Part 3: How to perform with pizzaz

How to Perform with Pizzaz.

It was a late start for Misty. She had spent most of the morning laying in bed with Zipp, the pair of ponies just talking and laughing with each other. Misty had decided to keep seeing Sunset last night to herself; it felt to her like something that Sunset wouldn’t particularly like anypony else knowing about. Hooves touching, Misty could feel the radiant affection that Pipp had for her. This made her feel all giddy. She had to stop touching her every now and again to wiggle with excitement. It was good to know that even though she found days hard, sometimes she could just forget everything wrong and bad, and just think about the good. It helped when the good liked you back.

Eventually, they got up, and Misty decided to show Zipp some of what she had learned.

“SO… Zipppp……” she said slowly, standing up on the bed. Zipp was still laying down, eyebrow raised.

“Whats up, Mists?”

“Well I-” Misty paused, tilting her head as she looked at Zipp. She narrowed her eyes. Zipp looked concerned.

“All good there?”

“Yeah, I’m fine! Just trying to figure out… uhm…” she said, blushing a bit. “I like… when you call me Mists… so I’m trying to think of a nickname to call you so you can… maybe feel good also.”

Zipp’s grin just widened more, and she sat up. She winced a little; her bandages were almost ready to come off, but they did still hurt a bit. “Well.. I’m waiting?”

“Uhm… how about… Zephyrina?” she suggested. Zipp let out a loud laugh.

“Misty! That's just my name!” she laughed.

“Huh?” Misty said, confused. “But your name is Zipp?”

“Yeah, but that’s short for Zephyrina! I prefer Zipp because it feels less royal and stuffy! Did i never say?”

“No??!?!?!!?!” Misty said in utter bewilderment. “I-Is Pipp short for Pipperina?”

“No, she’s just Pipp.” said Zipp.

“But your names rhyme!”

“They sure do.” replied Zipp with a :3 face. Misty put a hoof to her head but was smiling wide. She was disappointed that she hadn’t known this, but could certainly see the funny side.

“... Would just… Z work? Like… Zee?” she said sheepishly. Zipp considered it for a few moments before the smile raised on her face.

“Z works perfectly” replied Zipp, giving her a little nuzzle. “Anyway! What was it you wanted to show me?”

“Well! Z! Hehe” she said, getting a bit flustered with herself as she began to giggle. This all seemed too silly to her, but she was glad she could finally do something as frivolous as this. The only nickname Oplaine had ever accepted was ‘great supreme fire alicorn Oplaine Arcana the great’. Not a very good name if you asked Misty. Or anypony.

“A-Anyway! You know how you aren’t really able to fly at the moment…” Continued Misty.

“Yep.” she said, her smile dropping a tiny bit. Misty knew how important flying was for her girlfriend and she assumed it must have been torture not to be able to spread her wings how she wanted.

“Well… stay still…” She said, and ignited her horn. Zipp found herself gently floating in the air, her legs dangling a little. She was smiling wide as she did, but decided to push her a little.

“Okay, ok, very good… but any unicorn can do this! What can our MISTY do!”

“T-This!” she said, and with care and precision, started to levitate Zipp all around the brighthouse like a child with a toy plane. Zipp cried out in surprise at the speed and control that the magic surrounding her had, but started to laugh and cheer as Misty’s magic caused her to do some spins in the air as well as a summersault. Zipp had to tuck in her head to avoid bashing it; (Misty apologised profusely).

Eventually, Misty finished the flight by trying to place her down on the bed. This didn't work out as planned, as Zipp came in for a rough landing. Zipp held out her hooves and ended up knocking Misty down. Zipp’s hooves ended up either side of Misty, the unicorn staring up at the pegasi, their muzzles inches away. Both started flushing furiously, with Zipp raising an eyebrow.

“You… uhm… look pretty from this angle…” Mumbled Misty, a sheepish smile crossing her face.

“Well you look good from every angle” Replied Zipp who’s pupils narrowed in shock at realising they were not the only ones in the room.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Zipp and Misty both let out a cry of shock and embarrassment as they scrambled back into position, sitting next to each other and both looking at the Sunset Shimmer who had just entered the room.

