Meeting Friends In The Most Surprising of Places
Meeting Friends In The Most Surprising of Places
"Culture exchange my flank. Phew, you think after winning the place to represent pony music, excuse me, 'earth' pony music (who came up with that name anyway, do we look like we're made out of dirt?), from those stuck-ups who wanted piano and cello, that it would be the biggest gig ever. Instead we're stuck playing our songs over and over all day like a boombox with ponies trotting, swimming, and flying by us without even looking! If I knew it was gonna be like this, I'd have let those classical nuts win! And to top it all off, you're talking to yourself Melody." The dark pink earth pony sighed.
Finding privacy in the first great Five Tribes Cultural Exchange would normally be impossible, as the ocean of ponies moved like a single living organism through the various buildings and displays as each tribe presented their cultural heritage for all to see after a thousand years of isolation. And naturally, each tribe had wanted to put on the best show.
Bright Eyes had had a nervous break down saying it made no sense for the tribes to still have a common language after a thousand years of separation. After all, Prance had a completely separate language! Medley, the pegasus of Paradise Estate said it had to do with how ponies could sing a whole musical number together even if none of them knew the words or had practiced. In fact the whole Exchange had started with one huge musical number, so she probably had a point. Bright Eyes had still gone on for hours how that still didn't make sense, and Starlight actually backing her up some. The Paradise Ponies claimed they had spoken the same language as the legendary human Megan and her siblings, and she had come from another universe! Bright Eyes had fainted at that point, Patch just asked for the details of that adventure like a fanfilly and asking to visit the other side of the rainbow. Wind Whistler had given a firm "Negative!" in that regard, talking about 'balance of the worlds' yada yada, it had all sounded cosmic mumbo-jumbo to Melody and the Paradise Ponies just didn't want to make things MORE complicated than they already were with ponies being able to visit the world of humans and find out they weren't as perfect as Ponies thought they were.
UGH! Why was she even thinking about that?!
Melody and her band were getting somewhat sick of the 'how do you do that with your hooves?' questions.
Melody was just happy she HAD managed to find some privacy thanks to her status as a relatively high 'VIP' being part of the exposition rather than just a visitor. Plus that she was friends with Princess Rosy ('thank you Patch'). She had played 'Lonely Stable Boy' so many times along with her other hits that even Melody was getting sick of them. She was tempted to bring out 'Sweet Music', but that had been a song she had written and played in high-school, no way she was embarrassing herself with that early piece of hers. Her friends, and especially the twins, kept saying it was great and was one of her best pieces, but like any artist, to Melody that sounded like 'you haven't gone anything better since your first hit!'
So Melody was now alone in a place that was cut off from the general herd, one of the backstage rooms set aside for the performers and staff and was a cut above the glorified supply closets. Considering this place was funded by all five tribes together (Bright Eyes had actually laughed when she was right figuring out exchange rates for five separate first contacts wasn't easy), Melody probably would've thrown a fit if it'd just been a run of the mill one.
Melody knew she'd have to get back soon, the last thing she needed was to be told she had shirked her contract with the Ponyland government itself. But for the moment, just the moment, she could rest.
This place REALLY went maybe a little TOO out of the way to spread its 'all tribes welcome' message. There was a skylight for flutterponies and pegasi. The lamps were some crazy unicorn magic combined with Earth Pony technology. And then there was the little pride and joy of the culture exchange: the canals. All made for seaponies to swim up and down to virtually any part of the culture exchange they wanted, all opened top, all connected to a nearby river that connected to the ocean. And all with warnings about them NOT being waste disposal units.
Melody knew flawed pony nature meant that seaponies were likely getting a face full of candy wrappers and less savory things from thoughtless or careless ponies. It reminded her of when Ponyville had been flooded near the end of that crazy school year, Big Pony River literally choked with garbage. And in the end, there was no big corporate monster behind it, just neglect.
Thankfully, unlike in the movies, seaponies didn't hold sovereignty over every stream and brooke in existence, so a sewage outlet didn't cause as much fury as you'd think since seaponies as it turned out had their OWN aquatic landfills and waste management. It was a wonder in Melody's mind Pegasi hadn't rained garbage from the sky since they didn't think there was any life down below.
And seaponies were more 'please don't do it again, we live down there' and less 'sink every ship we see in the name of Mother Nature' when it came to the actual damage pollution caused them. Ponies were ponies, ponies forgave even at their worst. That and between Pegasi lightning generation, unicorn magic, and Earth Pony technology, that pollution might be a bit less in the future.
Ugh! There she went again! She wanted to relax dangit! The whole Exchange seemed to have imprinted on her mind from standing there staring at it!
