Author's Note

Alright, ladies and gentlemen, here's the 2nd chapter. I hope you'll all be able to enjoy what my editor and I have put together. Anyways, thank you for all your patience and support. Remember to stay tuned for more chapters to come and remember to keep bronying on.

A Rising Star

You had such an awkward and unexpected reunion with one of the best singers you’ve ever heard from last night. What were the odds that there were hundreds of ponies in the huge city of Manehattan and all of them, you just had to bump into Songbird Serenade? What’s more is that it had to be today, when you were still getting used to being dragged into another universe.

Looking around, you were at least somewhat relieved while many ponies were looking at you, none of them included Songbird’s bouncers from last night. “I uhh... I just uhh... I uh... you know... w-with the c-concert and all...” you stuttered, unable to think of the right thing to say.

“Will you be finishing any of these questions honey?” Songbird asked growing a little amused. Realizing you were making yourself look stupid, you took a deep breath to make it easier to choose your words.

“What I’m trying to say is... I’m sorry for interrupting your concert last night. I hope you’re not upset about the whole ordeal,” you said clearly. The mare’s amused expression didn’t change, not even with your apology.

“No need to worry about it, hun,” she giggled. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re our latest arrival in Equestria. Hey listen, I was just about to go and grab myself an ice cream cone, care to join me?”

You were relieved that unlike you father, you weren’t lactose intolerant and such an offer almost made you lick your lips. Of course, to prevent yourself from looking ridiculous twice in a row, you kept yourself from doing such a childish thing. As Songbird took the lead, you became convinced she’s visited Manehattan a good number of times since she didn’t ask to take a look at your map.

“Sure, it’s been a while since I had one back home,” you accepted.

“Follow me, I know a place where they sell the best ice cream cones,” Songbird said. You followed her closely, but not too close. You still got a lot of disapproving looks from the citizens who reside in Manehattan. Songbird can sense how uncomfortable you were getting with the ponies staring at you like that. “Hey, don’t let them get to you. They just don’t see you the way I see you. I can tell that you’re a good guy.”

“You... think so?” you asked, unsure. “I don’t think security felt the same way last night.”

“Oh, you mean you ran away? Hmm, I guess I should’ve just looked for you myself. I was gonna look for you to see if you were alright, but the guards told me they couldn’t find you. Where’d you go?” Songbird asked.

“I was gonna sleep in a cardboard box, but this mare, Coco Pommel, found me. She offered to let me stay the night at her apartment. She gave me some food to eat and some fresh clean clothes to wear,” you explained.

“Oh, well that was nice of her. You gonna be staying with her in Manehattan?” she asked.

“I haven’t decided yet. To be honest, I don’t think Manehattan would welcome me with open arms like you do,” you said.

“That’s real sweet of you. Now, if you don’t mind me asking, why’d you run off the stage after you crash-landed?” Songbird asked. She knew how to put you on the spot.

With no other choice, you told her the truth, “Because for a long time now, I’ve had a really bad case of stage fright. And my dream was to become a great singer. It might sound silly, but every time I get up on stage, it feels like a huge weight is place on me. I can’t think straight, I start to sweat and my mind draws a blank. It’s so humiliating, I feel like I want to keel over.”

“Oh my, sounds like you really have it rough. I’m sorry you got scared up there...” You raised an eyebrow as Songbird went deep into thought. “You know, maybe I can help you out with that. How about you come to my suite tomorrow and show me how good you are with that singing voice of yours? I’ll be your first official audience. What do you say?” Songbird offered.

“Y-You’d do that... for me?” you asked. “B-But, what if I... screw up?”

“You won’t screw up. You may not know it, but when I looked into your eyes, I saw the singer inside of you and he’s ready to come out and show the world what he’s made of. All you need is the right push to get him out, then you can finally say goodbye to your stage fright. So what do you say? You up for it?” Songbird offered again.

Her words of encouragement somehow seem to give you a sense of hope. All your life, you never had the courage to sing in front of millions of people, but maybe singing in front of Songbird Serenade might be just the kind of practice you need. Before you could even think of another excuse, the ice cream shop finally came into view and you focused on what flavor you would choose.

