.” I said, “There was only one orb, so how could I get back the guitar?”
“That is what the pick made of gold is for.” she answered, referring to the guitar pick on the necklace that appeared after I defeated the minion. “All you need to do is grasp it firmly and the guitar will appear in your hands again.”
“I see, Princess. Thank you.”
“Of course, Shadow. Now you have the answers you seek. And as I said before, there is no need to worry about Tacis; he has fled and shows no signs of returning. I want everypony here to go on with their lives as normal, and I will let you know if we have trouble from him again.”
Once she had finished, she bid us farewell and exited.
We had no problems forgetting about Tacis, since everypony had pretty much forgotten about the showdown at the castle already. We had only brought it up so the Princess could answer the questions left unanswered.
“Hey Rainbow, whaddya say you and I hit up the concession stands?” I asked her.
“Let’s go! I’m starving!” she answered.
We made our way out of the backstage area, around to the gigantic crowd of ponies. Music flowed from the stage where the band was playing, going through the audience. I beckoned Rainbow Dash to follow me as we made our way around the crowd, over to where the concessions stands were located, to the right of the stage. After signing a few autographs for ponies that were at the stands, I ordered some donuts and hay shakes for the two of us. We gazed at the stage from where we stood, consuming our donuts and shakes. Just as soon as we finished, I heard a familiar voice… one I wasn’t too pleased to hear.
“Hey there, handsome!”
‘Glamour Gem…’ I thought.
I turned around, and sure enough, here she came along with the two ponies she was usually with. I assured Rainbow Dash that I’d be quick about this.
“Shadow, you remember Diamond Tiara, and this is her friend, Silver Spoon.”
“Good evening, Silver Spoon.” I said. The young filly simply blushed and grinned, saying nothing.
I sighed and asked, “Are you enjoying tonight?”
“We sure are.” Glamour Gem answered and then spoke in a softer tone, “But you know, it would be a lot more enjoyable if you’d come along with us. I‘m sure you‘d love to hang out with a mare like me”
“I appreciate the offer, Glamour, but I’m hanging out with Rainbow Dash.”
“Her?” she asked aloud, tilting her head “You know, Shadow, she’s not really the kind of mare you should be hanging out with. She’s not fun, she’s not interesting... she’s just not worth being around.”
Rainbow must have heard that, because she looked back with an expression of irritation mixed with hurt. I’d had enough, now.
“Look here, Glamour.” I spoke firmly, “I try not to be this way with my fans, but what you said is uncalled for! Rainbow Dash is fun, she is interesting, and she’s definitely worth being around. You don’t even know her, yet all you do is belittle her, and I don’t have any time or patience for ponies like that! Now, we’re gonna go our own way, and I’d appreciate it if you left us alone.”
“You’ll see, Shadow Chord.” she said, still smiling at me and looking confident, “I’ll show you that I’m the mare you want to be around.”
She blew a kiss to me. I scoffed in disgust and turned around.
“Let’s go, Rainbow Dash.” I said, leading her away. “I know a place where we can go without her following.”
I led Rainbow Dash to one of the spotlight rigs about halfway between the stage and the back of the field. We made our way to a platform on the very top of the rig, where we could see the stage, the ponies below us, and if we looked to our left, we could also see all of Ponyville.
“This is an awesome view!” she said as we laid down on the top platform.
The stage was in intermission, waiting for the next band to set up and perform. I felt exhilarated, being able to just spend time with my best friend.
“I can’t believe her nerve.” Rainbow said after a moment or two of quiet.
“Don’t worry about Glamour Gem, Rainbow.” I assured her. “I told her that I didn’t have time for her any longer.”
“I know, but I get so frustrated when she puts me down. She never even got to know me, but all she does is make fun of me.”
“I know how you feel, Rainbow Dash.” I told her, “I went through the same thing when I was younger.”
“I can only imagine how you felt.” she said. “Everypony put you down just because of your coat and mane. And you didn’t even have friends to come to your defense. That must have been torture.”
“Well, the past is past. Besides, that was what led to the name of our band.”
“It was?” she asked, a bit shocked.
“Yeah, I usually don’t tell this to a lot of ponies- but I was always called a ‘midnight-maned freak‘. And so when we named the band, I figured that what once put me down could help me rise up.”
“But to not have any friends… Glamour might try to put me down, but I at least have my friends who will defend me. I can’t even…” her voice trailed off, a hint of sorrow ringing faintly.
“Like I said, it’s past. What matters is that I have friends now.” I said, putting my hoof on top of where hers was resting. She had been looking at the stage, but she now looked over at me.
“And you, Rainbow.” I continued, “You’re practically my best friend.”
“Me? I… I…” she seemed to be at a loss for words.
“That’s right. I‘ll admit, we haven’t hung out much up until recently, but that was only because of us not living here in Ponyville. This past month has been so amazing, and it’s because I get to see you nearly every day. You’re like me- both of us like to go out and have a good time, wherever it might be, whatever we might do. And my bandmates are all good friends, but as you see, we usually have our own thing that we do whenever we aren’t practicing or performing. There’s no denying it, Rainbow Dash- you’ve become my best friend.”
She sighed and embraced me in a tight hug.
“I’m so lucky to have a friend like you.” she murmured.
“No, Rainbow.” I replied, placing my forelegs around her, “It’s me who’s the lucky one. Even after the band made it, everypony looked at me as if I were a god of some sort. You treat me like a true friend.”
“So do you.” she answered, breaking the embrace and facing me, “I mean, the other five are all good friends, yeah, but you’re the one who always takes time out to see me and hang out with me.”
She embraced me again, saying “And Shadow… thank you.”
“For what?” I wondered aloud.
“When Glamour Gem said those things about me… you defended me… you said I was interesting, said I was worth being around. Nopony has ever said something like that about me before.”
“You’re worth more than that, Rainbow Dash.” I said, “And even if nopony has ever said anything like it, I’m sure they’d say the same thing if they needed to.”
I held her close for a few more moments, taking in the moment. I’d meant every word that I had told her. She truly was my best friend, and I couldn’t have ever asked for better. My old life was far enough to nearly forget now. I was now living the life I’d hoped for when I was young. And it was thanks to my band, my friends- Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack… all of them. And of course, Rainbow Dash, the one I was embracing at the moment.
The next band, Linkin Ponies came on, and we gently broke apart to watch the concert together.
“So, how long until your next show?” Rainbow casually asked.
“Not for a while.” I answered. She seemed a bit puzzled to hear that. “We’ve been playing quite a few shows for the last few months. We’ve gonna be recording our next album soon, so we’re taking a break from touring.”
She chuckled asking “That mean we can hang out more often?”
“Need you even ask?”
I felt her lean her head against my shoulder, saying that she was looking forward to it. The two of us continued to watch the band, high above the crowd, under the stars, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way- together.
*******************************
When the concert was over with, the four of us went to the backstage, where everypony else was still hanging out.
“Where have you two been?” Twilight asked us.
“We went out to get some snacks, but Glamour Gem found us, so we hid on one of the spotlight rigs.” I said. I didn’t need to explain why, everypony knew how Glamour acted around me, and how she treated Rainbow Dash.
“Well,” Virtuoso said. “We’re in a celebrating mood tonight, since we’re finally taking a break from touring. Anypony up for a repeat of Nightmare Night?”
The six looked at Virtuoso confusedly until Double Platinum walked in with two tents, as he had back at the Nightmare Night Festival. The six ponies all voiced their positive response, so a couple of road crew ponies went out to set the tents up and make a campfire.
Double Platinum brought all of the treats that had not been purchased from the festival, along with the usual kegs of cider. That particular evening, however, the tents went unoccupied, as we all found ourselves staying up all night, celebrating and having the time of our lives.
After a performing a couple more concerts- one in Las Pegasus, and another in Canterlot- it was finally time for our band to take it easy for a while. No shows, no traveling- just doing whatever we felt like doing.
The first couple of weeks were busy, though, as we pulled long hours at the studio recording our new album, To The Limit. Sometimes we’d even stay up all night recording, making sure that our music sounded just right. Our friends would often show up at the studio, giving their support and helping out in any way they could, and I was glad to have them at our side. In fact, Striker and Pinkie Pie began dating not too long into our recording sessions. We were all satisfied and happy.
The album wasn’t going to be released until next year, however, and we wouldn’t begin touring until after the release. Needless to say, we had quite a bit of free time on our hooves. Rainbow Dash and I were still hanging out nearly every day, and she often helped out in promoting the band and any events we may have had planned.
Before I knew it, Rainbow’s birthday was approaching. Pinkie, in her usual ways, had a party organized for her. I myself had a surprise for everypony that I would be presenting at the party.
After a couple of weeks, her birthday finally arrived. To keep her distracted while the other five set up the party, I took her out for lunch and then brought her to a Wonderbolts performance, which was conveniently on the same day. We exited the stadium, where she thought we would be going back to my place so she could preview the new album before anypony else.
“Oh, by the way- Pinkie Pie said that there was something she wanted to talk to me about. Mind if we stopped there for a minute?”
Rainbow nodded her head in agreement. She had been having a blast the whole entire day, thinking that this was a perfect birthday celebration. Little did she know of what we all had planned as we made our way to Sugarcube Corner. Slowly, I opened the door…
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!”
The shout came from all of her friends who were there, along with Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. And of course, the rest of the Midnight Manes were there as well.
“How did I not see this coming?” she asked sarcastically with a chuckle.
Everypony joined in giving her a group hug before the party began. The treats Pinkie and Applejack had prepared were as tasty as ever, and Pinkie once again proved that she was the master of parties. Now it was time for Rainbow Dash to open her gifts. Twilight Sparkle gave her the wrapped package that she’d gotten for her. Unwrapping it, Rainbow saw the book Daring Do And The Island Of Eternal Youth- the next book in the Daring Do series. Rainbow expressed her gratitude, hugging her friend.
Rarity was next, giving Rainbow Dash a small, rectangular black box with a bow wrapped around it. Upon opening it, we saw that it wasn’t actually a box- but a case for two pairs of sunglasses. One could see that Rarity had added her own touch to them, decorating the frames with multi-colored stripes on one, and the words RAINBOW DASH etched into the side arms of the other.
“Thank Celestia!” Rainbow said, taking each pair out to examine them “I broke mine last week, and this is just what I needed!”
After everypony else had given her their gifts, it was my turn. I gave her one package, which was a new stereo, along with a copy of our new album. She was the first pony to receive it, as it had yet to be released.
“You’re giving me the album before it’s out?” she asked, astonished.
“Well, I did say that I was going to let you hear it before anypony else.” I said, trying to break the ice.
She got up and pulled me into a tight embrace. But I spoke up, “Wait, I’m not done yet.”
“Huh?” she asked.
“In fact, I need everypony to listen.” I said, giving Lightning Shredder the signal to go and get the other package. He then walked into the other room and quickly returned, carrying a large brown envelope. Everypony looked on in confusion, but that was to be expected.
“Rainbow and I have been hanging out quite a bit, as you may have noticed.” I paused as everypony laughed, “And she’s informed me that she’s wanted to get away, in a matter of speaking. A vacation with her friends, to be more specific.”
Lightning Shredder opened the envelope and laid the contents out on the table. They were papers containing information on tickets and reservations.
“So, we have personally arranged for everypony in this room, a week long vacation in the tropical paradise of Capriole Shores, first class!”
Everypony looked at us dumbfounded. Rarity was the first to speak after a few seconds of silence.
“Why, this is absolutely fabulous!” she cried in delight, “Capriole Shores is one of the greatest destinations in all of Equestria! I’ve always dreamed of going there one day!”
She let out a squee of joy before embracing me. The other ponies followed suit in thanking us, and Rainbow Dash embraced me so tightly I thought I was going to explode. What she did next stunned me- but in a very good way. She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks so much, Shadow! Thank you- all four of you!” she said.
Luckily, Virtuoso was the one who told everypony not to mention it, because I was a bit speechless. Even though it was a quick, split-second peck, I still felt that same feeling I felt whenever I first saw her. After staring off into space for a few moments, I settled down at the table and motioned for the rest to do the same. I began to explain the details of the vacation, eager to let everypony know the awesome time that awaited them.
“So, we’ll be traveling on train, of course.” I began. “We’ve arranged for three first-class cabins. One for us, one for you six, and one for the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
“You mean… you mean we’re comin’ too?” Apple Bloom asked, her eyes widening.
“Well, of course! All three of you!” Striker said. “We wouldn’t want anypony missing out on this!”
The three fillies nearly knocked us out of our chairs, tackling us with hugs. “All right, y’all,” Applejack told them after a few seconds, “Let ‘em tell us the rest.” Still excited, they got down and looked on eagerly.
“We’ve also reserved a penthouse at the Palomino Royale.” I continued, referring to a famous five-star resort. “Our penthouse has enough beds for everypony. We have free access to anything that anypony else might have to pay for- the spa, the nightclub, the bars, and just about everything else that the hotel has to offer.”
“We’ve also got a few events planned.” Striker informed, “There’s gonna be a couple of times where we’re gonna go snorkeling in the ocean. We’ve also got a ghost tour arranged on our second night there. That’s just a couple of the events we have planned. There’s a lot more for us to do on this vacation.”
As we continued to fill them in on the details of the vacation, everypony listened with fascination and anticipation. A couple of hours passed before we all decided to call it a night. Everypony once again wished Rainbow Dash a happy birthday, and thanked us again for providing the vacation.
“Shadow, would you mind helping me take these back to my place?” Rainbow asked me, tilting her head to her gifts and treats that had been given to her.
“No problem!” I answered, more than happy to spend extra time with her. I turned to my bandmates, saying “I’ll see you at the house, boys.” before I turned my attention to helping out Rainbow Dash. We gathered all of her gifts and treats, gave Pinkie a hug and thanked her for the party before we departed to Rainbow’s house.
As we took flight, Rainbow flew close beside me.
“I’ve never been to Capriole Shores before!” she exclaimed after some time flying.
“Me neither.” I said, which led to her doing a double-take.
“You? I figured you would have already gone there at some time!”
“Nope.” I replied. “This is our first time going there too. And I figured that with us on break, this would be a perfect time for all of us to go on a vacation together!”
We landed at Rainbow’s house by this time. Rainbow opened the door and turned the lights on before turning around to face me.
“Wanna come inside for a few minutes?”
“I normally would,” I told her “But me and the boys need to practice.”
“Whoa, you guys have a new tour already?” she asked, a bit shocked.
“No, it’s only one show.” I explained, “You see, we’re throwing one concert at Capriole Shores on our first night there. We’re still taking it easy for a while, but we’ve always wanted to play there, so this would be a good opportunity. It‘ll be our final concert for a while.”
“I gotcha.” she said.
“Tell you what, though. I’ll drop by tomorrow and we’ll hang out. That sound good?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Rainbow set her things inside the door and then turned around. She embraced me tightly, and then gave me another peck on the cheek.
“Thank you, Shadow Chord.” she whispered. “This has been the most awesome birthday ever!”
“Not… not a problem, Rainbow Dash.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.” Rainbow then went into her house and smiled at me before closing the door. I turned around and took flight, heading back to my place. I could feel that familiar spark engulfing me.
‘Rainbow Dash…’ I thought. ‘I’m so glad I met you. I know it might sound a little crazy, but I honestly don’t know what my life would be like if you weren’t here. You’re the one true best friend I have. And that’s irreplaceable.’
I was in heavy thought as I flew through the cool, clear night air, but they were happy thoughts. I was truly living a good life now. I was making a living doing what I loved- playing in a band with four bandmates that were like family to me. We were living in Ponyville, the place we’d never trade anything for, and we now had a studio so we could record our music right here in our hometown. I had five ponies who couldn’t have been better friends. And, of course, I had Rainbow Dash, my one true best friend.
I pictured her pretty face, her voice, her warm smile. That alone was enough to bring a grin to my face. And to top it all of, in a few weeks, we were all going to be going on a vacation to one of the top vacation destinations in the land.
As I returned to my house and I practiced with my band long into the night, the mere thought of Rainbow Dash and the upcoming events kept my mind ablaze, yet content.
****ONE MONTH LATER****
“Everypony have everything packed?” Virtuoso called from downstairs.
“I am!” I called out, zipping my suitcase up.
“Me too!” Lightning Shredder shouted from his room.
“Me three!” yelled Striker.
We were all stoked, because today was the day we were heading out to Capriole Shores! The others would be meeting us at Twilight Sparkle’s place. We were then getting the three young fillies out of school early and then heading to the train station.
All four of us met downstairs, where we made one final check throughout the house and gathered all of our needs for the vacation before turning the lights off and shutting the door behind us.
“All right, let’s go!” Lightning Shredder piped in excitement. With that being said, we all headed to Golden Oaks, where we found our six friends all packed and ready, waiting on us in anticipation. Even though we’d all seen each other just two days before, we still greeted one another with the friendliest of hugs and words of friendship.
“So, does everypony have everything they need for this vacation?” I double checked. “Nothing forgotten?”
When each responded positively, I grinned with excitement.
“Then let’s rock n’ roll!” I shouted, which was followed by enthusiastic cheers from our friends. We all trotted happily as a group to the schoolhouse, where Cheerilee was giving the day’s lesson to all of the fillies. As Twilight slowly opened the door, she knocked, giving Cheerilee the signal that we had arrived.
“Ah, Twilight, so good to see you!” Cheerilee said before looking over to where Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were sitting. “Well, you three, it’s time for you guys to head out. Your luggage is over there in the closet. Have fun in Capriole Shores and don’t forget to tell us all about it when you get back!”
“Bye, Ms. Cheerilee!” the three chimed simultaneously. As Cheerilee continued teaching the rest of the class, we all watched as the young fillies went over to the closet and retrieved their luggage, which had been previously packed for them the day before by Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Their faces beamed with excitement as they made sure they had everything they needed. Something then caught my attention out of the corner of my eye.
Glancing to my left, I saw Diamond Tiara staring at the Crusaders, her arms folded. Her face wore an expression of anger, resentment and, above all, envy. No doubt, she was likely thinking that she should have been the one packing her things and going on vacation.
‘Well, Diamond,’ I thought, ‘Perhaps if you didn’t bully them all the time, this wouldn’t be a problem.’
Since meeting them, the three foals had told me several accounts of how Diamond Tiara treated them, and being a former victim of bullying myself, I wasn’t very pleased with the way she acted. But now, it was their turn to have fun, to know what it’s like to live somewhat of a lavish lifestyle.
My thoughts were interrupted when the fillies approached us, wide grins plastered on their faces.
“You three have everything?” Applejack asked, to which they nodded. With everything settled, all of us made our way to the train station, where Virtuoso picked up our ticket reservation. He handed each pony their ticket, letting Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash hold onto one extra ticket for each of their siblings.
As we waited for the train to arrive, everypony made small talk, discussing topics ranging from our plans for Capriole Shores, to us telling road stories and information about the new album.
After about half an hour, our train pulled into the station. Giving our tickets to the taker, we all made our way to the VIP Cabin, which was, in fact, four cabins that were reserved for us. It consisted of three bedrooms and a living area. We showed the Cutie Mark Crusaders their bedroom, and then the other six to theirs before setting our suitcases down in our room. The train sounded its whistle and began moving, marking the beginning of our vacation.
****TWO DAYS LATER****
The train whistled and came to a halt. I glanced out of our window, seeing that we had arrived at our destination. The four of us got our belongings and darted into the living area, finding everypony with their suitcases ready and smiles plastered on their faces. We all stared at each other for a few moments before I spoke up.
“Let’s rock n’ roll!”
We all cheered, got off the train and exited the station, pausing to look at our surroundings. The sky was crystal clear and the sun shone brightly, giving us a look at the tall buildings and busy streets that surrounded us. Ponies everywhere had looks of content, excitement and overall happiness on their faces. We were definitely in for the time of our lives here!
