“Wow. This is pretty nice,” I said, leaning back into the sofa. “Is this the VIP section?”

“That’s right!” Gale Slash replied, hopping into the space next to me, sighing contently as she curled up like a cat. “The Princesses thought it would be better if you didn’t really have contact with anypony until you reached Ponyville, so because of that we get to ride in style!”

How professional.

Are you complaining about the privacy?

Do not put words in my mouth.

“Well, I’m happy you can enjoy yourself,” I said with a smile.

“Yeah, it'll probably be nice now that we don't have to protect those stuffy and ungrateful nobles,” she added.

“Gale Slash,” Firebrand warned.

“What? Just try and tell me they don't treat us statues when they aren't trying to order us around. Honestly, I'm kinda bummed Captain Shining Armor is headed of with Princess Cadance one of the few commanders we’ve had that treated us like walking suits of armor.”

“Princess Celestia always treats us well,” Rampart commented, barely loud enough to be heard.

“Exactly my point! Princess Celestia is thousands of times more busy than them, and even she can make the time to treat us like actual ponies. Hay, even Princess Luna treats us with respect, and she’s been trying to pull herself out of being stuck a thousand years in the past!”

“Well, I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to enjoy the quaint charm of Ponyville when you take first watch tonight,” Firebrand said, humorlessly.

“Aww, bro!” Gale Slash whined.

“Staff Sergeant,” he corrected. “We’re on duty.”

“‘Bro’?” I asked

“Yeah, we’re siblings. I'm the fun one. He’s the one with a stick up his-” A rust colored aura covered Gale Slash’s mouth and clamped it shut. The mare glared at her brother, who stared back stoically, causing her to huff and fold her forelegs.

Well, this is certainly a healthy sibling relationship.

I think we should both know that even siblings who generally get along frequently act like this.

“So, where’s the rest of the group?” I asked, hoping to clear the air.

“The room next to us,” Rampart answered. “Even the VIP rooms aren't big enough to seat more than eight.”

Or maybe they wanted to make sure it would be easier for the soldiers to keep an eye on the potential threat.

“True enough. So how long is this trip going to take?” I asked.

“Unless something unexpected comes up, no more than maybe four hours,” Firebrand answered.

“Well, might as well take a nap,” I said, adjusting my position and lying down on the couch. “Wake me in an hour or two. I don't want to miss lunch.” I said before closing my eyes.

“Sir, yes, sir!” Gale Slash jokes, Firebrand apparently having released her mouth.

So, just what kind of plans do you have?

Seriously? Even in my dreams I can't get away from you?

I am you now.

Does this mean I can't have dreams anymore?

You talk as if this isn't new for both of us.

So… anything you want to talk about?

How do we intend to make this relationship work?

What do you mean?

As you said before, we seem to have equal control, which means we can end up fighting over this body. That doesn't sound productive for either of us.

Good point. Well, what do you want most out of this?

To live a quiet life, of course.

Right, sure. Well, my main concern is that I don't want to kill anyone. Which means no “girlfriends.” Or “marefriends” in this case, I guess.

I told you before, I don't like hooves.

Well then, we should be able to get along on that issue then. As for other things, I think we should play it by ear.

You should know I value my privacy. These guardsponies are obviously supposed to watch us to make sure we don't cause trouble. I want to make this clear: no roommates. This is non-negotiable.

Honestly I kinda want a home to myself, too. We’ll have to come up with something, like the guards having their own house nearby. Also, can you cook?

What makes you think that?

Kira was a pretty good cook, and I was hoping we could save money by buying food and cooking some recipes instead of going out.

Well, I don't know anything you don't, and we only have the few simple recipes you knew before. However, I would probably agree my demeanor is more suited to cooking than yours, and I'm sure a cookbook wouldn't be too hard to come across.

Well, that's good for now, I guess. The rest depends on what kind of place Ponyville is like. Anyway, I'm gonna go eat now. Try and be a good boy, ok?

… I'm not your pet. Keep joking like that, and I'll start making problems to spite you.

Jeez, no sense of humor.

After a few hours we all arrived in Ponyville, and like Canterlot, all the ponies looked at me strange. Unlike Canterlot, however, these guys seemed terrified of me and ready to bolt at any second.

I don't like this attention.

We need to lighten the mood, let me try.

I smiled and rolled my eyes. “Don't all rush to greet me at once,” I joked. Some of them just looked at me weird but just went on with whatever they were doing. Others ran away, but at least they weren't screaming bloody murder. “Jeez, tough crowd.”

“Sorry. The citizens of Ponyville are a little… jumpy,” Twilight apologized.

“It's not that bad,” Rarity retorted.

“Zecora,” Twilight replied

“... Anymore,” Rarity added.

“Don't worry, I've been the new guy more than once,” I assured them.

“Don't worry, Johnny boy! We’ll fix that in a jiffy!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Pinkie, you're not going to throw him a welcome party his first night here,” Twilight said.

“Actually, I don't mind,” I said.

“What?”

What?

“I think getting to know everybody would help me ease into the town, don't you think? I mean, it should at least convince them I'm not going to sneak into their houses and eat them while they're asleep, or something stupid like that.”