“Any kind of flavor you want in particular?” Songbird asked. You knew that she was offering to pay for both of you and you shook your head. Reaching into your pocket you pulled out some of the bits Coco Pommel gave you before you left the apartment. At the same time, you were answering her question about your flavor, as there were so many to choose from.

“I’ll have a mint n’ chip flavored ice cream cone,” you said giving two bits to the cashier. You were a bit surprised when Songbird followed suit by ordering the same ice cream flavor. With the cold treats in hand, you went over to a table, managing to ignore the nosy ponies who kept staring at you on the way.

“Now as I was saying, you have that spark in your eye that guarantees success. I’ve been a performer for a long time and I’ve seen so many of these cases. From what I can see, you’ve been allowing your stage fright to control you throughout your whole life and you couldn’t find the right voice to voice your opposition. Well now, all of that is gonna change because I’m going to teach you how to overcome your fear,” Songbird explained.

While you were taking the pegasus mare seriously, you wished she wouldn’t bring this up in a public area. It was one thing to hear this kind of talk coming from your own loving father back home and it was only the two of you talking in private. Unfortunately, Songbird kept bringing it up in a public area for all to hear. It didn’t help because everyone around you was so nosey. Mostly due to the fact that you, a human, were hanging out with a pop star pony.

“I’ll ask once again... what if I screw up?” This time you gave her an expression telling her you wanted to hear something else besides you wouldn’t fail.

“Then I’ll give you some tips on how to keep calm when you sing. We’ll take step by step until you feel ready to start over,” she said reassuringly. “Trust me, I know how to deal with stage fright, because it’s happened to me once before.”

“You had stage fright, too?” you asked, surprised. You didn’t get much of a response as Songbird stood up and reached into her pocket to pull out a card.

“Take this and you’ll have no problem finding my suite, honey. I’ll be ready for you at 8:00 tonight,” she said handing the card to you. Taking it, you watched with confusion as she stood up and walked away with her ice cream in hand, having still not answered your question.

Unlike Songbird, you still had to rely on a map to find your way around Manehattan. Once you finished your ice cream, you decided to head back to Coco’s apartment to get some rest and decide if you’d actually go through with this private mini concert. You humored yourself, wondering if you could even call it a concert since Songbird would be the only one listening.

Despite having a lot on your mind, it didn’t stop you from being a good houseguest as before laying on the couch you made sure to hang your jacket up instead of throwing it on the floor like some people would’ve done. Soon enough, Coco noticed how you were being so quiet and could tell something was bothering you.

“You’ve been awfully quiet ever since you came back, is something wrong?” Coco asked. Such a quiet and gentle voice managed to relieve some of the tension. Naturally, seeing how the first friend you made since arriving in Equestria was worried, you decided not to keep her in the dark any longer.

“I guess I could use a second opinion,” you sighed and sat up. “Believe it or not, I bumped into Songbird Serenade earlier and she invited me to her hotel suite.” As you thought, the cream colored mare before you was surprised by what you told her. However after coughing a few times, Coco’s expression changed back into a happy smile.

“That’s wonderful to hear, but why do you need my opinion?” Coco asked. You scooted over so she could sit on the couch next to you.

“Because she offered to be my first audience after I told her I wanted to sing. But I don’t know if I should do it because I’m scared of being on stage in front of a live audience. Should I take her up on her offer or do I just refuse? What do you think I should do?” you asked.

“I say you should take this chance. Songbird’s only going to be here for a couple more days and then she’s gonna leave for her tour. If she’s offering to be your first audience it could be a big opportunity for you to finally come out of your shell,” Coco encouraged, patting your shoulder.

“You really think I can do it?” you asked.

“If Songbird believes in you, I believe in you, too. Anyway, please get some rest. You’ve been out for a few hours so I bet you’re tired,” she urged putting her hand on yours. Taking the words into consideration, you slowly laid back on the couch after Coco got up and left the room.

You remembered what Songbird Serenade said about wanting to meet you tonight at 8:00. That leaves you at least 2 to 3 hours to get some rest. It wasn’t that hard to fall asleep, as one is most likely doomed not to get a good night sleep after ending up in another world.

