Chapters The Ten-Thirty to Canterlot
The Ten-Thirty to Canterlot
T he train station was buzzing with activity as Princess Cadence, Prince Shining Armor and four of his most trusted guards waited for their ride. Word of the Prince's attendance to an international conference on civil rights spread out farther than he had anticipated. Several crystal ponies strode up to the royal couple with a barrage of questions about what the Prince would address at this meeting.
Proposals that Shining Armor was absolutely unprepared to give, he quickly realized.
"Um...well, you see, I will not be addressing anything during the conference."
One of his subjects, Glitter Shine, was flabbergasted at her sovereign's response. "You mean you have nothing to say, Your Highness? But surely you have thought of something to address!"
It would take an incredible eye to see that Shining Armor was shivering with fear inside, saying to himself the three words he knew could help him escape this.
Don't be stupid. Don't be stupid. Don't be stupid.
Rubbing the back of his neck, he glanced down and muttered a short reply. "Uh...that might be because this was on such short notice."
Cadence tilted her head, giving her husband a confused look. "Honey, you said you received the letter a month prior-"
Fix this, you buffoon, before you get caught. "DID I SAY A MONTH? Sorry honey, I meant to say...a week! Yes. One week ago yesterday. Sorry I confused you, dear! Won't happen again, hahahahaha."
Cadence gave Shining a serious look, before Shining Armor shot his head upward, a look of surprise on his face.
"Slavery."
Cadence looked intrigued for once. "Slavery, Shining? Why in the hoof would you address slavery?"
Think, Armor, think. Use that brain your parents conceived. "The Crystal Empire used to be enslaved. I'm going to discourage slavery from ever happening. See? So stop saying I'm unprepared!"
"But honey, nopony ever said-"
Shining frantically shook his head side to side. "Don't say it! I won't hear another pony say it again. Case closed. Done."
Princess Cadence, hopelessly lost in thoughts about her husband's topic of choice, simply shrugged it off.
Awesome. She didn't press the matter. *HOO WHOO* Well, that's the ten-thirty train.
"Cadence, I promise I'll be back in time for the festival. You don't need to worry about that."
Shining Armor gave his Princess a firm peck on the lips before trotting after his four hoof-picked guards. Cadence simply waved goodbye, but not before blowing her Prince a kiss and a wink for good measure.
Cadence gave her eyebrows a little wave. "I'll be waiting for you at the castle when you return, so we can have some 'fun'."
Shining Armor blushed madly, getting a few whistles from his guards. He snapped a glare at them, scaring them into the train car, but not before Cadence corrected him. "As in the carnival , Shining Armor. Don't get any ideas, mister, we have the whole weekend!"
Shining gave a childish grin, blowing her three more kisses in the air, much to the irritation of the conductor. "Your Highness, sorry to be rude, but...I called for passengers FIVE MINUTES AGO!"
That startled Shining Armor onto the train, with the last few blasts of the horn signaling their departure.
Deceiving Cadence was the last thing he wanted to do to start the week before their anniversary; in order for his plans to work, deception was the unfortunate remedy to a scheme ailing with complexity. Princess Celestia could hold some blame at least for the subterfuge taking place, though unless his revival concert blew his wife away, his plot was in danger of taking massive damage after this was all over.
I can't brood over that the entire trip, the band needs me to lead! Get it together, Shining Armor.
The train ride to Canterlot provided a unique opportunity for the five reunited band mates to dive deeper into their master plan. Power Sword's face was animated, acting out some of their old stage routines from back in the day. Brave Lance attempted their patented 'Pony Pop' dance, with each attempt always ending anywhere from the cabin next door to even tumbling into one of the steward's food trays. Shining Armor, embarrassed for his friend, offered to pay for the food when the stewardess shot a hoof at Brave Lance.
"Hey, I know that dance! Wasn't that from...S.A.R.G., that's it! I had NO idea anypony followed them anymore."
This is bad! I have to cover our tracks fast! How in Tartarus did we find the one fan that knows us? Well, not 'us' us, but 'them' us.
Shining stepped in front of Brave Lance to rebut her claim. "Oh. Well, we don't really keep track of them anymore."
The stewardess just blinked. "Then how did he know most of their moves, even to the smallest degree? He looked like the real thing for a moment! That's pretty good for stallions who 'don't keep track of them', don't you think?"
Shining conjured an artificial laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess this lug just doesn't know when to stop. What an unhealthy obsession, boy bands-ahem! Brave Lance! ATTEN...SHUN."
Brave Lance sprung to his feet and stood perfectly still. "Sir!"
"Return to the cabin before you embarrass all of us further. That's an order, private!"
Lance simply saluted his Captain, and both stallions returned inside the cabin, leaving the stewardess in disbelief.
"Jeez, stallions can be so insecure about their masculinity...they wouldn't pass for a boy band, no sir..."
"First of all, I'm not a private , 'Captain', I'm a corporal . Secondly, how did we end up with a S.A.R.G. fan on this train? That was way too close!"
Shining waved off Lance's concerns. "You're always bent out of shape, Lance. We'll get through this without our identities leaking to the public, I swear it. At least until we perform, that is..."
"I hope you're right about this one, Shining, because this is already off to an edgy start." Flash Sentry rose from his seat in the cabin, walking outside to use the restroom.
The remainder of the trip was restful, with Shining Armor seated next to a snoozing Signal Flare who would intermittently pop bubbles with his lips. Shining just sat with his leg propping his head to look outside the cabin window. Sunrise was well underway, the glow undressing the shady hills beneath Cloudsdale to reveal the golden corn and wheat fields that danced along the landscape.
This was his third favorite sight in all of Equestria, outside of his lookout in his castle and the grassy knoll in the backyard where he and Twilight stargazed from late at night into the early morning. The crops swayed back and forth with the breeze cooked up by the pegasi earlier in the morning. Cloudsdale pegasi not only controlled local weather events such as thunderstorms and blizzards, but manipulated farther reaching mechanisms such as convergent and divergent air currents in the upper atmosphere. The cool summer breezes were a byproduct of such climate controls.
It took most of the day, but the train finally pulled into the station adjacent to Canterlot's financial district. The streets were lined with hundreds of ponies doing their ritual dining and shopping, hopping from store to store with bags of overpriced goods in tow.
Behind Shining Armor, Power Sword waved at Brave Lance to his left, pointing a hoof in the direction of a mare carrying a mound of bags from Marey Kay. She suddenly turned around and galloped back to the store, having forgot something important. Brave Lance saw the mare's gargantuan eyelashes and lips, causing him to stumble and stifle a fit of laughter before Shining turned to face him. Acting as if he saw nothing, Brave Lance's disposition returned to 'guard mode' before his captain suspected a thing.
