Chapters "This sucks!" Rainbow shouted as her friends surrounded her hospital bed. The sign above her head on the wall had her name on it, a joke the staff played given how often she had stayed in this room. It was the only room in the hospital with a name.
Rainbow Dash's room. It was simple, but it got the point across.
"Well, next time don't try to do...whatever it was you were trying to do while the wind is blowing that hard. They said you are lucky they could fix your wing. Nonetheless you have to stay off of it for at least three weeks." Twilight explained, harshly. She cared for all her friends, but Dash was constantly hurting herself while pushing to be as awesome as possible for the Wonderbolts.
"THREE WEEKS! Might as well be three months, or..." Dash started, but was cut off by everyone finishing for her.
"..three years! Yes Rainbow darling, we know how you feel. But look at it this way, you can possibly pick up a new hobby." Rarity explained, rolling her eyes at the cyan pegasus' predictable reaction. Dash simply crossed her arms and pouted while Nurse Redheart finished up the paperwork.
"Ok Rainbow Dash, you are free to go. Be back in two weeks to have your wing looked at again, and we can tell you further how long to stay grounded. If you try to fly, the bone will break again, and might shatter or push through you skin. We know you never listen, but if you ever want to fly again, do NOT try to until we say you can." The nurse explained as she put away the file and left the room. Dash looked at her friends who moved so she could get up and have a clear path to the door.
"Ok ok, I'm coming. let's get out of here."
Outside of the clinic the sun shone high in the sky. The group of friends slowly made their way to the market center of Ponyville, chatting about various topics. The central point of conversation consistently fell to what sort of hobby Dash could take up while injured.
"I'm fine girls. I don't need some silly hobby while I'm grounded." Dash again insisted, dreading the thought of being stuck on the ground for weeks. Each member of her friends offered options. Fluttershy suggested helping with the animals, but the last thing Dash could think of as fun was dealing with sick creatures. Applejack of course offered a gig at the farm, but that would require waking up way to early for the pegasus. She would help her friend from time to time, but not nearly enough to dedicate weeks to it. Rarity suggested helping out with outfits, but Dash knew what that meant was "let me dress you up in wild designs" over and over. Absolutely not. Pinkie Pie just wanted to throw parties, which Dash was actually ok with, but then she realized three weeks of parties wouldn't help her healing. Plus when she hit the cider a bit to hard she would end up trying to fly. The ideas thinned as the girls all headed home one by one to deal with their individual chores, leaving just Twilight and Dash in town.
"Well Dash, you have managed to shoot down or avoid every idea we have sent your way. What do you enjoy other than flying. Surely you have done other things in your life." Twilight offered as she tried a new tactic for helping her friend. Before Dash could answer however, they bumped into a white unicorn walking out of a store with a large box. Dash recovered first and recognized the unicorn as a friend of hers.
"Hey Vinyl! Long time no see, how's it going?" She asked, happy to get a break from the pestering. Vinyl Scratch stood up and checked the box she had been moving. Inside was a new turntable, and flashy pictures on the box made it appear to be pretty high tech.
"What's up Dash! It's been way to long. I've been busy at the club keeping things going, but you know how it is. A party a night, and recording during the day." She explained, sharing a smile with the pegasus before noticing the bandages on her wings.
"Wow, what happened Dash? Crash again?" She asked, hoping her friend was ok. Dash's grin faded as she nodded.
"Yeah, pretty bad. They say I'm stuck on the ground for a few weeks, so now I'm trying to find a way to kill time." She explained, glancing around. Vinyl perked up with a grin.
"Well, I remember you used to play guitar when we were younger before you went to flight school, why not pick that back up?" Vinyl suggested. The two had played music together when they were fillies before Dash finally got accepted into the flight academy and Vinyl had learned her talent as a DJ. Twilight looked shocked to learn that Dash used to do something other than practice flying.
"Heh, I could give that a shot, Vinyl, but I don't have many bits and now I have medical bills." She explained as she looked at the store beside them. It had been in Ponyville for a short time, but was part of a chain from out of Canterlot. Vinyl waved her hand to dismiss such concerns.
"They know me in there Dash. Just let them know I sent you and they will work out a deal for you. Get back in practice and we can jam sometime." Vinyl explained before looking to the sky.
