The Music of Ponyville

Chapters

Debut Performance
Welcome to Ponyville
Harp Strings and Heartstrings
Scratched Up
The Equinox
Return of the Queens
Alone and Unloved at the End of the World
Legend of the Elements
Bonds
Beast
Echo
Rage
Desire
Obsolete
Interlude: Own the World
Symphony To Battle Tyrants
Harmony

Debut Performance

The sun rose in the morning sky, and music floated up to greet it.

The melody was sweet and gentle, the notes warbling just enough to evoke the image of birds and rising with the slow, dignified grace of the sun itself. The bass line repeated below it in a simple pattern, backing up the melody and adding some energy and spirit to the piece. It was morning, after all, a time when ponies awoke refreshed to take on the day anew. The bass ran with this theme: it was not too energetic, nor too powerful, but was instead simple, strong, and purposeful. It was the music of ponies greeting the sun and preparing for another day.

As the minutes passed, both the sun and the music steadily rose. The sun inched up degree by degree, gradually suffusing the city of Canterlot and the nation of Equestria with its bright, warm light. The music simultaneously expanded and grew in power, the melody enriched by harmonies that built up and wound around it, and the bass line divided into multiple rhythms. One was purposeful and strong, like the steps of a farmer trotting out into her fields; another slow but steady, the movements of a craftspony preparing her worktable, and three more rhythms were skipping, darting, almost gleeful -- the motions of foals bounding out of bed in preparation for another day of learning and growing.

By the time the sun reached its zenith, the music was as layered and deep as any chamber quartet. Soprano notes soared up like birds, alto tones skipped and cavorted like foals, tenor and bass notes conducted themselves with the gravity, but also the contentness, appropriate to adults. The final chords rose to the sky, embracing the sun’s rays that descended and illuminated the city, the castle, and even the musician performing on the little balcony off one side of the castle. If morning itself -- the sight of the sun, the sound of the roosters, the taste of cereal and oats and bananas -- had one unified song, this might well have been that song.

Finally, it was over. The last few notes faded away into the morning, and the sounds from the city below could once again be heard. Ponies hurried to work, opened shops, dashed into classrooms seconds ahead of the implacable bell -- and above them all, in the castle, one gray-coated pony began to put away her instrument.

Octavia Philharmonica, the youngest member of the House of Philharmonica and personal student of Princess Mi Amore “Cadance” Cadenza, smiled as she lowered her instrument into its case. “That,” she said to herself, “was lovely.”

***

Lovely though it might have been, even the greatest of performances could be improved. This was a maxim Octavia lived by, and so as she walked back to her quarters, she was already thinking of how to play her ‘Sonata of Morning’ better the next time.

“The foals,” murmured Octavia, carefully manipulating her cello’s case to get it down the flight of stairs. “Their lines kept running together... I should try to keep them more distinct so the music remains clear.” She smiled to herself as she thought of the image she wished to elicit in sound -- foals running towards school, this one so eager to learn she raced ahead, that one lost in a book and walking at a meandering trot, perhaps two others laughing about something silly one of their siblings did...

“Octavia! Octavia!”

Octavia turned to see the personal assistant Princess Cadance had assigned her. She was an orange-coated, pink-maned earth pony, and as usual, she was rushing after Octavia in a mad gallop. “Good morning Pageturner," said Octavia. "How are you?”

“Fine -- but you’re late! Moondancer’s dance performance--” Pageturner took a few deep breaths for air. “Come on, we have to hurry! You’ll miss all of it!”

Octavia frowned as Pageturner began to guide her down another hallway. “I need to make some notes about my performance this morning.”

“No time!” Pageturner shook her head. “I was looking all over -- where were you?”

“Just out on the eastern pavilion.” Octavia frowned as she was hurried along. “Pageturner, I really need to go over my sonata. Surely this dance can wait--”

“It’s almost over!”

“Then I will attend the next one. She performs weekly,” said Octavia.

“But you promised!” protested Pageturner.

Octavia thought back, and -- with a frown -- remembered herself, cornered after a lesson, agreeing to attend Moondancer’s next dance. She shook her head slightly, wishing that she could just go back to her quarters and work on her music, but she would not be forsworn. “You are right," she said. "I forgot. Please show me the way.”

The argument taken care of, the two continued through the castle. They worked through the hallways that made up the governmental wing and cut through the Chamber of Commons and Chamber of Lords to get to the private section of the castle. A few more hallways, a quick dash through a lobby with ancient Roam artwork and architecture, and they arrived at a set of small double doors. “Here?” asked Octavia.

Pageturner nodded, quickly taking out a comb and fixing up Octavia’s mane and tail. “She’s probably just getting to her big finish right now,” whispered Pageturner. “She’s been playing her Prench repatoire; do you know that one?”

“Yes,” said Octavia. “Thank you.” She checked herself in a nearby mirror, asked Pageturner to return her cello case to her quarters, and then eased the door open and slipped into the room,

The dance studio was small, with twenty or so cushions and seats set up around a dance floor big enough for about four couples at one time. On the floor was Moondancer, a pony with a bright white coat and a sharp red mane, moving over the floor with remarkable grace and agility. Playing the accompanying music was another of Princess Cadance’s students, Twinkleshine, a violinist who was standing just behind the dance floor. Her eyes were shut in concentration as she played a bright, spirited trot, and Moondancer’s hooves were almost a blur as she moved about the dance floor.

Octavia looked at the seating area to find a good place to watch. Most of Princess Cadance’s other students were there, about a dozen musicians all together. Lemon Hearts, a pianist, was sitting the closest to the front, smiling brightly. Minuette, who built and used slightly arhythmic metronomes to produce some of the most complex and intricate beat patterns Octavia had heard, was also near the front and was tapping her hoof to the music. The other students sat a little further back, but all were fully engrossed in the performance.

Princess Cadance was there too.

Octavia’s heart skipped a beat as she saw her teacher and mentor sitting off to one side of the dance floor and smiling merrily as Moondancer moved and Twinkleshine played. The princess glanced in Octavia’s direction as the cellist eased the door shut, but her smile didn’t change. She just slightly inclined her head and gestured for Octavia to take the seat next to her.

The cellist sat down, ears already focusing on Twinkleshine’s music and the sounds of Moondancer’s rapidly-trotting hooves. It was, Octavia thought, a Las Pegasus trot -- not Octavia’s style of music, but still based enough on classical principles that she could follow it. Twinkleshine was playing two themes which wove about each other, sometimes in conflict and sometimes in harmony, and Moondancer’s rapid steps seemed to determine which theme was more prominent at any given time. Sometimes she would trot to one theme, and it would rise and dominate over the other, and sometimes she would continually bounce back and forth between them as they built off of each other into something bigger...

The next thing Octavia knew, the other students and Princess Cadance were applauding. Octavia joined in, hooves stomping up and down with the rest of the audience. Twinkleshine and Moondancer walked together so they were facing the Princess’s seat, and then both bowed. Princess Cadance smiled and bowed in return.

“A lovely performance,” Octavia heard her say. “Moondancer, every time I see you perform, you improve. And did I detect some Prench styling in the last movement?”

Moondancer beamed. “Yes! I talked to that pony you told me about, Madame La Grace. She gave me some tips. I tried to get my shoulder motion...”

Octavia, thoughts now returning to her own music, was starting to slip out of the room along with the rest of the students. Cadance, though, caught her eye and motioned for her to remain where she was. A bit confused, Octavia stopped and let the others file past her

“And Twinkleshine,” continued Cadance, “I loved your work with the cross-themes. Although...” Her voice grew teasing. “Have you been practicing your intervals like you should?”

Twinkleshine blushed slightly. “I might have... uh... been distracted by that new Broadmane drama...”

Cadance laughed, the sound like the tinkling of crystal glasses. “I can certainly understand that. Your performance sounded lovely regardless, Twinkleshine. You demonstrated remarkable control of your instrument, and your shadings were brilliant. Except for the short... very short, really... delays while you set up your intervals, it sounded perfect.”

“I’ll work on them,” said Twinkleshine. “Next time, they'll be absolutely perfect!”

“I look forward to hearing it.” Cadance nuzzled Twinkleshine for a few moments. “Now... I should probably let you two get back to practicing.”

“Yes, Princess,” they said, bowing low.

Octavia nodded at them as they left. Moondancer paused when she saw Octavia, as if she hadn’t noticed her before. “Oh! … hi, Octavia. I didn’t know you came.”

“I said I would, and I did,” said Octavia, inclining her head slightly. “I enjoyed your performance.”

“Thanks.” Moondancer paused. “You were late, though.” She raised an eyebrow. “Busy?”

“I was practicing and I lost track of my schedule,” said Octavia. “My latest piece can only be played at dawn.”

“Yeah, but...” Moondancer frowned. “Why can’t you come to my shows? You’re really good at music, Octavia. I’d like to have your feedback.”

Twinkleshine nodded. “We’re supposed to be helping each other. Giving each other advice so we can keep growing as musicians”

“And I do,” said Octavia. “Every lesson, I always comment on any piece that is performed. I fulfill my obligations.”

“It’s not about obligations!” said Moondancer. “Can’t you come to our performances, sometimes, even if they aren’t official lessons? Just as a friend?”

Octavia frowned and locked eyes with her classmate. “I--”

Princess Cadance held out a wing. “Twinkleshine, Moondancer,” she said. “Haven’t you both occasionally been so enraptured by music that you lost track of time?”

The two musicians looked at each other. “Yes,” said Moondancer.

“You are all musicians,” said Cadance. “The world of sound, the subtle melodies and intricate rhythms that move the world, have the same hold on all of us. We should all understand that, and make allowances when needed.” She smiled gently. “Now, Octavia, you will attend their next exhibition in its entirety?”

Octavia bowed. “Yes, Princess.”

Moondancer and Twinkleshine bowed too, but they still looked upset to Octavia. The cellist frowned. “And--”

“No, it’s alright,” said Moondancer, though her tone indicated otherwise. “I really should get back to practicing... by your leave, Princess.”

“Of course.”

When Twinkleshine and Moondancer were gone, Cadance turned to Octavia. “I think I could use a walk,” she said. “Would you care to join me, Octavia?”

“Of course, Princess,” said the cellist.

“Splendid. Let’s take the garden path.”

The flowers of the Eastern Castle Garden were just coming into bloom; spring was imminent and the equinox was only a few days away. Octavia nodded a little as she looked at the brilliant colors of the petals. She could use that beauty for her music, she thought, and demonstrate in sound what the castle gardeners had so carefully sculpted in the dirt. She could set up themes for the tall, strong flowers with many petals, and for the smaller ones with only a few blossoms, and add in a rapid buzzing section for the yellow bees--

“Octavia,” said Princess Cadance.

“Yes, Princess?”

Cadance hesitated for a few moments, using her magic to straighten a crooked rose. “I too have noticed that you seem to be avoiding my other students. Is something wrong?”

“No,” said Octavia. “I have not been avoiding them, Princess. I pass them in the halls all the time; I attend all our group lessons--”

Cadance held up a hoof to stop Octavia. “Yes,” she said. “You have diligently attended every lesson over the past years, which I appreciate. But on your own, during leisure time, you never seek the others out. You spend almost all of your free time by yourself.”

“I must practice,” said Octavia.

“I hope you understand that, while I appreciate your devotion to your craft, that kind of single-minded focus is not something I expect of my students.” Cadance smiled. “You are still young, Octavia. You shouldn’t be spending all your time cooped up in a practice room. Look at the others. They are all spectacular musicians, among the best of their age -- but they still find time to explore, and play, and have fun with each other and the other residents of Canterlot. I believe Minuette is even training for a 3-kilometer charity race.”

“If they feel that they can spend time on leisure activities, that is their business,” said Octavia. “But I know I can still improve. I cannot justify wasting my time on other pursuits while my technique and skill lag behind where they should be.”

Cadance’s smile seemed to fade slightly. “Those ponies are my other students,” she said, quietly. “Time spent with them is not ‘wasted’, Octavia.”

Octavia blinked. “That isn’t what I meant!” she said quickly. “They are all skilled musicians in their own right. But time I spend with them is time I am not improving my own ability. I am not good enough to allow for that.”

“Do you think that music is only about pure ability?” asked Cadance.

“No, of course not. But...” Octavia paused. “Princess, music is my special talent. It makes me happier than anything else in all the world, and it can be so beautiful... even more beautiful, in my opinion, than this garden.” She nodded at the gorgeous flowers. “Such a medium demands the highest possible skill from those who work with it. When I perform music, I honestly feel I have an obligation to the craft, and to the ponies who developed the styles and techniques I use, to do my absolute best. If I am not continually improving my ability, I am doing those ponies and the craft a disservice.

“And, also, I feel I owe it to you to perform at my best. You rule the nation, you have so many responsibilities, and yet you take time out of your schedule to train me.” She hesitated, tongue moving fruitlessly as she tried to form the words. “The gift of your time is an honor I must be worthy of, and if I am not constantly striving to make the most of that gift, I feel it is unfair to you.”

Cadance was silent for a few moments. “I truly value your devotion and love for your craft, Octavia,” she said. “And I do appreciate that you value my time. And yet...” She smiled. “Music is wonderful, Octavia. But there is so much wonder in the world, and I would not want you to miss out on all the rest of it because of single-minded focus. I want you to associate with the other students more. Show an interest in their hobbies and leisure activities... perhaps develop one or two of your own.” She chuckled. “Not only will this make you a better musician, but I think it will help you grow as a pony as well.”

Octavia wanted to shake her head. She had so much to do, so much music that she wanted to compose and so many great works to perform, that she didn’t know where she could find the time to do anything else. How could she justify training to run with Minuette, or baking with Lemon Hearts, or following Twinkleshine and Moondancer to some silly dance club, when there was so much music in her that she had to express? She simply didn't have the time.

“Besides,” the princess continued, “a musician must be able to work with colleagues -- performers, composers, conductors, and all other sorts of ponies -- in order to demonstrate their art. There is little use in great musical ability if you cannot collaborate with other ponies long enough for the world to hear it. I think you still need practice in that, Octavia.”

An idea struck Octavia. “But Princess,” she began. “I feel that I am capable of that kind of collaboration. Please -- let me prove it to you.”

Cadance blinked. “Prove it how?”

“Grant me a public performance. With a group, as part of a larger event -- however you please. Let me show you that I can work with others to demonstrate to the world my own ability, and your teachings, without needing to spend time on non-musical activities.” She bowed low, looking up at the princess from the ground. “I believe that I am capable of this task, princess. Please give me a chance to show you that my method of practicing works. And, if I perform to your satisfaction, please allow me to continue practicing as much as I deem necessary.”

Cadance frowned, looking almost disappointed. Octavia glanced away, blushing a little. She respected the Princess on so many levels, but she couldn’t seem to find a way to convince her that she felt very strongly about this. That she wanted to play music, and all she wanted to do was play music, and she had a duty both to the princess and to the craft itself, and...

“Very well.”

Octavia was certain she had misheard. “I -- I apologize, Princess. What did you say?”

Cadance took a few steps closer so she was standing very near Octavia. “I strongly believe,” she told Octavia, “that you are making a mistake, and that by neglecting opportunities to make friends, you are limiting yourself as a musician. But it is your life, and I cannot dictate how you should live it.” Cadance was silent for a moment. “I want you to perform at a particular event which will require you to work very closely with several other ponies. I think this will help you to understand the value of friendship, which will only further improve your abilities and yourself. But if, at the end of the event, you still believe as you do now, I will not ask you again about diverting your practice time for other activities.”

Octavia could not quite contain her smile. “I will not let you down,” she vowed.

“The Vernal Equinox celebration,” said Cadance, “takes place in three days. I will be attending the celebration in a rural village called Ponyville...”

Welcome to Ponyville

"I can't believe we get to attend the Vernal Equinox with Princess Cadance!" Pageturner laughed as she paced about in the private train car, practically vibrating with energy. "I'm so excited!"

Octavia made a noncommittal sound as her eyes once again darted to the clock on the far wall of the car. It was crucial, she thought, that she finalize her music for the Equinox Celebration as quickly as possible. Her performance had to be sublime, but in the hubbub of packing, she hadn't had the time to compose anything to her exacting standards. Now the train was getting close to Ponyville and she wanted to wrap up at least the first piece before the train arrived and her concentration was disrupted by the need to get up and find her lodgings. She bit her lip as she noted down another melodic line.

"Have you ever been outside the city before?" asked Pageturner.

"I'm from Chenneigh," Octavia reminded her. "I spent most of my life far from Canterlot."

"I mean, outside of big cities in general. I've never been to a rural area before. Oh, I hope the locals are all friendly. We could try the local food, see what the fashions are... oh! We could listen to folk songs!" Pageturner grinned. "I bet they still have folk songs here! And we can set up a campfire and roast marshmallows and--"

"I might not have the time," said Octavia. "Princess Cadance has entrusted me with the logistics for this event, not to mention some of the music."

"I thought you were just opening the show. Some local musician is doing the main number."

"An opening is even harder. The music must sound sublime, yet also mesh perfectly with whatever this..." Octavia glanced at the notes Cadance's secretary had given her, "'Fluttershy' plans to play. This is one of the biggest holidays of the year, and the Princess is attending. It has to be absolutely perfect."

Pageturner grinned. "Okay, there's work, but there's gotta be some vacation in it too. When'll we be back here?"

"If I have time," said Octavia. "Then, I assure you, I will sample whatever pleasures the locale has to offer. And, of course, you should feel free to go off on your own--"

"Oh, but tourism is much more fun with a friend!"

Octavia smiled slightly and returned to her music, but though she worked as quickly as she could, she was still a few measures away from the end when the train rounded a corner and the homes and shops of Ponyville came into view. The conductor entered the private car at about the same time. "Ponyville, three minutes!" he called before leaving again.

Pageturner immediately began packing up Octavia's music supplies, though the cellist insisted on holding on to her last incomplete page and some ink. "I need to get this right," she said, forehead creasing slightly. "I represent the Princess, Pageturner. Any error on my part reflects badly on her."

Pageturner paused, but before she could say anything, a few words of song drifted by the train:

Oh light, the heart
That lingers in Ponyville
Ponyville, where we will
Live in peaceful happiness

Octavia began tapping her hoof to the song as she glanced out the window. It was much simpler than the music she usually enjoyed, but it was still nice enough. There seemed to be a large crowd up ahead, outside the station in some sort of town square.

A few more ponies -- flower vendors, Octavia saw -- chimed in: So lovely!

The original singer was a tan-coated mare with gray hair standing on a raised platform. She raised her forehooves in the air and sang, brightly:

Highly recommended
Is this sweet little town (Beauty and good friends abound!)

"See? I knew this place would be friendly!" said Pageturner.

Octavia chuckled. Meanwhile, the tan mare continued:

The stars, have smiled,
And blessed is Ponyville!
Ponyville! You’ll see full
Houses, shops, and hearts all ‘round! Such vigour!
Take the time to try us!
We’ll give out a welcome that’s typically cheerful
There’s none like it in all the land
Our smiles and greetings, they last – they’re not fleeting --
And they’ll cheer you up where you stand!

Another pony, a big stallion, ran up to the little stage and hopped on. He grinned, his voice booming out towards the train:

Visitors, guests, I am Filthy Rich--
I won't mind exchanging my goods for your bits!

"He must be the souveniers guy!" said Pageturner.

Suddenly, the entire crowd began to sing:

Oh I feel great when I concentrate
On the beauty of Ponyville
Verdant, green Ponyville
Flourishing to a fault!
The sparkling streams, the bracing air
The therapeutic salt!
I’d have to be carried away – to call a halt!

Oh I feel great in this bouncing state!
Oh hail to thee, Ponyville!
Hearty, hale Ponyville!
Any objections?

(And a few of the deeper-voiced stallions shouted: Neigh!)

Where grass tastes like the finest oats
And water like champagne!
Get out your get up and go, for work or play
It’s the best place you could be, even for just one day!

The train slowed as it approached the station, and the conductor called that everypony getting off needed to get ready. Octavia noted that Pageturner had already packed most of their things, so she remained where she sat. The music outside, simple though it might be, was inspiring her, sending themes running through her head that seemed to fit perfectly here or there in her incomplete composition. Trusting in Pageturner to let her know if she was about to miss the stop, she looked out the window and continued to listen to the ponies outside:

O sad, the soul
Who passes by Ponyville
Ponyville! No evil
Monsters ever cross our eye! Safe and calm!
Why not stay forever?
Oh so many reasons why! All those in favor say ‘Aye!’

Aye!

So sing, our song
Let’s hear it for Ponyville!
Ponyville! In Ponyville
We're all one happy family! Harmony!
What a healthy haven!
This is a place where your aching flanks relax
Your stress and nerves haven’t a chance!
From forest to field our bountiful yields
Are fighting your tension’s advance!

So come to us, and feel the force!
Open late for Equinox, of course.

A mint green mare trotted up to the stage, strumming on what looked to Octavia like an old-fashioned lyre. She played back the melodies from the different voices, merging the flower-selling mares, the deep stallions by the farm carts, and all the middle voices into one unified, flowing melody. And then she raised a hoof. "More!" she yelled, a big silly grin on her face, before beginning to lead the townsponies:

Once in a while, Cadance will smile
On little, quaint Ponyville!
Humble, kind Ponyville
Suddenly hits the press!
And I report with all the pride and joy that I possess
That ponies all over the land, have our address!
Our little town will be famed, at the Princess’s behest!

There was a pause of a few moments, and then the crowd repeated:

Get out your get up and go, for work or play
It’s the best place you could be, even for just one day!

Octavia felt exhilarated - good music always made her happy. With a grin, she turned to Pageturner. "Cadance did me a large favor. I will enjoy making my debut with these ponies."

"Think they'll like it?" Pageturner's grin turned slightly teasing. "Weren't you worried they wouldn't have enough exposure to classical music to appreciate your stuff?"

"That will make it all the more rewarding . I'm sure I can make my music accessible enough that even those with no knowledge of classical music will love it... and who knows? I could inspire some of them to pursue it further! Perhaps some foals, who know little of classical music, will hear what I play, love it, decide to pursue music themselves... if I play well enough, anything is possible!" Octavia grinned, and then burst into song:

What a scene! What a joy! What a lovely sight!
Music will be the big sensation!
Watch this town's rustic taste alter overnight.
Watch them find new sophistication!

Pageturner chuckled and gave her a playful shove.

I'll bet they'll just want to see
If you're all that you say.

Well that's – all right! I’ll be glad to oblige.
I will play!

Octavia opened her case, pulled out her cello, and began to swiftly mimic the tune she had just heard outside -- but with added harmonies, a bass rhythm, even tapping her foot to add an agogic accent where need be. She smiled, lost in music as the melody soared forth from her instrument. Only when she was done did she continue to sing:

Some 'friends' raze with their words, I can raise the room.
They relax, while my skill increases!
Forget them, show my stuff. I’m the living proof
Don’t need them to master my pieces!
Yes, I know my ability.
But I must prove it -- with a show!
Well that's – all right! I’ll play my heart out for them…
So let’s go!
So let’s go!

"Time to get off!" called the conductor, and with a start, Octavia and Pageturner hurriedly finished packing and raced to get off the train.

Meanwhile, outside, a few of the ponies had decided to sing one more verse:

Oh I feel great in this bouncing state!
Oh hail to thee, Ponyville!
Hearty, hale Ponyville!
Any objections? Neigh!

Where grass tastes like the finest oats
And water like champagne!
Get out your get up and go, for work or play
It’s the best place you could be, even… for… just… one… day!

And with a flourish, the song ended.

***

Octavia stretched as she and Pageturner exited the train just in time to see the last of the singers dispersing. "We should drop off this luggage first," she said. "And then we should begin taking care of the logistics. Hopefully, we can get everything taken care of in relatively short order, and--"

"Hi!" said Pageturner, waving to somepony behind Octavia.

Octavia turned to see a bright-pink pony bouncing towards them. "Hi!" the pink pony chirped. "I don't recognize you! You must be new!"

Octavia bowed slightly. "Yes. I am Octavia Philharmonica, personal student of Princess Cadance. This is my personal assistant, Pageturner."

"Wow! I'm super-duper glad to meet you!" said the pony. "I'm Pinkie Pie, and boy oh boy are we gonna have fun later!"

"Actually, I--" began Octavia, but she had glanced briefly at Pageturner, and when she turned back, the pink pony had vanished.

"... did you see where she went?"

"Nope. Did you?"

"No."

The two were silent for a moment.

"That was strange," said Octavia.

***

"Please," said Mayor Mare. "Let me know if there is anything at all we can do to help. The resources of Ponyville are at your disposal!"

Octavia and Pageturner had gone from the town square directly to their lodgings, a spare room at city hall that was reserved for important visitors or functionaries. The room, though not big or elaborately furnished, was soundproofed, which would allow Octavia to practice and so satisfied the cellist. That done, she turned to the first item on her list -- meeting with the Mayor.

"I am glad to hear it," said Octavia. "Do you have a list of such resources?"

Mayor Mare produced a few papers from her desk. "I asked the shops in town that I thought most suitable for this kind of celebration to furnish me a list. Here are the shops, the items, the prices..."

They talked for twenty minutes. Octavia had made the time to visit an event planner before leaving Canterlot and had received estimates of how many supplies would be needed for various numbers of ponies. With Mayor Mare helping her refine her estimate of the crowd size, Octavia was able to work out the quantities of goods she would need. From tables to balloons, the items were slowly allocated and budgeted for.

"I must say," said Mayor Mare, when it was done, "I had thought at first you were just musical entertainment, but you seem to have a firm hoof in all the logistics as well. I suppose you represent the princess?"

"Of course I represent her," said Octavia, a bit confused by the question. "I am her student, after all, and my behavior reflects on her."

Mayor Mare smiled. "Then let me just reiterate -- anything you need, you need only ask." She removed a map from her desk and passed it to Octavia. "I imagine you will want to coordinate with some of the vendors and other ponies on your own?"

"Yes. The primary food vendor, the weather patrol, the chief decorator, and also the other musician." Octavia took the map. "Thank you."

"Speak with anypony you wish -- and if anypony objects, send them to me. The town is entirely at your disposal, Octavia."

The cellist smiled. "Your assistance is most appreciated."

***

"Sweet Apple Acres should be...," said Octavia, looking at the map Mayor Mare had given her. "Just around this hill."

"Think they have free samples?" chirped Pageturner.

"I doubt it, but if you are hungry I would not be averse to stopping for lunch." Octavia smiled slightly. "I disliked the train fare."

"It wasn't that bad," teased Pageturner. "Maybe it's not as fancy as all the frou-frou stuff you ate back in Chenneigh..."

"What I ate in Chenneigh was my mother's cooking. Which, incidentally, is still superior to anything I have tasted in Canterlot," said Octavia, smiling. "You have not tasted a real potato curry unless you have tasted my mother's."

Pageturner smiled slightly. "Do you miss her?"

"Now and then. But I must--"

A loud blatting sound, like somepony had violently coughed into a tuba, ripped through the air.

Octavia winced, covering her ears. "What was that?!"

"Got me," said Pageturner. "Let's find out!" And she took off ahead, Octavia hurrying to catch up.

Around the hill was a large house with an attached barn surrounded by apple groves stretching out to the left and right. In front of the house were three ponies -- an orange-coated, yellow-maned, wiry mare that was probably the Sweet Apple Acres proprietor Applejack, a younger foal that looked to be her sister, and a blue pony with a brown mane who was wearing a tuba.

"Oh!" said Octavia, pausing. "I know that pony."

"The tuba player?"

"Yes." Octavia frowned. "Yes, we have met. Her name is Bluenote." Images of Canterlot orchestra rehearsals flashed through her head.

"Who is she?" asked Pageturner.

Octavia frowned and lowered her voice. "She played in some of the classical groups in Canterlot. She was decent, but not at professional level... the conductors I worked with mentioned that she has a lot of talent but didn't have the discipline to practice and take it to the next level. When I stopped seeing her, I thought that she had either given up, or gone into isolation to focus and improve her skill. I had no idea she would come all the way out here..."

"Guess she found an audience that likes her!" said Pageturner, gesturing at the foal, who was laughing uproariously on the ground.

Octavia wondered dryly if foals were the only audience who would appreciate Bluenote. Still, she thought, it was important to teach foals the importance of music. Even if Bluenote hadn't been able to play in the best professional orchestras, if she could teach foals the dignity and glory of their craft--

Bluenote blatted another note, causing the foal to laugh again. "Sorry!" joked Bluenote to Applejack -- who, Octavia noted, was also snickering. "But when Apple Bloom said she didn't like this instrument, it got all sad. Now I can't make it play any happy music at all."

"What if ya try real real hard?" asked Apple Bloom, her eyes bright and shining and her mouth curved upwards in a big smile. "Ah'd hate it if the instrument was sad forever."

Octavia stared at Pageturner. "Please tell me this isn't happening."

"I think it's cute!" said Pageturner.

"I'll try!" announced Bluenote. "Now, let's see..." And she began to play again. This time, though, the tune was actual music, a bouncy and spritely deep tune that issued forth from the tuba in a rapid dance pattern.

"Yay!" cheered Apple Bloom, beginning to dance.

"Alright, alright," said Applejack, though she was still smiling brightly. "Ah appreciate ya tryin', Bluenote, but Ah don't think Apple Bloom wants ta play the tuba. An' Ah have ta admit Ah'm a bit worried she'd fall in an' get stuck."

Bluenote nodded. "A frequent problem. The pony-eating tuba is one of the most feared monsters in Caneighda."

Applejack laughed. "Anyway, maybe we could try somethin' else? That is, Apple Bloom, if ya'r still interested in music?"

Apple Bloom nodded. "Bluenote makes it sound so much fun! But... maybe somethin' simpler? At least ta start?"

"I'll come back tomorrow with a recorder," said Bluenote. She smiled, seemingly unphased by Apple Bloom's rejection of her instrument. "A lot of foals start on that."

"Yay!" said Apple Bloom. "An -- oh! Hey! Applejack, we got visitors!"

Octavia stepped forwards, bowing her head slightly as the ponies turned to see her. "Good morning," she said. "My name is Octavia Philharmonica, and--"

"Oh, Octy!" Bluenote grinned. "AJ, this is one of Princess Cadance's musician trainees!"

"Ya know her?" asked Apple Bloom.

"She sat in on our rehearsals a lot," said Bluenote brightly. "Good to see you again, Octy!"

"Octavia. Please," said the cellist, smiling politely. "I didn't know you had moved out this way, Bluenote."

"Big city was a bit too big for me," said Bluenote. "Way too many distractions. So I teach foals all over this part of the country now. Gotta say, I kind of find them to be a more fun audience." Bluenote turned to Apple Bloom and winked. The foal giggled again.

"... right." Octavia decided not to argue. "Anyway--"

"Are you in town for a concert?" asked Bluenote. "I promise to stop by!" She turned to the Apple sisters. "Octavia's great, really. Princess Cadance's best student."

"I am performing at the Equinox Celebration," said Octavia.

"Great!" said Apple Bloom, with a smile that warmed Octavia’s heart. She turned to her sister. "Ah can go, right?"

"Course ya can. Ya can even help ma sell some apples." Applejack grinned and helped Apple Bloom clamber onto her back. "Pleased ta meet'cha, Octavia. Are ya the mare we're coordinatin' the apple selin' with?"

"Yes." Octavia bowed her head. "I am assisting with the logistics. If you have some time, we should discuss the quantity and cost of provisions."

"Sure thing. Right this way. See ya tomorrow, Bluenote."

"No problem," chirped the tuba player. "Good seeing ya, Octavia! Let's talk again before you leave town!"

Apple Bloom, still on her sister's back, turned to face Octavia. "Ah can't wait ta hear yar show, Miss Philharmonica!"

"Thank you," said Octavia.

"Why, Ah bet ya might even be as good as Bluenote!"

Octavia froze, face suddenly burning. She opened her mouth, ready to protest against being compared with a pony who had washed out of the Canterlot orchestras...

But Apple Bloom was a foal, and clearly didn't know any better. So Octavia just said, "I think you will like what you hear."

She walked into the barn, following Applejack dutifully, but her thoughts were elsewhere. This town, she thought, knew even less music than she had guessed if they believed that Bluenote was the height of ability. They knew nothing of the greats, of the truly sublime musicians that populated Canterlot, Chenneigh, and other Equestrian cities. None had come to this town...

Except that one had. Her. She was still a student, yes, but her ability had been praised by the Princess herself. She could perform something spectacular, some amazing music to show the town what it was missing. She could do it.

She was Octavia Philharmonica, student of Princess Cadance, and she would show this village the true glory of music.

Harp Strings and Heartstrings

“Next up: weather!” chirped Pageturner, reading from her notebook. “Pony in charge is a mare named Rainbow Dash.” She chuckled. “Sure you don’t want to try another apple fritter, Octavia?”

“Yes, thank you.” Octavia patted her stomach. “I am quite full. The Apples are very expansive hosts.” Applejack had offered to let the Canterlot duo try samples of everything the farm would be serving during the Celebration. Octavia had taken light samples of everything and had verified that it was suitable fare for the occasion. Pageturner had wolfed down as much as she could hold.

“The weather office should be right down that way,” said Pageturner, pointing. “Just past the music store.”

"Music store?" asked Octavia.

“Yep! Want to stop in on the way? You were saying how you want to pick up a new string for your cello.”

Octavia paused, torn between wanting to examine a new music vendor and wanting to get on with the logistics tasks she had to complete. “Well,” she said at last, “it wouldn’t hurt to see what sort of music this town buys. Besides, we might find the local musician, Fluttershy, there.”

“That’s the spirit! Let’s check it out!”

Octavia’s enthusiasm, though, was slightly dampened when she drew closer and took a better look at the store. The two-story building looked a lot more run-down than Octavia would have liked. The paint was faded, the flagstones were cracked, and the lawn outside the store was overrun by weeds. The cellist frowned, wondering if even the music vendor of this town was ambivalent about the craft.

“Come on!” said Pageturner, opening the door and hurrying inside.

Octavia entered -- and stared. The inside of the building looked little different than the outside; dust in the corners, paint fading on the old walls, and a few shelves and tables showing signs of hasty repair where some old component had finally given out. There was an air of gloom over the building itself. But the instruments -- the shining flutes and piccolos on display along one wall, the gleaming brass of the tubas, trombones, and trumpets along another, the carefully preserved drumheads on the percussion instruments -- were expertly maintained. Most looked like they could be played immediately.