Shining Armor traveled down the dozen or so blocks with his guards flanking him on every side, as is customary for a royal escort, though hardly anypony cared to stop at his arrival. Prince Shining Armor was not an uncommon sight in Canterlot back when he was a Captain of the Canterlot Guard; he would often give every corner of the city a personal evaluation week after week just to maintain his high standard of security. Outside of the debacle with his own wedding, he held onto a pristine track record, even meriting him the Equestrian Silver Cross after his 'retirement' from Canterlot's division of the guard.
Their 'delegation' from the Crystal Empire finally arrived at the gates of the castle. The two guardsponies flanking the gate crossed their pikes, preventing their entrance onto the castle grounds. The guard on the left sounded off first.
"Halt! What is your business at the castle today?"
Shining Armor looked over to his left at the guard. "We are here representing the delegation from the Crystal Empire for the civil rights conference. Princess Celestia sent us this special summons one month ago."
Shining handed the summons to the guard, who motioned over to his companion to allow them into the castle.
The left guard nodded to Shining Armor. "Enjoy your time here in Canterlot, Your Highness."
Shining and his guards strode onto the castle lawn, making their way to the main hall leading up to the throne room. The guards standing at the double doors kept the five of them from entering until the current appointment reached its conclusion. Shining Armor watched as the left door opened, with Fancy Pants and another suit leaving the chambers with a suitcase of documents.
Once they were permitted entry, the stallions approached the throne, bowing together just a few feet away from the first step. Princess Celestia gave a gentle smile, climbing off her perch and stepping down to where her 'former' guards lay prostrate.
"Please, rise my humble guards. You know you are here as my personal guests, after all."
After they rose from the ground, Celestia gave each of them a quick examination before continuing.
"I'm thrilled to have you all here, but I need to make certain of something first. Granite Bulwark, if you would escort the nobles out, all obligations have been met for today. If you please..."
A stallion guard at her right saluted, leading the court nobles out of the throne room before shutting the doors.
Celestia turned back to the group, feigning a look of disgust. "Shining Armor, I am so disappointed in you."
Shining gagged a bit before coughing furiously in embarrassment. "I am so sorry, Your Highness, I was thinking about it the whole ride, and I feel awful-"
"I can't believe you are actually getting the band back together, and you didn't even send me a VIP pass to the concert! Honestly, I've been your fan since you had acne !"
"...come again, Celestia?" Shining Armor was expressionless, unsure if the Princess was genuinely disappointed, or just kidding around.
"You are going to invite Luna and myself to the concert, are you not? It would be a shame to miss the big reveal."
Flash Sentry and Signal Flare quickly nodded to each other, dragging Shining to the side.
"What is it, guys?"
"Look..." Flash motioned to Celestia, then whispered into Shining's ear. "Having Princess Celestia there to see Cadence's reaction would be great, but we still have to figure out how to lay low while we are here in Canterlot. Tell her she can go, but let's stay focused, okay?"
"That's why you are my lieutenant, Flash." Shining nodded, turning his attention back to the Princess.
"Your Highness, we would be honored if you attended, but first we must make certain that-"
"WOO HOO! S.A.R.G. IS BACK! COME ON, MY LITTLE PONIES! DANCE! SHAKE THOSE PLOTS!"
Celestia began to scream out lyrics from one of their songs, skipping around the room to each guard on post. Whenever she approached one of the guards, he looked unsure whether he should abandon all restraints and dance with their monarch, or remain at attention. Celestia didn't seem to care, so when one of the guards stood stiff, she picked them up with her magic, and brought them close enough for her to 'shake her moneymaker'.
♪ Well, I'm trotting up to your riiight, gettin' funky when I get near you, keep it going when it gets hyyype, whole party's startin' to rock harder- ♪
As she made her way around the throne room, the band just sat there, mouths hanging open, faces panning the room and following her every move. Shining Armor shook off the initial shock and called out to Princess Celestia.
"Your Highness." Celestia boogied up and down in front of the door guards.
"Your Highness." The epitome of grace and majesty continued to tear up the dance floor.
"CELESTIA, I HAVE APPLE PIE, STOP DANCING!" The alabaster incarnation of Soul Train ceased her funk parade in the halls and calmly approached Shining Armor.
Celestia's face glowed a lovely red orchard. "I apologize for ignoring you, Shining Armor. I was just...caught up in the moment."
Shining breathed a deep sigh. "Celestia, I thought we agreed to have some discretion about the purpose of us being here. Now these guards won't shut up about the fact that the prince and his royal guard friends had a boy band that made their Princess 'cut the rug' in their faces."
The Princess turned to face the steel-faced guards she antagonized with her righteous dance moves. "Any word of these events leaves this room, your pink slips will be personally delivered by Discord himself. Understood?"
She could hear audible gulps around the silent chamber, signaling that the message had been received. Echoing the threat of summoning Chaos Incarnate didn't seem to phase Celestia one bit.
Celestia giggled happily. "There. Anything else, gentlecolts? The studio will be ready for you all to practice this evening. Supersonic emphasized this morning his excitement in having you all flex your vocal chords for him one more time."
Signal Flare coughed, receiving the attention of his sovereign.
"Your Highness, how are we supposed to remain incognito while we are here in Canterlot?"
The Princess turned her head back to her throne, levitating a massive brown bag from behind the chair and laying it in front of the stallions. They peered inside, and jerked their heads back, looking up at the Princess. Shining Armor couldn't believe what he saw.
"You aren't serious, are you, Celestia?"
She gave the Prince a mischievous smirk. "The press is expecting S.A.R.G. at their photo shoot this afternoon. You should probably make your way there now before you are late."
Disclosed Location
P reparations for the anniversary festival of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza were well under way by the time Shining Armor left yesterday. Cadence was cantering from her bed chambers to the dining hall when she was approached by one of her servants, clutching a newspaper in her mouth.
"Yer Highneth, yer paypaw ith here."
Cadence gave her kindly servant a warm smile. "Thank you, Beryl Bond, I really appreciate it."
Sitting down at the farthest end of the table, Cadence was promptly served several plates of food: an Appleloosan egg and cheese omelet, crystal hash browns from potatoes grown locally, a bowl of assorted beans and nuts, and an assortment of fruit and vegetable dishes made with imported Equestrian produce. The Crystal Empire was still recovering economically from their one thousand year dormancy, so it became necessary to rely on resources from outside to support its population. Which did not perturb Cadence one bit as she thoroughly enjoyed her meal with a glass of Sweet Apple juice and the morning paper.