“I… guess you have a point. Is there any problem with that?” Twilight asked the guards.

“Well… our orders are about letting him out of our sight. It doesn't have any specific restrictions aside from that,” Firebrand hesitantly admitted.

What are you doing? I don't want us to broadcast ourselves. Just making sure they're not hostile to us is enough.

Look, I've seen this kind of situation before in plenty of stories. If we don't show them we can be outright friendly, they're going make up their own opinions and ideas about us, and they're all going to be bad. We need to mingle, let them get to know us a bit. After that, we can fade back a bit.

… I'm not comfortable with this.

Which view would you prefer the ponies have us, that we’re kinda quiet but still ok or that we’re weird and kinda creepy?

… Fine. You've made your point.

“So, on a somewhat related matter, do I have to go house hunting, or did the Princesses already pick a place for me to stay?” I asked.

“We’re staying in an inn tonight, but we’ve got a house picked out. Wanna check it out?” Gale Slash asked.

“Gale Slash,” Firebrand warned.

“Oh come on, there's nothing wrong with having him check out his new home, right? Besides, it'll give the rest of them a chance to get unpacked,” she argued, motioning to the other seven guests.

Firebrand sighed. “Very well. We’ll check into the inn, then we can go and see the house. When do you think you can organize a get together of some kind?” he asked Pinkie.

“I can have it ready by tonight! Do you think we can use the library, Twi?”

“Well… so long as it doesn't go past midnight. I'd like a chance for Spike and I to get settled back in,” she answered.

“Okie dokie, lokie!” she said before zipping off in a cartoonish puff of smoke.

...You saw that too, right?

I don't think I'm going to like her.

“Well, Ah gotta check back on the farm. See ya’ll tonight!” Applejack said, tipping her hat before everyone went their separate ways, Rarity in particular carting away an almost cartoonishly large collection of what I could only guess were designer travel bags and somehow managing to look elegant while doing it.

“Well, let's get going I guess,” I said before motioning my hand forwards. “Lead on.”

“Well, whaddya think?” Gale Slash asked as she showed off the house. It was a truly gorgeous, structure, it really was. Like something out of a postcard, or a children’s storybook. But, immediately some concerns were raised, especially once I got a good look at Ponyville itself.

Ok, so I can tell you don’t really like it, I don’t either, but just for clarity’s sake, why don’t you like it?

The timber walls and thatch roofs have me concerned about insulation, not to mention the noticeable lack of technology either with the house or the surrounding area have me concerned about both cooking and refrigeration, not to mention plumbing.

Is that all?

It’s also near the town square, likely the busiest section of town. Which means not only will it likely be loud during the day, but also will likely have the most attention put on us. Finally, I haven’t seen any indication as to where they’re sleeping.

Well, I can’t say I have all the same problems with it you do, but none of them are things that I’d fight you on. Ok, let me do the talking.

“I have some concerns,” I answered.

“With what?” Gales Slash asked, confused.

“First of all, maybe this is just because I come from somewhere with more advanced technology, but how am I supposed to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter? This doesn’t seem very insulated. Especially the roof. And, I have to ask, do you guys have plumbing?”

“Hey, you make us sound like savages!” she retorted angrily.

“Sorry, it’s just that… the last time my species had houses regularly made like this, it was thought that disease was caused by ‘bad blood’ and the the way to cure yourself was to cut and bleed it out of your body.”

“Wait, what?” she asked shocked.

“I’m just a little confused. Canterlot I could just chalk up to being an old city as the reason why it looked like marble or something similar, but then you’ve got something from the early industrial like a steam engine, and now you’re showing me something from the medieval ages. Your technological advancement is all over the place.”

“If I may address your concerns,” Firebrand interrupted. “This house was built only three years ago and has been approved for inspection. The insulating spells are up to date, and you have a working oven with a stove top. There is full plumbing for the bathtub, the sinks, and toilet, and a fireplace for when things get cold. Lighting is done by candles, but if you want lightbulbs you’re going to have to get that out of your own pocket, same with a refrigerator. Speaking of funds, the Princesses have seen fit to reward you with 70,000 bits to get you started. The amount should arrive to the local bank by the end of the week. We’ll help get you registered as a citizen of Ponyville and Equestria tomorrow, and then you can go over some job opportunities.

Well, that was certainly informative, though it still leaves some questions. Namely the value of “bits”, and one other question you have yet to ask.

Give me a minute.

“I appreciate that. I do have one more question to ask, though,” I said.

“Yes?”

“Where are you three going to stay? I don’t think you can pay for a hotel every night for the foreseeable future.”

“We’ll be rooming with you!” Gale Slash replied happily.

Absolutely not.

“Sorry, but no.”

“Huh?”

“There is no way I’m going to share a two bedroom, one bath house with three roommates. Also, it’s way too close to the main part of town. I need something on the outskirts, something quiet, where I can be assured I won’t have trouble going to sleep due to a festival or whatever. If you guys want to take this house, go right ahead. As for me, I’m house hunting tomorrow,” I said firmly before turning to walk away.

Authoritative. Well done.

Just channelling one of my many “no nonsense businessman” roles.

“W-Wait! Just where do you think you’re going!?” Firebrand demanded, a noticeable spark of anger in his voice.