We found the trolley and boarded it, on route to the Palomino Royale. Some ponies may have taken the seats indoors, but we all stood near the windows, each grabbing a hoof rail. As the trolley moved along the streets, we continued to look all around us. Along with the ponies, all kinds of places lined the streets- nightclubs, hotels, casinos, museums, restaurants- you name it, it was there in Capriole Shores. My bandmates and I gave a cheer and raised our hooves in the air as we passed one building in particular- the Equestria Daily Arena, with the lighted sign out front reading ‘TONIGHT! CAPRIOLE SHORES WELCOMES THE MIDNIGHT MANES’
After a fifteen minute ride, we arrived at the luxurious Palomino Royale. Virtuoso quickly checked us in and we were given the keys to our suite. We quickly headed up to the twelfth floor and unlocked the door.
We paused at the entrance, looking around. Even though I knew it was a luxury hotel, I was still taken aback. A huge room sprawled out before us. The tile floor glistened from the soft light that illuminated the room, while the windows that reached from the floor to the ceiling gave us an incredible view of the ocean and the city. There was a kitchen and a dining area with a table large enough to seat all of us. The living area had four sofas, two futons and six comfort chairs and a large fireplace. A large television hung on one of the walls with an X-Bucks 360 set up below it on a stand. We discovered that one of the sofas in the living area had a pull-out bed, which Spike gladly claimed for himself. The balcony outside was spacious and had two outdoor tables.
On the second floor of the penthouse were six spacious bedrooms. Five of them were each furnished with two large beds, dividing privacy curtains, a television of its own, a desk and a large window, each with its own magnificent view of Capriole Shores. A large bathroom adjoined each room. The other bedroom was the one designed for young foals, with three bunk beds and a television complete with another X-Bucks 360. The young fillies were delighted, each of them claiming their own top bunk. Now it was time for all of us to select our bedrooms.
Pinkie Pie and Striker took the bedroom across from the room where the Cutie Mark Crusaders were, while Fluttershy and Rarity took the room at the end of the hall. Virtuoso and Lightning Shredder claimed the first room in front of the stairs. Twilight and Applejack took the room adjacent to the one Virtuoso and Lightning Shredder were in. That meant there was only one bedroom left. And the two ponies that were left were myself and Rainbow Dash.
“You… don’t mind sharing a room with me, do you, Rainbow?” I asked, feeling a bit awkward. But, as always, she was there to break the awkwardness.
“Of course not! You don’t snore, though, do you?” she asked with a grin.
“Nope!” I answered.
We entered the remaining bedroom and I threw my suitcase on the bed next to the window. Rainbow Dash set her things on the other bed, and along with the other ponies, we exited our penthouse to explore the rest of the hotel. We spent the next hour looking around at what the hotel offered. There were three pools outside along with hot tubs and tiki bars. We also saw that the hotel had a complete foal playground. Inside we came across a spa, two nightclubs and two restaurants, a fitness center, an arcade and a gift shop. And the best part was, we all had free access to any of these at any time of day or night.
Everypony was excited to take full advantage of what we had offered to us, but we all knew that it would have to wait until later tonight- right now, we all had to get ready to make our way over to the Equestria Daily Arena for the concert tonight. So, we returned to the penthouse, where we all readied ourselves. After ten minutes, I was all set, and so was Rainbow. I grabbed my guitar, and exited the room with Rainbow Dash, convening in the living area with the rest of the crowd. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were pretty excited- this was their first time they would be watching us from backstage.
Going down to the lobby, we spoke with the clerk and arranged for our own personal trolley to take us to the arena. We didn’t have to wait long, and soon we were on our way.
“Already this vacation is simply fabulous!” Rarity exclaimed, relishing in the fact that she was on a high-class, lavish getaway at top vacation destination. “I never dreamed that I would be here in Capriole Shores with all of my friends!”
“Thank you all again.” Twilight Sparkle spoke with gratitude. Everypony followed suit in giving us their thanks.
“No,” Virtuoso said, “Thank all of you. The six of you- and of course, you three little ones- all treat us as friends, not as gods. We may be rockstars, but we’re still ponies, and we couldn’t ask for better friends.”
Everypony was humbled by what Virtuoso said, but we meant every word of it. It was these six that we could talk with, hang out, and do things with, and they didn’t stare or babble at us like some ponies would
About this time, we pulled up to the gigantic stadium, circling around to the back entrance. Already, fans were making their way to the front, ready to see us perform. Everypony was excited for this concert, because this would be our final concert before our big break, and that was something that all four of us were heavily anticipating. We loved our career and we loved our fans, but we were ready to take it easy for a while, and we were definitely looking forward to this vacation.
The trolley came to a stop, and a group of arena staff came out and escorted us to our room backstage. We were informed that two local bands were playing as opening acts and that we would be each be playing for half an hour, giving us about an hour before we went on. Seating ourselves, we all relaxed and exchanged small talk, which helped to pass the time. My bandmates and I warmed up a bit on our instruments. We even went over to the stage entrance and watched the second opening band for a bit when they began playing. Thankfully, the crowd was giving them a good reception. After another twenty five minutes of waiting in the back room, and the crew began setting up the stage for our performance. We began getting ready for the show, and soon were told by a staff member that we were on.
We got our instruments and the others followed us out to the stage, where the crowd began with the classic “MID-NIGHT MANES!” chant, sending the adrenaline through us. Then, the arena went dark and the crowd went wild. Everypony soon heard our intro boom through the stadium.
“Good luck, you guys!” Twilight said, barely above a whisper as we prepared ourselves. Then, the intro gave our signal to walk on.
'Mares and gentlecolts,
I give you… The Midnight Manes!'
We rushed out onto the stage, soaking in the enthusiastic greeting from the crowd. After pausing for a moment, we burst into song, playing ‘Feel This Power’. the crow began swaying their heads, some even jumping up and down. Our nine friends all watched on from behind the stage, nodding their heads in rhythm to our music. The entire crowd sang along as I belted out the lyrics, and gave an enormous roar of excitement when we finished the song.
“Good evening, Capriole Shores!” I addressed the crowd, who cheered in response.
“You can do better than that! I said, Good evening, Capriole Shores!”
A louder, more powerful cheer arose and nearly shook the foundations of the arena. From the corner of my eye, I saw that a few of our friends were covering their ears, but looked on proudly.
“We are so glad to be here! It looks like we’re gonna have a blast tonight, whaddya say!”
The packed arena cheered once again, and we began playing our next song.
After playing five of our classic songs, I decided to take it up a notch.
“Man, you ponies are so awesome!” I said once the roars had settled down a bit. “Tell you what, I think we’re gonna do something a little special right now. As you know, our new album, To The Limit is being released next year. Anypony looking forward to it?”
The ponies responded with great enthusiasm, which we were all grateful to hear. I continued speaking.
“Well, why don’t we give you all a preview of what’s to come? We just recently finished recording the album at our new studio, and we-”
I stopped speaking when I saw Virtuoso stumble back, nearly falling over. Wondering what had happened, I walked over to him. I was about to ask what was going on, when I saw a bottle, half full of liquid, on the stage floor next to him. I’d heard of this happening to several bands, but this was the first time that something like this had happened to us. However, I was prepared to deal with this problem, as I knew it would happen some time or another. Picking up the bottle, I went over to my microphone and spoke in a serious tone.
“Who did that?”
I didn’t get a clear response at first, so I held the bottle out for everypony to see, and repeated myself.
“Who threw the bottle?”
As all of us looked around, I saw Lightning Shredder point to a section over to my right. Looking to where he was indicating, I saw two ponies in the third row, pointing to another one, who was giving us a rather nasty look.
“He threw it!” one of the ponies told me.
“You threw this?” I asked the pony, who nodded his head with a mean grin.
“Listen, I hate to sound like a jerk,” I said. “But we’re not gonna stand up here and have things thrown at us, and I’m pretty sure nopony else wants you doing that- am I right?”
The arena cheered, indicating that they agreed with me. I then turned my attention back to the hater.
“Look here, buddy.” I continued, “I don’t know if you don’t like us, or if you’re just doing this because you've seen others do it, but we-”
I didn’t have time to finish before I saw another bottle flying in my direction. However, since I saw it coming my way, I was able to drop the other bottle and catch this one. I looked at the pony, who had a surprised expression.
“You missed.” I said, which the ponies in the audience applauded. I continued.
“All right, tough guy. Like I said, we didn’t sell tickets for jerks like you to throw stuff at us, and we’re not gonna put up with this. You can either leave on your own free will, or we can have you escorted out- it’s your choice.”
I thought that I would have to summon security to get him out of the arena, but the pony simply turned around and began walking toward the exit.
“If I catch you doing this in the future, I’m not gonna be so nice next time!” I warned him as he walked away. Once he came to the door, a pair of security ponies followed him out, probably for assurance.
“Now that the problem’s been taken care of, perhaps we can get back to rocking out?” I asked the audience. “As I said, we figured we’d play you something from our new album- this next one is the title song of the album, To The Limit!”
With excitement, we began playing the new song for the eager audience.
*******************************
“Thank you so much, Capriole Shores, you have been an incredible crowd!” I said to the crowd. “We’ll see you when we’re in town next time! Until then, good night!”
A final sound of the instruments and blast of pyro, and the concert was finally over. We threw some picks and drumsticks to our fans and then walked backstage after saluting them one final time. We were a bit worn out, but satisfied. Now, we had a good, long break ahead of us, and an awesome vacation to kick it off.
“How are you all feeling?” Fluttershy inquired with her warm smile.
“Famished.” Striker responded with a chuckle, giving Pinkie an embrace. “Let’s get back to the hotel and hit up one of those restaurants.”
We gathered our belongings that we’d brought with us. We went out to the trolley and signed a few things for some fans that approached us before boarding and returning to the hotel. Twilight Sparkle suggested trying Andalusia’s, one of the two restaurants in the hotel. We all agreed, and as soon as we got back to the hotel, we went to our penthouse, where everypony got cleaned up from the concert and then made our way to the restaurant. We approached the hostess, who led us to one of the larger tables. Some of the ponies seemed to recognize me and my bandmates, but did not get up from their table, which was a bit of a relief to us. As much as we loved our fans, we were ready to just take it easy for now.
The hostess handed out menus to everypony and informed us that our waiter would be along very shortly. We glances at our menus and began deciding what we would be having for the evening. The waiter now approached us. Welcoming us to the restaurant, he pulled out his notepad and said “Can I start everypony off with a beverage?”
“I know I want to get a bottle of sparkling water for all of us.” I said. I had considered wine, but I remembered that there were three young fillies and a dragon with us, so sparkling water would have to do, but I didn’t mind.
We all ordered our personal drinks, ranging from root beer, to lemonade, Dr. Pony and tea.
“And has everypony decided what they will be having?”
We all looked at one another, each giving a nod, a response, or some type of gesture that let us know we’d decided.
“Ah’ll have a daisy sandwich and hay fries.” Applejack stated, setting her menu down on the table.
“I will have the rose wellington .” Rarity ordered, placing her menu on top of Applejack’s.
“For me…” Virtuoso said, glancing over his menu quickly “The orchid jambalaya sounds good.”
“I’ll take the molten chocolate cake!” Pinkie said, which none of us were really surprised to hear.
“Give me an order of twenty nuclear oat wings.” Striker stated
“And I’ll have the same.” Lightning Shredder said. Both he and Striker were big fans of spicy cuisine.
“I think I’ll have the salad special of the day.” Twilight Sparkle spoke after Striker.
“I’ll just have the hay and apple dish.” Spike said.
“I’ll take the daffodil souffle.” Fluttershy informed.
“All three of us are gonna have a lilac pizza!” Apple Bloom told the waiter, referring to herself and her two friends.
“Well,” I said. “I think I’m gonna have the filet magnolia.”
“I’ll have the hibiscus burger.” Rainbow Dash said.
“Very good. Your meals will be out as soon as possible.” the waiter informed us before going to the back and then returning with a cart full of our drinks and sparkling water. After serving everypony their drinks, he went off to take care of other customers. Lightning Shredder got up, and filled everypony’s fancy glass with sparkling water. He then called for us all to raise our glass.
“Here’s to a long week of relaxing and enjoyment. Let’s all have the time of our lives!”
We all drank to his toast, and then Rarity stood, raising her glass. We all followed suit.
“And here’s to all four of you, for giving us such an elaborate vacation. Thank you.”
The other ponies repeated their thanks and we drank to her toast. All of us continued conversing about the show, and about our plans for the week. It wasn’t too long of a wait before the waiter brought our food out.
After eating our dinner, we all decided to get towels from our room and head out to the pool, as the young fillies said they wanted to swim for a bit. So, while they splashed about in the pool, we joined our friends in the hot tub, relaxing our muscles that ached from the show earlier that evening. As we all continued speaking of our plans, Rainbow moved a bit closer to me, leaning her head on my shoulder, the same as Pinkie was doing with Striker.
“I forgot to tell ya- mighty good show out there, y’all!” Applejack said.
“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie said with a grin “Except for that meanie who threw the bottle!”
“I wanted to knock him on his back!” Rainbow Dash said. “But I like how you got him to leave!”
“We’ve actually never had that happen to us before.” Virtuoso said, bringing his hoof up to his head, where the bottle had struck.
“Are you going to be all right, darling?” Rarity asked, checking the spot.
“It wasn’t really painful.” Virtuoso answered. “It was just irritating to go through that.”
After a while, the fillies decided that they were tired, so we all went back up to the penthouse to settle down for the evening. Everypony said their good-nights and headed into their bedrooms. I informed Rainbow that even though it was pretty late, I wasn’t tired yet, and I was going to head to the top floor to watch the city from there.
“Can I come with you?” she said.
“You didn’t even need to ask. Let’s go!”
We made our way up another eight stories, where we found the door to the top balcony. Opening the door, we went outside, where we could see the entire city below us. Being a city that never slept, the lights of the city were as bright as ever. To our right, we could see the ocean and beyond to the horizon.
“What a view!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“What a view, indeed.” I said, seating myself on the bench. Rainbow sat next to me, and once again leaned her head on my shoulder, making me feel extremely comfortable. We sat there in silence, gazing out at the city that lay before us.
I looked over to my left. I could almost imagine Ponyville as a mere speck beyond the horizon. I was so glad to call that place my home. A place where I was well-off, I could do as I pleased, and I had ponies that cared about me. I breathed a contented sigh.
“Something wrong?” Rainbow asked, looking up at me. Feeling a bit daring, I put my foreleg around her. Luckily, she didn’t back away.
“I’m just thinking on what a fantastic life I’m living. And it’s all thanks to everypony that’s here on vacation. Especially you, Rainbow Dash.” I told her.
“My life’s changed for the better since I met you as well.” Rainbow Dash said. “I mean, my friends are some of the best anypony could ask for, but you’re always coming to see me. You take me to do things, you hang out with me. And who would have thought that I’d be best friends with the leader of the Midnight Manes?”
“I myself never thought I’d come this far.” I said.
We sat on the bench for a few more silent minutes before Rainbow Dash let a yawn escape.
“I think I’m getting tired as well.” I told her. “Besides, we have a tour of the ancient tribal temple tomorrow anyway. We’d better get some shuteye.”
We returned to the penthouse and quietly moved to our room, being careful not to wake the others. I turned and hugged Rainbow Dash.
“Good night, Rainbow.” I said.
“’’Night, Shadow.” she answered.
I turned the light off and collapsed onto my bed. I turned and glanced over at Rainbow, who was already asleep. Dare I say, she looked very peaceful, and quite beautiful when she slept. But then again, she always looked beautiful to me, I won't lie. As I turned over and looked out the window of our room, at the bright city lights, Rainbow Dash continued to go through my mind. Her soft and slow breathing seemed to relax me even more. Her touch felt as if it were still there. That was when I made the ultimate realization. I began to understand what that feeling was that I received every time I saw her, whenever I hugged her, when she would rest her head on my shoulder. I didn’t say it aloud, but in my mind- right before I drifted off to sleep- I thought,
'Rainbow Dash… I think I just might be falling in love with you…'
My eyes opened from their slumber. For a fleeting second, I wondered where I was. Then I remembered that I, along with the best friends anypony could ask for, was on a much-needed vacation, which brought a sense of joy to me. The hotel room was dark, indicating that it was still night time. Glancing over at the alarm clock that stood on the end table between the two beds in the room, I saw that it was 2:16 am. I’d only been asleep for a little over an hour. Though the concert had worn me out earlier, I was still filled with excitement, which explained why I wasn’t able to sleep.
I looked past the end table. The bright lights from the city made their way through the curtain and allowed me to see Rainbow Dash, her eyes shut and her body rising slowly with her breathing. I quickly remembered the discovery I’d made before I fell asleep- that I was beginning to develop feelings of love for her. Ever since we’d met, she was always there for me, and I hoped that I’d always been there for her. From hanging out, to going to events together, me and her were beginning to become pretty inseparable. All of our friends were happy for us, though. Fluttershy had once told me that Rainbow had more in common with me than any other pony, and that she always thought about me.
I couldn’t help but wonder now- did Rainbow Dash have any type of feelings of love for me? The other ponies would never hesitate on hugging me, but Rainbow Dash… she’d been known to rest her head on my shoulder, she was always with me whenever possible… and of course, when she gave me a small kiss on the cheek after I’d given her this vacation as a gift. It seemed very possible that she may have had deeper feeling than friendship. Regardless, if she did or not, I knew that she was my best friend, and for me, that was more than enough. Turning back over, I shut my eyes and tried to drift off again, but it clearly didn’t work. I was too excited for this week, and I wasn’t gonna fall asleep by just laying in the bed.
Being as quiet as possible, so as to not wake Rainbow up, I got out of bed, and left the room, shutting the door softly behind me. I walked down the stairs into the living area, where I stood for a few seconds, looking at the grand penthouse that I stood in. We would all definitely have to make vacations like this a regular thing for us. Spike had fallen asleep in Twilight’s room this evening, so the sofa he had claimed was not in use right now. To make it a bit more relaxing, I lit a fire in the fireplace before seating myself on the sofa that faced the windows, giving me a view of the city. I began pondering on what we would all do on this getaway. There was so much to do in Capriole Shores, and we all wanted to take as much advantage of that as possible. I wanted to be sure this would be an unforgettable vacation.
I also had an important question that I wanted to ask Rainbow Dash- it was a question I’d been planning to ask for a while, and I intended on doing it some time during this vacation- I just needed to figure out when would be the best time.
As I gazed out at the majestic city, I heard of the doors opening and closing, followed by hoof steps approaching. I turned around and saw Rainbow Dash coming down the stairs, grinning. I returned the grin and asked “Couldn’t sleep either, huh?”
“Not right now. Too excited, I guess.” she responded, sitting next to me on the sofa. I slowly slinked my foreleg around her shoulder; in response, she moved a bit closer. The two of us looked out at the sleepless Capriole Shores as the fireplace gently crackled. This was an extremely heartwarming moment for me, and I would not trade it for anything. Rainbow Dash then broke the silence.
“So, Shadow. If you don’t mind…” she cut herself off in mid-sentence.
“Is something wrong?” I probed.
“No, but there was something that I was wondering.”
“Sure, what it is?”
“Well…” she paused again and took a deep breath. She seemed to be frustrated with herself. “We’ve known each other for over a year now, and we’re becoming really good friends…”
“No doubt about it.” I said, breaking the silence.
“I… I know you went through a lot of hardships when you were younger, but… you never really told me about your foalhood. I was wondering, if you wouldn’t mind… telling me about it? It would help me to get to know you even better- if you don‘t mind, that is. You don't have to, if it's too much to ask. ”
“I don’t mind at all, Rainbow.” I said.
"I don't want to push if you don't want to tell me." she said.
“It's really no problem." I told her. "You’re of the few ponies I can trust talking about this to, and this just might help to get rid of some of the bad memories.”
I took a breath. I barely ever told anypony in detail about my past, it was a very sensitive subject. But I trusted Rainbow Dash more than anypony, and I was more than willing to tell her about it.
“Well, as you already know, I wasn’t born in Equestria. Terretia is a place that, I think, nopony in their right mind would want to live in. I’ve already said that before, but I’ve never told anypony why. It’s a place where nothing but vices seem to be present. Nopony cares about another, they only seem to live for themselves. Greed, envy and hatred are probably the biggest vices that have a hold on that place. And the sun never, and I mean never, shines there. The sky is always a dull gray.”