"Hmm...'Fancy Pants Begins Plans for New Castle Wing' , let's see. Okay, 'First Scheduled Lunar Eclipse in 1,001 Years, Luna Announces Using "The Voice"' , 'S.A.R.G. Announces Reunion Concert' , 'Filthy Rich Sells Former Small Business Property to Toxic Waste Facility , 'New Cure for' -bah, WHAT?!"
Cadence frantically flipped through the paper, desperate to confirm what she couldn't believe she had read. Mornings were typically uneventful; the Princess skims through the newspaper, finding nothing of note to read except for the occasional blurb on her sister-in-law, Princess Twilight Sparkle. After rifling through the bent-out-of-shape paper, she found it. The article to end all newspaper articles.
"I was right! I can't believe this, AAAH! They're really coming back?! NO WAY!"
Cadence threw her paper into the air, scattering the pages all over the dining hall floor. She sprinted around the table and leapt into the air, gliding and performing numerous flips and rolls; the excitement of what she had just read overwhelmed her heart. Cooks in the kitchen glanced over to their Princess, echoing their mutual excitement through grins and laughter as they continued their work. Eventually, Cadence touched down, picking up the scattered newspaper and re-reading the article to herself.
Equestrian Star, Day 301, A.N. 1003
Page 3
Boy Band-Era Popstars Return, 'S.A.R.G.' Announces Reunion Concert
Not since the years shortly before the return of Princess Luna has S.A.R.G. performed live in front of any audience. The famous boy band from Canterlot last performed in their hometown back in the year 995, where they thrilled the crowd with a torrent of their signature 'dirty' pop steps and struts. Princess Celestia herself was pleased enough with their performance at the Summer Sun Celebration 8 years prior, that she is now personally sponsoring their return. The event will take place this Saturday evening at an undisclosed location.
Later this week, the Princess stated, the location of the venue for the concert would be announced. Her Royal Highness suggested, however, that anyone seeking to purchase tickets to the event should also prepare to travel 'pretty far' in order to attend. More details are forthcoming, as...
Cadence allowed a satisfied sigh escape her lungs, before jerking her body upward and frantically looking every which way.
"Wait a second, that's the same evening of our anniversary festival! Awww, that means...I can't go see them again! That's such a shame, I really really really love those guys..."
She began to crawl her way out of the dining hall with her head hanging down in defeat, when suddenly, an idea. A plan to make her dream come true.
"Hold on. Beryl!"
The crystal servant galloped into the hall. "Yes, Your Highness?"
"Tell my advisors to watch the empire and that I'll be gone overnight. Get my train car ready, 'cause I have a boy band to ambush!"
The photo shoot the night prior lasted well over three hours, with the guards trying several combinations of masks and outfits. Fortunate for Shining Armor, anonymity was preserved; Princess Celestia enchanted them with a spell that allowed them to remain incognito for the duration of their trip.
Brave Lance was the most vocal complainer, having to wear a jet black bodysuit and a white mask shaped like a lightning bolt. His mane was the only 'normal' part of his ensemble, straightened out and dyed yellow to clash with the black suit. His other band mates had their own goofy style, Shining Armor's being the goofiest; last night, he sported a purple mohawk, a cream-colored bodysuit and a navy blue crescent moon mask.
After the exhausting experience of posing in their awkward, hoof-picked attire for the media yesterday, they returned to the studio's changing room. Power Sword snatched the bodysuit he left behind, and tossed it into a waste basket across the room.
Signal Flare pouted at his companion. "Sword, now that was mean! I demand that you apologize to that hideous excuse of a suit this instant."
Power Sword just scoffed. "Listen, I don't understand why we had to wear those ridiculous outfits. Is that what passes for fashion in music today? Never again ."
Signal jabbed a hoof into one of the outfits next to him. "Hey, can't be worse than these dragon costumes for the Neighponese New Year coming up next month. Those were humid as Tartarus inside!"
Shining Armor allowed his guards to carry on their grumbling as he sat on the balcony, looking out into Canterlot's bustling midtown plaza. He looked down at his hooves, seeing his own coloration, but to the outside world...
I look like the masked lead singer of S.A.R.G. again. I'm so sorry, Cadence, but I promise this will all be worth it.
Grinning, he stepped back inside to calm down his friends.
"Hey guys, can I say something real quick?"
"THEY WANTED ME TO WEAR THAT, CAN YOU-um, what's up, Shining?" Flash Sentry perked up mid-sentence at his Captain.
"I just wanted to thank you guys for putting up with all of this for me. I really app-"
Flash waved his hooves rapidly in front of Shining Armor. "Whoa whoa whoa there, Shining! Who ever said we were doing this for you, dude?"
"Yeah!" Signal Flare trotted up to Shining, giving him a poke in the ribs. "We aren't doing this for you, this is for the Princess! Besides, you're just not my type. Our passion and love is for her and her alone!"
Shining was taken aback at Signal's declaration. "Say what?! Love ? Are you seriously trying to make a play for my wife?!"
Signal continued. "Why else do you think I bother being in a boy band like-OW!" Brave Lance jabbed Signal on the side.
"He's just gettin' your goat, Shining! Um..." Lance turned to their tailor, who was taking more measurements of Power Sword. "No offense."
The goat just shrugged. "None taken."
Shining Armor laughed off the whole exchange while Flash continued. "Shining, we're more than happy to surprise her, but you need to come out with the truth at some point this week. Do you want the wrath of both a Princess AND a Wife to rain down on you? Huh?!"
Shining stopped laughing. "I know more than anypony that I don't want her angry with me. I didn't forget the day we got the bid for the Equestrian Games. When she figured out the wrong filly had been escorted around the city, she threw me off the balcony! The nerve..."
Considering new words of advisement, Shining sat on his haunches and pondered a solution to this covert operation. In the middle of his thoughts, however, the door behind them opened, revealing Princess Celestia accompanied by Supersonic, their vocal coach.
"Good morning, sirs, I trust the photo shoot went well?"
Shining was the first to speak. "It was not pleasant, but we got it done."
Celestia looked perplexed. "You didn't enjoy what Supersonic put together?"
"Not a bit, Your Highness! It was awf-huaah muff hurr-" Power Sword tried to speak, but Brave Lance covered his mouth with his hooves.
Lance spoke for Sword. "Posing for three hours was exhausting, but mission accomplished. Now we can get to singing."
Celestia hummed with contentedness. "Fantastic. That's exactly why I am here with Supersonic. We just received word that a few event planners are arriving by train to observe tonight's recording session."
Shining shot a stare at Celestia. "Who are these event planners? I thought we made it clear this was a one time thing! We haven't even announced the venue yet!"
Supersonic finally chimed into the talk with his Trottingham accent. "Well, Mr. Armor, I'm afraid you can't just expect people to ignore the reunion of a once-popular pop band like yourselves, now, can you? We had to appease their curiousity; it has been eight years, hasn't it?"
