THE SOUND

Every night begins the same way.

Lying here, staring up at the odd patterns on the ceiling, I spend what feels like years in anticipation. The scene plays itself out in my mind over and over again. My body is restless. I do my best not to even move. There is an odd pressure on my chest as I feel the moment approaching.

My ears perk up. The sound is interrupted. I hear metal clinking against metal. The clicking sound of the turn of a lock. The creak of the door as it opens. Hooves striking the metal mesh floor. There are no echoes. No imperfect melodies. No odd rhythms. No loss of synchronization. I can hear every single note clearly. If I wanted to, I could even tap my hooves to the beat that dictates the whole process.

They crowd around me, choking me with their hold. Their voices reach me. I close my eyes and smile, immersing myself in the beauty of the well-organized composition. I do not move, signaling to them that they are acting without my consent.

My joints scream in perfect unison with their hooves pulling my limbs apart. I feel every inch of the fabric as it materializes over me. It tightens around me like a second skin. My forehooves are twisted around my torso. My muzzle is buried under the odd-scented material. They force me back down to the floor. A groan escapes my body as the straps dig into my flesh.

Their hooves release me. I stare after them silently as they file out of the room. The door slams shut. I close my eyes again, visualizing myself as I lie here. I look and feel like I am hugging myself. The idea always makes me smile. It is a perfect description of me. I have to give myself a hug every night before I go to sleep. I have to hug myself all night. The skin that is not my own prevents me from hugging anything else.

The lights go out. The room is now immersed in darkness. I stay completely still. My muscles all relax. An odd buzz enters my ears. My senses go numb from the lack of stimulation. I exhale as gently as I can. My form loses its coherence. I fall through the floor. My body is now floating in an empty void.

This is the lullaby that helps me find my dreams. I welcome it, because it protects me from thinking. It helps me forget. Even the sound fades into the background for a while. The only thing I can hear is my own breathing and the blood flowing through my ears.

There never is complete silence. I never escape, but this feels good enough. It is beautiful. It fills me with joy as my consciousness gradually slips away.

You hold me up. I can feel your warmth caressing my skin.

My eyes land on you. I can hear your soft voice.

You are whispering to me. I can see your loving smile.

You are trying to get me to sleep. Terror grips my mind from the darkness surrounding me.

You caress my head, trying to calm me down. I hold on to you more tightly, smothering my tears in your chest.

Your voice rings out again. You start humming to me. I can feel the vibrations in your chest going straight into my skull.

I take a deep breath. The rapid pounding of my heart slows down. A smile is tugging at my lips. My eyelids begin to droop. I drift further and further away with every shift in the soothing melody.

The progression of the notes is unmistakeable, however. It is a style that I know all too well. Recognition shatters the illusion instantly. I no longer feel you against me. When I open my eyes again, you are not there.

I never escape. I cannot hide. The sound has caught up to me again.

The noise of the door knocks me awake. I feel the tremors in the floor as it presses against my face. I feel their hooves grasping my body once more. They pick me up and drag me out of the room. I do not resist, but I refuse to move any of my limbs to assist them.

They take me into the large chamber down the main hall. I'm thrust into a chair next to the others. It's another meeting. Another dose of lost sleep next to ponies I don't even know, let alone care about. Another half hour of pointless droning about "needing help" and "being helped by ponies who only want to help."

I used to despise these gatherings. From time to time they would interrupt the calm rhythm of the composition that is our existence here. It wasn't long before they could only bring me here while I was restrained. Then I realized that these are a part of the greater work as well. They simply follow a much more complex pattern than the lesser elements. I managed to keep calm after that, but they would never take chances with me again.

Something is different today. There's an unexpected halt in the monologue drilling into our skulls. They bring in somepony new. An outsider. I lose track of everything else that's being said. Her presence alone sets off an unpleasant feeling in my insides.

I hear her introduce herself. Her voice is grating on my ears. I shake my head as the sound makes a violent shift. It drowns out the rest of her words, but I can still sense the noise coming from her mouth. One of the guards starts eyeing me when he notices my nervous fidgeting. It takes all of my strength to hold myself back.

The meeting ends a few minutes later. They drag me back to my room.

I wake up to the sound of my cell opening again. I let out a groan of frustration. I feel exhausted. They never seem to let me rest enough, though I can't even tell how long it's been since I went to sleep.

Time is meaningless here. I have no control over it. No knowledge of it. Not even my body can give me any sense of it. They control time, as well as my awareness of it. Light means day. Darkness means night. There are no in-betweens. No deviations. No improvisation. No false notes. Just one more measure falling into place in the symphony that is my daily schedule. It is perfect harmony.

They pull me to my hooves and hold me steady. One of them brings in a chair and sets it down against the wall facing the door. Another one is brought in and set down in the center of the room. They take off my restraints. My half-conscious mind is immediately jolted awake. I'm fidgeting again, wriggling against the tight hold they have on me. It doesn't feel right.

They force me into the chair facing the door. One of them calls out to somepony waiting outside. My limbs start twitching the moment I see her walking in. It's the mare from yesterday, or however long ago it's been since then.

She sits down in front of me, gives me a friendly smile, and introduces herself again. A clipboard and quill are levitated up to her face. She jots down a few notes, then turns to the others and tells them that they can leave us. This surprises them. They hesitate a little, then reluctantly trudge out of the room.