Both Zipp and Misty started hastily explaining at the same time what was going on with desperation, only to stop as they realised Sunset was laughing.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re cute together! Anyway…” she said, reaching into her bag with her magic. “I’ve got today's lesson ready for you, Misty!”

Out of the bag flew a flyer, which landed on the bed in front of Misty. Misty looked down at it with Zipp looking over her shoulder.

“Okay, with me! Left, right, turn, hop! Left, right, turn, hop! Left, right, spin, stamp! Then up, up and pose!”

Pipp’s melodic instructions were being given to the camera. Jazz and Rocky were behind her, mimicking her moves perfectly. At Pipp’s final instruction, the trio posed perfectly as small confetti cannons burst behind them.

“And that, Pippsqueaks, is how you do the dance for my new song, ‘Don’t panic, we’re here!’ Every time you feel scared? Just do the dance! Anything you are worried about will vanish in a flash! Unless it’s… something actually dangerous. Then run. Anyway, thanks for watching~’ she said, and grinned. She awkwardly shuffled up to the camera and turned it off. Jazz and Rocky let out a sigh of exhaustion.

“Great work today, Ponies!” Pipp said happily as she started moving things around on her phone. “This one is going to be a BANGER!”

“You said that about the last five…” groaned Jazz.

“And I was right every single time~” trilled Pipp smugly.

“What about ‘Mr Brighthoof?” Piped up Rocky.

“Thaaaaats the exception that proves the rule, hun!” Said Pipp quickly.

We don’t talk about Mr Brighthoof.

Jazz was about to protest but was interrupted as the bell to Mane Melody jingled. Immediately, she put on a smile. Time to serve a customer!

“Welcome to Mane Melody, the one stop shop… for all…” she said, but her speech slowed as she saw who had entered.

Sunset had walked into the shop, giving Pipp a wave. Pipp waved back cheerily. Jazz and Rocky were left staring.

“Is now a bad time?” Sunset asked.

“Of course not!” Pipp chirped, trotting over and practically threw Sunset into one of the chairs. Jazz and Rocky snapped out of whatever

“What will be today? Restyle? Hooficure? I could even sort you out with some new piercings~” she said, squinting a little at the black rings on her upper ear. “That’s… strange…” She muttered to herself. The earrings didn’t seem to be threaded through the usual piercing holes. Instead, the metal almost seemed to meld with the cartilagearound it. It almost seemed like they were just part of the ear.

“Hmm? Oh! Yeah, that. No clue.” She shrugged. “I think it’s a weird effect of whatever magic it is that changes my form. Anyway! I wanted to- HEY!”

Pipp felt the scissors in her hooves fly away as Sunset levitated them up. “Whaaat? I was just going to give your mane a quick touch up?”

“I like it how it is, thanks.” She said firmly. Pipp rolled her eyes. “Finnneeeeee! I guess this… style is kind of extra dimensional…” she said, looking Sunset up and down. Sunset tilted her head as she fluttered away towards her scissors.

Pipp eventually got back onto her hooves and went over to Sunset again. “Sooo… if you’re not here to get glammed up, what exactly are you here for?”

“Well…” said Sunset, and reached into her bag with her magic. She got out a small flyer she had found outside. Pipp’s eyes widened.

The flyer was one that she had made a few days ago. She was planning to have a little concert inside the salon tomorrow evening, but Minty had dropped out due to a sore throat. She had been desperately trying to find a replacement but to no avail. But now it seemed a frontliner had dropped out of the sky for her! Well, dropped out of a portal. Or something. She didn’t know how it worked.

“You want to preform!?” she said, her eyes sparkling as she shuffled up to her.

“Kinda…” she said. “I’d like to at least play an instrument! No singing for me this time, though!”

“Oh… Annnnn instrumental set?” Asked Pipp, her ears flattening a bit. She wasn’t really a fan of music without words. She got bored too quickly.

“Nope! We’ll have vocals!”

“But if you’re not singing, then who is?”

“M-ME!?” Misty said with surprise, dropping the apples she had been levitating in the air as practice.

Sunset nodded. “You betcha! You’re down to sing tomorrow night!”