I decided to pretend to not be concerned with it and turned my head while I continued to walk. “I’m going to get a layout of the town, see the sights before the party the crazy pony is setting up. You can follow if you want, or I can meet you at the inn later. Take your pick,” I replied before turning back and continuing to walk.

“O-Our orders are not to let you out of our sight!” he retorted.

“Well then, you better catch up,” I called without stopping.

Despite some grumblings, Firebrand decided that they didn’t have the authority to force Jonathan to live in the house and took a quick tour of Ponyville, enjoying the sights and taking notes of shops and restaurants they would likely frequent. There were some wary glances from many of the residents, but I paid them no mind. Hours later, we decided we had been out long enough and made our way to the library, a literal tree house.

How is that tree not rotting?

… Magic?

I see it will be very frustrating to adjust to this new world.

We’ll manage.

I opened the door, finding myself in a dark room, before the lights flicked on accompanied by the shouts of “Surprise!” along with party poppers and streamers. I stood there for a moment, processing the large number of ponies present, some which I recognized from before, who I noticed were trying to hide their fear and discomfort behind their smiles.

Time to break the ice again.

I feigned a heart attack and fell to my knees before falling to the floor. “Surprise… too… effective!” I groaned as I convulsed. “Hurgh! Bleh,” I finished as I fell limp.

I heard a gasp and in a moment Pinkie Pie zipped over. “No! It finally happened! My surprise was too good! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” she threw her forelegs up and bellowed in anguish.

I then reached and grabbed her, pulling her into a headlock. “Got ya!”

“No! I have been deceived!” she yelled, clearly going along with gag.

“And now… NOOGIE!” I yelled as I rubbed my fist into her head.

“NOOOOOO! THE DREADED NOOGIE!”

At this point just about everyone was laughing, clearly no longer afraid of me. I let go of Pinkie Pie and smiled. “Thanks for going along with that.”

“Okie dokie, lokie!” she replied as she bounced away.

I think I'll leave the social interactions to you.

Yeah, I don't see you being able to pull this off.

Twilight watched Jonathan’s interactions with others carefully. She was still enjoying herself, still having fun, but she was also training herself to spot Kira. As far as she could tell, he hadn't surfaced yet. Jonathan had done well to converse with the citizens of Ponyville, her own friends included. He seemed to able to act goofy enough to be on the same wavelength as Pinkie Pie, as shown before, and yet be polite enough for Rarity when talking to her. Unlike the more sociopathic changes she read about, these seemed to be more genuine like how she had learned to shut down her inner academic to some extent and get competitive with Rainbow Dash in the name of fun, even if it was something she normally wouldn’t do.

As for Jonathan’s three “escorts”, Gale Slash fit into the party atmosphere easily and Twilight could easily see her getting along with Rainbow Dash. Firebrand, however, was all business and didn’t really interact with anyone other than with a curt response, moving from his position by the door only to sample the food and drinks. Rampart was also having trouble interacting with everypony, but rather amazingly it seemed to be due to shyness instead of a dedication to duty. He tried to interact with others when he could but it was obvious it didn't come natural to him and he seemed to be a quiet guy. Not Fluttershy quiet, but still noticeably lacking in social skills.

At the moment Jonathan was talking with Vinyl Scratch and Octavia, who were interested in what kind of music someone from another world had to offer.

“Sounds to me like your music has developed along similar lines as mine. Ou even have the same name for certain genres. Like Disco, or Electronica,” Jonathan noted.

“Yeah, pretty interesting, huh?” Vinyl commented. “If wonder if there are any songs that sound the same.”

“So who would you say your favorite artist is?” Octavia asked, thoroughly enjoying the conversation.

“Easy. Queen, hands down,” he answered.

“‘Queen’? A bit arrogant, in my own opinion.”

“What kind of music does she play?” Vinyls asked.

“Not ‘she’, they. Queen is a band. One of the best rock bands to ever live, and one of the best bands period in my opinion,” Jonathan explained.

“Interesting name for a rock band,” Octavia commented. “Especially when most rock bands try to sound tough like ‘Celestial Hammer’ or ‘Spellslayers’.”

“Well to simply call them a rock band is selling them short. They pioneered, perfected, and experimented with so many genres that they really were legends. Not to mention the lead singer Farrokh Bulsara, or as he’s better known by his stage name Freddie Mercury, was truly one of the best voices to grace rock and music in general.”

“You're really singing his praises, if you'll pardon the pun,” Octavia chuckled.

“Is he really that great?” Vinyl asked.

“He had a vocal range of four octaves, and made use of every last bit of it,” Jonathan boasted.

“Four octaves!? Gracious, I know opera singers that don’t have that kind of range!” Octavia gaped.

“Damn! I wish I could listen to this guy!” Vinyl added.

“You really should check out their-” Jonathan said before he cut himself off, his smile fading. “Oh, right. I forgot. I’m in another world, and they don’t exist here, so you can’t just find them,” he realized, disheartened. He then pulled something out of his pocket. “And it’s not like this is going to last long.”

“What’s that?” Vinyl asked.