She turns back to me with that unwavering smile, asking me my name. I don't respond. Seconds tick by in awkward silence. Her brow furrows slightly. She repeats the question. I don't make a sound. I don't even move. I just sit there, hunched forward, staring unblinkingly into her eyes.

We stare at each other like that for a while. Her expression appears more and more perplexed with every passing second. She asks me if there's anything wrong. The quill keeps scratching on the paper. My ears are ringing. Every muscle in my body is screaming at me. The noise she is making is like a knife pressing into my skull, cutting my brain in half.

I don't know for how long we just sat there. She kept trying to start a conversation, asking me about my room, my condition, mentioning the things she had read or been told about me. Occasionally, she would stop to jot down a note while eyeing me pensively.

It doesn't take long before she simply gives up. She thrusts the notepad and quill into her bag with a frustrated sigh and gets to her hooves. I watch her trot outside, pausing in front of the door to glance back at me with a worried expression on her face. I still do not react.

They come back in. My restraints are put on again. The lights go out. I welcome the embrace of my dreams, no matter what might await me in there.

*****

The door opens again, tearing me out of the bliss of unconsciousness. I grind my teeth together. The ache in my skull is now too strong to ignore. I almost lose control of myself. There is no rationality involved in this. All they ever manage to accomplish is deny me some much needed rest.

They trot in and repeat the same unusual procedure as before. Anger blinds my thoughts as they work around me. Day after day, the same visit takes place. The result is always the same. It does not seem to deter her at all. Not until the fifth time, when they take one look at me and insist on not letting her stay with me alone. She gets the message and does not bother me any further that day.

My respite is short-lived. The noise of the door not opening when it's supposed to is physical agony now. I actively resist their efforts this time. It is no use. I find myself sitting in that chair again. I hear the sound boring into my head with ever increasing intensity.

They let go of me and leave the room. I still feel the grip of the fabric. Apparently, they "forgot" to remove my restraints this time.

I hate them for it, but I don't blame them. It's the natural order of things. Besides, they probably hate themselves just as much as they hate me. They probably hate having to work in such a place, trying to help ponies that don't want to be helped, trying to show compassion for those who don't return it, and struggling to employ restraint while facing those who do not. Maybe they don't even want to hate me, but it's easier that way.

There's that new colt for example. He tried to be nice to me. The others did not like him for that. I did not like him. He was upsetting the balance. He was disrupting the harmony that I was accustomed to. I took every chance to give him a painful reminder of my opinion of him.

It didn't last long. His attempts at sympathy gradually lost their effort with each passing day. Eventually, he became like the rest of them. His eyes lost focus while he was around me. His face became an unmoving veil, devoid of any emotion. His hooves grasped me as if I were a lifeless husk.

He had discovered the harmony that guides us all here. I had succeeded again.

As I lose myself in these thoughts, I don't even realize that somepony has entered the room. My eyes have lost focus as the patterns surrounding me distort my vision. The sound is all that I can hear, swirling around and consuming me from the inside out.

"Um... h-hello?"

I nearly leap out of my seat. The restraints reduce that motion to a mere jerk of my upper body. I hear a small yelp. My eyes quickly focus on the source of the noise.

I see a mare standing before me. A pegasus. Small body, yellow coat, pink mane. A pair of big, aquamarine eyes, only one of them visible behind the long and thick veil of her hair.

She blinks a couple of times, lowering her head and pulling the veil even tighter. "Um... excuse me, uh..." she stutters. "C-c-can you... hear me?"

I just stare at her, making her shrink even more.

"A-are you... okay? Um... Twilight said that... you might be... well... that I could..."

I don't move a muscle. My eyes keep scanning her up and down, puzzled by her sight.

"Um..." She begins to shudder a little. "Aren't you going to... talk to me?"

I blink in disbelief. She keeps looking at me innocently. I roll my eyes and sigh, then flex my jaw against the muzzle a couple of times. The tight fabric squirms a little, barely allowing any movement.

"Oh..." she mutters and looks away. "I see..."

I raise an eyebrow. The longer I stare at her, the smaller and more unnerved she seems to become. I give another irritated sigh, wondering why they would waste my time with somepony like her. She's a pathetic weakling, even more useless than every other pony to ever walk in here.

Then again, at least her voice is not as unpleasant as that of the others. I expect the usual grinding sensation in my ears whenever she makes a noise, but to my surprise it never comes.

I feel a slight vibration in the chair. My eyes open again. I did not even realize that they've slipped closed. She seems to have taken it as a good sign and tried to approach me. For a moment, I get to see her at full size. My gaze makes her freeze and shrink back again.

"Um... would you like me to... ask them to... take it off?" she asks cautiously.

I stare at her wide-eyed. Her proximity should unnerve me. I should become violent right about now. Instead, I am overwhelmed by the thought that she is capable of such silent movement. I can't even begin to process what is happening. In my confusion, I find myself nodding in response.

Her eyes light up, and she straightens herself a little. "Okay!" she says, "I'll be right back!" Her voice is a bit louder than before, though still barely above a mere whisper.

I watch her trot outside. Something inside me wants to go after her, but I don't let myself move. I just sit there and wait.

She never comes back.

They come in. My restraints are taken off for the rest of the day. I still do not move, even after the bite of the straps is long gone from my limbs. I keep hearing her voice. Every time it echoes in my skull, the sound reacts to it.

