Fallout: Equestria - Group Anthology - 2016

The Final Song - Sisters at Heart

by PrinceUniversa

I was poking at the microphone while I saying some random stuff those ponies would usually say when testing a microphone, “Testing, testing, one, two, three… Hello, is this thing working here?”

I saw my fellow artist nodding his head from my question, “It’s working my friend, but tell me… why you decided to this now when the war’s getting worse? I’m still trying to understand here…” I couldn’t help but let out a sigh from his question when I had told him a bunch of times about this. I feel like I could be here forever telling him about why I am doing this now.

I wanted to leave him in silence but that’d be rude of me to do so. That and sooner or later, friendship might end up disappearing from the face of Equestria. As much as I hate to say that, the road ahead looks to be heading towards that direction what with the Zebras getting desperate and all. I just let my brain churn the words I needed to say and told him why I’m doing this for the… fiftieth time I believe? Damn it all, I lost track of count, “Look, the two of us are not going to be able to live for so long if this war continues on. Might as well make our last song together and preserve it for the future right?”

I can see the expression on my friend’s face turning sour from my sentence. He hated the outcome of this whole war like me. We both knew that it was out of our hooves to change the course of history and yet we were putting up a façade to hide our worries about this whole thing. Everypony here was, “I just wished that it didn’t have to resort to… all of this… it’s been so long since…”

“We’ve been at war?” I finished his sentence. My friend just silently nodded to the answer. I let out another sigh escape me, “I know, but we have to keep a positive outcome out of all of this. Who knows? Maybe one day, a group of ponies… no, people, might save Equestria from its ashes and return it back to its original roots…” My friend returned his attention to me as he was bearing a smile to my answer. I was glad to see him at least jovial, if only for a while. He focused his attention back to the sound booth, but before all of that, this time I had a question. My friend was a bit off guard from the sudden question, “So where did you get the inspiration of this song you’ve written?”

He looked at me a bit surprised from it but the expression changed to one of delight, “Oh, so now I’m the one who has to repeat what I said before?” I raised an eyebrow in confusion from that answer. He chuckled from my reaction, “Teasing here! Anyway, would you believe that I got the inspiration of this song from the Head of the Ministry of Awesome and one of the presidents of Stable-Tec?”

Oh now this, I’ve heard of. Rumors about it were spreading like wildfire during the war. Though many find it relatively odd for those two, I found it to be rather endearing, “You mean the rumor involving Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo being supposedly sisters?”

I saw my friend nodding to my question pretty much confirming my answer, “Yep, and like you, I found it to be rather endearing. As a result of that, I’ve written lyrics about those two and to be fair, I think I might have shed a bit of tears imagining the song being sung by you.”

I let myself chuckle a bit from his response, “Only you can make yourself cry with your songs.” His face was showing shades of red from my teasing. I snickered a bit from seeing that. Looking into the song, I noticed that the song seemed to be in the perspective of the orange pegasus. I didn’t mind it per say as the lyrics did fit her and it did tug at my heartstrings, but if I recall from my friend, he said this song was inspired by the two pegasi, so… why is the focus on just Scootaloo? I couldn’t help but bring up this discovery to him, “Hey, why is the perspective in the song on Scootaloo and not the both of them?”

I covered my ears almost instantly as he was fiddling with the sounds. A screeching noise was erupting in my room. He was scrambling around with the booth and it took him awhile before managing to return it back to normal levels. He looked at me sheepishly as he pushed the big red button, “Ahaha, sorry about that friend-o…” I was scowling under my breath for that abrupt noise. He still held that expression as he was scratching his head. Before long, he returned back to his normal expression, “Again, sorry about that, now what was the question you asked?”

Well I can forgive him about that for now, but if he does that a second time, I’m going inside that room and possibly strangle him there. I cleared my throat trying to recall what the question was, “Repeating my question, why is the perspective on Scootaloo if the song was made for the both of them?”

His smile never faded from his face as he explained the whole thing in a speed that would have made either Rainbow Dash or the head of the M.O.M. proud. I was having trouble trying to absorb all of the knowledge about my question, “…and that’s why I wrote it in her perspective!” I saw one of his eyes lowered and looking at me in bewilderment, “Hey, are you alright there?”