Your well-deserved rest lasted for a few hours; by the time you woke up and ate the dinner Coco Pommel had prepared, you had less than 30 minutes to make it to Songbird’s hotel. That’s right, you’ve decided to go through with having the pop star as a private audience.

Manehattan is definitely a city that never sleeps and even at night, you could read your map and card just fine due to the many lights around you. Within a 15 minute walk, you finally arrived at the hotel where Songbird was staying at. Looking around to see this was obviously a 5-star hotel, it was no surprise that such a shining star would stay at such a luxurious place.

Seeing you walk inside, the concierge asked if you were renting a room but you cleared things up telling her that you were simply paying a visit to a guest. Showing her the card as proof, the mare allowed to continue on your way, but not before showing you to the elevator. Looking at the card, you ended up having to go to the 10th floor, the highest floor in the hotel. Even though Songbird Serenade was very friendly, you couldn’t help feeling she rented a room on the top floor to feel powerful.

Approaching the room number that was on the card, two muscular stallions in suits stood by the door, guarding it. Clearing your throat, you approach the two stallions calmly. “Excuse me sirs, I’m here to see Songbird Serenade,” you said, showing them the card she gave you. Despite them being muscular and intimidating, the card was all you needed to make the bodyguards step aside, allowing you to knock on the door.

“Come in,” Songbird called out from inside. You of course, weren’t just going to back out now after coming all this way and did exactly what you were told.

Opening the door, you saw the room was practically fit for royalty. There was a queen-sized bed in the center of the room with lavender curtains and violet blankets. A nightstand on the left-hand side. On the right-hand side of the room was a dresser with some makeup and a huge mirror. Next to the dresser was a door leading to a private bathroom. On the left-hand side was a closet with some of Songbird’s clothes. In front of the bed was a round, fluffy rug. And of course, sitting in front of the bed was Songbird Serenade.

“I see you decided to come after all, hun,” she said with a smile.

“Yeah, I had to think it over for quite a while and decided to give it a shot. My friend Coco told me this could be my last chance and I should take it while you’re still here,” you explained.

“Great. Now let’s get started, shall we?” she asked. You nodded and took a deep breath. There was one song that you always enjoyed listening to over all others in times of stress. A song from this movie you loved to watch.

“Okay, I know what to sing,” you said.

“Good. Now, let’s work on getting rid of that stage fright,” Songbird began to explain. “First, take a deep breath, then exhale slowly and picture a beautiful, white, sandy beach. Picture the sound of the waves crashing onto shore. Imagine the wind brushing against your body.”

You heeded her advice and closed your eyes, doing just that before you were about to sing. Repeating these about 3 times, you felt your stage fright fading away. Once you were ready, you opened your eyes and began to sing.

Songbird was looking at you with astonishment. Every chance you felt your stage fright telling you to stop, you ignored it and sang your heart out. When you got to the song midway, Songbird formed a smile on her face.

“Honey this doesn’t surprise me. Like I said before, when I first looked at you, I could tell I met someone with talent, and if I’m gonna be honest, you remind me of myself before I became such a success,” she said. This reminded you of what she said back at the ice cream shop before she had to leave.

“So you had stage fright too, huh?”

“It started when I was just a filly. We had a talent show that I had signed up for. I was so excited to audition and ready to dazzle everyone with my singing. But the moment I stepped up on that stage... I froze. My vision got blurry, I was short of breath and it felt nerve-wracking when all eyes were locked on me. Even after all these years... I can’t explain what happened next. It’s like a spark went off inside me,” she explained.

“So then... what happened?” you asked.

“It was incredible. Even with all those ponies staring at me, it suddenly didn’t seem so terrifying to me anymore. Before I knew it, there was nothing holding me back from giving the audience what they came for. Next thing you know, I ended up getting approached by my agent. She booked a lot of shows for me, I got my own place and a sweet wardrobe. I even got to meet some new friends throughout my career,” she said.

“So that’s how you became the successful pop star you are now?”

“Yes, ever since I got over my fear, I spent the early years of my life honing my skills and eventually became known as the best singer in Equestria,” Songbird said proudly, holding a hand to her chest.