Octavia looked around, not seeing a proprietor. She cautiously stepped further into the shop, approaching a large cello leaning against a shelf. Examining it closely, and plucking a few strings, she noted that it was in tune and of high quality. “Wonderful,” she said, turning back to Pageturner. “This is a quality instrument.”

“Can I help you?”

Octavia glanced over at the stairs, where a green-coated, green-maned pegasus was fluttering down to the shop floor. “Hello,” the cellist said. “I apologize for intruding; I was just admiring your wares.”

“This is a really cool shop!” said Pageturner. “Do you own it?”

“Yeah. Medley’s Music Emporium, Medley speaking.” The pony flew over behind the counter. “See anything you like?”

“I already own a cello, but I have to admit, this one is very well crafted and maintained,” said Octavia, scrutinizing the instrument. “Do you do all the maintenance yourself?”

“Yep.” Medley nodded. “Got a tuning schedule and everything. Every instrument in this store is playable upon purchase, and that’s something you won’t find in the fancy-schmancy big-city stores.”

“Impressive,” said Octavia. “A very laudable business ethic. Do you play any instruments yourself?”

“Not exactly,” said Medley.

Pageturner tilted her head. “What does that mean?”

With a slight smile, Medley bent below the counter, then brought two instruments up and laid them down. Octavia recognized them as sets of windchimes. “Those look lovely.”

“Thanks,” said Medley. “I made them myself. It's my hobby.”

Octavia blinked. "Made them?" she echoed. The instruments looked far better than she would have expected from a hobbyist.

“I have a little shop down in the basement. In my spare time, I like to build instruments like this. It’s nice to hang them in a corner of the shop and let them play while the customers browse.” Medley giggled. “I just finished my latest project... want to see?”

“Certainly.”

Medley led Pageturner and Octavia to the back of the shop, where they could see through a window into a little yard. In the center of the yard was a huge harp, half again as tall as a pony, and with its frame carved out of stone. Between the frame was a dazzling array of strings.

“What’s that?” asked Pageturner.

“It’s an aeolian harp,” said Octavia, quietly. She had seen images of that sort of instrument, albeit only in old textbooks. “The strings are too heavy to be plucked by hoof or rubbed by bow, and that harp is too large for ponies to play regardless. That harp can only be played by the wind.” She turned to Medley. “I have never seen one outside of a museum. This is incredible.”

“Thanks!” said Medley. “Glad you appreciate it.”

Octavia smiled. “It is a work of art. I am honored to see it.”

Medley opened the window just as a few guests of wind blew through the yard and the harp strings. The resultant sound was unlike any Octavia had heard before; there was no onset, not even any attack; the music just seemed to arise out of the instrument as if drawn by magic. The sound was sweet, soft, and ethereal, and as it constantly shifted, altering based on the subtlest variations in the breeze, Octavia found herself entranced.

When it was over, all Octavia could say was, “...spectacular.”

Pageturner giggled, though when Octavia turned she had composed herself again.

“Where are you from?” Medley trotted back to the counter. “Your accent’s... Chenneigh, right?”

“Yes.” Octavia concealed her surprise that Medley had recognized it. “But I have spent the last two years in Canterlot. I am--”

The door banged open and a blue-coated, rainbow-maned pegasus flapped in. “Hey, Medley!” she called out. “Got some good news for you!”

Medley smiled. “Great! What’s up, Rainbow Dash?” But Octavia thought she heard an undercurrent of frustration in her voice.

“You know that big celebration tomorrow? Well, Raindrops and Cloudkicker just reported in -- there’s a big storm heading in from the Everfree.” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “When it rains it pours, huh? Anyway, we’ll be needing some extra help to make sure it doesn’t rain on Princess Cadance. You available?”

Medley was silent for a moment before nodding. “Yes. Just tell me where and when."

“After you close up shop tomorrow, meet us by Fluttershy’s house, at the edge of the Everfree.” Rainbow Dash grinned. “This is gonna be the most amazing party ever! Let’s get all the weather taken care of so we can get some of that Sweet Apple Acres Cider!” And with a laugh, she left the shop. Medley watched her go, and Octavia noted that her hoofs were digging into the counter slightly.

Octavia hesitated before forging ahead. “I apologize for prying, but is there a problem?”

“Not really,” muttered Medley.

Octavia raised an eyebrow.

Medley shrugged. “It's just... it used to be, I could get some pretty regular hours helping out the weather patrol part time. Then this hotshot from Cloudsdale shows up, fastest pony alive or something, and now she practically does all the weather herself.” She gestured vaguely at the door. “Now I’m lucky if they need my help in the middle of a monsoon. And she's so smug about it, brags about setting records and joining the Wonderbolts...” She paused. "Nevermind. It's not your concern."

Octavia looked around again, wondering if the dilapidation of the shop was due to lack of resources instead of a lack of care on the part of the owner. “...please forgive me if this question is too personal, but if that is your situation, how can you keep all these instruments in such exquisite condition?”

“I get by,” said Medley. “I work hard, I don’t need charity -- and I fulfil my obligation to my customers. If I offer to sell them something, you can be sure it's to be the best instrument this side of the Everfree. I find the money to get the job done.” She paused. “It's just... never mind. Is there something you want to buy?”

Octavia paused. “Well...”

***

“You bought a lot,” teased Pageturner. “You like her!”

Octavia raised an eyebrow. “I simply asked for the most popular scores. I must learn what this town thinks music--”

“Oh, you could have done that there, or just asked their names. You probably know all those pieces by heart.” Pageturner giggled. “You like her.”

“I respect her,” corrected Octavia. “As a musician, I can appreciate all the work she must put into maintaining those instruments, despite her evident financial difficulty. And... while natural music isn’t exactly my style, I can certainly appreciate her craftsmareship.” She shrugged. “Besides. The House of Philharmonica has resources. I would be remiss if I did not use those resources to assist others.”

“Don’t try to play it off,” urged Pageturner. “You did a good thing.” She nudged Octavia. “You helped her out. You might even have made a friend!”

Octavia rolled her eyes at Pageturner’s last comment. “I intend to do a bit more than just purchase some of her wares.” Octavia smiled. “Her craft shouldn’t be left languishing in a crumbling shop. I will talk with the Mayor about putting some of her installation pieces in the Equinox Celebration.”

Pageturner paused. “Er. Aren’t you just supposed to be coordinating? I don’t think you’re supposed to change--”

“It is my job to make sure this celebration goes off as well as it possibly can. If I must change something to ensure that, I will fulfil my duty.” Octavia nodded firmly. “Now, what’s next?”

“Uh... decorations. We need to get to some place called ‘Carousel Boutique.’”

Octavia nodded. “Splendid.”

***

“Octavia Philharmonica?” gasped the white-coated, purple-maned pony, upon hearing the introduction. “Not the heir to the House of Philharmonica?”

“Uh, no,” said Octavia, a bit taken aback. “I’m the third daughter. My two elder sisters are in line to inherit the title--”

“But even so, your lineage is remarkable! Besides, aren’t you Princess Cadance’s personal student? You must be an incredible pony! Oh, I’m so honored to have you here in my shop!”

Octavia blushed, feeling a little uncomfortable. “How do you know all that?”

“I make it a point to keep track of high society.” The pony’s eyes gleamed. “I might be just a small-town clothier for now, but I have big plans. One day, mark my words, every noble in Canterlot will wear fashions designed by moi!”

"Uh huh..." managed the cellist.

“Anyway, where are my manners? I am Rarity. You’re here about the decorations for tomorrow, right?”

“Yes--”

“Right this way! You won’t believe your eyes!”

Despite the mare’s grandiose claims, Octavia found herself satisfied with the decorations. Rarity seemed an expert at knowing just what Octavia would need to see, and the cellist was able to examine samples of all the important fabrics and other decorations for the next day. She found no fault in any of Rarity’s wares, and she was able to pronounce herself satisfied that Carousel Boutique would supply wonderful goods for the Celebration.

“You’ll make sure Princess Cadance knows who supplied the goods, yes?” said Rarity, as she passed another fabric swatch over for Octavia to examine.

“Of course. She will know of all the vendors.”

Rarity grinned brightly. “Now, there’s one more thing. I’ve taken the liberty of putting together some outfits for the local performers, you know, to make sure they go with the decor and all. What do you think of this?” Her horn glowed, a dropcloth flying into the air--

To reveal only a bare mannequin underneath.

Rarity blinked for a few moments. Then she frowned. “Sweetie Belle!” she called. “Come in here at once!”

After a few minutes, a little foal tumbled into the room. She was wearing a dress three times her size and was tripping over the legs. “Yes?” she asked, smiling brightly.

“Sweetie Belle! How many times have I told you not to touch my things?” complained Rarity. “This is very important, and now look! You’ve gotten the outfit all muddy!”

Sweetie Belle looked down. “Oops... but I wanted to look pretty like you!”

Octavia couldn’t help but smile, though Rarity seemed annoyed. “Miss Philharmonica, I am so sorry. Please -- could you come back in an hour or so? I need to get this cleaned.”

Octavia frowned, thinking of her cello languishing in her quarters. “Why don’t I go visit Fluttershy, and then--”

“Oh no no no, that won’t be necessary! Just -- give me just a few minutes. I will make this dress immaculate once more! And I promise you, it will be worthy every minute of the wait!”

Octavia opened her mouth to refuse, but Pageturner was too fast. “Sure!" she chirped. "We're happy to wait! Is there anywhere fun to hang out around here?”

“Fun?” Rarity paused “Bonbon’s Bon Bons is popular, I suppose, as is Sugar Cube Corner. But thank you for waiting. You won’t regret this!” And she hustled her sister out of the room, scolding her as she went.

Octavia frowned at Pageturner. “I did not--”

“Oh, relax.” Pageturner smiled genially. “Let’s go to Bonbon’s Bon-Thingies. It’ll be fun!”

***

Octavia looked through the shop window at all the candies and chocolates that her diet wouldn’t allow her to eat and tried to ignore Pageturner’s musings about which treats she would buy first.

“...oh, but those lemon bars look really good. Or -- gumdrops! I love gumdrops! Maybe I can get gumdrops on the lemon bars! Or mixed in!” Pageturner squeaked. “Wanna split a sundae?”

Octavia frowned. “We have been here a while. Rarity is probably ready for us. We should make our choice and--"

“We can't rush it! Besides, choosing is ninety percent of the fun!” Pageturner grinned. “I wonder what those big snowdrops taste like?”

“They taste like a fresh cloud on top of a mountain!”

Both mares turned to see a mint-green mare smiling at them. Octavia recognized her as having helped lead the song in the town square earlier. “I’m... sorry?” she asked.

“The snowdrops are delicious!” said the pony, rising on her hind legs and flailing her forelegs about. “They’re chocolatey and crunchy and sweet! They taste like all the joy of the first snowball of winter compressed into a little candy!” She grinned. “But that’s only the twelfth best thing in Bonbon’s Bon Bons!”

“What’s the best candy she has?” asked Pageturner.

“Hmm... I’d have to go with the double-chocolate crunch bars.” The green mare grinned. “They say eating one is like being personally blessed by the Princess Herself and taken up to her star palace!”

“... The Princess doesn’t have a star palace,” said Octavia.

“Really? Dang. I’ll need a new metaphor.” The pony laughed. “My name’s Lyra Heartstrings. How are you?”

“Very well, thank you.” Octavia bowed her head. “Octavia Philharmonica, and this is my personal assistant Pageturner.”

Pageturner nodded. “So those crunch bars are the best thing in the shop?”

“No, the most delicious candy. They’re only the second best thing in her shop,” corrected Lyra.

“What’s the best?” asked Octavia, finding herself curious despite her diet.

Lyra’s eyes sparkled. “Bonbon herself.”

The cellist stared.

“Is she not the most beautiful mare in all Equestria?” said Lyra, putting a hoof over her heart. “Is she not the most lovely, her voice the sweetest, her mane the prettiest, her cutie mark the... cutiest? Could any pony possibly measure up to such perfection? Neigh, say I!”

“Are you dating, then?" asked Pageturner, ignoring Octavia's frantic glances designed to stop her assistant from encouraging the other pony.

“Any day now! I just have to come up with the right strategy!” Lyra’s eyes flashed. “Shall I serenade her with lyre music from afar? Perhaps I should play for her up close! I--”

“You play an instrument?” asked Octavia, desperate to change the topic.

“Huh? Oh, yes! I’m a lyrist. I busk most days in the park.” Lyra’s horn glowed, and a lyre popped into existence in front of her. “Ballads mostly. Why, tomorrow I’ll be playing all about how Princess Cadance overthrew her wicked sisters and took over the nation to rule with justice and friendship and love!”

Pageturner grinned. “I love ballads like that!”

Octavia frowned. “...personally, I don't believe such stories. It's just an old mare's tale to scare children. 'Behave, or Nightmare Moon will gobble you up,'" she said. "And Princess Cadance never mentioned any such battle, so--"

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Most ponies don’t think there ever was a ‘Celestia’ or ‘Luna’ that went evil and turned into ‘Burning Sun’ and ‘Nightmare Moon.’ They never got sealed into the sun and moon a millenia ago, and we don’t need to sacrifice chocolate cookies every year to make sure they don’t come back.”

“Chocolate cookies?”

“To appease the angry star gods! And what better appeasement than a delicious cookie?” asked Lyra. “Pinkie and Ditzy prefer muffins, but me, I do cookies every year. And who cares about what the stodgy ponies think anyway? My ballad makes for a much better story!” Lyra grinned and began to strum her lyre.

Octavia didn’t know how to respond to that. “Well... it was nice to meet you--”

“Wait! Don’t go!” Lyra grinned. “You’re new in town! You can help me. I need to gather some intelligence on Bonnie! See what she thinks about me.”

Octavia paused. “I really don’t think that would be appropriate--”

“Sure! What do you need us to do?” interjected Pageturner.

“I’m going to go in and order her most expensive candy!” said Lyra, eyes bright. “You got in after me, and... you know, all smooth like... ask her what she thinks about me. Maybe she’ll sigh dreamily, or smile and stare in a far-off corner...”

Octavia was becoming tired from just listening to the lovestruck Lyra. Still, she could see that her assistant was already committed to helping the green mare. “Very well. But after that, we need to get going.” She glanced at Pageturner. “We still have work to do.”

“Of course, of course,” said Lyra. “Now... I’ll be back in about ten minutes. Wish me luck!”

The lyrist disappeared into the store, and Octavia turned to Pageturner, who began to giggle. “Isn’t love sweet?” the shorter mare said. “She’s horn over hooves for the candymare!”

“She seems a bit silly,” said Octavia.

“So? She’s fun!”

A few minutes later, Lyra walked out with an elaborately sculpted chocolate bunny balanced carefully on her back. “Now!” she said. “See what she thinks of me!”

Octavia and Pageturner went into the candy store; the former taking one whiff of the air and wondering idly if it was possible to get a contact sugar high. Pageturner, though, showed no such trepidation, and went right up to the counter. “Hi!”

“Good morning!” said the shopkeeper. Her nametag read that her name was Bonbon, and added that she was happy to serve them.

“I’ll try a double-chocolate crunch bar!” said Pageturner. “I heard they’re really good.”

“Great!” Bonbon began to wrap one up. “Yeah, these are a good seller. Who told you about them?”

“This pony we saw outside named Lyra. I think she was just here, actually. Do you know her?”

Octavia hid her smile behind a hoof.

“Lyra? She’s a great customer. I think she’s tried everything my shop has to offer.” Bonbon chuckled. “A real connoisseur of chocolate. I appreciate that.”

“You two must be friends if she buys so many sweets from you,” urged Pageturner.

Bonbon shrugged. “Nah. She just buys candy from me, it’s not like we ever talk outside of that.” She chuckled. “And if you’ve seen her, you know how hyper she is. If she wanted to be friends with me, I’d know it.”

Pageturner was silently shaking with laughter, and even Octavia felt amused. “Oh... of course,” the assistant said. “Well... thanks for the candy!”

Outside, the two ponies turned to talk to each other when Lyra bounced between them. “What’d she say? What’d she say? Does she long for me? Does she dream of me? Does she think of me as her sun and moon?”

Octavia blinked. “Uh.”

Pageturner coughed. “Well, she did say that she remembered that you’ve bought most of her merchandise--”

“She remembered me?!” Lyra’s face split into a grin that stretched from ear to ear. “Yay! I knew my patronage would pay off!” She enveloped both Octavia and Pageturner in a massive hug. “She remembers me! She remembers me! HURRAY!” And with that, she bounced down the path, singing merrily.

Octavia stared after her. “Pageturner, did she just... hug me?”

Pageturner was giggling. “Yep!”

“...I will give you ten bits to never mention this again.”

Pageturner laughed harder. “No deal.” And she sprinted off. “Come on, I bet Rarity’s ready by now!”

And Octavia had no choice but to follow.

Scratched Up

Octavia stretched as she walked down the path. Rarity had finally shown her the dresses, and they had met with the cellist's approval Now she only had one more chore before she could return to her quarters and her music.

"That should be Fluttershy's house up ahead," said Pageturner. She gestured at a distant cottage. "It looks really cozy!"

The house was a quaint, wooden structure in front of a large forest. Octavia smiled to herself as she examined the surroundings; the cottage had a bucolic sort of beauty that meshed perfectly with the surrounding lawn and brook. It looked almost like one of her occasional daydreams, the one in which she bought a little house in a beautiful field and spent her time composing in solitude amidst the beauty of nature. The animals frolicking outside the house -- chickens pecking away at seed, birds tweeting, a white bunny cuddling a carrot -- completed the scene.

"Yep!" said Pageturner, pointing at a nearing sign. "That says it for sure. We're here!"

Octavia read the sign. "Fluttershy..." she paused. When she spoke again, her voice was cautious. "Town veterinarian."

"What?" asked Pageturner. "Is something wrong?"

"I was told that Fluttershy is a musician. But this sign says otherwise... perhaps there are two?"

Before Pageturner could respond, the door to the cottage opened and a yellow-coated, pink-maned pegasus trotted out of the house with a pot of tea and a few plates of crumpets balanced carefully on her back, wings, and head. "Who wants a picnic?" she chirped, smiling as a bunch of the animals raced to her and showered her in loving hugs. "Now, everyone get into a nice, neat line and you'll all get a tasty little snack!" She grinned. "Doesn't it just sound yummy?"

Octavia wasn't sure what to do next, but Pageturner walked up to the pony. "Hi, Miss Fluttershy?" she asked.

Fluttershy turned and smiled brightly at Pageturner and Octavia. "Hello! Can I help you?"

"Er, no," said Octavia. "My name is Octavia Philharmonica; I study music under Princess Cadance and am helping to organize the Vernel Equinox Celebration. I apologize; I thought you were the musician for the event. But I can see--"

"Oh, I am!" said Fluttershy. She was still smiling merrily. "Everyone, say hello to Miss Philharmonica, please!" The animals all waved or bowed at Octavia; the cellist was too unnerved to respond. "I'm so excited to meet you, Octavia. I've never performed for the Princess before, and..." Her smile flickered for a moment. "Well, I'm a little nervous..."

"...may I hear you play?" asked Octavia, wondering what was going on. Perhaps, she thought, this mare was a savant, able to perform with incredible skill despite only being a hobbyist. Or maybe her veterinary practice was a hobby, and she just didn't advertise her musical talents for some reason. There had to be a sensible explanation for why she had been chosen for such an important role."

"Of course. Everyone, I'm going to work with Miss Philharmonica for a bit. But I promise I'll come right back and we can all have more fun together!" Fluttershy chirped.

And with that, she led the two visitors inside her cottage.

***

The house was cluttered, Octavia noted, and full of homes for animals. There were birdhouses, cages, and even holes in the wall for rats and mice. There were also signs. Lots of signs.

“Manehattan Veterinary Clinic drive?” asked Octavia, carefully setting a large placard aside so she could sit down.

“Oh, yes!” said Fluttershy, pouring tea for the two visitors. “There’s a big drive right now to expand the Manehattan Veterinary Clinic. Poor animals... did you know that over three thousand pets in Manehattan might be sick or injured on any given day, but there are only enough hospital beds and wards for two thousand?” She took out a box and set it on the counter. “I’m leading the local efforts to raise money to expand one of their clinics. Any donation would be greatly appreciated.”

Pageturner nodded and withdrew a few bits from her saddlebag, which she tossed into the box. “How’s that?”

“Thank you! No amount is too small.” Fluttershy grinned. “What about you?” she asked Octavia. “All those animals would be ever so grateful.”

Octavia wasn't sure what to say. “Um... what exactly does the money go towards?”

"They want to build a new wing so they can care for more animals at once. They're also testing a whole new range of medicines that will help broken bones heal much faster. Dr. Warm Heart also wants to set aside a little park area so that animals who spend most of their lives indoors can gradually acclimate to the outside world, instead of being thrown into it." She pushed her donation box gently towards Octavia. "We would truly be honored if you were willing to assist."

Octavia put a few bits into the box, if only so they could move on. “The Princess will be here to hear you,” she said, in as calm a voice as she could manage. “I mean no disrespect, but... are you a hobbyist musician?”

“Well, music's not my job, but I think my birds and I are really good.” Fluttershy smiled sweetly. “Would you like to listen?”

Octavia nodded, pushing aside her unease. She would give Fluttershy a fair and open hearing. After all, it was entirely possible that she was good even if her actual career had nothing to do with music. As long as that possibility existed, Octavia would hear her out.

“Oh, little birdies!” chirped Fluttershy, fluttering up towards the top of the room. “We have a very special guest!”

Octavia sat back as the birds flew down, landing on stands and beginning to chirp a few warm-up notes. The cellist shut her eyes and focused her ears, tuning out Pageturner, noises from outside, and the other animals running around. There were only the birds, and nothing else mattered.

“Ready?” she faintly heard Fluttershy ask.

“Yes,” said Octavia.

And the birds began.

***

It wasn't bad.

The birds had chirped and tweeted three songs. Each of them were quite suitable for a Canterlot audience; they were classically inspired and elegantly performed. Octavia had heard very few wrong notes, and the vocal control of the birds was much better than she had expected. She would not be embarassed were the Princess to hear that music.

But still...

It was too simple, thought Octavia.

The first song was a formal march.The melodic and harmonic lines moved smoothly from bird to bird, each one tweeting a few notes before passing it on to the next. Beneath them, a few of the bigger birds consistently tweeted low notes in time with their companions, marking off the beats and helping structure the work. The march wound about, rising and falling at the right times and fulfilling every classical requirement, but it didn't do anything else. It lacked the sort of ornamentation that Octavia knew the Vernel Equinox Celebration, and for that matter Princess Cadance, deserved.

The second song was a slow waltz, the kind that old ponies danced to while they reminesced about their youth. The third was a simple sonata, one of the first by the foal prodigy Motezart. As with the first song, both were good... but neither was great. The music was not embarassing, Octavia thought, but it also wasn't going to stun Cadance with its virtuosity.

“What did you think?” asked Fluttershy. She had bowed her head and stepped back a few paces, as if afraid of a bad review. “Was it good? I’m sorry if I was slow; I was up all night helping Mr. Badger get better. He needs regular doses of powdered rose petal every twenty minutes to help his congestion...”

“It sounded good,” said Octavia, wondering how to say the rest of it. “It’s just..."

“I liked it!” said Pageturner.

Fluttershy caught Octavia's gaze. “Is it okay?" she asked.

Octavia thought for another few moments. “I think I understand the vocal range of your birds now. Would you mind if I tried modifying the music they’ll be singing? I think a few slight changes could really help sell your music to the Canterlot dignitaries.”

“Oh, would you do that? Thank you!” Fluttershy grinned. “I would be so grateful. I would hate to play music for the princess that she doesn’t like.”

"Of course. It will be no trouble." Octavia rose to take her leave. “In fact, I will begin as soon as I return to my quarters."

The meeting concluded, the two ponies from Canterlot turned to go. However, just as they were stepping out the door, Fluttershy called out--

“Oh! If you think any of your Canterlot friends would be interested in the clinic, just let them know! The more donations we get, the better off all those cute little animals will be!”

***

“She was nice!” said Pageturner. “She really loves those animals. Did you ever have a pet?”

“No, but my sister Viola has a cat,” said Octavia, stifling a chuckle. “Although I think it might be more accurate to say that the cat has a pet named Viola. My sister is at its beck and call. Groomings, fur-fluffings, preparing the finest cat food in all Chenneigh...”

Pageturner laughed. “Sounds like it has a pretty good life.”

“There are few creatures happier than a pampered pet.” Octavia smiled. “And speaking of happiness... all of my required visits are done. For the rest of the day, I can compose music for the festival. My own, and helping Fluttershy... and perhaps Medley too. I wonder if she could play that aeolian harp by using her wings...”

Pageturner frowned. “I’m... not sure you’re supposed to be doing that, Octavia.”

“Why not? It is my responsibility to make this Celebration a great success.”

“No... I’m pretty sure we’re just supposed to get the logistics handled. Make sure everypony knows where they’re supposed to go, help them arrive on time, that kind of thing. I don’t think you’re supposed to actually mess around with the music and--”

Octavia waved this off. “I am here to prove myself to the princess. What message would it send if I saw a problem but ignored it? If Medley or Fluttershy or any of the others need my help, I’ll be happy to assist.”

Pageturner frowned, but her next comment was forestalled by the arrival of a green-coated pegasus foal. “HI!” she yelled.

“Hi!” said Pageturner, while Octavia recovered from the noise. “I'm Pageturner, this is Octavia. What's your name?”

“I’M BEEBOP! I’M SUPPOSED TO FIND YOU TWO AND GET YOU TO SUGAR CUBE CORNER RIGHT AWAY!” yelled the foal. She was a green-coated pegasus... and, Octavia noted, a very loud one. “READY?"

“No," said Octavia. The desire to compose and practice burned within her; any more delay was almost painful. "I am very busy--"

“GREAT! FOLLOW ME!” And Beebop began running through the streets.

Octavia frowned. “I did not--” But Pageturner was pushing her along.

“Come on,” her assistant urged her. “What harm could there be in checking it out?”

“But my music...”

“It can wait a few minutes. Come on.”

Octavia sighed, but she did reluctantly follow.

***

Sugar Cube Corner was dark. Octavia couldn’t even see Beebop, who had run in ahead of her and Pageturner. “What now?” the cellist muttered.

Pageturner called, “Hello? Anypony home?”

“SURPRISE!”

And the lights flashed on.

Octavia winced at the bright light. Once she recovered, she saw about half the town crammed into the seating area of the bakery. "What is--"

“It’s a ‘welcome to Ponyville’ party!” chirped one pony -- the pink one from earlier, Octavia saw. “We’ve gots lots and lots of awesome food and drink and games! Have fun!”

Octavia looked around, noting that some ponies had moved between her and the door. “This... this really is not necessary,” she said. “I have a lot of music--”

“Now, the games are over there, and the cake is over there, and the drinks are here!” yelled Pinkie, as if she wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention. “And -- oh! I know what would be fun! Let’s play pin the tail on the pony!”

Octavia turned to Pageturner. “Help me,” she insisted.

Pageturner grinned. “Sure,” she said. “I’ll help you... have some fun with the games!” And she and Pinkie began leading Octavia to the drinks table.

Octavia sighed as she let herself be dragged along. When Pageturner got like this, there was no talking to her. I suppose I can spare a few minutes, drink one glass of punch, and then leave. “Alright,” she said. “I will have a--”

“Oh!” said Pinkie Pie. “I almost forgot! We know you love music, so we brought the awesomest musician in Ponyville here to play some super-duper music for you!”

Octavia did perk up her ears at that. “Oh,” she said. “Well... thank you. Who is this musician? What does she play?”

Pinkie Pie grinned. “Everypony, give a big hoof to... DJ PON-3!” She swept her hoof at an empty spot of wall... which suddenly flashed and rippled to reveal a white-coated, blue-maned unicorn in gigantic sunglasses who was standing by a record table, drumkit, and set of gigantic speakers.

“DJ PON-3 IS IN THE HOUSE!” screamed the unicorn, to the cheers of the crowd. “And my latest composition -- Wubstep All the Way!”

Octavia blinked. “Wubstep?” She was not familiar with that genre.

And then Vinyl began to play.

***

It was the worst music Octavia had ever heard.

There was no pitch, no harmony, and barely any rhythm. Octavia only heard blasts of energy from the speakers, smashes from Vinyl thumping on some noisy drums, and scratching from the turntable.

It was terrible.

Octavia felt that she had demonstrated almost supernatural forbearance in not running, screaming, from the bakery seconds after the pony began. Instead -- after giving the DJ a death-glare that she didn’t seem to notice, she carefully turned around, took her one drink of punch, and began to calmly walk towards the door.

“WAIT!” screamed Pinkie, running between her and the exit. “You can’t leave yet! We just started!”

Octavia glared at her. “I am sure you can get along without me.”

“But -- but what’s wrong? Maybe you just haven’t had enough punch yet!” And Pinkie suddenly grabbed Octavia’s muzzle, opened it, and poured a glass of punch in.

Coughing, Octavia pushed her away and glared at her. “No! It -- this is not music! This is just noise! Music is supposed to be elegant, and beautiful, and--”

“What?” yelled Pinkie. “I can’t hear you!”

“I SAID, MUSIC IS--”

“AWESOME? I AGREE! YAY!” Pinkie grinned and dragged Octavia back towards the center of the room. “Everypony, dance time!” she screamed.

Octavia tried as hard as she could, without actually screaming and forsaking off her dignity, to get out, but Pinkie seemed to have some preternatural ability to locate her when she was trying to sneak away so that she could drag her back into the center of the bakery. It didn’t help that Pageturner seemed to be on the pink pony’s side, dragging her back to the games, or the cake (which Octavia couldn’t eat, due to her diet), or some other diversion. In the end, Octavia was still at the party when the DJ's first set -- a full hour of music that made Octavia want to stuff up her own ears with mud -- finished.

“DJ PON-3 IS TAKING A BREAK!” the DJ yelled. “But she’ll be back in FIFTEEN MINUTES, so don’t go anywhere!” And, with one last drumbeat, the pony stopped playing. And Octavia could hear herself think again.

“There,” said Octavia. She was aware that she was sweating and looked a mess, but she was past the point of caring. “That was the conclusion of the set. Now, I really must be leaving.”

“But you can’t go now!” said Pinkie Pie. “Vinnie wants to meet you!”

“Vinnie?”

“Vinyl Scratch. That’s the DJ’s real name,” explained Pinkie Pie. “I told her there was a super-special awesome musician coming in from Canterlot, and she was all, ‘I gotta meet her!’ And I promised her I’d try to get you two to meet! I Pinkie-Promised!”

Octavia had no idea what that was, but she figured that the DJ might at least let her leave the bakery, unlike the pink party pony. “Alright... I will talk to her.”

“Yay!”

Within moments, Pinkie had left, returned with the blue-maned unicorn, and vanished off again to help Pageturner eat a cake the size of Octavia’s head. Octavia looked at the DJ. “Hello. I am Octavia Philharmonica.”

“Yo. Vinyl Scratch, at your service.” Vinyl grinned. “Pretty sick beats, huh?”

“Yes,” said Octavia, choosing to use the more literal sense of that phrase. The music had certainly sounded sick -- like it had the pony pox. “Quite an... unusual set of pieces.”

“Yeah. Well, it’s just what spoke to me, y’know?” Vinyl grinned. “When I was a foal, I looked at all those old styles with all those old rules, and it was just stuffy and boring. Didn’t make me wanna get up and dance. So I made my own! I call it wubstep.” She winked. “What do you think?”

“Very... different.” Octavia was reluctant to lie, even in a situation like this. “I can honestly say I have never heard anything like it.”

“Hey, if you want to incorporate a few of those beats into your own stuff, feel free.” Vinyl smirked and playfully nudged Octavia’s shoulder. “I don’t mind. Just give credit where credit’s due, y’know? Tell everypony where you got your latest awesome themes from.”

Octavia had a brief fantasy about throwing Vinyl into her own speakers, but she just said, “If I use your themes, I will credit you. Now -- I’m sorry, but I really must return to my quarters. I have some music of my own to work on.”

She had expected Vinyl to protest, but to her surprise, the DJ nodded. “Totally understand. Hope I didn’t keep you.” She chuckled. “Guess I'll see you at the Equinox thingie?"

"...yes." Vernal Equinox Celebration... one of the two most important holidays in the nation, you...

"Well, lookin' forward to it. I gotta get some punch before that Pinkie drinks it all -- take it from me, she's a real party animal." Vinyl flashed a smile. "See you there!"

Octavia watched her go, then marched to the door, eyes narrowed. Yes. Yes, you will. And I will make it worth all of our whiles... you, me, and everypony in this music-forsaken town...

***

“Didn’t like the music?”

Octavia turned to see Pageturner entering their room. “I’m sorry?”

“You left right after the first set.”

“I had to work on this.” Octavia nodded at the sheet music in front of her. “You know, I was worried that the town might not be ready for my music... but I was thinking about that in the wrong way.”

Pageturner paused. “You mean, you’ll adapt your music to the local styles?”

“What, wubstep? Of course not.” Octavia shook her head. “Why does this town not have good music? It isn't their fault, Pageturner -- they simply don't know what good music is. The best classical musician they know of in the town is Bluenote, who got drummed out of the orchestras because she wouldn't practice enough. No wonder they think some pony like Vinyl is the best musical wonder since Beethoofven, and say that Fluttershy, a hobbyist, is fit to perform for the Princess... while they let Medley languish in a dying shop” She paused, a smile starting to slide over her face. “But imagine if this town were shown what great music really was. Imagine if they learned to properly appreciate it. Medley would receive the recognition she deserves, instead of being surrounded by ponies who cannot appreciate her ability. Fluttershy would be able to hear what her birds should sound like, so she could take them to that level. They could sound truly glorious if she just knew more of music than foal marches. Maybe even Bluenote would be inspired to try harder, make something more of herself. And all the others, all the ponies in this town who know nothing of the great musicians... why, it could be like a local renaissance.” She grinned.

Pageturner stared. “What?”

“I will play so beautifully tomorrow that they won’t be able to help but hear what real music should sound like. They’ll hear in an instant the difference between quality music and ‘wubs.’ With Fluttershy’s birds singing sophisticated music, Medley’s harp, my own cello compositions... I will show this town what it has been missing. Cadance will see me leading a whole town forward, into a grand new era of lovely music. What better way could I demonstrate my skills to her, than to teach others as well as she has taught me?” Octavia turned back to her music. “I’ll work all night if I have to, but this music will change the village.”

