Inevitable Fate

Sonorous, who was wondering around, was the last to spot her two companions. An inward wave of animosity rose within her at the sight of Twilight and company. With a deep sigh and a stoic face, she marched over to join them. Everypony, except Twilight and Spike, wore varied expressions upon seeing her.

Twilight, after venting her frustrations, was merely annoyed. Spike just glared at the pony who had belittled his friend. Sonorous didn't even glace at them, she trotted up to stand silently beside Vinyl. Hoping that this minor nuisance wouldn't drag on to long. Fluttershy, noticing that she looked uncomfortable, trotted up and began to speak.

"Um, hello again Miss. Sonorous, how are you today," Fluttershy quietly spoke. Sonorous focused her gaze upon Fluttershy before replying in a flat tone, "I'm doing fine, thank you." Fluttershy felt a wave of anxiety, begging her to retreat from this intimidating mare. Fighting those innate urges, she took a deep breath, held it, then let it out seconds later.

Feeling more at ease she spoke again,"Are you excited about playing tonight?" Again Sonorous spoke in a monotone. "I'm very excited, its not everyday that a pony debuts in Canterlot." From her peripheral sight, Twilight spotted Fluttershy and Sonorous talking. She could feel a mixture of frustration and anger washing over her.

Remembering those cold words, Twilight wonder why she was so opposed to her. Clearly she didn't mind talking to her friends, Twilight's ears drooped slightly. After several minutes, the two groups parted ways. As soon as the three ponies left, Twilight turned to Fluttershy. "So what do you think of her?"she asked.

"Well she is definitely a pony of few words," Fluttershy spoke. Her smile immediately vanished when met with the surprised looks of her friends. "Darling, I'm impressed that you decided to converse with such a brute." Rarity said. "What do you mean, she wasn't rude at all," Fluttershy replied, shocked at Rarity's words.

"Don't you remember how she insulted Twilight," Rainbow Dash blurted. "I hadn't forgotten but Twilight did pursued her." "If a stranger pursued you, wouldn't you get hostile?" Fluttershy squeaked, her voice straining under their stares.

Upon hearing this, the group considered her words, until Applejack broke the silence. "You're right sugarcube, maybe Sonorous isn't as ornery as we thought." Fluttershy's smile returned, "However that doesn't excuse her behavior though,"she added. The group continued to browse, their opinion of Sonorous slightly altered.

Meanwhile Octavia, Vinyl, and Sonorous trotted down the street, wondering where to go next. Vinyl was humming and leading the way, Octavia was beside Sonorous, a smile on her face. "I was surprised, Fluttershy is usually to shy to engage a strange pony," she declared. Sonorous turned her head toward Octavia as she continued.

"If I may ask, what did you all talk about?" "Nothing really, just idle chitchat," Sonorous replied. "It's good to see her shedding her shyness, even if only a little," Octavia vocalized. The two hadn't noticed Vinyl's sudden stop slammed right into her. "Why did you stop Vinyl," Octavia stuttered as she caught herself from falling.

Sonorous wasn't so lucky though, stumbling mid-step, she fell to her knees. "Is that clock correct," Vinyl asked pointing to the clock in the store window. The clock shown a quarter til eight, both Octavia and Vinyl's eyes widened in surprise. "We need to hurry so we can tune our instruments before the show," Octavia spoke in a panicked tone.

They hurried off but stopped as they noticed Sonorous stationary. Vinyl dashed to Sonorous in a flash, urging her that they had to go. Sonorous shaking her head was the only response she received. Octavia rushed over to see why they were standing around. Sonorous just gave a snicker before she explained that there was a faster way.

Puzzled expressions were exchanged as Sonorous' horn glowed brightly. In a flash, a pair of wings appeared upon her back. Only her companions caught on to her ruse. Passing ponies just gawked, having just witnessed a unicorn transform into an alicorn. "Show pony,"Vinyl playfully sneered. Sonorous just grinned before turning toward them.

"I hope you don't have a fear of heights," she smirked as telekinesis encased them both. Their amusement quickly turned to shock as they floated upward. Vinyl quickly recover and mimicked poses that would be found in a Superstallion Comic. However Octavia didn't adjust so well, she covered her eyes with her hooves.