“You’re kidding…” Rainbow Dash said in shock.
“Not a bit.” I answered and continued, “And personally, I’ve always believed that it wasn’t the weather that caused it- I think that it’s because Terretia is nothing more than a pit filled with vices and sorrow.”
I paused to collect myself before opening up the details of my past.
“Now, there’s a reason why I call my bandmates and you six my family. That’s because I really had no family in Terretia. I actually don’t know who my father is. My mother and brother were never really around. The two of them were always doing illegal activities- hardly ever at the house, partying all the time, things like that.”
“Did they take care of you?” Rainbow asked, taking my hoof in hers.
“No.” I answered flatly. “They never seemed to acknowledge me. Maybe it was because I didn’t do the same kind of stuff they did, I don’t really know. But they hardly ever spoke to me the few times they were at our house. I kinda had to fend for myself. I did that all throughout my school years. You already know the story of how I was bullied for having a dark mane and coat. A few times I’d even been beaten up by other ponies because they thought it would be funny.”
“Oh my gosh.” Rainbow sighed. “But didn’t you tell anypony?”
“I sure as hay tried. I reported it to the teachers and the school staff- only to find that they disliked me just as much as the other foals. They didn’t do anything. So, the next time somepony hit me, I hit him back- I actually knocked a tooth out, because I was so angry. The only difference is, when he reported me, I got in trouble for it. So, basically, it was a lose-lose kind of situation for me.”
“Was there anypony who was friendly to you?”
“Nopony. I discovered my true friend when I was in high school though- music. I used to walk along the beaches in Terretia as a sort of getaway for myself- away from the life that I was living. One day, I noticed that somepony had left a music player on the beach, and it was in good working condition. I waited for a while and when nopony came and retrieved it, I took it. I found that music was a great stress relief for me- much better than any kind of drug could ever do. I began listening to all kinds of music- but rock was something that really grasped my interest. Before I knew it, I had my music player on me most of the time. I just could not get enough of rock music. It was my escape, my friend.
“Eventually, I found a guitar when an old pony named Dollar Deal was retiring from the pawn shop that he owned. He was throwing it out, and he told me that I could have it and some equipment that came with it. I started playing that same day, and it changed my life. Now, up until this time, I didn’t have a cutie mark, because nopony was ever interested in helping me find my true talent. Less than a month after I found the guitar, I got my cutie mark. And even though I was proud of it, I was still made fun of because of how late I got it.”
“I guess that’s why you sympathize so much with Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?” Rainbow assumed.
“Yeah- and it’s also why I can’t stand ponies like Glamour Gem.” I said. “It irritated me enough when she constantly flirted with me, but after the way I’ve seen her treat you and the others, she really gets under my skin. Nopony, and I mean nopony should ever have to suffer bullying. Those who tell victims to just lighten up are extremely inconsiderate. Bullying is something that needs to be put to a stop.”
“Anyway,” I continued, “I finally graduated, and I was finally free to do what I wanted to do. Ever since I’d found that guitar, I said that I wanted to be a musician for a career. Most ponies made fun of me for it, and others automatically assumed that I wanted to be famous. I was told to be something 'realistic'. They didn’t realize that I simply wanted to make music for a living. And that's what frustrated me- ever since I was a foal, we students were always told we could be whatever we wanted to be as long as we tried. But in high school, people asked me what I wanted to be, and then told me what I should be instead, which was a complete contradiction. I knew then that I would never make it in Terretia. So, I took the money I had and came here to Equestria.”
“Did your family have anything to say about it?”
“By the time I left, the two of them were in jail, and were supposed to be there for quite a while. I doubt they would have cared if they did know I was leaving. But, after I came to Equestria, I met the other three about two weeks later, and they invited me to stay with them, because they noticed that I was a musician, just like them. We soon had the Midnight Manes formed, and it’s led up until now.”
“Wow.” Rainbow said. “I didn’t realize that you home life was that rough.”
“To tell you the truth, Rainbow Dash,” I opened, “Just having my friends around… and spending time with you- it’s almost like it never happened... like my life in Terretia never existed. As soon as I came here, I finally got to experience true friendship. And I know I say it a lot, but I can’t thank you enough for it. I’m so lucky to know you, Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow chuckled, saying, “I’m the lucky one- look at me, the best friend of Shadow Chord, front pony for the Midnight Manes.”
We sat there for a few more minutes in a peaceful silence, the only sounds being the crackling of fireplace and the dim sound of traffic outside. As I pondered on how lucky I truly was to know Rainbow Dash, on how I was beginning to love her, I suddenly realized that now was actually the perfect time for the question I was going to ask her.
I had reserved two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala, as had the rest of my bandmates. I’d deliberately missed out on both my junior and senior proms, as nopony really would have wanted me there, but I was not going to miss the Gala. Striker and Pinkie Pie were going together, as were Virtuoso and Rarity. Now, it was my turn to work up the courage and ask Rainbow to accompany me to the Grand Galloping Gala. I didn’t know if she had the same feelings for me that I had for her, but you didn’t have to be in a relationship with someone to go to the Gala with them. This was something I did not want to miss.
I stood up and said “Rainbow, could I ask you a… a really important question?”
“Sure thing, Shadow Chord.” she said.
Motioning me to follow her, I went back out to the balcony and told her to wait there and not to look. I quickly rushed back to our room, grabbed the ticket and made my way back to the balcony, where Rainbow was looking out at the city. I made my way beside her.
“All right, Rainbow, bear with me for a minute.” I stammered, “I’m not used to this kind of situation.”
“Not a problem.” she said, the slightest hint of concern ringing in her voice.
I took a deep breath. “I know that I just said it in there, and I say it all the time. But I do mean it when I say that I’m lucky to have you as my friend. You are truly my best friend, and you mean the world to me. I’m not joking around when I say that.”
Rainbow Dash nodded, continuing to gaze out at the city.
“You are always ready and willing to go and do stuff with me. We hang out, listen to music, go to lunch- heck, we’ve even watched the Wonderbolts together. I honestly don’t know what I would do, where I would be had I not met you. I didn’t know what friendship could be until I met the others… until I met you, Rainbow... Well, let's get to it- the question I’m asking is…”
I pulled out the ticket and stepped in front of her.
“Rainbow Dash, would you accompany me to the Grand Galloping Gala this year?”
She stared at me wide eyed for a few moments of silence- a few moments that felt more like a few hours, a few days, even. She blinked, swallowed and blinked again.
‘Well, that’s just great…’ I thought somberly, ‘Now I’ve creeped her out, and I can hang up any chances of her going with me.’
Only when she smiled from ear to ear did I realize that I was mistaken. She let a laugh escape her lips before pulling me into a tight hug.
“I thought you’d never ask.” she gently whispered.
“So, the answer’s…” I said, wanting to be double sure.
“Absolutely, yes!” she exclaimed.
We embraced for a few more moments. The joy I felt was beyond description. Rainbow had accepted, and I would be escorting her to the one and only Grand Galloping Gala!
Luckily, sleepiness seemed to finally catch up with us, and we both headed back up to our room. I put the tickets back into their safe spot and faced Rainbow. I embraced her again.
“Goodnight, Shadow Chord.” she said softly.
“Goodnight. See you tomorrow.” I answered.
The two of us settled into our beds once again, finally being able to drift off into a deep, peaceful slumber. For me, it didn’t get much better than this.
Just giving you all an update, letting you know that the story hasn't been abandoned and is still being worked on- the author just finished moving, and now that the internet is up, the story can progress as usual!
The next chapter is expected to be out either tomorrow or the day after. More excitement is sure to come! We've got a lot planned with the Midnight Manes, as well as the story between Rainbow and myself. Everypony stay tuned and keep rocking!
Until then, this is Shadow Chord & the Midnight Manes signing out!
Today was gonna be awesome! Not to say that these past few days hadn’t been exciting already; since arriving in Capriole Shores two days ago, we’d all been keeping ourselves occupied with all sorts of stuff. We visited a few places, such as the ancient temple grounds and on both evenings, we hit the heart of the city, going to different clubs, venues and restaurants- the best part was, there were still plenty of places we had yet to try! And for me, the most memorable thing that had happened yet, was on our first night here after the concert. Shadow Chord asked me to go to the Grand Galloping Gala this year with him! I’d never actually been to an event like this with a stallion, and I couldn’t have asked for a better stallion to go with me- the lead singer of the Midnight Manes.
Today, however was something different. We had a snorkeling trip planned around noon-ish, and we were going to the Laughing Stock Comedy Club tonight to see the famous comedian Punch Line. Still, there was something more to it. Something that everypony else had planned, but Shadow Chord was not in on. Why? Because today was Shadow Chord’s birthday.
We’d actually been planning this about a week or two before the vacation came up. Lightning Shredder, Striker and Virtuoso had told all of us that Shadow Chord had never had a birthday celebration before. It was obvious why he never celebrated his birthday when he was growing up, but I once had questioned the rest of the band on why he hadn’t done so after he moved to Equestria- I found out that he simply never thought about it, and that they were always busy with the band.
All of that was going to change today. The rest of the band would be taking Shadow Chord elsewhere while we prepared the party. When they returned, Shadow would get the surprise once we got back to the hotel.
Pinkie Pie was in the kitchen, along with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were gladly helping her out with baking a huge cake for Shadow Chord. We could hear her singing parts of her “Cupcakes” song cheerily as they prepared everything. Twilight, Rarity and Applejack were getting the room ready for the party. However, I still had a task of my own- to get him a gift myself.
I quickly got ready and met up with Fluttershy, who had agreed to accompany me in looking for the right gift. We informed everypony that we would return in a while and with that being said, we made our way down the main boulevard of the city.
“So, what do you have in mind to get him, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked me as we trotted along, looking everywhere we could for places that might have a good lead for us.
“I’m not exactly sure.” I answered. “He’s never celebrated his birthday before, so he’s never though about gifts.”
“Oh, my.” Fluttershy said, a bit dismayed, “This could be a little difficult then.”
“Don’t worry, Fluttershy.” I told her, “We’ll get an awesome gift for him, no matter what it takes!”
We continued to scan the numerous shops and outlets that lined the streets. Fluttershy was right- this was already proving to be kind of tough. I wasn’t sure of just what would be the ideal birthday gift. I looked at a pet shop, but remembered that Shadow Chord didn’t own a pet. Besides, I would have had to take an additional three hours to get Fluttershy out if we’d gone in.
We spent about two hours strolling up and down the streets, passing by several places. We passed a fancy clothing shop, which we knew Shadow would not need anything from. Besides, he had stated before that he would look to Rarity if he needed anything of the sort. We skipped all the gift shops- those were filled with junk such as coffee mugs, pens, tourist hats and the like. Nothing that Shadow would enjoy.
We searched a few more streets, but didn’t come across anything. I began worrying a bit, that we wouldn’t be able to get anything. I wanted to make sure that Shadow’s first birthday celebration would be a good one! As I stood there wondering, Fluttershy spoke up.
“What about that novelty shop over there?” she asked, pointing to a two story outlet shop with heavily tinted windows and neon lights scattered about. We had nothing to lose, so we made our way inside.
We looked around. The first floor didn’t seem to offer anything that would really interest Shadow Chord- collectible clocks, posters, humor games- things like that. We made our way to the second floor, and seemed to be in luck. There was a lot of stuff that was related to rock legends and music. Lighted signs, autographed posters and memorabilia type items lined the shelves. But this stuff didn’t really seem to fit in with Shadow Chord- he was pretty much a household name in rock himself. What to do?
“Can I help you two find anything?” a voice chimed behind us. We turned and saw the store’s owner, ready to help.
“I’m looking to buy a birthday gift for somepony.” I told him. “He’s a rock musician and I’m looking for just the right gift.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place. I own this shop, as well as the instrument shop next door.”
That’s when it rung out to me- an instrument shop was our saving grace! I wondered why I didn’t see the shop before. Shadow Chord had told me for the longest time that he’d been wanting a V-shaped guitar, but didn’t really have time to go looking for one.
“We’d like to see the instruments, if you don’t mind.” I told him.
“Sure thing, right this way.” he led us downstairs and through a doorway that led to the shop. He told us he would be back in a few minutes and went back to the novelty shop to help out some customers walking in. Even though I wasn’t as steadfast a musician as Shadow, I couldn’t help but stop and gawk at my surroundings. Electric, bass and acoustic guitars lines both walls, while drum sets, keyboards amplifiers and sound equipment decorated the floor.
“Do you think he’ll like a new guitar?” Fluttershy questioned.
“No doubt about it.” I told her. “There’s actually been a guitar he’s been wanting for a while. We just need to see if there’s one like it.”
We passed the bass guitars, since Virtuoso was the bass player. We began looking at our options, seeing normal, everyday guitars. They all looked awesome, but they weren’t what we were searching for. I began feeling a bit down, since I couldn’t locate the one he’d been wanting.
“I don’t think there’s a V-shaped guitar here.” I said dismally.
“Don’t worry about it, Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy assured me. “Even if we can’t find that one, I’m sure he’ll love any guitar that you get him.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely. You’re his best friend, and he’ll cherish any gift from you.”
“Thanks, Shy.” I commented thankfully and with newfound confidence. “Well, then we’d better start figuring out which guitar he’ll like the most.”
“So, have you two found anything you like?” the owner had returned from the novelty store and was now ready to help us out.
“That red SG looks pretty cool,” I said, indicating the guitar out. “Could we hear what it sounds like?”
“No problem.” he answered, taking the guitar from its stand and plugging it in. “You said that your friend’s a rock player and SG’s are always a good choice. Here’s how this one sounds.”
He began strumming and as he played, a distorted, yet smooth sounding riff came from the speakers.
“So, what do you think? Wanna check out some others or is this good?”
I said that we would check out a few more guitars. He was nice enough to demonstrate each guitar we picked out, and even let me play a couple of them, much to Fluttershy’s surprise. I continued looking around, and then my eyes fell on a particular one that gave me a feeling that Shadow would really like it.
“Let’s see what that one sounds like.” I said, pointing to a black Strat-style guitar.
“This would be a good choice as well.” he said. “This one has high-quality pickups as well as a whammy bar.”
He plugged it in and played. The way it sounded was incredible, and the guitar looked amazing. This was probably the one.
“You like it?” he asked.
“Definitely!” I exclaimed. “This one would be a perfect replacement for the V-shaped.”
“A V-shaped guitar?” he asked me.
“Yeah,” I explained, “You see, my friend was really wanting a V guitar for a long time, so that’s why we’re trying to pick out the best now.”
Then, the owner told me something that I needed to hear.
“Well, you’re actually in luck.” he told me. “I just got a V guitar a couple of days ago, but I just haven’t brought it out on the showroom yet. I’ll go and get it.”
Fluttershy and I looked and one another and grinned as he went to the back. Moments later, he came out with a large, black case. He opened it up, and my voice got caught in my throat. An awesome looking, black V-shaped guitar lay inside. The lights of the room reflected off of its pristine, polished body. The owner plugged it into the amplifier.
“If your friend wants this type of guitar, here’s the one he’s looking for. Let me show you.”
He played a loud, face-melting solo on it. I knew right then and there that we’d found the perfect gift for Shadow Chord. I just hoped that I had enough. I had 500 bits that I could spend on him.
“Whatcha think?” he asked us.
“How much you want?” was my reply.
“Well, since it’s your friend’s birthday, I’m gonna say…”
I held my breath, hoping that I could afford it.
“I’ll give it to you for 300 bits even, and I’ll give you the case along with it.”
“We’ll take it!” I responded with excitement.
The owner brought us over to the register where he packed the guitar and rung us up. Once I paid, he gave me the guitar and thanked us before we headed out of the shop and back to the hotel.
“I’m sure he’ll love it, Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy commented.
“This is so awesome!” I was beyond excited. I now had the means to make Shadow Chord’s first birthday celebration one for the records. I was so caught up in my thoughts, that as we approached the hotel, I nearly blew our cover.
I looked up, and sure enough, the rest of the band was leading Shadow Chord outside the hotel. I came to a sudden stop, my figure frozen in place.
“Over there! Quick!” I said, leading Fluttershy behind the fountain to our left. Fortunately, it was enough to conceal us, and the four of them went on their way, none the wiser. The two of us breathed a long sigh of relief; if we had been caught, not only would Shadow Chord have seen the gift, but he probably would have figured out that some sort of celebration was being thrown.
The two of us made out way back to the penthouse. I looked around, thrilled and satisfied. The room was situated perfectly- not in a sappy way, with streamers, balloons and typical party stuff, but with everything sorted out the right way- drinks, food, and to my surprise, a gift table. It seemed like some of the others had gotten gifts for him as well. A warm, pleasant scent drifted from the kitchen and throughout the penthouse- Pinkie Pie had finished the cakes she had been baking earlier, and was now frosting them and applying the final touches. Fluttershy and me quickly worked together to wrap the guitar case in wrapping paper and set it beside the other gifts.
We killed time by making sure that everything was exactly in the right place. We did not want this to be anything less than perfect. Soon, we got a buzzer from the intercom and the voice of the clerk at the front desk came through.
“Your friends wish for me to inform you that they are now bringing Shadow Chord up.”
We all scrambled about, getting into our positions and switching the lights off. The seconds seemed like minutes as they ticked by slowly. I could feel the anticipation rising, not only in myself, but through everypony else as well. Finally, after what felt like forever, we heard the voices of our four friends, followed by the key being inserted and the lock turning. The door slowly opened, the four of them walked in and switched the light on.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!”
Shadow looked around, chuckling to himself. One could tell by looking at him, he was deeply touched. He motioned us all into a group hug, and then the party began. I waited patiently- or as patiently as I could- until we got to the gifts. The party seemed to drag… not that I didn’t enjoy the party, it was awesome. But I was really wanting to see his face when he opened my gift. I was nearly jittery with anticipation when the moment finally came.
He opened the other gifts first (at my request), and he loved all of them- a new stage vest that Rarity made for him, a leather-bound journal and pen (he used journals to write songs) from Twilight Sparkle, a bottle of vintage Apple family cider, and two confetti cannons from Pinkie Pie, who figured that confetti at a Midnight Manes show would be a good addition.
“All right, now let’s see what Rainbow Dash got me.” he said, pulling the large gift toward him. My hooves became clammy with anticipation as he removed the wrapping, which soon revealed the guitar case.
“Is this what I think it is?” he grinned, unlatching the locks and opening it. The room was filled with gasps and an “Oooh!” from Pinkie Pie as he brought out the guitar. I felt nearly overwhelmed with joy and pride as he grinned.
“Finally!” he exclaimed, “The guitar I’ve been trying to get my hooves on!”
He stood up and hugged me tightly.
“Thank you, Rainbow. Thank you all.” he spoke warmly and gently, obviously grateful for what we’d done. “I’ve never really had a birthday before, and you guys have all outdone yourselves. I couldn’t ask for better.”
She didn’t have candles on it, nor did we sing the Birthday Song, as we didn’t want to make him feel foolish. Instead, Shadow was more than happy to get the knife and cut the cake. After we’d all stuffed ourselves with the cake and ice cream, we all got ready as quickly as possible and headed over to the Laughing Stock, where we were escorted to our VIP seating. All of us kicked back with the band, who were thankful to be in the audience for a change, instead of onstage. We all shared a bottle of sparkling water and toasted to Shadow Chord on his birthday while the club filled up with other ponies attending the show. We were all looking forward to this show. Several times in the past, we had all gathered together at the band’s house and watched the comedian known as Punch Line together. This was everypony’s first time seeing him. It was actually our first time at a comedy club. We didn’t have to wait long before he was introduced.
“Mares and gentlecolts, please welcome the one and only Punch Line!”
We joined the entire club in applauding him as he walked onstage and began his routine. Within minutes, we were all hurled over in our seats with laughter and continued to be in that state throughout the show. He even pointed out the band during the show.
“Is that the Midnight Manes over there?” he asked casually, to which they nodded, grinning ear-to-ear.
“Hey, everypony, let’s give it up for the Manes!” he said and the club filled with applause, to which the band acknowledged and gave a short wave.
“I heard about what happened the other evening- some jerk threw a bottle at the bass player.”