I get up and start pounding my hooves against the floor. The noise is consumed by the odd surface beneath the mesh. There are no echoes. I sit back down, staring at the walls again. The strange pattern surrounds me, covering every inch of my cell. It eats every manifestation of sound that tries to exist within it. All but one.

I throw my whole body against the floor. I slam it against the walls. I do it over and over again, ignoring the pain. Every bit of noise that I am able to conjure drives me to keep going. I don't stop, even when they rush in to restrain me again.

I'm standing at the edge of the square. The cold wind bites into my hide, making me wince. I can hardly breathe. My limbs struggle to keep me upright among the strong currents of air.

An endless crowd of ponies is shifting around before me. The wide spectrum of colors all fade into a mess of dull gray smears, swaying back and forth in a sea of white. Their voices and the noises they make coalesce into a senseless and distorted roar.

My hooves raise themselves off the ground and drag me into their midst. Every now and then, there's an odd, disjointed melody ringing out over the commotion. It guides me like a beacon as I stumble through the crowd, eventually leading me to a small fountain near the center.

I stare at the miserable figure sitting on the ground. He is a shivering pile of rags, filth, wrinkled skin, and old bones. Nopony is paying any attention to him. They simply give him a wide berth and move on.

His hooves are cradling an instrument against his chest. A guitar. As I look at them, I can't tell which one is older than the other. Both instrument and pony have been worn down to their bones by the merciless teeth of time.

The melody comes to a sudden halt. The old stallion lifts his head to look up at me. He seems confused. I just smile, then trot forward and sit down on the cold stone next to him. He doesn't say anything. I close my eyes and hold my breath. I can hear him shifting around nervously. My ears perk up in anticipation.

He gives a deep sigh, then goes back to playing his strange composition. The aging metal strings buzz and whine as his hooves brush against them repeatedly. I place my back against the side of the fountain and let myself be submerged in the beauty of their sound.

The performance isn't very impressive. His instrument is out of tune. He's constantly making mistakes, playing foul notes, losing rhythm, or pausing for too long and in the wrong places.

I don't mind at all.

I'm thinking about you again. I picture myself rushing back home to drag you here. I can see that look on your face as I whine and tug at your legs. I feel my heart leaping in my chest when you take that first reluctant step on your own.

I imagine that you are here with me. I can see us embracing each other, sheltering ourselves from the cold while we listen to his masterpiece. I can see the stallion smiling at us while he plays with renewed vigor.

I feel your hoof on my head as you stroke my mane lovingly. I hear your voice escaping your lungs to caress my ears.

The melody emitted by his instrument makes a sudden shift. It now follows your song note for note. Their harmony surrounds me, holding me tight and lulling me into a wonderful dream.

The familiar progression jolts me awake. I open my eyes. I'm still sitting next to the fountain. The square is empty now. Everypony around me is gone, but I can still hear it.

The sound is all that remains.

I'm holding my breath for as long as I can. Every time I have to exhale, I do it with a grunt of frustration. My body won't let me sleep any more, so I'm forced to wait consciously. I take another deep breath.

I can't get her out of my head. She has infected my consciousness. No matter how hard I try to banish her, she just keeps coming back. Something inside me wants to hear that voice again. It is an enigma that tortures me with every passing second.

Now I spend every waking moment waiting for her to return, as I am certain that she will. I would rather face this pony again than allow her memory to slowly drive me insane.

The noise makes my ears twitch. My eyes widen as the door opens again. My heart skips a beat at the sight of yellow and pink fur flowing in. She drifts gently into the center of this womb. Her forehoof flies to her mouth, and she gives a short, almost inaudible gasp when she notices the bruises covering my body.

"Oh my gosh!" she whispers, "Are you hurt?"

Pain radiates from every portion of my being. Every breath stabs into my ribs. I shake my head.

"Are you sure? I could, um... have a closer look... if you don't mind, that is..."

The gentle throbbing intensifies every time I move, making me wince. I just shake my head again without saying a word.

"Oh... well, if you're sure..." she mutters.

Her wings fold closed as she lands on the chair before me. Every move she makes is as silent as a soft breeze. Her legs shift around nervously, while her hooves grip the edge of her seat as if she were clinging to it for dear life.

"Umm... by the way, sorry for leaving you like that yesterday," she says, "They... they told me that my time was up, and that I had to leave, and... well..."

She trails off, looking away for a moment, then clears her throat and turns back to me. "I, um... I had Twilight ask them not to tie you up this time. Does that make you feel any better?"

I sigh and quickly nod in response, not wanting to waste any more time. I need her to keep talking. I have to know why she is different from the others. Her voice is the key.

"So, um..." Her hooves tap idly on the floor. "Would you like to talk to me now?" she tries with an awkward smile.

This catches me off guard. I was hoping that our conversation would remain one-sided. My mouth opens, then closes again, struggling to answer without me willing to do so. The words are stuck in my throat. I have no idea what to respond, and the very idea of my vocal chords creating any noise is unthinkable.

She eyes me curiously, trying to decipher my confused expression. "How about we start with something simple?" she asks after a few moments. Her hoof points to her chest. "My name is Fluttershy. What's your name?"

My jaw drops from the sudden change in her tone. Her voice is no longer that of a frail little filly cowering from the mere glance of a stranger. Now she is the adult, struggling to work with the non-compliant foal that I am.

