Striking The Chord

Introduction

By Anonymous

In these notes I have written the account of my travels to the land of Modus. It's a strange place where nopony would dare travel without a guide. Many ponies speculate that is where our music comes from, and in my recent experience with the land they are correct. It's debated whether or not the natural born musicians who reside here in Equestria came from this land. Many musicians do claim that they never heard of the land of Modus. I can tell they would be telling the truth, outsiders who travel there almost always never return. From my experience, I learned that musicians who are born in Modus tend to stay there, but rarely a few have wandered from the unknown land. Some of these travelers eventually end there journey in other parts of the world and teach their knowledge to other ponies. They're difficult to look for, since their reclusive behavior keeps them from being discovered. I know they keep to themselves, unless they're back in their homeland. In Modus, everypony is open with each other and they do share a culture similar to ours in Equestria among their own. The land is just like other lands, but it's also filled with the unknown.

I was curious about the land since I was just a child, and I wanted to travel there. In my pursuits and studies, I eventually found a way to get there. I met a guide with a beautiful singing voice, and she agreed to help me travel into Modus. She told me that she missed being home after all of these years. We agreed to travel on that day and prepared our belongings. After a month of planning and preparations we set off to Horseshoe Bay. The stallion who helped us to our destination said we were mad for doing this, but I knew it was in my heart to see this place once and for all.

With my notes, I used it to compile together this narrative. Some entries I written in my journal will be included here in the introduction to explain how my new friend and I ended up in Modus. I will not use any of these ponies' real names for their own safety to anypony tracking them down. I respect their decision to remain anonymous among the world. Every pony I encountered on this journey has their named changed in the narrative.

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Hearth's Warming Eve, 24th of Winter

Today was a productive day, in my research on Modus I met a singing pegasus in the local tavern. She was once a citizen of the land, and I asked her if she could take me there. She agreed to speak with me in her home after her work hours. I waited for the time to discuss business.

We arrived at her home in Southern Canterlot. It was a quiet neighborhood and very peaceful in the middle of the night. We sat down in her living room and talked about Modus over a cup of tea. It was a rich engaging conversation and filled with amazing detail. I talked with her until the sun started coming out. She told me she missed living there, and we settled on the choice of traveling to the land.

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Bird Song, 14th of Spring

My home in Canterlot is safe after all, and I felt it was the right time to leave. I never could have another opportunity such as this, to finally head out where I dreamed of seeing such beauty. The trip to Modus was only the calm before the adventure. The seas were unforgiving to my health, every day I felt sick to the bone. The singer who I accompanied seemed to be used to the seas. The debauchery we both engaged in was indeed fun, and she had a few good songs to sing. The storms were usually terrifying at first, but I've grown used to them. After a couple of weeks I've gotten used to the seas. The captain of the ship asked us about the land but the singer, whose real name I will not use, refused to give any explanation to him. Even with all the secrecy, the captain gladly received his pay for taking us on this trip through the seas.

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Flame Dance, 47th of Spring

It was almost a month before we saw any land, and I grew tired of the shimmering waves of the ocean. The air was humid and the sun felt harsh on my skin. I stayed in my quarters until the singer, who I will call Nightingale from now on, told me we are almost there. I resided in my bed the rest of the night, and Nightingale engaged with crew and sang along with the violin player. I enjoyed their tunes. I will continue to write whenever I get the chance.

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Flame Dance, 53rd of Spring

It's been a few days since the news that I started seeing signs of land near us. The captain and the crew scurried with joy and I felt the need to join in with them. Land was near and the sun was setting in the horizon. The seagulls made a lot of noise. I was pleased to hear Nightingale sing once again. Everything seemed peaceful through the night, the waves made their majestic sound. I listened to the relaxing rumble and I soon felt tired. The waves were much more calm than a month ago.

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Lamplight, 65th of Spring

The summer season is almost dawning on Equestria. It's been a while since I thought of home. I kind of missed my routine life. Although I'm feeling homesick, I'm glad to make this trip possible with my friend. We will reach the shore in a few hours. I was indeed excited but remained calm. Nightingale told me that she was excited as well to finally return home. I was told we were reaching this place called Ionia. The name rang in my ears as though it were a place of majestic happiness. I felt relieved to reach the shore. I will continue to write some more after leaving this ship.

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This is where I finish my introduction, since I used my diary entries to write a Narrative. Once again, every pony in this narrative and I will remain anonymous and our names are changed. This is for our own safety from anypony who will disagree with our truthful account of our travels in the land of Modus.