Shining Armor looked down at a fascinating strand of carpet poking out of the floor. "I suppose it can't hurt, as long as our identities are preserved. Who exactly are these event planners?"
"Ponies from all across Equestria, Your Highness. They want a taste of what made you all great, since most of them never witnessed a live S.A.R.G. concert before."
A soft rumble began to erupt outside from the plaza below, vibrating on the balcony doors. Lance stepped out to see what the commotion was before jerking his head from over the edge of the railing. Brave Lance sprinted back inside, pointing to the balcony.
"You need to see this! Everypony, come on!"
The whole gang walked to the edge of the balcony and was greeted by a roar of screams from the crowd below. A good six hundred screaming ponies filled their corner of the plaza, most of them holding up albums and posters from back in the day. Shining reluctantly gave a smile and waved to the crowd, causing a wave of cheers to erupt. The others followed suit, embracing within themselves the feelings that adoration and fame conjured up from times past.
All except Flash Sentry, who turned to his Captain with a look of concern. With so many ponies surrounding the building, only one thing was on his mind.
"Shining, just one question. What's for lunch?"
Cool breezes and Luna's cloudless night sky; they accented what could be described as a tense evening for Princess Cadence. She wasn't sure if she should feel excited or nervous; if Shining Armor knew she left the Empire unattended, he would be furious. Her aunt's civil right conference was another checkmark on the list of noble causes her Prince has lent a hoof in since she met him many years ago.
What a fortunate mare I am to have such a gentlecolt as a husband...
Maybe I should visit him at the castle-
**NO . Cadence, he can't know you stopped by overnight, that would be unthinkable. I can't believe I'm breaking his trust like this, but...maybe I can surprise him with an anniversary he'll never forget!
"What's wrong, Your Highness? You look deep in thought." Beryl Bond tagged along with the Princess to make certain she didn't stray too far from her objective.
"No, Beryl, not too deep. I just, I don't want-I..."
Beryl laid a hoof on her shoulder. "It's okay. We will return as soon as possible. The empire can manage itself without you being there. Besides, the Crystal Heart has enough love power to last many months."
Cadence rested her head on Beryl's hoof, accepting the comfort she gave. "Thank you, Beryl, you are too kind to me. I just want our anniversary to be spectacular. As a bonus, my subjects could use a night of unexpected fun. It'll be the Crystal Empire's first modern concert, and first concert in over one thousand years!"
Patches of light shone across the streets of downtown Canterlot, lanterns slowly lighting as Luna's moon rise glowed in the horizon. The pair made their way to a plaza on the north end of the financial district, where S.A.R.G. had been assaulted by throngs of ponies earlier in the day. Cadence had earlier tuned into a broadcast on the radio while in her royal train car, where it described the location of the ambush by fans.
Beryl opened the door for Princess Cadence, walking into the office building described in the radio broadcast. One more sat behind a massive desk, appearing to be completing some bookkeeping for the various companies represented here.
Cadence approached the mare sitting at the desk. "Excuse me ma'am, we are looking for Golden Hoof Records, we would like to meet with S.A.R.G."
Without looking up from her work, the mare responded. "Unless you have an appointment scheduled, all managers and representatives of clients at the record company have asked me to refuse entry for anypony trying to-"
She finally looked up, her expression changing from uninterested monotony to sheer surprise. "Princess CADENCE ! This is so...what are you doing here of all places?!"
Cadence simply smiled. "Oh, we are here to see the band that's practicing here, that's all. There is a venue we hope they might be interested in trying out soon."
"Well, let's see-oh, are you with those observers from earlier, the event planners perchance?"
"Oh, well actually-" Cadence. This is it. Take this. "Well, yes! We are, we want to observe the band. Yes."
The mare grinned and stepped out of her booth. "Right this way, Your Highness."
Cadence and Beryl Bond stood in the elevator as the secretary punched in a security code, lighting up the 'Floor 7' button. After a firm push of the button, the trio ascended the skyscraper until they reached the seventh floor. Exiting the elevator, they walked down an empty corridor with doors lining only one side. At the far end were two doors; the left one read "Recording Booth" and the right one read "Private".
The secretary motioned the duo into the recording booth, where they were met with several ponies jumping out of their seats. All the event planners fell prostrate before Cadence.
"Please rise, gentlecolts, mares. I'm here doing the same thing you all are doing."
One of the stallions walked over from the panel of gauges and switches to greet the Crystal Princess.
"Your Highness, I can't believe you are here! What brings you our recording studio? Oh, of course, S.A.R.G.! You are just in time to hear them practice one of their songs. One moment, I'll be right back."
As the stallion charged into the other room, Cadence just stood there, a hoof extended in front of her, left unshook.
Good to meet you, too? What a weird pony...
The group just finished dressing into more casual attire for their vocal training, not needing elaborate dress to impress the planners. No, this was purely an exercise in harmony and rhythm, funk and groove, and in memory. Going through the setlist for the practice together, Signal confirmed for everyone their preparedness; this practice would be simple.
"Guys." Signal gathered everyone in a circle in the middle of the room.
Lance muttered quietly. "What is it, Signal?"
"We are ready for this. Let's do our best. For Her Highness."
Power Sword and Flash Sentry nodded in agreement. Shining Armor was about to speak when the door leading to their part of the studio opened up. Supersonic rushed inside and shut the door behind him, a look of panic on his face.
Shining rushed to his side, immediate concern etched on his face. "Supersonic, what happened? What's wrong?"
Supersonic struggled to find the words. "Cuh-cuh-cuh...she's...observing! She's 'here' !" Sonic began pointing to the door behind him.
"Who is here, Sonic? Who?!"
"...your wife ."
The entire dressing room fell silent, and if they had the ability to hear thoughts, a million of them were now zipping down neural pathways in everypony's brain.
Abort. Abort. Abort. .
Coincidences
H e scanned the article at a frantic pace, each word dropping from his throat to his stomach like a brick. This time, the Princess went too far in her excitement of seeing Shining's band reunite for an encore performance. Now the entire city, neigh
In Shining's panicked frenzy, he disregarded Supersonic's attempts to calm the reeling Prince; he tried pinning him to the floor, telling stale, worn-out jokes, even going as far as offering a neck massage.
Shining Armor was beside himself with worry, throwing his hooves up into the air.
"I didn't want this kind of attention, and now my wife is here about to spoil the big surprise! We need to get her out of here, Sonic!"
Supersonic took Shining's face between his hooves, staring right into his eyes. "Shining, calm down! She can't tell you are her husband from your singing voice, isn't that right?"