I respond without even thinking. Without even realizing it. The air is forced out of my lungs. I feel it traveling up my throat and out of my mouth. My tongue and lips shape the words without a single conscious decision on my part.

"Smooth Song."

I hear my voice ringing out like a deafening roar. It is a noise more foreign to me than any other I've ever experienced in here. The sound barks into my ears with renewed violence.

My eyes fall to the floor. My breathing becomes more labored. Sweat beads all over my forehead. I can feel my heart hammering in my chest.

None of this is right. How can my voice escape me this way? What is she doing to me?

I look back up at her in desperation. She is back to her full size, her gaze no longer trying to wander as she stares at me.

"Oh, that's a lovely name!" she coos. Her smile is wider than ever. "And how old are you, Smooth Song?"

"Twenty-one."

"And what are you?"

"An earth pony."

"And what is your cutie mark?"

"A guitar."

"Do you know why it's a guitar?"

"..."

"Hmm?"

"Something to do with... music?"

"And do you like music, Smooth Song?"

"I don't know."

We trade short bursts of speech. Every time I open my mouth, it feels like there's a tremendous amount of pressure inside me, threatening to rip me apart as it tries to escape. Every time she speaks, her voice radiates an otherworldly warmth that washes away some of my tension. The sound repeatedly spikes in my ears, then retreats to the background again. I try not to even think about it and focus on keeping the conversation flowing.

"Have you ever listened to any music?"

"I... I think I have..."

"Do you remember it?"

"No..."

She blinks a couple of times, puzzled by my response. I look away. There's that odd pressure in my chest again. I think I was trying to lie, but I don't even know whether any of my answers are true or not.

"Well, um..." she stammers, "I could... show you some... if you want. I'm into music quite a bit myself..."

"Really?" I mumble as I turn back to her.

She smiles at me and gives a small nod. "Mm-hmm. In fact, I practice quite often with some of my songbirds back home."

"Songbirds?"

"Oh yes! I have more than a dozen little birdies that train with me twice every week. They make a wonderful team! We even got to perform on all these big ceremonies... like the Summer Sun celebration!"

She brushes her mane out of her eyes. Her gaze wanders through the room as if she were watching those birds circling around her right now. "They are all so lovely! Sure, some of them have trouble with the rhythm from time to time, but they all have such amazing voices, and..."

She seems more enthusiastic than ever, judging by her volume now approaching other ponies' normal speaking voice. Everything becomes a blur around me. I'm drowning in the stream of her words. The smooth voice lifts me up and carries me far away. It's an odd, yet comforting feeling somehow. I feel a smile tugging at my lips.

"Smooth Song?" Her voice eventually slips through the haze that I'm drifting in. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? What?" I blink and shake my head, then slap myself with a hoof. "I'm... I'm fine..."

She raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" I snap at her, flushing. She winces at the sudden outburst. "Just... never mind me! I'm okay. Better than ever. Stop asking!"

"Um..." she whimpers, "okay..."

We remain silent for a while. I watch her forehooves tugging at her mane nervously, while her eyes keep turning in every direction but toward me. My own limbs feel restless as well.

"And what about this place?" she asks.

My legs jerk involuntarily. I feel a stab of pain as my teeth sink into my lower lip. "What do you mean?"

"Well... is it good? Do you feel alright in here?"

The air starts to feel heavy again. My eyes dart back and forth, peeking at the door several times, expecting it to burst open at any moment.

"I... I can't..." I stammer.

They are listening. They're always listening.

No. There's no need. I should just keep quiet.

"No," my voice answers for me. I bite my tongue, desperately trying to hold it back. "I don't."

"Oh, you poor thing! What's wrong?"

"It's... it's the noises." I can't stop myself from speaking. "Everything is too noisy!" My hooves grab the sides of my head. "They all make terrible sounds! They hurt me!"

"Did the guards hurt you?"

"What? No, I... they only... it's just... just the noise. I can't stand all the noise!"

"Um... what kind of noise?"

"Everything! Every sound that everypony makes in here!"

Her eyes widen, and she shrinks back a little again. "You mean..." she whispers, "even when I'm talking to you?"

"No!" I shout, making her recoil. I lower my voice somewhat. "No, you're... you're different!"

"H-how?"

"You're... you're the first pony that... your voice... it doesn't hurt..."

I slam a hoof onto my mouth. My teeth scream at me from the force of the impact. I clench my eyes shut and let out muffled curses while I bash the side of my head repeatedly. I do it about a dozen times before the pain becomes unbearable.

"Go!" I grunt between gasps for breath. Something warm and wet trickles down the side of my face. "Get out! I've had enough. Leave me alone!"

She does not move. Her eyes are locked onto me, a mortified expression on her face. Her hind legs are trembling, making her seat rattle on the metal floor. The noise irritates me. For the first time today, I genuinely despise her presence.

"Why?" I hear her voice caressing me once more. "Why did somepony like you... end up in here?"

My gaze descends to the floor again. "Why do you want to know?" I mutter. "Didn't she tell you?" My skull is throbbing. I let the blood trickle down my face and onto my hooves.

She shakes her head slowly. "No, but..." she stammers, "I don't think you belong in here." Her hoof points at the wound on my head. "Look at you! You're hurting yourself! And... all these bruises, too... it was you, wasn't it?"

I notice her trying to get up and move toward me. The sudden change in my expression is all that it takes to make her back down.