“WHAT!?” Misty squeaked, shaking her head. “Nononono, ahaha, uhhh, NO? NO thank you! Sunset! Miss! Teacher! Professor! No thanks!”

“Come onnn, Misty!” said Sunset, moving up to the bed and smiling supportively. “You’re doing such a good job with your progress already! The main thing holding you back is your confidence.”

Misty stared at her for a moment before forlornly looking to Zipp for support. Zipp made an awkward face.

“She… isn’t wrong…” she agreed (Misty’s ears drooped), “But I don’t really see how singing is going to help her. You are here to teach her magic, after all.”

“I am teaching her magic! The magic of SONG!” Said Sunset, sitting down and getting out her notebook. She was flipping between pages as Misty had a little crisis to herself.

“I’ve barely even sung in front of a mirror before… how am I meant to sing in front of a crowd?” she said, leaning into Zipp who patted her back.

“I’m not the biggest fan… but Pipp talked me into it a few times.” Said Zipp softly. “And It was… liberating in a way? Just wished we had sung something a little cooler than the girly pop music she had me sing-” Zipp said with a chuckle. Misty smiled but there wasn’t much feeling behind it as she looked at Sunset Shimmer.

“Will it just be me on stage?” she asked nervously.

“Of course not! I’ll be there, and that strange pony named Onyx is joining us too on the drums! Weird girl. Might be a descendant of Maud…”

“Maud?”

“Doesn’t matter. Anyway, you won’t be alone!” she said. “So don’t worry about it! Now, meet me on the roof in 10 minutes, practice will begin!” she said, and left for the elevator.

Misty groaned, and slid the curtain around the bed. She lay down on her back and let out a big sigh. “Zzziiipppp….” she moaned. “Can you tell Sunset Shimmer that I don’t have to do thisssssssssss……..”

“I mean…” said Zipp, joining her with a hoof over misy’s chest, “She IS here to help you… so she must think it’s what's best for you.” Misty let out a little wince at this and she gave a little shiver.. Zipp’s head turned towards her. “You ok?”

“Y-Yeah. I…” she said, words getting tangled in her throat. She moved her hooves around to signify how she was having trouble getting the words out. Zipp studied her face, before letting out a sigh as she realised.

“Something that she used to say to you?” said Zipp softly.

Misty sighed and nodded, forelegs falling back to her sides. She was able to speak again after a few failed attempts.

“Shoot… if I can't even say a simple sentence to somepony I love alot, how am I meant to sing?”

“I know you can do it, Mists…”

“I don’t know if I can…”

[hb]

After some vocal warmups, Sunset and Pipp had started to train up Misty! Obviously, they weren’t expecting a flawless performance; Misty had never done this before. Despite this, Misty certainly had natural talent and was even able to hit some of the trickier notes in the practise song. After about an hour and a quick vocal rest, Sunset handed her the new song.

“Here! One of my friends wrote this! It really gets her pumped up, so I figured that it could do you some good too!” she said. Misty’s head tilted.

“Awesome as I… wanna be?” she said slowly. Her ears flicked a little as she read the lyrics. “Uhm…” she said quietly, and tried to get the words out. She didn’t like the lyrics too much. Well, that wasn’t strictly true. She thought they were fun, but they didn’t really fit her.

“Ready to go?” asked Sunset excitedly as she wrapped the guitar round her shoulders. Misty put on a fake smile and nodded with a ‘mmmhm!’

“Ok! Let’s go!” said Sunset, and started playing the intro music. Pipp was there to help Misty with timing and moved her hoof to the high tempo beat. Once it was Misty’s turn to sing, she pointed!”

“Awesome as I wanna be…” Sang Misty, but there wasn’t much energy behind it.”

“... I’m awesome, take caution, watch out for me, I'm awesome as I wanna be.” she said, Sunset doing a big finish on the guitar. Pipp clapped enthusiastically, but Misty got the sense that she was clapping for Sunset and not her.

“Great work, Misty!” said Sunset. “You hit all the notes! Now we just have to get you to REALLY put all your heart into it! Get some energy behind it!”

“B-But…” she mumbled, shuffling her hooves nervously. She looked up at Sunset’s excited face.