I was clutching onto my head from trying to understand everything he just said. I had forgotten how much of a genius he can be and how long his speeches last. I was shaking my head wildly trying to get it all out of my head. After that little shudder, I looked at my friend’s eyes trying to hide my anger, “Friend, I wanted it simple! Not a complicated speech and all that!” He repeated the usual method when he was longwinded. By method I mean closing his eyes sheepishly and scratching his head in embarrassment.

I couldn’t help myself but let another sigh escape; I believe this to be my third sigh I had to elicit? In any case, I did not want to keep the both of us waiting for answers on questions; we can do all that later. I was ruffling the papers on a stall and poking the microphone checking again to see if any sound was emitting through. I waved back at my friend seeing if everything was in working order. He signaled me back bearing that smile of his. I returned the smile back. I cleared my throat once more before the song started.

As the song begun, a violin was playing through the speakers. The violin was one of two instruments I had loved to listen to constantly due to the nice and calming sounds it emits. As the string instrument continued to strum loudly, slowly a piano quietly emerges and takes over the next portion of the songs. The piano was the second instrument I also loved to hear and these two instruments complement each other in a harmonious symphony. There was a timer for me to begin singing luckily so I don’t lose track of when to sing. I had opened my mouth as the piano begun and the words carried off from me…

Through the lone and lonely nights

To the dark and stormy days

From the mountains to the prairie

For every word I say…

I had to admit, my friend was right about one thing. My voice did compliment this song perfectly like it was almost made for me. I couldn’t help but wonder if those two ever gotten together one last time before the war got to the point of no return. Knowing those tow however, it seemed likely they did celebrate with each other one last time before they met their fates.

No matter what the trouble

No matter what’s at stake

Even if the problem doubles

And I’m not so sure what to make

I’ll have you

As I sung this part, the violin kicked in and both played in different tones with one another. My friend sure knows which instrument to pick to compliment my singing voice and the song itself. During this, I opened my eyes to see him trying to hold back a bit of tears. Normally I’d say he’s being a crybaby, but that’d be rude of me because I’m trying to hold back some tears as well. I had to keep my respect to these otherwise I’d ruin such a good tribute to the two pegasi.

I see you flying over mountains

Leaving obstacles at bay

Living life without no worries

No matter what’s at stake

Your my all, my everything

Exactly what I want to be

One day I will fly up mountain

One day I’ll reach my peak

And I’ll have you

Here the song wanted silence from my voice but I was so absorbed into the song I couldn’t help but let a few long Hoo sounds to come forth. My friend was clearly not expecting that but he still wore his smile as I continued on. You know that certain music can make some people shed some tears yes? Well listening to it would be true as well, but singing with the song has a different motive in mind. Comparing to both actions, singing with the song would make you well up in tears more so instead of listening. Why? Because you are giving your emotions to the song you are singing. Of course not all songs make you cry, some make you want to party forever, others want to make you reconcile with people. Music can make anything almost seems like sunshines and rainbows any time of the day and night and you cannot deny that fact. After the piano and violin duet, the piano took over and I continued singing all the while some tears were escaping my eyes.

Soaring through the sky with the birds

In the soft embrace of clouds

With my wings stretched to the Sun

The silence roaring loud

In my mind, I’m clearly there

Reaching out to you

I open up my eyes

And I swear I flew

And I had you

At about the four minute mark, the violin returned back to play with the piano for a few seconds before going into silence. I had almost forgotten that Scootaloo was known for being the only pegasus to not able to fly despite having pegasi blood coursing in her. To hear this part of the lyrics sung by me, I think I had to wipe a few tears away from suddenly recalling that information. I didn’t even know those two personally, only known them by name. All this information, I had learned myself in my spare time when I was still a singer. The next set of words came and I think I might’ve broken down had I not kept my composure strong.

When night is almost over

To find reality

My wings cannot be yours

But in my dreams

I can fly besides you

Together we can soar

And just ‘til I wake

I’m alone no more

The song wished for silence from my voice again but I continued on letting a few long Hoo sounds come forth again. The piano was on solo for the most of my humming but after a few seconds, the violin slowly begun to resurface and harmonized with the piano. Both of us were beginning to feel our tears welling up and after some time, we let the waterworks go. None of us wanted this to be our last song but Celestia and Luna be damned, if Equestria is going to go down this path of no return, then let us do this so that the old roots can be remembered for the future. The piano slowly went down in volume. Left with the violin once again, I sung the last words before I incoherently broke down in tears.