"Unfortunately I have to go. Need to get all this set up and tested before we open the club. Good luck and get well." Vinyl said, giving the pegasus and brief hug before turning and walking down the street. Twilight and Dash just looked at each other before Dash sighed.
"Ok, let's check it out. I do sorta miss it." She admitted as the duo walked into the store.
Spike jumped as the door to the library slammed open and two large boxes floated in with a purple glow.
"Dash, are you sure you can afford this?" Twilight asked as the duo walked in from behind the boxes. Dash had a huge grin on her face. For somepony who had been hesitant about getting an instrument, she perked up as soon as they saw the wall of guitars. Her old excitement while playing guitar started kicking back in, and it had been dormant for years so it kicked in strong. Strong enough for her to talk Twilight into getting one for herself to learn on as well.
"Twi, trust me. They gave use a great deal. Besides, you already agreed to learning guitar as well, so no backing out." Dash explained as the positioned the boxes against the wall. Spike just watched, confused by their reference to guitars until Dash ripped open the larger cardboard box revealing a tall black amplifier. He started feeling excitement at what this could mean. Glancing at the second box, he realized it was actually holding two smaller boxes so carrying would be easier.
"This is going to be SOOO AWESOME!" Dash said, ripping the smaller box open and pulling out a black guitar. The body had a bizaar x shape and the name on the headstock listed B.C. RICH, whoever that was. Spike took this moment to move forward and see what had caused all of this.
"Dash, that looks awesome, but why do you have it. And why is it here Twi?" Spike asked the two. Dash explained how she was hurt and couldn't fly for a few weeks, which Spike expressed his sympathies for, then Twilight explained that Dash would be staying with them and needed something to kill time.
"Um..so we gotta listen to you learn how to play Dash? No offense, but isn't this overkill?" He asked, realizing that the amp would be very loud, and loud, bad guitar playing wasn't something he wanted to hear.
"No no, just gotta get back into it. I used to play as a filly." Dash explained, placing the guitar around her next and plugging it into the amp. A flip of the switch and the amp gave a slight hum from the strings slightly shaking on the guitar. Dash palm muted the strings while digging out a pick grip for her hoof.
"I will say, it has been a while, so don't expect much." Dash said as she noticed Spike and Twilight looking at her and waiting to see what she could manage. What she managed as a surprisingly fast and, as Spike was heard mumbling, epic solo. Even Twilight thought it sounded somewhat familiar. Once she finished the solo, Twilight stepped forward.
"I had no idea you could even play an instrument, and to find out you're this good is amazing. What was that?" She asked. Dash blushed a bit at the praise, but turned down the volume on the guitar to answer.
"An old song by a band I liked as a filly: Bucks n Roses. Welcome to the Jungle was one of the first songs I ever heard of theirs." Dash explained. The two watching her nodded when Spike pointed to the other box.
"Why do you have two guitars though?" He asked, confused. Twilight used her magic to open that box and glide it to her.
"This one is mine. She somehow talked me into learning the instrument. Music theory sounded interesting and doesn't hurt to learn a new skill." Twilight explained, smiling. Spike tried to smile, but faltered. Looks like he would hear loud screeching of a new guitarist as it were.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: SO THIS IS A JUST FOR FUN STORY WHILE I CONCENTRATE ON MY MAIN STORY: OF LOYALTY AND CHAOS. I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT UP TO DATE AS WELL THOUGH. NEXT CHAPTER WE CAN START TO SEE HOW THE BAND FORMS. :)
Applejack found herself walking through town towards her friends house which luckily doubled as the town library. A new weed had shown up around the farm and she had no clue what it was, but if anyone would have a book with the info, it was Twilight. A smile formed upon AJ's face as she thought about the controlled chaos of the library. Books all over, but Twilight always knew where they were. Well...almost always, but no one was perfect. As she approached the library, the typical silence that seemed to float around the sacred book lair set in. Applejack couldn't help but pause after a moment.
"Wait ah minute. It's too quiet..." She mumbled to herself as she approached the door with caution. Suddenly the silence was shattered by a loud noise, repeating in a rhythm. Applejack jumped back slightly and fell on her flank as a second sound joined in. After a moment of surprised, she recognized it as two guitars playing loudly.
