Flyte

~1 Week Later~

"Now remember kids! The talent show will be later tonight at 7 P.M sharp!" Chirped Cheeriliee as the dismissal bell rang. Nightshade gulped as he felt a sense of apprehension build up. He made his way out of the main hallway and regrouped with the rest of the CMC.

"I think our plan will work perfectly!" Said Scootaloo beaming, Sweetie Belle gave the filly a 'I don't think so' look before rolling her eyes. "Hey girls! What are you guys planning on doing?" He asked as he approached the group of four. "Well we were gonna do a song like we did before!" Said Sweetie Belle eager to explain. "I dunno about all this, I mean we only had about a week to practice." Said Starlight still fidgeting, he just gave the three a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, you three will be fine." He said trying to ease the stressed fillies.

It was that time of the year again. The school's annual talent show rolled around and the CMC had signed up each and every one of their members....Nightshade included. Although he resisted at first, he wanted to try something out. "Say girls, for the talent show, mind if I do it my way?" He asked cautiously, the three fillies didn't even look up from their heated debate/whispers. "Yeah sure." Replied Sweetie Belle, he laughed at his insecurity and their complete dismissal. "Alrighty then! See you girls at the talent show!" He said as he flew back to his shared cloud house.

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"I'm home!" He called as he opened the front door, silence greeted him in response. He ran upstairs and checked a nearby clock to see what time it was. "Whew! Good thing it's still 3!" He exclaimed as he ran back downstairs. "I think I know exactly what I'm gonna do for the talent show." He felt excitement grow and also....a sense of foreboding and sadness.

He recalled an old song as he sat down at the dining room table, a paper before him and a pencil in his muzzle.

Staring, at the blank page before you! Open up a dirty window! Release your inhibitions!

He started humming as he wrote.

"Welcome everypony to the 34th annual talent show! I hope you've brought your excitement with you because we have quite the act for you all!" Chirped Cheerilee from a microphone on the stage.

"Oh boy! I can't wait to see what they have in store!" Said a rather happy Twilight Sparkle as she sat with her friends. "Ah hope the cutie mark crusaders have sumthin lined up fer tonight." Said Applejack next to her. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash giggled at what the three did last year. "Yes I hope that tonight they will be as entertaining as ever!" Hummed  Rarity in a sing-song voice, eager to see them.

"Oh this should be exciting." Said an imperial and familiar voice behind the mane 6. Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind Twilight as Celestia descended from the sky. "P-P-P Princess!" She stuttered in utter horror. Celestia just giggled. "Don't worry my faithful student, I am only here to watch!" She said in a reassuring tone. "Well okay then." Replied Twilight as she flattened her ears and blushed, ashamed to have not made accommodations for the Princess of the Day.

"Now on with the show!" Said Cheerilee from the stage, and so the show began.

The acts seemed to pass by quickly, they ranged from impressive to hilarious, from awe-inspiring to rip-roaring laughter. Celestia practically snorted from laughter when Snips accidentally let the bunny for the Snips and Snails hat trick got away. "Oh my this is quite nice." She said happily. Twilight sighed in relief.

"Hello again everypony! Thank you again for showing up to the talent show!" Cheerillee said taking the stage after Pipsqueaks rendition of 'silent nights.'

"We have two more performances left in the night! There are only two left but you know what they say! They always leave the best for last! Give it up for the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" She said ushering in the CMC.

The curtains raised and Sweetie Belle began playing the bass.

"Feel Good."

Said Scootaloo.

(Feel Good Inc. Gorillaz)

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Nightshade nervously tapped his hoof against the floor as he watched from the wings as the crowd gawked in awe at the CMC's performance of 'Feel Good Inc.' by the Ponizz. He heard roaring laughter as they quickly trotted offstage and Cheerilee took the stand again.

"Good job out there!" He congratulated them as they came back stage. "Whew! I never thought we'd pull it off!" Exclaimed Starlight Harvest, she had sung the rap part of the song. "That was awesome! I can't believe your such a good rapper!" He exclaimed giving the little filly a hoof-five.

"Next up everypony is our final act for the night. His name is Nightshade! The um....peculiar colt from umm......" Cheerilee started stuttering and pausing as she looked for some sort of sign from the technicians or anypony. Nightshade smiled as he started making his way onstage, butterflies fluttering in his stomach, suddenly he felt hooves grip his back. He turned in surprise to find Scootaloo on his back hugging him something fierce. "Good lu- uh break a leg!" She said grinning sheepishly as she dismounted. He just smiled at her, "thanks Scoots" he said making his way up, the butterflies gone and replaced by a sense of eagerness.

"Heya! Sorry bout that Ms. Cheerilee!" I said relieving the obviously stressed teacher, she turned to me with a look of gratitude mouthing a silent thank you.