She couldn’t say no.

“... Can I go get some water?” she asked quickly.

“Of course, be back up soon!” Sunset replied, going back to tune her guitar. Pipp fluttered around her, asking her how she learnt to play and how difficult it was to play a stringed instrument with hooves.

Misty’s legs were already shaking as the elevator started going down. As she descended out of view, she burst into tears. She did NOT like that song. She did NOT enjoy the idea of singing in front of a crowd. She did NOT want to do this!

She took a few deep breaths as the elevator reached the bedroom floor. Her immediate trajectory was towards Zipp, who was at her workstation with her headphones on, gently bobbing her head up and down to her music (she was listening to mr Brighthoof). Misty made a beeline towards her but then suddenly stopped mid hoofstep.

The words she had said echoed around in her mind.

“It's what's best for you…”

Zipp wanted her to do it! She couldn’t tell her. She couldn’t say anything.

Literally. Words weren’t coming out of her mouth.

She bolted down the ramp to the main floor and leapt onto the sofa, head buried in a pillow. It had overwhelmed her so much. She felt her body curl around the pillow as a weird popping noise started which did not help with the feeling.

She wasn’t sure how long had passed, but her tears were only interrupted by the feeling of something hard pressing against her shoulder. She looked up to see Izzy next to her, levitating a ceramic bowl of popcorn.

“Eat!” she said, her smile not dropping even as she saw Misty’s huge wet eyes that made her look like a cat who had just been soaked in a bath. Misty didn’t have to be told twice as she immediately buried her head into the huge bowl of popcorn, crunching like an animal that hadn’t been fed in weeks. Izzy just rubbed her back as she did. The contact gave let Misty read Izzy’s current emotion: ’Supportive Worry.’

“Good work! Now, Misty, I GOTTA level with you. Not to be like that, but your sparkle is, like, TOTALLY off. And as chief sparkle coordinator for Maretime bay? That’s not good. What's up?” she asked.

Misty swallowed a mouthful of popcorn, and let out a big sigh. Izzy always had an incredible way of reaching through to ponies; it was just so easy to talk to her. Her free spirited attitude made her advice always seem all the more genuine. It took a few moments for her to get her words out again.

“I… S-Sorry.” she said. Izzy tilted her head a little but didn’t say anything. “I… I don’t want to sing. S-Sunset wants me to sing in front of a crowd at Pipp’s tomorrow night to ‘help with my confidence’. But I REALLY don’t want to do that? It just sounds really stressful when I could be at home NOT stressing about it? And if I do well they might want me to do it again and it's just- it's just not me, you know? The song doesn’t even fit! I’m really NOT awesome as I want to be… It doesn't feel right at all!” she said all in on breath and took some deep gulping to get the air back into her system afterwards. Izzy’s smile dropped a little.

“Wow…” she said. “That was a LOT of words.”

Misty nodded as Izzy mulled it over in her mind, making occasional ‘Hmm…” and “Aha! Wait, no..” noises. As Misty had almost finished the popcorn, Izzy finally chirped up.

“GOT IT! I know what we have to do!” she said. Misty’s ears perked up hopefully.

“We go up there, and we tell them you don’t want to do it!” she said triumphantly. Misty groaned.

“Izzy, that’s the opposite of what I want to do right now…”

Izzy’s head tilted. “Sorry, I don’t follow.”

“Well… Sunset really wants me to do it…” said Misty sadly.

“...So?” said Izzy with confusion.

Misty looked up at her with equal confusion. Did she just not get it?

“So if I tell her I don’t want to do it, she’ll get sad?” she said. Izzy’s expression didn’t shift.

“But… how do you feel now?”

“Not good.”

“Would you telling her you didn’t want to sing that song, or, well, at ALL, make you feel better?”

“I guess…”

“Sooooo….” said Izzy, tilting her head the other way. “If it would help you feel happy, why wouldn’t you do it?”

“Because she… She shouldn’t have to be sad.” said Misty slowly.

Izzy smiled. “And neither should you, Misty.”

Misty looked over at her.