"What tha hay?" Standing up, Applejack opened the door and peaked her head in. The sight that met her was something she never could have imagined in her wildest dreams. Across the room stood Rainbow Dash, still bandaged from her injuries a week ago, holding a vicious looking black guitar, was playing a complicated sounding tune. That was shocking in and of itself, but beside her, with a big smile on her face, stood Twilight Sparkle, wearing a silver guitar that didn't have all the pointy parts that Dash's had. Nonetheless it was just as loud and clearly was the source of the rhythmic noise from earlier. What surprised Applejack the most, however, was how good it actually sounded. Hearing such a rock style from Dash made sense, but Twilight never struck AJ as being into this type of music.
And neither of them even played an instrument as far as Applejack was aware.
After a minute or two, both ponies stopped and looked to each other, hoofbumping in silent agreement that they had performed excellently. Applejack started clapping to make herself known, a grin on her own face now.
"Ack!" Twilight jumped, not having noticed Applejack as she had been watching her own fretwork. Dash, however, handled the surprise better.
"Hey AJ! How's it going? Like the guitars?!" She asked, excited still from the music. The last few days she had picked up what she had remembered as a kid and was constantly playing, applying her dedication as a stunt flyer to the guitar. Twilight had read a few books on how it was supposed to work and found she could play 'Rhythm', as Dash had put it, quite well.
"Sure, but how'd y'all get so good so fast? I've never even seen ya hold ah guitar." Applejack asked, confused by their obvious skill. Music wasn't their talent, otherwise their cutie marks would be different, so what was up?
"Oh I played when I was a filly, and Twilight here found a book," Dash explained, rolling her eyes at the fact that Twilight had a book on guitar playing, "so with some instruction from me, she has gotten pretty solid as well. So now we just jam from time to time." Dash finished explaining, while Twilight was using her magic to re-tune her 'axe', as Dash liked to call it.
"Oh Man! I forgot how much I enjoyed this!" Dash exclaimed. Applejack was joining them in the happiness now that her confusion was cleared.
"Well you guys are pretty good. You should form a band." Applejack suggested, trying to imagine Twilight and Dash on stage with a group of ponies playing loud music. Dash and Twilight's eyes shot to each other, and a grin formed on Dash's face.
"That's not a bad idea, AJ! But we need more ponies. Someone to learn drums and a bassist. Drums requires a lot of stamina and endurance." Dash drifted to talking to herself as she thought through everyone she could think of, glancing at Twilight to see if she had any suggestions. A blank face met her.
'Hah, like Twilight would have any idea who could be a good drummer.' Dash thought, rolling her eyes at the thought when Twilight spoke.
"Well, what about you Applejack. You buck all day and the work on the farm means you should have a huge amount of endurance, and I know you can keep rhythm. When you run you are always on perfect time." Twilight suggested, bringing silence to the group. Applejack was shocked at both the suggestion, and the fact that Twilight even picked up on the fact that she had a cadence when she ran to keep a steady pace.
"You could be an awesome drummer, AJ! But do you think you would like playing this type of music?" Dash said, excited for the possibility. AJ gave her an annoyed look.
"What? Because ah'm a farm pony ah can't enjoy music other than country?" She said, offended at the thought. She had been planning on passing at the chance, but she couldn't stand there and let Dash make such unfair assumptions.
"You git me a drum set and I'm in!" She replied as though accepting a challenge. Twilight held back a laugh at the way Dash manipulated her friend.
"Into what, might I ask?" A new voice spoke as the door opened and a white unicorn walked in, then froze at the sight before her. Behind her a bouncy pink pony followed, but took all she saw in stride, naturally.
"OH WOW! DASH, THAT'S AN AWESOME AXE!" Pinkie Pie said, jetting across the room to get a closer look, then to Twilight's to see hers.
"We just started, and the three of us are looking at starting a band." Twilight explained. Pinkies eyes widened even further, somehow, and Rarity showed signs of understanding as well.
"That's a splendid idea. When I was in a small band as a filly I had a lot of fun." Rarity mentioned, getting a closer look at the guitar and amp setup. It was everyone's turn to give Rarity a confused stare.