“Octavia.”

The cellist blinked. Pageturner sounded unusually serious. “Yes?”

“I really think you’re making a mistake. This isn’t what you’re supposed to be doing! You'll get in trouble!"

"From who?"

“The town could get mad at you. And the Princess could become upset.”

“Upset? At trying to help others understand music, her favorite art? I doubt that. Even if I fail, and the town learns nothing, Princess Cadance will be impressed that I made the attempt.” Octavia shook her head. “You worry too much. Let me handle the composition. I guarantee, tomorrow, after the Equinox... the whole town will never be the same.”

And with that, Octavia began writing her score again. She had only a few hours, and there was so much music she needed to create.

The Equinox

“Is everything ready?” Octavia asked.

"Yes!" Mayor Mare gestured at the town square, now packed with vendor booths, carnival games, and a large stage. “Everything has been set up exactly according to your requests. All the food and decorations have already arrived, there’s not a cloud in the sky, and room has been set aside to allow Fluttershy to practice her new music.”

Octavia nodded and pointed at an open area just in front of the square. “That would be a good spot for the aeolian harp I mentioned this morning."

"The one Medley built?"

"Yes. The instrument is exquisitely crafted, and I imagine she would love to show off her work before the princess Herself.” Octavia smiled. "It will definitely enhance this Celebration."

“I’ll have some ponies talk to her and pick it up -- and I’ll mention it in the flyers we're posting around town!” Mayor Mare grinned. “A unique instrument... why, that will be a huge selling point, and I had no idea it existed. Thank you for finding out about it, Octavia.”

“You are welcome. And -- if at all possible, please spread the word that Medley, Fluttershy, and myself will be the only musicians.” Octavia had hesitated about this point, but in the end, it was unavoidable. She didn't much care for Bluenote, but she did feel a professional obligation to ensure that the tuba player didn't show up and embarrass herself with gimcrack tunes. Just because she wasn't that good didn't mean that she deserved humiliation in front of the princess. And the best way to prevent that was to ensure that she didn’t show up with a tuba at all. As for Vinyl... the further away her 'music' was from the celebration, the better. Cadance would likely be furious if Vinyl were allowed to perform anything at this festival, and Octavia would not be able to blame her.

“Yes, of course.”

“As for the food, I think we have agreed -- mostly healthy options, with a few sweets from Sweet Apple Acres?” Octavia examined the vendor booths. Upon examining the original vendor list, she had noticed that there was an overabundance of desserts, which of course would send the wrong impression. Princess Cadance would be more impressed by more wholesome food, and the refined fruits and vegetables of the Ponyville farms would work better with her message -- of sophistication, grace, and class -- than a bunch of candies.

“Of course. We wouldn’t want to offend our Canterlot guests,” said Mayor Mare.

“And regarding Fluttershy, you sent her the music I wrote out?”

“Oh, yes. As soon as you gave it to me, I had Ditzy fly it along.” The Mayor smiled. “And may I just say, I think you’re doing a splendid job as the Princess’s representative. The last time she was out this way, the representative barely did anything and just left us to handle all the logistics. Later, he complained that we didn’t do anything right.”

Octavia was a bit confused by her phrasing, as there seemed to be something off about it, but she had more important things to worry about. After all, she had to perform music so lovely that it could show an entire village what they were missing. “Your assistance was invaluable. Thank you.”

Mayor Mare bowed. “I’ll let you get on with your work, then. Have a great day!”

“To you as well,” said Octavia, bowing in return. She trotted back to City Hall to fetch her cello, and then -- pausing only to write the slumbering Pageturner a note giving her the day off; she wouldn’t need her services until the Celebration itself began -- began trotting back to the town square. She had to get on the stage as soon as she could to go over her music, make sure that she had properly adjusted for the acoustics of the venue, fix any problems, and practice, practice, practice.

“Alright,” she said, as she rounded the corner and approached the stage. “Let’s go.”

***

Octavia had a few very pleasant hours to herself. She checked the acoustics of the stage a few times, then retreated to a soundproofed booth (secured by the Mayor from Vinyl Scratch) to rehearse her music. Though the booth was small and cramped, Octavia didn’t even notice. She lost herself in her music, the sweet dulcet tones that she brought forth from her cello, and barely noticed anything else around her.

Her piece started off soft, simple, and inviting. It was just a simple melody, with only a few soft notes scattered around it to add a little richness, but nothing too taxing even for a novice. Only gradually, as the melody grew, changed course, sped up, and even doubled back, did the other notes begin to flesh out into full harmonies. Slowly, gracefully, the harmonies built up in fullness until they were almost secondary melodies -- but still easy to understand. They worked with the melody, filling in spots it couldn’t quite reach, reinforcing and strengthening it until it was as deep and powerful as a swift river, and drawing the ear in just as inexhorably.

Then Octavia got fancy.

She used trills, grace notes, arpeggios, and other ornamentations to accent the most important notes and to curve the melody in subtle waves. She added a brief pizzicato section to demonstrate the versatility of her instrument. She built in another melody -- this was the theme of one of Fluttershy’s pieces; when the yellow-coated mare performed it later, it would be all the more effective -- and showed how it meshed perfectly with the main line. She tapped her hoof on the ground to add an agogic accent, a use of percussion much more sensible than that of Vinyl’s wubs. Every note fit perfectly with the others. It was a paean, not to any pony or astrological event, but to the glory of music itself.

It was only when the last notes -- powerful, strong chords climaxing in several brilliant cadences that would send the whole crowd into paroxyms of applause -- faded away that Octavia opened her eyes. She glanced out the soundbooth’s door and saw, to her bemusement, that hours had passed while she practiced. In fact, the festival was just about to start. She had indeed spent hours to prepare a twenty minute piece. But it was all worth it. She would play perfectly, and the Celebration would go off without a hitch. Everything would be wonderful, and she would be able to show Cadance just how good she really was.

With a happy smile, she opened the door. She decided that she would visit the buffet first, and maybe eat a quick meal of local fruits and vegetables, before going into the crowd and trying to find the Princess. She took a few steps towards the front of the stage.

“Octavia?”

The cellist turned to see the Mayor running up to her, looking slightly panicked.

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you!" the tan-coated mare said. "There’s... there's something of a problem.”

Octavia was frozen for a moment, but she recovered. She told herself that, whatever this town could throw at her, she could overcome it. Whether it was Rarity forgetting some decoration or the Sweet Apple Acres food going wrong, she would find a solution. “I would be happy to help.”

“Good. Medley is furious, and--”

“Medley?” Octavia frowned.

“Yes. Hurry!” And Mayor Mare took off at a gallop.

Confused, and just slightly nervous, Octavia left her cello in the booth and followed.

***

“Medley! Medley!” called Mayor Mare as the two ponies made their way through the crowd. “I found her!”

Octavia almost tripped when she saw Medley, whose face was red with anger. The pegasus wheeled around on Octavia. “Did you promise them something?” she said, her voice a low growl.

“Promise who what?”

“Ponies arrived at my shop today saying that my harp was going to be used at the Celebration!” Medley’s wings flared. “Which is really weird, because I never told anypony I wanted to use it here! In fact, I never told anypony it existed except for you and that assistant of yours!”

Octavia looked around. Ponies were starting to gather at the scene. “I apologize, but you implied to me that it was ready to be used in performances. With your--”

“Even if it was, that doesn’t matter! It wasn’t for sale, you idiot, it was going to be my own possession! Mine!” Medley’s eyes flashed. “You had no right to take it without asking!”

“Think about this,” protested Octavia. “I -- this is a wonderful opportunity for you! You deserve the chance to demonstrate your skill before all! Just as I would not ask before pulling a drowning pony from the ocean, I had no idea you would possibly--”

“Yeah. You’re damn right you didn’t.” Medley stalked towards Octavia, and the cellist couldn’t help but back up. “Maybe I’m poor. But that doesn’t mean you get to decide that I need to give up something personal, something I worked for months on, something I wanted as my very own, and put it up on display for the whole. Damn. Town.”

“So you... would rather not display it for Princess Cadance?” asked Octavia, incredulous.

“Why? Just because she’s rich and powerful, I should be honored that she’ll look at all my things?” Medley turned on her hooves. “Go to Tartarus, Octavia.”

Octavia wasn’t sure what to say. She finally turned to the Mayor. “Fine. If that’s her view, don’t--”

“It’s too late!” protested Mayor Mare. “You made it sound like she would gladly assent to this--”

“I thought she would! Any sane pony would!”

“We’ve already advertised it, it’s on the flyers, the Princess has likely seen them. We can’t withdraw it now!”

“Whatever,” snapped Medley. “It’s too late anyway. Go have fun with all my things You want me, I’ll be at home.”

The two watched her go before Mayor Mare turned back to Octavia. “You assured me,” she said, her voice accusatory, “that everything had been worked out.”

“She is being unreasonable -- look.” Octavia put a hoof to her forehead, to try to calm herself down. “My performance will incorporate her harp, it will make the whole town love her. She will realize I was right soon enough. Now--”

“Octavia! Octavia!”

Octavia again turned, this time to see a purple-coated, yellow-maned foal bouncing up and down. “Yes?” she asked. “Who are you?”

“My name is Dinky Doo!” said the foal. “Oh -- and Miss Fluttershy said she had to see you right away! She said it was real real important!” Dinky waved her front hooves in the air. “This important!”

“Fine.” Octavia turned back to Mayor Mare. “Please talk to Medley, and make her see reason. I will talk to Fluttershy. I understand that this is her debut before the Princess; she is likely nervous. Please excuse me.”

And she ran off, grateful to get away from the Mayor and Medley. After all, she thought, whatever Fluttershy had to say, it couldn’t be worse than Medley’s tantrum.

***

“My birds can’t sing this!”

Octavia stared at the yellow-coated mare. “My music is perfectly adapted to their vocal ranges--”

“But it’s too hard!” Fluttershy was quivering where she stood. From the circles under her eyes, she looked like she had been working with her birds all day. “They’ve been trying all day, the poor little dears, but they just can’t do it!”

One of the birds managed a sad whistle.

“And if they can’t sing, they’ll look bad in front of all the ponies in Ponyville and they’ll be so embarassed! And I was hoping to adopt out a few of them, but nopony will want them!” Fluttershy’s eyes began to water. “I’m sorry we’re not good enough, but we can’t play this music!”

Octavia groaned to herself. The music she had written wasn’t that hard at all -- a foal could have sung it. What were the birds’ problems? But she had to go with it. “...fine. If they cannot sing the new music, we will make do with the old."

“But -- but I think Rosawing strained her voice trying your new music!” Fluttershy pointed a wing at a bird who had a little poultice tied over her throat. “I don’t know if she can sing at all!”

“Surely you have backups?” asked Octavia, beginning to sweat. It was a musician’s responsibility to maintain her instruments, but if Fluttershy had screwed up and let her birds injure themselves, she would be the one to be blamed. “You--”

“No, just them!” Fluttershy looked down. “I don’t know what to do!”

“Just -- alright. Play the songs anyway, without Rosawing. I’ll cover for her on my cello,” said a desperate Octavia. She debated telling Fluttershy to just go away and let her play the whole time, but Princess Cadance would likely object to that. “Can you do that?”

“I don’t know. We’ll try--”

“Good.” Octavia drew a hoof across her forehead; she realized that she was sweating heavily. “Just perform at--”

“Hey, uh, Octavia?”

The cellist turned, this time seeing a tan pony with an apple-based cutie mark. “Can I help you?” she snapped.

“There’s some kinda ruckus by the concession stands. AJ asked me to get you over there right quick.”

“But I need her here!” said Fluttershy.

Octavia froze. Part of her insisted that this couldn’t be happening, that she was skilled enough that no event she controlled could run into so many problems. But the princess was coming, so she had to keep going. “Look, I will -- Fluttershy, I will return in moments."

And she ran off again.

***

“Treason! Heresy! Outrage! In fact -- just RAGE!”

Octavia skidded to a halt in front of a large vendor booth and stared at Lyra Heartstrings, who, if anything, seemed even more energetic than the day before. “Now what?” she managed.

Applejack, behind the booth, turned to her. “Ah don’t know! Ah set up all ma stuff, same as every year, an’ then she charges in an’ starts rantin’ that her ‘Bonnie’ doesn’t have her booth an’ Ah must have taken it!”

Octavia had a sinking feeling. “And I am involved... how?”

“Well, Ah know ya had some of the concessions swapped around, so Ah sent Caramel ta get ya ta help us straighten this out.” Applejack turned back to Lyra. “If any booths got canceled, it was her doin’. Ah just know ‘bout ma own.”

Lyra wheeled around on Octavia. “Octavia! Did you tell Mayor Mare to cancel my poor sweet Bonnie’s booth?”

“Uh.” Octavia felt almost scared. “Well, um. We were worried there were too many dessert stands, it didn't go with the rest of the event, we want a somewhat refined--”

“Too many desserts?” yelled Lyra. “How can you possibly have too many desserts?”

“Preach it!” yelled Pinkie Pie, from somewhere in the crowd.

“My Bonnie was looking forward to this! I saw her getting all her things together! I saw her laboriously putting all the little suns and moons on all her chocolates to make them appropriately themed! I watched as she carefully boxed everything up! I watched as she told her little sister Twist how she was going to sell a hundred candies this year and buy her a new mane curler and some gold flakes for her saddlebags!”

Octavia wondered if she could get out of this by having Lyra arrested for stalking. “Look--”

“But now it’s all ruined. Ruined!” Lyra stood on her hind legs, shut her eyes, put one hoof to her head like she was about to faint, and another over her heart like she’d just been stabbed. “Oh, does love move you not, Octavia? Does--”

“Lyra, this is an event for thousands of ponies! There are more important things than any one vendor!” snapped Octavia.

“Um.” Applejack coughed. “Ah hate ta intrude, but Ah don’t quite understand... why exactly did Bonbon an’ Pinkie an’ the other bakers get turfed?”

“There... there were discussions,” said Octavia, not wanting to get into how she was trying to turn the event into something refined and cultural. “Look, I am sorry--”

“Sorry? Sorry won’t heal the wound in my Bonnie’s heart! Sorry won’t ease the sobs of her poor little sister!”

“Mayor Mare signed off on everything; you should complain to her, not me!” snapped Octavia.

“Look,” interjected Applejack. “Here’s what we’ll do. Ah don’t really need all this space. Lyra, why don’t ya get Bonbon an’ have her put a few trays of candies an’ whatnot on this side of my booth? Ah’d be happy ta work with her.”

“Wait,” protested Octavia. “That would undermine--”

Applejack glared at her. “Ah don't recall askin' ya. Lyra?”

Lyra sniffed. “That... that might work. But don’t think this is over, Octavia Philharmonica! I shall spread the word of your heartlessness far and wide!”

“No!” protested Octavia. If ponies began telling Cadance how much of a failure she was... she did not want to think of that. “Look, I will make it up to you! I can--” She paused, not knowing what to offer. “I will write you a song to serenade Bonbon with.”

“Pah! I write all my Bonnie music myself. Besides, I wouldn’t trust--”

“Um, Miss Octavia?”

“What?” Octavia almost screamed. When she turned, she saw an orange coated foal with purple eyes.

The foal frowned. “I’m Scootaloo. Can my friends and I talk to you?”

“...yes.” At least a foal couldn’t possibly be as angry as everypony else was being. Octavia turned to the others, but Lyra was now discussing with Applejack exactly how much of ‘Bonnie’s’ goods could fit on the table. With a scowl, Octavia turned back and followed Scootaloo.

***

Bluenote was standing in the middle of the Celebration grounds, looking almost morose. About a dozen foals surrounded her.

Octavia sighed to herself. “Let me guess. You are mad because you are not one of the musical guests,” she said.

Bluenote frowned. “I wasn’t going to take away from your time,” she said. “I just wanted to do a few tunes for the foals.”

“We really wanted ta hear Bluenote!” said Apple Bloom. “She makes music fun!”

Octavia looked at all the pleading foal faces. “I... I am sorry, but I was just worried that, in contrast with all the other performances, ponies might deride hers,” said Octavia. To Bluenote, she added, “I was trying to help you.”

“I don’t care about what other ponies say,” said Bluenote, simply. “I don’t play for a reputation. What I care about is having fun, making some nice music... and passing on my love of music to the next generation.”

“Did you really stop Bluenote from playing?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Yeah,” said the orange foal. “Did you?”

“I...” Octavia shut her eyes. She couldn’t lie, not even here. “Yes, but--”

Her front left leg exploded in pain.

Yelping, Octavia opened her eyes to see that the orange-coated foal had kicked her. “Oww!”

Bluenote hurried forward. “None of that, Scootaloo!” she said. “This isn’t the end of the world. How about, after the Celebration, we’ll all head down to Sugar Cube Corner and I’ll play for you there?” A few of the foals smiled. “How’s that sound?”

“But we wanted to hear you here!” protested several of the foals. “You’re fun! You make music fun!”

“I can show you what real music--” began Octavia.

“Bluenote’s music is real music!” said Sweetie Belle, voice squeaking in rage. “It makes me feel happy! And like I want to dance! And laugh! And one time when I was really sad she played until I wasn’t sad anymore! That’s a lot more like music than some boring old sonata!”

“Yeah!” yelled Dinky.

“YEAH!” echoed Beebop.

“I --” Octavia looked at them, but none of their faces gave her any support. Bluenote just looked a little sad, but the foals looked angry. “I didn’t mean--”

“Excuse me.”

Octavia, once again, turned. She saw the pony who had talked about making sales in the song the previous day. “Filthy Rich, I presume.”

“Yes.” Filthy frowned. He pointed one hoof at an earth pony foal who was wearing a tiara. “And I understand you’ve made my daughter cry?”

***

Octavia hurried into the backstage area and slammed the door behind her. “This is insane!” she gasped. Her finely styled coat, mane, and tail were all tangled and mussed. Sweat ran down her face. “Completely and utterly insane! None of this makes any sense!”

“Something wrong?”

Octavia turned, and her heart leapt when she saw the speaker. “Pageturner! Thank the sun and moon. You have no idea what kind of day I’ve been having.”

“I have a pretty good idea. Ponies have been asking me all day to find you. And when I couldn’t help them, some of them got mad.” Pageturner frowned. “Did you antagonize the entire town?”

“It is not my fault! None of this is my fault!”

“Really?”

“Yes!” screamed Octavia. “It’s not my fault the ponies here are not sophisticated enough to understand why I did what I did! I am trying to improve things, trying to show them what they are missing, but all they can see is... is trivialities!” She waved a hoof in the air. “What am I supposed to do now?!”

“Apologize,” said Pageturner. She frowned. “Now. To all the ponies you hurt.”

“Apologize for what? Trying to help them?” Octavia shook her head. “No. No, this does not matter. This cannot matter. They are not my audience; Cadance is. I will perform as expected, and not only will my music be good enough to ameliorate any anger they feel at me, but I will prove to Cadance what I promised her. I will prove that--”

“That you can work with other ponies?” drawled Pageturner.

“That I am a good enough musician that nothing else matters!” Octavia glanced at the clock. “The ceremony starts in a few minutes, I need to be ready with my cello. Help me--”

She opened the door to head back to the storage room with the soundbooth, but ran directly into another pony coming in. Yelping again, she fell on her flank.

Pageturner ran to help her up. “Mayor Mare!” she said.

Octavia’s spirits sank just a few inches lower. “Uh.”

Mayor Mare -- who had apparently been waiting in the backstage area -- was looking at Octavia, but she was no longer smiling. “I’m sorry. ‘Unsophisticated?’”

“I do not have time for this,” said Octavia. “Please--”

From the storage area another pony entered the room, one with wings... and a horn. Octavia froze.

“Perhaps,” said Cadance, voice tight with anger, “you should make time.”

***

“Princess!” said Octavia, bowing low. “I had no idea--”

“Enough,” said Cadance. She turned to Mayor Mare. “Did my student truly give you the impression she was here as my official representative? Empowered to make changes to the Celebration’s food services, musical entertainment, and so forth?”

“That’s what she said, Your Highness,” said Mayor Mare.

“I said no such thing!” Octavia’s eyes flashed. “I -- that is a lie!”

“I asked you if you represent the princess. You said yes,” said Mayor Mare.

“That does not mean that is my legal position! I was only giving advice and recommendations, not orders! I am only her student! Yes, my actions reflect on her--”

Cadance raised an eyebrow at that. "You should have kept that in mind, Octavia."

“But I am not a civic official!” finished the cellist. “I had no authority to order you to do anything, and--”

“But you gave her the impression that you did,” said Cadance. She turned to Mayor Mare. “Please accept my most sincere apologies. Know that I understand that none of this was your fault. Convey my feelings to the other gathered ponies. I will stay here a few more moments with my student.”

Mayor Mare bowed and left.

Octavia found that she was shivering. “Princess, please... I only wanted to help...”

Cadance shook her head. "I have been trying to teach you for years, Octavia." Her voice dropped. "Is this what you learned from me?"

"I learned music! My ability--"

“Does not matter, Octavia.” Cadance swept a wing out towards the stage. “The best musician in the world has nothing if nopony will hear her perform. Don't you understand this?"

Octavia couldn't find any words to speak.

Cadance stepped closer to her student. "Octavia. If you go onstage now, ponies will leave rather than listen to you play. And if they do stay, they will associate your music, however skilled, with what they know of you, and they will hate it... as they hate you." She sighed, looking down. "This was partially my mistake, Octavia. I had no desire to see this happen to you, and I should not have allowed you this opportunity. But..."

"But what?" whispered Octavia.

Cadance's gaze grew, if possible, even more stern. "How many times have I urged you to seek out friends, Octavia? Did I not give you a personal assistant in the hopes that she could help you to bond with other ponies? But you refused, and you insisted that all you needed was musical skill. And now the inevitable has happened.” She shook her head. “This was to be a time of joy, Octavia. Can you honestly tell me that any of them are having fun?”

“I can fix this!” Octavia protested, unable to meet her teacher’s eyes. “I -- I will play. My music will be so beautiful none of them will be angry! I can do it, Princess, please, let me try!”

“Even now, rather than apologize, you--” began Cadance.

Cringing as she was, it took the cellist a few moments to realize that the Princess had stopped talking. “...Princess?”

“No,” she heard Cadance whisper. “No, no. It can’t be true. That prophecy...”

“I’m sorry?” Octavia looked up -- to see that Cadance was staring up at the ceiling, eyes wide and legs shaking slightly. “What did--”

“No!” Cadance sprinted for the entrance to the stage itself. Octavia and Pageturner looked at each, then raced after her onto the front of the stage.

“Get back -- now!” insisted Cadance. Her voice was stern and powerful -- that of a ruler commanding her subjects. She turned to the square before the stage, now packed with ponies ready to hear Fluttershy’s music. The princess of Equestria glowed with a magical light, which illuminated her in the early dusk hour. “Everypony! Return to your homes immediately! This is an emergency, and--”

The sun flashed in the sky, a bright yellow blast of sound and color -- and, across from it, on the horizon, there was an answering flash of darkness.

Ponies began to scream.

There was another blast, this one much closer and sending Octavia stumbling into Pageturner. With a cry, she fell down, losing her sense of orientation for a moment. “Pageturner, I--”

“LOOK!” screamed Pageturner.

Octavia turned back to the stage. Cadance was there.

So were two other alicorns.

And they looked mean.

Return of the Queens

The alicorns towered head and shoulders above every other pony in the square.

The taller of the two had a bright white coat, though this was hard to see due to the tongues of fire jetting out from all over her body. Her wings were titanic, and her horn looked like it could stab through a granite wall. When she took a step forwards, the ground itself seemed to tremble beneath her. "BEHOLD!" she cried. "BEHOLD, YOUR QUEEN HATH RETURNED AT LAST! EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW IN CELEBRATION AS--"

"Oh, shut up," hissed the other alicorn. Her coat was black, her mane a strange, twinkly blue, and a sinister fog seemed to sublimate off her body. The wood under her hooves was warping, as if the alicorn’s presence was rotting it. “You're no queen, sister. You are simply insane."

Octavia suddenly felt very small and fragile. A small 'eep' escaped her throat, though none of the alicorns seemed to notice it. She took one step backwards and put a hoof around Pageturner, unable to think of anything besides the fact that they were onstage with some sort of monsters.

Cadance! Help! she screamed in her thoughts. But Cadance was standing still, trembling, and eyes flicking back and forth between the two alicorns. Octavia had never seen the Princess look like this, and she realized what it meant.

Cadance was afraid.

Meanwhile, the first alicorn screamed her rage at the other's comments. “SILENCE, WHELP!”

The second rolled her eyes. She turned to the crowd. “Yes, bow -- bow to me.” Her eyes twinkled darkly. “That is, if you've any wisdom at all.”

The crowd was silent for several moments. The two alicorns glared at each other, and their legs and bodies trembled, as if they wanted nothing more than to leap at each other and begin battle. Octavia took another cautious step backwards.

“Who are you?” called out a young-sounding voice -- Scootaloo’s, if Octavia remembered correctly.

“I,” boomed the first alicorn, “AM CELESTIA! QUEEN OF ALL EQUESTRIA! THE GREATEST AND--”

Her mouth suddenly slammed shut, a tendril of black magic wrapping around it. The second alicorn laughed. “Queen? Once, perhaps, but no longer. You are a fool, sister, and insane, and unfit to rule even the smallest fiefdom.” She turned to the crowd again. “I am Queen Luna Equestris--”

“Nightmare Moon!” yelled a pony. “And the other one is Burning Sun! They’re here to kill us!”

The crowd screamed.

The black magic around Celestia’s mouth vanished in a burst of fire as the alicorn wheeled on her sister. “IMPUDENT WRETCH! ART THOU STILL MAD ENOUGH TO CHALLENGE ME? CORRUPTED, DEPRAVED MARE... THIS TIME, THERE SHALL NOT BE ENOUGH LEFT OF THEE TO SEAL AWAY!”

Nightmare Moon laughed, her body seeming to expand as darkness rolled into it. “Strength is not everything, dear sister. You are strong, perhaps, but I am clever. Should we battle again, it will not be I who lies defeated. Submit now, and spare yourself the humiliation--”

Burning Sun launched a blast of flame at Nightmare Moon. The alicorn vanished, reappearing a few feet away, and the flame hit the side of the stage and obliterated it in a shower of flame and slag. The ponies in the front row of the audience jumped back, whimpering and crying out in fear. Meanwhile, a wall of fire appeared around the celebration area, cutting off escape.
“It’s like the legends!” whimpered Pageturner.

Onstage, the two alicorns were trading barbs again. Cadance, horn glowing softly, ran over and extinguished the fire. Octavia helped Pageturner back up a few more steps, until they were almost off the stage. "What legends?" she hissed. "Pageturner, what's going on?"

“The two rulers of Equestria, Celestia and Luna, they went mad and battled each other, and they wrecked the whole nation with their war! If Cadance hadn’t sealed them away--”

"Seal us away?"

Octavia and Pageturner froze. Nightmare Moon glanced back at them, a cruel little smile on her face. Octavia suddenly felt as if she had been frozen in ice; she was unable to move a single muscle, though she struggled frantically. Princess, please! Save us! she thought.

“Ah, yes. The commoner has a point.” Nightmare Moon licked her lips. Octavia could not help but notice that her teeth were oddly sharp for a pony. “Our little... substitute.”

“USURPER!” boomed Burning Sun. “TRAITOR!”

Cadance leapt between them. “Stand down!” she commanded, though her voice trembled with fear. “I have defeated you before, both of you together! I can do it again!”

“Oh?” whispered Nightmare Moon. “Then... why haven’t you? Awfully blase of you, isn’t it?”

Cadance was sweating. “I will give you a chance to surrender. To--”

“SURRENDER?” roared Burning Sun. Flames leapt around her, jumping higher than the paralyzed Octavia could see. “OUTRAGEOUS! THE NATION IS MINE BY RIGHT! I WILL NEVER SURRENDER! NOT TO MINE SISTER, AND ESPECIALLY NOT TO A PATHETIC CONSTRUCT SUCH AS YOURSELF!”

If Octavia could have moved, she would have frowned. Construct? What?

A few ponies were murmuring at this, and Nightmare Moon’s ears perked up. “Oh, you mean she never told?” She laughed, a harsh chuckle that seemed to drive into Octavia’s ears. The crowd cringed back further. “Why, that’s an interesting little fact. Afraid your subjects weren’t ready for that tidbit, Amore? How odd... I thought they loved you so very, very much.”

Cadance backed up a few steps. “They do love me,” she insisted. “That love is what enabled me to use the Elements to seal you both away the first time!”

“TREASON!” repeated Burning Sun.

“Will you shut up?” snapped Nightmare Moon. “Ah, Amore. How soon we forget. They love me too--”

“You lied to your Court and your subjects. You manipulated them, altered their dreams, brainwashed them! That was no real love!” Cadance looked at Burning Sun. “And you -- you simply threatened them into submission! You destroyed all who spoke against you, burned rebellious cities to ash! Neither of you are fit to rule anypony!”

Burning Sun continued to fume, but Nightmare Moon just laughed again. “Real love? Strange, I wouldn’t think love based on a complete and utter fabrication is any more real than my... compulsory love.” She waved a hoof vaguely. “Shall I tell your little ponies who you really are?”

Cadance took a long breath. “Speak as you wish, Moon. But cease this destructive conflict--”

“THERE SHALL BE NO PEACE!” roared Burning Sun. “NOT UNTIL I AM ENSCONCED ON THE THRONE!” She sent another blast of fire at her sister, who threw herself to one side. The fire continued onwards, streaking towards the terrified Octavia, until Cadance's horn glowed again and the fire simply vanished -- along with the paralysis spell. Octavia felt her hooves tremble as she stumbled into Pageturner. "Run!"

“HEY!”

The three alicorns froze, then turned towards the crowd as one. Octavia wanted to run, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the voice was oddly familiar. Despite herself, she found herself turning and looking over the crowd... and her firm was confirmed.

Lyra Heartstrings had climbed up on top of a streetlamp and was preparing to berate the insane demigods.

“You think Equestrians will just roll over and let you take over? No way!” Lyra pumped her hoof. “We’ll support Princess Cadance even to the Gates of Tartarus! No matter how desperate, we’ll fight overwhelming odds! And battle invincible foes! And--”

Burning Sun roared, and a jet of fire blasted at Lyra. The green mare squeaked, but before the fire reached her, a warm, pink magic enveloped it and the flames vanished into nothingness. Cadance swept out a hoof, using her magic to gently pry Lyra from the lamppost and lower her back on ground level, before she turned back to the alicorns. “She is innocent!”

“SHE DEFIES MY RIGHTEOUS RULE!”

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. “Such commendable passion,” she told Lyra and the rest of the crowd. “Oh, yes, such fervent defense of one’s beloved ruler! Truly, thine compassion for thine fellow pony would be laudable... that is, were it for a pony at all.”

Nopony said anything for a moment.

Octavia paused, but she couldn’t help herself -- and besides, she had to defend her teacher. “Princess Cadance is a great pony,” she said.

Nightmare Moon again looked at her. “The so-called ‘Princess’ Mi Amore Cadenza,” she said, with mocking eyes and biting tone, “is not an alicorn. Neigh, not a pony at all. She is a construct -- a clockwork golem -- built from magic and whatever spare parts the alchemists said they needed.” She chuckled, as if seeing some fond memory in her mind’s eye. “Not exactly my finest work, I must admit..."

“A FOOLISH COMPROMISE, FROM A PATHETIC MINISTER.” Burning Sun stomped her hoof, and Cadance was suddenly surrounded by a ring of fire. “WHEN I FIRST REALIZED MINE OBLIGATION, TO RULE ALL EQUESTRIA FOR ALL TIME -- NOT JUST DAY -- MINE SISTER OBJECTED. SHE WOULD NOT GIVE ME MY RIGHTFUL NIGHT, NOR DAWN, NOR DUSK.”

“Oh, we bickered endlessly over when exactly each of us took over,” said Nightmare Moon, tone bright, like she was a schoolteacher and the citizenry her class. “Does night begin when the sun begins to set? Reaches the horizon? Goes completely under the world? What if it’s cloudy? What if mine sister was too busy terrorizing some poor village and lowered it a few minutes late -- did I get a credit? Such fighting...”

Octavia stared. She told herself that it had to be lies, that these were two monsters who seemed bent on wrecking the world in pointless struggle -- but she knew that, were one of them lying, the other would gladly expose it to show her up. The only reason they would agree on this would be if...

If it were true... she thought to herself.

“And so our wisest minister, Star Swirl the Bearded, proposed a compromise. We were to create a new alicorn, our junior, to handle the dawn and dusk. We need never again clash directly” Nightmare Moon sniffed. “And that lasted all of one hundred and fifty years... barely an eyeblink to ones such as us. Honestly, in retrospect, I should have just dropped an asteroid on you years before, sister.”

“I WILL MOUNT THY HEAD ON CANTERLOT CASTLE!”

Octavia looked to Cadance, waiting for her to deny what they had said -- but she said nothing. She just stood there, horn at the ready, but otherwise silent.

“Anyway, I think we’re getting off topic.” Nightmare Moon smiled. “Sister. And... golem. I am not without mercy. Kneel to me now, forever abandon regal ambition, and I shall grant you your lives.”

Burning Sun extended a hoof, fire blasting out for three full feet in front of her. “NO. KNEEL AND SUBMIT, OR DIE. NEVER AGAIN SHALL PONIES SUFFER THINE MANIPULATIONS AND DECEIT.”

“Because burning their homes down is so much better.” Nightmare Moon grinned. “Well then -- oh. I’m sorry, one more thing. Golem, if you plan to make some big show of the Elements, now might be a good time to do it. That is, if you can still wield them?”

There was only silence.

“Perhaps some other powerful spell? Surely the ‘princess of Equestria’ must know a few tricks for dealing with two interlopers like ourselves?” mocked Nightmare Moon.

“I have no magic to stop you. You know that,” said Cadance, quietly.

“Precisely what I thought. A mere construct could never hold on to such artifacts, or any magic of significance, for more than a few moments.” Nightmare Moon shook her shoulders, as if limbering up. “Make peace with whatever ponies still love you, golem. When I have executed my sister, I will return to exact my vengeance for your betrayal.”