"Hey everypony! How are you all doing tonight? Lemme guess, tired and wanting to go home eh?" I asked, this got a few chuckles from the crowd. I cleared my throat. "Alright so I won't waste too much of your time." I said taking out the piece of paper from earlier. I looked at it with a critical eye now, at first I thought it was a good idea but now......buck it.

"Eh, whatever." I said tossing the paper non-chalantly. "Okay so what i'm gonna do for you all is a bit of beat poetry. I picked it up when I lived in Bucklin for a while." I heard a whistle from the crowd which was now making uneasy ripples.

I took a deep breath and relaxed, all the muscles both mental and physical. "I call it the long road ahead." I said clearing my throat, the crowd was dead quiet as I started.

By no means have I ever had it easy in this life. Life ain't always rainbows and butterflies. Sometimes you can't just kiss and make up. Sometimes the scars run to deep, sometimes apologies come too late. Years to late.

The long road yawns before me. I've walked it until my hooves are raw. I've walked it until my fetlocks are sore and swollen and bruised. I've walked it through snow and sleet and wind and rain. I've walked it through tears and pain. I never knew a mother and my father was more the devil himself than a father.

And I've continued walking. I've walked all my life, I've continued walking. I've walked when I've nothing but an empty heart and a moth ridden cloak. I've walked it through the haze of hunger and thirst. I've fought for my life more times than I care to remember on that road. I've had to beg and plead.

I've spent my whole life walking. I've spent my whole life running. My will forged within the flames of my ever turning soul. Never to rest, never to know peace.

I had closed my eyes during my tale. Opening them I saw the wide eyes of the audience staring back at me. Some of the ponies closest to the stage had tears in there eyes.

I was born not of this world. I wasn't supposed to exist. I am a rag doll monster given birth to in a pool of my mother's blood. I've been ridiculed, ostracized, I've taken it all.

I've walked that road, hell I've been forced onto it. That thing is my only friend and companion. The only thing set in stone in my life was that gravely dirty road, each mile marker ticking off another mile added.

I stopped again and shifted my speech.

Pegasus wings are light and fluffy, they are strong and soft. They represent the innocence that those ponies carry as they live their lives in the daylight.

My wings are steel. I have walked and I have fought. I have robbed and I have wept. I have killed and I have grieved. I've paid for my sins in blood. My innocence is long gone, lost on that road. But in it's place is a hardened steel forged from the hellfire and brimstone.

I have paid for my sins and I have been forgiven. I have faced my worst fears and triumphs. I AM A DRAGON PONY AND I AM PROUD OF IT!

I finished stomping my hooves down. My voice was raw from my powerful recanting. "That's my story." I said, my soft voice could be heard through the night. It seemed like even the crickets had stopped chirping. I started walking off stage when I heard it.

Clap

Clap

Clap

At first it was one set of hooves. I curiously went back on to see who it was. It was Rainbow Dash with tears in her eyes, clapping.

It was as if a dam had been broken. All of a sudden roaring applause and hooting calls could be heard throughout ponyville and probably Manehattan. I smiled a bit, tears threatening to take over. I took a bow and walked offstage.

"Wow......just....wow." Said Applebloom with tears in her eyes. All of a sudden they gold rushed me, I was swept off my hooves as they hugged the living crap out of me. "I'm so sorry Night! If only we had known!" Said Sweetie Belle through tears. I just smiled and laughed a bit, easing the still crying fillies off of me.

"Girls! It's alright! I've forgiven myself and that's all that counts!" I said giving her a reassuring smile.

"Well......[sniff] I don't know about everypony else but I just want to go give that colt a hug!" Said Ms. Cheerillee from the stage. I heard a roar from the crowd and I felt my stomach drop. "Wait what?" I asked, suddenly Sweetie Belle, Starlight Harvest, Applebloom, and Scootaloo went after me like wolves to meat. "Wait a what? Wow there! AAAHH!" I screamed as they carried me out to the stage and threw me overboard into the waiting hooves of the crowd.

I was hugged like a little filly would hug her new favorite toy. Some ponies hugged me while crying, some just gave me a pat. The mane 6 just hugged the shit out of me. I started laughing and crying on the spot.

"All those years." I said looking up at the stars. I touched a hoof to my lip and raised it to the sky.

"Peace for you my son, may you never find war." Said Starswirl as he touched a hoof to his lip and pointed it downwards. "Peace my child, live long and prosper." Said Leviathan as she did the same.

"Stay strong" Said Obsidian as he did raised a claw to his chest.

"Never back down" Said Ralus as he did a full on salute.

Luna looked out from her balcony in Canterlot.

A voice in the back of her head cried out weak and quietly.

hungry