"You know, Rarity. You spend all day in that boutique, you should pick up a hobby. Perhaps joining a rock band?" Dash said, turning Rarity's words from a few days ago back on herself. A keyboard would give them more options of music, but the look Rarity was giving made that possibility seem distant.
"Really Rainbow Dash. Do I look like the kind of pony who joins rock bands?" Rarity asked, humored at such a concept. Twilight grinning and walked forward, staying close enough not to pull the cable on her guitar.
"Well Rarity, imagine the costumes you could make for any band you were in. People who watched could see the fabulous outfits and want to order from the band member who created such wonderful things." Twilight said, turning the idea into a fashion and marketing option for the unicorn. Rarity's eyes shot to Twilight's surprise, the a glare formed.
"You think I'm so easily manipulated?" She said, acting offended at such a thought. No pony replied. Not even Pinkie Pie.
And with good reason...
"Yes, you are right. I am. Just let me know when and I'll dig out the keyboard. God it has been years." She started mumbling to herself as she imagined playing again. Dash jumped up excited.
"AWESOME! Now for bass and vocals." Dash barely finished the comment when Pinkie Pie showed up in her face with a huge grin. Dash, however, did not share the excitement.
"I can totally play a bass guitar!" She finally said. Dash gave a skeptical look.
"Really? You can suddenly play bass?" She asked. Pinkie nodded.
"Yep, Bass, Harmonica, Trombone, Tuba, Flute, and many others. Remember the parasprites!" She explained, listing off random instruments she could play, and maybe even had. Everyone realized she had a good point. During the parasprite infection she had played many instruments at once. After a short glance around, Dash sighed and nodded.
"Fantastic! We have lead and rhythm guitar, drums, keyboard, and bass. Almost a whole rock band. Just need vocals!" Dash exclaimed. Everyone looked at her in confusion, obviously expecting her to jump at the option.
They needed a singer who could sing clear, soft, but also shout and be vocal. Maybe even someone who had taught singing to others. Someone who would occasionally lead a choir of ponies, or other woodland creatures, in beautiful music. The realization as to who could be their singer screamed at Dash, but the knowledge of just how hard it would be to get her to say yes sunk in as well.
"Oh horseapples. I know who we need as a singer."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: SO THIS CHAPTERS TITLE REALLY WAS THE BEST I COULD THINK OF. ALL THE GIRLS ARE JOINING UP IN THE BAND, SO IT FIT.
I HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING THE BUILD UP OF THE BAND. I PROMISED THIS CHAPTER WOULD LAUNCH THIS WEEKEND, AND FINISHED IT SOONER THAN I EXPECTED. NO IDEA HOW LONG FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER AS I NEED TO GET THE NEW CHAPTER FOR OF LOYALTY AND CHAOS READY.
ENJOY.
Rainbow Dash stood before the door of her dear friend Fluttershy. The whole walk here, and Rainbow did indeed walk instead of trying to fly as the thought of being permanently grounded still terrified her, was filled with figuring out how to talk the shy pegasus into using the vocal chords that Rainbow knew she had for a rock and roll slash metal slash whatever band. She grinned at the rest of the bands reaction to her suggestion.
"WHAT!" Everyone in the room shouted in unison at Rainbow Dash's absurd comment.
"Hey, volume guys." Dash said, rubbing her ears, never mind she was plugged into a thousand watt amp against the wall.
"Ok Rainbow Dash. Why do you think our dear sweet Fluttershy, who can barely stand talking in front of all of us who she considers her friends, would be willing to sing for a band, potentially in front of other ponies?" Rarity said, calmly, almost chastisingly in nature. Dash just turned to look at her.
"Come on, you know she can do it. Remember the Best Young Fliers competition. You guys told me she went insane when I did the sonic rainboom. And she has that choir of birds she sings with in perfect harmony. Trust me, she is our singer. I'll just talk her into it." Dash said, taking off her guitar and sitting it on the stand they had picked up. Applejack and Rarity glanced to each other with doubting looks.
"Ah reckon you know her best, Rainbow. But just 'cause she CAN do it, don't mean she WILL do it." Applejack explained, as though it was was clear as day.