All she cared about the canals, made from clear pretty plastic, was the soft sound they made as the water flowed along, to keep it clean and fresh and oxygenated for their gill/lung-using cousins. She didn't know or care if they connected to little underwater restrooms along the way or had filters.
Melody leaned back against the smooth plastic canal that ringed the random room, she closed her eyes, letting the soft vibration of moving water help relax her, listening to the sounds like they were a babbling brooke. Yes. Just a short rest. A little rest was just what she needed. That and a triple malt sunday and her husband Ace back from South Amareica with the rest of his soccer team, contrary to what the tabloids said, Ace had stayed loyal and true to her in spite of their long times apart. She remembered when Ace had found out about those...He took her on a vacation just the two of them and 'accidentally' kicked a soccer ball into a tabloid writer looking for a scoop's nose.
-
Oh Ace, if you could just be here right now. Hay, I wish mom was here. Before...before dad wasn't around anymore. When the world was so much simpler. When I was just their little princess. I could hear her singing me a lullaby right now if I just let myself drift away. Wasn't one I heard before, but it was soft and loving all the same.
"Shoo be do shoo shoo be do."
"Mommy," I whispered falling asleep and not caring at all. "Gimmie a goodnight kiss."
"Alright honey," Mommy said her voice more melodic than I remember. I smiled as Mommy gave a wet, cold kiss like someone had just brought a furry tuna's lips to my forehead.
I snapped my eyes open, seeing a yellow faced seapony staring down at me. "Oh did baby not like mommy's kiss?" She laughed.
"BLECH!" I gasped and skirted away, wiping the slimey kiss from my forehead. How can something that looks so much like a pony feel so gross?! "Hey! What's the big idea?"
She laughed again. "It was just too perfect! After the last snot nosed brat that tapped on the glass and offered me goldfish food, that was just what I needed!"
"Hey! At least ponies are paying attention to you! My band's been playing all day, and they might as well have installed animatronics with how much attention we're getting."
"Anima-tron what?"
"You know, one of those robots that looks like a singing mouse or something? They're in every two bit pizzaria."
"Oh...Those! I thought you meant something else…" she said, looking off to the side.
"Maybe you should stop by the Earth Pony section and see some of our technology."
"Pst. You think land ponies are the only ones to move past spears and pieces of coral? You should see what sea ponies can do with bubbles and a lot of talent."
I raised an eyebrow. "Bubbles?"
"Maybe you should go to the Sea Pony section and check out some maps of our cities," she said, giving a smug chuckle.
"...Okay, I can't say I didn't have that one coming... Bubbles huh? I guess I can see why the kids love you."
"Naturally, everypony loves me."
"Guess everypony loves a clown."
The seapony's stared incredulous. "W-wait a second! Do you know who I am?!"
"Should I?"
The yellow horse-headed fish rose as high and regal as the canal would allow. "I am Adagio Dazzle of Seasville, spawn of Achelous and Aglaope! Lead Singer of the Dazzlings, owner of the most beautiful voice in all of Aquastria! Who the tailfin do you think you are?"
Melody stood there blinking. "Are all your cities named after water puns?"
"Are all your cities named after horse puns?"
Both of the mares just stood there blinking for a second. "...Yes." they both answered at the same time.
They actually both got a bit of a chuckle out of that. "Guess maybe our tribes have a bit more in common than we thought," Melody admitted.
"Yeah, I guess...you still didn't answer my question."
"Uh, I'm Melody Belle, of Ponyville, daughter of Medical Belle and Grand Bell, lead singer and guitarist of the Rockin' Beats, and the most bad flank rocker there is period!"
"You're into demolition?"
"Rock and roll! Music!"
"Oh that's what you call it."
"What do you mean 'it?'"
Adagio smiled. "Oh, just all the effort land ponies have to put in to make anypony even HEAR your music with nothing to work with but thin air. I salute you."
Melody smirked. "Oh! That's impressive, I mean, being the best singer you say, must be a real challenge with those tiny lungs. I salute you too."
"I can sing above and below water. Care to come in and take a big lung full of water and see how well you sing?" Adagio grinned.
"Uh...well, can you sing while playing a guitar at the same time?"
Adagio looked at her fins. "...I could learn. It's just sea pony instruments are more for classical music than the kind I like to sing."
"Uh...no offense, but how exactly do sea pony instruments work?"
"They use water currents and bubbles, not exactly the most fast paced stuff in the world."
Melody blinked. "Wait, you like faster music? I thought sea pony music was that shoob-"
Adagio glared. "Not all of our music is like that!...It's just in our anthem."
"Shoo Be Do, Shoo Shoo Be Do."
Adagio face finned. "Is that our only song land ponies know?"
"Well it was the one the first ambassadors sang when they showed up, and it was kind of all over the news."