“ABSURD,” said Burning Sun. Her eyes blazed. “THE TRAITOR DIES HERE AND NOW.” Her body glowed, a wall of fire swept at Cadance as Octavia’s heart leapt--

And then cold, black magic was swarming around a choking Burning Sun. The flames fizzled and weakened, though Cadance still had to dodge them, and their remnants still blasted through the back of the stage. And the shops across the street behind the stage, which began to collapse immediately.

“Tsk tsk. Shouldn’t take your eye off the target,” said Nightmare Moon. “Now--”

With a blast of flame, the magic cloud vanished, and then Burning Sun was charging her sister. Nightmare Moon vanished in a cloud of blue fog, but Burning Sun swept out blasts of fire around herself in expanding spheres. “HIDING IN FEAR SHALT NOT SAVE THEE!”

Cadance slipped off the stage in the confusion, sparing only a brief spell to thrust Octavia and Pageturner back into the relative concealment of the backstage area. Octavia immediately dove down and peaked under the curtains, just in time to see Cadance casting a spell and tearing a hole in the flames surrounding the square. Ponies immediately began to stream out in a panic as the two alicorns dueled on stage.

“PATHETIC!” roared Burning Sun, and a moment later Octavia saw the white-coated mare smash her sister into the stage so hard that the wood splintered and shattered. Flames ran all over their bodies, and Nightmare Moon hissed in pain. Burning wood fell into the square, setting the closest booths and stands alight.

“No, no...” whispered Octavia. “This cannot be happening! Pageturner, you know the legends, how can they be stopped?”

“I don’t know them that well! Princess Cadance was supposed to be able to beat them!” Pageturner was sweaty and shaking. “Octavia, they’re going to kill us all!”

“No. Princess Cadance will do something. I am certain of it!” said Octavia. “She just... once she thinks of a plan, she will--”

“Fool!” Nightmare Moon swept a hoof out, and a thick tendril of magic wrapped around a few ponies who hadn’t quite managed to get out of the square yet. Octavia recognized the farmer Applejack, the Mayor, and the decorator pony Rarity among them. They froze for a moment and then collapsed, and their coats seemed to begin to fade as Octavia watched.

“Hah!” Nightmare Moon reared back a hoof and struck Burning Sun in the face, throwing the bigger alicorn off of her. She seemed stronger, Octavia noted, as if she were draining power from the ponies she had ensnared. “Pure strength is nothing! When one knows the subtle magics of mind and body, that is true power!”

“No!” Cadance hurried to the fallen ponies, her horn glowing. A pink beam swept out and struck the tendril, severing it. The ponies on the ground gasped for air and twitched a bit, and Cadance helped them get to their feet. Behind them all, as the last of the citizens raced out of the square, Cadance’s Guards began to hurry in.

“ENOUGH OF THIS,” bellowed Burning Sun. She rose into the air, eyes glowing bright. “THIS IS THE END, SISTER.”

Pageturner screamed and ran out the back exit of the stage, but Octavia couldn’t look away. Her teacher was out there, trying to save everypony, and--

A massive blast of fire swept down at Nightmare Moon, just as a ball of... concentrated darkness, pulsing and somehow malevolent despite being little more than a sphere -- raced to meet it. The two met halfway between the alicorns.

The shockwave sent Octavia flying back into the soundbooth, and that was all she knew of the fight.

***

“Oww...”

Only a few minutes had passed, at least according to the clock that had fallen off the backstage wall and now lay among the rubble. Octavia groaned, putting a hoof to her sore head. She wanted to get into a bed and sleep for about three days.

But as her vision cleared, and she saw the rubble and debris of the collapsed ceiling -- and walls, for that matter -- of the backstage area, she recalled why that wasn’t an option. Her teacher was still out there. Octavia had to see if she was alright. She wouldn’t be able to rest until she did so.

She rose to her hooves, stumbled for a few steps, then righted herself and made her way to what had once been a curtain and was now ash, smoke, and a few useless threads. Stumbling out onto the stage proper, or at least what was left of it, she looked at the square and saw only devastation in the moonlight. The booths were burned, the lampposts had all been ripped out and thrown down, and even the old trees near the square were toppled. The nearest houses didn’t seem to have fared any better either.

At least there were no ponies around. Octavia didn’t see a single corpse or injured pony anywhere in the mess. Her teacher, she thought. Her teacher had protected them and saved them. Just like Octavia had known she would.

In fact, she didn’t see the alicorns either. Maybe Princess Cadance had already dealt with them, found some way to seal them up again, while Octavia was sleeping. That could be the case.

But then Octavia looked up into the night sky, and saw two forms -- one a bright, fiery white, the other a black void -- streaking away. They seemed to be battling as they moved, crashing into each other and with occasional lights dropping down. Sometimes, when the lights landed, fires sprang up. Other times there was no visible effect, but Octavia doubted that meant much.

The cellist managed to pick her way through the rubble -- the dirt now pockmarked with craters, even the cobblestones torn asunder -- and got back out into the streets of Ponyville. Every house was dark; and while she heard a few whispers and clanks from the various houses, ponies seemed to be trying to remain quiet. They were staying at home, huddling with family and waiting for the danger to be over. Octavia sympathized.

Her ear twitched as she heard something from down the street. It was too far away to see in the dark, but it was definitely hoofsteps -- her ears never lied. Cadance could be making those hoofsteps, or at least her guards, who could know where she was. It was the best lead she had, so Octavia hurried in that direction.

Pageturner? she found herself wondering. Where did you go? Are you back at our room in city hall? She had enjoyed the assistant’s company, but had never longed for her presence like she did now. Still, she was all alone in a dark town, and there were nigh-omnipotent monsters on the loose. It could be... reassuring to have another pony to be with. She wished, suddenly, that she had fled when Pageturner had. But it was too late now, and besides, surely she could just find the assistant after speaking with Cadance. Pageturner had always been urging her to open up to her... well, now she would.

Still. That had to wait until after Cadance was located. The steps were drawing nearer, and Octavia picked up her pace. She would, she told herself, see Princess Cadance right around the next corner. She would see her, and Cadance would tell her that everything would be fine, and she already had a plan to deal with the tyrants...

But when she rounded the corner, she saw no alicorn. Just a quartet of Guards, headed by their captain, a stallion named Shining Armor whom Octavia had met in passing a few times.

“Excuse me,” she said.

The Guards wheeled around, swords and spears at the ready, but Armor quickly waved them off. “What is it, Octavia?”

“I was wondering where Princess Cadance was,” said Octavia, managing to keep her voice fairly even. “I wanted to talk to her, and--”

“The Princess has left Ponyville,” said Armor.

Octavia froze. “...What? But--”

“She left to follow Burning Sun and Nightmare Moon, and attempt to prevent them from hurting innocent ponies in their feud,” said Armor.

“But -- but --” Octavia could not help but sputter. “But they can’t hurt her, right? That was just talk--”

“No.” Armor shook his head. “Before leaving, the Princess told us that we are to mobilize the rest of the Guard and follow her. Because they could kill her." His voice was firm and resolute. "And somepony must take on the job of protecting Equestria if she is not available.”

Octavia could not bring herself to say anything, but as she looked at the sky, and at the fading lights that were Burning Sun, Nightmare Moon -- and, now that she squinted, a little pink dot that was likely the Princess -- she felt tears coming to her eyes.

“No...” she whispered. “Princess...”

Alone and Unloved at the End of the World

The sound of music filled the halls of the Philharmonica Estate.

Octavia strained to hold the cello upright. She had been practicing for quite some time already, but she still had not mastered the piece. It was the last section, a series of complicated trills more commonly found on the lighter violin than the large and weighty cello. The trills should have sounded bright and tinkling, like the sounds of a fast mountain stream bubbling through rocks. Instead they ran together in one tangled mess. The image evoked was not a clean stream, but a mud-clogged canal.

The cellist gritted her teeth and prepared to try again. She had been working on this one piece, the first of Paganeighni's Cello Sonatas, for over two weeks now. She had to master this piece to have any hope of the others -- they didn't get any easier, after all. But she just couldn't make it work.

She briefly shook the leg that she used to hold her bow. It was sore and tired, the fine effort of making extremely precise movements for hours taking their toll. She couldn't help but glance at the clock and notice that it was almost dinnertime. Nopony would find fault in her if she stopped, rested, and maybe even took the rest of the evening off. She could eat, or play a game in the lounge, help Viola and Melody study for their exams, or do anything else she wanted. She was the third child, after all, neither heir nor backup, and so she was free to indulge herself in diversion if she so chose.

But Octavia shook her head. What she wanted was to finally master this piece, and prove -- to herself, if nopony else -- that she had what it took to be a musician. She would not stop just because it became difficult. She would get it done, whatever it took.

And so she brought her bow up and began to play. And... at last... she produced just the sounds she wanted to hear.

The trills were light and airy, and few ponies would have thought the cello capable of such sound. She moved her bow over the strings rapidly enough to achieve the trilling effect, yet with such a light touch that the ornamentation never overwhelmed the main theme. Each trill moved into the next, strictly controlled by the structure of the melody, and no two mixed prematurely. They sounded not like one stream, but several, an entire mountaintop's worth bubbling and tinkling in harmony.

When Octavia finished she collapsed on her chair and almost dropped her cello. Sweat dripped down off her face. Her legs, her barrel, and even her hooves ached. But she didn't care. She had done it. She had mastered, at long last, the Paganeighni Cello Sonata (Number 1).

Then the door opened, and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza walked in.

Octavia was frozen for several moments before she remembered an earlier conversation -- her parents had told her they would be meeting with the princess today to discuss some tax issue -- and her ettiquette lessons kicked in. She threw herself into a bow, bonking her head on the ground in her haste to genuflect. "Princess!"

"You may rise," said Cadenza, her voice gentle and warm. "I apologize for my intrusion, but when I heard your music downstairs, I had to see the artist. You play wonderfully for a filly of your age, Octavia."

The musician flushed with pride. "Thank you!"

"We're so glad you like her music!" said Octavia's mother, the Duchess of Chenneigh, as she entered behind the princess. "She works so hard on it. Every day she practices."

"Yes," agreed the princess. "I can hear that clearly in her art." Turning back to Octavia, she added, "You sound like you truly love music."

"Yes, your highness," said Octavia.

Cadance smiled slightly. "Hmm... might I ask, Octavia, what is it you want to do?"

Octavia blinked. "Do?"

"As your profession, I mean. Do you wish to play the cello as your career?"

Octavia wasn't able to answer for a few moments, but she couldn't stop a smile from forming on her face as she fantasized about what a lovely life that would be. "More than anything," she said.

Cadance looked back to the Duchess. "Her ability is extraordinary. What kind of training does she have?"

"Tutors three days a week. She went to Fillydelphia last summer to study at a music camp as well."

Cadance nodded as she approached the young cellist turned to Octavia. "I might be able to offer some assistance as well."

Octavia's stomach felt like it was turning over. She had heard stories of ponies, very lucky ponies, who were taken in by the princess and taught the finest of the musical arts, but she had never dreamed that she would be chosen. Surely--

"Would you like to be my student, Octavia?"

"Yes!" she yelled, before remembering herself. Blushing fiercely, she said, "I mean... yes. Thank you."

Cadance laughed. "Wonderful. I am pleased..."

Most of the rest of those weeks were a blur. Octavia had practiced, said goodbye to her music teachers and fellow students, been hugged approximately one thousand times by her tearful sisters, and so forth. Of all the goodbyes, there was only one moment that stuck out.

Cadance had visited Chenneigh to pick her up and take her to Canterlot -- this was a tradition she performed with all of her students, dating back thousands of years. As Octavia was saying her final goodbyes, her mother gave her one last hug, and her father one last bit of advice. "This is a big responsibility," he said. "Do your best... become the virtuoso we all know you can be."

Octavia smiled. "I will," she vowed. "And I won't let you down." She turned from her parents to Princess Cadance. "I will become a musician you can be proud of -- I promise."

Cadance nodded. "I know you will," she said.

***

Proud of...

"No!"

Armor paused. "Are you alright?" he asked Octavia.

The cellist shook her head. "I am fine... my apologies." But her thoughts were scattered. She heard the Princess castigating her for her failures that day. And she heard herself, years ago, vowing that she would make the princess proud of her.

I have to fix this! I can't let her keep hating me, not now, with everything crumbling! She matters so much to me, she's taught me so much... I can't let her die hating me! I have to show her now, do something to prove to her I'm a good pony...

"If there's nothing else, Octavia, we need to get going," said Captain Armor. "Come on, privates. Saddle up in the chariots. I want us to catch up with them by the time they reach the next city." And they began to gallop off.

"Wait!" yelled Octavia, hurrying after them. "Wait, I -- take me with you!"

"What?" asked Armor, his voice confused.

"I can help! I am strong and -- and resilient. I can follow orders. I can help carry supplies or do anything else you need, just please, take me with you!" On some level, Octavia knew how stupid this was, but she did not care. The only thing she could think of was Cadance dying, her last thoughts about how her student was a failure.

"You're kidding, right? We're headed into a war zone."

"I do not care about that! I would go into any danger if it meant I could see the princess again!"

The Guards all looked at each other as they ran. Armor hesitated for a moment, and then turned to his soldiers. "Go on. I'll catch up in five. I want everything ready to go by the time I arrive, got it?"

"SIR YES SIR!" they said, and galloped on their way.

Armor stopped and turned to Octavia. "Run that by me again?"

"I want to help you. I do not care about the danger. But I have to be with my teacher!" Octavia paused to collect herself. "I've served her faithfully for years. Please allow me this."

Armor stepped close to Octavia, looking down. "Octavia?"

He's going to say yes! "Yes?" the cellist asked.

Armor snapped his neck up and glared at her, teeth bared. "It," he hissed, "is NOT ALL ABOUT YOU!"

Octavia stumbled backwards in shock and fell on her flank with a thump. "What?" she managed, completely stupified.

"We're going off to try to save as many lives as we can from two dueling deranged demigods!" yelled Armor. "We might die! The Princess might die! And you want us to spare resources and ponies we don't have to guard you, just so you can try to talk to the Princess and distract her from protecting the nation? What's wrong with you!"

Octavia shook her head. "It is not like that at all! I--"

"Oh, forget it." Armor turned. "I should have expected this from you by now, Philharmonica. Go away."

Octavia managed to get back to her hooves. Dimly, a plan formulated in her mind -- Armor seemed to think, based on his last sentence, that she was selfish or bad in some way; she was not; if she could show him this, he might let her come with him after all. "Expected what from me? Loyally serving the princess? I--"

"No. Complete and utter selfishness, even at the end of the world." Armor turned to watch Octavia over his shoulder. "You shouldn't even be her student anymore. She's been coming up with ridiculous rationalizations to keep you around for months now. I warned her you'd botch this, but she wanted to give you one last chance."

"That is absurd!" protested Octavia. "She has not told me my musical skill is unsatisfactory! On the contrary -- my ability--"

"Remains locked in your rooms, along with you, most of the day." Armor scowled. "What do you think the Princess was teaching you for, Philharmonica? Her own amusement? Your own gratification? She wants her students to go forth and share their talents and skills with the world. I've seen her train up a lot of ponies. She's happy when they master a difficult piece, but she's ecstatic when they move a crowd to tears. Or instill a love of music in a foal who never before knew what music could sound like. When have you ever done that?"

"I--"

"Never! You sit in your room and practice, and nopony hears a note of it! You don't play for the other students, nevermind Canterlot at large. Maybe you're the greatest musician in the country, but her other students -- the ones you think are inferior, the ones who 'waste time' on their hobbies -- are out every weekend, in clubs and little halls and parks, making ponies happy with song. They've done ten times more with music than you ever will."

"I have my reasons!" Octavia tried to think of an argument. "I cannot play in public yet, I am not good enough--"

"Oh? I thought you said your ability was remarkable." Armor snorted. "You're pathetic. Go home, Octavia. Get yourself a room, lock the door, practice all you want -- and never talk to another pony again. Trust me, we'll all be a lot better off."

He began to gallop away again, and Octavia was paralyzed for several moments in shock. Finally, she shook herself out of it and began to race after him. "Then it is all the more important I go with you! If I have let her down, I have to apologize, accept her rebuke--"

"Too late!" Armor yelled back. "You've had years to figure it out, and now that the world's ending you realize at last that she means something to you? There's more important things going on, Philharmonica, than your own personal redemption." He shook his head. "Yeah, Octavia, the world might end. The Princess might die, and she'll never have known you as anything other than the most selfish of her students, who would rather bury herself in her own work than use it to brighten another pony's day. You know what? That's on you--"

"But--!" Octavia interjected.

Armor's horn glowed, and a pinkish dome surrounded Octavia. She cried out as she ran into it and stumbled backwards with a heavy thump. "--And I am not putting my Guards at risk to watch you so you can make yourself feel better! You've made your bed, now lie in it!" And he was gone, running off into the night

"No! Please!" cried Octavia, hammering at the dome with her hooves. But, though she was strong and sturdily built, she couldn't make so much as a dent in it. It wasn't until she saw the fleet of chariots rising into the sky and vanishing after the alicorns that the dome vanished, and Octavia knew by then it was too late. The Princess was gone, and she had no way to get to her.

"No," she whispered, forcing herself to her hooves. "No. It isn't true. I won't let it be true. Not now, not with everything ruined. He's wrong, I'll prove it..."

With a start, she remembered Pageturner.

"Of course! She's by herself too, all alone in a strange town, and with the tyrants wrecking everything, she must be terrified out of her mind." Octavia nodded. She would go find Pageturner, immediately, and make sure she was safe. The two of them could think of something to do next, finding a train or some other mode of transport to pursue the Princess. They could get out of Ponyville, catch up with Cadance, and Octavia could then do whatever was in her power to help her Princess save the day. Besides, Pageturner had always insisted that she and Octavia were friends. Octavia had never really thought about that too much, but in these circumstances, she found herself desperately yearning for somepony that she could call a friend. Now she could show Pageturner that all that pony's efforts to reach the cellist had not been in vain.

"Right." Octavia looked around and oriented herself with respect to town hall. "She's probably crouched under the covers, scared out of her mind. I will find her... comfort her." She nodded to herself. "Everything is going to be alright."

***

Pageturner was not, as it turned out, in city hall. In fact, all her belongings had hastily been packed up and removed in what looked like a hurry. That indicated to Octavia that she was trying to flee the town, so she dashed towards the train station as quickly as she could.

To her surprise, a train was running. The cellist wondered if the engineers and conductors had been in town and now wanted to return to somewhere where their families lived. A large number of ponies were swarming the platform and packing onto the train; Octavia guessed that most of them were the staff, security, and out-of-town guests for the Vernal Equinox. There were all sorts of ponies, from finely dressed mares and stallions to young foals that were being carted along by frantic parents. There were ponies in construction outfits, train engineers, a janitor crew...

And an orange-coated, pink-maned pony that Octavia knew quite well.

"PAGETURNER!" the cellist screamed, dropping off the stand and fighting her way through the crowd to reach her friend. "PAGETURNER! WAIT!"

The earth pony turned in surprise. "Octavia? What is it?"

"Where are you going?" Octavia asked. "I have been looking all over -- never mind." She grabbed Pageturner and began trying to pull her out of the crowd. "I'm so glad I found you!"

"You are?"

"Yes!" Octavia took her hooves gingerly. "The Princess and her Guards are pursuing the alicorns. They aim to stop them from hurting civilians. And I--"

"Octavia, I really don't care right now." Pageturner jerked her head at the train. "This is the last train. I'm getting back to Canterlot, okay? If the world's ending, I want to be with my friends."

"But--" Octavia blinked. "Pageturner, wait. We can pursue Cadance..." She trailed off, realizing how slapdash her plan had to sound. "Or... we can stay here while we figure out our next move."

"Here? Octavia, this place just got attacked--"

"I'll protect you," insisted Octavia. "You know how strong I am. And I..." She paused. "I cannot go home, not yet. You are my friend, I need you to--"

"Friend?" Pageturner blinked. "Um, Octavia? No. No, I'm not."

Now it was Octavia's turn to stare.

"I've been trying to get you to open up for two years! I invited you to parties, found friends I thought you might like... I even put together that hot air balloon trip with the other students a few months back... but you told me you didn't care every single time. You've been saying for years that we aren't friends, that you don't need friends, all you need is music." Pageturner gestured a hoof at the sky. "Well, fine. You've got what you want. I won't bother you anymore, okay? Never again."

"That is not what I want!"

"What, because the world's ending and you wish you had somepony to be with? Tough." Pageturner turned her back on the cellist. "I tried for years, Octavia. I stayed up nights trying to figure out how to get through to you. I wanted you to have friends. But none of that mattered to you. Even today, when pony after pony was telling me how bad you made them feel, I covered for you. I still believed if you just knew the harm you were doing, you would apologize. But i was wrong. You didn't care about me, you didn't care about any of the ponies in town whose day you ruined in order to set up a concert for yourself, and you don't care now. You're just scared."

Octavia felt as if somepony had hit her in the chest with a sledgehammer. "That is not true," she whispered. "Pageturner, please believe me."

"It doesn't matter. Even if you really want to be friends, it's too late." Pageturner began to move back towards the train. "I'm going home, Octavia. To my real friends. And maybe they aren't great musicians, but they’re happy when I'm happy, and they comfort me when I'm sad, and I'll be a little less afraid of the end of the world if I'm waiting with them. Stay here if you want. I'm leaving."

Octavia reached out a hoof as she began to move onto the train -- now flashing lights and blowing its horn, apparently getting ready to depart. "Wait!"

"You wait. Wait with your cello, Octavia," said Pageturner. "Isn't that the only friend you need?"

Octavia didn't know what to say.

***

Later, the train had left, and Octavia was sitting numbly on the empty platform with tears running down her face. She knew that she should recover her cello from the ruined celebration area. Then she should get inside, and maybe even start looking for a way to reach the princess. But she couldn't make herself move. Nothing mattered to her anymore.

It can't be true! I haven't... gone my whole life without touching anypony, without making anypony better for meeting me. All I wanted was to make good music, is that so wrong? I didn't mean to hurt anypony...

But there was nopony to apologize to. The students, Cadance, Pageturner, all were miles away. Even the Ponyville ponies were all hiding indoors with their families; they likely wouldn't open the door to her, much less listen to her apology.

And so Octavia did nothing but sit on the empty platform and sob.

Maybe it was all meaningless. Maybe I really should just go home in disgrace... seal myself away somewhere. Never hurt anypony ever again, and wait for the end of a world I thought was beneath me.

The cellist heard hoofsteps behind her, but she didn't turn to see who it was. It had to be a Ponyville resident at this point, and they all had reason to hate her -- foal, elder, and everypony in between. She didn't want to deal with it, and she figured the other pony wouldn't want to deal with her either. He or she would walk by, maybe mutter a curse, and then move on.

But instead the hoofsteps drew closer, and Octavia suddenly felt something soft and warm being draped over her body. She realized suddenly how chilly it had gotten and wrapped the cloak around her. "Thank you..."

She glanced up and stared. It was Lyra, the green mare that was in love with the confectioner. "Um."

Lyra smiled, and there was not even a trace of her earlier anger in her face. She sat down next to Octavia and slipped a hoof over her shoulder.

"Why?" whispered the cellist.

Lyra hugged her a little tighter, and it was a few moments before she spoke:

"You look like you could use a friend."

Author's Note

Of the 6, Lyra is my favorite to write so far. She's so passionate and empathetic, whether she's raging out over disrespect to her Bonnie, or helping out when another pony just found out that she screwed everything up, but the world is ending so she doesn't have time to make any of it right.

One of my betas had a world-building question based on some of the stuff in the flashback, so I'm putting the answer here for all:

The way noble inheritance works in this 'verse is, the eldest child inherits all the titles. As such, the firstborn is trained to handle all the noble responsibilities, which includes governing the province, any specific tasks assigned to the House of Such and Such, and presumably things like overseeing the family businesses. In case of disease/accident/bad luck/etc happening to the firstborn, the second child is also trained in these things. That way, even if the firstborn child dies or something, the House can still be run competently.

By the time you get to the third child, though, the odds of him or her having to run the place are remote. Additionally, the House can't simply let the younger heirs slip into penury if they don't make a good showing in their career -- that reflects badly on the House ("you couldn't even keep your daughter Smiley out of the poorhouse. Shame!") As such, the third child and further on down are generally assured of at least a livable income from the House, even if they don't have a job or other means of generating income. (Assuming the House has the finances for this, of course; but House Philharmonica definitely does). Hence Octavia's thoughts about how, technically, she can lose herself in idle divergences if she chooses; she's assured of at least enough allowance for food and board.

Incidentally, something that got cut from this chapter was Octavia musing about how depraved those noble children who, knowing they don't need to work/get a job/etc, just lose themselves in parties, bourbon, and unbridled hedonism. I had wanted to include a bit on Octavia realizing that her own burial of herself in her music, while a lot more 'classy' than the (for example) House Lulamoon Weekly Kegger, doesn't actually contribute any more to the world than the latter event. But this chapter was full enough already, so I cut that.

Legend of the Elements

Octavia and Lyra sat quietly on the platform for a few minutes, the cellist leaning over and letting the green mare hug her.

“Do you want to talk about it?” asked Lyra at last.

“... everypony left me.” Octavia hung her head. “And I just learned that none of them... that I drove all of them away. My teacher, my assistant, everypony else; none of them like me and it is entirely my fault.” She hung her head. “They said I am worthless--”

“They’re wrong. Everypony has worth,” said Lyra. “Even the ones that make mistakes.”

“I hurt you. I hurt Bonbon, and this whole town... aren’t you mad at me?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. You need a friend, and that’s what matters.” Lyra hugged Octavia again.

“Why did I have to realize this now?” Octavia sighed. “If I had learned this even a week ago, I could have done something. But now the world is ending. What can I do to make up for everything I did wrong?”

“Be there for others." Lyra nodded a little. “A lot of ponies in Ponyville are scared now. Just be there and help them. If nothing else, play lullabies to calm the foals.” She smiled. “There's still a little time.”

Octavia hung her head. “They will not listen to me.”

“I bet some will. Here.” Lyra opened up her saddlebag and withdrew a thermos. “Try this. One of my Bonnie’s specialties.”

Octavia opened the thermos and sniffed, recognizing the scent of hot chocolate. “I shouldn’t... it is against my diet...”

Lyra giggled and poked her in the stomach. “Come on. Trust me.”

Octavia took a cautious sip, and then began to drink from the thermos with gusto. The hot chocolate was warm and rich, perfect on such a frightening night. As the warmth spread throughout her body, she did begin to feel a little calmer. She let out an involuntary sigh.

“Isn’t it great?” Lyra grinned as she took the empty thermos back. “I’m glad I bought five boxes worth.”

“Why... nevermind. How is Bonbon doing, anyway?” asked Octavia. Now that she was thinking a little more clearly, she was surprised that Lyra was wandering outside instead of looking for her crush.

“She’s with her sister and parents,” Lyra said. “I wanted to stay with her... but, alas, sometimes even love must wait.” She looked up at the sky, eyes shining. “And besides, once my task is complete, my Bonnie will finally realize that I am indeed her knight in shining, mint-green armor.”

“Task?”

Lyra nodded. “I was on my way to get it done, but I heard you on the platform, and I figured it could wait a few minutes.” She helped Octavia get to her hooves. “Feeling better?”

“Yes... a little, yes.” Octavia leaned on Lyra. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” said Lyra. “Now -- where are you going?”

“My lodgings at city hall.”

“Ugh. No way. Those rooms are drafty and creaky and really lonely. You should stay somewhere warm and friendly tonight. And I know just the place.” Lyra nodded. “It’s on my way, too, so I’ll take you there.”

Octavia thought, for a moment, of protesting and insisting on returning to her lodgings, but the impulse passed. She couldn’t be alone, not now. “Thank you,” said Octavia, bowing her head. “I am in your debt.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said the mare. She grinned. “What are friends for?”

“Are we friends?”

Lyra just winked and led her down the path.

***

“Now, the bathroom’s right through there and extra blankets are in that closet. I’m just upstairs, so if you need anything else, don’t be afraid to ask,” Fluttershy whispered. “Just don’t be too loud, so the tyrants don’t hear us.” She nodded at the animals in cages, burrows, and nests scattered throughout the room. “I couldn’t stand it if any of my little animal friends got hurt...”

Octavia nodded woozily as Fluttershy -- bundled up in cushions and with a big helmet on her head -- helped her lay down on a plush sofa. “Are you sure it’s alright for me to stay here?” Octavia asked. “I--”

“It’s alright. I’ve always got a bed open to anypony who needs it!” Fluttershy smiled brightly. “I can get you whatever you need. Except... um...” She ducked her head and cringed. “I’d rather not go outside right now, with the tyrants and the monsters and...”

“I am fine,” said Octavia. “You need not get anything for me. And... thank you for taking me in after what I did.”

Fluttershy paused. “You hurt Rosewing,” she said, softly. “I’m still upset about that... but this is more important.” She fluffed a pillow for Octavia. “We can talk about the other thing later.”

Octavia glanced up at the ceiling. She found that she liked the nature theme of the cottage. “And I--”

When she looked back down, Fluttershy was right in her face, muzzle almost poking hers. “But if you hurt any animal ever again, so help me, I’ll...”

Octavia paled. “I won’t!”

And the pegasus smiled. “Good.” And she began to trot off. “Lyra, how are you doing?”

Lyra, who was sitting on a rocking chair with another thermos of hot chocolate, smiled and lazily waved a hoof. “I’m fine. And didn’t I tell you, Octavia? Fluttershy will take real good care of you. I should know -- I was here for a week after Ditzy and Raindrops dropped a piano on my house.” She chuckled. “That’s our Flutters.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Do you need a place to stay tonight too?”

“Nope. I’m just waiting for a friend to come by. Is it okay if I hang around?”

“My door is always open!” Fluttershy blinked. "Unless the tyrants come," she quickly said. "If they do, I'll be hiding under my bed--"

“Great!” Lyra hopped to her hooves. “Why don’t I help you put some tea on. You might be able to help me and Vinnie...”

As the two went into the kitchen, Octavia let her head sink back on the pillow. She suddenly felt very tired. The day had been a wringer -- not only was the world about to end, but she’d discovered some unpleasant truths about her self. Nopony, she thought, was the better for having met her, and had she never been born nopony would suffer for it. Why couldn't I have time? she thought to herself. Why couldn't I have time to do just one good thing before the world ends? To try to set things right?

She heard a squeak from across the room.

Frowning, Octavia raised herself up on one leg and looked in the direction of the squeak. There was a large wooden chest, big enough to contain a few foals or one adult pony, and it seemed to be almost wiggling. As she watched, the top cracked open, and an eye poked out.

“Hello?” called Octavia.

 There were some frightened squeaks, and the box slammed shut.

The cellist frowned. “I won't hurt you."

The box cracked open again, and three little foals poked their heads out of it. Octavia recognized one of them, the pegasus Beebop. The other two were new to her.

“Hello?” she asked. “Are you Fluttershy’s foals?”

“Ugh. As if,” said the one on the left, an earth pony with a gray coat and off-white mane. “No way. My daddy’s the richest pony in town.”

“We got separated from our parents at the Celebration,” said Beebop, somehow sounding loud despite whispering. “But every foal in town knows, if you get lost or hurt, you can always go to Fluttershy’s!” She nodded. “Oh, this is Silver Spoon!” The gray-coated mare ‘harumphed.’ “And this is Tootsie Flute!”

The unicorn next to Beebop nodded. “Fluttershy’s real nice. She’s letting us hide in this box so the alicorns don’t find us! She wanted to hide in the box instead, but she gave it to us.”

“She wanted to hide in a box?”

Beebop nodded. “She brought her pet bunny and everything!” She lifted a small, white ball of fur out of the chest and brandished it at Octavia. It was a struggling bunny who seemed a bit unhappy at being shaken by the foal. “But she let us have it to cuddle while we wait. She’s a really nice pony!”

“Unlike you,” said Silver Spoon.

Octavia frowned. “I--”

“You made Bluenote cry, and she’s, like, one of the only cool adults in this town.” Silver Spoon sniffed in Octavia’s general direction. “She’s fun. She’s way better than some lame pony like you.”

Octavia looked away. “I am truly sorry for everything I did,” she said.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Octavia heard somepony trotting over to her. Suddenly, a pony had climbed onto the couch, and then Tootsie Flute was standing on her barrel and looking right at her. “Are you really?” she asked, her voice soft and serious.

“Yes.”

“Really really?”

“Yes. Really really.”

The foal smiled, a grin as bright as the morning sun. “Good! Then you can say sorry to her and you can all be friends!”

For a moment, Octavia felt cheered. And then she remembered the contempt she had felt for Bluenote a day before when she had noted that the tubist could only appeal to foals. Now a foal was one of her only defenders. She sighed, trying her best to push past her own feelings, and managed to say, "I hope to. Thank you, Tootsie Flute."

The foals soon got back into the box, leaving Octavia alone. She stared at the ceiling for a few minutes. And then, feeling exhaustion completely overtake her, she fell asleep.

***

“It’s scary! It’s dangerous! It’s... mean!” said Fluttershy. “Please don’t go!”

“Flutters, if ponies got scared every time something was dangerous, they’d never go anywhere awesome. Can you imagine living in a world without awesome?” teased Vinyl Scratch. “Wouldn’t that be a terrible world?”

“No, I think it might be quite pleasant, actually...”

Bluenote laughed merrily.

Octavia groaned as consciousness returned to her. Checking a wall clock, she found that she’d been unconscious for about half an hour. Her head pounded. The living room was deserted, so she got up and began to walk into the kitchen where the voices were.

Lyra and Vinyl were seated at a table with a large amount of food spread before them. Fluttershy was running all around, constantly taking food out of cabinets and her oven and putting it in dishes in front of them. Whenever the two unicorns tried to get up, Fluttershy was instantly at their sides to push them firmly back down and put more delicious food in front of them.The two unicorns seemed bemused at this, though they weren’t eating. They just pushed the platters to the side, where Bluenote seemed happy to tuck in. Medley was also there, leaning against one wall with her forelegs crossed.

“But -- isn’t there anything I can get you to convince you not to do this?” begged Fluttershy. “What if you get hurt? What if you get eaten? What if you get hurt and eaten?”

“I think if you’re eaten, it hurts, by definition,” said Medley.

Lyra firmly pushed away the food. “Fluttershy, we appreciate it, but we’re not interested. We’ve got to go save the world.”

“But...”

Vinyl laughed. “Besides, do you really think a couple of rinky-dinky monsters can stand up to the greatest DJ in all Equestria?”

“And the best bard!”