"I said trust me. I'll talk to her and convince her. You guys just move this stuff to the barn at AJ's place. It's the only spot big enough for all our equipment." Dash said, walking to the door. AJ went to complain at the volunteering of her barn without her consent, but Dash was out the door before she could form the words.
Fluttershy was in her kitchen preparing a meal for her baby bunny Angel while wondering about Rainbow Dash. Specifically wondering how long she planned on waiting at the front door without knocking. Living so far out, she had developed a keen sense for when people approached her home, and Rainbow wasn't the most silent of walkers.
"Angel baby. Here's your food." She called to her baby, placing the salad on the table. Seconds later a small white rabbit shot across the room and to the table, looking highly upset that he had to actually come to the food instead of the other way around. Ultimately though, he softened and jumped at the food, tearing into it as though he hadn't been fed in days. Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle softly at he antics of her favorite pet, but was pulled short when there was finally a knock at the door.
"Hey Flutters! Yeah everything is great. I don't know if you heard, but I picked up a guitar. Twi did too and she has gotten pretty good at it!" Dash explained, the excitement in her voice obviously genuine. Fluttershy smiled at her friend and moved to allow her to step into the house. Once they were inside and seated, Fluttershy was able to get more information.
"I remember you saying you played guitar when we started Flight School together, but that was so long ago I hadn't even thought about it. You seem very excited to be back with music though." Fluttershy responded, recalling the days in flight school where they had no class, and Dash would have some loud rock music playing on her small stereo, jumping around the room like she was on stage. Typically she would go out practice flying, but on recovery days the school forbid it so the students didn't overwork their wings.
Dash smiled at the memory, surprised that Fluttershy recalled those days. She hadn't received a warm welcome at the school so didn't tend to think back to that part of her life.
"I'm more than excited. The rest of the girls and I are going to form a band! We got AJ to agree to give drums a shot, Rarity knows keyboard, and Pinkie Pie is on bass! Nearly a full band!" Dash said, her voice speeding up as she started with the details. Fluttershy followed with no problem and was joyful at the thought of her friends on stage.
Applejack drumming a steady rhythm on one of those large kits like Dash showed her, and she even saw herself and the few concerts her and Dash made it too as fillies during school. Rainbow on stage tearing it up on guitar, while Twilight was back to back with her playing an accompanying piece. Lights on Rarity as she created effects or classical sounding tones with her keyboard, and naturally a fantastic outfit for each member of the band. Pinkie jumping around matching the sounds of the drums on her large guitar. And front and center on the stage....
...wait....
"Rainbow, you said 'nearly' full?" Fluttershy asked, sinking a bit in her seat. She had always been very shy, but she was very quick to put pieces together, and given what Rainbow knew about her, she had a feeling she knew where this conversation was going. Rainbow looked at her, and simply nodded. Rainbow knew she would put it together as well.
"Yeah, that's why I'm here Flutters. We need vocals, and I KNOW you can do it. I have heard you sing before, just the two of us. You have a voice that can work wonders, and we need that." Rainbow explained, a pleading look in her eyes. Fluttershy finished her signature 'hide in my hair' maneuver.
"I can't do that Rainbow. All the ponies watching, it would be too much. Besides, my voice isn't any good." Fluttershy whispered, but Rainbow had learned to listen well to her friend.
"Oh, come on Fluttershy. We aren't going to perform in front of people for a long time, if at all. Just playing around in AJs barn, so no one will even accidentally hear it. And what are you talking about, you have fantastic vocals!" Rainbow explained, trying to ease her friends nerves while upping her self esteem. Fluttershy peaked her eye out of her hair, looking at her confident friend.
"Oh no. I can barely raise my voice, much less sing. Even with my animals, I just provide them a note to follow." She explained, feeling that was proof beyond proof that she couldn't sing. Unfortunately she also knew Rainbow wouldn't let her escape that easily.
"Nonsense. Look, let me prove it to you. Imagine your choir of birds are right here, Give them a simple song to sing." Rainbow said, grabbing Fluttershy's shoulders and facing her to a wall, with Dash beside her. Fluttershy looked at the wall and imagined her bird friends on a tree in front of her.
"Ok. ahem. Ahhh Ehh Ahhh Ohhh Ahhh." Fluttershy nodded and sang. The notes were clear, beautiful, but very quiet. Dash nodded as though it was perfect.