Spreading her wings out, the three ponies took to the skies with a great gust. Vinyl stopped posing and resigned to hooted with delight as they flew. She yelled for Octavia to open her eyes, there was no response. With a sly grin, Vinyl called again, "Come on Tavi, your missing out on something awesome!"

Vinyl knew that she hated that name and sure enough, she opened her eyes and began to chastise her. "How many times do I have to tell yo..." Octavia trailed off when she realized where she was. Unlike last time though she couldn't cover her eyes. Her muscles seized up as she stared past Vinyl toward the ground.

Sonorous swiveled her head toward Octavia, upon feeling a sharp tug ripple through her telekinesis. Octavia was still held firmly, she'd merely jerked her body around to stared skyward. Both Sonorous and Vinyl could see Octavia slowly relax. "It's not so bad once you stop thinking about falling," Octavia yelled, fear still present in her voice.

After a couple minutes of flight, The three mares began their descent upon the sidewalk below. Ponies on the street just gawked, the appearance of a strange alicorn descending from the sky was quite a sight. The Party Warehouse was directly behind Sonorous as she landed. Next to touch down was Vinyl, Octavia was still gazing up into the sky.

When Vinyl's rear hooves touched the ground, she bend down to rest on her haunches. With her forearms held out, she gestured toward Octavia. Mischief shone brightly in Vinyl's eyes, Sonorous nodded as she lowered the mare gracefully into Vinyl's forearms. Octavia shifted her eyes from the clouds to Vinyl when her face came into view.

Immediately her face turned beet red as she felt Vinyl's forearms cradle her backside. "Look, I caught an angel," Vinyl softly spoke. Sonorous snickered as she watched a completely stupor Octavia struggle to speak. Quickly rolling out from Vinyl's arms, she dusted herself off, grinning as she did so. Leaning closer to Vinyl, Octavia quietly stammered.

"Honestly I swear you act more foalish then a filly at times."A few ahhs and giggles could be heard from the crowd. Sonorous and Vinyl turned toward them, while Octavia avoided making eye contact. The gaze of an alicorn, even a strange one, was enough to cause them to bow out of respect. Sonorous gave a sharp snort, magic snaked up her horn.

With a bright flash, her wings vanished. The crowd, heads still lowered, only rose when three sets of hoof falls was heard. Murmurs from the crowd filled the air, as they asked who and where the mysterious alicorn came from? The three companions trotted into the warehouse, more pressing matters demanded their attention.

Once they entered the building they froze as a white stone wall stood in front of them. What purpose this other wall served was soon discovered as huge ramps spiraled up each side of the wall. Each ramp had safety rails and several metal poles leading from the ceiling to the floor. The ramps snaked around in a circular pattern as they ascended toward the ceiling.

The spiraling staircases intersected several stone slabs jetted out of the wall. These slaps granting access to newly constructed doorways. The safety rails that lined the stairs, diverted to include the stone protrusion into its safe enclosure. The floor was covered with a beautiful midnight blue rug. While several strips of amethyst purple carpet guided the patrons.

The purple carpet led to a ticket booth, tracing the sides of the booth to the doors on either side. It continued up the ramps, cushioning the hard stone surface. On the far right of the ceiling depicted the first rays of the dawn racing toward the center. On the left displayed the constellations, shining bright in the night sky.

While the middle was the collision of night and day, illustrated as vibrant streams of violet, orange, and yellowish red. The trio slowly trotted toward the inner doors, wondering what else would be different. Upon passing through, they noticed that the rear stage was completely removed. A circular stage now resided in the center of the room.

This stage rose four feet above the floor, ascending as a circular stairway. In the center of the stage was a hexagon column that extended all the way to the ceiling. There upon the stage, was all their instruments and equipment positioned in a triangular pattern. Vinyl's section was fairly cluttered since she required multiple pieces of equipment.

A closer inspection revealed that every cord from her equipment ran into the floor. Good Fortune certainly had a unique taste in design. This became very apparent once standing on stage. A glance around the room revealed tall structures that held close to the walls. This structure stretched eight feet up the walls however the corners were host to another structure.

These corner constructs was rounded, similar to that of a gazebo. Rising all the way to the ceiling, several balconies extended outward. A fixed interval between each of them as they ascended up the cylindrical towers. Vinyl flipped on her equipment which gave a small hum of life.