Shining was too flustered to agree with anypony. "She has intimate knowledge of- oh crap, MY CHIN, SONIC! What if she can see my chin? She'll point at it, then at me, and say 'That's Shiny, I know that chin anywhere! It can land a plane! He lied to everypony and I don't want a liar for a HUSBAND!' It'll be disastrous, I-"
Signal smacked Shining to the ground with great force, eliciting a pained grunt from the hysterical prince. Shining pushed himself up from the ground, shocked out of his hysteria.
"Signal, does every attempt to calm me down involve inflicting pain?"
Shining began to rub the back of his head where Signal landed the blow.
Signal Flare simply laughed it off. "Whatever, 'Captain'. You used to always smack us whenever we got out of line. Don't tell me you can't take the medicine you dish out?"
Shining shut his eyes and gave a slight grin. "I guess you're right. I haven't been treated like a genuine 'friend' in a long time. It can't be helped, I suppose. My wife is expecting Sarge to be back in action, so we're going to give her a good preview of what's to come!"
Very much shaken up by Supersonic's revelation of the Crystal Princess' presence, Brave Lance sat glued to one of the benches, unwilling to move. Power Sword approached his shocked companion, glaring down at him.
"You get off that bench and sing, or I'll make you sing!"
Lance remained stuck to his seat and shouted. "How can you make me sing? You don't control my voice! I don't have to blow my cover for anypony!"
Sword grinned mischievously at Lance. "We could always use that spell to 'wire tap' your vocal chords again..."
Lance finally shot up out of his seat, when he was immediately seized by two of his band mates. Flash Sentry wrapped one of his forelegs around Lance's mouth, restraining the struggling stallion.
"Yo, Lancelot, we can make you sweet talk those mares we met at the Trotsky's downtown last summer. Didn't you enjoy that?"
Flash let a partial reply escape his grip before returning to restraining his officer.
"Mfffhmmm! Muhffmffh-made me call her a 'fine piece of tail', you jack-shummfff-"
Shining cantered up to his raucous friends, giving a silent inquiry as to why Lance was being handled so roughly. Everypony released Lance before reintroducing a calmer atmosphere.
"Guys, I know this seems bad, but as long as Cadence can't tell we are...who we are, we should be okay. Let's get in there, what do you say?"
The concentration of event planners and journalists were conversing with each other in anticipation of the impending studio session about to take place. A beat writer for the Equestrian Star shot ocular daggers at the Canterlot Chronicle editor, having a blitz about the viability of repeated success after a band's extended absence from performing live. The event planners seemed to be more reserved, calmly regarding each other with subdued optimism, though they could not hide the glint in their eyes from Princess Cadence.
She was there for the same reason as the other planners, after all.
I have to figure out a way to get Sarge to extend their tour into the Crystal Empire. My Shining Armor always took me to see them, but never enjoyed one * with** me. If I could somehow get the band to play, Shiny would absolutely love his gift!*
A voice shouted from the door leading into the recording booth. "Sarge is on the way! Get ready, everypony! "
Cadence watched as each of them marched into the room. Her face erupted, steaming red from the sight of the five stallions whose music consumed her teenage and early adult years.
She started muttering under her breath. "...oh my gosh, look at those hunks . When did they get those bodies? Oh, Shiny forgive me for this, but...those meat trucks could be beefier than the Royal Guard!"
Sarge marched into the studio wearing their signature masks and their suit-less white tuxedo shirts. Every stallion in the band seem to pour out a brilliant glow as they stood in front of the five microphones hanging from the ceiling. Cadence, oblivious to the vocal coach motioning to her, gave each stallion an opportunity to be examined thoroughly, as if trying to verify if they truly were the real deal. Physicality aside, their looks were far more mature and refined in contrast to nearly a decade ago.
Back in her Academy days, the Princess had erected a shrine for them in her locker; it came complete with concert photos, hoofprints from the band on that full-length poster of the lead singer. She knew just about all there was to know about the mysterious quintet by heart, though nopony could ever figure out the identity of these Canterlot teen heartthrobs. She remembered the time one of her closest friends, Minuette, body slammed the young alicorn to the ground in the middle of lunch hour, rambling on about how she figured out the identity of the singers. As it turned out, there was a very strong rumor that all five colts were either current or former academy students themselves!
The investigation had lasted for the rest of the semester, but the duo could never pin down any reasonable suspects. Most teenage boys at the Academy were fairly lanky and unassuming, very much like the quintet of Sarge; they, however, possessed a unique charm that other colts in the school already had difficulty matching. Minuette would mope every single time a name was crossed off the list of potentials.
Pushing aside past memories, Cadence jerked her head towards Supersonic, who looked relieved seeing the Princess acknowledge his frantic leg spasms that sought her attention. He turned his attention to the booth after giving the band some last minute words.
"Distinguished guests, it is a pleasure to have you here to get a taste of what made this particular group so successful. Even after eight years and many life experiences, these stallions still have it. We'll start off the session with a song I believe the young Princess will remember."
Giving Princess Cadence a sly wink, Supersonic returned to the recording booth and positioned his headset firmly around his ears. He expertly positioned about a dozen of the switches on the soundboard mixer forward until a slight hum vibrated inside the booth.
Seeing Supersonic give Shining Armor and the band a couple nods, the prince turned to his band mates to inquire about song choices.
"So what's our setlist? We have about three songs to try on her. Which ones?"
Power Sword waved a hoof, getting Shining's attention. "We should maybe do one song she knows, and throw in a couple that won't be used during the concert."
Brave Lance, Flash Sentry and Signal Flare all gave Power Sword nods before turning to Shining, who confirmed their unspoken consensus with a nod of his own.
Shining Armor leaned closer, giving his band mates a half-lidded glare. "...and don't forget to change your normal speaking voice, we don't want to give ourselves away before the big show. Got it?"
Hums of agreement resounded from every stallion as Shining turned his attention to the booth. His gaze drifted from Supersonic to the other journalists and planners, then to his wife. He locked onto her stare for a few seconds, seeing her squirm in her seat and turn her face away. Satisfied with the burning flash on her cheeks, he announced the first song with a deeper, raspier voice.
"We will be singing a favorite of ours, 'Lead Me to Trot'. Enjoy..."
The group adjusted themselves to a comfortable position in front of their microphones as the music began to play. This particular song tossed in a melodic mix of brass synths, snaps, and low-pitch drums, followed by a series of catchy, repetitious notes from an acoustic guitar. The proper moment arrived as four of them, sans Shining, began to sing together.