“If I’m gonna be honest with myself. I was kinda envious of you. Yesterday, when I first arrived, I thought you were just this... fearless and proud singer who didn’t let anything stand in her way of pursuing her dream. But now that I know that you were... just like me in a sense, I’ve come to respect you a whole lot more,” you said.

“You know, honey, talent like yours shouldn’t go to waste. And I think I know just the thing that will make your day. How would you like to be a part of my next performance? It starts in just two more days. As a bonus, you can even tag along with me for the rest of the tour. Does that sound good to you?” Songbird asked.

Suddenly, within those words, a spark suddenly jolted throughout your body. You couldn’t really explain what it was, but it you knew that this offer is one that you couldn’t refuse. This could be your big break. You couldn’t bring yourself to answer the pop star clearly and she raised both hands upon seeing you hesitate.

“Like I said, the performance is not until another two days. Run along home and get a good night sleep as you think about what happened today and come back the same time tomorrow with your answer,” she said not wanting to go back to square one. You were about to walk toward the door, but Songbird suddenly caught your arm. “Wait, there’s something I’d like to give you before you go.”

She went over to the dresser and opened up one of the drawers. She reached in and pulled out this beautiful silver necklace with a song note. Songbird walked back over to you, handing you the necklace.

“I want you to wear this. My mom got it for me when I was a filly as a birthday present. I always wore it as a good luck charm. Now that I brought out your potential, I want you to have it now.” You however tried to give the necklace back.

“No, I uh-”

“Take it,” Songbird uncharacteristically urged before she actually put it around your neck. “I want you to have it as a token of... my appreciation. And for showing me how much of an amazing singer you are.”

“T-Thanks...” You couldn’t think of anything else to say besides that and you kept the necklace on as you headed towards the door.

Strangely enough, you were able to fall asleep much easier than the night before. Even as you were snoozing away on Coco Pommel’s couch, you haven’t taken the necklace off. You couldn’t explain it, but keeping it on felt like you were being watched over. It gave you a reason to not be afraid anymore. You felt less insecure and it slowly got rid of any stage fright you had left.

That night, you dreamed that you were up on this big stage in some other town not found in Manehatten, but it looked like Las Vegas. Looking around there seemed to be twice as many ponies attending this concert than the concert you interrupted upon landing in this world. What’s more is that you felt excitement swelling from deep within you. A sense of joy and happiness.

“A pleasant feeling, is it not?” an unfamiliar, but kind voice suddenly asked. At that moment, the dream seemed to freeze in place. As you searched for the one who just spoke to you, the moon suddenly grew brighter, followed by a figure floating down from its light. She was a dark blue pony who not only had wings like Songbird Serenade, but a horn as well. Even though this was a dream, the mare seemed very real, giving you a good reason to keep your gaze away from her impressive bust.

“Y-Yes...” you answered, feeling awkward at the majestic mare’s presence. She obviously noticed your confusion, as she giggled at how much you were stuttering.

“I can see your ears are focused on me, but your eyes seem to be distracted by our bust. I do not blame you,” she said, making you blush. She giggled again before her expression changed from playful to serious. “A member of royalty should know their manners. I am Princess Luna, I am in charge of keeping ponies from having nightmares. I am also the co-ruler of Equestria.”

Realizing now who you were talking to, you didn’t want to be rude, so you introduced yourself to the princess. In addition, you felt the need to thank her, given she’s the reason you’re having such a nice dream.

“You are very welcome. So, you’ve been given a chance to travel with Songbird on her tour. That’s quite an honor coming from the best singer. Even as a princess, I happen to be a fan of hers and I take it you’re discussing whether to go with her or not,” she said before taking a seat next to you on the stage.

“Yeah, I am. I was a bit surprised when she offered me the chance perform at her next concert, but I was even more surprised when she offered to bring me along with her. I never got that kind of treatment back home because I was so scared of just being on stage in front of an audience. However with Songbird, it’s different,” you explained.

“Different? How so?” Luna asked.

“Well, because she was just like me when she was just starting out. She knew exactly what it felt like to be afraid on stage with so many eyes locked on her. In a way, it feels like she and I are connected,” you answered.