We all nodded, remembering Virtuoso nearly getting knocked on his back.
“Yeah, ain’t nopony got time for that.” Punch Line said, agreeing with our irritation. “But hey, you know what you should do next time that happens? If they dislike you that much, keep a bottle to throw back at them but have it filled with ink. Then, make sure it hits they mane, so that way you can say ‘Hate us so much? Well, now you’re one of us!’”
We all burst out with roaring laughter. Virtuoso even said that it was a good idea. We spent the entire show laughing, and all of our voices were scratchy by the time the show had ended. After the show, we all went out to a pizzeria and then went back to the hotel where we all relaxed on the hot tub again.
“I want to thank everypony again.” Shadow Chord said. “It means the world that you all went out of your way to give me an actual birthday celebration.”
Everypony eventually got tired and we returned to our rooms for the evening. Shadow Chord seated himself on the edge of his bed, strumming his new guitar.
“I can’t thank you enough for this, Rainbow Dash.” he told me. “I loved all of my gifts, but yours was the best, I won’t lie.”
“Anything for you, Shadow Chord.”
“And I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to go to the Gala with me this year.”
“I can’t thank you enough for asking me.” I replied.
“I’ll be honest, Rainbow.” he said to me as he put his guitar into its case, “I really needed this vacation for a while, and it’s a great getaway. But… what makes it best is that- I’m here with you.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself.” I whispered, sitting beside him and embracing him.
The two of us sat there for a good two minutes, holding the embrace. No words were needed, nothing else mattered. Two best friends, enjoying time together. What more could we need at the moment? I’d never felt more comfortable than the moment that we were both holding.
We eventually switched off the light and got into our beds. I lay there awake for a while, thinking about these past few days; then, my mind wandered to the past months, and all that Shadow and I had been through together. I then began thinking about the upcoming Gala. I was so lucky to have Shadow Chord going with me. And then, a thought came into my mind. I wasn’t sure exactly when it came, and I wasn’t sure how Shadow felt, but it was there in my mind, clear as crystal.
I was beginning to think that maybe what I felt for Shadow… could be love?
Days have gone by quickly, yet slowly at the same time. It’s been 5 months since our vacation in Capriole Shores, and we’ve been keeping ourselves pretty occupied recently. We all took time off to enjoy both Nightmare Night and Hearth’s Warming Eve. The release of our new album is only two weeks away, and everypony’s really excited about it. We’ll be embarking on a three month tour soon, in support of our new album, and while we always enjoy touring, this one in particular is gonna be special- both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are accompanying us on this tour!
That was the only downside I’ve ever known of touring- taking the leave of absence from our friends. Granted, it won’t be fun being away from everypony else, but to have Pinkie and Rainbow going with us will definitely take the edge off. Also, we finally got ourselves our own personal tour bus, which will be a lot easier than train travel all the time. We’re actually kicking the tour off by playing, for the third time in a row, the Post Winter Festival.
I still have yet to let Rainbow Dash know how I feel about her- I want to, rest assured. But keep in mind, I still have some social skill problems, I've never had a marefriend, and I've just gotta work up the right amount of courage to tell her. I'm planning to tell her some time or another, don't you worry! Until then, just having her here with me is all I need!
And of course, I’m looking forward to the Grand Galloping Gala. We’re all going to be attending together, as everypony now has somepony going with them. Of course, Rainbow Dash and I are going. I’ve mentioned that Pinkie Pie and Striker are going together, as are Virtuoso and Rarity. Twilight is going with a pony she met named Flash Sentry (whom she informed me can rock out pretty good!). Big Macintosh asked Fluttershy to go with him, and she happily agreed. Spike- bless the little guy- he was a bit downtrodden when he discovered that Virtuoso and Rarity were going. However, I introduced him to a friend of mine who recently moved to Ponyville- a girl dragon named Sonata, and they began hanging out more and more. Luckily, they’ll be going together, and it‘s seemed to help bring him back out of any dismay he may have had over Rarity. Lightning Shredder and Applejack have been spending a lot of time together recently, and they’re going.
We’ve still got some time before the Gala is here, but it’ll definitely be worth it. One thing is for sure- this upcoming Gala is destined to be one of the best nights for all of us!
*********************
I woke up today in a bit of a daze. The sun shone through my window along with a chill breeze. I could hear my bandmates bustling about and wondered what they were up to- then, I remembered. Today was Winter Wrap-Up!
Yes, winter had come and gone, and it was time for spring once again. Jeez, time had actually gone by quicker than I thought. I reached into my closet, sliding back all of my black pleather and denim vests that I would wear when I was performing on stage, and after scrolling through several casual items, I finally came across the blue vest I was looking for- being a Pegasus, I was part of the weather team, along with Virtuoso, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.
After getting into my vest, I hurried downstairs and grabbed a quick bite to eat. Soon, the rest of the group field in, each wearing their respective vest. As I mentioned, Virtuoso wore a blue best like me. Due to his immense strength, Lightning Shredder was part of the plant team and wore a green vest. Striker, with his swift movement, could catch any fast-moving creature with ease, and was wearing the tan vest of the animal team.
“Hey guys,” Lightning Shredder said as he opened the door, “Don’t forget we’re all meeting with everypony else for dinner at Sugarcube Corner tonight. See you then!”
He exited the house, soon followed by Striker, and then Virtuoso and myself.
“I’m gonna go meet up with Rainbow Dash.” I informed Virtuoso, locking the door, “I promised her that I’d work alongside her today.”
“No problem. Catch you in a few.” he said before trotting toward Town Square. I left the ground and headed to Rainbow’s house. Approaching the door, I knocked, but got no answer. Waiting a few seconds, I tried again, to no avail. I began wondering if she had already gone to Town Square, when I heard an approaching swish-like noise behind me. Before I knew what it was, I felt a force slam into my back, causing me to lose my balance. As I fell, I turned around grabbed for whatever I could reach for support, but ended up taking it down with me. I lost control and rolled for a few seconds, eventually slowing down and stopping. Looking up to see what had slammed into me, I saw that I was holding Rainbow Dash, who was looking down at me with a grin, and whom I realized had just tackled me from behind. She was biting her lip, trying to withhold a laugh, which she could not hold for very long.
“Nice to see you too, Rainbow.” I said playfully as she continued to laugh.
“You okay, Shadow?” she said as we got up and hugged.
“Just fine.” I responded. “Ready to go?”
She nodded and the two of us took flight heading to Town Square, where everypony was gathering. Soon, Mayor Mare and Twilight Sparkle made their way up to the podium as the crowd gave them their attention.
“Good morning, citizens of Ponyville!” Mayor Mare addressed, “Today is Winter Wrap-Up, and this year, we’re aiming to set a new record! It should be no trouble, as we have a lot more ponies helping out this year. Everypony in blue, please report to Rainbow Dash, the head of the weather team. Ponies in tan will report to Amethyst Star, leader of the animal team, and ponies in green, please go to Applejack, the leader of the plant team. Now, let’s make this Winter Wrap-Up one for the record books!”
With a cheer, everypony began filing to their discerned locations. I walked alongside Rainbow Dash, meeting up with Virtuoso as we awaited for the rest of our team to form. Once everypony had gathered, Rainbow Dash spoke up.
“All right, everypony. As you know, I have a few teams within the team. All Pegasi are responsible for clearing the skies, getting snow off of the roofs and trees, and guiding the birds that are returning from the south. Does every Pegasus know which part they’re assigned?”
We all nodded, and she continued,
“All the Earth Ponies are set to help cut the ice on the lakes. Pinkie, do you and your team have everything ready for that?”
“We’re all ready-jetty!” Pinkie piped up from somewhere in the crowd.
“All right, then we’re all ready to go. Let’s move out!”
With that being said, everypony went to where they needed to go. I lined up beside Rainbow Dash and Virtuoso, and we took the lead for the team of Pegasus that would be clearing the skies free of overcast clouds.
As everypony went to their designated area, Rainbow and I noticed something- Scootaloo was watching her two friends go off with their teams, a small look of despair on her face. I’d heard of Scootaloo (and saw it for myself a couple of times) having this problem with Winter Wrap-Up; her friends had ways that they were able to help their teams, but being a Pegasus and not able to fly yet, she felt out of place and unable to help. I couldn’t stand to see this. I looked at Rainbow, who gave me an approving nod, knowing already what I was going to ask. I went over to Scootaloo and knelt down.
“Climb up.” I told her, causing her face to brighten like the sun.
“Really?” she squealed.
“We could use your help.” I answered. “Now, hang on tight, though. This year’s gonna be fast.” Scootaloo obliged and wrapped her forelegs around shoulders, holding on with a firm grip.
Once in formation, we unfurled our wings and took to the skies. As we began approaching the clouds, we all began singing a familiar tune…
Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up!
I looked beside me, at Rainbow Dash, who smiled warmly at me. We began singing together, followed by the rest of our team.
Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up Let’s finish our holiday cheer! Winter Wrap-Up, Winter Wrap-Up ‘Cause tomorrow, spring is here!
I looked past Rainbow Dash, at Virtuoso, who was on her other side. He grinned and nodded at me. We had a plan to get everypony’s adrenaline rushing and to get us all flying fast, and we knew the perfect song. As everypony began joining in on the song, Virtuoso and I began mixing in another upbeat song from that had the same beat and tempo as the one we were singing now.
The music built up steadily, as did our heartbeats and excitement. Reaching the highest point in our route, the team paused looked down at the city of Ponyville below us. A couple of seconds passed before the energy built up and finally released and I gave a loud shout. As if on cue, and with a huge electric rush of adrenaline bolting through the entire team, we all dove down in formation at top speed and began clearing the skies while we sang our hearts out.
I can’t even begin to describe how incredible it felt as we rocked out while we got rid of the clouds. The closest way I could describe it would be… imagine one being on their favorite roller coaster with an amazing rock song blaring while going at a greased lightning speed, the wind and music whipping all around. Multiply that by 10 and you might be close to how this felt. We went through dives, tops and turns, flips, zips, you name it. Heck, it felt like the team was its own version of the Wonderbolts. I looked over to my life and saw Rainbow rocking out. She glanced at me and returned the smile, then laughed. At first I wondered at what, but I laughed as well when I looked over my shoulder and saw Scootaloo bobbing her head furiously to the beat. It was obvious that she’d never experienced a thrill this big before. She was too adorable sometimes.
Below us, we saw the Earth ponies on our team joining in on the song, and they were even doing swift movements and aerial stunts in rhythm to the tune, as an ice-skating performer would do in a routine. It certainly was quite the experience for everypony, and before we knew it, the clouds were cleared away and the sun was able to begin melting the snow.
As the final cloud disappeared, everypony in our team knew that a new weather-clearing record had just been set. We finished the song with a bang as we landed back on the ground. Every one of us let a mighty cheer rise, as we were still under the adrenal rush. I could hear comments from different ponies, such as “That was so cool!”, “Heck yeah!”, “Winter Wrap-Up has never been this amazing!”
Rainbow Dash summed it up magnificently in one word: “Awesome!”
“Woo-hooooooo!!!!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she and the other ponies jumped off of the ice, which was now beginning to separate and melt.
Feeling immensely satisfied with the outcome, and still under the adrenaline, Virtuoso and I both drew our forelegs back and with all our might, threw them forward into a powerful hoof-bump. I then turned and faced Rainbow as she and Scootaloo jumped to hug me while all the ponies around us continued hoof-bumping, commenting and jumping in an ecstatic manner.
“We have GOT to do that again next Winter Wrap-Up!” a stallion in the group shouted.
After the small celebration, and as soon as Rainbow Dash had made sure that all the tasks were complete, we began trekking toward Town Square, noticing the other teams heading in the same direction. Mayor Mare stood at the podium with a beaming smile as the leaders of each team checked in with Twilight Sparkle, who noted and confirmed each tasks that had been completed. The entire population of Ponyville waited in silent anticipation as she reviewed all of the information on this year’s Winter Wrap-Up. Twilight approached the Mayor and then spoke in a hushed tone. Clearing her throat, Mayor Mare adjusted the microphone and addressed the waiting crowd.
“Citizens of Ponyville, I am pleased to announce that we officially have a new Winter Wrap-Up record break!”
After an enormous cheer from the ponies, she continued, “I’d like to personally thank Twilight Sparkle for keeping the event running pristinely, the leaders of each team for overseeing their teams so well. And I want to personally thank each and every pony who helped with Winter Wrap-Up today.”
Another round of applause rose before she spoke once more, “Now, this calls for a celebration. This year’s Post Winter Festival will have more things to do, more booths, more fun. Princess Celestia herself will be attending this year, and I am happy to announce that the festival will be moved… to go for two days!”
The crowd roared with enthusiasm before the Mayor bid us all a good evening and everypony began making their way home. But for us, the fun was only beginning. I joined Virtuoso, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo as we trotted over to Sugarcube Corner.
“That was so much fun!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“You’re telling me!” Rainbow chimed in.
“Shadow Chord?” I heard Scootaloo ask, almost under her breath.
“What’s up, Scoot?”
“I um… I wanted to thank you.” she said shyly, “I’ve always wanted to help out with Winter Wrap-Up, but nopony’s ever let me. It was a lot of fun!”
“You were a really big help.” I told her, which only added to her joy. “I’ll definitely need your help again next Winter Wrap-Up.”
“You’ve got a deal!” she said.
The four of us turned the corner and found ourselves at Sugarcube Corner. As we entered, we saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake setting the table with enormous plates stacked with treats of all kinds. The rest of the gang was here as well.
“Good evening!” Mrs. Cake greeted. “Dinner will be ready shortly. You’ve all worked very hard today, and I’m sure you’re all famished.”
“Eeyup!” Big Mac answered with a grin.
Pinkie hopped into the room through the back doors.
“Hi, Shadow! Hi Rainbow!” she piped in delight. “Hi Virtuoso! Hi Scootaloo!”
We all returned the greeting.
“That was the best Winter Wrap-Up ever!!” Pinkie squealed, “And that song was so neat!”
“Song?” Twilight asked in curiosity.
“Oh yeah!” Rainbow explained, “Thanks to Shadow Chord and Virtuoso here, our entire team was singing a totally awesome rock version of Winter Wrap-Up! The adrenaline was unbelievably high!”
The final plates were now set and the Cakes told us all to dig in. Everypony took their seats. Rainbow Dash sat to my right, and Scootaloo to my left. She was pretty appreciative of letting her help out. Big Mac pulled a seat out for Fluttershy.
“Thank you, Big Mac.” Fluttershy commented with a grin as he seated himself next to her.
Virtuoso, in his gentle colt style, did the same for Rarity.
“Thanks so much, darling.” she said.
Once we were all seated, we began helping ourselves. The Cakes were right- the hard day’s work had left us all with an appetite for destruction. It was many hours before everypony finally bid each other goodnight and returned to our homes, weary but satisfied with this year’s Winter Wrap-Up.
******ONE MONTH LATER******
Hearing the roar of our fans never got tiring. We enjoyed every minute of being on stage, of playing music for the crowds of ponies that were there to see us. They defined us, not only as a band, but as ponies as well.
“You ponies are amazing!” I shouted into my microphone.
A month had passed since Winter Wrap-Up, and we were playing our set at the Post Winter Festival. As usual, our friends looked on with pride from behind the stage as we played our hearts out. We’d been playing for over an hour, and were just beginning our encore.
“This next song is a song you all know and love. It’s the-”
CRASH!!!!!
I nearly jumped out of my skin as I was startled by a loud crashing sound coming from behind me. A hush fell over the enormous crowd as I turned to see what was going on. What happened, I was unsure, but I saw the drumset in shambles. Virtuoso was already running over to the mess- and that’s when I saw why. Both Striker and Lightning Shredder were sprawled out on the stage floor. Lightning was holding his right foreleg and gnashing his teeth- Striker was unconscious.
“What in the hay just happened!?” I exclaimed in a bit of panic. I looked up, and was a bit relieved to see that our friends were there for us- I could read Twilight’s lips saying “Get a medic!”
Virtuoso answered my question, “Lightning Shredder tripped over a loose cable and he fell right into the drumset. They both landed pretty hard.”
Within seconds, a group of medics rushed onto the stage, while a security pony grabbed a microphone and addressed the crowd, letting them know that the situation was under control. The medics quickly cleared away the mess and got our two fallen bandmates to clear spot. Both Virtuoso and I breathed a sigh of relief when Striker regained consciousness, albeit in pain. After about ten minutes of checking, the head medic spoke.
“It looks like Striker has a dislocated shoulder and a pulled muscle. Lightning Shredder is suffering a sprained foreleg and twisted hoof. We need to get them to the hospital quickly.”
Without second thought, Virtuoso and I followed as they were put on stretchers and escorted backstage.
“Shadow Chord, Virutoso…” Lightning Shredder wheezed, “Don’t let the fans down. Don’t call off the show!”
“He’s right, you guys.” Striker agreed. “You’ve gotta be there for them!”
“But how?” I asked in shock, “We can’t play without you guys!”
“Shadow, I know you and Rainbow Dash jam on the guitar together all the time.“ Lightning said. “I know that she can play at least five of our songs- that’s enough to finish the encore!”
“All right,” Virtuoso answered, “But we don’t have anypony to play the drums, so we can’t really-”
“No!” Striker interjected. “I’ve been giving Pinkie Pie drum lessons for a while now. She can do it!”
“Can she play enough for the encore?” I asked, astonished.
Striker quickly informed me of six songs she could play. Four of them were songs that Rainbow knew as well. Four out of five could work…
“Don’t let them down!” Lightning repeated firmly as they were escorted away. Virtuoso and I looked at one another for a minute of silence.
“Well?” I asked him. He sighed and nodded.
“I guess if they can truly do it, there’s no harm in going on. We’d better go let them know first.”
We quickly made our way to where the six awaited the report. Pinkie was the first to speak.
“Is my honey-bunny gonna be okay?”
“He’ll be all right. A dislocated shoulder and a stretched muscle. He’ll recover in no time.” Virtuoso assured.
“Same for Lightning,” I added. “Sprained his wrist and twisted his hoof. Unfortunately, they clearly can’t continue the show. But, they want us to continue.”
The six looked at us with blank expressions.
“Rainbow,” I told her, “You and I have played several of our songs quite a bit, and you know them by heart. I need you to come onstage and take Lightning Shredder’s spot tonight.”
“You got it!” Rainbow said with a grin, ready to help us out.
“And Pinkie,” I said to the pink pony, “Striker says that you can play the drums for us?”
“Easy-peazy, pudding in the freezy!” she confirmed with a wide smile.
“All right then, here’s the songs we’ll do for the encore.”
I quickly went over a list of four songs that both of them could play, and then sent a group of maintenance ponies to set the stage back up properly, telling them to be sure and secure any loose cables, or anything loose for that matter. I quickly gave Rainbow Dash the guitar, and Pinkie the drumsticks. While they reset the stage, Virtuoso and I returned to the stage. I got to my mic and addressed the crowd.
“All right, listen up. You ponies are very, very important to us. If it weren’t for you, we would not be up here right now. What happened, was that Lightning Shredder tripped on a loose cable, which caused him to fall onto the drums. Both Lightning Shredder and Striker have injuries, and they cannot continue playing. As they were being taken to the hospital, they both told us not to let you down, that the show must go on. So that’s what we’re going to do for you all, and we’re glad to have two very dear friends of ours to help us out here. First, allow me to introduce who will be playing guitar- Ponyville’s own, Rainbow Dash!”
The crowd cheered as Rainbow jogged out onstage, the guitar strapped over her shoulder and ready to go.
“And on the drums, Ms. Pinkie Pie!”
Pinkie came out and approached the drumset, twirling the drumsticks in her hooves.
“All right, Ponyville, let’s dedicate the rest of this show not only to Striker and Lightning Shredder, but to these two great ponies who are here to pull us through! I want to hear you all raise your voices and sing! This is More Than Just The Music!”
As we began playing our number one hit, both Virtuoso and I were extremely impressed. Both Rainbow and Pinkie were doing a terrific job- it sounded just like Lightning and Striker. I grinned at Pinkie Pie, who was clearly having a blast as she pounded away on the drums. Rainbow and I then smiled at one another as we approached our microphones and sang the chorus together.