♪ What makes you different, its how you call my name. ♪
♪ What makes you different, nopony's quite the same. ♪
♪ What makes you different, to you life is no game. ♪
♪ Your heart leads meee to love! ♪
[Shining Armor]
♫ Why can't you see, that you don't need, to treat yourself like the ooothers? ♫
♫ Why can't you see, the way you move, it pleeeads me to stop? ♫
♫ I turn around, look all around, there is no mare but you.. ♫
♪ Your heart leads me to love, it leads meeee...to trot! ♪
The five of them began to bob up and down and perform a few simple steps in place, getting their bodies in rhythm with the music. Sneaking a glance over to the booth, Shining could see various nods of approval from the attendees, but most importantly, Cadence was grinning ear to ear. Her head was swaying side to side, fully enraptured by the beat of the music and the mature vocals of the grown stallions.
His four band mates continued together in the song.
♪ What makes you beautiful, not the clothes or the hair. ♪
♪ What makes you beautiful, you simply cannot compare. ♪
♪ What makes you beautiful, is the way that you care. ♪
♪ Your heart leads meee to love! ♪
[Shining Armor]
♫ Why can't you feel, the way I do, when your friends are 'round? ♫
♫ Why can't you feel, the way you do, when I'm reachin' out? ♫
♫ Why can't we feel, the way we do, every minute, every hour? ♫
♪ Your heart leads meee... ♪
[Everyone]
♫ Your laughter is joooy! ♫
♫ Your smile is peace! ♫
♫ Your comfort is strength! ♫
♫ Your words are my life, that I cannot deny! ♫
The final verse, Shining Armor shot his gaze at Princess Cadence, pouring his soul into the words with fullest effect.
[Shining Armor]
♫ You are my joooy! ♫
♫ You are my peaaace! ♫
♫ You are my streeength! ♫
♪ You are my liiife, and you lead meee! Yes, you lead meee...to trot! ♪
The quintet broke off from their microphones and performed a final routine in the closing notes of the song before the beat waned, fading into the silent void as a signal of the song's conclusion. The booth broke out into applause, which Shining and the others barely heard through their coach's headset microphone. Cadence was on her hooves, with one hoof on her lips making a whistle that could be distinguished in the microphone feed from Supersonic.
Success. She loves us still! That's good, this is going better than I thought possible!
Sarge had just concluded the final of their three songs, much to the disappointment of the viewing party in the booth. Everypony was buzzing with words of affirmation; even Cadence felt more thrilled than she had ever been, even more than the last time Sarge performed live together. As the band took their bows and retreated into the other room, the princess remained in her seat processing tonight's exhibition.
Those colts aren't colts anymore. Something's changed in them, that's for sure. Their voices were...
She could feel genuine, unquestionable adoration pouring from their souls, as if somepony was there drawing the love straight from their hearts. Cadence perceived that at least one of those stallions in the band saw her as more than just a face to impress, but maybe a mare to win . Unfortunately for that poor soul, her heart was bonded to her Shining Armor; no force in the universe was capable of shaking that foundation.
But they seem all too familiar...when I looked into their eyes, I saw friends, not strangers. Maybe Minuette was on to something back then! That's it. I need to ask them myself, maybe they'll give their 'Princess' the inside scoop!
Cadence marched out of the now-empty room into the quiet corridor, and gave a firm knock on the private room door.
"Guys, that was amazing! After all this time, our harmony was spot on!"
Signal Flare was cantering joyfully around the changing room as the others stripped from their tuxedo attire.
Flash Sentry came up to Shining, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Did you see her, Shining?"
Shining Armor, belly to the sky lounging on the couch, just sighed. "She was really shiny...hmmm, yes..."
"Your name, stupid! Your name is Shining." Flash jabbed a hoof into Shining's side, though his captain remained unmoved by the sudden gesture.
KNOCK KNOCK
Everypony but Shining turned towards the door, with Lance stepping forward to peek outside. A feminine voice squeaked from the corridor.
"OhmygoshhaicanIpleasehaveaword-AHEM. Sorry, I- " A curt slam of the door sent a jolt across the room, with Lance turning swiftly. His face oozed panic and fear.
"Princess. Cadenza. Mi Amore. Outside. WHAT DO." Lance passed out, alarming Power Sword and Signal Flare to carry him to a sofa adjacent to Shining's.
Upon hearing his wife's full name, Shining leapt from the couch and approached the door, stopping short of opening it. He could hear quiet sobs from beyond the breach. The Prince's heart knotted and twisted as he cracked open the door.
Deeper voice, play it cool. You are in the band. She digs ya, bro. Just...be cool about it.
His voice cracked as he questioned the mare at the door. "Princess? Your Huh-Highness?"
The pink mass lying on the floor turned quickly to face the disguised Shining Armor. The flow of time seemed to abruptly stop as Cadence's appearance changed from one of complete defeat, to the purest form of happiness imaginable. Her tear-filled smile caused Shining's stance to falter slightly, almost forgetting that he was looking at her not as himself, but as the lead singer of his wife's most adored teenage icons.
Shining opened the door, stepping completely out of the room, and coughed into one of his hooves before offering another one. Cadence gradually presented a hoof of her own as Shining brought her back onto her hooves.
"I apologize for my friend. When he saw you, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza herself, it was difficult for him to keep his composure. We know you are a huge fan of ours, so actually meeting you is...well..."
Cadence wiped away at dried tears on her face, laughing to herself. "It's fine. I'm just on an emotional roller coaster today. My assistant, Beryl, was the only thing keeping me sane before coming here..."
Then she returned to full fangirl mode. "Ohmyaunt, you all. Were. AMAZING. You really haven't been together for eight years, have you? And you sing that well? Tell me how you did it? Magic? Night clubs? Coffee shops? Practicing in the shower? The Academy?"
Shining closed his eyes and grinned. Then he processed the subtle hint at the end.
"Actually, we've literally done zero singing together the past-wait, did you say the Academy ?"
"Come on, Shi-" Power Sword clasped his hoof to his mouth, drawing an eyebrow raise from the Princess. "I mean, come on, shoot the breeze another time, dude! Time to catch some z's-WHOA!"
Shining shoved Power into the sofa before turning back to the Princess. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but we really should turn in for the night. Give our agent a ring tomorrow."
He leaned in closer to her ear as she sat perfectly still. "We may even give you a private concert sometime. How's that sound?"
Pulling away from her ear, he witnessed very nervous alicorn shifting her gaze every which way, avoiding direct eye contact with Shining. Cadence stammered something incoherent, making out the words 'think about it' and 'sorry'.
Go for the kill . "I can tell we haven't lost our touch , have we? Good night, Mi Amore ."
She began to pace backwards towards the elevator, then bolted with a fit of giggles.
Shining sighed, a look of jealousy on his face as he glanced at the mirror. Why does she turn to pudding in YOUR arms so easily, 'Boy Band Me'?