“You deserve to be comfortable, Misty. It doesn’t matter what anypony does or doesn’t want you to do.”

Misty’s bottom lip wobbled.

Izzy was right.

“B-But… If I don’t sing like that… H-How will I… become confident?” she said quietly.
“Well, I think it'd be pretty confident of you to tell the smokin’ hot unicorn from another dimension that you don’t want to sing their dumb song.” Izzy said with a smug smirk.

Misty laughed a little, and nodded. “Ok…” she said, and stood up.

Her legs immediately started to shake.

“...Can you come with me!”

“Of course! That's what friends do!” she said, giving up and bumping her hip as she went.

“So like…. I don’t understand how does playing a guitar with those weird finger things you were talking about translates into playing the guitar. I just,,,, first the phones now this, I feel like my whole world is falling apart here, Sunset- OH! Izzy! Misty! Hi!” Pipp’s existential crisis was stopped as the elevator rose up.

“HI!” said Sunset, waving. “Ready to start again?”

Misty practically hid behind Izzy.

“Well, about that! Misty has something she’d like to say!” said Izzy, and she moved to the side. Misty felt like a spotlight was on her. She gulped. She thought the entire sentence through. Twice. She could do this.

“I… Would not like to sing in front of a crowd, and I especially don’t want to sing that song. I- D…” her flow left for a moment and she had to swallow. “I don’t feel comfortable doing it.”

Sunset’s face dropped a little. She looked at her hooves, frowning. “Shoot…” She mumbled.

Misty’s ears dropped. Oh goddd she’d made her sad this was the worst this was the WORST.

Misty almost backpedalled, about to insist she was joking and DID want to do it, but Sunset’s next words stopped her.

“I am so, SO sorry.” she said, standing up and giving her a hug. Misty was taken aback, the emotion carrying through the contact being ‘regret’. “I didn’t listen to you earlier… And I didn’t really give you a chance to speak when we were practising.” she continued, but as she pulled away, Sunset was smiling.

“I’m proud that you managed to tell me.” she reaffirmed. Misty flushed nervously, looking over at Izzy who was grinning wide. “Toooold you~” she said in a singing way.

“Well, this is all well and good… but now who’s going to sing at my show?” said Pipp glumly.

“OH! Wait, for YOUR SHOW!?” said Izzy suddenly. “You’re running it!? Why didn’t you tell me!?”

Pipp blinked. “Izzy we sleep in the same room I told you at least four times-”

“I’m so IN! HEHE! I can sing Mr Brighthoof! Hmmm,,,, but we’ll need pyrotechnics… and big sparkles… OUGH but there is no time! Where on earth am I going to find 2 ponies who’d be able to-”

She had been spinning as she thought out loud, her eyes landing on Sunset and Misty.

Sunset grinned.

“Misty? Go grab your spellbook. I think we will be learning some magic after all!”

“WHY CAN’T WE ALL JUST FORGET ABOUT MR BRIGHTHOOF??? IT'S A SONG ABOUT ME FINDING MY BOYFRIEND CHEATING ON ME WITH A ROYAL GUARD-”

“BRIGHTEN UP YOUR FURRY FLOOOF! COS IM MR BRIGHT HOOF!” Bellowed Izzy into the microphone, her slitted glasses sliding down her muzzle as she went.

“Ok! Now, Misty!” whispered Sunset. Misty nodded excitedly, and powered up her horn from the pairs position just off the stage.

A shooting firework flew into the air, and burst as Izzy did a big jump in the air. The purple and blue sparkled down on the cheering audience.

“BECAUSE I'M MR BRIIIHGHTTT HOOOOF!” Izzy screamed one more time, and as she did one final big slide on her knees, Sunset launched a huge illusionary blast of fire behind her.

The packed crowd of Mane Medley went wild (apart from Pipp who just clapped half heartedly).

“THHANNKK YOUUUUUUUUUU MARETIME BAY!” Izzy cried out as she waved at everypony. She quickly trotted back down the stage. As she left, the other two unicorns went to congratulate her but were swiftly intercepted by the sudden and aggressive tackle hug from Izzy.

“YOU TWO WERE INCREIBLE! YOU ARE SPARKLING SO HARD RIGHT NOW!” she declared.