Adagio would've blushed if sea ponies were capable of it. "As I said, national anthem, and a popular folk song before King Leo adopted it, not necessarily my favorite song ever."
"You just sang it!"
"It was a joke!"
"Okay, then tell me, what exactly would YOU call sea pony music?"
Adagio smirked and took a deep breath, singing a long, haunting vocal, using more breath than Melody though she had air in her lungs. "THAT is Sea Pony music, or at least my band's. What about you? What's 'land pony music' like that I should be impressed?"
Melody gave a chuckle of her own and proceeded to sing her own vocal, which while less haunting and more rock and roll, matched Adagio's in length without missing a beat.
The sea pony, not to be out-done, sang her own vocal again, holding the note even longer. Melody matched her.
Then both groaned, rubbing their throats. "Dang it, been singing for the crowds all day…"
The two blinked, staring at each other as that sentence left their mouths at the same moment.
"How do you get a worn out throat? You have a drink of water nearby constantly?"
"I also dry out faster while singing! This would be so much easier if they had just built that bubble stadium like our agent told these land ponies to! You land ponies don't know what you're missing hearing our singing through air! If you were underwater you'd be worshipping at me and my sisters' tailfins!"
"Not if they'd be worshipping at my rear hooves first!" Melody grinned.
"No way! Ponies have been lining up to see the Dazzlings since we were in high schooling!..Learning, not my family. My sisters and I moved to the capital because Seasville's just too small for us!"
"Well so have the Rockin' Beats! We did our first television gig when I was in high school. My band mates were all 'we're good' with the slow version of our song, but I was the one there who told how-!"
"-You needed to be great."
"Exactly! You don't get to be the best by being 'good' you get to be the best by blowing the competition out of the water!"
"...You actually said 'blowing the competition out of the water'?" Adagio asked, blinking.
"Yeah."
'I guess Bright Eyes has a point about how weird it is we have a common language.'
"...You know the REASON myself and my sisters were so eager to join this cultural exchange? When we heard what you pass off as 'music!' We seaponies have our pride after all! You poor land ponies were clearly so far behind in music, it would be a SIN not to show you the light."
Melody never stopped smiling, and neither did Adagio. "Well, if your national anthem is something you don't really care for that much, then maybe it's your herd, tribe, school, that needs to be shown the light. I mean, so deep underwater, it must be really dark down there."
"In Seaville, it was, until our future got so bright everypony had to salvage shades from a ship-wreck."
"Your brightness must have blinded them."
"Oh yes, I imagine they crashed just to be rescued by me."
"You missed your calling as a light-house."
"And you missed your calling as a comedian."
"Oh no, look at my flank."
"Do I have to?"
"Don't be weird, we all go around naked. And like you don't show your tailfin off for the crowd. See? That microphone doesn't symbolize stand-up routines! It's my destiny to sing with the best of them! This voice is me!"
"So...what if I do? They should feel honored I'm giving them something extra with the show."
"I don't need to embellish my singing to bring in the crowds."
"And my sisters and I don't need instruments to make music."
"Oh yes, the effort it takes to learn to use them might a little much for you."
"I could learn I just don't want to."
"Oh like I haven't heard that one before!" Melody laughed.
"Okay, I'll try learning your guitar with fins and you try learning how to play a bubble harp without gills or hydrokinesis," Adagio said, still with her cocky, but playful grin.
"Hydro-what?"
"...Sea ponies can make water move with our magic. It's how we swim so fast."
"...Well, I can hold things with my hooves." Melody had been grasping at straws, but then remembered.
"How DO you do that anyway?!"
"Not again! Look! I just do it! Like everyone! It's everyone else that's weird! I mean, how do you hold or move anything without your hooves?!"
"Oh my, seems I hit a nerve."
"You try having to be asked that a bajillion times. And the freaky looks the rest...give you...when it's just...something you...do." Understanding dawned on Melody's face.
"You want them to love your singing, to be adored like you are at home-"
"-but they aren't even paying attention to that."
"This entire thing is supposed to be about the tribes getting to know each other. To talk about how we're the same."
"But we aren't one and same thing," Melody said.
"Like they're scared of a little competition."
"And the things that are similar, we don't even notice. We're too focused on the novelty of each other."
"You know, when contact was made, ponies were freaking out that land ponies were going to eat us, mount us- I mean like fishing trophies, or put us in aquariums."
"As if you wouldn't mind being adored all day."
"As if you wouldn't too?"
"Maybe, but I like being in charge of where I go."
"Except once you become a star, we're all fish in a aquarium, our contracts and our gigs decide where we go."
"...I haven't seen my husband in forever with the star life we're both leading. We got everything we wanted from our teenage days. I got to be a rock star, he got to be a sports star. Heck, he got me, my friends joked how we were perfect for each other: superficial and with a swelled head."