After the song was finished, the crowd cheered wildly, clearly as impressed as we were. We played the other three songs and then closed out the show.
“Thank you, Ponyville! We’ll see you soon on our upcoming tour. Before we go, I want everypony to give it up for Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash!”
I turned around at the two ponies, encouraging them to raise their hooves to the cheering crowd, which they gladly obliged to.
“Thank you again, and we’ll see you soon! Goodnight!”
After the closing riff, we went backstage, where the other four waited. They quickly approached us as we exchanged hugs and compliments, feeling victorious and savoring the moment that we were caught up in.
“You all did such a great job!” Twilight commended.
“We couldn’t have done it without Dash and Pinkie here!” Virtuoso laughed.
“You two were very good out there!” Fluttershy told the two beaming ponies.
“I couldn’t tell the difference in the sound!” Applejack added.
“You know what, Virtuoso?” I said, “I think, that since they’re coming with us, they can help us out- they can stand as our instrument techs, and if something like this happens again, they can do what they did tonight!”
“Good thinking, man!” he agreed.
“Well, we’d best be on our way to the hospital.” Rarity said. “I’m sure they’ll be happy to see us.”
We all exited the backstage area and made our way to Ponyville Hospital, eager to tell our bandmates of the awesome show we’d just wrapped up, and of our new plans for the upcoming tour across Equestria.
It’s been a while since the Post Winter Festival, and the band and me had been keeping pretty busy. Tonight, we’d just finished doing the last show of our second tour in support of the new album, which was released about a week after the Post Winter Festival. By the way, Striker and Lightning were fully recovered by the time the tour started, and were in top shape for every show. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie generously served as our first instrument tech’s that we’d had.
We were now getting ready for another small break. The only show we had planned was in two months at the Crystal Empire, where the band, as well as the other six, would be honored at the Crystal Fair as special guests. We were playing there to “kick-off” the fair, in a matter of speaking.
Later on after the Fair, the Gala would finally be coming up. We were all stoked, that was for sure. Rarity was kind enough to make tuxedos for the four of us, and would also be crafting the dresses for her friends, as she usually did. Both Rainbow and myself constantly spoke of what our night there was going to be like. No, I still hadn’t told her of how I felt about her- in due time, it would happen. Nonetheless, both of us were sure to have a magical night together at the Gala.
The new album had been very successful, and already, we were getting ready to enter the studio and begin recording for our next one. We had an interview here in Ponyville booked in a few weeks to discuss the forthcoming album and future tours. We were constantly busy, but we were having fun. Such is the life of a successful musician.
****************
I was on my way to the Ponyville Nightclub, where I would be meeting up with Rainbow Dash. I was looking forward to this night. I had just gotten done playing a small local show with the band here in Ponyville.
I approached the club and was let in. Laser lights and music surrounded me as I walked inside, looking for Rainbow Dash. No sign of her yet. So, to kill time, I went up to the bar and ordered a mug of cider. I grasped my mug, keeping an eye out for Rainbow. Then, I heard a voice behind me.
“Hey, Shadow Chord!” I looked up and saw Glamour Gem walking toward me.
“Evening.” I answered, wondering why she was here. She’d been leaving me be for quite some time now… but then again, this was actually the first time I’d seen her in quite a while, so I kept my guard up nonetheless.
“Long time, no see!” she said, standing next to me at the bar. She ordered a cocktail and paid the server when he gave it to her.
“…So, how are things with you?” I asked after a few seconds of awkward silence between us, still being as cautious as possible around this mare.
“Pretty good.” she said. “You guys did a great show tonight, by the way.”
I looked down at my cider, then at her. She wasn’t acting the way she usually acted around me- she was giving me a regular grin, and was simply telling me that she had enjoyed the concert.
“Thanks.” I said, trying to be courteous, yet keeping my guard up. Sudden personality changes weren’t common, and I wasn’t sure if she was truly attempting to engage in normal conversation with me.
“So, when will you be performing again?” she asked casually, stirring her drink.
“Not for a while.” I said, feeling a bit more at ease upon hearing her question. “We’re in the process of writing our next album. We might do a few shows here and there, but we definitely won’t tour until the next album is out.”
“Jeez, even when you aren’t touring, you guys stay busy, don’t you?” she inquired.
“It’s a busy lifestyle, but then again, everypony has a busy lifestyle, one way or another. We’re actually taking a break for a bit before we hit the studio again.” I took a large swig of my cider, immediately noticing a different taste to it. This definitely wasn’t regular cider. But it wasn’t a bad taste- it was actually quite interesting, so I figured it must have been a seasonal type of cider or something like that.
“Are than any scheduled events that you know for sure are happening?” she asked me.
“Well, in a couple of weeks, we’re doing a live interview at the Ponyville Express Studio. Then we‘ll be playing at the Crystal Fair, but that‘s all we‘ve got right now.”
I grabbed my mug and in one quick gulp, I drank the last of the cider that was in the mug. That was the final thing I remembered before completely blacking out.
**** RAINBOW DASH’S P.O.V.****
I walked through the doors of the nightclub, happy as could be. The show was awesome, the tours were finished, and now I had even more time to spend with Shadow Chord! Just a couple weeks ago, we all were shown our dressed and tuxes for the Gala, and Rarity did an awesome job as always.
The music blared throughout the club as I looked for Shadow Chord. He wasn’t on the dance floor, so I went over to the bar. Looking around, I didn’t see him, but I came across Lyra.
“Hey Lyra- have you seen Shadow Chord anywhere?”
“I haven’t seen him yet,” she replied, “But I only got here a couple of minutes ago.”
“Well, if you see him, could you let him know that I’m here?”
She nodded with a smile, and I continued my search. I check outside and then the bar one more time, but was not able to locate him. I was wondering if he might not have arrived yet- he could have been back at the concert venue.
I turned to go back outside and head to the venue. As I approached the door, I stopped dead in my tracks and my heart caught in my throat. I could not believe what I was seeing.
There was Shadow Chord… sitting on one of the sofas, with his foreleg around Glamour Gem, looking into her eyes with a soft smile. I rubbed my eyes and shook my head, thinking that my brain was playing tricks with me. I looked again, and saw the same thing. My heart started pounding and my breathing became heavier. I swiftly moved over to the two.
“Shadow Chord!”
He didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at me. He just caressed Glamour’s cheek, which astounded me. What was he thinking? Didn’t he know who this was??
“Shadow Chord, what’s going on?” I asked.
“What does it look like, Rainbow Dash?” Glamour answered for him.
“What do you mean?” I demanded.
“Come, now, Dashie.” she said, looking up at me smugly as Shadow ran his hoof over her mane, “It’s obvious that he’s finally come around. He’s realized that I’m the mare of his dreams.”
“Oh no, you don’t!” I shouted, “Don’t even think about it! You know how he feels about-”
“Look at him, Rainbow.” she cut me off, “See the way he’s treating me? When has he ever done that for you? And how do you know… that we haven‘t been meeting up like this for a while, now?”
My heart sank, as I realized that he hadn’t even looked at me. I put my hoof on his shoulder, my nerves going berserk.
“Why, Shadow?” but to my surprise and grief, he pushed my hoof away. I could not believe what was going on.
“Why?” I whispered again, my heart falling into pieces.
“Because you’re not good enough for him, Rainbow.” Glamour bragged, “Do yourself a favor, and get out of here. He’s not even paying attention to you, because you’re nothing to him, and you never will be. There’s no hope for you and him.”
I stood there, looking at Glamour Gem, who had a vain expression of victory, and at Shadow, who continued to look at Glamour with a lovey expression on his face. This was just too much for me to take in. What had I done to him? Why was he acting this way to Glamour Gem? Was he just like any other stereotypical rockstar after all? Going with any girl he pleases? My emotions were tearing me in half now as I felt the tears stinging my eyes as I realized the truth- he'd chosen Glamour Gem after all. I wanted to just disappear and never come back. My trust was broken, but more importantly, my heart was too. This was an absolute nightmare. I turned and swiftly moved out the door, trying to conceal my sorrow.
**** SHADOW CHORD’S P.O.V.****
I finally came to my senses... and found myself in the most awkward of positions. For some reason, I was sitting beside Glamour Gem. I then realized that my foreleg was around her, which I immediately jerked back, wondering what was going on.
“Where’s Rainbow Dash?” I asked to no one in particular.
“Oh, she just left. She realized that she wasn’t good enough for you.” Glamour responded.
“WHAT!?” I yelled, not knowing what she meant. I quickly got up and rushed outside. I could see Rainbow about a hundred feet ahead, walking away swiftly. I took flight to catch up with her.
“Hey Rainbow, where are you going?” I asked once I was close enough.
“Where do you think?” she said bitterly, “Away from you!”
“Away from me?” I asked, confused, “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play stupid!” she shouted. “Just go back to Glamour Gem and get away from me!”
Rainbow Dash ran away and then took to the skies. I was unable to catch up, but moreover, I had no clue what was going on. Why was Rainbow upset with me? And what did she mean by going back to Glamour Gem? So that’s what I resolved to do- return to her and find out what was going on.
I went back to the club where Glamour was waiting at the door for me.
“Hey, babe.” she greeted.
“Whoa, whoa, don’t call me that, Glamour.” I protested.
“Why not?” she asked, the grin fading away.
“Because I’m not your babe.” I answered in a serious tone. “Now, tell me- what in Celestia’s name is going on? What happened that made Rainbow Dash so mad?”
A could see a look of confusion in Glamour Gem’s eyes as well. My brain was about to explode, it was all too much.
“You… you know,” she hesitated, “You don’t want anything to do with her. You’re with me now, remember?”
“No…” I said cautiously, wondering what she was talking about, “When in the world did I make those statements?” Was this mare going insane?
“Like, half an hour ago!” she answered, her voice becoming rushed. It was clear that she was not sure why I was saying these things, “We’ve been cuddling together here for a while now. You’re with me!”
“Glamour, did you hit your head on a metal pipe or something?” I inquired. Then, I remembered that I blacked out, and when I came to, my foreleg was around her. I began to feel panic rising. “What's been happening for the past half hour?” I demanded. Before she could respond, Diamond Tiara came running in through the doorway.
“Hey Glamour Gem,” she asked, not taking the time to notice that I was there, “Did the love potion… work?” her voice faded and she took a step back when she saw me, realizing she'd spoken too quickly. Love potion? Was THAT what I tasted in my cider? Upon hearing the question, everything pieced and came together in my mind within an instant.
“Love…potion?” I asked, folding my forelegs and giving Glamour a look of severe seriousness. She looked at the ground, as if searching for a response. I felt my temper flare like never before, and I shouted at the top of my lungs, catching the attention of the club staff. “YOU GAVE ME A LOVE POTION!!!???”
“But… but it was supposed to have a permanent effect!” she stammered, not even talking directly to me. “Why didn’t it work?”. Now I understood why she was acting surprised that I wasn't being affectionate with her.
“I don’t know, but I’m glad it didn’t.” I sternly accosted her. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, Glamour. And you’ve gone too far.”
“No, no!” she responded, her voice shaking in nervousness, “It… it was Diamond Tiara’s idea!”
“What!?” Diamond gasped in shock.
“Yeah, she told me that she knew of a way to get you to fall for me!” she babbled, “Diamond said that she could brew up a love potion and slip it into your cider while I distracted you! I didn’t know it wouldn’t work. Why… why didn’t you warn me, Diamond? Why didn‘t you tell me it wouldn‘t work?”
“But this wasn’t my idea!” she answered, a hurt and betrayed expression on her face. "You're the one who came up with it!"
“Don’t try to get out of trouble, missy!” Glamour scolded, putting her forelegs on her hips. You should know better than to try things that won’t work. Now, Shadow, if we can just talk this over-”
“Why are you lying and saying it was my idea?” Diamond begged, her eyes welling up “You told me that you’d adopt me as your little sister if I helped you with this!”
“I said stop trying to get out of trouble, Diamond! You-”
“THAT’S ENOUGH!!” I screamed, making the two stop bickering. I quickly asked an approaching security guard to get the authorities. Hearing what had just happened, he obliged. I continued to speak. “Glamour, you know that the plan you spoke of is WAY too complicated for a filly her age to figure out. And you know it‘s illegal to give anypony a potion against their will- I won‘t stand for that!”
“Diamond, if you just tell the truth, I promise you I’ll be your big sister.” Glamour Gem said in a desperate attempt to saver herself. I shook my head in disgust.
“But Glamour, you know I didn’t think of this. You did and asked me to help. Why are you saying that I‘m the one who did this?”
Glamour huffed in anger. “Well, if you’re not willing to help me out, then I guess we can’t be sisters. I’m appalled that you’d let me take the fall for this.”
“That’s because you’re clearly the one who came up with the idea, Glamour Gem. Ever since you met me, you’ve been trying to get with me, and I would not put this past you. And here you are, not only denying it, but you‘re trying to put the blame on a little filly. I‘m the one who‘s appalled here.” I stated as the authorities approached. I explained what had happened, and they took Glamour Gem away, informing her that she’d be staying the night in jail. Security informed me that Diamond Tiara’s father had been informed and that he was coming to get her, since she was not supposed to be out this late.
I was about to leave, when I saw Diamond sit on the sofa and break down in tears. I couldn’t stand to see a young filly in this state, even if she was a bully. I’d known for a while that she’d looked up to Glamour Gem as a big sister, and I’m sure that this must have been almost unbearable for her. So, I seated myself next to her.
“Diamond, it’s okay. I’m not upset with you. And I’ll talk to your father- I’ll let him know that it wasn’t your doing.”
“It’s not that,” she sniffled, “I just can’t believe this. I don’t have a big sister anymore. Glamour Gem hates me.”
Putting a hoof on her shoulder, I said, “I understand that you’re upset about that. I’m sure it’s no fun having your big sister turn her back on you. But Diamond, if you had continued hanging out with her, you would have eventually gotten yourself into some serious trouble. She’s not the kind of pony you should be around. She’s a very bad influence.”
“But she’s the only pony who’s ever been something like a sister to me!” Diamond said. “I know, and I’m sure it’s painful to have her do what she just did. But look at it- she blamed you entirely for something that she did, and talked you into doing. She’s not being like a sister at all to you.”
“I just…” Diamond wiped a tear away, “I just want to have a sister! That’s all I want! Somepony to hang out with, somepony to be there for me! Is that too much to ask!? It just isn’t fair! Those stupid blank-flanks have sisters who are always there for them! Even Scootaloo has Rainbow Dash! Why do they have sisters and not me?”
That’s when I had an epiphany about why Diamond Tiara might have treated my friends’ sisters the way she did, but I needed to find out.
“Diamond…” I started, “Is that why you don’t like those three girls?”
She bit her lip and looked at the ground, not willing to answer the question. It seemed like I might have been on track.
“You don’t need to be afraid to admit things, there’s nothing wrong with that. Nopony is gonna make fun of you for it.”
She took a deep breath and poured out her emotions, “Yes! That’s why! They’re not as rich or popular as me, but they have something better- they’ve got their big sisters who have their back!” The young filly began crying freely now, having let Celestia-knows-how-many months or years of inner jealousy out. “It isn’t fair! It isn’t fair! I just want a sister!!”
I spoke to her in a soft, understanding tone, “Diamond, I’m sure you can find somepony out there who would be a great sister for you. But Glamour Gem is NOT the pony. Trust me, because I know someone who had a brother that didn’t care about him.“
“Who?” the little filly asked.
“Me.” I answered, which took her by surprise. “My brother- and my mom- never cared about me. They didn’t want anything to do with me. And I realized that if they truly didn’t care about me, then I didn’t need to be around them.”
“But didn’t it upset you that you didn’t have a brother there for you?”
“I admit, it was hard at first. But after I came to Equestria, I found the other members of my band- they’ve been just like my brothers. They're more of a family than my mom and brother have ever been. We’ve been through so much, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But you need to keep this in mind- I‘m caring and respectful to everypony around me, and you should be the same way. Nopony will want a little sister who is mean to other ponies, especially if they’re jealous for a reason that can’t be helped.”
“Can’t be helped?”
“Right.” I replied. “It isn’t your fault that other ponies like Sweetie Belle and Applebloom have big sisters, but remember- it isn’t their fault either, and it isn’t a bad thing. It’s not to make you jealous, they just happen to have sisters. All you need to do is find a sister with a good influence.”
“But who would take me now? I know that I’m mean to a lot of ponies.” she admitted, in a defeated manner. “Nopony will want me for a sister.”
“You can change that. You just need to treat everypony with respect, like I do, and like a lot of ponies do. Diamond, remember when you first met me and I talked to your class? If you remember, I said that nopony should ever make fun of others for who they are. Just be respectful and kind to everypony around you, and you’ll find a sister figure in no time!”
“You think so?” she asked, brightening up a bit.
“I sure do. Just remember what I told you, and it’ll be no problem for you.”
For a few minutes, she sat there, deep in thought. I could tell that she was thinking about what I'd been telling her. Then, I saw her father approaching the doorway, so I spoke to her once more.
“Listen, your father’s here, so I’m gonna go and talk to him. Like I promised, I'll make sure he doesn't punish you, because I think you're truly sorry. Now, it’s up to you whether you change or not, Diamond. But if you don’t, you’re gonna wind up just like Glamour Gem. So, do you think you can change?”
She smiled and nodded.
“Good. Now, if you ever need anything, just come and talk to me. That’s what I’m here for.” I approached her father, who spoke up.
“Thank you for informing me, Shadow Chord.” he stated, “I can’t believe she’s been hanging with that Glamour Gem again. I told her to keep away from her.”
“It’s really no trouble,” I told him. “I just ask that you take the punishment easy on her this time. I had a talk with her, and I discovered that she wants a sister figure in her life, and she’s been looking up to Glamour Gem. But she showed her true colors tonight and tried to blame the whole thing on Diamond Tiara. Your daughter knows now that she’s not the right type for a sister.”
“I appreciate you speaking with her.” Filthy said, “I’ll let her slide on this incident, since I know what happened now. I’ll just make sure she stays away from that mare from now on. I do apologize for the trouble that they caused.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I said, “And don’t worry, I’m sure she’s gonna stay away from Glamour from now on.” Filthy Rich smiled and approached Diamond Tiara. He knelt down and I could see him speaking to her, but not in a scornful manner, before he took her hoof and began walking to the doorway. On the way out, Diamond stopped and hugged me.
"Thank you for helping, Shadow Chord." she said, "And I'm sorry about what happened."
"Don't worry about it, Diamond. I'll see you soon. Keep you head up high." Her father thanked me once again before escorting her out of the nightclub.
I, however, had a much more important priority to attend to. Now that Glamour Gem and Diamond Tiara had been taken care of, I knew that I needed to speak with Rainbow Dash as quickly as possible if I was to make things right. I sped as quickly as I could over to her house and was relieved to see that the lights were on. I took a deep breath and knocked. Nopony came to the door.
“Rainbow Dash?” I called, but received now answer. I couldn’t let it end like this, so I knocked again.
“Rainbow, it’s me.”
Still, nopony came to the door.
“Listen, Rainbow, I know that you’re upset, but there’s an explanation for all of this.”
The door swung open, and I saw Rainbow Dash standing in front of me. Her eyes were red and swollen, indicating that she had been crying. However, her look right now was one of fury.
“Oh, there’s an explanation!!??” she yelled.
Before I could say anything, she continued venting, “Sure, there’s an explanation! That’s what anypony says- but that still doesn’t make up for the fact that you had your hoof around a pony who always makes fun of me, who belittles me every single chance she gets!”
Pointing her hoof at me, she kept fuming, though her voice began cracking and tears began to stream down her face. “And you know that she does- you’ve seen her do it, Shadow! Ever since we met, I’ve always been there to help you ‘fill your void’ as you call it! I know that you went through a lot of hard times, and I heard you out on every occasion! And now I find you getting all lovey with somepony who likes to make fun of me and puts me through hard times! That’s nothing but betrayal! And to think that you’ve been calling me your best friend… I guess that isn’t what it turned out to be! You can forget about going to the Gala with me, Shadow Chord. Actually, you‘d better just forget about me completely!!”