"Please!" She's almost crying now. "Let me help you! You need help! You can't just... just stay locked away like this!"

I don't respond. One by one, I just count each individual drop of blood that hits my legs.

"Why did they bring you here?" she asks me once more.

Our eyes meet. My mouth is hanging open again. The air starts to travel up my throat. This time, however, even my own voice refuses to answer for me. All I can do is cough up a series of incoherent sounds.

She silently watches me struggle with myself for a few moments. Her hoof reaches out to grab mine and holds on tight. "Wait!" she says, "Okay! It's okay! I don't mind if you don't want to tell me."

I breathe a sigh of relief, then wrestle my hoof out of her grasp and turn away. We don't speak for a while again. Our breathing is the only sound and motion within the room.

"Um... I think I'll go now," she finally says. I hear the chair's legs grinding against the floor as she gets up. "See you next day?"

I nod without even looking at her. I can faintly hear her hoofsteps as she moves toward the door. As their volume decreases, the sound takes their place with ever growing fury. I welcome it. I want it to help drown out her presence.

"Wait!" I call after her. She freezes halfway through the exit and turns back to me. "Could you... could you show me?"

I get a puzzled look from her. "Wh-what?"

"You know... the music..." I speak through grit teeth, keeping my voice low. "The kind you practice with those birds..."

"Oh!" She hangs her head, letting her mane cover most of her face. "Well, um... I can't exactly sing that to you..."

I nod silently and close my eyes, letting out the breath I've been holding. In my mind I can already hear the door close. The sound absorbs every trace of her.

My hoof rises before my face. My jaws open. I feel my teeth stabbing into my flesh.

A grunt of discomfort escapes my throat. There's a coppery taste in my mouth. I still hear myself asking her. With every passing second, my jaws try to increase the pressure on my limb.

"Foals of mine who glide around
Hearts set to fly free
Tell me, can't you hear the sound
Of child who fell from me?"

My eyes shoot open. My hoof drops to my side, leaving my jaw to hang limply.

She's standing next to the doorway. Her head is raised as she sustains the final note. She takes in another deep breath.

"Ask not where or why or how
Come to mother's nest
Fold your little wings for now
Lay your heads to rest"

I barely have time to comprehend the sensations. For a moment, I'm taken back into that beautiful dream. I start to lose myself, drifting away in the miracle that is her voice.

Something strange happens. It is a mere noise in the background at first. Then, as her song progresses, the two melodies become entangled in one another. Every note soon becomes a perfect match.

My blood runs cold. I can no longer differentiate between her singing and what is in my head.

The sound has morphed to follow her voice.

"You will fly another day
No need to despair
Sun and sky are here to stay
Sleep now in their care"

I have no control over what happens next. A large dose of air enters my lungs. The chair I've been sitting on topples over and hits the floor behind me. Through my own eyes I'm forced to watch as my body lunges forward, homing in on the unsuspecting pegasus before she can react.

We collide. My momentum throws her off her hooves. I pin her against the wall, knocking the wind out of her. My voice almost deafens me as I start screaming into her face.

"How did you do that? How? Tell me! Who are you?"

Her pupils become pinpricks inside the huge whites of her eyes. I feel every inch of her body trembling. I can hear her rapid breaths, the tiny squeaking noise they make as they move through her lungs and throat. I feel them against my face. They only serve to add to my tension.

"What did you do? Please! Tell me! What was that? What is happening?"

The door bursts open. They storm into the room and surround us. They start shouting. I don't pay any attention. I don't care if I'm hurting her. I can still hear it. Even with her silent it just keeps playing her song.

"What have you done to me?"

A pair of hooves grab my neck from behind. Another two lock around my midsection. They start pulling me away.

"No! Stop! Let me go! Stop it!"

I lose my grip on her. They drag me further and further away. With each step backward, more hooves grab hold of my body to try and get me under control. I thrash around as hard as I can, still screaming.

"Let go of me! To Tartarus with all of you! I have to know!"

I start punching and kicking them. A limb moves near my face. I sink my teeth into it. One of them starts howling. There's that odd taste again. It almost makes me laugh despite myself.

A hoof connects with my abdomen. Hard. I throw up the air in my lungs. Another smashes into the back of my head. My vision fills with spots. My limbs go limp as I am overwhelmed by agony.

They throw me to the floor. I'm on my back, looking up at them as they surround me, panting from the exertion. There's a moment's pause that seems to last entire minutes.

I know exactly what will happen next. I stay still, embracing the inevitable.

They descend upon me as one being. Every trained and strengthened limb is connected to a single consciousness, and it now thirsts for my blood. Out of instinct, my limbs weakly lift themselves up to try and protect me. They are bludgeoned aside in an instant. Dozens of powerful blows start tossing my body around as if it were stuffed with hay.

Everything goes numb. Their blows barely register anymore. I taste my own blood again. I hear things breaking under my skin. The sound becomes muffled, then continues to fade out. I exhale one last time, ready to submit to the darkness consuming me.

"STOP!"

The sudden shriek throws me back from the abyss. Everypony becomes paralyzed in that instant. One by one, their heads slowly turn toward its source. I watch, baffled, as their expressions change from surprise to that of fear.

Trembling from the agony, I lift my head to see what is happening. She is right where I left her, now in a low stance facing toward us. As soon as our eyes meet, I freeze, an otherworldly terror taking hold of me.