“Well, um… it’s a lot of things, but most of those functions depend on outside systems that don’t exist here. So right now it’s a very expensive music player.”

“You mean like a… portable phonograph?” Octavia asked.

“Well, it’s a bit more advanced than that. It doesn’t just play music, it also stores it.”

“So there are songs already on it? How many?” Vinyl asked.

“Well, this one has more than four thousand songs on it, but there’s probably room for a few thousand more.”

“‘More than four thousand’!?” Octavia shouted in surprise, Vinyl’s jaw dropped as well. Twilight, who had been listening up to this point as well, spat out her drink in shock… and then marvelled at the technological possibilities.

“Yeah, but I don’t think I’m going to be using it any time soon. The battery life only lasts so long, and without a way to recharge it, it might as well be a paperweight now.”

“... Um… I might be able to do something about that,” Twilight offered.

“Really?” Jonathan asked, surprised.

“Well, it probably wouldn’t be as good as what you have, and electricity is something of a luxury, and I might need to take apart and study the device, but I think I could do something.”

“... I’m not exactly comfortable with you taking it apart, but I’ll keep it in mind. Come to me again when you’ve got some more of an idea of how you would get it to work.”

Twilight smiled. “I will!”

“Hey, why don’t you try singing some Queen’s songs?” Vinyl asked. “I know it’s not the same, but I’d like to hear some of it.”

“I dunno. My vocal range is two octaves at best, and without musical accompaniment it’s not really doing it justice,” Jonathan said somewhat hesitantly.

“Aw, come on! How else are we gonna hear it?”

“... You know what? The hell with it. You do not deserve to be deprived of Queen, even an inferior version of them,” he said before gulping down his punch.

“Sweet! Hey everypony, Jonathan’s gonna sing!” Vinyl called out, catching everypony’s attention.

“Vinyl!” Octavia chided.

“Come on, if they were all talking we wouldn’t be able to hear him!”

“Way to put me on the spot,” Jonathan groaned before clearing his throat. He then performed a few vocal exercises, going up to two octaves but starting to strain a bit near the top notes. “Alright everyone, allow me to introduce you, as much as I can, to Queen.”

Jonathan began by stomping his foot twice, followed by a single clap of his hand. The beat of “thud, thud, clap” continued a few times before he began to sing.

“~Buddy you’re a boy, make a big noise, playin’ in the street, gonna be a big MAN SOME DAY
You got mud on yo’ face
Ya big dis-grace
Kickin’ your can all over the place Singin’

WEEEE WIIIIILL, WEEEE WIIIILL ROCK YOU!

WEEEE WIIIIILL, WEEEE WIIIILL ROCK YOU!”

His voice was powerful and somewhat gritty, like he was a hoofball coach trying to psych up the team before a big game.

“~Buddy you’re a young man, hard man, shoutin’ in the street, gonna take on the WORLD SOME DAY
You got blood on yo’ face
Ya big dis-grace
Wavin’ your banner all over the place

WEEEE WIIIIILL, WEEEE WIIIILL ROCK YOU!
SING IT!
WEEEE WIIIIILL, WEEEE WIIIILL ROCK YOU!”

Some of the ponies actually joined in, stomping along in time with him. Rainbow Dash in particular looked to be enjoying it.

“~Buddy you’re an old man, poor man, pleadin’ with your eyes gonna make you some PEACE SOME DAY
You got mud on yo’ face
Ya big dis-grace
Some-body better put you back into your PLACE

WEEEE WIIIIILL, WEEEE WIIIILL ROCK YOU!
SING IT!
WEEEE WIIIIILL, WEEEE WIIIILL ROCK YOU!
Everybody
WEEEE WIIIIILL, WEEEE WIIIILL ROCK YOU!
WEEEE WIIIIILL, WEEEE WIIIILL ROCK YOU!”

Jonathan stopped and everypony cheered, having sung the last part with him and really getting into it. Jonathan simply took a drink from his punch before clearing his throat. He then began to snap a beat a few times before starting straight into the next song.

“~She keeps a Moet et Chandon
In her pretty cabinet
‘Let them eat cake’, she says
Just like Marie Antoinette
A built iiiin
Remedyyyy
For Kruscheeeev
And Kenedyyyy
At anytiiiime
An invitation you can’t decliiiiiiiiiine

Caviaaar and cigarettes
Well-veeeersed in etiquette
Extraordinarily nice

She’s a killer queeeeeen
Gunpowder gelatine
Dynamiiiiite with a laser beam
Guaranteeeeed to blow your miiiiiiind
Anytiiiiiiiime

Recommended at the price
Insatiable an appetite
Wanna tryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?”

His tone wasn’t harsh anymore, now it had an air sophistication to it. His arms gestured in a controlled and dignified manner, as if he was a noble speaking to other nobles at social gathering. Except for the chorus, where there was more power in his vocals and the notes climbed to almost falsetto heights. But what really caught Twilight’s attention was that the name of the song was the name of Kira’s Stand. More importantly, some aspects seemed to describe what she’d read about Kira himself.

The guide did say that musical references were abundant in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Maybe if I pay attention to the lyrics I can get an even better look into Kira. Let’s see the first part seems to be talking about Kira’s detached and sophisticated behavior, not to mention his practiced politeness and culture. Obviously the chorus is a reference to the Killer Queen’s explosive powers.