Medley rolled her eyes. “You’re certainly the best at talking about it, anyway.”

Vinyl winked. “That’s part of the gig, Meddy.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

Octavia coughed. “Um... is something going on?”

The ponies turned to look at her.

“Oh. You’re up.” Medley scowled. “Why are you still in town? Any sane pony in your position would be headed back to Canterlot by now.”

“I could not leave. Not now,” said Octavia. She looked at Lyra. “How are you going to save the world?”

“Better question -- who cares?” asked Medley. She turned to Bluenote. “Look, we came to find wayward foals who got split off from their parents. We found them, and Applejack is running them home while we look for more. Why are we still here?”

Bluenote thought. “Because the apple turnovers aren’t done yet,” she concluded.

Medley rolled her eyes. “We have important things to do, Bluenote. Come on.”

Bluenote sighed and reluctantly rose, but Fluttershy hurried to block her exit. “Wait! Can’t you talk to them? Tell them not to do it?”

“Do what?” asked Octavia.

“Please don’t get her started,” grumbled Medley.

Lyra’s horn glowed, and a lyre popped into existence directly in front of her. “Glad you asked!” she said. “Ever hear of the legend of the Elements of Harmony?”

“No,” said Octavia.

Bluenote opened her mouth wide, carefully positioned it over a slice of carrot cake, and ate it in one bite. “Mmph! I think I know that one, Lyra. Aren’t the Elements how Princess Cadance--”

“Who is apparently not even real,” muttered Medley.

“She is real,” insisted Octavia. “And she is better than ten of the tyrants. I don’t care what they say--”

“Ahem!” said Lyra. She began to strum her lyre in an energetic manner, producing a set of brisk and fast-moving tones. “As I was saying. The Elements of Harmony are this set of ancient magical artifacts that’re really, really powerful. It was even stronger than the alicorns, and the sisters -- before they went crazy -- used them to beat all kinds of evil monsters like Tirek, Grogar, and the Smooze! They even defeated the Chaos God Discord and tore him into a million and five pieces with the power of the Elements!”

“A million and five?” echoed Medley. “What, did somepony count?”

Lyra waved a hoof in the air. “That’s another legend. Anyway, when the tyrants went mad, Princess Cadance decided to use the Elements to stop them. So she carefully positioned the Elements in the ancient Castle of the Alicorns, deep in the heart of the Everfree Forest. Then she sent messages to both sisters to tell them to meet her at the Castle.” The music began to shift over different keys, becoming unpredictable and even faster. “She told Burning Sun that she was on her side, and that she would give her a weapon at the Castle in exchange for being protected when the Sun took over the nation. And of course the letter to Nightmare Moon was reversed, pledging allegiance to her and so forth.”

Lyra’s horn glowed, and the room darkened a bit. Fluttershy squeaked and dove behind Bluenote, though Octavia noted that she apparently liked the story and music enough to not leave the room. The bard continued: “As that fateful day dawned, both sisters were furious. One of Burning Sun’s key cities had just defected to Nightmare Moon, tearing down her idols, stripping the gold off their buildings, and erecting a statue of her sister in the town square. She wanted nothing more than to go to that city and burn it to ashes! And Nightmare Moon had just learned that an important foreign ally was taking Burning Sun’s side. She was drawing up plans to shroud that nation in years of permanent darkness, extinguishing even the smallest and weakest candles and lanterns within its borders. Her fury was no less severe than her sister’s, and she was just as eager to finally tear her down and reign supreme in all the land." Lyra's voice became a low hiss. "Oh, they couldn't have been in worse moods when they received those letters."

The music became bright, powerful, almost burning with passion. “Behold, the Burning Sun flew to Canterlot Castle! Fearing traps, she set a powerful magical spell behind her in the inner vestibule, to make sure that Nightmare Moon’s Shadowbolt enforcers couldn’t follow her and catch her by surprise -- but she never suspected that her downfall would come, not from without, but within the castle.” The music grew soft, dissonant, and creeping. “Nightmare Moon arrived scarce moments later. Like her sister, she placed a magical trap to deter pursuers. But, also like her sister, she never suspected that she might need to fear the young Cadance. And so she went on ahead--”

“What about Burning Sun's trap?” asked Medley. “Wouldn’t it have gone off?”

Lyra shrugged, then continued with gusto. “When both alicorns were in the throne room, they saw each other and cried out that they had been betrayed! At that moment, Cadance came in from another door, sealing off the room as she did so. She dropped to her knees and begged them to set their feud aside, to live in peace and stop harming the other ponies with their fights. But neither would give up the fight. Both insisted the nation was to be hers and hers alone. And both vowed that the other -- and Cadance -- would never leave the throne room alive.”

The music built to a loud and fierce climax. “Burning Sun readied her hottest flames! Nightmare Moon prepared her most devious magics! But before either of them could cast so much as a single cantrip, Cadance rose. Around her head she had summoned a single tiara, with six precious jewels in it. These were the Elements of Harmony, retrieved from whatever hiding places the alicorns had found for them. And when the Elements activated, all other magic in the room vanished like a puff of smoke in a strong breeze. Nothing could overpower the pure magic of Harmony itself.

“Cadance rose with a mighty flap of her wings!” continued Lyra, leaping to her hind hooves. “She told them their actions had harmed innocent ponies for far too long already, and that their reigns of terror were over. She would use the Elements to strip them of their powers and imprison them, until such time as they ceased their feud. Both alicorns protested, but they could do nothing else. The Elements extinguished even their greatest magics."

Lyra played a loud, bright chord, seeming to resound throughout the room with its power. “Cadance's horn glowed! The Elements flashed! And, in the very next moment, Nightmare Moon found herself imprisoned within the very moon itself, and Burning Sun within in the core of the sun. The land was once again at peace.”

She finally slowed her lyre music down to a more moderate tempo. “Now,” she said. “The tyrants are back. Vinyl and I are going to go to the old Castle, where Cadance left the Elements one thousand years ago. We’re going to find them, and use them, and make sure those nasty tyrants don’t hurt any more ponies!” She grinned. “Right?”

“RIGHT!” screamed Vinyl, jumping to her hooves. “We are gonna ROCK! Those alicorns won’t know what hit them!”

“...I hate to raise the obvious point,” said Octavia. “But if the location of these 'Elements' is known and they are still useful, I would be quite surprised if Princess Cadance or her Guards were not already en route to retrieve them.”

“She’s trying to protect the citizens from the tyrants, so she's not going to have time to grab 'em,” said Vinyl. “Same with the Guards. And the tyrants’ll be fighting each other instead of trying themselves." She grinned fiercely. "We've got just enough time to get there first and save the day."

“The Everfree is full of dangerous monsters,” said Medley. “What if you get eaten?” Concern crossed her voice. “Or lost? That forest is huge.”

Vinyl grinned. “They can bring it on. We’ll take ‘em.”

“We have to try,” said Lyra. “For Equestria! And for Cadance! And all the ponies we love!”

Bluenote smiled. “It sounds like you think it will be fun.”

“Of course! Forget telling legends, we’re going to star in one!” said Lyra. “It’ll be epic!”

Medley sighed. “Look, are you two boneheads really set on doing this?”

“Yep!” said Vinyl.

“...fine. I’ll come too.” She looked away. “You’re two of my best customers; I can’t just let you get eaten. It’d be bad for my margins.”

“Alright!” said Lyra, jumping up, vaulting the table, and embracing Medley in a tight hug. “You’ll be a great addition to the team!”

“Ack!” choked Medley.

“I’ll go too,” said Bluenote. She smiled. “I always try to make the foals happy... can’t let them get all scared by the tyrants, can I?” She nodded. “I’m not the strongest pony out there, but I’ve got a few skills.”

“The more, the merrier,” said Vinyl. “Let’s go!”

Fluttershy froze, eyes darting around frantically. “But... but...”

“Hey.” Lyra approached Fluttershy and gently hugged her. “Relax. We’ll be fine. I promise.”

“No, you won’t! There’s so many monsters and strange spooky creatures, and...” She took a deep breath. “Ifyou’regoingI’mgoingtoo!” she yelped.

“You are?” said Medley. “No offense, Flutters--”

“I’ve been in the forest with my animals,” said Fluttershy. “I know some of the paths, and how to avoid some of the monsters, and...”

“If you don’t want to go, you don’t need to.” Bluenote helped guide her to a chair. “Nopony will think less of you.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “You need my knowledge and help, and... I can’t turn away a needy pony.” She took several deep breaths. “I’ll go with you.”

“Fluttershy.” Lyra approached the yellow pony. “That’s very brave of you.”

“I’m not brave, I’m really scared...”

“Here.” Lyra guided Fluttershy’s head to her shoulder. “If you get scared in the forest, or sad, or anything else, you just come right here, okay? Just put your head right here. I’ll protect you, and if you cry or anything, I’ll never tell another pony. You can count on it.” She hugged the yellow pegasus. “Got it?”

Fluttershy embraced her. “Yes...”

“Time’s a wasting,” Vinyl announced. She leapt to her hooves. “Everypony, let’s go!”

“Oh!” said Fluttershy, as she began to follow Lyra. “Octavia, I almost forgot. Er... will you be alright by yourself?”

“Myself?” said Octavia. She had watched the scene silently, but hadn’t considered what would happen after they left. “I... I mean, I suppose...”

“Great!” said Lyra. “We’ll come back for you once we’ve saved the world, Octavia. Hey, maybe you could write a song about it!”

Octavia felt like she was frozen as the ponies began to leave.

“What’s to eat in the forest?” Bluenote asked. “Anything good?”

“Oh, yes... the Apples got their first zap apples from there. They’re the best apples in Equestria,” said Fluttershy. “I always buy a pallet for my animal friends.”

“Can you actually fight?” Medley asked Lyra. “In case we run into trouble?”

“Sure! I’ve got some skills. I know hoof fu!”

There was a pause.
 “Well, I’ve read about it in books. But don’t worry. I can hold my own!”

Octavia opened her mouth, paused, and shut it again. She was seized with a sudden fear of doing anything but standing still while they left. A small voice in her mind told her that what she was considering was idiotic, that she should escape as soon as they left and try to find transportation back to Canterlot, and then Chenneigh. She could go home, go to her room...

And resume her life alone.

“WAIT!” she screamed.

The five mares turned, Vinyl’s hoof inches from the door. “What?” asked Medley.

“Please let me come with you!” Octavia threw herself down in front of them. “Please!”

“Why?” the green pegasus asked.

Octavia’s mouth felt like it was filled with mud. She moved her lips, but no sound came out.

“You’re a noble heir, right? You’ve lived your life in luxury. You can’t hike, you can’t get through a forest, you can’t fight, and you don’t know the terrain,” snapped Medley.

“Medley--” began Bluenote.

“No. This isn’t a game, Philharmonica, and it’s not about you. We have a job to do, and if we take you along, it’ll just make it harder.”

“No!” protested Octavia. “I am strong. I am tenacious. I can help you. And...”

The words began to burst from her.

“And I don’t want the world to end before I do something good for another pony!” She didn’t dare look up at them. “I have lived my life in isolation... I have never touched anypony. I want to, just once, do something for somepony else. I know this is a selfish request, I know that I have no right to ask anything of you, after the way I treated the five of you, but... please... let me come with you. Let me at least try to do the right thing.”

For a moment the room was silent, except for a few tears that spilled from Octavia’s eyes and plinked off the wooden floor.

“I was the third child,” she said. “Since my foalhood, I knew I would never be asked to amount to anything. My eldest sister was the heir, my middle sister was the backup... I would have a life of leisure, with no need to consider what service I could render others. I... I should have been better. I should have fought that belief instead of giving into it, but I didn’t. I gave myself over to my own passions, acted only for my own pleasure, and forgot that music is only meaningful if it has an audience. And now it is too late for me to go back and change it... but.” She took a ragged breath. “If I can help you, if I can help save the country, I can make up for some of my mistakes. I can show that I’m not worthless, I can prove that Princess Cadance did not make a mistake in selecting me, I can...”

She trailed off. “Please,” she repeated. “If you can find it in your hearts, please let me come with you.”

And then there were ponies on either side of her, helping her rise. When she looked up, she saw that Lyra was on one side, and Bluenote on the other, both helping her get back on her hooves. Fluttershy and Vinyl were in front of her, smiling.

“Course you can help us,” said Vinyl. “Glad to have you onboard.” She gave Octavia’s back a hearty thump with a hoof. “I’m sure you’ll be just as awesome as the rest of us.”

Fluttershy smiled at that. “If you’re willing to risk yourself to help protect everypony, I think we’d be silly not to let you come.”

“Yeah!” said Lyra. “You’re alright, Tavi.” And Bluenote giggled.

Medley frowned, but didn’t say anything.

Bluenote turned to the green mare. “Come on,” said said. “Haven’t you ever hurt somepony by mistake?”

Medley let out a long sigh. “Fine. She can come.”

“Alright!” said Lyra. “The six of us, against the forest and the tyrants! No way can we lose!”

“Six musicians?” said Medley, her voice skeptical.

“Six awesome ponies,” corrected Vinyl. “That’s all that matters.”

Bluenote chuckled. “Knew we’d end up working together someday,” she told Octavia.

Octavia nodded. “I... thank you. All of you,” she told them. She bowed her head. “I swear I will do my utmost to make our quest successful.”

Vinyl brought her hoof back to the door. “Well,” she said. “What are we waiting for?"

"Nothing!" said Lyra. A big smile spread across her face. "Let’s go save the world!”

Author's Note

I wasn't quite sure how to bring in the C-verse's CMC equivalents, but I think this worked pretty well. Including them here let me do a callback to the Bluenote introduction, provided a reason for the other musicians to show up (on foal-collecting duty), and I got to make a joke about Fluttershy wanting to hide in a box. :-) It also did let me do a homage to the 'CMCs hide under a table' scene from the actual show.

This ends part 1 of the story. Part 2 begins when I get the next chapter up. Note: it might be a bit delayed, because it (and the one after that as well) need some substantial rewrites from the draft form. Apologies, and I hope the story is good enough to keep you coming back for more. :-)

Bonds

The Everfree was dark, spooky, and mean.

Octavia grunted as she stumbled over another half-buried rock. Fluttershy had shown them a 'path,' a grassy trail two ponies wide without too many trees or boulders in it, but the going was still slow. The ground was strewn with sharp rocks and twisting roots that seemed to want to reach out and snag her hooves, and the sides of the paths were full of thick bushes and trees that painfully snagged her coat, mane, and tail. Visibility was low, strange noises came from everywhere, and the thick tree cover completely blotted out the sky above. It felt, the cellist thought, like they were descending into a deep, dark cave, from which there might well be no escape.

Biting back a cry as another branch caught in her coat and gave it a painful tug, Octavia carefully extricated it, then shifted her right saddlebag to try to better protect that side of her barrel. She had volunteered to carry some of the food and medical supplies that Fluttershy had offered to bring along. At the time, she had worried about the added weight sapping her strength, but she now wished she'd had even more bags, or maybe some clothes, to stop the foliage from poking and tugging at her. It had been over an hour since they'd entered the forest, and she had lost count of the number of scratches she'd picked up.

"You doing okay, Octavia?" called back Vinyl. She had volunteered to take point, along with Fluttershy, who was keeping them on the right trail. "Is the pace alright?"

"I am fine." The walk was strenuous, but Octavia refused to slow the group down on her account. "I am able to maintain this pace."

"Great!" Vinyl turned to Fluttershy. "This forest sucks, though. I am totally complaining to the Ponyville Tourism Board when we're done."

"We don't have a tourism board," said Medley. She was behind Octavia and Lyra, flying next to Bluenote.

"Good point. Let's tell the Mayor to make one for me to complain to."

Bluenote laughed. "The Everfree's not that bad," she said. "It just needs a little work. Expand the path a little, put some vendor stands and water fountains in, maybe make a little park... hey Fluttershy, isn't your dad in the House of Commons? He should propose it!"

Octavia blinked. "Your father is in the government?" she asked Fluttershy. "Perhaps I know of him. What is his name?"

"Thundering Posey." Fluttershy's voice rose a little in pride. "He's represented Cloudsdale Province for all my life. He's the best pony in the Commons!"

"Did he inspire you to be an activist?" asked Octavia.

"Oh, yes. He told me that ponies who have a lot are obligated to give to ponies who don't have much," said Fluttershy. "It's our purpose. When he was a foal, one of his classmates couldn't fly because his wings were very brittle. So while all of the other foals got to fly around, all that pony could do was watch them from a cloud. My dad wanted to help him, so he talked the rest of the class into making a park! They saved their allowances, bought this cute little cloud at the edge of Clousdale, and sculpted a little cloud playground!" Fluttershy let out a soft sigh. "One day, I'm going to have helped as many ponies as my dad."

Octavia said nothing for a long moment. She knew it was wrong of her, but she could not help but feel slightly worse at the thought that she, a noble heir, had failed in her duties to help others, while a commoner had already surpassed her. "That... that is a lovely goal, Fluttershy."

"Thank you--"

There was a 'crack' from further ahead in the forest.

"Eeek!" Fluttershy sprang back, shaking in fear. "Something's ahead of us!"

Vinyl's horn lit up like a streetlamp, shining a beacon of light ahead into the woods. There was some squeaking, a bush rustled, a few more branches cracked, and then a ferret dashed out of the bushes.

"Oh," said Fluttershy. "It's just a ferret..."

Octavia paused, then increased her pace until she was even with Vinyl and Fluttershy. "Would you like me to take point?" So far I have only been a pack horse, she thought. I have barely contributed at all. If I can do this, I can at least ease Fluttershy's worries a little bit...

"Woah," said Vinyl, holding up a hoof. "No offense, Tavi, but Fluttershy's on point because she gets the animals and can ask them not to eat us."

"You are also on point," pointed out Octavia. "And you cannot talk to animals."

"Yeah, but I have, like, epic levels of awesome." Vinyl grinned, somehow managing to look cocky and smug despite their grim circumstances. "As for you... I mean, you've got maybe a few levels of awesome, but not quite epic levels, you know?"

Octavia looked at her blankly. "What?"

"Please don't ask her to quantify awesome," said Medley. "We'll be here for days."

"Nah, just a few hours," said Vinyl. "But -- anyway. I'm good at this. I'm strong, from lugging around all my sound gear, and fast, from running away from mobs of adoring fans, and agile, because I have a jungle gym in my house!"

Octavia wondered about the third point, but pushed it aside. "I want to help," she said.

"You can help the most by carrying the extra food and medical goodies," said Vinyl.

"No, don't you see?" Medley flew up to the front of the pack. "That's not enough for Octavia. She wants to take the most dangerous, prestigious position, so she can feel like she's really contributing something. Even if she's not, and she's just putting us in more danger. Because, of course, this mission to save the world is really all about her."

Octavia turned to Medley. "I want--"

"I don't care what you want," said Medley. She flew ahead of Vinyl and Fluttershy. "What, is carrying luggage too insignificant for a noble like yourself?"

"Hey, hold on!" said Bluenote, hurrying forwards. "We're all working together here. No fighting." She smiled. "If we all get along, we'll be much more likely to succeed."

"I'm trying," said Medley. "But if she says something stupid just so she can feel better about herself, I'm going to call her on it."

"Can we stop fighting?" whispered Fluttershy, eyes darting around. "Please? We'll attract monsters, and--"

As she spoke, she took another step forwards, and the ground shifted under her hooves. Suddenly, the ground collapsed, sending the four non-pegasi and Fluttershy tumbling into a pit. Octavia opened her mouth to cry out but found it slammed shut as she hit the ground. "Oww!"

"Everypony okay?" asked Vinyl. She groaned softly. "Dang. That hurt my flank."

"I'm fine," said Lyra. "A petty trap like this could never stop me for long!"

"Okay over here," added Bluenote.

"I'm okay..." whispered Fluttershy. "But I want to go hide now..."

"Shoulder," instructed Lyra. She struggled to her hooves, brushing at a dark liquid that had filled the bottom of the concealed pit, and buried Fluttershy's head in her left shoulder. "Head on shoulder. Nothing can hurt you here, Flutters."

"Thanks..."

Octavia got up, trying to shake the liquid off, but it was quickly congealing. "Does anypony recognize what this stuff is?"

"No clue," said Vinyl. "Kind of gross, though."

"You girls okay?"

Octavia looked up to see Medley peering down from the top of the pit. They weren't that far down, but the poor lighting made it hard to see her. "I think so," called Octavia.

"Good, because I hear somepony coming." She paused. "A lot of ponies, actually."

Octavia tried to raise a hoof to start climbing out of the pit, but she couldn't. Looking down, she found that it was stuck fast in the now-congealed liquid. "Can anypony move?" she asked, trying to keep the panic from her voice.

There was a flurry of struggle, after which Bluenote said, "Uh oh."

Fluttershy let out a cry, but Lyra wriggled so the yellow pony was pressed deeper against her. "Breathe," she said. "Don't worry. We'll figure this out."

"You girls need help?" called down Medley.

"Yes!" said Octavia, biting back a sarcastic reply. Isn't it obvious? Of course we need help!

"No," said Vinyl.

Medley growled something. "Which is it?"

Vinyl ignored Octavia's glare. She spoke, her voice more serious than Octavia had ever heard the DJ. "If whoever's coming is close enough for you to hear them, you're not going to have time to pry all five of us out of here first. Plus, you might get stuck too. There's no bones or carcasses here, so whatever they catch is probably removed from the pit and taken somewhere. Follow us there. If you get a chance, try to free us, okay?"

"Are you sure?" asked Medley.

"What are you doing?" hissed Octavia. "We could be eaten--"

"Octavia." Vinyl twisted her body to look at Octavia. "You asked us to trust you earlier when you wanted to come with us, right?"

"Yes--"

"Trust me now." She grinned, winking at Octavia. "I know what I'm doing." She looked up at Medley again. "Follow us, then free us. Got it?"

"Alright. Hope you know what you're doing." Medley jumped into the air and took off into the woods.

In a few minutes, several pony-like forms appeared at the top of the pit. Their bodies were black and their coats were slightly wavey, like they were covered in a thim film of liquid. They snarled at the ponies below with obvious pleasure.

Octavia gulped.

***

Octavia gave it her all, but the thick post that she was affixed to was no easier to escape than the pit had been. With a sigh, she stopped struggling and stared weakly in front of her. The sight gave her little hope.

The monsters had transported the captives for about a mile, at which point they had found themselves in a collection of forty or sudden wooden buildlings. There were dozens of the monsters, some going into and out of various buildings, others hissing to each other on the paths between them, and several tending to a large fire in the town center. A few of the monsters, bent and shriveled with age, sat in rocking chairs on porches and watched the struggling ponies with obvious amusement. About a dozen foal-sized ones, sticks and stones stuck to their coats, scampered about. There was no sign whatsoever of any ponies, or any other creature that might help them.

"I wonder if the little ones can't control their sticky powers yet?" asked Bluenote. The monsters had transported them by forcing them onto the backs of the five biggest members of their group and then immobalizing them. Their coats seemed to have the same properties as the liquid in the pits, and none of the ponies had been able to move their lower bodies. "Maybe that's why they're all messy."

Who cares? wondered Octavia. She looked up in the sky, but there was no sign of Medley.

"I think I know what these are," said Lyra. Somehow, she had twisted herself about so that Fluttershy could keep her head nestled securely against her. "I've heard legends about them. Black-coated equines, sticky coats, sharp teeth... these are kelpies."

Octavia didn't much care what they were called. "Does anypony have any suggestions?"

"Working on it," said VInyl.

"HEY!" yelled Lyra at the kelpies. "Hey, you! You think you can stop us? You'll never stop us! Heroes like us eat monsters like you for breakfast every day!"

The kelpies looked at each other.

"You might stick us in a pit. You might tie us to a post. But you will never CRUSH OUR SPIRIT!" roared Lyra.

The kelpies paused for a moment -- and then burst into fits of hissing laughter.

Octavia hung her head. "Lyra. That does not help."

"Don't give up," said Bluenote. "Things have a way of working out."

Her voice was warm and comforting, but it couldn't overcome the dire signs that Octavia had observed. "I fail to see how," she said.

"Medley will be back," said Bluenote. She chuckled softly. "She's pretty reliable. Trust me."

"Perhaps normally, but--"

"I once knew her to fly through three miles of sleet and snow, after even the post office was shut down due to bad weather, to deliver a package of sheet music to a foal who needed it for a competition. She doesn't back down."

Octavia wasn't sure how to respond to that. "I hope you're right," she said. She did feel a little cheered by that information... but only a little.

The fire flared up. A few kelpies trotted over with some fish on their back and began to toast it. Within moments, the food was cooked, and the monsters dug in. Octavia leaned as far away as she could from the sharp teeth and the ripping sounds. She found herself wishing that she could also cry into Lyra's shoulder.

"Here they come," murmured Vinyl. "Get ready."

Three kelpies approached the ponies and began to gesture from one to the other. Octavia, seeing them drool a bit, guessed that they were picking which one to eat first. She shut her eyes. Mom, Dad, Melody, Viola... I'm sorry. I tried at the end, I really did.

Steps approached. Slimy, sticky hooves pressed on either side of her, and she felt the sticky liquid attaching her to the post dissolve. She didn't open her eyes. Maybe it will be fast--

"HEY! UGLY!"

Octavia looked up, and that was when she saw Medley fly down and body-slam the nearest kelpie.

***

Octavia, having lived a relatively sheltered life, had rarely seen anypony fight.

She had certainly never see anypony fight like Medley.

The green pegasus punched one of the other kelpies, sending it stumbling backwards. The third grabbed at Medley, touching her right wing and then yanking itself back. Medley was thrown sideways and hit the base of another building. The kelpies approached, but Medley hopped right to her hooves and decked the nearest one. It fell backwards.

There was a brief span of silence.

Then the kelpies swarmed at Medley.

The mare jumped into the air, flying to the top of a building. The roof was made of long, thick branches. She grabbed two, then swooped back down and began beating the kelpies left and right. They couldn't reach her to immobalize her, and she rained blows down on them with aplomb. Several fell back.

"Fluttershy!" said Vinyl. "We need you right now. You okay?"

"I'm scared..."

"It's okay," said Lyra. Her voice was as warm and comforting, Octavia noted, as when she had offered the cellist hot chocolate earlier. "We're going to be okay."

Fluttershy shifted. "What is it, Vinyl?"

"You're a vet and these are animals. Got any idea where these things might have weak points? Something Medley can target?"

One of the kelpies had climbed to the top of a hut, and as Medley passed, it jumped at her and tackled her to the ground. No sooner had they hit, though, than Medley reared back and threw it into a nearby hut. The kelpies swarmed her, this time too quickly for her to fly away, and the fight resumed.

"Under their front shoulders!" called Fluttershy, suddenly. "Medley, they're weak where their front legs meet their shoulders!"

"How can you tell?" asked Octavia.

"The way they're balancing, posture, size..." Fluttershy sounded almost embarrassed. "You work with enough animals, you learn these things."

A kelpie brushed against Medley to stick to her, but Medley twisted around and began beating on the now-trapped kelpie. Another ran up and grabbed her other leg, stopping her from using it... so she turned and headbutted the second kelpie. It fell backwards, and Medley was free. Another one kicked her in the back as she bucked it in the face, both revealed for a moment, and the fight continued.

Octavia winced as Medley took hits. She was fighting hard, and several kelpies had fallen back to nurse their wounds. But there were so many, and for every one Medley knocked down, another took its place. "She can't keep this up."

"Sure she can." Lyra chuckled. "Medders might not be the speediest pegasus around, that's Rainbow Dash, or the strongest -- that's probably Raindrops -- but she's got more stamina than any other three ponies. It's nearly impossible to take her out."

Octavia shook her head as best she could. She didn't believe it. I could help, she thought. Her mouth opened slightly as she prepared to yell to Medley to give up on fighting alone, to come over and free her so she could join in. Octavia figured that she could throw a strong punch or kick, so she could help defend the team and...

Before the words formed, she forced her mouth closed. No. I am not a trained fighter. Freed, I would most likely be a liability in this situation. She sighed to herself. I want to help. I want to save the others. But this is not about me. I will not let my selfish desires interfere with Medley's work.

"She doesn't need to beat them all," added Vinyl. "Just enough that... wait for it..."

Medley dove under the biggest of her attackers, a huge kelpie with red stripes dyed on his sides. She launched a kick up, striking him squarely under his front shoulders. The kelpie's legs were dislocated with two loud 'pops' and it fell backwards, yelping and groaning in pain.

Medley rose to her hooves as the kelpies backed away from her. She was bruised, bloodied, and battered, but she just waved a hoof menacingly at the monsters. "Alright," she growled. "Who's next?"

There was utter silence. The kelpies looked at each other, faces nervous and unsure. The kelpie foals had all run under cover or were hiding behind bigger ones.

"Anypony? Anypony at all?" She approached one part of the circle, and the kelpies scurried backwards. A few of them tripped over a fallen kelpie that had been knocked down by Medley's hooves. "How about you?" She pointed at a kelpie, which yelped and ran behind another, bigger monster. "Or you? Maybe you over there?"

More silence.

"Fine. Glad we understand each other." Medley gestured a hoof at the other five ponies. "Free them. Now."

The kelpies didn't seem to speak Equestrian, but somehow, they understood.

***

A few minutes later, the party was moving away from the kelpie village, deeper into the Everfree. They had been released from the post and cleansed of all traces of the kelpie liquid. With the exception of Medley's injuries, Octavia thought, it was like they had never seen the kelpies at all.

"That was awesome!" crowed Vinyl. "You kicked so much flank you should get some special horseshoes!"

"Yeah!" yelled Lyra. "That's, like, deserving of a ballad in and of itself. The Tale of Medley Versus the Kelpies!"

Medley grinned. "I had some help. Thanks for the tip on the shoulders, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy blushed. She was applying ointment to Medley's wounds as they walked, with Bluenote helping to hold her supplies as she used them. "I'm just glad we weren't eaten."

Octavia approached Medley from her other side. "Um. I... the kelpies were about to eat me when you intervened."

"They were going to eat all of you," said Medley.

"I mean, they were about to eat me specifically." Octavia paused. "I know you despise me, and you believe that the team is weaker for my presence. You could have waited a few moments for them to... deal with me, then proceeded with rescuing the others. Nonetheless, you saved me. Thank you."

"Of course I did." Medley turned to look at her. "No, I don't like you. But I'm not going to abandon somepony I'm working with, even if I don't like them. It's not who I am. And I definitely won't let another pony get eaten if I can help it."

"I know you have not accepted my apology, but... please, at least accept my thanks." Octavia bowed her head.

Medley inclined her head. "Accepted." She cracked a grin. "Next time you get yourself trapped by pony-eating monsters, send me a note. I'll knock some heads."

Lyra grinned. "Yay! Friends?"

"...I wouldn't go that far," began Medley, but then Lyra was squishing them both into a gigantic hug, and despite their desperate circumstances, Octavia could not help but -- for that single moment -- feel happy and safe.

Author's Note

NOTE: A few lines were added to this fic since it originally went up, so if you saw it before 12:30 PM (just past noon) Eastern American Time, there's a little bit of new content during the Medley fight.

For the interested, a lot of stuff got cut from the kelpie village chapter. In no particular order:

Harry the bear (that Flutters beat up/wrestled) had a cameo, spooking Octavia early on to showcase her cluelessness in the woods.
The kelpies could originally communicate with the C6. This led to several other bits, including an extended argument between the C6 and the kelpie equivalent of Cheerilee as to why the C6 qualified as food, and Bluenote getting into a joking match with some of the foals that culminated in getting her tongue stuck to one of the foal's tongues. (The foal was then admonished not to play with her food). Medley also forced the kelpies at the end to not only let them go but give them a map through their part of the forest. But this made the segment drag, and also made the kelpies less threatening since they were being treated pretty comically, so I axed it.
(Honestly, I had also been thinking of maybe bringing one of the kelpie foals back in other stories to hang out with the Ponyville foals, but that probably isn't workable, so the stuff involving goofy kelpie foal antics was superfluous).
There was a bit with Flutters using the Stare on a kelpie that was also cut for space. There was also a point where she used it on Medley to force her to stop and receive treatment (whereas Medley wanted to power on), but that was cut because Medley... she's stubborn, but not about stuff like that.
Medley originally was proficient in staff fighting. I kept the staffs because they worked well for hitting kelpies without leaving herself vulnerable, but I thought it was a bit much that she somehow know kung fu. So now she just flails away.
There was going to be some indication that Flutters' relation with her father is maybe not as good as she makes it sound. I'd still like to maybe explore this eventually (in a future Cadance-verse story if this somehow takes off), but there wasn't room for it in this chapter. It wasn't relevant to Octavia either, so I axed it.

In other thoughts, it was surprisingly hard coming up with ways to keep all 6 Bearers relevant through the totality of the Everfree scenes. Broadly, I wanted each of them to be good at at least two necessary combat or adventures tasks besides 'Using Their Element.' Some of them were easy -- Vinyl, Octavia, and Lyra. Vinyl and Lyra each have a gimme with their magic, and Octy is the main character so of course she has multiple useful talents (even if she hasn't really shown them off yet). It was a little harder to come up with more stuff for the others to do, hence me making Fluttershy both the team medic and also the team weak-point detector here. (Obviously, they haven't all shown off all they can do yet... we'll get there.)

The team, of course, needs a strategist. I like the idea of it being Vinyl, mostly because I love the idea that, despite her partying, wacky stage persona, and her genuine love of the goofy, the awesome, and the extreme... she's got a sharp mind under that mop of electric-blue hair. We'll get into why, exactly, she seems to be good at strategy a little later.

It also needs a couple of strong-mares. Medley, as shown here, is one. I kind of liked making her ability not that she's a tank -- she doesn't hit much harder than the kelpies -- but that she can just absorb a ton of damage and she gets right back up. Plus, it helps when Fluttershy is calling out weak points.

One last note -- kelpies are probably the most familiar (to viewers) of the monsters and challenges they'll be dealing with. The rest are even more obscure. Yep, I decided to go esoteric this time. :-) See you soon with my next selection!

Beast

"Careful," said Vinyl. "There's a sharp curve in the path up ahead."

Octavia nodded and thanked the DJ for the warning. The forest had grown more and more overgrown since leaving the kelpie village until there was barely enough space on the paths for them to walk single-file. The trees pressed in around them and blotted out all but the faintest glimmers of light that managed to penetrate the thick canopy. Vinyl's horn in the front and Lyra's in the back provided just enough light to see by, but could not come close to fully illuminating the forbidding forest. As such, the DJ's careful scouting of the path was proving invaluable.