"See, you can sing. Only problem is, your friends aren't on a tree in front of you. They are on a tree fifty hooves away. How can they hear you?" Dash asked, as though it were a serious problem. Fluttershy looked her friend in the eye.
"I would fly over to them so they could hear." She answered, simply. Dash smacked herself in the face with her hoof before continuing.
"Nono, you can't move from this spot. Now try again with that thought in mind." Dash explained, remembering the time she tried to get Flutters to cheer louder and louder. Fluttershy looked scared, but nodded, and closed her eyes. Her friends needed to hear her, and they were so far away. She knew this was imagined, but she couldn't help but worry she would let her friends down, and with just Rainbow here, she knew no one would ridicule her poor vocals. Taking a deep breath, she finally sang out...
"Wooo Ohhhh ohh Ahhh ahhh Ohh ohh Yaa yaa yaa! Wooo hooo oh yaaa yea yea YEAAA YEA YEAA!"
Dash's eyes shot wider than anyone had ever seen. She knew her friend could sing, but to hit such clean high notes was something only professional singers did from Dash's experience. Suddenly she was concerned that her own guitar playing wasn't good enough to keep up with this paragon of vocals. Fluttershy meanwhile simply opened her eyes and saw Dash's frozen reaction.
"See, I told you I wasn't very good." She said, turning to walk away. Dash grabbed her before she could move far and turned her back suddenly, looking directly in her eyes.
"Flutters?! How in the world have I not known you were such a fantastic singer?! That was absolutely amazing! You HAVE to join the band! You know I would never lie to you, and you are truly great!" She said, almost sounding like Pinkie Pie with how excited and fast she was talking.
Fluttershy was shocked. She indeed knew Rainbow would never lie to her, and so she trusted her dear friend when she claimed her vocals were good. But she was claiming more than that. Rainbow was claiming she was amazing. No one had called her amazing at anything before. Even her clients that came buy for help with animals said she was gifted or just really good with animals. If she was amazing at something, maybe it was worth trying. Besides, her friend said no one would be around to hear it.
Other than all the ponies she held dear...
Rainbow could see the process of what to do going on in her friends eyes. She was about to say yes, but something was scaring her.
"I promise you Flutters, everyone will love your voice, and if you feel uncomfortable, you can always quit. Just give it a shot, for yourself if nothing else. You love the world of your animals. Maybe you will love this new world as well.." Dash said as a final volley to get Fluttershy on her side. If this didn't work she would have to leave and find a new strategy. She couldn't go back to the group after failing.
"Ok. I'll try. You girls have always helped me, and I trust you Rainbow. I'll do it." Fluttershy finally said, deciding it was worth a shot. Her eyes had a look of determination that Rainbow recognized. Fluttershy was doing this for herself, to prove she could and to fight against her shy nature. After a moment of silence, Dash exploded.
"YEAH! WOO HOO!" Jumping up and down, Dash pumped her arms in the air and celebrated as Fluttershy quietly giggled at the display. If nothing else, she had made Dash happy, and who knows, this could be fun.
"Well, that'll work well over 'ere." Applejack said to Twilight, who floated a large amp against the wall AJ pointed at. The crew had spent the last couple of hours setting up the barn with the new band equipment. Applejack at first had wanted to argue against it, but after Dash had left before she could, she figured if nothing else being at the farm would stop passing ears from hearing them while they either learned how to play, or just in general destroyed what should be good music.
"ThisIsSoAwesome!ICan'tWaitToFinallyPlay!IHopeDashGet'sFluttershyToSayYes!" Pinkie Pie was bouncing around the barn, barely containing her excitement at what they were doing. With the final plugs connected, Twilight threw the master switch to power all the equipment.
A loud pop announced the power hitting the instruments, then a very low hum that they were ready to make some noise. Rainbow Dash's and Twilight's guitars were on the small stage they had thrown together from spare wood that was stored behind the barn, right next to the drum kit that Applejack picked up on their way back to the farm. Rarity had her keyboard dusted off and set up to the right, and sitting next to it was the bass guitar Pinkie had claimed to own. They even picked up a mic for whoever ended up singing. Twilight had her doubts on Fluttershy, as did the rest of the group except Pinkie Pie, but no matter what, they would make sure the shy pegasus had a spot if she indeed joined them.