"Let him go!" she commands. Her voice is a roar as she speaks. Her eyes are like giants. I feel myself shrinking before them, unable to even think about the creature that now holds us in her grasp.

In an instant, all the foreign limbs retreat from my body. "Get out!" she shouts. They obey without hesitation. She keeps her gaze fixed on them as they crawl out of the room. Not one of them dares to look away. As soon as I'm out of her view, the petrifying sensation disappears. A wave of nausea runs through me. My head hits the floor.

"Wait outside!" she calls after them, "Don't move a muscle!"

The door slams shut. She gives a deep sigh, then turns around and immediately rushes over to my side. She lifts up my head, her other hoof checking the damage on the rest of my body. I struggle to lift my eyelids as I hear her calling my name.

Her gaze no longer inspires terror. Tears are streaming down her face. She starts babbling incoherently. She tries to tell me that she's sorry. She's asking me where I'm hurt. She's telling me that everything will be alright.

I grab her foreleg, cutting her off. My lungs stab and burn as I breathe in. Without giving her another moment, I let loose my own voice.

I tell her everything.

I visit him every day after that.

Every single day, I find him in the exact same spot. I just sit down next to him and listen. He never asks me why. He never tells me to leave. He never even speaks to me. He just keeps playing, and I keep listening and dreaming.

I stay here all day. I wait until he packs up and leaves, but I never follow him. There is no need. I already know when and where to find him.

For months, this is how I spend my spare time. There isn't much to do at home. You always have to work so much and for so long. I still wish I could bring you here, but I know how hard it is for you and I don't want to cause any trouble.

Sometimes, this doesn't seem right either. I feel like I should be doing something more useful. I want to help you, but I don't know how. I want to get up. I want to stop coming here, but I never can. The old stallion keeps playing, and I just sit still and listen.

One day, however, he stops in the middle of one of his songs. I'm jolted awake from my pleasant daze. He sighs, then turns to me with a tired look on his face. Before I can say anything, he places the guitar in my lap.

I spend the next couple of hours struggling with the ancient instrument. It isn't easy. My limbs are too small to hold it. My hooves are too small to work with it. I am too small in every sense in order to make it sing the way he did.

My hooves touch the strings. I cringe. The noise I make is torture for the ears. A couple of ponies even turn to look as they pass by. They roll their eyes and huff in annoyance.

I hang my head low and stop playing. I imagine you standing before me. You look disappointed, just like the rest of them. It makes me want to bury myself.

Then I feel the stallion patting my back. He's smiling at me. He tells me to continue.

We keep at it all day. Every time I stop, he urges me to keep playing. Only once it's time for him to leave does he take it away again.

The same thing happens the following day. Then the day after that. An entire month. I lose track of how long we do this. I never stop trying, but I don't make much progress either.

Something is wrong. I realize that early on, but I can't figure it out. No matter how often he shows me what to do, I keep making the same mistakes. I try to play the way he does, but all that comes out is an awful noise.

-----

*****

-----

There's an endless sound in my head. A melody that changes constantly. It reminds me of you. Whenever I think about you, it becomes stronger. When I play something else, it drowns it out. If I try to ignore it, it punishes me.

I stop playing abruptly. The old stallion gives me a confused look. He pats my back again. He says I shouldn't give up.

I can't take it anymore. Nothing else seems to work. I give a deep sigh and close my eyes, ready to surrender to its will. My left hoof moves into a new position on the fretboard, and the right one carefully begins to strum the new melody.

It's a bit difficult at first. The sound is too elusive for me to follow correctly. I can only bring out a shoddy imitation of it.

As if sensing my attempt, it calms down a little, allowing me to catch up. Within moments, we manage to reach harmony. It now flows out of my instrument with absolute clarity, granting my audience the full experience of my inner voice.

The effect is almost immediate. I open my eyes again when I hear the stallion gasping next to me. I follow his gaze. The guitar nearly drops from my hooves at the sight.

A huge crowd is forming around us. Young and old alike squeeze each other as they struggle to get as close as they can. Colts stop in mid-sprint, throwing away their toys and ignoring all of their friends as they fight their way to the front row. Foals are bawling as their parents leave them behind without hesitation, then go silent and start crawling toward me as well.

I keep playing, despite my amazement. Whenever I pause, they erupt into cheers. They start showering us with money, gifts, and praise. They're begging me not to stop.

A strange sensation takes hold of me. I no longer feel fear or shame. Instead, I find myself wondering how far I can take this.

I tell them to give us more.

They do not hesitate. Mares and stallions empty their pockets, then tear off all their fancy clothes and jewelry, placing them at my feet while shivering in the cold wind. With nothing else left to give, some of them even drop to their knees and bow before me, offering their servitude.

The excitement brings a smile to my face. I can't get enough of it. My heart is pumping fire through my veins as I announce my will to them.

I demand that the wealthiest step forth. I point to my friend and tell them to give everything they possess to him. The old stallion can only shudder as they lift him up and carry him away, surrounded by the thunderous cheers of the rest of the crowd.

I point down at their offerings next. I tell them to pick up as much as they can carry, then give it all to the first pony that they run into on the street. A few dozen more depart, but it barely thins the enormous herd.

I tell the rest of them where I wish to go. Moments later, I'm riding on top of a swirling ocean of ponies. Their cheers are almost deafening now. My smile grows even wider.