She slammed the door shut, and I could now hear her sobbing from the other side. I felt so helpless, so horrible for her. My heart felt a searing pain, unlike anything I‘d ever felt before- not even when I was growing up. I knocked again, desperate to let her know what had really happened.
“Rainbow Dash, would you just hear me out?”
“I’ve done that enough for you!” she growled. “There’s nothing left to say, Shadow. Just… leave me!”
“Rainbow, she-”
“I said, LEAVE!!”
I heard her hoof steps fading away before I saw the lights in the house go off. I hung my head and stood there for what must have been a good five minutes. I could not believe what had just happened. My mind was just blank.
In a sort of daze, I unfurled my wings and took off in flight, flying faster than I’d ever flown before. I had no clue where I was going, I just continued to fly, flying over the Everfree Forest, and beyond. Ponyville soon became a speck on the horizon behind me, but I kept flying forward into the night.
We’re not indestructible Baby, better get that straight I think it’s unbelievable How you give into the hands of fate And some things are worth fighting for Some feelings never die I’m not asking for another chance I just wanna know why
I‘d lost all sense of time by now. I was flying with a myriad of thoughts going through my head, and yet at the same time, I was blank-minded. And now tears were running down my face- more tears than I’d ever shed before. I was now flying over a section of land I’d never seen before. But I continued forward.
There’s no easy way out There’s no shortcut home There’s no easy way out Giving in can’t be wrong
I sliced through the air at a speed I’d never flown at before, passing over rivers, mountains, and meadows. I’d been flying abnormally fast, and I was aware of that much. Perhaps it was caused by all this chaos. I did notice that the golden pick on my necklace that I regularly wore began to glow, something it had not done since I had first received it. It began glowing brighter and brighter. I simply flew faster, perhaps thinking that somehow I could elude the glow. Then, all of a sudden, a bright light blocked my vision for a few moments, with a loud ringing sound surrounding me. It grew more and more intense, making me move my wings even faster, just wanting it all to stop- the light, my guilt, my chaotic mind- I just wanted it all to stop. Just when I thought that I could not longer take it, the ringing turned into a loud ‘CLANG’ and then there was silence. The bright light began to dim as well.
After the light died down, I finally stopped flying. What had just happened, I did not know- my mind seemed to be a bit more in order now. But the only real thing on my mind was Rainbow Dash. I’d broken her trust, and our friendship. My best friend… the girl I loved…and I’d taken that all away.
But was it really my doing? If it weren’t for Glamour Gem and Diamond Tiara giving me that stupid love potion, this wouldn’t have happened! Couldn’t that mare have just taken a hint and left me alone to begin with? I never wanted to hate anypony, but I couldn’t help but despise her for making fun of my friends- especially Rainbow, whom she put down the most. And now, Rainbow Dash didn’t want anything to do with me, all because of Glamour’s selfish intentions.
I’d never felt this horrible in a long time. I was actually feeling the emptiness come back from so long ago. In fact, I’m pretty sure I was feeling as bad as I used to when I lived in Terretia. And somehow, that thought made me look around- as if in response to that last thought, I realized...
I actually was now in Terretia.
Somehow, someway, I had flown all the way from Equestria to Terretia, the land where I grew up.
For a fleeting moment, I wondered if that was what had happened with the bright light and the loud clang. And I was in none other than the town I once lived in. I landed on the ground below and stood there, blank-minded again. Strangely, there was no cloudy atmosphere- the sky was clear and the moon was out. I wasn’t used to that, but it gave me the chance to look around to see that Terretia had not changed one bit- not for the worse, nor the better. It was the exact same way it was when I’d left years ago, kind of like stepping back in time. After gazing around, I just began to walk, reliving in my mind all of the times I’d had with Rainbow Dash.
I don’t wanna pacify I don’t wanna drag you down But I’m feeling like a prisoner Like a stranger in a no-name town I see all the angry faces I’m afraid that could be you and me Talking about what might have been Thinking about what used to be
As I continued walking, my heart heavy and my mind now ablaze, a voice brought me out of my train of thought.
“Well, would you look who it is!”
Two ponies began trotting up to me. I recognized them from my school years; Hotshot and Copper Coin, two colts who loved to poke fun at me. I kept my guard up, ready for anything. The two came up to me and trotted alongside me as I made my way down the sidewalk.
“Well, where on earth have you been?” Copper Coin asked.
“Away from here.” I answered flatly.
“Is that so? Where?”
“None of your business.”
“Whoa, chill out.” Hotshot said. “We just asked a question.”
“And I answered.” I told them.
“Well, we haven’t necessarily missed you.” Copper Coin said.
“Oh rest assured, I haven’t missed you either.” I retaliated.
“But we have missed beating the money out of you.” Hotshot grimaced, “So, for old time’s sake- how much you got on you now?”
“You’re not getting my money, boys.” I said.
“Is that so?” Hotshot said, amused, “Maybe you don’t remember how it used to go- but we’ll remind you. If you don’t give us what you have, we’ll pummel you into the dust!”
I turned around and braced myself. What these two didn’t realize is that in Equestria, I’d taken years of martial arts defense, so I was ready for an attack.
“Just turn around and go away. I am really NOT in the mood to deal with you guys right now. It’s for your own good.”
“For our own good!?” Copper Coin laughed, “Did you hear this midnight-maned freak? He says that we need to leave him alone for our own good! Listen, you have one final warning- give us your money.”
“And you have your final warning- go away.”
“I guess he just hasn’t learned…” Hotshot sighed, “That’s okay, I was looking forward to stomping you into the dirt!”
He swung a foreleg, but I grabbed it before it hit me. I hit him square in the throat, causing him to double over. I followed up with a shot to the back of his head, causing him to hit the ground. Enraged, Copper Coin approached me, but with a swift kick, I struck him, causing him to fall on his back. The two scrambled to their hooves, surprised and shocked at what they had just experienced.
“This isn’t over!” Copper Coin shouted as the two of them ran in the opposite direction.
“I’m sure.” I mumbled to myself and continued down the sidewalk. After walking for a while, I looked up to see that I was standing at my old house. The lights were off, and like everything else here, it looked at same way as if I had left. I wondered if my mom and brother had been let out of prison yet. I sighed to myself.
“Prison or not, I’ve gotta have somewhere to take shelter right now.”
I walked up the steps of the two story house and approached the door. Knocking twice, I received no answer on either try. I turned the handle and found it unlocked. As I opened the door and stepped inside, it was like warping back in time all over again. The house was the same- the furniture in the same place, as well as any decorations and accessories. And though nopony was here, there was no dust or cobwebs anywhere. It was chilling enough to make me shudder momentarily. I went up to my old bedroom and found it just the way it was when I left for Equestria. I stood there for what felt like an hour, taking all of this in.
But then, once it had all settled into my mind, the immense sorrow returned, and tears began to well in my eyes again. I approached the window and looked up at the night sky, at the full moon that illuminated the land with a silver glow. I could almost see Equestria over the vast distances from this place. I wiped the tears away and whispered,
"Just look at you... sitting up here all day, playing that guitar of yours. Don't you have anything better to do?"
My mother's voice was heavy as lead as she stood in the doorway, under the influence of whatever drug she'd decided to take at that patricular time. Obviously, it was putting her in a bad mood, so I just kept playing.
"Are you even listening to me?" she barked after I'd ignored her for a few moments. I didn't respond to that, either. Upon that, she went over to my amplifier and unplugged it, cutting the sound of the guitar off.
"Hello!? Are you deaf?" she tried again.
"I wasn't done playing." was the only response I gave her. For weeks, she and my brother had been doing drugs, getting wasted out of their minds, and lately, they'd been taking all their stresses out on me. I was starting to get fed up with it.
"Well, maybe if you'd listened, it wouldn't be a problem, now would it?' she asked with a sneer.
I let out an exasperated sigh, "What do you want?"
"I'm tired of you sitting up here with this stupid guitar and that stupid music player all the time! Do you realize that we're in need of money?"
She was right about that, but I wasn't to blame. I was the only one with a job, and I paid to keep everything in the house going. Whatever money they ever managed to steal from me, they would throw it all away on drugs.
"So, go out and earn some money." I replied blankly. As expected, she wasn't very pleased to hear that.
"You ungrateful litte.... after all that I do for you, this is how you repay me!? You're the one with the money, so I think I-"
I stood up, cutting her off. I'd had it.
"Don't even start with that!" I yelled, "I am sick of you and him demanding money from me all the time!"
She looked at me with a blanked, yet surprised stare; she had never really seen me get mad, let alone erupt. I continued venting,
"All the two of you do is sit in this house doing drugs! I go out and work my hooves to the bone, I pay for everything around here! And do you show any apprection? And you're complaining that I'm making nothing out of my life, just because I like to stay in here and make music! All you do is belittle me and complain that I don't give you enough money!!"
I paused to take a breath. For years, I'd always been the outcast in the house because I wasn't like them- being that I didn't do drugs, that I made an honest living. And all they wanted to do was walk all over me. I was done with it for good.
"You fail to realize that without me, you'd lose this house in no time! You'd lose everything... well, you know what? Since it seems like the only way you learn lessons is through the hard way, that's what we'll do then!"
I placed my hoof on her shoulder and swiftly led her out of my room, turning her around to face me.
"So, as of now, don't ask me for any more money, because guess what? I'm not giving the two of you any more of what I make. If you want money so bad, you're gonna have to earn it! Now, I don't wanna see you in this room!!
With all my might, I slammed the door so hard that it shook the entire house. I stood there for a few minutes in silence, brooding in anger over what had just happened. But I'd finally stood up for myself and stood my ground. I was my own stallion now, and there was nothing that was going to change it.
The next morning, I awoke to silence in the house, which was something I wasn't used to. Normally, the television would be blaring while the others in the house were either watching it or getting wasted. I went downstairs and saw that all the lights were turned off, and after searching through, I discovered that the house was empty.
"Wonder where they went?" I wondered aloud to myself. No matter, I had some minor plans today, anyway. So, I exited the house and began making my way to the diner. As I turned the corner that would lead me to the downtown area, I stopped dead in my tracks. About ten yards away from me, I saw my mom and brother- only this time, there were three police ponies who were writing down what I guessed to be a report. Upon further looking, I noticed that the two of them were in cuffs. As I stood there, a bit shocked (but also not surprise), one of the police approached me.
"You're Shadow Chord, right? Her son?"
"Yes, sir. If I may ask, what's going on?" I questioned politely.
"Well, to make a long story a short one, we caught these two under the influence, and when we searched them, they had a pretty big amount of drugs on them. It's enough to send them to prison for quite a while."
I sighed, "I told them that this is where they would eventually end up."
"I'm truly sorry, Shadow." the officer said in a professional manner. "I wish it were otherwise."
"No need for an apology, officer," I answered, "This may actually teach them something, and I for one, would like to see them learn the error of their ways."
"Well, I'm glad you're looking at it that way." the officer said, unaware that I was nothing more than relieved that this was happening.
"I think I'll be on my way now." I said, "Keep it safe officer, have a good day."
"The same for you!"
I trotted over to the diner for an early lunch. All the while, my mind was reeling with relief, yet buzzed with a thousand thoughts at the same time. Finally, these drug users would be off my back. And now, I truly was my own stallion. I had planned to go walking along the shorelines, but this sudden turn of events left me thinking. So, I made my way back to my house. And as if to coincide with my relief, for once, the sky had turned blue and the sun was out. I stood out front in the morning air for a long time. I then walked through the entire house for just as long, thinking hard on something I was debating on. I went up to my room and looked out the window, at the blue sky and bright sun. As I took the the day's rare beauty, I finally made my decision.
"I'm outta here." I said aloud, to nopony but myself.
I had lived in this dump for my entire life, getting nowhere and achieving nothing. Well, today was my final day in Terretia. I was leaving this place. Getting my suitcase out of the closet, I began packing my belongings. I didn't own much, so it only took me about twenty minutes to complete packing. Getting my guitar, I made my way downstairs and out the door.
"Good riddance..." I muttered as I closed the door behind me.
I trotted over to the train station, where I looked at the departing times, as well as the prices. Money wasn't really an issue, though, since I had saved nearly every bit that I'd made, so I had enough to cover myself. After I'd found what I was looking for, I approached the booth and slid one hundred bits to the pony behind the glass.
"A one way passage to Equestria, please."
My eyes snapped open, and for a moment I wondered where I was. looking around, I soon remembered that I was in Terretia, back in my old house. I'd actually been here for three days, I think. I'd just stayed in the house- I hadn't eaten, barely slept. Time seemed to drag by. Immediately, the swarm of hurt and sorrow returned. What was I going to do now? My life was completely meaningless without Rainbow Dash or my friends. And she'd probably told everypony already of what I'd done. Should I even bother going back to Equestria? Nopony would welcome me after what had happened, that was for sure.
MEANWHILE...
I was at Golden Oaks, with my five friends and the rest of the band encircled around me, all looking on with concerned faces. Fluttershy held her hoof around my shoulder as I painfully recalled what had happened two nights before.
"And even though I tried to talk, he just bluntly ignored me!" I wheezed through tears. "He even shoved me away!"
"This just sounds so unlike him..." Striker said, appalled at what he was hearing.
"And then after I left and went back to my house, he had the nerve to come and make amends. Saying there was some kind of explanation for what he'd done. Yeah, some explanation!"
"And what was it?" Applejack asked.
"Don't know." I said.
"Don't know?" all eight of them repeated.
"I didn't let him explain!" I bitterly growled. "There was no logical explanation for him doing something like that!"
After a silent minute, Twilight seemed to be in deep though before she spoke up, "Rainbow... how do you know that there's no logical explanation?"
"What possible explanation could there be for the way he acted!?" I countered.
Without missing a beat, she answered, "I honestly don't know. But we all know Shadow Chord, and this kind of behavior does not seem like him, not one bit. And you did say he tried to explain to you what had happened. Maybe you could have listened to him?"
I understood where she was coming from, but I tried to stand my ground, "Why should I?"
"Well, he's always listened to you, hasn't he?" Twilight asked.
As much as I didn't want to hear this, Twilight was right about that. Whenever I had troubles, Shadow was always there to hear me out. I could vent and unleash for as long as I pleased, and Shadow Chord would always listen to what I had to say. Heck, even a few times in the past, I'd had to bail out of our plans together, and Shadow was always understanding. Should I have at least listened to what he had to say? My mind quickly told me otherwise.
"That doesn't make up for the fact that he was being cozy with the mare who always makes fun of me!" I shouted, pounding my hoof down on the table. "And I bet he still doesn't care!"
"Actually, he might..." Virtuoso said. I looked up at everypony, and saw that they all had extremely serious looks on their faces. Looks that said this was no light matter at hand. An equally serious tention filled the room.
"What makes you say that?" I asked, trying to appear as calm and cool about this as possible, thought I knew something was up.
"Because two nights ago," Lightning Shredder ominously explained, "Shadow Chord didn't come home. And... he hasn't been seen since."
Immediately, my anger and sorrow left, and soon I was filled surprise, followed quickly by anxiety.
"He's missing?" I asked, to which everypony nodded.
"Nopony's seen him. Not here, not in Canterlot, Manehattan.... we've checked everywhere, Rainbow Dash. That's why we came to you in the first place- to find out if you'd seen him."
"No, I... I haven't..." was the only response I could give. I had imagined Shadow would have tried again and again to talk things over with me. But this was something that I had not expected.
************
For an additional three days, we all searched everywhere we cuold possibly search. We'd checked in Everfree, only to learn that he was nowhere in sight. Even Zecora had told us that she'd not seen him. We sent word to Capriole Shores, only for the search there to come up empty-hoofed. Appleloosa, Las Pegasus, Detrot, none of them had seen Shadow Chord. And by the third day, all resentment I had for him had left, replaced by worry and trepidation. And that evening, as we all sat around Twilight's table, scouting out different locations, that it all turned around. Applejack came in and seated herself- upon looking up at her, we all noticed that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were with her.
"These young'ns have something that I think everypony would like to hear. Especially you, Rainbow." Applejack said with a grin before she gestured to Apple Bloom to speak.
"Today," Apple Bloom said, "Diamond Tiara came up to us at the schoolhouse. She told us that Glamour Gem snuck a love potion into Shadow Chord's cider at the club."
We all stared at the three fillies upon hearing this revelation. Everything suddenly clicked together in an instant as virtual light bulbs all came on in our heads. As we all murmered about, I quickly realized something.
"But, wait a minute," I said, "I thought that if you take a love potion, you're locked on after looking into their eyes for an hour!"
Twilight was already on the ball as she set a large book on alchemy & various types of potions on the table with her magic, flipping through the pages. Stopping at a certain section, she spoke,
"That's actually a love poison, Rainbow. And even if it was a love poison...hm, let's see here... yes! Even if it was a love poison, Apple Bloom said that Glamour Gem put it into his cider. According to this book, it says that diluting just about any type of potion will cause it to lose its full effect. So, it makes sense- putting a small amount of the potion into a full mug of cider is why he broke out of it!"
Everypony sighed, relieved to hear that this was not Shadow Chord's doing.
"I knew he wasn't that kind of pony!" Pinkie said.
I was SO glad to hear this, yet at the same time, I was as nervous-cited as could be! I immediately began planning to go up to Shadow and flat-out apologizing for not hearing him out. But then, I quickly realized- none of us still had any clue where he was.
****SHADOW CHORD'S P.O.V.****
I had lost count of how many days I'd been here. I hardly thought anything at all. The house remained empty, except for me, confirming that my mother & brother were indeed still locked up. My friends were gone, my life meant nothing. Rainbow Dash hated me. And I couldn't deal with that. I'd been locked in a state of melancholy that I'd never before felt. My body was weak from not having consumed any food, nor harldy slept at all. But if I died, then so be it. I wasn't going on without my friends, without Rainbow.
I spent a good portion of the day crying my eyes out, realizing that I truly was alone again. After all I'd worked for, everything I'd given, it all came crashing back down to nothing. I knew that it was Glamour Gem's doing, but I couldn't help but blame myself for it. I shouldn't have even let her speak with me. Because I didn't want to hurt anypony else's feelings, I let it slide, and it got me into this mess.
Around 3:00, a loud knocking was heard on the door.
"Mom?" I said aloud, but I quickly dismissed the idea. She wouldn't knock on her own door. So, I got up, turned the know and opened it. And there, standing in front of me were Hotshot and Copper Coin, along with three other ponies who I'd gone to school with. They all had menacing grins on their faces, but I couldn't care less.
"Oh, no, no, no- you guys just turn around and get the hay away from this house." I said, already frustrated to the point of exploding.
"Hey, we told you we weren't done, you midnight-maned freak." Hotshot hissed. "And turns out, some of the boys missed stomping you into the mud too! Now you're gonna pay for when you attacked us!!"
"Whatever." I said, beginning to shut the door, but Copper Coin swung it back open.
"Don't you close that door on us!" he growled, punching me across the face. Spitting out the blood, I turned my head slowly.
"You've done it now."
The five ponies obviously took that as a challenge- immediately, they all began swinging and kicking at me. Though they fought clumsily, they still outnumbered me, and I was weak from starvation and insomnia. I wasn't able to fight back very well, only able to dive past them, out into my front yard- they followed close behind.
Hotshot attemtped to choke me, but with some effort, I threw him on the ground. Then, the tables turned completely. I was only able to look up in time to see that one of the ponies had grabbed a brick when he struck me in the head with it. I went down like a sack of oats. I tried to get up, but immediately noticed that all of them were now brandishing differing types of objects- lead pipes, a brick and a thick plank of wood. As quickly as I tried to scramble away, it did no good when I was grabbed by the hind leg and pulled back to the group, who then began beating me relentlessly with their weapons. The only consolation I had out of this,was I heard somepony on the street shouting:
"Oh my gosh! Somepony alert the police!!!"