She turned to Octavia and Sonorous and spoke loudly with glee, "Let's get this party started!" Octavia cocked an eyebrow as she reminded her that the show hasn't started yet. "Just getting hyped up," Vinyl replied with an over abundance of vigor.

Octavia smiled as she returned to tuning of her instrument, Sonorous doing likewise for her violin. Nine o' clock quickly arrived, ponies swarmed the lobby, eager to claim their seat. After purchasing a ticket, the guests either entered through the ground entrance or trotted to their designated balcony. The structures that clung to the wall was now revealed as huge retracting benches.

These benches had areas that resembled a flat trotway, providing access to the bench seats. Above them, hung a red velvet curtain that seemed to encircle the entire stage. A circular golden post held the curtain in the air. Several thick cables, could be seen rising from the orbicular metal ring to the ceiling above. Smaller cables could be seen tracing down the curtain, Sonorous guessed that was how they raised and lowered it.

Octavia was taking a few deep breaths to help focus herself. Vinyl was slightly bobbing her head, mane gentle rocking back and forth. Sonorous guessed that this was their preparation ritual before a performance. Sonorous kept a placid look yet was ecstatic for the prospective banquet. Deeper in her mind however a slight twinge of apprehension.

The same uneasiness that always accompanied huge crowds. A changeling's life depended on how well it could remain undetected. Smaller groups tended to be a safer mark, especially when hunting solo. However she never liked to play it safe, big risk for big rewards was more her style. Before she could continue her train of thought, all but the stage lights dimmed out.

The audience grew deathly quiet, waiting for the show to begin. The three ponies stood at their respective point of the triangle, facing the crowd. After a few moments, the lights over the stage dimmed to an orange grow. Vinyl began with a deep sound of a synthesized grand piano. Its tone began to fill the room with a nimble, cheery tone.

Despite not having any experience, except the previous day, with the classical genre, Vinyl had quickly grasped the concept of its musical structure. With a swift hoof of pressed buttons, turned knobs, and slide adjustments. The results was a beautiful fluttering scale of notes, from treble to bass. Octavia and Sonorous raised their instruments in preparation to join Vinyl.

Octavia's cello bellowed out a deep soothing melody. While Sonorous' violin rang out in a high pitched, moderately paced rhythm. The three separate musical numbers levitated from their respective sources. A placid aura began to saturated the atmosphere as the consonance of melodies wove themselves together. The resulting musical collaboration produced a harmonizing sound that could lull a dragon to complacency.

Soon the only ponies that were in motion were the three performers. The audience were like statues, clinging on every note that resonated. From the corner of her eye, Sonorous spotted a quadricolored mane from the top balcony. She knew who that mane belonged to, mentally cursing her whimsical luck. Returning her attention back to performing, the phrase c'est la vie, crossed her mind.

Up high in one of the balconies, two alicorn sisters listen and unwound. Celestia and Luna, wanting to escape their stuffy routine, lounged on the couch. Celestia, who had a dreamy expression, was entranced by the music. Luna, who was enjoying the symphony, wasn't as invested as her sister. She was still mulling everything over, hoping to realize something she had overlooked.

Replaying the entire account in her head, every detail being scrutinized. More then once Luna had to chase away the tranquil melody. The music beckoning her to kick her hooves up and relax. She had to admit this music was invoking some very powerful emotions. Memories of Luna's foalhood began to reemerged in her mind, her being wrapped in a warm blanket, and snuggled by her parents.

Luna wiped a tear from her eye, these precious memories washing over her. Despite her resolve, she succumbed to the mesmerizing music. With a quick glance, she saw that even Celestia was affected. Her face and posture were as rigid as ever but Luna knew better. It was her eyes that told of her current emotional state.

To Luna's surprise however she spotted a streak of wet fur down her sister's cheek. The only other moment she had seen her sister shed tears was when their parents passed on. Luna gave Celestia a loving nuzzle against her neck. In turn, Celestia pulled her sister into a loving hug. The Princesses of Equestria wasn't the only ponies that were acting nostalgic.

Throughout the building, everypony was enamored by the gentle resonance of the music. Octavia knew that music could move a pony to emotional outbursts, having witnessed this occurrence during past concerts. However she struggled to understand how every single pony, within her sight, was affected to such an extreme.