“~To avoid complications she never kept the same address
In conversation she spoke just like a baroness
Met a maaaan from Chinaaaa
Went down to Geisha Minah
But then again incidentally if you’re that way incliiiiiined

Perfume came naturally from Paris
For cars she couldn’t care less
Fastidious and precise!

She’s a killer queeeeeen
Gunpowder gelatine
Dynamiiiiite with a laser beam
Guaranteeeeed to blow your miiiiiiind
Anytiiiiiiiime”

Alright, the beginning is obviously about Kira’s desire to avoid conflict, and then end is Kira’s sophistication and handsomeness. Not sure what the part about “China” is about.

“~Drop of a hat she’s as willing as
Playful as a pussy cat
Then momentarily out of action
Temporarily out of gas
She absolutely DRIVES YOU WIIIIIIIIILD
WIIIIIIIIIILD
She all out to get you”

I see the reference to Killer Queen’s cat-like appearances, the rest seems to be about the highs and lows of Kira’s hand addiction, with the desire bubbling up only to die down when being satisfied.

“~She’s a killer queeeeeen
Gunpowder gelatine
Dynamiiiiite with a laser beam
Guaranteeeeed to blow your miiiiiiind
Anytiiiiiiiime

Recommended at the price
Insatiable an appetite
Wanna tryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?
You wanna try?”

Jonathan reached over to his cup, signaling that the song had ended. There was plenty of applause as he drank to recover his voice.

“Whoa, that was from the same singer?” Vinyl asked, impressed at the variance.

“Despite the noticeable change in tone, there still seems to be an emphasis on dramatics,” Octavia noted.

Jonathan finished his drink and smirked mischievously. “Oh believe me, we’ve only reached the tip of the iceberg on how different Queen can sound between songs,” he boasted before inhaling deeply and then throwing his head back to bellow the first note.

“~AAAAAAAAAAAAAARE YOU GONNA TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT?
OOOOOOOOOOOOOH RIGHT BESIDE THAT RED FIRELIGHT?
AAAAAAAAAAAAARE YOU GONNA LET IT ALL HANG OUT?
FAT BOTTOMED GIRLS YOU MAKE THE ROCKING WORLD GO ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOUD!”

Many ponies spat out the their drinks in shock. Vinyl, Rainbow Dash, and Gale Slash were laughing at those reactions.

“Wh-What!?” Rarity sputtered.

Jonathan’s voice chuckled and continued to sing in a bombastic voice that sounded right at home with anypony from Appleloosa.

“~I was just a skinny lad
Never knew no good from bad
But I knew life before I left my nurseryyyyyyyyy
Along alone with big fat Fanny
She was such a naughty nanny
Heap big woman, you made bad boy outta meeeeeeee!”

Twilight couldn’t believe it. The song was one of the most raunchy things she had heard outside a smut book poorly disguised as a romance novel, and yet with the power of the vocals and the pure enjoyment that Jonathan clearly had singing… she found herself actually enjoying it, too.

“~I’ve been singing with my band
‘Cross the wire, ‘cross the land
I’ve seen every blue eyed floosie on the waaaaaaay
But their beauty and their style went kinda smooth after a while
Take me to them dirty ladies everytiiiiiiiiime!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOH WON’T YOU TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT?
OOOOOOOOOOOOOH DOWN BESIDE YOUR RED FIRELIGHT
OOOOOOOOOOOOOH AND YOU GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT
FAT BOTTOMED GIRLS YOU MAKE THE ROCKING WORLD GO ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOUD!
FAT BOTTOMED GIRLS YOU MAKE THE ROCKING WORLD GO ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOUD!”

Jonathan stopped there, clearing his throat with some difficulty before pouring himself another cup of punch and taking a few swigs.

“Jeez dude, talk about whiplash!” Vinyl joked.

Jonathan cleared his throat again. “Oh, don’t worry. We’re about to swing back.”

“~Oooooh, you make me live
Whatever this world can give to me
It’s youuuuu, you’re all I seeeeeee
Oooooh, you make me live now honey
Oooooh, you make me live

Oooooooh you’re the best friend
That I ever had
I’ve been with you such a long time
You’re my sunshine
And I want you to know that my feelings are true
I really looooooove youuuuuuuuu
Ooooooh, you’re my best friend”

The two was almost a complete 180 from the previous song, a gentle yet passionate tone of confessing long held feelings of gratitude. Jonathan was smiling earnestly as he rocked back and forth slightly, and many ponies joined him.

“~Oh, I’ve been WAAAAAAAAANDERING ‘rouuuuund
Still come back to youuuuuuu
In rain or shiiiiine
You’ve stood by my giiiiiirl
I’m haaaaaaaaappy at hooooome
You’re my best friend.”

At this point everypony was swaying back and forth with the song, Twilight included. This really sounded like something that would’ve awoken heartsong in those around them, which made it all the more impressive that it came from the same band. He wasn’t kidding when he said their works were varied.