Beryl Bond was lounging outside of the Crystal Empire's executive train car when Cadence arrived, returning from what was quite possibly the most nerve-wracking experience of her young life. Her teen idol stood face-to-face, offering a helping hoof, making casual conversation, and suggesting the possibility of a private concert.
And she spoke a language only certain species of whale could understand.
I'm a Princess of Equestria. I'm supposed to be dignified and graceful. And I sounded like a cross between a mating whale and an eagle hatchling! Why didn't you just ask if they were your classmates, Cady? Ugh...
"Your Highness?" Beryl met Princess Cadence halfway between the gates to the central station and the train car.
Cadence gasped. There were about a dozen earth ponies and unicorns examining her train car behind Beryl.
"Beryl, what is going on here?"
Beryl dipped her head and poked at the dirt below. "Your Highness, the engine won't fire up. We can't get back to the empire tonight as planned."
Muscles up and down Cadence's backside tensed. Avoiding Shining Armor's detection in the city would be quite the task if word got out that she was stranded in Canterlot.
Beryl's face perked up. "Hey! What if you stayed at the castle overnight while they repair the train car?"
Cadence stomped her hoof. "NO. If I stay at the castle, then Shining will know I left my post in the Empire. I can't let him worry during the conference. I don't want to spoil his opportunity to sacrifice his time for such a noble undertaking. He could do some real good in this world..."
Beryl returned to poking at the ground.
"Beryl, you are hesitating. Did you have something else to say?"
Beryl slowly brought her eyes up to the Princess before replying. "What about Sarge, Your Highness?"
Cadence shook her head. "I can't stay with them , plus, I think I stressed them out enough today. The tabloids would be in a frenzy. "Princess Has Affair with Teen Idol Singers, Prince Calls for Divorce". No, there has to be somewhere I can crash, a place of refuge that I can trust..."
The air became tense with the silent firing of neurons in the brains of both mares.
Then, jackpot .
"What about the Sparkles, Your Highness?"
Cadence breathed a sigh of relief. "Brilliant, Beryl! If anypony will cover up my selfish pursuit of a boy band, who better to trust than the in-laws! That's why I keep you around, my dear."
The Princess took off without another word in the direction of suburban Canterlot, leaving a very lonesome crystal pony overseeing the train repairs.
Getting the Band Back Together
Getting the Band Back Together
The evening moon was long past risen, shining the reflected sunlight into any open windows in the castle. Wisps of shadows shot across the corridors in a hurried gallop, four guards in number, all from different parts of the castle. Any guards that noticed them gave no chase, as it was not uncommon for their superiors to be roaming the castle grounds this late.
Unlike other nights, however, this was an unusual time for Prince Shining Armor to order an emergency meeting. What made this meeting even stranger were the guardsponies selected to attend, though they had no way of knowing who would be in the room. The sound of hoofsteps galloping down the corridor to the captain's quarters heightened the lieutenant's nerves. He waited as he could count three other silhouettes entering the pitch-black room, following close behind them and entering himself.
The clapping hooves on the floor ceased, the creaking of chairs signaling to the lieutenant that everypony was seated that needed to be here. As he stepped forward and shut the door behind him, his hooves made soft echoes across the floor, alerting the others in the room that somepony was walking among them. His voice then spoke into the darkness.
"Anypony know why the Prince summoned us here?" A sudden chorus of gasps escaped the mouths of the other guards. Their fright quickly turned into relief, as they registered his familiar voice.
"Don't scare us like that, Lieutenant Sentry! And turn the dang lights on, you've been here before!"
Flash Sentry walked over to the lamp standing adjacent to the captain's desk, pulling down the switch and illuminating the room. This office became very familiar to Flash when he was assigned to the Crystal Guard; tall mahogany bookshelves lined every wall of Shining Armor's private study, with nothing else to match it but the desk, lamp, quill and inkwell. A single table anchored to the middle of the room where Shining would sit with foreign dignitaries or officers to discuss policy.
Sitting at the far end of the table, however, were three ponies he had not expected to see gathered in one place.
Shining Armor's second lieutenant, Signal Flare, was originally an evening guard for Princess Luna's Night Court before being relocated to the Crystal Empire. His gray coat and brown mane glistened with sweat, along with his crescent moon and red firework flare cutie mark. He had received it by helping his guard signal for help when Changelings had nearly infiltrated the Lunar Tower where Princess Luna rested.
Signal Flare's subordinate, Brave Lance, wore his white coat and maroon mane well, accompanied by a cutie mark with a golden lance sitting atop a bronze crest similar to Shining Armor's shield. Flash Sentry's subordinate, Power Sword, presented a beige coat and a green mane with a stripe down the middle that shone like emeralds; his cutie mark was a mythril sword penetrating a rock that had split in two.
Flash Sentry gave a light chuckle to Power Sword. "Come on, 'King Arthurmane', when we are off-duty, call me Flash. Like you used to, remember?"
That's when it had occurred to Flash Sentry: this specific collection of ponies were all his closest companions in his days at the academy. Back then, during their academy days, they had a very different understanding of one another. They were neither inferior nor superior to one another; they were simply friends. Friends who used to be in one of the hottest boy bands in the universe !
But that was almost eight years ago, back when they were cadets in the academy. Their singing 'careers' began before they enrolled to become royal guards, and they were certainly hard-pressed to keep it a secret. However, once they submitted their applications to join the Guard Corps., their names were sure to become known all over Equestria. The masks they wore would, quite literally, be removed, as that was how they maintained anonymity on-stage.
Fortunately, Princess Celestia, knowing the kind of success they were having as a band (and being a closet fan herself, as it turns out), afforded them specific times in the year to continue their concerts, as long as it didn't interfere with their duties as junior guards. Eventually, they all had to make a choice to end all of their tours and take a full-time position in the Corps. Since then, 'S.A.R.G.' has not performed at a single venue. While the days of adoring, screaming fans were long behind them, they still managed to stick together through it all.
But why would Shining Armor specifically call the four of us down here?
Signal Flare voiced the same concern that Flash just thought. "Hey, Flash, you notice who is here, right?"
"Yes, I do. Lance, do you?"
Lance shrugged his shoulders, not giving any more deep thought to the coincidence. "Maybe the Prince needs some bro time for once? It is his first anniversary coming up, maybe he needs to unwind after all of his party planning for the Princess."
Flash Sentry was left unsatisfied with their responses as they heard the office door swing open. The Prince had arrived. All of the guards fell prostrate before their Prince-friend as a sarcastic chortle escaped Shining Armor's lips.
"Ha ha ha. 'Oh look, it's the Prince, let's bow before his royal royalness !' Come on guys, get up!" The guardsponies rose from their submissive bows and sat down again. "You expected this meeting to be THAT formal? Look who I called here, my best friends in the world, neigh , the universe !"