“Sounds to me like you’ve become very fond of Songbird Serenade,” Luna said. You shrugged as that was actually quite a good theory. Other than Coco Pommel, Songbird was pretty much the only one you could relate to in the big city. “You certainly have a couple of interesting friends. Did you have one of those in your previous life?”

“Yeah, I had two other friends. One of them was a nice girl named Anne Marie and the other was a guy named Charlie. Meeting in elementary school, we remained friends until we went our separate ways after our college graduation. Charlie was always the optimistic type who liked to party and was loved by many of his peers. As for Anne Marie, she was and always will be the smart one. Sometimes, she helped me and Charlie out in a tight jam. She had plans for becoming a teacher. After college, those two ended up getting married and I got a job at this huge casino,” you explained.

“A casino? Why didn’t you pursue your career in singing?” Luna asked.

“The same thing that’s making me still question Songbird’s offer - my fear of performing in front of others. I want to accept, but at the same time, I’m not sure if I’m cut out for this. What do you think I should do, Luna?” you asked.

“If you want me opinion, don’t let fear stop you from doing the thing you love. Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality. So I say take this opportunity and let the ponies worldwide know your name. You’ve just got to believe in yourself,” Luna said and touched your shoulder.

“I-I... I’ll... I’ll try,” you hesitated. After giving you another smile, Luna unfurled her wings and began to fly back to the moon. Doing so caused it to glow brightly just as it did before and soon the dream was no longer frozen in place. Smiling, you just went back to giving your imaginary audience a good show.

Because of that unexpected visit from Princess Luna, you decided to go through with doing a song for Songbird Serenade’s concert. She was proud of you wanting to go through with her generous offer and even ended up hugging you. Right now you were sitting backstage just as Songbird told you, waiting for her cue.

After telling her about your decision, Coco decided you should be prepared and made you a sharp outfit. A blue overshirt with a white button-up shirt underneath and some comfortable black pants. You made sure to thank her properly and even convinced Songbird to get Coco a front row ticket to the performance. No doubt she was out there waiting for you to come out. Fortunately for her, she wouldn’t have to wait much longer as Songbird’s song came to an end.

“Whew! Thank you everypony!” you heard her call out to her audience, followed by another round of applause. “Now, we got yet another surprise for you coming up next. I’m sure some of you saw during my last show that Equestria has gained another human. Over these last few days, this man and I have become good friends and I even had the honor of witnessing his musical talent. So please give a warm welcome to our newest rising star!” Songbird exclaimed.

Walking out to take the pop star’s place by the microphone, you looked at the audience before you and suddenly froze. With no music leaving your lips, the ponies began to whisper to each other, wondering what was wrong. You knew soon they would start booing and you almost abandoned the stage... that is until you turned to Songbird who nodded. You then turned back to the crowd and noticed Coco was smiling.

With a deep breath, you grabbed the necklace Songbird gave you with one hand and grabbed the microphone with the other as you finally started singing. The audience abandoned any thoughts they had about chasing you off the stage as you blew them away.

Even though Songbird allowed you to have her place on the stage, her dancers remained where they were. Without stopping your song, you combined it with some body movements, giving your song more feel to it, kind of like you’re expressing yourself. And it seemed to be working.

Coco along with so many other ponies, got so into the song, that she clapped with the beat of the music. Pretty soon, everyone was clapping alongside with her. Never before had you ever felt so alive and so happy to be singing in front of an audience this huge and dazzle them with your singing skills no less. Sure your skill wasn’t in the league as Songbird Serenade’s, but it didn’t matter. Looking at the audience, you can already tell that you didn’t have to be in the same league of singing as Songbird because you were in a league of your very own.

After your song came to an end, the crowd cheered happily. Coco’s smile seemed wider than any other pony within your sight. Very soon, Songbird who was also clapping, returned to the stage and put her hand on your shoulder to let you know how proud she was of you. The moment the pegasus pop star came back, the audience got even more excited and called out for an encore.

You were grateful you got such a good night sleep before the show. As Songbird was given a second microphone, you got ready for another song to please the roaring crowd.