“~Oooooh, you make me live
Whenever this world is cruel to me
I got youuuuu to help me forgive
Oooooh, you make me live now honey!
Oooooh, you make me live

Oooooh you’re the first one
When things turn out bad
You know I’ll never be lonely
You’re my only one
And I looooove the things
I really LOOOOOOOOVE the things that you dooooooo
Ooooooh, you’re my best friend”

Jonathan went to take another drink and was met with another round of applause. Twilight noted even Fluttershy was smiling warmly, obviously touched by the heartfelt lyrics. After clearing his throat he went right into the next song, rapidly tapping his foot to keep time.

“Well you’re just seventeen
All you wanna do is disappear
You know what I mean
There’s a lot of space between your ears
The way that you touch don’t feel no-no-nothin’

Hey hey hey hey!
It was the D.N.A.!
Hey hey hey hey!
That made me this way!

Do you know, do you know, do you know just how I feel?
Do you know, do you know, do you know just how I FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!?

SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!
SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL CARDIAC!

I feeeeeel so inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-ticulate!”

Yet another drastic change in tone, there was an almost manic energy behind this one, emphasized by the bobbing of Jonathan’s head as he rapidly tapped his foot. In addition was the way he seemed to almost scream out “Sheer Heart Attack” and “Real Cardiac,” as well as the exaggerated head bobs for every note of “inar” that made it almost look like he was convulsing from a seizure.

Most importantly, this was another song a Stand was named for, so Twilight took mental notes. The first part seems to be talking about Kira’s desire to fade into the background, and that all his interactions with others are meaningless are they are meant to do nothing more than keep him in a favorable position. It also seems to reference how he’s a born killer, and not just something he picked up from circumstance. This also seems to be about a time when he’s starting to crack from anger and anxiety.

“~Gotta feelin’, gotta feelin’, gotta feelin’ like a paralyse
It ain’t no, it ain’t no, it ain’t no, it ain’t no surprise
Turn on the T.V. let it drip right down in your eyes

Hey hey hey hey!
It was the D.N.A.!
Hey hey hey hey!
That made me this way!

Do you know, do you know, do you know just how I feel?
Do you know, do you know, do you know just how I feel?

SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!
SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL CARDIAC!

I feeeeeel so inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-ticulate!”

Jonathan stopped and went for his cup, taking a few swigs before clearing his throat.

“Dang, dude! You all right?” Vinyl asked.

Jonathan paused to clear his throat. “Yeah, just haven’t pushed my vocals this hard in a while.”

“I’m not surprised. It almost sounded like you were screeching some of those notes,” Octavia added.

“Yeah, but I think I got a few left in me,” he assured them as he cleared his throat again before starting another song.

“~Toniiiiiiight I’m gonna have myseeeeeeeeeeelf a real good time
I feel aliiiii-iiii-iiii-iiiiiiiiiiiiive
And the wooooooooooooorld
I’ll turn it inside ouuuuuuut, yeah
I’m floating arouuuuuund in ecstasy so
Don’t stop me noooooooooow
Don’ stop me”

He sang in a melodic voice as he slowly stepped towards the center of the room. Then suddenly, his voice gained power and the lyrics gained speed, as did his own movements.

“~’Cause I’m havin’ a good time
Havin’ a good time!

I’m a shootin’ star leaping through the skyyyyyyy
Like a tiger, defying the laws of gravityyyyyyy
I’m a racing car, passin’ byyyyy like Lady Godiva!
I’m gonna go, go, go, there’s not stoppin’ meeeeeeeee!”

On that last verse he spun three times before leaping into the air and spinning like a dancer, landing perfectly on his feet. Everypony was starting to get swept up in his energy.

“~I’m burning through the skyyyyyyy!
Two hundred degrees, that’s why they call me Mr. Fahrenheeeeeiiiiiiiit!
I’m travelin’ at the speed of liiiiiight
I wanna make a supersonic man outta you!

Don’t stop me nooooow!
I’m havin’ such a good time
I’m havin’ a ball
Don’t stop me now
If you wanna have a good time
Just give me a call!
‘Cause I’m havin’ a good time
Yes I’m havin’ a good time
I don’t wanna stop at aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!”

As she saw Jonathan sing his heart out, dancing and spinning in the middle of the floor like he was in a musical, only one thought entered her mind. I guess it’ll be easier to tell Jonathan and Kira apart after all. At the same time Pinkie pulled out a tambourine and began to play it in time to the his singing.

“~I’m a rocket ship on my way to Maaaaars
On a collision course
I am a satellite
I’m out of control
I’m a sex machine ready to relooooaaad
Like an atom bomb!
About to oh-oh-oh-oh-oh exploooooooode!

I’m burning through the skyyyyyyy!
Two hundred degrees, that’s why they call me Mr. Fahrenheeeeeiiiiiiiit!
I’m travelin’ at the speed of liiiiiight
I wanna make a supersonic woman of you!”

He stopped dancing for a moment to quickly tap his foot.

“~Don’t stop me, don’t stop me, don’t stop me
Don’t stop me, don’t stop me, ooh-ooh-ooh!
Don’t stop me, don’t stop me
Have a good time, good time!
Don’t stop me, don’t stop me, OOOOOOOOOOOH!”

Jonathan jumped and spun in time with rise in notes before landing and continuing.