I expected the pain to be excruciating, but it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, I felt plenty of pain, but it was dulled down, in a way. Maybe from the lack of sleep? Whatever it was, the ponies continued striking me all over with these items for well over five minutes. I had stopped struggling now- it would have done me no good at this point, only would have tired me out even more. One of my eyes eventually swelled shut, and I could feel several of my bones cracking under some of the strikes. Blood shot out of my mouth and nose whenever I coughed or gasped for air, which now only came in short wheezes. Finally, after what seemed to be ten minutes, the ponies finally stopped, looking toward the street, their sadistic grins giving way into scared, shocked frowns. A voice that I could hear faintly explained why.
"This is the police! Drop the weapons and put your hooves on your head now!"
I rolled over, now racked with pain. I attemtped to crawl, but I could barely lift a hoof, and I could feel the world around me fading out quickly. Now-blurry vision began darkening, and any noises began getting quieter by the second. I tried to draw in a breath, only to cough it right back out, along with another smatter of blood. I collapsed onto my back again, looking at the sky. For the first time, even though she wasn't there to hear it, I uttered the words I'd been wanting to say for so long, as if these could be my last words.
"I...love you....Rainbow Dash..."
Then, I tilted my head back and gave into the nothingness. Everything faded to black.
White all around. Nothing but blank, plain white. I wasn't sure what exactly it was, nor did I know where I was at this moment. I didn't even know how I got there. I was just there... whever 'there' was.
"H-hello?" I called out, though I didn't know why I did that, either. Of course, I didn't get an answer.
As I stood there, I began seeing darker shapes slowly starting to fade in, but I wasn't able to make out what they were. I squinted my eyes and shook my head furiously, then re-opened my eyes. Now, the white was starting to fade and the shaped were beginning to take color. Slowly, I began to see that I was in a room of some sort. Grayish-white walls, white tiled floor. A blue-green curtain was to my right, while I saw various types of machines all around the room. Nearby was a table with equipment of some sort. As everything finally came into full perception, I began hearing a beeping sound, as well as a hissing-type of air coming and going. I took a good, hard look at my surroundings, studying the room and what was in it. One of the machines had a blue screen with certain words and numbers, though I didn't study what they were. Looking at the table, I saw that the equipment was medical apparatus- gauze, tweezers, medical tape, ice compressors, things like that. Another machine held a plastic bag filled with a clear liquid, with a tube that led behind the curtain.
It didn't take too long for me to realize that I was in a hospital. Almost instantly, I remembered what I'd gone through upon seeing my location. Hotshot and Copper Coin had gotten mad at me for knocking them both off their hooves a few nights ago, so to get even, they'd come back to my house in force and had beaten me to a pulp.
'Makes sense why I'm here.' I thought. But why did I awaken when I was standing up? Shouldn't I be in one of those hospital beds?
In response to my thoughts, I decided to look for the bed I was supposed to be in. Taking a guess, I pulled the curtain aside, only to be caught dead in my tracks. I was right- the bed was on the other side, but moreover, it was what I saw that stunned me. It was already taken by another pony. This pony had a pale gray, almost dull white coat, with dark circles around its eyes that had a purple hue to them. Its black mane was messy, some of it obviously snipped away by the doctors to tend to the head wounds. Bandages and stitches covered the pony all over its body while several IV needles were stuck into its body. It was also hooked up to a heart monitor, which provided the slow beeping sound- definitely below the average pulse. An oxygen mask covered its mouth, providing the wheezing sound of air slowly going in and out of the lungs.
After looking over the pony, I realized that I'd seen this pony before, noticing that it had features that I knew all too well. A sense of dread came over me upon my realization, but there was only one way to confirm what I was thinking. I looked over at the registration band wrapped around its foreleg. It read the following:
SHADOW CHORD TERRETIA CENTRAL HOSPITAL
The pony... was me!
But how could I be lying down and standing up at the same time? How was I looking at myself? It just didn't make any sense. But then, I remembered how severe the attack was, and I recalled that I blacked out after they'd stopped. So... was I dead, then? No, that couldn't have been, because the pony, er... I was still breathing, and there was a pulse coming from the flatline monitor. My mind began feeling immense pressure from this.
"What in Celestia' name is going on!?" I shouted out, making my way out of the room. Several nurses were bustling about in the hallway.
"Can anypony help me out here?" I asked, but nopony even turned a head toward me.
"WHAT IS THIS!!??" I yelled as panic began to overtake me. Soon, I was running to and from, asking for help, trying to find out what was happening. It all was the same outcome- noppony answered, or even glanced at me; even the ones I spoke directly to. This was all too much to take in, especially after what I'd gone through.
Without thinking, I just began running down the hallways, perhaps in thinking that I could run away from this craziness? I don't know. But one thing was for sure- I was running aimlessly, not looking where I was going. When I flung my head up, I saw that I was coming up on a window that led out of the hospital, and I was going pretty fast. I immediately clamped pressure down on my hooves, only to keep sliding forward on the slippery tile floor. I braced myself for impact, sure that I was in for another painful experience... but that's not what happened.
Instead, I went right through the wall/window. No glass breaking, no shattering. I just somehow slipped through it. I would have taken the time to wonder why that happened, but instead, I looked all around me- then I looked down and yelped in surprise. I was about three stories off of the ground. But I wasn't falling, either. I just stood there in mid-air. Again, confusion rose to my mind. So, as weird as it may seem, I remained standing in the air and tried to collect my thoughts. After a minute or so, I only came to one conclusion, and that was that I must have been going through some sort of outer body experience or something like that. I'd heard of many incidents where a pony had apparently left their body, but to be in one was something else altogether. And furthermore, was that what I was really experiencing?
"Shadow Chord..." a deep voice rang out of nowhere.
"Who is that?" I responded, looking around but seeing nopony. "Where are you?"
Out of the night sky, a blinding flash of golden light appeared before me, and with it rang out the sound of symphony and celestial voices. The silhouette of a large pony came through before the light went away in an instant. Before me stood a silver-ish white Unicorn stallion, much taller than the most ponies I'd seen. His horn was actually longer than that of the average Unicorn and his mane and tail were black, maybe even more so than mine. After a stretch of silence, I finally spoke up, but realized that I somehow seemed to be out of breath.
"Who... who are-"
"You have quite a few questions, Shadow Chord, I am sure of it." the Unicorn answered, "Of course, you wish to know me first. I am Melodia, your ancestor."
"You're... Melodia?"
"Yes, that's correct. I am here to answer the questions on your mind, but more importantly, I am to offer you a choice."
"Choice?" I asked, confused at what he meant.
"One thing at a time, Shadow." he replied, "The first thing I need to do is provide the answers you seek."
"Where am I? What is this? Have I died?"
"No, you're not dead. You are very still much alive, but your soul is here while your body recovers from the carnage brought upon it."
"So, this is an outer body experience, then?"
"If that is what you wish to call it," he responded with a nod, "Have you any more questions?"
"The only one I have is... what did you mean when you said you have a choice to give me?"
"Well," the Unicorn began, "It is a bit complicated. Allow me to start off by telling you what the choice is. You may choose to either return to your own body, or you may pass into the afterlife, and I will be the one to escort you if you do so."
"In that case-" I began, having given up on life, but he interrupted me.
"I have not finished yet. Before you give me an official decision, there are a few things that I am to show you first. Things that may very well affect your decision."
"I don't think anything could affect my decision now. I have no life, anymore." I told him, hanging my head. "It's pointless to carry on."
"How do you mean, pointless?" he inquired.
"I let all of my friends down. I let my bandmates down."
"Again, how?" he probed.
"Beause I wasn't careful enough to take precautions!" I shouted in dismay, "I was too concerned with trying to be nice, and for that, I was esentially drugged with a love potion, and look where that got me! Now, the mare that I'm in love with despises me! Without her, without my friends, I'm nothing!"
"Your friends were unaware of what happened, Shadow Chord, as were you." Melodia countered, "Your intentions were of nothing bad, nor did you mean to harm anypony. This is not your wrongdoing."
"That doesn't make up for the fact that they all hate me now! And I'm sure that my bandmates don't think too highly of me. It's better for me to just pass on into the aferlife." I resigned.
"Must you decide so quickly, Shadow Chord?" he asked, "Look at where you began. Look at where you've been and how far you've come. You were always rejected, hated and ridiculed everywhere you went. Ponies went out of their way to harm you. But you never did that to anypony, not even those who treated you with hostility. You had basically everything against you. You against the world. But you overcame all odds, paved your own path. You made an honest living doing what you loved, and you did amazing. You are now the leader of a legendary music group. After all you have been through, everything you have overcome, is a mishap like this really going to cause you to give up?"
I wanted to reply immediately, but the turth of his statement stopped me, causing me to think the situation over. He did make a strong point. I'd been teased, bullied, attacked and resented, but that never stopped me. I left my home with hardly anything to my name, moving to a completely new land, but that never got in my way.
"But..." I stuttered, "My friends... Rainbow Dash..."
"As I stated before, they did not know what truly took place. You gave a great gift, Shadow Chord- you have spread music and friendship all over Equestria, and you have a league of friends- more friends than you may actually think. Along with that, you have thousands and thousands of ponies who love your music. Most of them also know of the hardships that you went through before you formed your group. They all adore you and admire you for it. Even though they would not know of you doing it intentionally... if you were to pass on now, you would let down the hearts of all those ponies."
Yet again, he had a point. Could I really just bid farewell to everypony who had backed and supported me throughout my career like it were nothing? Would that be right of me to do?
"But how can I face my friends after what I did?" I asked.
"I don't think that will be a problem." Melodia answered, "Now it is time for me to show you what I said I would show you."
The instant he completed his sentence, the gold light appeared again, this time surrounding the two of his. After a couple of seconds, it disappeared again, leaving me to look at my surroundings, which were no longer the land of Terretia. I quickly realized we were in Equestria- in the library, to be exact. And sitting at her desk was Twilight Sparkle, who looked up when a knock was heard at the door. She got up and opened the door, allowing a certain regal Alicorn to walk in.
"Princess Celestia! It's so good to see you!" Twilight said, hugging her mentor. Celestia returned the hug, but we could see that she had no joyous expression on her face.
"Is something wrong?" Twilight asked.
"I have news on Shadow Chord." she said.
"Shadow? That's wonderful, we've all been worried sick about him! Where is he?"
I was a bit surprised to hear her say that they were worried- I was kind of expecting her to say that she didn't want to hear about me.
"I am unsure of where he is, Twilight," Celestia replied, "But something has happened to him."
"Something's happened? But how do you know?"
"Since I am the ruler of these lands, I always know when something happens to my ponies. But he is not here in Equestria- otherwise, I would know exaclty what has happened. Unfortunately, I am unaware of this. That is why I've come to you."
"What can I do, though?" Twilight asked.
"I have a teleportation spell that can send you to wherever Shadow Chord is, but you will have only an hour before you return to Equestria. I need you to find Shadow Chord, and let him know that we all are worried about him and we await his return."
"Of course, Princess." Twilight said, "I'll get going immediately."
"Thank you, my faithful student." the Alicorn said, "I will gather the others and we will wait here for you to return."
With that being said, Celestia lowered her horn and completed the spell. Upon this, we quickly found ourselves once again outside the hospital in Terretia, on the ground this time. We could see Twilight looking up at the building, reading the sign. Her expression turned into that of great concern as she entered the doorway and approached the desk. The nurse behind the reception didn't even look at Twilight.
"Excuse me, nurse?" Twilight asked, "Could you please tell me if somepony named Shadow Chord is here?"
With an irritated scoff, the nurse began looking in the directory, acting as if Twilight were wasting her time. The purple pony was taken aback by this- clearly, she was not used to Terretia's hostile ways.
"Room 337." was all the nurse said before turning back to the computer.
"Um, thank you." Twilight responded timidly before heading to the elevator, going up to the third floor. Upon exiting the doors, she walked foward, but then stopped when she saw the sign above the doorway, reading it aloud.
"Intensive care unit... oh, no. This just keeps getting worse."
She walked through the doorway, only to bump into a doctor.
"Are you all right, miss? Anything I can help you with?" the doctor asked warmly. Luckily, it seemed like this doctor was one of the few caring ponies in Terretia.
"I'm fine, thank you. I'm uh, actually looking for a patient named Shadow Chord."
The doctor's face fell grim upon hearing this.
"I was wondering when somepony would arrive for that poor stallion." he said, beckoning her to follow.
"What happened to him?"
"According to the police reports, he was assaulted by a group of ponies who beat him relentlessly."
"Beat him?" Twilight asked in shock. I was becoming more and more surprised, as well as feeling guilty. Did I honestly think that my friends would automatically hate me for what I'd done? Was I really that clueless? By this time, the two of them had walked to the room I was in.
"Yes, and quite badly, I'm afraid. Now, before I allow you in, are you sure you want to see him? He's in very bad shape."
Twilight gulped and nodded, making sure she fulfilled her promise to Celestia. The doctor turned on the lights and led her in. A loud gasp was heard from Twilight.
"Oh...my....Shadow!" she exclaimed in shock, running over to my side. Again, immense guilt consumed me as I saw the concern on her face while she was looking me over. Her jaw hung open and her eyes wide with horror.
"Are you well acquainted with Shadow Chord, miss..."
"Twilight." she replied, "And yes, I am very well acquainted with him. He's like family to me."
"Good, because we needed somepony to make this decision. Unfortuntely, his only family is incarcerated and cannot do so. But I will warn you, this decision will not be to your liking."
"...What decision?" she asked, tension rising quickly.
"I hate having to tell you this, Miss Twilight, but I must be honest with you. We don't expect him to live through the night. We have tried everything to keep him steady, but the injuries are massive."
Twilight turned to him slowly, her lips quivering. With a sigh, the doctor continued.
"We need to ask if you wish for us to pull the plug or not on his life support."
"There...there's nothing that can be done?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"We certainly have tried, Miss Twilight, but the chances against him living are 98 to one, maybe even 99. He was just beaten so very badly."
Twilight squinted her eyes shut, likely trying to shut out this situation. Now I was indeed feeling horible for thinking the way I did about them. She finally sighed.
"If there is nothing that can be done... please don't pull the plug just yet. If he goes, let him do so naturally."
"Very well, Twilight." the doctor said, "I am truly sorry about this. I've seen a lot of heinous acts, but this is just despicable. Again, I'm terribly sorry."
"Don't be." Twilight sighed, "It's not your fault, and you at least tried."
"Well, if there's anything else I can do, please just let me know."
"Thank you, doctor." she said as he exited the room. I was ready to speak to Melodia, but he simply motioned for me to keep looking. Twilight Sparkle appeared to be going through a mental battle, likely trying to dismiss what she'd heard, perhaps hoping that there was another way. But finally, she hung her head in despair & defeat and then teleported herself back to Equestria, where she was immediately in her library, surrounded by her friends, as well as the rest of the band, along with Celestia & Spike. They all turned their heads to her, but they could tell that something had not gone the way she'd expected. My heart sank in shame as I saw the worried looks, especially the look on my Rainbow's face. Twilight just stood there, still as a stone for a good minute or so.
"...Well, where is he?" Rainbow Dash finally exclaimed.
"I... I found him." Twilight stammered, trying to collect herself. "He's back where he grew up... and he's in the hospital."
"IN THE HOSPITAL!?" Pinkie Pie gasped, nearly jumping out of her seat.
"In the intensive care wing." the purple mare added.
"What in the hay happened, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, her eyes widening along with everypony else.
"I...he..." Twilight was stuttering, "The doctor said that he was attacked... beaten nearly to death by some other ponies. I saw him... he was in horrible shape... the bruises, scars.... it was too much to take! And then I was told.... I was told...."
"Told what?" Virtuoso asked in an alarmed voice. Twilight's voice choked up and cracked as she spoke the next few words that she was dreading to say. She fell to her knees.
"He's not going to make it!" she blurted out before she began crying.
In complete horror and sorrow, I looked on at all of the shocked expressions form, then turn into bitter sadness. Not one face that bid me good riddance. My bandmates hung their heads and began hugging one another. Applejack removed her hat, drooping her head low. I saw Pinkie Pie's bouncy mane and tail go completely flat as she ran into Striker's arms, burying her face into his chest. Rarity, eyes shining with tears, tightly hugged a broken Fluttershy who was weeping openly. Celestia and Spike walked over to Twilight and comforted her, the two of them wearing saddened expressions.
Rainbow Dash... my one and only Rainbow. Like Twilight, she had collapsed to her knees, tears streaming from her eyes. Her breathing was so heavy that she may have been hyper-ventilating. If not, she was close to it. Clearly she could not believe what she had just heard, and it was tearing her apart.
But, truth be told, they were not the only ones being torn apart. Now, I was being ripped open by guilt for thinking the way I had. I'd thought that none of them cared about me anymore, that all of them would have been delighted to have me gone, never to return. And this alone proved just how wrong I was. I felt like I had brought this suffering on them! I desperately wanted to run up and hug every one of them, to tell them all not to worry, that Shadow Chord was here to stay! But, Melodia beckoned for me to continue looking on.
Rainbow Dash ran up to Celestia, still crying openly.
"Princess," she squeaked, "I need to see Shadow Chord!"
"Rainbow Dash," the princess sighed, "That may not be the best thing. Shadow Chord is clearly in bad shape, and that would not be pleasant for you to see. And sadly, there is nothing that can-"
"I don't care!" the pegasus shouted, "I just need to see him! At least give me the chance to say goodbye! Please, I'm begging you!!"
Celestia looked at the pony, who was still breathing heavily. Celestia nodded, understanding Rainbow's despair. This was almost too much for me to take.
"Very well, Rainbow Dash." Celestia said. "I can take us to where he is, but we cannot stay long."
Rainbow sniffled and nodded her head. Celestia rose up and solemnly told everypony that she would return before she and Rainbow Dash blinked out of sight. As expected, we found ourselves once more in the hospital, where Celestia and Rainbow Dash stood outside the room.
"I know this will not be easy, Rainbow Dash," Celestia said, "But please don't take too long. I can feel that this land is a place of greed and hatred. We cannot be here for an extended amount of time."
Rainbow nodded again before going into the room. My heart sank again as she approached, and upon seeing me, violently thrashed her head the opposite way in utter horror, hiding her face into Celestia's shoulder. Her crying now turned into heaving sobs.
"Shadow Chord!" she sputtered, walking up to where my body lay. After taking a minute to calm herself, she began whispering.
"It's me, Rainbow Dash. The doctor says that you're not gonna live through this. That there's nothing can be done. I...I just don't want to believe that! I came here to say goodbye, but I don't want to do that!!"
Now the words were flowing from her mouth as freely as the tears from her eyes. My heart ached for her. How could I have doubted Rainbow Dash?
"If I had just.... if I'd listened to you, then this wouldn't have happened! I should have known that it was Glamour Gem all along, how in the hay could I have doubted you!?"
I was very surprised to hear that- they had all somehow been informed that Glamour Gem was responsible for what had happened. Melodia turned to look at me, as if to say 'Do you really think she hates you now?'. He then turned his attention back to the weeping pegasus, as did I.
"Don't leave me, Shadow! I need you.... you hear me!? I NEED YOU!!"
She flung herself over the bed, wrapping her forelegs around my neck, sobs of complete heartbreak erupting out of her like lava from a volcano. Celestia quietly walked up behind her.
"Rainbow Dash, we must be on our way."
"No! Just leave me here, Celestia!" Rainbow cried.
"You know I cannot do that, Rainbow Dash. You are the Element of Loyalty, and you are needed in Equestria."
"And I need Shadow Chord!" she countered, "I sure as hay wasn't loyal to him!"
"You didn't know what had happened, Rainbow." Celestia said. "I understand your pain. We all are deeply saddened by this. but we must continue to go about our lives. Hush now, there will be time for grieving when we get back. Let's go."
Despite Rainbow's protests, Celestia teleported them back. Only this time, Melodia and myself remained in the hospital room. My mind was ablaze with intense thought, pity, sorrow and guilt. I couldn't believe myself, that I would think my friends all shunned and hated me now. That was for the land I was in at the moment- shunning and hatred belonged in Terretia, not in Equestria. I was more than ready to run back to Equestria and apologize for ever doubting them, to assure that that I wasn't going anywhere!
"Do you still wish to pass into the afterlife?" Melodia asked me. He was right, this had not only affected my decision, it had changed my mind!