"Can we stop soon?" asked Bluenote, suddenly. Her stomach rumbled. "I think we could all use a snack."

"We have plenty of food," said Fluttershy. She sounded a little calmer since escaping the kelpie village. "I packed apples, oranges, celery, lettuce, bread--"

"And I packed three boxes of Bonbon's Signature Chocolates!" said Lyra. "Knew I'd need 'em for a special occasion."

Octavia cast an anxious glance up at the canopy. She wished she could see the sky; if the Sun and Moon were warring, the position of celestial bodies might give some indication as to who was winning. Unfortunately, the foliage was so thick that not even the pegasi had been able to work their way through the branches to breech the canopy. We have no way of knowing how much time we have, Octavia thought. For all we know, we are almost out of time already. "I think we should continue on a little longer before resting. For all we know, the Sun or Moon has already defeated her sister and is on her way to our location."

"I agree with Tavi," said Vinyl Scratch. "Come on, girls. Let's keep rockin' a little longer."

"Aww," said Bluenote, though her tone indicated that she wasn't really all that upset. She tapped a hoof against a gigantic tree set up against the path's curve. "Well, let's keep an eye out for a comfy clearing. We'll need to keep our strength up if we want to make it to the castle!"

Octavia had walked a few paces on before she realized that something had sounded strange. Thinking back, she turned to Bluenote. "Could you please do that again?"

"What?"

"That tapping motion that you made."

Bluenote frowned, but raised her hoof and tapped the tree again. This time, Octavia was listening for it and clearly heard the tap. It wasn't the dull thump of something striking a thick piece of bark. It sounded sharper, like a plaque or sign.

"What is it?" asked Lyra.

"This tree... Vinyl, Lyra, could you please illuminate it?"

The two looked at each other, and then Vinyl trotted over. "You got it," she said. Her horn flared up, and the shadows drew back from the tree. "Woah..."

"That's one big sign," said Medley.

There was an ancient sign affixed to the tree. At least three ponies tall, it towered above the group. Had it not been for the dismal lighting conditions, Octavia knew they would all have seen it fifty paces away. "I did not know this section of the forest was inhabited."

"What's it say?" said Vinyl, squinting upwards. "The text is just random squiggles."

Octavia took a closer look at the first line. It took a few moments, but she remembered where she had seen characters like those before. "No," she said. "The first line is in Deer." She looked at the next, a collection of sharp, thick scratches. "And that is in the Griffin tongue... and below that, Camel..."

"You speak all those languages?" asked Medley, raising an eyebrow.

"Just Deer, but I recognize the others. Part of my education -- before I went to study with the Princess -- was in diplomacy and foreign relations. I know what the characters of most of the major tongues on the continent look like." Octavia's gaze reached the bottom of the sign. "The last line is in Equestrian," she announced. "'Beware the Beast of Everfree.'"

"Beast?" gasped Fluttershy. "Oh, no, not another beast!"

"No worries, Flutters," said Lyra. "We'll kick its flank!"

Medley coughed pointedly.

"Well, okay, Medley did all the flank-kicking last time. But this time, we'll help!"

Octavia looked back over the sign. "I know enough Deer to get by," she said, "and I can at least read some Griffin." She checked the first two lines again. "They both say the same thing, 'Beware the Beast of Everfree.'"

"Somepony wanted to make very sure whoever came this way got the message," said Medley.

Lyra laughed. "What message? That it's time to be awesome? Let's go fight a beast!"

"We have to save the world," said Octavia. "We do not have time to hunt monsters."

"Well, yeah," said Vinyl. "But if we happen to stumble across it we might need to fight it to get past. And DJ-PON3 has no objection to that." She grinned fiercely. "Come on, team--"

"NAY! NAY!"

Octavia blinked and turned to look further down the path. A cloaked figure was approaching them. It was a quadriped, but beyond that, Octavia could not make out any other details. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"Nay! Nay!" repeated the cloaked figure. "Ponies like you should not be here. Heed the sign that says 'beware!'"

Vinyl blinked. "Okay, wait. Who are you?"

"You may consider me a friend, who wants you not to meet your end. Before you lies a monstrous beast, who aims to make you his next feast!"

"What kind--" began Bluenote.

"No time for talk, no time for words -- perhaps the beast already stirs! Indeed, the six of you must run, before your mortal lives are done!"

The sextet exchanged glances for a moment. Vinyl eventually said, "Look, we appreciate the warning, but not only are we pretty awesome, but we've kind of got a job to do. We need to get through these woods--"

"Traverse the forest if you will, but this one path will bode you ill." The figure's voice grew more flustered. "I do not know what else to say. The beast waits ahead, eager to slay--"

"What beast?" snapped Medley. "Another kelpie? A bear? A lion? What? We're not a bunch of foals, whoever-you-are. We can take care of ourselves."

The figure sighed, then slowly removed her cloak. She had black and white stripes, and wore golden jewelry; there was also a large package on her back. Octavia remembered meeting a few creatures that looked like her while at Canterlot Castle. "A zebra," she whispered to the others.

"Woah. Awesome stripes," said Vinyl.

The zebra ignored this. She opened up the package and withdrew an instrument that Octavia did not recognize. It had the neck of a guitar or lute, but its strings extended vertically down to a protruding base, like a harp. "Continue and you will die soon! I pray my kora changes your tune."

Without further ado, she strummed it. The sound was low and floating, combining the twang of a guitar with some of the lighter, etheral sounds of a harp. After a few notes, all soft and low, the zebra began to sing:

Gather pony travellers, I have a tale to tell.
It might just save your lives, but only if you listen well
For on this ancient forest path, next to the Red-Oak tree
There’s a sign, that says beware... the Beast of Everfree.

She began to play faster, keeping time by stomping one hoof on the ground. Octavia moved to go around her, but Vinyl stuck out a hoof and barred her way. "If she's got useful information..." the DJ murmured.

Octavia paused, then nodded. Meanwhile, the zebra continued:

Now, some say he’s an octopus a foal threw in the sea
But he ate so many ponies now he’s bigger than a tree!
His tentacles like iron chains, his teeth like sharpened knives...
And if you think he’s ugly wait till you see his insides!

Fluttershy squeaked. “Okay! We’ll go another way!”

“Hey.” Lyra gently embraced her. “Come on. World’s at stake.”

“Yeah,” said Medley. “I’m not scared--”

The zebra shook her head and continued to sing.

Now don’t you sail and don’t you row--
And certainly don’t you swim!
For if you aren’t careful
You’ll end up inside of him!
He’ll eat you up and spit you out, you’ll nevermore be seen
So heed the sign that says beware the Beast of Everfree!

"I don't believe it," said Medley. "Pony-sized monsters, fine. We saw that. But something that huge? Where would it even come from? How would it get into the woods without being seen?"

The zebra sang:

Some say he’s a monster who terrror was begun
Thanks to an evocation of the mighty Burning Sun!
Now, some they don’t believe it; as for me, I have a hunch...
For the Nightmare had some soldiers here -- but he ate them all for lunch!

Octavia shook her head. “We do not work for Nightmare Moon! We only want to get through the forest!”

“We can’t stop now,” said Bluenote, almost apologetic. “We really have to get going.”

“And we’re strong,” said Medley. “This beast doesn’t scare us--”

Well Star Swirl, you’ve heard of him, he went to Everfree.
He needed some components for his ancient alchemy!
He saw a crystal in the lake; he reached to grab a trace...
There was a CRUNCH! She played a rapid, jarring chord. And a SCREAM!

She paused for a moment, and Octavia could only hear silence. Even the forest animals seemed to be enraptured by the performance.

His next project was checking if a hoof could be replaced!

Octavia opened up her mouth to say something else, but the zebra raced along, drowning her words in music:

Now Blackmane the pirate -- you know for what he’s famed?
It’s mostly for the dark, imposing color of his mane!
He met the Beast, and now nopony’s scared of him because...
His mane turned white, and it was so pathetic he had it buzzed!

"We get it!" said Medley at last. "But we don't have a choice. Now get out of our way if you're not going to contribute!"

"The zebra's just trying to help," countered Fluttershy. "And maybe we should listen to her. I don't want to get eaten up and spit out..."

"Fear not!" said Lyra. "For I will protect you!"

Octavia said, "If nothing else, the monster may be out foraging, or asleep. We should at least examine the area before giving up entirely. I think that we should keep going."

Vinyl paused. "Okay, vote time." She looked at the group. "All in favor of going on?"

Five hooves rose in the air. A few moments later, Fluttershy brought hers up as well, though it was obviously shaking.

"That settles it." Vinyl thrust a hoof forwards, pointing down the path the zebra had come from. "Onwards!"

"If you do not heed my song!" yelled the zebra as they passed, "death will find you before long!"

"Yeah, yeah. If death shows up we'll just buck it in the face," said Vinyl. "Bye!"

They passed her by and continued into the woods.

***

Within ten minutes, the path opened up onto a long beach.

The sight was so startling that Octavia could only stand and stare. The beach was a long, wide strip of sand that ran as far as she could see in either direction. In front of it was a vast lake that vanished off into the distance. It was dark, but Octavia could see just well enough to tell that the lake was absolutely huge.

"Walking around that could take hours," said Medley, looking around. "Anypony got bright ideas for crossing?"

"You and Flutters could carry us!" said Lyra.

"... um, I'm not that strong..." whispered Fluttershy.

Vinyl shook her head. "Real idea: Fluttershy, you know the foliage, right? Any trees around here we could turn into a nice raft?"

"There's a few we could try..."

As they talked, Octavia approached the lake. It looked calm and tranquil, a welcome respite from the noisy and oppressive forest, not to mention the chaos that had occurred in Ponyville earlier that evening. Looking at the smooth surface of the water, Octavia felt like she could just sit, stare into it, and be recharged. She couldn't imagine that any sort of beast lurked within.

"Hey." Octavia turned to see Lyra approaching her. "You okay?"

"I think so." Octavia smiled slightly. "This is... not what I expected when I first arrived in Ponyville."

"We're not usually this exciting," said Lyra.

"I hope I have not delayed the team too much--"

"You've been fine. Really." Lyra playfully slugged Octavia in the shoulder. "Trust me, if you slow us down, Medley or Vinyl'll let you know."

"Hey!" The two mares turned to see Vinyl waving at them. "You wanna help us cut some wood?"

"Of course," called Octavia. She turned back to Lyra. "We should go back." She smiled slightly. "I do hope somepony on this team knows how to make a raft--"

"I do!" chirped Lyra. "I've read every book on 'how to be an adventurer' and 'how to go on heroic quests' in the Ponyville library!" She beamed. "Just in case."

Octavia chuckled. "I should have figured." She glanced up at the sky, relieved at finally being able to see it again. It looked alright; she wasn't exactly an astronomer, but most of the celestial bodies seemed to be in their proper place. The moon was full and bright, stars twinkled around it, and--

She paused, narrowing her eyes. What? Were some of the stars moving? That wasn't right.

Meanwhile, Lyra had bounced into the air, and she kicked some sand into the lake as she landed again. "We need to get some wood that floats, some vines, seaweed or something else to pack into the cracks, and--"

The water began to slosh a bit more violently.

Octavia and Lyra looked at each other, then began to back away. "I..." began Octavia, speaking as loudly as she could. "I think the beast may be here!"

The water began to splash over the edge of the beach, drenching Octavia and Lyra as they continued to back away.

"Woah," said VInyl. "Octavia, Lyra -- run!"

The water parted, a form rose up, and the cellist's gaze fell upon the Beast of Everfree.

Octavia felt her hooves freeze as her head tilted as far back as she could. The thing -- and that was the only word she could come up with -- was absolutely massive. It rose into the air, eight times her height at least, and four times as wide. Its mouth was as large as a one-story building. Its filmy, yellow eyes were as big as Octavia's entire body. Its slimy skin, its squid-like body... all were so large that Octavia found it difficult to even accept that what she saw really existed.

A few tentacles rose out of the water, as thick as trees and almost as tall. Drops of water the size of bowling balls splashed down around the two ponies, soaking both of them. Octavia shuddered.

"Kraken!" gasped Lyra. "Octavia, it's a kraken!"

"I don't care what its name is!" was Octavia's first -- and completely honest -- response.

"WOAH!" Octavia turned to see Vinyl. "GIRLS, RUN!"

Octavia bit back a response that was along the lines of 'Duh.' "Lyra! Come on!"

The two ponies began to race back towards the treeline as the other four ponies hurried forwards to meet them. Vinyl skidded to a halt when she was still a fair distance in front of Octavia. "Tavi! Tentacle! DUCK!"

Octavia didn't question this. She simply threw herself flat. Moments later, a tentacle swept over her head, pounding a deep ditch into the sand. Octavia gulped; had the tentacle hit her, she would have been pulverized.

The kraken screeched behind her.

"Tavi! Get up, come on! This way!" yelled Vinyl.

Octavia got to her hooves, and -- after a quick glance to verify that Lyra was also on the right path -- sped forwards again.

When the kraken swung a tentacle again, Vinyl's horn flared and a blast of light and sound exploded into existance over Octavia's head. She forced her gaze away and kept speeding forwards, but the kraken twitched in shock, and its tentacle missed. Octavia grinned. "Thanks!"

"You got it!" Vinyl's horn glowed as she sent another blast of light, this time to distract the kraken from targeting Lyra. "Come on!"

Octavia reached Vinyl's position, then turned. Medley had taken to the skies and was swooping near the kraken's eyes; it rose two tentacles to block her, but as it did so it couldn't target the others as well. Another tentacle reached out for Lyra, but Bluenote had reached her first and was helping her onto her back. "I've gotcha!" she said.

"Wait..." said Lyra.

"Alright!" yelled Vinyl. "Come on, let's knock this thing back!"

"Forget that!" yelled Medley. "Let's take it out! We've gotta cross this lake; let's teach it not to mess with us!"

Vinyl nodded. "Sure. Alright, Medley--"

"WAIT!" yelled Lyra. She was on Bluenote's back, but she suddenly reached around her barrel and pulled up, as if trying to haul up on insivible reins.

"What?" asked VInyl. Her horn flashed, but this time she herself had to throw herself to one side to dodge a tentacle. "Kind of busy!"

Medley had swooped back to the trees, and was now returning with a long stick. "Hey Vinyl, if you light this on fire I bet it'd do a number of Slimy!"

"Right!" Vinyl opened her saddlebag, Octavia belatedly recalling that she had chosen to pack mostly pyrotechnics. The DJ flipped two fireworks up to Medley, who used them to ignite the stick--

Which was encased in a golden glow and yanked from her hooves. "STOP!" screamed Lyra. "STOP IT! NOW!"

The ponies stopped for a moment. Even the kraken looked confused.

"What is it?" demanded Vinyl. "What's your problem?"

"Haven't you seen how many tendrils that thing has?" asked Lyra. "Look at it! It's huge! If it wanted to pound Tavi and I, we'd be pounded!" She paused. "Girls, it's missing on purpose."

Octavia stared. "Lyra. It is a gigantic squid. It does not have the mind to--"

"Octavia, stop." The cellist blinked; she had not heard Lyra sound so serious before. "Look at it. It could have knocked us all down a dozen times by now, but it didn't. It's just trying to chase us away."

"It's a monster," hissed Medley. "It's not intelligent, Lyra."

"Animals are intelligent," said Fluttershy, suddenly. "At least, the ones I talk to are..."

"You know what I mean. This thing just wants lunch!"

Lyra looked around, then shrugged. "Let's see." She hopped off of Bluenote and trotted right up to the kraken.

"Lyra!" Octavia began to run forwards, but Lyra's horn glowed and Octavia felt herself yanked backwards. "Stop!"

Lyra ignored her. "Hey, kraken!" she called. "You want to eat me? Here I am!" She stood in front of it, calmly meeting its gigantic gaze.

Octavia stared. She knew that Lyra was nice, of course, but to give the benefit of doubt to such a monster boggled her. "Vinyl," she whispered.

"Trust me, if that thing attacks her, I'm yanking her out at mach 3," said Vinyl, horn glowing slightly.

But the monster didn't attack.

Instead, it slowly retracted its tentacles, then seemed almost to sag its head.

"Well," said Vinyl. "I'll be a foal. Lyra was right."

Octavia heard hoofsteps. Turning, she saw the zebra exiting the forest. She looked at them with an amazed glance.

"Alright," said Vinyl. "I think we need to hear the whole story now. We wouldn't even have seen this thing if it hadn't shown its head, so why attack us if it didn't want to eat us? And why'd you tell us all those lies about it?"

The zebra bowed her head for a long moment. Then she took out her kora again, and -- slowly, almost somberly -- began to sing:

The forest is so empty now, it's only you and me.
And if you care, I’d like to share how this song came to be.
Just come a little closer, if you really want to know...
This very sad and woeful tale begun so long ago.

I was a young zebra when I came to the Everfree
And there I spied a creature who was very sad to see
With spikes stuck through its tentacles, and gashes in its side...
This glorious squid was in such pain that I sat down and cried.

She was silent for a few moments.

I pulled! Oh, I tugged! But they would not give way!
Those damned iron spikes that keep the creature in this bay!
All I could do was ensure that the bullies would never see...
So I wrote a sign... that says beware... the Beast of Everfree.

She paused, and then the song accelerated to a much faster speed -- and with perhaps a trace of sarcasm flickering amongst the notes.

The ponies were all silent for a moment.

And then, in a tone that brooked no argument, Lyra said, "We're helping the kraken."

***
"Ready?" asked Vinyl.

"No," said Octavia. "But I doubt I will become more ready with time."

Bluenote laughed merrily, and Octavia could not help but smile. "Vinyl'll be watching. Don't worry. If something goes wrong, she'll poke the kraken till it pulls you out."

Octavia inclined her head. "Very well. We can begin"

According to the zebra (who introduced herself as Zecora), the kraken was fixed to the sea floor by three massive stakes. It was pinned so tightly that it could not lever the spikes up with its trapped tentacles, and the extruding tops of the spikes were so small that the kraken couldn't wrap its other tentacles around them to pull them up. There was just enough space, though, for about three equines to pull. As the strongest members of the group, Octavia, Medley, and Zecora were going to be sent down to try.

A tentacle wrapped around Octavia's barrel, and she cringed at the slimy sensation. "Does it know how long ponies can hold their breath?"

Vinyl grinned. "If you're drown, don't worry. I'll sue the kraken and build you an awesome monument. Word of honor."

"I am relieved that my welfare is foremost in your thoughts."

"Oh, it is! Your memorial will have a life-sized cello, except it'll be shooting flames out every hour, and--"

"...have you considered simply donating to a charity on my behalf in lieu of burning cellos?"

"Not for a moment."

Lyra began to play a miniature lyre that she had brought (along with a rope, a collapsable shovel, a hardhat, and other gear that she said was essential for 'quests') as she cast a spell. The music was sweet, soft, and seemed to carry Octavia's mind away on a light breeze. She felt herself being lulled by it. "Lyra... I thought that was for the kraken?"

"Right!" Lyra's horn flashed before resuming its glow, and Octavia felt the affects of the music lessen. The kraken, though, began to list slightly as it listened to the music. "Alright. I'm giving it such a soothing lullaby that, even if pulling the spikes really hurts, it totally won't squeeze its tentacles in pain and squish you in two at the waist!"

"...Good."

"Oh, it gets better. Hang on a sec." Lyra tensed, then used her magic to levitate the lyre and began playing it with both hooves on the strings. The high notes stayed soft and light, as before, but the lower ones formed into a swift, bright melody.

"I thought--" began Octavia.

"Shh," said Lyra. "Tough spell. Gimme sec."

For a moment, the melodies seemed like they were going to run into each other and muddle, but Lyra's horn glowed a bright yellow and they slipped apart again. Octavia's eyes widened slightly as she felt herself seem to tense; it was like the music was energizing and empowering her. Meanwhile, the kraken seemed to be completely tranquil.

Lyra, obviously strained but grinning brilliantly nonetheless, nodded at Octavia and the others who would be descending. "Kay. You three should be ready. Go be awesome!"

Medley whistled. "Two melodies... and two spells. At once. Nice." She flexed her left foreleg. "Feel like I could take on the world. Nice magic, Lyra."

Vinyl grinned. "Yeah, yeah, Lyra's cool. Alright. Fluttershy -- tell the kraken we're ready!"

Fluttershy conveyed the message.

Octavia gulped. At the count, the tentacles would yank her, Medley, and Zecora down to the spikes. Lyra seemed to be strenghtening her with her magical music, but there were still many things that could go wrong. She could die for the sake of a squid.

But... honestly, it feels good to be doing something for something else. Even if it's a kraken. It is in pain and captivity, and I am trying to free it. She bowed her head. I should be grateful for this opportunity.

"For your help, thanks once again," said Zecora. She still looked stunned that the others were willing to help her, but her voice was humble and quiet. "Forever, I shall be your friend."

"Great!" said Bluenote.

"On three!" yelled Vinyl. "One! Two!"

Octavia took a deep breath.

"THREE!"

***

The first spike was the hardest. The water was cold, and Octavia almost coughed and released all her air instantly at the impact. Somehow, though, she hung on to her breath, and then she was hurtling down to the sea bed.

She hit bottom within ten seconds, finding herself staring at an ugly looking metal handle. Medley and Zecora joined her, they braced their hooves around it, and they lifted as best they could.

They raised it six inches before they had to tap the kraken to signal that they needed air.

It took five trips down to fully raise the spike and send it tumbling away. The second one took only four, and the last spike took just three trips. It was exhausting, painful, and frightening work -- at least twice Octavia opened her eyes under water to see herself hurtling towards a sharp-looking rock. When it was over, Octavia felt like she wanted to sleep for a week.

But when it was over, the kraken was free.

And -- as the kraken gathered up the ponies and Zecora in its tentacles and hugged them with obvious love -- Octavia felt wonderful.

***

Lyra swept a hoof out across the lake. “Release the kraken!” she yelled. “You are free! Free as the wind and rain!”

Octavia, who was not especially fond of being hugged by gigantic squids, had managed to wiggle out of the embrace. “Does the kraken know what did this to it?”

Zecora shook her head. “It was so very long ago... the villain's name, he does not know.”

Lyra shrugged. “Well, if we see some kraken-capturing jerk, we can kick her flank. For now, let’s move on!”

“Where are you going?” asked Zecora. “If you don’t mind me knowing?”

“The castle,” said Octavia.

“The tyrant alicorns are back,” added Bluenote. “We need the Elements.”

Zecora gasped. “The alicorns? Such depravity! Truly, what a tragedy!” She frowned. “The castle is across the lake. To go around, much time it takes.” She looked at the kraken and gave a slight nod.

Octavia asked, "Is there a shortcut? Can you come with us?”

“Forest animals I must protect. Their lives I do not dare neglect. But for your journey to the castle -- he will minimize your hassle.”

The kraken lowered itself in the water. Octavia noted, with dismay, that they could now mount its head if they so chose.

“We can ride a kraken?” Lyra gasped. “This... is EPIC! This is awesome! No knight has ever had a greater steed!”

“YEAH!” cheered Vinyl. Her serious look was gone. “This is totally the name of my next record. ‘I rode a kraken; what have you done today?’”

“I’d buy that record,” mused Bluenote.

Zecora turned to them and bowed. “I apologize for my resistance, and give you thanks for your assistance." She then bowed low to Lyra in particular. "You saw a monster deep in pain, and helped it with no thought of gain. You are the sort that all should treasure... a true hero. Beyond all measure."

Lyra blushed, her face shiny with glee.

"Return someday, with quest complete." Zecora nodded at Lyra. "I will give you a great treat--"

“Hey!” Octavia looked to see Vinyl had already climbed on the kraken’s head. “Are you all done? We’ve got to ride the MOST EPIC MOUNT IN THE WORLD!”

“Yay!” cheered Bluenote.

The ponies climbed on the kraken and waved farewell to Zecora, and then the kraken began to move towards the far end of the lake.

Above them, a single star drifted low, then fell out of the sky.

Author's Note

I love the visual of the C6 riding a kraken.

I don't think Zecora has ever had a song in the show, and her rhyming tic seems to make her such an obvious candidate for one. It's really weird. So when I had a great place to both work her into the story, do a cool description of the 'Beast', and remidy this situation at least in the Cadance-verse, how could I say no?

I like writing Lyra as a really empathetic, passionate character. She loves Bonnie with all her heart, and fights evil with all her heart, and weeps for wounded krakens with all her heart! She's very heartful.

Originally, the spike removal scene was a lot more complex. The kraken formed a sort of half-dome over the spike head with its free tentacles, and the unicorns forced air bubbles down into the dome to pump out the water so the others could dive down and stand there for a while as they worked the spikes and so forth. This got too complicated so I switched things up to the 'dragged underwater special.'

Putting in the song was tough here, because of course if you listen all the way through it spoils the twist ending to the chapter. So I put it at the second part. If you want to hear Voltaire sing the first half of the song, just start the youtube video in the beginning. :-)

Echo

“Lyra?” Fluttershy asked. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

Lyra looked down. She was standing upright on the very top of the kraken’s head, one hoof planted as high as she could, and holding a foreleg over her eyes like she was scanning the horizon. She looked, Octavia thought, like a pirate in a crow’s nest. “Yep!” she yelled. “Totally safe! Besides, somepony’s gotta watch for land!”

Fluttershy shuffled her wings. She, and the others, were lower down on the kraken. Her hooves were only a few inches above the water. “It’s just, you’re high up and if you fall in the water...”

“Hey, relax,” said Vinyl, giving Fluttershy a playful slap on the back. “Lyra’s a tough cookie.”

Bluenote, who was taking advantage of the downtime by fixing a snack from the saddlebags, brightened at that.

“Not a real cookie,” said Medley.

“Aww.”

“Let’s play a game,” said Vinyl, sitting with her back resting against the kraken. “Let’s play... ‘what will you do with your share of the reward money?’”

“Reward money?” asked Bluenote.

“Hay, we’re saving Equestria. There’s gotta be a reward, right?” asked Vinyl. “Isn’t that how the legends go, Lyra?”

“You bet! Heroes and knights are always richly rewarded for their good deeds!” Lyra swept her other hoof high. “When the Knights Who Say Neigh bound Katrina, they asked for and received the Infinite Haystack! When the gorgon was defeaed, Piebaldseus received the golden mane-tail!”

“Oh, I’d have fun with some treasure.” Vinyl spread her hooves wide. “I’d split the pot in half. Use the first half to buy some new supplies for my speakers.” She moved her hooves about, miming building something. “Some new sound gear, maybe some of those fireworks from Beijingle. Other half...” She grinned. “New shades, new outfit, and a week in Las Pegasus.”

“What would you buy?” Bluenote asked Lyra. “And you can’t say Bonbon.”

“Pah. Bonbon’s heart could never be won by money. She will only give it to her true soulmate.” Lyra nodded. “But as for the money... the perfect wedding." She smiled dreamily. "Cake that rises high to the sky. The finest musicians brought in from across the land. A chapel in the Temple of Love in Canterlot.”

“The Temple of Love? I thought it was reserved three years in advance,” said Octavia.

“Whoever heard of a knight or hero needing a reservation? I’ll get flowers from all over the nation!” She grinned. “Sweetmeats and pastries too! Only the very finest punch! And... and a makeover for my lyre.” She smiled sweetly. “I think it could really use some nice gold filigree, you know?”

Bluenote grinned. “Wow. You two have such big ideas. I don’t even know what I’ll do with my money.”

“Come on, you’ve gotta have some thoughts,” said Lyra. “What’s the one thing you want more than anything else in all the world?”

Bluenote put a hoof to her chin and thought for several moments. “I could use a doughnut!”

Octavia put her face in her hooves.

Bluenote laughed gaily. “Actually, it might be fun -- if I had enough money -- to invest in a restaurant. I like to eat good food, and food goes well with music, so I could play there and entertain the diners when I wasn't teaching foals! And if I’m an investor, that means I could eat there whenever... I think.”

“I couldn’t keep it,” said Fluttershy. “I’ll put any money I get up for veterinary clinics, or hospitals... or maybe the town improvement fund. Did you know that Ponyville only has a few thousand bits in its emergency fund? If the town is damaged--”

“It was damaged,” said Medley. “A few hours ago. Alicorns damaged it. You were there.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Then I’ll help contribute my share to the clean-up efforts.” She grinned. “We should all help out. Many hooves makes light work!"

"Repairs for the shop," mused Medley. "Maybe some new tools for my own projects."

“I think it is a little premature to be worrying about this,” said Octavia. “We have not actually saved the world yet."

“Yeah, but we don’t have anything else to do,” said Vinyl. She yawned theatrically. “What’ll you do with your share, Tavi?”

“I am not sure.” Octavia frowned. She had never had to worry about money; the House of Philharmonica had provided for her all her life. Even when she was in Canterlot, if she needed spending money, it was only a letter home away. "I suppose I would need to think about it--"

"Hey, we all gave real answers," said Vinyl. Her tone was light and teasing. "Come on, Tavi. Cadance gives you a bucket of bits for helping save the world. What's the first thing you would spend it on?"

Octavia thought. Her room, board, and other essentials were provided for. Her instrument was in perfect working order and needed no repairs. She had no desire to invest in a business like Bluenote, or go on a vacation like Vinyl, or purchase tools for another hobby like Medley. She wasn't getting married...

Octavia smiled slightly. No, she was not getting married, but there were other sorts of celebrations. "Perhaps I would fund a small celebration for us all," she said. "To commemorate our victory over the tyrant alicorns."

Bluenote grinned. "Great idea, Octy. That sounds like it would be really fun!"

"With us there? Forget fun, it's be awesome!" Vinyl laughed. "Love it, Tavi. But -- none of this fancy frou-frou noble party stuff, 'kay? It's gotta have stereos, and bass, and that good cider from Sweet Apple Acres that I'm not allowed to buy anymore."

Medley blinked. "Not allowed?"

"You know how it is. You challenge the cider salespony to a drinking contest, and then it gets blurry, and the next thing you know, you and Big Macintosh are filling the Ponyville fountain with cider and jumping in." She shrugged. "Applejack says I'm a bad influence on her brother."

Octavia smiled slightly as the group continued to banter. Yes. A celebration with them would be just the thing to do with the money. After all... they are my first friends.

***

The forest on the other side of the lake was slightly more open than the one they had left, but it was just as dark and ominous. Octavia shuddered slightly as she climbed down from the kraken. Ironic that riding a large squid actually feels safer than going back into the woods...

"What do we do now?" asked Bluenote.

"We need to continue searching for the castle." Octavia pointed with a hoof into the woods. "Lyra, are we still going in the right direction?"

"The legends say yes!" Lyra brandished her lyre and pointed it into the woods. "Onwards!"

"Alright," said Vinyl. "Woods are a little more spread out now, so I think we can have three in front and three in back. Lyra, okay to join us up front? We shouldn't need to worry as much about something sneaking up from behind, and..."

As she talked, Octavia looked up at the sky. She had been glancing at it as the kraken had taken them across the river, but she hadn't seen anything too suspicious. Now, though, it looked a little different. Like it was emptier than usual.

"Is something wrong?"

Octavia turned to see Bluenote. "I am not sure. I thought that some of the stars had disappeared, but then again, I know little of astronomy. I could just be unfamiliar with the sky in this area."

"I'll check -- I love to look at the stars," said Bluenote, craning her neck up. "It's so peaceful, and relaxing, and... oh. Um. You're right." She frowned. "Some of the stars aren't there."

Octavia looked up again and gulped. She felt cold. "...is there any way for that to happen normally?"

"No," said Bluenote. Her voice was unusually quiet.

"...the alicorns," said Octavia. "It must--"

“Hey, come on!” called Vinyl. “You don’t want us to leave you behind, do you?” The forward group was already at the treeline.

Octavia shook her head. The sky would be as it was; all they could do was hurry. That thought in mind, Octavia chased after the group.

***

“Ever see these kind of plants before?” asked Bluenote, looking at a tall, purple-ish plant with hexagonal leaves. The trees had thinned out, leaving a clearing full of those plants. “It might be fun to try growing them back in Ponyville.”

“I’m not sure we want this stuff getting out of the forest,” said Vinyl. She brushed it and stuck out her tongue. “Yuck. It feels all... crawley.”

“I don’t think there’s that much more of it,” said Lyra. She gestured down the path. It was hard to see, even with both Vinyl and Lyra producing light from their horns, but the field of purple plants did seem to Octavia to get swallowed up by more trees. “Wish we had a map, though." She brightened. "Maybe we should come back some other time and map it!"

“We have almost been eaten twice,” said Octavia, though she was distracted. It might have just been exhaustion, but she thought that the forest sounded even weirder than before It was almost amplified, like they had walked into some kind of speaker. She heard the wind rustling in trees, a few bird cries, a distant stream, and all strangely crisp and clear It was unnerving.

“Once," corrected Lyra. "The kraken was just a misunderstanding.”

Octavia nodded absently. “Be that as it may, I am quite confident that, if we save the world, I’ll be happy never to enter this forest a--”

A creature burst out of the ground right in front of her. Octavia, distracted by her thoughts and the conversation, yelped and fell on her flank as she scrabbled to get away.

“What is it?” asked Vinyl, her horn glowing a little redder. “Some new monster?”

Octavia looked down, finding the creature in front of her. It was small, no bigger than her hoof, and furry. It was--”

“A gopher!” said Fluttershy, flying over. “Oh, it’s so cute! But what’s he doing way out here?”

Octavia blushed as Bluenote giggled. “I apologize.”

“Come on,” grumbled Medley. “We don’t have all day.”

Fluttershy helped Octavia get up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I think so."

“Great!” Vinyl nodded. “Let’s roll.”

Octavia picked herself up and shook her head. The fall, at least, had cleared it a bit; the forest sounded more normal now. With a resolute step she hurried forwards.

***

The field was swallowed up by trees, which eventually thinned out as the path rose up a short rocky slope. Octavia kept pace with the group, thankful that she had maintained her rigorous exercise regimen when she had joined Cadance’s classes. If not for that, she knew that she would have been tired by this point.

Looking around, she noted that the group was mostly holding up as well as her. Medley and Fluttershy could fly, of course, and so were not overly inconvenienced by the rocky, uphill path. Vinyl and Lyra, for their parts, seemed to have impressive reserves of strength that Octavia wouldn’t have guessed. The only pony that was starting to struggle was Bluenote, but she was still pressing gamely on.