“~I’m burning through the skyyyyyyy!
Two hundred degrees, that’s why they call me Mr. Fahrenheeeeeiiiiiiiit!
I’m travelin’ at the speed of liiiiiight
I wanna make a supersonic man outta you!

Don’t stop me nooooow!
I’m havin’ such a good time
I’m havin’ a ball
Don’t stop me now
If you wanna have a good time
Just give me a call!
‘Cause I’m havin’ a good time
Yes I’m havin’ a good time
I don’t wanna stop at aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!”

Jonathan bowed to the cheers he received after his big finish. As he went for his cup Octavia smirked. “Singer and dancer? Well aren’t you talented?”

“I did plenty of school musicals,” he answered before downing the rest of his cup. He coughed and went to fill it again. “Think I’ve only got a couple more left in me,” he said before taking another drink.

“Well go ahead, lay ‘em on us!” Vinyl encouraged.

Jonathan finished his drink before snapping again while strutting to the center of the floor.

“~Steve walks warily down the street with the brim pulled way down low
Ain’t no sound but the sound of his feet, machine guns ready to go
Are you ready, hey, are you ready for this, are you hanging on the edge of your seat?
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat, yeah!”

Jonathan stopped in the center of the room, and still snapping.

“~Another one bites the dust

Another one bites the dust”

He then began to point and snap at ponies randomly.

“~And another gone, and another gone, another one bites the dust”

He then spun suddenly to point to Twilight.

“~Hey! I’m gonna get you too, another one bites the dust”

Was so shocked at this, thinking that maybe she had misread Jonathan and that this was Kira the whole time, and that he had known she knew about his powers the whole time, that she forgot to take notes on the first verse of the reference for the the final power of Killer Queen. In the meantime, Pinkie somehow pulled out a microphone attached to a stand with what looked like the bottom half missing. Jonathan actually seemed particularly surprised at this, before smiling like a foal getting a Hearth’s Warming present and bellowing the next verse into the mic, even though it wasn’t connected to anything.

“~How do you think I’m gonna get along without you when you’re gone!?
You took me for everything that I had and kicked me out on my own!
ARE YOU HAPPY, ARE YOU SATISFIED, HOW LONG CAN YOU STAND THE HEAT!?
OUT OF THE DOORWAY THE BULLETS RIP!
TO THE SOUND OF THE BEAT, LOOK OUT!

Another one bites the dust!

Another one bites the dust!

And another gone, and another gone, another one bites the dust!

Hey! I’m gonna get you too, another one bites the dust!”

This time he pointed at Gale Slash, who just smirked and pointed back. Now more convinced than before this was Jonathan, not Kira, Twilight observed the lyrics.

The lyrics seem to reference Kira’s confidence after maturing and gaining Bites the Dust, as well as how it almost casually takes out all his enemies without him even needing to worry about them. The second verse seems to specifically refer to Kira’s feeling of being cornered after killing Hayato, not to mention how he had been forced to abandon his life after being found out by Josuke and the others and his frustration with that situation.”

“~Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust, ow!
Another one bites the dust, hey hey!
Another one bites the dust
HEEEEEEEEE-EEEE-EEEE-EEEE-EEE-EEE-EEE-EEEY!
Ooooooh sha!”

As he sand that long “hey” Jonathan slowly squatted down towards the floor to the point he was almost sitting, standing only on the balls of his feet, before quickly rising.

“~There are plenty of ways you can hurt a man and BRING HIM TO THE GROUND!
You can beat him, you can cheat him, you can treat him bad and LEAVE HIM WHEN HE’S DOWN!
But I’m ready!
Yes I’m ready for you, I’m standin’ on my own two feet!
Out of the doorway the bullets rip, repeating to the sound of the beat
Oooooo yeeeeeeaaaaaaah!”

Referring once again to Kira’s confidence and how he feels he can take apart any of his enemies.

“~Another one bites the dust

Another one bites the dust

And another gone, and another gone, another one bites the dust!

Hey! I’m gonna get you too, another one bites the dust!”

Jonathan headed over to his cup of punch, receiving another round of applause. He coughed a few times and then quickly downed his cup in one go, coughing a few more times to clear his throat before going for another for another cup. After quickly drinking all of it, he coughed one more time, before turning to the crowd. “Alright folks, the old pipes are starting to strain a little bit, but I think I can push out one more song for you. And what’s better to finish of the evening than with a sappy love song?” he joked. He got stomps of applause and cheers in response before he inhaled deeply and brought the microphone to his lips.

“~I
Was born
Toooooo love you
With eeeeevery single beat
Of my heart
Yes I
Was born
To take care of youuuuuuu, woman
Every single day!”

He then began to tap his foot to the beat that only he could hear.

“~Alright!

I
Was born
Toooo love youuuu
With eeeeeevery single beat of my heart
Yes I
Was born
To take care of youuuuuu
Eeeeevery single day
Of my liiiiiiiife!

You are the one for me, I am the man for you
You were made for me, you’re my ecstasy
If I was given every opportunity!
I’d kill for you love

So take a chance with me, let me romance with you
I’m caught in a dream and this dream’s come true
It’s so hard to believe this is happening to me!
AN AMAAAAZING!
FEEEEEELING!
COOOOOOOOOMING THROOOOOOUUUUUGH!”