“T-That was fun!” Replied Misty. “I.. I really enjoyed helping without having to be in the spotlight!”

Izzy smirked a little. “And whoooooo was confident enough to tell Sunset that you didn’t want to do it?”
Misty shuffled a little.

“Me…”

Sunset grinned at Izzy. “Izzy, why aren’t you the one teaching here? You gave her a FAR better lesson than I ever could have!”

“Oh!” Izzy beamed. “It's because I can’t read. GOTTA GO!” she said, and happily ran out into the audience to sign autographs.

Sunset and Misty looked at each other for a few moments before bursting out into laughter.

“Come on, Morning Mist.” Sunset said, nudging Misty and pointing into the crowd. Zipp was by the door, smiling tiredly. “Lets head back to the brighthouse.”

“Should just be to the left of the bed!” Sunset called after Misty.

“Got it!” Misty replied as she trotted down the stairs.

The afterparty was going strong, and Misty had been sent to Sunset’s room to get the root beer she had brought from her world. Apparently it was completely different to the stuff in maritime bay! Wasn’t that something!

Misty found it pretty quickly, and turned to leave. But she didn’t.

Something had caught her eye.

An open book laying face down on the floor near the far wall. Misty carefully placed down the root beer and shuffled over to it.

The book didn’t look dissimilar to her spellbook. On the back there was a strange symbol; it looked like a cross between Sunset Shimmer’s cutie mark and… was that Twilight Sparkle’s cutie mark?

Misty glanced back at the stairs leading up to the main party room. She could hear Sunset talking to Sunny loudly…

Misty gulped, and gently flipped the book.

The page that was open seemed to one from around midway through the book.

Misty’s eyes widened a little as she looked at it, realising what it was.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle, Hi! Just arrived here in Maretime bay! It is so strange being here. It feels so much like home… well, my first home anyway. But everything is so… different. I can’t quite explain it. You’d love it! And I KNOW other you would be OBSESSED! Hehe… anyway, I’m going to turn in for the night! Hope you have a good evening!”

Misty recognised Sunset’s handwriting from the pair's own book letters to each other. Her eyes moved down the page. She was… talking to Twilight Sparkle!? The one from her world? The ‘human’ one?

“Dear Sunset Shimmer, amazing! I hope you and Misty have a good time! You’re going to be an amazing teacher, just stick to the plan we made and you’ll be golden! Will write more tomorrow, can’t right now because-”

“Misty?”

Misty let out a strangled yelp as she quickly flipped the book down and spun round. Sunny was standing at the top of the stairs, smiling.

“Did you find the drinks Sunset was talking about? She was worried you couldn’t find them.” asked Sunny, oblivious to Misty’s investigation.

“Y-Yep! They’re just there! Sorry, I thought I saw a mouse. J-Just my imagination though!” she said quickly. Sunny just smiled and nodded, and picked up the root beer. “Come on then! We’re all missing you at the party! Zipp wants to see you upstairs in your bed too.”

Misty blushed a little.

“C-Coming!” she said, and trotted after her, but not after taking one last glance at the book behind her. She already had an anxious pit in her stomach from just looking at it…

She remembered the sound she had heard before she’d seen Sunset go up to the roof 2 nights ago. It only stood to reason that it was the book that had been thrown…

What had Twilight said to her that had gotten her so mad?

Misty turned around to follow Sunny out, but her mind was full of speculation.

In the corner of the room, a shape moved from its hiding spot behind the crate, watching Misty leave.

The shape tilted its black head, and made a warped hissing noise as it started to change.

It had found a target.

Author's Note

Story time!

in 2015 i wrote a fnaf fanfiction called mangles mind swapping madness (don't bother trying to find it it has been SCRUBBED!) and it was 30k words long

but each chapter was only 1000 words and like. looking back on that now i am just left wondering

wtf how badly paced was that fanfiction kajsbdjaf now a thousand words is like. 2 characters having a short conversation kasjdbahs anyway numbers aren't real.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one should be very interesting, its an idea i've had for a while!! and definitely isn't foreshadowed by the end of this one kahfusoid cv juihfdv