“I wonder how far it is,” the tuba player asked at last.

“Dunno.” Vinyl paused. “Hey, Flutters, Medley. Could one of you fly up and see if the castle’s in sight yet?”

“I’ll do it,” said Medley, flying straight up to the top of the hill before coming back down. “Nope.”

“Dang.” Vinyl frowned. “We keep going, we might need to camp--”

“Camp here? With the scary monsters?” asked Fluttershy. “I hope not...”

“We’ll push on, then!” said Lyra. “Onwards to GLORY!”

Octavia took another few steps, but she felt uneasy. She realized, suddenly, that she had a sensation of deja vu. Looking around, she felt oddly like she had been there before.

The cellist shook her head. There had been no other rocky hills on their journey; it had all been either along a forest floor or across a lake while riding a kraken. The stress and unfamiliar territory was getting to her.

She resumed walking with the others. She couldn’t get psyched out now. Equestria needed her.

***

The rocky path finally brought the ponies to the top of the hill, where a narrow ridge began to take them further north.

“Nice view,” said Vinyl, looking down at the forest below them. “Am I right?”

“I like it,” said Bluenote. “It’d be nice to have a house with a view like this. Wake up and just watch the sunrise over the trees...”

Vinyl laughed. “Wake with the sunrise? Please? I’m up by dusk. Maybe.”

Bluenote joined in the laughter. “One time, I was trying out for a brass quartet in Canterlot. I overslept a little, so when I woke up I only had an hour to get all the way across town to the audition! And I was in such a hurry, instead of my tuba polish I grabbed a bottle of jam!”

Even Medley smiled at that.

A few minutes later, Bluenote slowed down. "Hey," she said. “We’ve been walking a while. Anypony need a break?”

“Do you?” called Medley, from where she flew high above the group.

“No, I’m fine, but I figured somepony else might want one.” She smiled and opened her saddlebag. “I’ve got granola and trail mix, and two thermoses of lemonade that Fluttershy said I could take along."

“I’ll take a cookie,” said Vinyl immediately.

“Sure," said Medley.

Octavia refused all offers of food, as she did not feel hungry, but she did take advantage of the opportunity to sit down on the ridge, lean against the rock wall, and recuperate from the climb. She let her eyes shut slowly and listened, going through a rest exercise that she used occasionally when practicing a strenuous piece. With each breath, she tried to focus on her ears a little more, listening in on Lyra’s bright chatter, Bluenote’s jokes, Fluttershy’s gentle unwrapping of her cookie, and so forth. Another few breaths, and she was able to hear the sounds of the forest around and below them. The wind blew through the trees, birds cried in the distance, and somewhere behind them, a creek bubbled...

She paused. Wait. This seems really familiar... but it can’t be. We haven’t been here before. The path goes in a straight line...

“Octavia! Sure you don’t want a cookie?” called Bluenote. “They’re delicious!" She smiled as she bit into one. "Perfect for a night like tonight."

“I am fine,” murmured Octavia. She tried again to listen to the environment. Did it really make sense that the sounds she heard were there, up on the hill? Granted, there were nearby trees below them, a creek could be running just above or below them, but it just seemed so much like before...

She paused, then turned to the others. “Does anything... sound unusual to you?” she asked.

Lyra tilted her head. “Nope. Why?”

“...maybe nothing...” Octavia shook her head. She could just be imagining it. She certainly didn’t know what it would mean if the sounds for the forest had frozen somehow. But it was something to focus on.

Alright, she thought. I’ll follow the group and listen as hard as I can. If it keeps sounding like this, then something’s definitely wrong.

***

It took fifteen minutes for the sounds to repeat themselves.

“This is nice,” said Fluttershy, looking around. They had progressed into a rocky clearing up on the hillside, with boulders strewn everywhere. “I like that there's no monsters here.”

“Always a good sign,” said Vinyl.

Bluenote hummed merrily.

“Could you please be quiet for a few moments?” asked Octavia. It was the third time she had asked since the ridge. “I need to listen.”

Vinyl paused. “Listen for what? I mean, no offense, but it gets kind of weird if we’re all just walking along and nopony’s talking.”

Lyra nodded, “I kind of agree with Vinyl. What’s going on?”

Octavia frowned. “I would rather not risk... panicking... anypony before I am certain as to what is going on. Please indulge me...” She bowed her head again.

Lyra said, after a few moments, “Alright.”

“Keep it down, everypony,” said Vinyl.

Octavia shut her eyes and focused on her ears. Again, she heard similar sounds -- the wind in trees, a creek or river somewhere nearby, distant birds. In fact, it was more than similar. It was identical.

“We are walking in circles,” Octavia announced.

She opened her eyes to see the others staring at her.

“Um,” said Vinyl. “Are you okay? We’ve been going in a straight line for, like, two hours.”

“Ever since we got off the kraken,” added Lyra.

“I am certain. The view keeps changing, but it sounds identical to the ridge, and the ascent up the hill, and the field with those purple plants.” Octavia frowned, realizing something. “In fact, the terrain has been changing strangely quickly. Before the lake, it was all the same. But we’ve been through several visually distinct areas... like something is trying to make sure we think we are progressing.”

Fluttershy was beginning to hyperventilate. “But what’ll we do then? Does that mean something is watching us? Are we trapped?”

“Easy!” Medley flew up and protectively took a position next to Fluttershy. “Octavia, remember, you don't really know the Everfree. I think if we were lost one of us would know it. I’ve spent time in these woods, so has Fluttershy, and neither of us agree with you.”

“Be that as it may, I am confident. We are trapped in some kind of loop. What we see is an illusion -- we are walking in circles.”

“Okay, then, how did we go up?” the pegasus challenged. “Unless you think we just kept climbing and we’re on the moon by now?”

“Do we know that we climbed upwards at all? That hill did not feel nearly as hard to climb as I would have expected,” said Octavia.

“Hey,” said Bluenote. “Let’s not fight, everypony.” She smiled genially. “Vinyl, Lyra, can you see if there’s some kind of illusion here?”

“Sure,” said Vinyl. Her horn flared a couple of times. “Don’t sense anything... honestly, Tavi, I gotta go with Medley on this one. You’re just disoriented from the woods.”

Lyra’s horn flared too. “Nope. I don’t feel anything here,” she said. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“We could take a short rest,” suggested Bluenote. “Get energy back.”

Lyra grinned. “Yeah! You’re doing really well, Octavia, no shame--”

Octavia frowned. The tension was starting to get to her, but she knew that she had to stay calm and argue her case. "I do not need rest. I have trained my ears extensively. I know what I am talking about."

“But--” began Lyra.

Octavia pressed a hoof to her forehead. “Look... Vinyl, Lyra. Which of you knows more magical theory?”

The two looked at each other, and then Vinyl raised her hoof. “I read everything I can get my hooves on. Most of my equipment’s magical; gotta keep abreast of any spell that could help.”

“Okay. Suppose... there was some kind of illusion around us. Can you think of any weak point?”

Medley sighed. “Do we really need to indulge this?”

“It doesn’t hurt,” said Bluenote. “Be nice, Medley.”

“No, I mean, she was fine for a while, and now she's acting all superior again. Why should we all kowtow to her?”

Vinyl was thinking. “Well, whoever was casting it -- if she were still around -- would need to keep an eye on us to make sure nothing came up to break the illusion. Somewhere in the loop, there’d be a weak spot, a ‘peep hole’ to look in on.”

“So we need to find that hole,” said Octavia.

“Or we could get going," said Medley, her voice now noticeably strained. “This is ridiculous.”

“Medley, please, I--”

“No!” Medley flared her wings and flew in front of Octavia. “This is just like before the kelpies! You want to feel useful, so you convince yourself of some ridiculous threat that only you can understand. Everypony here knows more than you about this forest, about magic, about everything relevant -- but you don't care. You--"

“Stop!” yelled Octavia, suddenly. “Please, just stop!”

Medley paused. "... what now?"

“I do care!” Octavia shut her eyes. “I want -- you are the only ponies who have ever befriended me. Except for you five... if I were eaten by some wild animal in these woods, I know of no others that would care save for my family. I do not want to lose you! I do not... I mean, I cannot... I...” She took a shuddering breath. “But I know what I hear. I cannot deny it. Even if it makes you all hate me."

She was silent for a long moment, and a few tears fell from her eyes. “I know that I have hurt you all, but can you trust me now? Please? I do not want to have topick between you and everything I know to be true...”

“Okay,” said Lyra.

Octavia looked up at the bard.

“If you’re that confident, I trust you,” said Lyra, simply. “I’m not great with detecting magic anyway.”

Bluenote nodded. “I think everypony can contribute something,” she said. “Octavia’s had a different life than us... maybe we’re better at some things than her, but she’s better at other things than us.”

“I hate to kill the party,” said Vinyl, “but we’re on the clock here. We can’t stay here all night looking for an illusion. The alicorns could show up at any time.” She frowned. “What’s the plan, Tavi?”

“I know that there is a deadline. Just give me a few minutes, please,” said Octavia. She looked at Medley. “Please.”

Medley looked at the others and finally, reluctantly, nodded. “Guess I’m outvoted. Fine.” She flew back and out of Octavia’s way.

Octavia took a few breaths to clear her head. “We need to find the weak point, if one exists. Where would it make sense to put one...”

Something occured to her.

“What was the last animal we saw?” she asked the others.

Fluttershy said, immediately, “That cute little gopher that startled you.”

“Wouldn’t there normally be more between there and here?”

Fluttershy nodded. “A few. I was just so grateful there weren’t any monsters I didn’t really pay attention, but...” She trailed off, blushing.

“I would estimate that animals are harder to make illusions of than plants, since they have to move,” said Octavia. At Vinyl’s nod, she continued. “Therefore, that gopher was likely real..."

"So that was the point where the illusion was weak," finished Vinyl. "Makes sense."

Octavia added, "I remember that the woods sounded oddly clear there... the real sounds of the forest, probably, leaking through the fake sounds of the illusion. I will try to find that spot again." And she walked forwards, listening intently.

For a few minutes, it all sounded the same, but then the trees, river, and birds all sounded clearer in her left ear. A few paces later and the sounds muted again, but when she backed up, the clarity was back. “Here. To my left.”

“That’s a rock.”

Octavia opened her eyes and frowned. “It is not real.” She pushed against it. “I think."

She could feel the others watching her as she tried to get through the rock, but her body wouldn’t move through it. She even tried striking it, but she could not help but check her blow at the last minute. She couldn’t make herself hit the rock hard enough that it would hurt her if it was real.

“Okay? Are we done?" asked Medley.

“No, I do not understand!” Octavia glared at the rock. “This is not real! My ears do not lie!"

“Octavia...” began Fluttershy. “I...”

“It is not real!” She turned, eyes flashing. “I know how to prove it. Somepony -- throw me into this rock.”

There was silence for a moment.

“Are you insane?” asked Medley. “We could kill you!”

“You will not. It is not real. I will go right through it.” The cellist nodded. "And, if I am propelled, I will not be able to check my motion. No matter how convincing the illusion, it will not matter."

"Can't we just throw a stone at it or something?" asked Bluenote.

"The result of that could be illusioned." Octavia shook her head. "If I pass through empty air, how could anything convince me I hit a rock? But anything else could be a magical trick." She bowed her head. "This is the only way."

“Even if you're right, you have no idea what’s behind that rock,” pointed out Vinyl. “Could be a tree. Or, y’know, another rock.”

“We have to try. And once I am out, maybe I can get the rest of you out,” said Octavia. She looked at the others. “I have hurt you. I acknowledge this. But this is what I truly believe. Help me." She bowed her head. "Please."

There was silence for another minute.

"So..." said Vinyl. "Who's punting Tavi?"

***

Medley sighed as she stretched her hooves. “Octavia, get over here.”

Octavia trotted over to her. “Just throw me right at the rock.”

“I swear, if you get me to kill you just because you want to feel like you’re doing something, I am going to summon your ghost and yell at you for days,” said Medley.

Octavia cracked a smile. “Of course.”

Suddenly, she felt a warm embrace around her, and she realized that Fluttershy was hugging her. “I’ll be fine,” she told her.

“Please be careful,” whispered Fluttershy. “I could get thrown if you want...”

“No. I am the one who can hear through the illusions; you might not be able to get back to help get anypony else out,” said Octavia. “But thank you.”

“If... if you’re hurt, I’ll do everything I can to heal you.”

“I appreciate it.” Octavia smiled.

“Good luck,” said Vinyl. She was frowning. “I gotta say, if this is really an illusion, whoever made it is a total jerk.”

Bluenote nodded. “Not funny at all.”

Medley stepped back a few paces. “You're kind of big to throw, but if I get under your barrel, I can kick you up and into it. Ready?"

Octavia nodded.

"I’m going to get you right in your barrel,” the pegasus continued. “You look like you’re in decent shape, so the muscle should cushion it, but it’s still going to hurt. You sure about this?”

Octavia nodded once more and shut her eyes.

She heard hoofsteps, then felt pressure in her barrel. There was the sensation of flight--

And then she was tumbling into a grassy field.

Opening her eyes, she saw that she was in a very large, grassy clearing that she recognized as having passed through shortly after stepping off of the kraken. There was a thin, shimmering tube around the outer edge of the clearing, long enough that it would take about fifteen minutes to make one full circuit. Her exit point did seem a little thinner than the rest of it.

“Woah,” she heard Vinyl saying. “She went right through the wall! Score one for the cellist.”

Medley was gaping. “I don’t believe it.”

“Told you she can be as awesome as the rest of us!” said Lyra. “Come on, everypony! Let’s get out of here!”

"How?"

"Now that we know it's an illusion, I'll bet it's got nothing on us. Let's go!" And then she was dragging Medley and Fluttershy through the wall, with Bluenote and Vinyl hurrying after her.

Octavia groaned. Her back hurt; she had hit a few small rocks when she landed and could tell that she was injured. Nonetheless, before she could check her injuries, she was jumped by a huggy Lyra. “That was awesome! And if you ever do something so crazy again, I’m totally knocking you upside the head.” Lyra squeezed her tighter. “But it was still awesome! You’ve got amazing ears!”

“I cannot... breathe...” gasped Octavia.

Vinyl hurried over and helped pry Octavia free. “Seriously, awesome,” she said. She bowed slightly. “That was some mad sleuthing.”

Octavia guessed that was a compliment. “Thank you. And... thank you. All of you. For trusting me.”

“What are friends for?” said Vinyl, grinning. “Right?”

Fluttershy nodded as she flew over to Octavia. “Let me see your barrel,” she ordered. “I brought some ointment.”

“I am fine--”

“Nonsense. You need a good salve as soon as we get out of this field,” she said. “I insist.” And she smiled. Octavia smiled in return and relented.

Bluenote was chuckling. “You mind if I tell my foals that story when they’re asking why they have to train their ears?”

“I’m not sure how applicable this sort of thing is to music lessons, but go ahead,” said Octavia.

“See? Tavi’s cool, right, Medley?” asked Vinyl.

The five ponies looked around, but Medley was gone.

Octavia frowned. "Honestly, an apology would--”

There were a few thumps, an anguished scream, and then Medley -- newly sporting a few cuts and a large bruise on one cheek -- was flying back from the treeline. Clutched in her hooves was what looked like a small vine-covered monkey.

“I found the spellcaster,” she called.

***

The monster (which Lyra called a 'leshy') seemed reluctant to cooperate, so Vinyl and Lyra began to argue with it. Meanwhile, Medley took Octavia aside. "Sorry."

Octavia nodded. "I accept--"

"No, wait." Medley sighed. "Whatever else I could say about you, you've had better music training than me. I should have trusted your ears."

"Apology accepted," said Octavia, firmly. "Without reservation. I gave you ample cause to doubt me."

Medley nodded slightly. "Alright... I accept your apology from before as well. Let's start fresh."

Octavia smiled. "A wonderful plan--"

"Hey!" called Vinyl. "Come on, you two. Once we get directions from this guy, we're moving out!"

As the two rejoined the group, Octavia saw the monster squriming. “Lemme go!” growled the leshy. “You little brats! This is my woods! Was just protecting it!”

“You were going to eat us," corrected Lyra. "I know how leshies eat. You let your prey get lost in the woods until they collapse of exhaustion, then eat them."

"Wasn't going to--"

Vinyl frowned at the leshy. “Look, we just need to know where the the castle is, greenie.”

“Eh? What castle?”

Medley stepped in front of it. "Ahen."

The leshy -- which, Octavia noted, seemed to have several bruised vines -- paled. "Three miles due north!" it yelped.

“Just three miles?” Bluenote smiled. “We’re getting close!”

"Let's go!" added Vinyl.

And so they went on, deeper and deeper into the forest.

Author's Note

When Lyra, of all ponies, tells you you're doing something crazy, maybe that's when you start to think you've gone a bit too far. Still, good on Octavia! And good on the team for trusting her.

Not too much omitted here. Just some additional Medley/Tavi bickering, which I thought was redundant with the kelpie chapter.

Rage

"Ow."

Fluttershy gave Octavia an admonishing look. "You could have been badly hurt," she chastised.

"Or we could have been frozen in the leshy's trap forever." Octavia winced as Fluttershy put some more salve on her injured shoulder. "I am alright, Fluttershy."

"That wound could become infected if left untreated," corrected Fluttershy, expertly tying a poultice over the shoulder and making sure it was secured.

Octavia thought about protesting that infections wouldn't matter if the world ended, but held her tongue. Going through the Everfree injured did seem like a relatively poor idea. "...alright then. And thank you."

Fluttershy smiled as she finished checking Octavia over and then helped her get back to her hooves. "You're very welcome. You should be alright now -- but don't get in any more fights," she admonished.

"That depends more on the Everfree than I."

The pair trotted over to the other four ponies, Medley giving Octavia a short nod as she approached. The other three welcomed Octavia back with backslaps and hugs, though Fluttershy was quick to break those up for fear of aggravating Octavia's injured back.

"If we're all ready, we should move on," said Medley. "We're only a few miles from the castle now."

"It might be okay to wait here for a while," said Bluenote. “I mean, Octy and Medley both got hurt, and we're all tired from that hike. No shame in taking a little break."

Vinyl nodded slightly. "It could make sense to get our strength back up. If we're gonna be awesome later, we'll need energy."

Octavia gestured up at the sky, which had gradually been emptying out. The few remaining stars were swaying in odd, ugly patterns. There was also a vast, albeit dull, reddish glow on the far eastern side of the sky, which Octavia didn't really want to think about for fear of collapsing into panic. "We do not have the time."

Fluttershy said, "But, Octavia, you and Medley really do need time to heal."

"I've bounced back from worse," said Medley.

"Not with me as your doctor," said Fluttershy in as stern a voice as the shy pegasus could manage. "You lost blood, and--"

"Fluttershy," interjected Octavia. "I want to stop too, but we cannot afford to wait. If we do not get the Elements before one of the tyrants wins, they will summon troops and move to seize them. We wil not be able to stop them then."

Fluttershy frowned. "I still think--"

"Woah, woah." Vinyl raised a hoof. "How about a compromise? Tavi's probably right that we need to get back on track, but Fluttershy's right in that you and Medley shouldn't be punching monsters in the face if we can help it. How about some of us scout ahead, and you two follow behind?"

"Because then we could get eaten by something coming from behind?" said Medley.

"I'll stay back with you two then," said Bluenote. She chuckled. "And Fluttershy too, if she wants--"

"We might need her up ahead," said Vinyl. "Lyra's good at identifying these creatures we come across, but Flutter's the only one able to talk to them."

"You still up to it?" asked Lyra. "Just remember, with me on your side, a thousand timberwolves couldn't get to you!"

Fluttershy smiled slightly. "Alright... I'm just worried about Octavia and Medley, though."

"We'll be fine," said Medley. "I think we're both tough enough to take a few scrapes."

"And I'll let you know if anything goes wrong." Bluenote chuckled. "I mean, I don't think anything will, but just in case. Okay?"

Fluttershy nodded, and Vinyl clapped her hooves. "Then it's settled. Let's go--"

"Onwards!" yelled Lyra. "To GLORY!"

And so they went on.

***

"School had just ended," continued Bluenote, "and I wanted to take a nap, because Miss Teachalot had made us do six whole math problems and I was pooped. But I had to go to the orchestra with my dad since Mom wouldn't be home that night, and every time I found a little corner to sleep in somepony came by and told me I had to move. So, finally, I crawled into one of the timpani, pulled the top shut, and got some nice shut-eye in the dark."

"Wait," said Octavia, smiling. "The infamous 'Concerto of the Foal...'"

"Yep! Suddenly, somepony's pounding on the timpani. I was so confused I popped my head up -- and I was on stage! And I was looking at an audience of a thousand really fancy ponies." Bluenote laughed. “And everypony was staring at me, so I just stuck my hoof up and waved and said 'Hi! I'm Bluenote! My daddy's the greatest musician in the world!' And I pointed at him."

Medley was giggling. "I'm afraid to ask what happened next."

"The conductor was real nice about it. They had to stop to fix the timpani, but later, he let me play the triangle during the encore!" Bluenote grinned. "That was my first stage performance. The triangle was almost as big as I was, but I had this little metal stick and I went 'Clang! Clang! Clang!'" Her expression grew wistful. "That was when I knew that I loved music. Noisy, vibrant, fun music. What's greater than that?"

Octavia nodded. "Medley, how about you? When did you start your crafting?"

Medley took a breath, as if steeling herself. "I liked the windchimes that this really rich family had. I walked by their house every day on the way to and from school, and I loved the sound they made when I was coming home and the wind was blowing. It was like the school bell, but so much sweeter... like they were telling me I was free, I could go play or do what I wanted for the rest of the day." The pegasus shrugged. "I looked in the stores for them, but they cost eighty bits -- I knew we couldn't afford that. But there was a scrap yard a few blocks from my house. So I got some metal shards and tried to imitate the chimes."

"How long did that take you?" asked Octavia.

"A while. I didn't have any good tools at first. But when I made my first set of chimes, it was beautiful... if I hadn't already gotten a cutie mark, I would have gotten one then."

"I'm surprised your cutie mark is rain," said Bluenote. "Since you're more into music."

"I was caught out in the rain one day, but instead of just getting soaked, it was like I was able to hear the patterns in the droplets of water." Medley smiled at the memory. "More than that, actually. The droplets, the thunder, the burbling of the little streams running dowhill.. it was really beautiful. Instead of rushing home, I ducked under a tree and just listened." She nodded. "I saw my cutie mark when I got home--

There was a crack from up ahead, and then the distinctive squeak of Fluttershy in fear. The three ponies immediately dropped their conversation and hurried on ahead. Octavia ran as fast as she could, ignoring the pain in her back. Please be okay...

Fortunately, she was. There was an open pit on the path ahead -- with, Octavia saw, spikes planted within it -- but none of the ponies were in it. "Told ya," Vinyl was saying. Her horn flashed a couple of times. "Gotta test the path." She shook her head. "Think, ponies."

"You were right, Vinyl," said Fluttershy, from her perch high up in a tree. She sounded a bit annoyed. "Thank you for finding the trap."

"Who put it there?" wondered Octavia.

Lyra turned to see the others. "Hey! You three are supposed to be in the back!" she said.

"We heard yells," said Medley.

"Well yeah, but I think we're awesome enough to handle a measly pit trap." Lyra was speaking with her usual energy, but Octavia noticed that she seemed a bit angrier than before. Her eyes were narrowed, and her voice had a bit of bite to it. "Don't you trust us?"

"Yes," said Octavia, not wanting to get into an argument. "I apologize. I thought you were in trouble."

"We're fine." Vinyl frowned as he hopped over the trap. "Seriously, you three should stay back. We've got the vanguard, okay? Lyra, Flutters, come on. We don't have all night."

As the trio maneuvered over the pit and further on, Bluenote frowned. "Did they seem... grumpy to you?"

"Probably just stress." Medley sighed. "We are, manifestly, not qualified for this."

"We're what the nation's got," said Bluenote. "And I have every confidence that we'll pull it off."

"Why?" asked Octavia. "I mean... obviously, I wish to succeed, and I intend to expend all of my strength if need be to accomplish our goal. But even I am skeptical. How can you be so confident?"

"I'm an optimist," said Bluenote, serenely. "I believe, if we give it all we've got and work together, we can accomplish great things. Look at what ponies have done so far. We have these amazing cities. Incredible magic. Groups of ponies can bring rain to the desert and can raise mountains out of valleys. They fought off the Smooze, and Tirek, and all sorts of monsters from the stars. There's nothing we can't do if we all work together."

"I hope you're right," said Octavia.

"I know I am. Now -- think they're far enough ahead?" Bluenote chuckled. "Wouldn't want to get left behind."

And so they continued on.

***

Octavia was the first to sense the next bout of trouble.

"That's five traps," said Bluenote, carefully stepping over a tripvine that Lyra had made glow with her magic. "I wonder how long these have been here?"

"Not long," guessed Medley. "They look pretty fresh. Something's trying to stop us... something very passive-aggressive."

Octavia smiled a little at that. "Hopefully this is the worst of it. I think we are almost at the castle. According to Zecora's directions, and the leshy, it should be less than a mile due north from here."

Bluenote grinned. "See? I knew this--"

Octavia heard a distant yell and she immediately turned her head and focused on her hearing. "Sssh!" she said. "Somepony's shouting!"

"I don't hear anything," said Medley, but she and Bluenote quieted down while Octavia listened.

The voice sounded like Vinyl's. "Well, all I'm saying is I've caught every trap so far! A little help would be appreciated!"

"A true champion doesn't shirk from any task before her!" responded Lyra. "Especially not when the day depends on it!"

"I"m not shirking! I'm just asking for you to take over for five! Freaking! Minutes!" yelled Vinyl. "Or are you too busy daydreaming about that marefriend of yours that you're too shy to even talk to?"

"HEY! Leave Bonnie out of this! Her heart is noble and true and shall not be sullied with such chatter!"

Octavia turned to her companions. "Lyra and Vinyl are yelling at each other."

"Great," muttered Medley. "That'll attract every beast in the forest."

"Let's go cheer them up!" said Bluenote.

Medley stretched a hoof in front of her. "They wanted us to stay behind. I'm sure whatever's the matter, they can sort it out themselves."

Octavia had crept forward a few steps and listened again. She was just in time to hear Lyra yell, "... oh yeah? And what do you do all day? I busk, but you sleep ‘till afternoon, throw some drum loops together, and rave all night! What do you work, two hours a week? The rest of it's just partying and--"

"HEY! I work damn hard!" Vinyl's voice was a roar. "I build and maintain all my own tech, I do my own bookings, accounting, composing, and effects! Every single thing you see on stage at my shows is a Vinyl Scratch creation! If you ever tell me I don't work hard--"

"STOP IT!"

Octavia's eyes widened. That last voice sounded like Fluttershy's, but it couldn't be. Fluttershy didn't shout.

"JUST STOP IT!" repeated Fluttershy. "Who cares about your problems? The world's going to end! Just -- just clear the road so we can save everypony!"

"Excuse me? I don't take orders from the town vet," said Vinyl.

"Well, maybe I don't think all my animals' lives should be in the hooves of some lovestruck bard and layabout DJ! When have you ever helped other ponies, or cared about anypony besides yourself? What, afraid if the world ends you won't have any more groupies, Vinyl?"

"At least I don't badger everypony about a dozen stupid causes! Newsflash, Flutter-butt, nopony cares about the Society to Protect Artisan PIcklers! Picklers are not a persecuted minority!"

"You don't know the first thing about the plight of the pickler! At least I CARE!" screamed Fluttershy. "All you two care about is your groupies and your crush that you're too much of a coward to TALK TO!"

Lyra stomped a hoof. "Say that again," she hissed.

Octavia frowned as she turned to the others. "This is not normal. Fluttershy's screaming her head off."

"What?" Medley shook her head. "No way. That's not Fluttershy."

"Maybe it's another monster?" ventured Bluenote, timidly. "Something making them mad?"

"At this point, nothing in this forest would surprise me," said Octavia.

"Let's go," said Medley. She flapped her wings. "We'll figure this out--"

"Wait. If it is a spell, we could be trapped as well." Octavia bit her lip. "A monster might have attacked our vanguard, but if we just charge ahead it could sense us and attack us too. We need a plan." But Vinyl's been doing most of the strategy so far...

"I'll snap them out of it," said Bluenote, suddenly.

The cellist and the craftsmare looked at each other. "Uh," said Medley. "Blutenote, I--"

"Hey, making ponies laugh and smile is what I like to do. And I'm really good at it!" Bluenote began to trot down the path in a hurry. "I even helped Pinkie write her 'Smile Smile Smile' song we did for the foals last Hearth's Warming Eve. I've got this! You two just find the monster!"

And she raced off. The other two ponies exchanged quick glances, then followed.

***

Octavia wasn't thrilled with the plan, but she was probably the best in the group for sensing anything non-magical, thanks to her hearing. Medley didn't seem to like it either, but she had to admit she was probably the most capable of beating monsters in fights. So Octavia crept after Bluenote, listening for monsters, and Medley followed her, limbering up for another battle.

"...what do you want? Besides a bowl of pasta?" Vinyl's voice was sharp and laden with contempt. "Why are you even here? You haven't done anything yet."

"Yeah. Champions are supposed to be righteous! Noble! Elegant! You're none of them!" yelled Lyra. "You're like an anti-champion!"

Octavia reached the edge of a small clearing that contained the other four ponies. She was just in time to see Bluenote chuckle as she examined herself. "Yeah, I guess I am," the tuba player said. "I probably look pretty silly, charging off into the woods. I mean, I teach foals how to play recorders. Not really the hero sort."

"So go away! We'll get along without you!" yelled Vinyl. "And Lyra, if you don't shut your cake-hole I'll show you how good my magic really is." Her horn flashed red. "Ever been to one of my shows? See the pyrotechnics? Imagine what a face full of those would feel like."

"Bring it! My love for my Bonnie will allow me to weather any challenge!"

"Shut up about your Bonnie already!" yelled Fluttershy. "Nopony cares about your selfish love!"

"Right," muttered Octavia. "That is not normal." She frowned. "Do their eyes look unusually red to you?"

Medley frowned. "...maybe? It's too dark to tell."

Indeed, the moon seemed oddly... dim... but Octavia was pretty sure that their eyes were redder than usual. "If it is a spell, the caster may be nearby. The leshy was line-of-sight, so maybe this monster will be too."

"Assuming this isn't just some spell somepony left behind."

"Assuming that, yes." Octavia nodded her head. "We should--"

Bluenote was continuing to laugh. "Come on, girls. Don't you see how silly you look?" She twisted her face into an exaggerated grimace. "You're all snarly, and you look real mean, and you're baring teeth and--"

"Well, maybe that's ‘cause we've been fighting our way through this STUPID FOREST!" screamed Vinyl. "And not just sauntering in the back like a certain lazy fatso we could name!"

"Right!" hissed Fluttershy. "I would never let one of my pets turn into something like you. You're a meanie greedy glutton; you don't give to anypony but you just take whatever you want!"

"Hmm." Bluenote smiled. (Meanwhile, Octavia and Medley were beginning to creep around the edges of the clearing to try to find monsters.) "Really?"

"Yes! Really!" thundered Lyra. "You don't know anything!"

"Not a single thing," snapped Vinyl.

"Really? Wow, that sucks." Bluenote sighed. "But if I don't know anything, that means I don't know any wrong things either! ...right?"

"What?" Fluttershy looked baffled.

"I don't know any wrong things! Some ponies, they know lots of stuff, but it's all wrong!" Bluenote grinned. "I once knew a pony who knew a million math answers, but each and every one of them was wrong!" She shook her head. "She went diving with two oxygen tanks that each held five minutes of air. She thought that meant she had fifteen minutes.... boy, was her face red when she scrambled back up!"

"...is there a point to this stupid story?" asked Vinyl.

"Yep! I made a song about ponies like that." Bluenote grinned. "Want to hear it?"

"NO!" they all yelled.

Bluenote grinned and took a few breaths to prepare to sing anyway. "Ahem. This song is to all the ponies who know lots of facts -- all of them wrong!" And she began:

"I was riding on an old train, on the fast line, with a rabid Ursa Minor in my underpants, when suddenly, the colt behind me in the next seat popped right up and put his hoof over my eyes! I guessed, is it Uncle Frank, or Cousin Loonie? Is it Bob or Joe or Waltzer? Could it be Bill or Jim? Or Red or Bernie or Steve? I probably would have kept on guessing but about right then we crashed into the gorge!"

Octavia could not help but stare. Bluenote had begun dancing spritely, mimicking the motions she was singing -- throwing a hoof over her eyes, jumping as if being thrown from a train. She looked like a complete fool. The three angry ponies were also staring at her in total stupification. Bluenote didn't seem to notice; instead, she just kept singing:

"And as I'm laying laughing there in the train car, next to the griffin king, as the face of my old tuba dealer takes off his prosthetic lips and tells me--"

She spread her forelegs wide as she began to bounce back and forth on her hind legs.

"Everything you know is wrong! Black is white, up is down, and short is long!
"And everything you thought was just so important does not matter!" (Bluenote had moved very near Lyra now, and was dancing almost in her face. Octavia saw the corners of her mouth begin to twitch upwards.)
"Everything you know is wrong! Just forget the words and sing along!
All you need to understand is -- everything you know is wrong!"

And Lyra burst into giggles, falling back and flailing her legs everywhere.

"This is horrible!" yelled Vinyl. "My worst song is a million times better than this!"

Octavia almost said something, but her ear twitched. A section of the forest, stretching between about ten trees, was growing hazy, and she thought she heard some muttered grunts emitting from that area. She reached back and found Medley, then pointed her towards that area. Meanwhile, Bluenote was resuming her song:

"I was walking to the kitchen for some sugared grass when I accidentally stepped into an alternate dimension, and soon I was abducted by some strange monsters from space -- they kind of looked like Hugh Jelly! They checked all my internal organs and they took some photographs and said I was a bloody-good sport, and as a way of saying thank you, they offered to transport me back in any time in history that I would care to go! And so I had them send me back to Pinkie's last birthday, so I could have another slice of cake! Just then the floating, disembodied head of Princess Cadance started yelling--"

She hopped in front of Fluttershy, who seemed to be having trouble deciding if she wanted to laugh or yell at her. Anger warred with amusement on her face. Meanwhile, Lyra was still laughing hysterically on the grass.