"...You actually had time to have a coltfriend let alone a husband? Lucky."
"You sorry you don't?"
"My sisters are all I need. Well, the four that are with me."
"Four?"
"Yeah, I technically have several dozen by our definition. But four are all I need. And I'm adored by millions, I have all the love I need. Why do you land ponies have such small families?" Adagio asked. Except, it was an actual question.
"...Some of us just don't have the time for large families. Other never find Mr. Right. And some of us don't want to be tied down, think that falling in love means life is over. Others think marriage is that. Heck, my friend Patch and her boyfriend still haven't tied the knot."
"Why be tied to just one mate? If you're all part of the same family, then it's all yours right?"
"It's part of what makes it special. It's part of what separates us how we are, from how we were. Ponologists say primitive ponies would have several mates, and not care about any of them past having foals. It's our way of saying 'I care about you.' "
"...Well, I don't know about the first half, but caring for your school is something I can get," Adagio said, looking for a moment like somepony trying to get why somepony thought blue was orange.
"...So sea ponies don't get married?"
"Well, not so much...ugh, how do I put this in land pony terms? Schools are all one big family, all the parents take care of all the little ones, and have little ones...but we never stop thinking of each other as family."
"I THINK I get that mostly. After all, me and my friends are a herd, the same way Ponyville is one big herd, and Ponyland is an even bigger herd. It doesn't matter if we're all related by blood or not, it's about heart."
"You'll find a seapony school is much the same way."
"Maybe there are some things about us that are the same after all."
"So what were you doing in here anyway?"
"I just need a BREAK! I'd been singing so much I thought I was going to lose my voice, and no pony was even listening!" Melody said.
"I said needed to find the little filly's room...but actually I needed a break too."
"I thought you loved being adored."
"And you don't?"
"Got me there but..."
"I felt like a sideshow," they said together.
Melody said, "I don't mind the fans, or the singing, or even the gig-"
"...not the tabloids, they can go to Tartarus," both said at once, then laughed.
"...But-"
"When it's like you're being treated like a music box, you begin to lose some of the glamor."
"...what if we make it a little more interesting?" Melody said with a grin.
"What do you have mind?" Adagio asked intrigued.
Melody slowly started tapping a hoof in beat. She then began singing the same long vocal she had before and waited.
Adagio smirked, returning her own haunting, long vocal as well. After one more cycle, Melody started singing.
"We are here to come together
And I say that's all well and good
But let's make this a little better
This whole thing's getting dull as wood…"
Ponies were ponies, hearts connected to hearts in song after all.
"So let's livin' up the game,
And see which of us shines brighter," Adagio continued the song, smirk growing wider.
"Shine brighter...
Elsewhere, Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, Tempo Wave, and Oratorio Waltz all looked at each other, they felt Adagio singing somewhere through the waves.
At the same time, Half Note, Pretty Beat, Tuneful, and Sweet Notes, felt in the air, like they should be playing.
"Here's a chance to show our flame,
So let's both try to stroke them higher!"
"Me and you, you and me,
Why don't we see who is better?
United's not just one and the same thing.
Oh what's so wrong with a little competition?
I think that it's a worthwhile addition!"
"I'm a star and you should know it" Melody sang with a cocky grin.
"Yeah, I rise above the rest, Adagio replied with an equal smirk.
"We're here to show off who we are"
"Competition brings out our best!"
The two did their respective wordless vocals.
"Battle! You wanna win it!
Let's have a battle, battle of the bands!
Let's have a battle,we'll go all in it!
Let's have a battle, battle, battle
Battle of the bands!"
The two chuckled, both not backing down an inch.
"Me and you, you and me,
Why don't we see who is better?
United's not just one and the same thing
Oh what's so wrong with a little competition?
I think that it's a worthwhile addition!"
Melody headed to the door and Adagio dove down the pipe, but both looked back to each other.
"Battle! I'm gonna win it!"
"Let's have a battle, battle of the bands!"
"Let's have a battle, I'll go all in it!"
"Let's have a battle, battle, battle
Battle of the bands!"
The two chuckled. "...Honestly, that was the first song I sang all afternoon that I actually felt pumped singing," Melody said, giving a smile.
"Same here…But don't think I'm going to go easy on you," Adagio replied.
"I'd be insulted if you did, pal." Melody smiled friendly, a smile Adagio sincerely returned.
After much discussion with their respective agents, the Exchange was greeted by the first ever intertribal battle of the bands...ending with both leads fainting from exhaustion.
But seeing the musical prides and joys of their respective tribes have a friendly competition with no hard feelings was a worthy addition indeed. And both bands would later admit in interviews, that they hadn't seen their lead singer so happy the entire culture exchange. And both were happy to have a new rival...and friend.