"Sounds like everything is set up and working." Twilight said, noticing no problems. Walking over to where AJ stood beside a large barrel of Apple Family Hard Cider, she checked the power connections one last time.
"Hey Girls! I'm back, and I bring our new singer!" Dash swung the other door open and there stood Fluttershy in all her lead singer magnificence: slightly cowering and partly hiding in her hair.
"Hi girls." She whispered, but smiled.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: WELL, LOOKS LIKE THE BAND IS TOGETHER. LET'S SEE WHAT TROUBLE, OR AWESOME ADVENTURES, THEY CAN GET INTO.
THIS VIDEO WAS PART OF MY INSPIRATION FOR THIS WHOLE FANFIC. THE PART IN THIS CHAPTER WHERE FLUTTERSHY BLOWS RAINBOW'S MIND IS MEANT TO HAVE HER SOUNDING SOMEWHAT LIKE THIS. ENJOY.
To say everypony was surprised that Fluttershy had agreed to singing for a band, and basically being the front pony for the group, was a huge understatement. Nonetheless everypony welcomed the shy pegasus into the barn before closing the doors and showing her the stage. Twilight was about to start explaining what all they had done when Dash cut her off.
"See Flutters. We already have everything set up, and with the music we brought we can have a lot of fun playing music as friends. No pony here to worry about." Dash said, placing an arm around the canary pegasus and waving her other arm to indicate the stage.
From this point, the group broke into smaller groups discussing instruments and how the different pieces were set up.
Applejack was on the stage with her drum set reading a starter guide she picked up on basic rhythms and was lightly tapping out some basic patterns while Pinkie had her bass on but turned down, following along with whatever AJ played. At first AJ was confused why the hyperactive pony was nearby, but Pinkie explained how the bass and drums created the backbone for most music, guiding the rhythm. As such they needed to be in tune with how each other played. The calm nature that the pink pony explained it surprised AJ, who decided to just nod and agree to go along with it.
Twilight and Rarity had moved over to the keyboard and were looking over the books Dash had brought. Some were simple books on how to play guitar (which Twilight made a note to borrow), while others were books of sheet music by different rock and metal bands Dash was obviously a fan of. Some of the books had lines with numbers that Twilight recognized as tab, while others had proper sheet music which Rarity was reading over, her hoof subconsciously tapping out the patters for what she read.
The big surprise for the pair was a group of classical books, a style of music they couldn't ever imagine Dash listening to. Twilight noticed Rarity didn't seem interested in reading those books and brought it up to the white unicorn. Her answer had been rather simple:
"Twilight Darling. I was raised playing piano. While that is a fantastic selection of the classics, I know them all by heart already. I'm more interested in these other books. I never imagined some complicated patterns of piano and keyboard would be used in this style." The fashion designer explained before delving back into a book by a band called 'Journey'.
While everypony else was off doing their thing, Dash had moved over to her guitar, keeping the volume low but plucking at strings to make sure it was in tune. She was in a hurry to actually play a song, but AJ needed time to learn more about her drums, and Rarity needed to get reacquainted with her instrument as well. So for now, Dash settled with some exercises meant to speed up her playing.
Fluttershy had followed Dash up on the stage and watched as everypony was working on their instruments. It was interesting seeing Dash holding a guitar again. It had been so many years since she had even seen the cyan pegasus holding one it almost looked foreign. But, even now, the pegasus made it look as natural as everything else the athlete did when she put her mind to it.
With nothing major to look at, her eyes focused on the mic at the front of the stage. Her mic. The item that was intended to make sure EVERYPONY heard her voice.
She didn't like that mic.
Nonetheless, with everypony else preoccupied by their own things, she had nothing else to do but approach her nemesis and get a closer look at it. A test tap on the mic proved it was on, but the volume wasn't very high, barely registering as a 'thud' through the speakers. Moving around, she stood directly behind the mic, all her friends out of her view and only the wall of the barn to stare back at her. Behind her she could hear the thumping of AJ and Pinkie Pie, playing their own impromptu songs. To her left, Rarity was starting to play her own song on the keyboard while showing Twilight some simple scales. Just behind her to the right was Dash, playing some rather slow riff over and over that sounded familiar. The sound took her back to when Dash had first introduced her to a band that Fluttershy actually enjoyed.