With the reason eluding, she focused her attention back to the ever approaching finale. The trio slowed their pace, with a final note, Octavia lowered her bow. With a few more notes, Sonorous did the same, leaving Vinyl to play a solo. The majestic melody that once filled the warehouse, slowly parted for Vinyl's melody. Only a select few knew that she, secretly, enjoyed classical music.

Especially string instruments for their low bass sounds. Vinyl, manipulating her equipment with skill, produced a slow, deep, and soulful melody. After a short piece, she stopped playing, the lingering melody echoing off the walls. Once silence returned, the audience let out an onslaught of thunderous applause. The trio began to bow toward the audience, basking in their admiration.

While she bowed, Sonorous began to feast on the love that permeated the room. After several moments of feeding, she stopped, her appetite was thoroughly satisfied. The descending curtain finally separated the audience from the stage. Her contentment was pushed aside as Sonorous was glomped by the overjoyed mares.

"That was superb," Octavia exclaimed after she had released her hug. "That was completely off the charts," Vinyl shouted over the applause. Flashing a grin, "yea we are pretty great,"Sonorous boasted while straightening up. Octavia just shook her head and chuckled, "you're as incorrigible as Vinyl."

Vinyl began to moon trot in place, she was on cloud nine at the moment. The cheering slowly fading into low murmurs as the crowd departed. Sonorous, Octavia, and Vinyl began chatting as they packed their equipment. Once the murmurs died out they began to leave, Octavia lifted the curtain with a hoof for them to depart through.

However before anypony could move, the small opening was encased with an orange glow. The opening grew wider, revealing Princess Celestia with Princess Luna by her side. "Good evening ladies, are we intruding?" Celestia inquired. Octavia gave a slight bow while Sonorous and Vinyl remained standing since they were levitating heavy equipment.

"We'd like to express our admiration for your beautiful performance," Celestia spoke as Octavia recovered herself. "However a situation has occurred and we'd appreciate your cooperation in the matter," she continued. Octavia inquired as to how they could assist them.

"We have a suspicion that changelings might be in the vicinity," Celestia replied with a slight sternness in her voice. Both Octavia and Vinyl felt as if their hooves were made of lead, though their faces never wavered. "We've already checked everypony here," Luna's eyes shifted to the three musicians before continuing coldly.

"Except you three mares, prepare to be examined." "Please set down your equipment and step forward, one at a time," Celestia asked in a soft voice. Octavia, being closest to Celestia, approached the princesses. Her horn ignited with magic, soon a cone of magic swirled around Octavia.

Moments passed before her magic faded from around her. A smile spread across Celestia's face, "you've passed." Sonorous was lost in her thoughts, weighing her options.Yet every course of action didn't present a very high success rate. She was snapped back to reality when Celestia called her name. Celestia waited for Sonorous to step up but she didn't.

After several seconds of silence, Celestia repeated her request. Sonorous scoffed while placing a hoof on her chest, "I grow tired of this charade, wouldn't you agree." A blazing torrent of green flame engulfed her, revealing Chrysalis seconds later. Both Celestia and Luna instantly prepared for a fight, horns blazing with magic.

Chrysalis, on the other hoof, began to stroll defiantly toward them. "Are you really so eager to fight that you'd risk causing a riot?" Chrysalis cooed sickly. "Just imagine all the panic and collateral damage that would ensue," she finished, her fangs fully visible now.

Not backing down, Celestia growled through gritted teeth, "What are you proposing then changeling!" "That's queen changeling to you," Chrysalis retorted, earning her a pair of death glares. "I think your throne room would be more isolated,"she sneered.

Luna took a couple of steps as she growled, "how dare you presume to order us, we should slay you where you stand and be done!" "Silence child, we're trying to have a conversation," Chrysalis retortd. Luna was fuming, her wings unfurled, she was ready to attack.

With a solemn stare from Celestia, Luna begrudgingly folded her wings as she snorted in anger. Celestia turned to face Chrysalis again "we shall adjourn to the throne room."She leaned over to whisper into her sister's ear, with a nod, Luna teleported away. Celestia then motioned for Octavia and Vinyl to come closer.

With confused expressions, they gather closer. The lowered curtain obscured the brilliant flash from Celestia's teleportation spell. They instantly appeared in the throne room, Octavia and Vinyl slightly dazed from the bright light. In the center of the room stood Luna, behind her stood The Bearers of Harmony.