I lead them away from the square. My guitar starts to sing again. The sound travels through the busy streets, ensnaring all within its reach.

We arrive at a large building at the center of the town. The moment I see it, the sound shifts from its soft progression to a more violent passage. In response, my audience becomes restless as well.

I stand before the entrance and turn around to face them. Thousands are staring back at me, eager to obey my every command.

I point at the building behind me. I announce its true nature. The fancy structure is nothing but the accursed dwelling of all those who oppress and feed off of us.

It must be torn down.

They roar in response, bursting into motion as one being. I step aside as they rush forward and break down the doors, pouring in like an unstoppable tide.

The windows on the upper floors burst open. Those inside are crying for help. Smoke starts to bleed out of the openings. I hear things breaking. Ponies shouting at each other, some begging for mercy.

I grin as I watch those pathetic vermin drop before me. Their wails are music to my ears, building up a unique rhythm. Every contributor adds a single note, followed by silence once they hit the stone below.

I decide to join in. It gives the sound an entirely new orchestration, which fuels their rampage even further.

"No..."

I hear my name being called. My heart nearly stops when I recognize your voice.

"No."

I slowly turn around. My whole body is shaking from the knowledge of what I'm about to see.

"No!"

You're standing at the edge of the crowd, looking straight at me.

The guitar falls to the ground and breaks in two. I don't even flinch. I hear you calling my name again.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

You try to move forward. The crowd is too thick and violent. You are screaming now, unable to get any closer.

"No! Wait! I'm sorry!"

I start galloping toward you. That's when I meet them for the first time. These ones are wearing gold plates all over their hide. They descend from the sky and surround me.

"I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I got carried away! I didn't mean for this to happen!"

They are closing in. Whenever I try to move, they block me. In my desperation, I rush them, still keeping my eyes on you. I cannot lose you.

Their hooves lock around my limbs.

"No! Let me go!"

They're dragging me away. I struggle to lift my head above them. The last thing I see is your hoof reaching out among the frantic herd.

I can't hear your voice.

"Mother!"

I don't know what is happening. Everything is a blur. All I comprehend is the agony, as well as a great sense of urgency that drives us both.

She is leading me down the halls. Whenever I collapse, she wrestles me back to my hooves. I keep telling her to leave me behind, but she hushes me every time.

We run into a few of them along the way. When they try to stop us, she uses what she calls "The Stare" on them. Not one of them can stand up to its power.

We keep moving. I don't understand how she knows where we need to go. Everything looks the same: endless hallways that don't lead anywhere, connecting rooms that don't contain anything.

She stops after a while and opens one of the doors. We enter a chamber full of fancy-looking equipment. On one side, there is a thick glass window behind a large console. Beyond it, there is a small room, its walls matching those in my own.

I recognize this place. This is where they would take me every once in a while so I could "make myself useful." The rarest passage of the symphony.

At first, they just gave me a pen and paper. They told me to compose something that they desired. It took them a while to realize that no amount of beatings could teach me how to do that. After that, they would just hand me a guitar, lock me into that room, and tell me to play it for a few minutes.

I did exactly as they told me. Somehow, that was enough to satisfy them. I never understood it.

There's only one of them inside now. He quickly succumbs to her power. She orders him to set everything up. His hooves shake uncontrollably as he starts fiddling with the console.

I let go of her and limp my way into the small room. The guitar is there in the corner, as always. I pick it up and turn around. She waits for him to finish, then smiles and gives me a small nod.

"You might want to take cover," I tell her. My hooves move into position. "This is going to be loud."

A giant wave of pressure slams into me the moment I strum the first chord. The speakers behind me crackle as I drive them past the volume they were designed for.

The agony in my limbs flares once more. I hold my breath and do my best to keep calm. This progression demands it. I let go of my tension and allow the sound to guide me. With every following chord, the piece gains intensity.

The mare is still standing there, amazed by what is happening. A swirling torrent of energy is released, ripping apart all the equipment around me. Her eyes grow wide, and she ducks for cover as the next wave smashes right through the window.

The ground beneath me releases a strange glow. Dozens of swirling tendrils burst forth, their forms composed of the same light. The sound envelops me completely. It feeds off its own power, using me as its medium.

The ceiling explodes outward as the appendages collide with it, easily tearing through concrete, steel, and earth. I look up, watching them swirl as they explore the space outside. The currents they create with their motions lift me up as well. Beyond the shattered walls above, I now see stars pockmarking the night sky. It makes me smile.

A few of them rush into the room. One of them gallops forward and tries to grab me. I wish I could warn him. I wish I could stop him, but I can't. They cannot help it. Even in the face of such power, they have to obey their purpose.

His hoof touches the vortex. Another wave of energy blasts him apart. The others stare horrified at his remains. They don't dare to move.

I guide the limbs back toward this place. My awareness expands along with their reach. I go from room to room. Alarms are going off everywhere. I can see the rest of them running back and forth, unsure what to do.

I can see all the other residents. Some of them are confused. Scared. Others are angry. They just want to sleep.

And then there's one more.

Oh, you poor, senseless little thing.

I can't help but laugh at the sight, despite myself.

Why the hay did you do it? Couldn't you have waited another minute or two?

The strings of light arc through the air. They break into structure once more, homing in on his lifeless body hanging from the rope.