Signal Flare gave Shining Armor a look of confusion. "With you, we never know how you'll make an entrance. Remember the last time you called me in with Brave Lance? I couldn't believe-"
Shining Armor rose a hoof to his second lieutenant. "Now, it may not have been your fault, but you in charge when Sir Tourmaline tripped over Brave's weapon and fell into the mud..."
"BUT HE KEPT YELLING IN MY FACE ALL DAY!" Brave Lance shouted and released an exaggerated sigh across the room to his Captain, causing Shining Armor to deadpan his next words.
"It was hoofball. A international hoofball exhibition. You have no other duty but to maintain your composure, you know crazier things happen at those gam-wait...did you actually MEAN to trip him?"
Brave Lance was now quaking into his chair, fearfully responding. "W-w-ell, you s-s-see...OH Captain, that was three MONTHS ago! Please tell m-me that's not wuh-why we're here?"
Shining Armor and the others in the room kept quiet for a solid three seconds before bursting into tearful laughter. Power Sword kept shouting how frightened Lance's face looked, while Flash Sentry poked at his cutie mark.
"Oh, Sir Brave Lance, your name and your expression don't seem to agree. I'm sure it was very 'gallant' of you to introduce the President of the International Hoofball League to that very timid puddle!"
Shining Armor's laughter subsided after the good minute of jeering Brave Lance received. "Hahaha, okay guys, I needed that. Sorry it was at your expense, Lance."
Lance's red cheeks glowed continuously through the entire exchange. "I should be used to it by now, but that day just never goes away, does it? I hate you guys. So much. So very much ."
"We love you, too, Lancelot." Lance shot a comical glare at Flash Sentry, who look into the sky, whistling a playful tune.
Shining Armor coughed into his hoof, alerting the others seated across from him that he was ready to begin.
"Of course, I have called you four here for a very specific reason. As you all have been made aware, thanks to countless weeks of me freaking out about it, the first anniversary of my marriage with Princess Cadence is coming up this week. I want this first anniversary to be spectacular and unforgettable for her, so I am planning a huge festival for the Crystal Empire to enjoy on that day. And I need your help to make it happen."
The four friends nodded in unison, turning their attention back to their friend, who gave them a nod in confirmation.
"Good. For this event, we will need to leave the Crystal Empire tomorrow , and return the afternoon of the carnival, shortly before nightfall."
Flash Sentry and the other guards sat there with blank expressions before Flash spoke up. "We are just going to leave the Empire for an entire week, with no Prince, and no senior officers watching the castle. Have you gone insane in the membrane, Shining?"
"Nope. I have every countermeasure in place. We are going first thing tomorrow morning." Shining Armor looked pleased with himself, which didn't ease the concerns of his friends.
Signal Flare lifted a hoof, being acknowledged immediately by his Captain. "Sir...what exactly is the purpose of us leaving the Empire for a whole week? What will that accomplish in regards to the carnival? Won't Cadence be concerned that you are leaving the week of your anniversary?"
Shining Armor simply smiled. "Cadence already knows we'll be gone this entire week, but I assured her that we would return the afternoon of the carnival. I asked Princess Celestia to send a summons for us to attend an 'international civil rights conference' with major world leaders. Of course, we won't be attending such a conference ourselves, since it doesn't exist."
The four guards jaws dropped, but not long after that, it was Brave Lance's turn to speak. "Then why would Celestia agree to deceiving your wife like this?"
Power Sword seems to nod in agreement, but Shining Armor was just getting started. He casted a spell to soundproof the boardroom before leaning forward, uttering the six words he desired to say all of his life as a guard.
"We're getting the band back together ."
They all shot up out of their seats and shook up and down, wearing a mixture of giddiness and shock on their faces. Quiet hoofbumps echoed across the room as they ran up to where Shining Armor was seated, barraging him with questions.
"How will we keep it secret from Cadence? What will you tell her when we get back?"
"Does Princess Celestia or Princess Luna know what we're up to?"
"How does my face look? I'm not an old geezer, am I?"
"Brave Lance, quit whimpering! You're still in your twenties, get a hold of yourself!"
"It doesn't hurt to ask, Power Jerk !"
"Shining, how are we going to be ready in a week? We haven't performed in almost eight years!"
Shining Armor waved his hooves in front of his face. "Settle down, guys! We'll be fine! I got our old agent in Canterlot and our vocal strength coach ready to get us back into the swing of things. It'll be great!"
But the flurry of questions continued in the same frenzied manner.
"What is our setlist going to be? Oh, there are so many songs we can use?"
"Does anypony even remember we were a band? Maybe we should outsource the concert to another record label! Can we get Mane'sync to do this instead?"
"What happened to BRAVE Lance, huh?! Why would we let those futzes on-stage anyway, you know Cadence can't stand them!"
"Chamillionmare? Tom Stallion and the Heartcrushers? Mandrake? I hear there is this awesome Prance electronic duo, Daft Pony, that the treasury could easily afford!"
Shining Armor had his hooves clasped to his ear before unleashing a deafening "ENOUGH !" to his friends.
"Guys, it'll be fine! We will be ready, why are you all so scared?!"
Flash Sentry approached Shining Armor and placed a gentle hoof on his friend's shoulder. "Listen, Shining, we are really afraid that we won't be like we were eight years ago. Our voices were amazing back then, and the crowds certainly agreed; jeez, even Princess Celestia herself was a long-time fan. And Cadence...well, she loved us, but you know the real reason we decided to disband, right?"
Brave Lance had another thought in mind. "I don't know about you Flash, but I'm just afraid to get on stage, PERIOD."
Power Sword scoffed at Lance's statement. "I don't even know how you still have that name, 'Brave' Lance. What a misnomer, remember how brave you used to say you were? 'SO BRAVE !' you said."
Brave Lance continued his isolated argument with Power. Flash Sentry simply ignored them, continuing to speak to Shining Armor. "We know it was partly because our duties were increasing, but we knew you had a thing for Cadence back then...had we continued with the band, she might have held out for one of us instead of seeing how much more you loved her. We always have your back, no matter what . You got that, 'Prince Armor'?"
Shining gave his friend a tight squeeze before releasing him and addressing the others. "Thank you, though your theatrics weren't necessary...it means the world to me that you are helping me like this."
Shining Armor gave everyone a tearful smile, except Brave Lance, who received a vicious glare, startling him. Shining walked over to him and gave him a sharp noogie on the head, causing Lance to shake furiously in his Captain's grasp.
Laughing heavily, Shining released his mark and set him down on the chair again. A thought suddenly passed through the Prince's mind as he turned to his bandmates.
Soundproof room. Band's back together. Maybe we can-
"Anyone up for practice ?"