"No." I said,"I realize now that I have too many ponies... too many friends that I can't just leave and abandon."
Melodia chuckled.
"I am pleased that you now see it that way. In that case, I send with you my blessing and goodwill. Return now to your life. Keep bringing the gift of music to the world, Shadow Chord."
With that, Melodia's horn glowed, and the familiar golden light surrounded me completely again. I expected to wake up in the hospital bed, where I would recover and return to Equestria... but that wasn't at all what happened. Instead, I found myself on standing on my hooves in my house back in Equestria! Sunlight was beginning to peak through, indicating that a few hours had passed since Melodia sent me back, even though to me it had felt like ten seconds or so. I noticed that I was behind my bandmates, who were updating our website. Lightning Shredder spoke aloud as he typed:
"Shadow Chord was a talented musician, but more importantly, the best friend anypony could ask for. He will be greatly missed by us and everypony who..."
I attempted to step forward, but I noticed that even though many of my injuries had vanished, I was still very weak. Likely from the sleepless days and nights... and perhaps from being beaten, as I was extrmely sore. I stumbled upon trying to walk, which caught their attention. They all whipped their heads around and their eyes once again widened, but in a joyous surprise this time, not in terror.
"Shadow Chord!?" Striker exclaimed.
"I...I, uh...." I stuttered.
"You're alive!" Virtuoso stated in surprise.
I was about to speak, but instead, I just began laughing a silent, breathless laugh. I don't know why, but I continued to laugh for a few moments before I felt fatigue overpowering me. I thought that I would be running up and hugging them and explaining the entire situation; but frankly, at the current moment, I didn't care about explaining anything to them just yet, probably because of how weak and weary I had become. But that didn't necessarily bother me, either. I was back home in Equestria, back to stay, and that was all that mattered to me. I quickly stumbled over my own hooves as I approached the sofa.
"Aw, jeez...."
That was all I managed to stutter before I flopped down onto the sofa and instantly fell asleep.
I slowly opened my eyes and looked around, noticing that I was in Twilight's house. I remembered falling asleep here, since I was too weary, too broken to make the flight to my own house. I looked out the window. It was an awesome day- the sky was clear, the sun was bright, and a cool breeze made its way through... but I didn't feel awesome. I felt horrible... the worst I'd ever felt in my life.
Shadow Chord was gone.
The stallion I'd been through so much with, ups and downs, thick and thin. The stallion who'd become my best friend. The stallion that I was sure I'd fallen in love with. He was gone, and WAY too soon for that matter. I looked outside and sniffled, remembering the news I'd been given the evening before. That Shadow had been assaulted and didn't have long to live. Less than a day, in fact, so by now, he definitely would have already passed on. The pain I felt in my heart was so massive that I could have sworn it stopped beating for at least ten seconds.
The images from just a few hours ago suddenly returned to torment me. I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to shut out the image of Shadow Chord, lying there on that hospital bed. Pale and unresponsive. Bruised, scarred and battered. He could hardly breathe. It was too much to handle.
I let the tears fall without hesitation now. For some reason that I'm not sure of, and even though my friends would have told me not to, I couldn't help but to blame myself. I felt like this had all happened because of me. I'd let my anger and jealousy get the best of my mind, when I should have known Shadow better. It was never that he didn't care about me anymore- he had been given a love potion against his will, causing him to act the way he did.
And I'd bought Glamour Gem's lies. Even when Shadow Chord tried to explain everything to me, I didn't listen to him, accusing him of betrayal. I was sure that in his sorrow, he'd ran back to where he came from. For that, I felt like it was my doing that led to Shadow passing away. The worst of it all, though, was that I never got a chance to tell him how I felt. Like I said, I was sure that I'd fallen in love with the rock star, and now there was no chance of seeing what could have come between the two of us.
I looked out at the clear, blue sky as I wiped away the tears that had escaped my eyes.
"Shadow... I miss you... and... and... I love you." I confessed aloud, feeling downtrodden that Shadow would never hear those words from me.
Forcing myself to stand, I faced myself in the mirror. I looked like a wreck. My mane was a mess, I had baggy circles under me eys, which were red and swollen, and tear streaks marked both sides of my face. I looked pathetic.... I was pathetic.
"Way to go, Rainbow." I cursed myself, "Look at where your stubborn mind got you now. You're never gonna find anypony like Shadow Chord. He was one of a kind, and you just HAD to go and ruin everything didn't you!? Why do you have to ruin everything that comes your way!? WHY!?"
I was absolutely furious with myself. I couldn't stand to look at my reflection- and as if to respond to that thought, I swung my hoof at the mirror, sending it to the floor. Luckily, it didn't break, or I would have had to get Twilight another one. I didn't care, though. I didn't really care about anything at the moment. I just wanted to disappear from everyone and everything completely. And with that, I simply crawled back into bed. The gloom and sorrow had completely overtaken me. So much, in fact, that I didn't hear the door slam shut. I heard fast-paced hoofsteps approaching, as well as laughter, but I didn't take any real notice of it.
"Rainbow Dash!!!" I nearly jumped out of my skin when Twilight's voice boomed. She seemed excited, but Celestia knows what for.
"What, Twilight?" I asked somberly.
"You need to get out of bed, now!"
"Why?"
"Just get out of bed and come with me!" she insisted.
"I don't have any good reason to do much of anything, Twilight." I muttered.
"It's Shadow Chord, Rainbow!" the purple pony exclaimed, "He's back! And he's alive!!"
I sat straight up in bed, shocked as could be at what I was hearing.
"No way!" I countered, while pinching myself to be sure I wasn't dreaming. It was then that I saw Lightning Shredder come up behind Twilight.
"Does she know yet?' he asked.
"I just told her!" Twilight said with a smile.
"Wait, how? I saw him just last night- he was in bad shape, I could tell he was dying..."
"I don't know what exactly happened," Lightning explained, "Just a few hours ago, he appeared out of nowhere. He still had a few scrapes and bruises, but he was alive! Magic, I guess..."
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, darting out of bed and heading toward the doorway.
"Rainbow, wait!" Twilight called from behind me, but I disregarded what she said. All I wanted to do was see Shadow Chord. I zipped my way through Ponyville, eventually coming to the Midnight Manes' home. Striker was outside, who also told me to wait. But again, I disregarded him and went inside, slamming the door behind me. I looked around the living room with anticipation, and sure enough, I saw him laying on the sofa.
"Shadow Chord!" I cried out with joy, going over to him. I knelt down and embraced him lightly, knowing he was probably still in a lot of pain. His eyes were half open and he wore a blank expression. Why, I wasn't sure, but I wasn't concerned about that. He was here, he was alive. That's what I was all about at the moment.
"Oh my gosh, Shadow, I am SO glad to see you. I am really, really, reeeeeaaaalllllyyy sorry about the way I acted a few nights ago. I-"
I noticed that he was just staring ahead, not even turning to look at me.
"Shadow Chord?"
Still staring ahead.
"Hey, I didn't mean to get all rushed on you. Just yesterday, I was told you were gonna die, and I'm just so happy to see you!"
He still looked ahead, not regarding me in the slightest bit.
"You're happy to see me, right?" I asked, but still getting nothing from him. Was he really that angry with me?
"Shadow, look... I really am sorry about how I treated you, okay? It was stupid of me to jump to conclusions, and I should have known better than to think you would just up and abandon me for somepony like Glamour Gem. I am so sorry, Shadow. Can you forgive me?"
He still looked ahead with that blank, empty expression.
"Shadow, please talk to me? I know you're upset, and I don't blame you, but..."
My voice trailed off as I made the realization. He didn't want to talk to me. I'd treated him horribly, he nearly got killed because of me, and now he wanted nothing to do with me. As much as I hated to face it, I couldn't blame him. I'd acted immaturely, and now I was paying the consequences.
"Shadow, I really am sorry! Please forgive me!" I pleaded one more time, but to no avail. He still disregarded me. I sat there in silence for a minute or two, just like I had at the nightclub where he'd been given the love potion. But this time, it looked like he truly wanted nothing to do with me. But this time, I'd asked for it.
"Okay," I resigned, hanging my head, "I understand if you just can't forgive me for what I did. I don't blame you. I won't ever bother you again."
I slowly got up and made my way outside. Just moment ago, I was feeling elated, but now I was right back in that gloomy feeling. Shadow hated me. And it was my fauly entirely.
"Rainbow, there you are!" Twilight's voice was ahead of me. I didn't even bother to look up. She continued speaking.
"I wish you wouldn't have ran off like that! I was trying to tell you that Shadow-"
"No need to inform me, guys." I said, "He hates me now and doesn't want to speak with me."
"Wait, I-"
"No point in trying to resolve this now, Twilight." I told her, "I've already done the damage, and now I gotta live with it."
Before she could say anything else, I unfurled my wings and took flight. I just wanted to go home and be alone. Just how I deserved to be.
********SHADOW CHORD'S P.O.V.********
I awoke from my deep slumber, finding myself surrounded by my bandmates, as well and Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Rarity. I sat up, noticing that I hardly felt any soreness at all! Luckily, upon my return, my bandmates called over our doctor, who gave me a shot of some kind of medicine. Whatever it was that he gave me, it really did a fantastic job!
"Hey, everypony!" I said.
"Shadow!" Pinkie exclaimed, rushing over to hug me.
"Pinkie, dear! Be gentle, he may still be in pain!" Rarity called out.
"Actually, I'm feeling pretty good." I said, geting up and stretching, "A small headache, but that's it. That medicine really did a number on me!"
As I took a swig of soda that Striker gave me, I looked around for the one pony that I needed to see more than anypony else.
"Hey, where's Rainbow Dash?"
"She's.... locked herself up in her house." Twilight said. "She thinks you hate her."
I immediately spat out my soda upon hearing this.
"She WHAT NOW!? Why would she think that?"
"Well, you see..." Striker began before Lightning began to explain.
"We told her that you were alive and she came over here in an instant. We didn't have time to tell her that you'd been given medicine by your doctor, and that it put you under for a couple of hours. So, when she came here, I'm guessing she tried to talk to you while you were unresponsive, and she thought you purposely weren't talking to her."
"And now, she's not answering anypony at her house." Virtuoso added.
"Well, then I'll just go over there, and- OUCH!!!" I bellowed in pain as I unfurled my wings.
"Yeah... while you were under, the doc said that your wings are gonna be the final thing to heal. Said it'll be a couple of days before you can use them."
"So, I can't fly right now?"
Everypony shook their heads negatively.
"Well, that's just great. How am I suposed to let her know that I don't hate her if she won't come out of her house and I can't go over there?"
We actually spent a good half hour or so trying to think of an answer to that. We tried this and that, but nothing seemed to be the right idea. I was searching through my things to try and get some clues or ideas. Then, I came across some lyrics that I'd written about a year ago. I looked at everypony who was sitting at the table with me and spoke up.
"Guys, I think I've found an idea. I'll go speak with Mayor Mare tomorrow about getting this set up. But whatever you do, don't tell her abuot the medicine. I want this to be a surprise to her, and I know it'll get the message through to her better than anything. Trust me, I know Rainbow. Let me explain it to you."
********2 DAYS LATER********
******** RAINBOW DASH'S P.O.V.********
I begrudgingly followed the rest of my friends over to the Ponvyille Express Studio, the television studio for Ponyville's news, among other things. They told me that the Midnight Manes were doing a small show and an interview there today. Of course, I didn't want to go, seing that Shadow Chord despised me, even though everypony swore he didn't. I told them over and over that I wouldn't go, but Applejack finally convinced me.
"Look, sugarcube, if he honestly don't like you no more.... which ain't true, like we tried to tell ya.... then you can at least show him there ain't no hard feelings by going to this here show." she'd said.
We began nearing the studio, which was bustling with ponies. A lot of them had Midnight Manes merchandise- for the signing, I was sure of it. Everypony looked so happy to be there. Everypony except me. I'd thrown our friendship right out the window, and now Shadow didn't want our friendship back. But, he had every right to be upset with me, so I couldn't argue the fact.
We went inside the studio, making our way to the reserved spot for all of us. The anticipation killed me as the rest of the ponies began filing in, waiting for the event to start, but when I say that it killed me, it was not in a good way this time. I was nearly sick to my stomach. How would he react if he saw me here? Why did I even let my friends talk me into this? Now, I was starting to have second thoughts. I was just about to make up my mind and leave, when one of the Ponyville Express newscasters came up on stage. Too late.
"Good afternoon. Welcome to Ponyville Express. Today, we are honored to have the Midnight Manes here as part of our show. We'll be speaking with them about their recently released album, To The Limit, as well as an upcoming show at the Crystal Empire. We're all excited for this, so let's not waste any time."
'I'm not very excited...' I thought.
"Now, I've always wanted to have the privilege of saying this!" the newscaster said with giddiness, "Mares and gentlecolts... I give you the Midnight Manes!"
The lights in the room went down as a haunting melody began flowing through. This was a song from them I didn't know. Regardless, I hung my head in the darkness, looking down at where the floor was. I just couldn't face Shadow Chord. It would break my heart. The melody began getting stronger and louder. I closed my eyes, but then quickly remembered- I could prevent myself from seeing him, but not hearing him. Covering my ears wouldn't do any good, as I'd be able to hear it, regardless. I just wanted to get this done and over with so I could go home. But what I heard next wasn't the voice of Shadow Chord. I quickly came to realization- it was my voice!
If this world is wearing thin, And you're thinking of escape, I'll go anywhere with you Just wrap me up in chains But if you try to go on alone Don't think I'l understand
I stood there in wonder, recognizing the song that Shadow and I had recorded over a year ago, when they'd first moved back to Ponyville from Manehattan. I looked as a bright light shone from the stage, making only sillouhettes of Striker, Virutoso and Lightning Shredder visible. In the dimly lit area of the audience, I could barely make out the faces of my friends, who were looking over at me with puzzled, yet intrigued looks. I shrugged, letting them know that I knew just about as much as them. The song continued from the chorus into its second verse.
In the silence of your room In the darkness of your dreams You must only think of me There can be no in between When your pride is on the floor I'll make you beg for more.
Now, I could year Shadow Chord's voice whispering the chorus along with my voice.
Stay with me... Stay with me...
Suddenly, the bright light making the sillouhettes went away, and immediately the studio was filled with light. Shadow Chord was now onstage, singing his part of the song.
You'd better hope and pray that you make it safe Back to your own world You'd better hope and pray that you wake one day In your own world 'Cause when you sleep at night, they don't hear your cries In your own world Only time will tell if you can break the spell In your own world
But there was more to it. Shadow Chord was playing the V-shaped guitar that I'd gotten him for his birthday! Not only that, but I saw that he'd repainted it to a light blue color and designed it with multicolored decor... he'd designed the guitar to resemble me!
After the song finished, the audience shook with applause, but I kept my eyes right on Shadow. He looked at me, smiled and winked. This, along with the song and the guitar- it showed that he didn't hate me! He still cared about me!
After a few more songs and a lengthy interview (which seemed to take forever), the six of us made our way backstage to where the rest of the band was located. I saw the rest of the band in one room, and as we approached, Striker looked right at me.
"He's in the room next to this one, Rainbow/" he informed me.
I didn't need to hear anything else. I opened the door to the room and made my way inside while the rest of the band mingled with my friends. I saw Shadow Chord across the room, looking at himself in a mirror while he brushed out his mane. Upon hearing the door close, he turned and saw my reflection. Slowly, he turned around and took a few steps toward me.
"Shadow Chord..." I began, "I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I-"
"Save it, Rainbow." he interrupted with a soft smile, extending his forelegs toward me. "C'mere."
Without another word, I ran into his embrace, shutting my eyes tightly as he firmly locked me in an embrace. Clearly, he didn't want to let go, and neither did I. This was a moment that could have lasted forever for the two of us. A few tears began to make their way down my face.
"I really am sorry, Shadow. If I had known-"
"Rainbow, it's all right." he assured me, "There's no need for an apology. You didn't know at the time, there was no way you could have. The point of the matter is, that night is behind us, and I think we should both forget it ever happened. Deal?"
"Deal." I murmured, resting my head on his shoulders. I was SO thankful that this whole ordeal was done and over with. Furthermore, Shadow Chord was back, alive and well. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
"But Shadow, I have to know. When I tried talking to you a couple days ago, why didn't you respond?"
Shadow Chord chuckled.
"Well, when you rushed over to see me... Twilight, Lightning Shredder, and Striker all tried to explain it to you. When I came back, I was really sore from being assaulted. The boys called our doctor over, and he gave me a shot of something that would take the soreness away- but, it put me in an unresponsive trance for a couple of hours. So, when you were talking to me, I didn't even know you were there!"
"I feel like a genius now." I groaned with sarcasm.
"Hey, don't sweat it, RD. It's all gone and past. Now, let's all go to Sugarcube, shall we? I'm famished."
Soon we were all over at Sugarcube Corner while Shadow Chord recalled the events to everypony of his brief journey back to Terretia and how he'd met with his ancestor who gave him the choice of staying or going. All of us were glad beyond belief that he'd chosen to stay. Especially me. I was right by his side the entire evening. Even as we all called it a night, I still was hesitant to leave him, at least for the time being. He seemed to notice this as he flew back to my house with me.
"Everything all right, Rainbow?" he asked me.
"Well, yeah..." I trailed off.
"What's wrong? You know you can tell me."
"I just..." I stammered, "Call me crazy, Shadow, but right now, after everything we've all been throught this past week, I'm a little afraid to leave you. I know it seems childish, but I'm nervous I'll wake up, and you'll be gone. It sounds crazy, but-"
"Rainbow Dash..." he interrupted again. He took a deep breath and continued, "Do you want to stay overnight at my place?"
I was really surprised at hearing that.
"You mean it?" I asked. Hey, if he was offering, I did not want to part ways with him.
"Of course. Don't forget, I've missed you these past few days, too."
"I...I'd really like that, Shadow. Just let me feed Tank and we'll be on our way."
He nodded, and I quickly went into my house, feeding Tank and making sure he was set for the night. After makig sure everything was okay, I went back outside, leaving a light on for Tank. We took flight toward Shadow's house. As we made our way, I remembered something from the night Shadow was given that potion. Something I made wrong, and now needed to make right.
"Hey, Shadow?" I asked as we landed right outside his house.
"Yeah?" he responded, turning toward me.
"When I found you with Glamour Gem, I told you to forget about going to the Gala with me. I wanna take that back... if you're still willing to go with me?"
I felt a bit of tension rise as he was silent for a couple of seconds. Again, if he didn't want to go, I couldn't blame him.
"You didn't even need to ask." he replied with a grin.
"Glad to hear it." I said, warmly embracing him again. We held the embrace for a few tender moments before he unlocked the door and we went inside.
"Hey guys, Rainbow's staying overnight. That cool with all of you?" Shadow asked his bandmates, who were on the sofa, watching Punch Line on the television. Of course, none of them had any problem with it. We joined them for a while, watching the comedy presentation. But we'd all had a long day, and we were pretty tired.
"Uh, Rainbow, I forgot this when I made the offer." Shadow Chord began, "We... actually don't have any spare bedrooms. Are you okay... sharing a bed with me?"
"Yeah, I'm okay with it." I said, though my heart began racing faster. True, we'd shared a bedroom when we were on vacation, but that room had two beds. his time, we would be sleeping in one bed, together. But, I was here, and Shadow had offered. Plus, I still didn't like the thought of the possibility of waking up and Shadow not being here.
I hoped to Celestia that there wouldn't be any awkwardness as we went upstairs to Shadow Chord's bedroom. We both stood there for a few silent moments before we approached the bed and began sliding under the blanket. We both got comfortable, each of us keeping to one side of the bed. Even though I wasn't uncomfortable, I couldn't deny the slight nervousness I was feeling.
"Good night, Rainbow." Shadow commented, switching off the lamp on his nightstand.
"Good night, Shadow." I replied.
I lay there in the quiet darkness for a few minutes, thinking about how glad I was to have my Shadow Chord back. And how thankful I was that he still cared about me. I wouldn't trade anything in the world for it.
Satisfied with the way things had turned out, my mind was then was welcomed by a deep, peaceful sleep.