Maybe then you could have seen what I am about to see. You could have escaped your precious white boxes and painful lights.

His legs jerk a little as the tendrils swirl around him. Then his whole body convulses. His eyes open, and I hear him gasp as he takes in his surroundings.

Don't you worry. I won't let you go just yet.

I smile as I watch his eyes dart back and forth while he's being hoisted into the air.

This will be our last gig. We're going to finish it together.

I take us both outside. Another immense wave of energy is released, followed by several more. Each one sends my song further out into the rest of the world. Wherever the sound goes, my awareness is able to follow it.

The otherworldly limbs spread out, reaching for many miles. Foreign lands stretch out before me, full of all sorts of wonders. Magnificent beings of all kinds stare at the sky in a mix of fear and wonder.

But they are not what I wish to see right now.

One of the strings passes by a castle on the side of a mountain. It brushes against one of the large windows, allowing me to peek inside. I see Her lying in bed, fast asleep.

The glass cracks from a sudden dose of pressure. I watch silently as She is jolted awake by the noise. She quickly gets up and moves to the window to look outside. A look of utter terror appears on Her face once She realizes what is happening.

At this moment, I could do whatever I want to Her. I choose not to. There is no quarrel between us. The sight of Her at Her weakest is more than enough to satisfy me.

A burning sensation is eating away at my limbs, starting at the tips of my hooves. The more I stress the sound, the burning spreads further and becomes stronger.

I grit my teeth and focus on my search. I sift through their ranks as fast as I can. I watch a pink earth pony cradle a bag of flour. She rocks back and forth while crying herself to sleep. I watch a large red stallion weep as he stands before a trio of fresh graves. One of them is still empty. He lowers his head, then slowly crawls into it.

The burning intensifies. I clench my eyes shut, now starting to lose hope. A thousand lives of misery are revealed before me. A million stories of success. A genius being born. A mother being murdered. A single glance is all it takes once I find them. All worth knowing, but none what I seek.

No.

There you are. The one place where I didn't want to look.

No.

The other strings all double back. They rush straight toward the city near the sea, converging on an old house on a forgotten street.

You never left it.

No!

Your eyes are closed. Your breath and your pulse are weak.

Open your eyes! Wake up! Please! Don't leave me! Wake up! Don't leave me again! Don't let it end like this!

The strings caress your sides. They touch your face. I can't feel your warmth.

Not after all this! Please don't leave me!

I channel as much energy as I can through them. The sound howls into my ear, but I ignore it.

Please! I'm begging you! Open your eyes! Wake up!

Tears are streaming down my face. I can't breathe. The fire has all but torn my hooves apart.

It hurts! It hurts too much! I can't keep it up any longer!

The light is almost blinding. I can hear her screaming in the distance. From pain or from fear, I cannot tell.

You are still asleep.

Please! I beg you! Open your eyes for me! Please! Just wake up! Just open your—

The veils of skin retreat into your skull. I stare into a pair of emerald lakes on white domes. The dark pools at the center contract as the light hits them.

My hooves stop moving. They drop down and hang limply at my sides. Everything falls silent. I breathe hard as I try to focus among the pain consuming my body. A foreign sensation awaits me. There is complete silence.

The sound is gone.

Glass pearls bleed out of the corners of your eyes. They roll down the sides of your face. I can see your mouth moving. I recognize the words shaped by your lips.

There is no sound accompanying them.

I throw my head back and scream. I howl from the bottom of my guts, as if trying to turn myself inside out. My whole body deflates from the effort. My throat burns, a tidal wave of air ripping it apart as it erupts from my lungs.

Agony consumes my skull as the pressure grows inside it. My limbs feel like enormous jaws are rending them. I don't stop, compressing the sacs in my chest even after my air runs out completely.

There is no sound.

Your mouth is still moving. I watch your face contort as you let go of your own tears.

My vision becomes blurry. I want to wipe my eyes so I can see you. My hooves are stiff. They will not respond.

I look down and notice her again. She is curled up on the floor, covering her head with her hooves, the pulverized remains of the room surrounding her.

I try whispering her name. She stops shaking and peeks out from under her hair. Those beautiful eyes find me once more, looking over my body as it writhes from the pain.

She says something. Her expression allows me to guess what she sees, but I'll never hear that voice again.

"Thank you!" I whisper. "Thank you for everything!"

I turn back to you. I lift one of the strings to caress your face. You can't see me, but I can tell that you know.

For just a little while longer, the entire world is my audience. The guitar is still hanging from my shoulders. I place my throbbing hooves against it, close my eyes, then take a deep breath.

My last performance is for you. It is the loudest song in existence.

I'm the only one alive that does not get to hear it.

Author's Note

Side story/tribute to the fantastic work entitled White Box by Chromosome. This chapter is also the conclusion to this particular series.

"Goodbye, thank you very much for your kind and avid attention, and good luck to each and every one of you!"

— Michael Gira

Fluttershy's song (more or less) follows the pitch and rhythm of the melody at the beginning and end of the "title song." I tried to do something like this because I figured everyone was sick and tired of seeing "Hush now, quiet now" for the billionth time. I know I am, at least. Also, I know the last line of the first verse messes up the metre somewhat, but whatever. I like it this way...

(Also, in case you were wondering what Smooth Song is playing at the end: link)

EDIT: Now with a reading by The Audible Blink here: (link)

EDIT 2: Sequel here: (link)