As they had bunked at flight school, Fluttershy had heard many of Dash's favorite bands, and while they were ok (even enjoyable) to Fluttershy, she was always ok with just listening to them when Dash played them. One day, however, Dash put in a new band and the song she heard had pulled her in with it's lyrics and the style used by the vocalist. From that day forward, Fluttershy had been a fan of the band, and even got to see them live with Dash at one point. Unfortunately when Dash and she had left flight school (rather suddenly), she hadn't had time to gather her stuff and lost the albums she had, but after all this time, she remembered that song clearly.
Dash had stopped playing to check a tuning, but this was lost to the pegasus by the mic, her mind recalling the emotion she felt the first time she had heard the song. As such, Dash was able to hear as Fluttershy suddenly started singing into the microphone a song she hadn't heard in years.
"Now You all know The bards and their songs"
Dash smiled, happy to hear her friend's singing voice projecting through the PA system. Reaching over, she quietly raised the volume slightly, just enough to clearly hear the voice.
"When hours have gone by I'll close my eyes In a world far away"
Twilight heard the sound and looked over, shock on her face to see Fluttershy singing the beautiful notes she was hearing. A slight tap to the white pegasus pulled Rarity from her concentration and with a quick glance where Twilight was looking, she soon wore an equally shocked expression.
"In a world far away We may meet again"
AJ looked up from her book to see what Pinkie was doing when her eyes saw Fluttershy directly ahead of her, and she heard the voice from the speakers sitting on stands nearby. Pinkie Pie noticed as well, and had a rare genuine smile on her face, not one of her crazy "ready to party" smiles, but a smile she showed when one of her friends was doing something truly amazing and wonderful. Following her gaze, she saw what was placing that smile on her face as she listened to their surprisingly talented singer.
"But now hear my song About the dawn of the night Let's sing the bards' song"
Dash had learned this song long ago, and knew this part was coming up. As the chorus kicked in, she started playing along with her friend, increasing her guitar volume enough to provide background to the vocals. When the guitar started beside her, Fluttershy glanced over and saw Dash walk up beside her, holding the guitar and smiling as she nodded for the singer to continue. Fluttershy felt her nerves kick in, but the support her best friend was showing helped her push past and continue, her friend providing the backup music.
"Tomorrow will take us away Far from home No one will ever know our names But the bards' songs will remain Tomorrow will take it away The fear of today It will be gone Due to our magic songs"
The group could only watch in stunned silence as Dash stood next to Fluttershy and played a simple interlude between the chorus she had just sang and the verse they could tell was coming up. Making sure they didn't startle the shy pegasus, the group gathered and sat, simply listening to the rest of the song.
"There's only one song Left in my mind Tales of a brave man Who lived far from here Now the bard songs are over And it's time to leave No one should ask You for the name Of the one Who tells the story
Tomorrow will take us away Far from home No one will ever know our names But the bards' songs will remain Tomorrow all will b e known And You're not alone So don't be afraid In the dark and cold 'Cause the bards' songs will remain They all will remain
In my thoughts and in my dreams They're always in my mind These songs of hobbits, dwarves and men And elves Come close Your eyes You can see them, too"
As Fluttershy's voice faded and Dash stepped away, the rest of the group realized they had to practice a lot more than they had planned. The fact that Fluttershy was even in front of the mic was amazing to them, and top that with how good she was, they all knew what had to be done. Slowly, AJ started clapping, which did scare the singer, but only slightly.
"Wow Fluttershy. Ah had no idea y'all could sing that good, or even knew songs like that." She said, with a smile on her face. The rest of the group simple nodded as the approached the pegasi duo at the front of the stage.
"I'm..ok.." Fluttershy started with her usual modesty but Dash wasn't having it.
"Ok!? Like I told you guys! She is AWESOME! Now come on, we need to practice! Everyone into position!" Dash practically shouted at the rest of the band. They all looked to each other for a moment with knowing looks, before nodding and moving to their instruments. After a short discussion on what each person should practice, they finally were able to start learning together, as a band.