For I have you…

The violin took over the last portion of the song for as long as the song played. As it did a crescendo, the violin ended on a very high note and did a decrescendo to a lower yet still high note before the violin stopped on that note and slowly lowered in volume signifying the end of the song. I said it before and I’ll say it again, I was down on the floor shedding some tears from this beautiful song. My ears perked as I heard the sounds of an opened door. I opened my tear-filled eyes to see my friend coming and assisting me up, “Come on and let me help you up.”

I did as he instructed as I grabbed his extended hoof. He pulled me up from my embarrassing position as I wiped the last of the tears that stayed in my eyes. I had to admit, I’m not one to cry so easily with any ordinary song but this makes it one of those exceptions. I looked into my friend’s eyes. I had never felt so much sadness and joy in a single song… I had to thank him for it but the words just wouldn’t go out of my mouth, “Um… you…I…uh…” Come on! How hard was it to say a simple thank you here!?

I raised my right hoof up to speak one more time but I was cut off by a hoof covering my mouth. I looked down at my friend’s hoof first before looking back into his eyes. A smile formed on his face as his eyes almost seemed to glimmer, “You don’t have to tell me, I can tell in your eyes, that you are thanking me.”

He removed his hoof from my mouth and stepped back a bit. I wiped my mouth clean and returned the smile back. Not what I was expecting but I wasn’t going to argue about it. Though I will bring it up to tease on my stallion friend here, “I honestly thought that you were going to kiss me there when I was about to open my mouth again.” I saw him stood still there and stuttered his words as rose his right hoof. Ha, oh now this was fun. I returned the gesture back as I stopped him with my right hoof. After a few seconds, I pulled back and he gave a smile while scratching his head again. Going back on topic, I hope he managed to record the whole thing so I don’t have to go through the feels trip again, “You did managed to get the whole song recorded right?”

He stopped scratching his head and nodded to my question. I let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, no more tears today please. He returned back to the sound booth and pulled out a CD with the song in it. I walked into the sound booth looking upon the CD. I saw my friend smiling as he put it in a plastic case, “Well, if this is to be our last song together, then I’d say it’s a great song for us to be remembered.”

I punched him on the gut trying to be positive about all of this. I truly can’t because of how this whole life might turn out for the both of us but we can try to have the best moments of my life when the end comes. I pulled him forward to the door with a smile on my face, “Sunshines and rainbows right friend?” He smiled back as he grabbed the CD and we trotted out of the studio for possibly our very last time. Before we officially left though, one question nagged at my head, “Say, what are you going to name the song we made?”

He looked at me at first for some time then to the CD that held the song. After a few minutes of silence, a small grin formed on his face as he put the CD case in his saddlebags, “Sisters at Heart.” I smiled. I liked that name; it was fitting for those two. He was the first to leave the studio as he went down the stairs; I turned around seeing the studio in all its working condition. I felt sad leaving this place for seemingly forever, but fate would not be kind to all of us now. I flicked the switch turning off everything in here. I did a small wave back to the studio before leaving it behind. I’m sure am going to miss this place…

Two hundred years later

Well, here I am alive and well. The same thing can be said for my stallion friend. I bet you’re wondering how we survived the upcoming balefire bombs right? Well, thanks to my stallion friend, we managed to find a working Stable that seemed to experiment on trying to extend one’s life or in better words, life support pods. That was just plain luck for us. Apparently they were testing those in the request of the head of the Ministry of Arcane Science, Twilight Sparkle. These pods were in Stable 150 if I recalled but some of them were moved to Stable 112, the Stable we were in.

We were inside the pods asleep for what seems like forever when a hissing sound of pods opening was met to the both of us. I opened my eyes to see the grey ceiling of the Stable. I was rubbing my eyes as I got up from alongside my stallion friend when we saw five ponies….er, take that back, three ponies, a changeling and a dracony? Whatever the case, they were attending to the other pods that opened. One of the ponies came to me, a pegasus to be precise as he helped me up. Seeing that this pony was a complete stranger to me I couldn’t help but ask, “Um, thank you sir but… who are you five?”

I saw his smile. It was almost as bright and luminescent as the crystals found in the Crystal Empire. Wow what an analogy I said there. He put one of his wings on my back as he responded, “Just a friend…” I saw his expression change a bit from jovial to a little bit of grief before returning back to jovial, “Welcome to Equestria two hundred years from the present.”