Everypony cheered as he literally threw his head back and bellowed those notes.

“~I
Was born
Toooo love you
With eeeeeevery single beat of myyyyyy heart
Yeah I
Was born
To take care of youuuuuu, honey
Every single day
Of my liiiiiiiife!

I wanna love youuuuuuuu
I love every little thing about you
I wanna love you, love you, love youuuuu

Born to love you
Born to love you
Yeeeees I was born to love you
Born to love you
Born to love you!
EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Of my life.”

Jonathan paused for a few moments to pretend to play guitar with the stick of his microphone before continuing.

“~AN AMAAAAZING!
FEEEEEELING!
COOOOOOOOOMING THROOOOOOUUUUUGH!

I
Was born
Toooo love youuuu
With eeeeeevery single beat of my heart
Yeeeeeaaaaah I
Was born
To take care of youuuuuu!
Every single day!
Of my liiiiiiiiiife!

I
Was born
Toooo love youuuu
Eeeeeeeeeevery single day!

Of my liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiife!”

With that final note he bowed to thunderous applause. “Thank you Ponyville! Good night!” Jonathan walked over to Pinkie Pie, holding the microphone out in front of him. “You knew. Somehow, you knew. How?” Pinkie simply smiled and shrugged in response. “Can I keep it?”

“Sure!”

Jonathan’s reaction was to do a small fist pump as he smiled with joy.

Vinyl and Octavia approached him from behind. “Jonathan you gotta to meet with us later!” Vinyl said.

“Huh? Um, okay. About what?”

“You have a spectacular voice, and I can tell you have an amazing ear for music! I’d like to see if we can introduce you to some musical aficionados!” Octavia explained.

“Um, I appreciate the compliment, but I don’t really have an interesting in being famous. I’d like a calm life with some occasional excitement, not the constant stress of a celebrity.”

Twilight caught that, and was a little nervous. But even still, she really didn’t know that much about Jonathan. Maybe he also appreciated some quiet time, like going out on a picnic or reading a book.

“Please, you have to work with us to some extent!” Octavia insisted.

“Well… how about this, I’ll write out some song lyrics and every so often I’ll head over to your place, and we’ll try and recreate some songs from scratch. How about that?”

“That sounds awesome!” Vinyl exclaimed.

Twilight smiled. I guess things will be alright after all.

Queen Chrysalis landed hard along with her other changelings. She struggled through the pain to gain her bearings, only for her eyes to be assaulted with pink. The area they had found themselves in was practically overrun with adorable furry kitten like creatures that swarmed all over them, hugging and offering them treats as and gifts at an alarming rate.

“Wha… what?” she thought aloud, dumbfounded by this behavior.

“My Queen,” one of her guards began. “We’re much too weak to launch another attack on Canterlot right away. What do we do? We need to regain our strength! Regroup! Form another plan…”

Chrysalis observed the creatures around her, having somehow already organized a parade in their honor. “Hmm. Theses creatures are very loving…” she licked her lips. “And we do feed on love. I guess we could eat,” she said and immediately began to drain the creature closest to her of its energy. Her changelings followed suit, and within minutes the surrounded area was covered in changeling slime with the creatures all collapsed from being drained.

“We’ll have the rest of this place converted to our needs within the month,” her guard explained.

“Good… good,” Chrysalis replied, enjoying how rapid the change in scenery had been.

“It may still be a while before we can attack Celestia again. She’ll be expecting us.”

“Feh to Celestia. She isn’t my target anymore.”

“Wha… What? My Queen, but-” he began to interject.

“I want Celestia’s little pet, Twilight Sparkle,” she seethed with anger. “Perfect little Twilight. Clever little Twilight. Brilliant little Twilight. She saw through it all… It’s her fault we aren’t rebuilding Canterlot into our newest conquest! And then there’s that Stand User, that hairless ape in suit! How dare her attack me! How dare he look down on me!” She turned her gaze to her crystal ball. “Well, I’ll get them both… and Twilight’s little pony friends, too. I’m going to bring that purple menace here… Put her through trials that will band them together. Then, when their emotions are peaked, I’m going to drain Twilight Sparkle.”

“Why drain her? We have plenty of these guys left?” the guard asked, holding up one of the locals who, despite all the devastation they had caused, was more than willing to offer up its love.

“I’m not going to drain her love… I’m going to drain her magic,” she smirked sinisterly. She then looked up and saw the comet overhead. “And I know exactly when I’m going to do it, too.”

“And what about the Stand User?” the guard asked.

“It’ll take some time, but we’ll make sure he bonds with them as well, if he hasn’t already. And if I can’t drain him… I’ll end him.”

Author's Note

Phew! Another long chapter! As you can see, I'm adding the comics into this story as well, but not all of them. I think it'll be interesting to have Jonathan/Kira to have an arch-nemesis in Chrysalis, considering her repeat appearances in both the comics and the show.

I hope you all enjoy, and to hear all the songs in there Queenly glory... BEHOLD:

Also, consider donating to my Patreon, if you're feeling generous.

See you guys next time, and I hope you enjoy!