"Everything you know is wrong! Black is white, up is down, and short is long!
"And everything you thought was just so important does not matter!" Bluenote flopped back and began bouncing up and down on her bottom. Giggles began to escape Fluttershy's mouth.
"Everything you know is wrong! Just forget the words and sing along!
All you need to understand is -- everything you know is wrong!"

Bluenote pulled a funny face, stuck out her tongue, waggled her hooves, and Fluttershy dissolved into laughter as well.

Vinyl looked like she was about to smile, but her eyes suddenly flashed red and her face resumed its angry expression. Bluenote grinned, undaunted, and hopped over to her.

The hazy area in the woods shrank until it was only a few feet on each side. Octavia smiled, guessing that the monster was drawing power from the ponies in its spell -- and if Bluenote freed Vinyl, the illusion might fail completely and they could grab the monster. "There!" she whispered to Medley. "Get around that hazy area, behind the big tree there."

Medley nodded and began to silently fly around. Bluenote, meanwhile, was resuming her song:

"I was just about to mail a letter to my evil twin when I got a nasty papercut, and well, to make a long story short, it got infected, and I died! So now I'm in the beyond with ol' Cadance by the Star Palace, and it's obvious she doesn't like this cute li'l bowtie that I'm wearing. She tells me that they've got a dress code." She sighed, somehow managing to acquire a remarkably hangdog look despite that fact that she was dancing a wild jig in the middle of the apocalypse. Vinyl's mouth was quivering.

"Well, she let me in the palace anyway, but I got the room next to the noisy fog machine for all eternity! And every day, she bursts in screaming--

“Everything you know is wrong! Black is white, up is down, and short is long!
"And everything you thought was just so important does not matter!" Bluenote flailed her hooves. Octavia saw the corners of Vinyl's mouth began to turn upwards.
"Everything you know is wrong! Just forget the words and sing along!
All you need to understand is -- everything you know is, everything you know is, everything you know is wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG!"

And then Vinyl was laughing too, and even Octavia could not help but join in, and there was a 'crack' and the afflicted ponies seemed to flash and lose the red films over their eyes. They didn't even seem to notice, though -- they just kept on laughing hysterically, all grudges forgotten.

The illusion about the trees vanished with a flash, and a little pony-shaped beast was standing between two tall trees, red coat ozzing a faint, bloody liquid and large yellow eyes bulging with hate. Before it could do anything, Octavia -- still laughing -- leapt at it. The creature sprang backwards... directly into the hooves of Medley.

It was the work of moments to tie it up with branches and vines, and then Medley and Octavia entered the clearing. "Got the monster!" Medley said, grinning. "We all friends again?"

And they were.

***

Lyra identified the monster as a tagasoro, a rare beast from the Foalippines that fed by driving its victims into murderous rages. When the carnage was over, the tagesoro gathered up the bodies and feasted. Fortunately, they could be defeated with pure laughter and joy -- which Bluenote had to spare.

"There," said Medley, as she finished tying the tagesoro to a tree. "Fluttershy, did he say anything else?"

"That he's very sorry he set all those traps to help get us angry," said Fluttershy, who was blushing and seemed very embarassed about her outbursts. "And he's sorry for casting that spell on us. And he really hopes we don't eat him."

"I dunno," said Vinyl. "Maybe we could give him to the kelpies on the way back as a thank you for letting us go."

Bluenote giggled.

"I'm sorry," said Lyra, suddenly. "What I said was beneath me, and I shouldn't have. I--"

"Hey, wait. I should apologize first," said Vinyl. "I was way out of line."

"I was worst of all," Fluttershy interjected. "I'm so sorry... I understand if you don't want to be my friends anymore."

"Of course we do!" said Lyra. "Everypony -- friends, right?"

The others agreed, and Fluttershy smiled a little.

Octavia looked up to stretch her neck, and gasped. There were very few stars in the sky, only a moon, and at the other edge of what she could see of the sky, a larger, dimmer object that looked vaguely sun-shaped. As she watched, another star fell out of the sky, streaking towards earth until it was obscurred by the trees. "Girls. I am sorry, but we need to hurry."

"Why -- woah." Vinyl looked up in the same direction as Octavia. "No wonder it's been getting harder to see. The stars are just gone."

"Come on... just a little further," urged Fluttershy, helping Bluenote to her hooves. The dance seemed to have tired the blue pony. "I'll help support you."

"I'm fine, but thanks."

Octavia got the group into some semblance of readiness, and then Vinyl got them into a line. "Alright," she said. "This way."

***

When they came out of the woods and saw the ancient castle, all of them stared for a moment.

The castle was huge, as big as the one in Canterlot. The walls were crumbling, but still formed a formidable barrier. Some of the towers had collapsed, but others stood tall and proud. It was the most imposing structure Octavia had seen.

But the Elements were somewhere within. Guarded, if Lyra's song spoke true, by one final trap each from Burning Sun and Nightmare Moon, and perhaps even spells of Princess Cadance's own design as well. But still, they were there. The Elements, the world's last and greatest hope, resided within.

"Alright," said Octavia. "The final part of the journey." She nodded. "Let's go inside and find the Elements."

"Yeah." Vinyl grinned. "Let's do it."

"Let's be heroes!" yelled Lyra.

"Let's save the world," added Bluenote.

"And those that depend on us," finished Medley.

Fluttershy grinned. "Let's give it our all."

And so the six friends journeyed into the ancient castle, scarcely knowing what new dangers awaited them.

Desire

"Pretty epic," Vinyl said.

It had been a lot easier to get into Everfree Castle than Octavia had feared. The drawbridge had fallen over the moat, chains broken from centuries of rust and neglect, and the gatehouse hadn't posed any obstacles worse than dust. The courtyard was overgrown, but none of the plants were dangerous, and Fluttershy had even reported happily that a few of the shoots growing out of the old pond had medicinal properties. Even the door to the castle itself had swung open at the touch. Octavia allowed herself a small smile. If things continued at this rate, they would have the Elements in minutes.

"Yeah!" Lyra swung a hoof around at the ancient stonework. The entrance hall towered high above them, its ceiling lost in the dim lighting that illuminated the floor and walls seemed to exist without any discernible source. "This is so cool! Octavia, does Canterlot Castle look like this?"

"Not unless the cleaning staff is on strike," said the cellist. "But... architecturally... yes, this seems to be very similar to the castle in Canterlot."

"Awesome." Vinyl turned to Lyra. "Does that song of yours say where the Elements are?"

"Cadance left them in the throne room." Lyra grinned. "She put them there, sealed the door, and didn't tell a soul! They've waited there for eons until--"

"Um..."

The group turned to look at Fluttershy.

"If she didn't tell anypony," said the yellow-coated mare, pre-emptively cringing away from the group, "how did the songwriter know?"

There was a long silence.

"If we came all this way for no reason, I'm throwing you off the castle," said Medley to Lyra.

Lyra shook her head. "Well, obviously Cadance told somepony later! Perhaps one of her favorite bards!"

"Why would she tell him a state secret?" asked Medley.

"Maybe they were lovers!" Lyra's eyes sparkled. "Though a humble commoner, perhaps his skill and lyrical wit brought the attention of the Princess Herself?. Late one night, as passions grew--"

"She's a golem, remember?" challenged Medley. "Why would the tyrants have even made her capable of love? She was just supposed to move the sun and moon around and govern the nation for, like, an hour a each day."

"Maybe it was a native of the woods?" suggested Bluenote. "We've already met Zecora. Maybe there was a zebra or a pony back then who lived here and saw it all."

"Either way," said Octavia, “this legend is all we have." She turned to Lyra. "The throne room?"

"Yes!"

Octavia nodded. "Assuming this castle is constructed exactly like the one in Canterlot, it should be straight ahead. We will need to go through two sets of doors."

"Aren't there supposed to be traps?" asked Vinyl, head tilted in thought.

Lyra nodded again. "Nightmare Moon set one, and then Burning Sun -- who teleported right past hers anyway -- set one further in."

"So two traps," said Medley. "All made by alicorns."

There was a moment of silence.

"I think we can do it," said Bluenote, with her usual merry tone. "I mean, we've beaten so much already."

"We are pretty heroic," said Lyra.

"Those traps are a millenia out of date anyway," scoffed Vinyl. "I'm sure they were awesome when they were made, but I bet we could beat 'em, no sweat."

Octavia nodded. "In any event, we have no choice but to try." She trotted towards the front of the group. "I can help listen for traps."

"And I'll scan with magic," said Vinyl. "Medley, Fluttershy, stay high in case something hits us at ground level. Bluenote, you've got the rear. Lyra, center, light up your horn -- the lighting in here sucks." She clapped her hooves on the ground. "Alright, let's go!"

As the group began to move on in their new formation, Octavia kept her eyes half-shut and listened. If Nightmare Moon's trap made even the slightest sound, she would be ready, She'd hear it and she would tell the group--

There was only a split-second of warning, a few moments in which it felt like Octavia had walked into something very cold and icy, though there was only air in front of her.

Then she felt something pass over her, and all the strength left her limbs. She collapsed, seeing the others fall too -- even the pegasi crashed to the floor. This would have caused her concern, but she lost consciousness moments later.

Above the sextet, a malevolent form seemed almost to chuckle.

***

Octavia groaned.

"Miss Philharmonica?" The voice was soft and conciliatory -- a servant, most likely. "Your tea and breakfast are at the door."

"Door?" the cellist managed. With a supreme force of will, she managed to lift herself back to her hooves, shaking her head as she did so. She felt as if her head was swathed in cotton, although her vision and hearing were at least beginning to clear. "What door?"

"The one that opens to the rest of your estate, ma'am. Will there be anything else?"

Octavia looked around, and her eyes widened as she saw where she was. It was a home -- no, not just a home. It was the home she had always wanted. She had dreamed of it, idly made a few sketches of it in notebook corners, fantasized about owning a place just like this one, but she had never dared to hope to obtain it. Now it was here.

The room was large enough to accommodate several bookshelves, each packed to the brim with scores, books on music theory, and records from the greatest musical performances in Equestrian history. Near one end of the room was a large desk, replete with quills, paper, and ink -- no better place could be found for composing. The wooden walls had no frilly decorations, the shelves no silly knickknacks or trinkets -- in fact, every single object in the room had to do with music. There were no signs of meddling sisters, or friends, or even princesses determined to make Octavia 'expand her horizons' when all she wanted to do was practice her craft.

To one side of the room was Octavia's cello case. She hurried over to it, eagerly unpacking it and checking it for damages. After all, when she had last seen it there had been some catastrophe... although Octavia couldn't seem to remember what it was. What catastrophe had she ever endured? She couldn't think of any. She had lived here for most of her life, perfecting her art and producing the most amazing and gorgeous music ever heard by Equestrian ears.

Well, worthy Equestrian ears anyway. Octavia smiled as she saw an appointments calendar on one shelf that looked impressively sparse. Nopony was rushing her to pump out compositions and perform them to sniveling idiots who knew nothing of music. No, Octavia knew that she set her own schedule, that she would only perform to those who could appreciate it, and then only when she was good and ready.

"Will there be anything else?" the servant repeated.

Octavia frowned briefly. She had thought, for a moment, that the servant's voice sounded familiar. An image flashed in her head of a black-coated alicorn, with a mane like the stars and a helmet like a tyrant's. But she had never known any such alicorn, of course. The very idea was risible.

"No," she said. And then, cautiously, as if afraid it would all be proven to be some daydream, "...except, I would know if I have any other appointments today. Anything at all."

"Why, no. You have no appointments." The servant's voice was merry. "You never have any appointments."

A few faces flashed through Octavia's mind -- a green unicorn with a lyre, a blue earth pony with a tuba and a big smile, a DJ with very stupid sunglasses -- but she pushed the thoughts away. Whoever they were, they couldn't be very important. "...thank you. That will be all."

It wasn't until the servant's hoofsteps faded away that Octavia took out her cello and brought it to her desk. She grinned, and then she laughed. She still wasn't sure just what had happened, but it didn't matter. She had the peace and solitude to produce truly amazing music. She had everything she had ever wanted.

Her face a picture of rapture, Octavia began to perform.

***

"Do you, Lyra Heartstrings, take this mare, the lovely Bonbon, to be your lawfully wedded wife, for ever and ever, and all eternity, amen?"

"Do I EVER!" squeaked Lyra, hopping up and down with the joy of a thousand foals in a candy shop. "This is the BEST DAY EVER!"

She turned away from the minister -- and how awesome was it that she'd somehow wrangled an alicorn, one with stars in her mane and a coat the color of a bedroom at night, to officiate her wedding? -- to her beloved. Bonbon was wearing a wedding dress of pure white and had a look of joy on her face, and it was all Lyra could do not to embrace her right then and there and hug her right into the wedding cake.

Birds tweeted and sang overhead, and a choir of bards nearby was waxing rhapsodic about the glories of love and the pure happiness that could be found in a marriage. The white marble of the Temple of Love seemed to flow seamlessly into the altar, the cake, even the wedding dress -- the purest and most spotless of temples for the purest and most perfect love in Equestria. There were a few paintings at convenient intervals, depicting great love stories from the ballads and epic poems heard all around the world. Above, fireworks were shooting all over the sky and leaving images that lingered in the sky for minutes at a time. One burst into a perfect image of Lyra, then another of Bonbon, and a third of the two, intertwined and embracing.

"Now, the gallant Lyra Heartstrings and the lovely Bonbon are wedded. You may kiss your marefriend," the minister said.

Lyra embraced Bonbon, and then the two were kissing and rolling on the ground. And Lyra had one thought before giving herself entirely over to the sheer joy and happiness that was coursing through her.

The neighsayers were wrong, the doubters were wrong, even her well-meaning friends were wrong. Lyra had her Bonbon now. She had everything she had ever wanted.

They were in the cake. Lyra grinned and smeared a big chunk of chocolate-vanilla-swirl onto Bonbon's muzzle, then lowered hers on top and kissed with renewed vigor.

***

"Another day of profits?" Medley grinned as she looked over the ledgers. "Alright!"

The pegasus stretched out, enjoying the feeling of her wings moving about in the starched suit. There was a clean feeling to a suit that was bought fresh from a tailor. Freshly sewn, perfectly sized, and tailored to perfection. It felt absolutely great.

The proprietor smiled as she looked about her shop -- Medley's Music Emporium, now the largest music supply store in Manehattan -- and stopped to gaze at a piccolo hexaphone. Those were very rare instruments, only a few having been made back during the classical era, but Medley wouldn't let that kind of thing daunt her. She had wanted one, so she just ordered a few supplies and made it herself. She was secure, after all and she could indulge in her craft without worrying about it leading her to ruination. She could forget everything else and take pleasure in the sheer joy of creating...

She frowned slightly. Why did she have the thought, she wondered, that she had once worried about showing off her instruments? She had always loved it. And when had she ever feared destitution? Maybe I need a vacation. I think Caneighda is supposed to be lovely this time of year... and I can certainly afford it.

"If there's nothing else, ma'am, I can take over," said the assistant manager. Medley nodded to her, smiling. This was a new hire, a black-coated alicorn mare, but she was an imcomparably brilliant worker. In fact, as Medley remembered, she had taken over most of the day-to-day responsibilities of the Emporium -- taking in the gleaming instruments, adding up the books, scheduling the practice spaces -- leaving Medley with more time to sit in peace in her little metal shop and build. She'd have to remember this when her annual performance review came up.

"Yes," said Medley. She smiled at the mare. "That would be great. I'll be downstairs."

And she did go downstairs, but not before going home and enjoying a relaxing lunch of bread, pasta, and fresh fruits and vegetables. She didn't eat the apple core; she cut the crusts off the bread; she didn't even save the 'eyes' from the potato to sell back to the potato farm later for a few jangles. She didn't need to. She had resources to spare.

She ate her lunch, grinned, and then flew back to her shop. In moments she was in the basement, carefully carving a set of windchimes shaped like bluebirds.

She couldn't help but think, as she began to work on a set of windchimes, that she had obtained everything she ever wanted.

***

Bluebirds. Was there any sound more beautiful than that of the bluebird?

Bluenote yawned and stretched as the sun's rays played out across her face. She felt enormously rested, like she had been asleep for weeks. It was a pleasant, yet still somehow drowsy, feeling. She took the opportunity to savor it.

Some time later, when she felt like it, she carefully lifted up the covers and got out of bed. She checked herself in the mirror, giggled at her bed mane, and then trotted downstairs. She had big plans for this day!

In a few moments, the plans were put in motion. A big bowl of cereal -- with strawberries, bananas, kiwi slices, and a healthy dollop of cream -- was at one hoof, and a tall lemonade at the other. Bluenote chuckled, trotted to the porch with her breakfast, and then indulged in a delicious repast as the sun continued to rise.

She ate leisurely, taking the time to savor each bite and enjoy the interplay of the flavors. The sweetness of the cereal, along with that lovely crunch!, went perfectly with the soft, delicate banana, and the tart, chewy kiwi. The lemonade was perfect too, with just the right combination of sweet, sour, and a faint hint of strawberries. It was delicious.

When the food was done, Bluenote ambled down to her front lawn and lay down, letting the grass tickle her coat and muzzle. A neighbor trotted by -- the new one, the alicorn -- and Bluenote waved hello. Other than that, she did not move. She simply relaxed, enjoying in the simple delights that good food and a warm sun could offer.

She wondered if there was anything better than this. She had, she thought, at one point in the distant past harbored ambitions of rising to prominence in the musical world. But the thought was barely formed before she rejected it. What could that give her that she didn't already have? Why would she want the hustle and bustle, the endless practicing, the colleagues who screamed and raged and went mad over the silliest of things? She didn't need her name in the papers, or a huge bank account, or to perform for the rich and famous. She would be happy just staying where she was, eating when hungry and sleeping when tired, without needing to worry about any of that nonsense.

No, she would remain where she was. After all, she had everything she ever wanted.

***

"ARE WE READY TO ROCK?" screamed the announcer.

DJ-PON3, the most famous musician in all Equestria, roared in unison with her millions of fans. They thronged the stage, cheering her name and stomping their hooves. They had come, she knew, from near and far, from neighboring cities and far-flung foreign territories, just to see her. Because she was DJ-PON3, and nopony could do what she did with music.

"ALRIGHT!" screamed Vinyl. "THIS NEXT SET IS GOING TO BLOW YOUR MINDS!" Her horn flashed, and some brilliant pyrotechnics -- she'd just perfected that spell, it could produce lights so dazzling that no other unicorn could hope to match them -- burst across the sky. Her fans screamed all the louder.

"ARE WE READY?"

"YEAH!"

"ARE YOU SURE?"

"YEEEEEAH!" the crowd screamed.

"AWESOME!" Vinyl nodded at the announcer, her first -- but certainly not last -- alicorn groupie. The pony smiled coyly and nodded at the mountain behind Vinyl. "OKAY, NOW -- FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, AND JUST FOR YOU -- I AM GONNA PLAY "VOLCANO ROCK" WITH AN ACTUAL VOLCANO! LET'S GO!"

And then the volcano behind her was erupting, spiraling lava around Vinyl so she seemed to step through it like a mystic; shooting smoke through her lights that offset and contrasted with them perfectly, and emitting the roar that would be the perfect background to her truly epic wubs.

Vinyl jammed, blasting forth the greatest music in all the world to the ponies who loved her and loved her work. And around her volcanoes erupted and dragons flew and cannons fired and all that she considered 'awesome' or 'epic' or 'rocking' danced to her beat. Vinyl had time for one more thought before she was completely lost in her music.

She had, she thought, finally gotten everything she ever wanted.

***

"Oh, everything is just so beautiful!"

Fluttershy soared around her house, which was a beautiful little cottage on the very edge of nowhere. There was nopony around to scare or frighten her, nopony to be mean to her, or take advantage of her shyness... there was just her. Her, and all of her adorable, lovely animal friends.

She whistled as she flew from her living room (painted a nice, soothing pink that matched her mane perfectly) into her kitchen and began to chop up some vegetables for a delicious garden salad. She'd serve her animal friends, which would probably only take a couple of hours, and then she'd settle down on her couch with some salad for herself and maybe some yarn to knit a pretty set of socks. Her bird's feet did get awfully cold in winter, after all...

She paused, brightening as something occurred to her. She didn't need to prepare food for all her animals any more -- she had healed them all! Each and every one of them had been cured of their ailments by her expert ministrations. There wasn't a woodchuck left in the vicinity with a stubbed paw, or a raccoon with a broken leg, or a bird or mouse or adorable bunny-wunny rabbit with even so much as a sniffly nose. She had done it all at last. She had given enough.

Smiling merrily, she took the salad and settled down on the sofa as planned. Now she didn’t have to worry about anything anymore, she could just relax and rest and quilt and play with her pets (Angel, she recalled, was due back from his midday nap in a little bit). She could just shut her eyes and savor the sweet taste of the cucumber--

Her eyes opened abruptly. She might have helped all her animals, but what about other ponies? Cucumbers, she recalled, could be pickled, and she was leading a cause to help out artisan picklers who were being pushed out of the workforce by mechanization and the import of cheap vegetables from foreign farmers. And there were the veterinary hospitals nationwide she campaigned to save, and the crusade to raise the pay of the mailponies, and...

She shook her head, feeling a bit woozy. Her crusades... she had finished them, she thought. They'd all been successful. The artisan pickle producers had been saved, veterinary clinics all over the nation were fully funded, and the mailponies had never been better compensated. She could indeed just sit back and relax.

Yes, she thought. She had given enough, and she had saved everypony who needed it. That was enough for her, and she had everything she had ever wanted.

***

The spirit that floated above the six unconscious ponies was not Nightmare Moon, not really. She was a distant echo of that alicorn, a small fragment of her torn off and set aside to guard the path into the castle.

The thousand years of solitude had not daunted the spirit; for she was of alicorn stock and was immune to the ravages of time. Nor did her own inability to affect the physical world. When Nightmare Moon had created her, she had been wary of making her too strong -- that could have drawn her corrupt sister's attention. She'd opted for a subtler path, creating a spirit which could do naught but evoke pleasant dreams. The spirit could not throw a punch, could not lift so much as a piece of paper, but she could put ponies to sleep. And, once asleep, she could make them never want to wake. They would stay there, sleeping through their wildest dreams, and a few years later nothing would be left of them but some bones.

The spirit could think, insofar as it was necessary to respond to any resisting subjects. She was able to understand that this pony wanted solitude for her music, and this other one wanted screaming fans and adoring groupies. She saw that one wanted financial security, another wished for a quiet life of contented indulgence, and a third sought true love. All these things were simple to grant; the spirit did so, and knew that none of them would ever awaken.

And the last one was scared, and tired, and she wanted to know that she had fulfilled what she thought of as her obligations to others. That too she could provide. Indeed, even now she was sighing in contentment. She wouldn't die burning and screaming, but instead in a state of pure happiness -- happier than she could ever be though she lived another eighty years. And, the spirit 'thought', a small echo of Nightmare Moon's personality surfacing, they call me as wicked as my sister. Look at how good I am even to my enemies...

But then the pony twitched again. The spirit was momentarily confused. She had provided everything this pony wanted. What was wrong?

But the spirit knew there was no need to worry. Whatever desire this pony had that it hadn't provided the first time, it would do so now. And this pony too would succumb, just like all the rest.

***

"Could I really have saved all of them?" mused Fluttershy. "There were so many..."

But her memories confirmed it. She had received thank-yous and commendations from every oppressed or unfortunate group she had ever campaigned on behalf of. She had cured every animal in the vicinity of anything that could possibly be wrong with them. She had done it; she had finished. She could stop.

But no sooner had this thought crossed her mind than she knew it was wrong. She had finished all her causes... but surely there were still those in the world who were suffering. Those she had never had the time for, now she had resources and energy to spare. She could give to them, and lift them up, and make their lives better.

As she rose to her hooves, she felt dizzy again. She thought that maybe she had saved all the others too. Maybe she really had already made everypony and every other creature in the whole wide world better off, eliminated poverty, war, disease, and furthermore turned all spooky monsters into compassionate and loving members of society. Her memories, of marches and chants and glorious triumphs, seemed to bear this out. But she couldn't make herself believe it. It was just too much.

She opened her door and squeaked to see another pony outside. She was an alicorn with a very pretty mane (it looked almost like it had stars in it!) and a coat the color of Beakey, her raven friend. "Um, hello?"

"Hi!" said the alicorn. "I'm here from the Society of Saving the World. We just wanted to honor you as the pony who has done more good for all the world than all other ponies put together!" Her horn glowed and balloons and confetti popped into existence around her.

"Really?" Fluttershy could not help but grin. "Me?"

"Yes, you!" The alicorn guided her back into her living room. "You've done it all! Take a load off, Fluttershy. Rest easy in the knowledge that you and you alone have brought light to the darkness, peace to the weary, and happiness to the... sad!"

"Oh, my." Fluttershy smiled. "I hadn't realized I'd done so much..."

"Even more than you can know! You should take some time to relax, now. You--"

But Fluttershy was already shaking her head. "Oh, I can't..." she said. "Even if I've given a lot... now that I have so much, I need to find those I haven't helped yet." And she began to trot back towards the door.

The alicorn seemed flumoxed. "But -- but you've already done enough."

"I'm not even tired yet," said Fluttershy, smiling slightly. "I can help a little more before I rest. I have so much to give, how could I keep it to myself?"

"You deserve a rest," urged the alicorn.

Fluttershy shook her head. "Those with resources have a duty to help those without," she quoted. "My parents taught me that. My mom's a teacher in a really poor town at the edge of Equestria... but she's a great teacher, and she's working very hard for students that don't have any other pony to teach them. My dad's a member of the House of Commons, and he works hard every day helping to ensure that Equestria runs well. They give their all for other ponies. I have to do the same."

The alicorn reached out to stop Fluttershy, but the pegasus trotted past her and left her house. She said, "With all those other ponies helped, I'll probably have to go far to find more that need it."

"No other ponies need help!" called the alicorn, hurrying after her.

"There's always somepony that could use a helping hoof," said Fluttershy.

"But-- no!"

As Fluttershy walked down her path, the sky before her suddenly darkened and crackled. A fierce wind blew through the field, causing Fluttershy to squeak and jump backwards. The ground before Fluttershy began to break off and float away, drifting into the void that was the sky.

"What?" she gasped.

"Stop!" yelled the alicorn, and Fluttershy turned around to see a pony as big as a mansion towering over her. When she spoke, her voice boomed across the world. "IF YOU LEAVE, FLUTTERSHY, YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN KNOW THIS PLACE! YOU WILL NEVER RETURN TO THE HOME YOU ALWAYS WANTED. THE LIFE YOU ALWAYS WANTED. TURN BACK NOW, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!"

Fluttershy looked back behind her, at her cottage -- still brightly lit, warm, and intact. She knew that, as long as she stayed inside, her life would be idyllic; she could do what she wanted, when she wanted, for as long as she wanted. Whereas, if she continued on, it would be dark. And scary. And dangerous.

But the ponies and other animals that she wanted to help, those that needed what she had to give... they were all beyond the void.

She took a deep breath and backed up to get a running start. She heard a scream behind her, but when the alicorn reached at her her leg passed through Fluttershy harmlessly. And then Fluttershy was flying out into the void--

***

And the yellow-coated pegasus awoke with a start on the floor of Everfree Castle.

"NOOO!" she heard.

Looking up, Fluttershy saw a slimy, squat creature -- vaguely equine, looking almost like a creature called a 'nightmare' that Lyra had talked about once. But this nightmare seemed almost pained. It screeched as it reached a long, grubby arm towards her, but then fell over and dissolved. Fluttershy was alone with her unconscious friends.

Fluttershy's hair stood on end. Her wings were tucked close to her body, and she trembled all over. She wanted absolutely nothing more than to just go home and hide.

But her friends needed her. As she looked around, she saw the others lying unconscious on the ground.

She nodded to herself, and then -- though still terrified -- rose to her hooves.

***

Octavia was torn out of her dream by the sensation of water flooding into her face. Coughing and sputtering, she wrenched free of the pony who was holding her and rolled away. "Hey!"

"Sorry..." It was Fluttershy's voice. "I didn't know how else to wake you..."

Octavia realized that she was outside Everfree Castle, lying near by the pond Fluttershy had noticed on the way in. "What happened?" she asked, still coughing.

"I think... um..." And then Fluttershy smiled. "I think I beat Nightmare Moon's trap."

Octavia stared.

Fluttershy grinned for a moment before calming. "...can you help me wake the others, please? I mean, if that's okay with you?"

***

The cellist rubbed her sore barrel. "Ow..."

"Hey. Somepony dunks me in water, my body reacts." Medley smiled slightly. Her face was a bit bruised -- Vinyl's reaction to being woken early had been even more extreme than Medley's. "You're okay, right?"

"I will survive," said Octavia. She nodded at the others. "Are we ready?"

The others nodded. Medley and Fluttershy again took to the air and followed Vinyl and Octavia, in the lead. Lyra trotted behind the cellist and the DJ, her horn illuminating the dim hallway, and Bluenote again brought up the rear.

Within five minutes, they had reached the first set of double doors. Octavia took a breath. "According to Lyra's legend, Burning Sun's trap is behind these doors. Everypony, be prepared."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, heroes don't wait around and prepare," said Lyra. "Break it open!"

Vinyl smiled and put her hoof on the left door. Both doors swung open immediately, revealing another hallway with a door at the far end. This one was more obviously dilapidated than the first hallway, with numerous holes in the walls and ceiling and large piles of rubble scattered around. Moth-eaten banners and flags hung from the walls and columns of the room, and the remains of an old carpet parted like dust under the sextets' hooves.

As the sextet peered into the room, a distant figure became apparant in the darkness. It was pony-shaped, and was standing perfectly still. At first, Octavia thought it was a suit of armor. But -- when she saw the slightest twitch of motion -- she jumped back. "Lyra, can you illuminate that thing there?"

"Which?"

"The pony-shaped... thing... in the center of the hall." Octavia frowned. It was too dark to see, but something felt oddly malicious about it.

"You got it!" Lyra's horn flared up -- and then the six ponies gasped. Octavia could only gape in shock, and she knew she was not the only one.

"No way!" said Vinyl.

"That can't be!" said Medley.

Octavia was inclined to agree. "Impossible! That's -- that's--"

Obsolete

The second hallway was in far worse condition than the first. Large portions of the ceiling had collapsed and shattered against the stone floor, covering most of the room in piles of rubble. The left wall was similarly decayed. The columns in the room still stood, for the most part, but the regalia, flags, and banners that had hung against them had long since worn away, leaving only a few sharp metal poles sticking out into the room. Except for one figure, the room was utterly deserted.

That figure was a very familiar pink-coated alicorn.

"Princess?" gasped Octavia. "Princess, how did you get here? Are you alright? What happened?"

Cadance said nothing. She did not move. She did not even blink. She simply gazed steadily ahead of her, looking somewhere just above Octavia's head. Her face betrayed absolutely no expression.

"Princess, please, say something!" begged Octavia. Thoughts filled her head of the various horrible things that the tyrants' magical spells could do to her beloved teacher. She began to race towards the alicorn. "I'm coming!"

"Octavia, wait!" yelled Vinyl. "I don't think that's Cadance!"

"I know what my teacher looks like!" called Octavia, pushing further into the room.

The cellist leapt over a small pile of rubble, horns clattering against the floor as she raced to cross the vast hall. She felt a tug on her barrel, one of the unicorns trying to drag her backwards, but she strained forwards and burst free. She didn't care about the danger. Her teacher was there, and--

As she passed a column with three tattered, moth-eaten flags hanging down, Cadance's entire demeanor changed. Her wings snapped open and she reared back, as if preparing to run the cellist down. The creature opened her eyes, revealing pupils the color of fire set in a bloody red. When her horn glowed, it almost burst into flame.

"Princess?" whispered Octavia, skidding to a halt.

The creature's horn flamed up and blasted a pinkish-red beam at Octavia. The cellist, stopped, had no time to dodge, but she felt a tug around her barrel again and this time did not resist. She was hurled sideways, stumbling against a column, but the beam missed her. She had just enough time to get to her hooves and jump before a second blast hit where she had been standing a moment ago. "What's going on?" she cried.

"Octavia, get back here!" yelled Vinyl. "That isn't Cadance!"

Octavia turned to run back towards the door, but the creature's horn flared again and blasted, cutting Octavia off. She was barely able to duck around a column. "Help!"

"Right, give me a -- Lyra, stop it!" screamed Vinyl. "What are you doing?"

Uh oh, thought Octavia, poking her head out.

Lyra was trotting into the big hall, horn glowing brightly. "How dare you take the image of our beloved princess!" she cried. "And how dare you try to scratch so much as a hair on Octavia's coat? Knights and heroes like us won't let that stand!" She reared back on her hind hooves and pointed at the Cadance lookalike. "Surrender, monster, or taste our fury!"

The creature ignored her completely, instead opting to start trotting around to get at Octavia. Octavia gulped and began moving so as to keep the column between her and the alicorn.

"Hey, did you hear me?" yelled Lyra, trotting every closer. Her horn flashed thrice. "If you so much as scratch Octavia, you'll regret it! We'd all fight demons from the depths of Tartarus to save each other! You--"

As she moved past the same pile of rubble that Octavia had reached before the monster had attacked her, the creature turned to look at Lyra. It's horn glowed.

"Now, just let my friend go, and--"

The monster began shooting blasts of magic at her.

Lyra's barrel was enveloped in the glow of Vinyl's magic, presumably the DJ trying to drag her away, but Lyra twisted away both from Vinyl's grasp and the monster's beams. Her horn glowed and she grabbed her toy lyre out of her bag. "Alright! You asked for it!" she roared.

"Octavia!"

Octavia turned to see Medley, who had apparently flown into the room while Lyra was distracting everypony with her chatter. The pegasus soared over Octavia's head. "Get ready to run!"

"It has me pinned down--"

"I can fly faster than you can run over all this rubble. I'll dodge and distract, you scoot, okay?"

Octavia nodded.

"GO!"

Medley took off at a sprint, zipping out from behind the column and flying in circles around the monster. "Hey, ugly! Over here!"

Cadance isn't ugly! thought Octavia as she began to run. ...granted, this might not be the best moment to start an argument over it...

"Octavia! Grab Lyra and get back to the door!" yelled Vinyl. She was just inside the room, with a worried expression on her face. "We don't know what this thing can do; we need a plan to beat it!"

"I'm fine!" yelled Lyra, skipping away from another blast. She continued playing, her horn glowing. The monster glowed a dull yellow in response. "I'll weaken this thing! My music--"

Her hoof slipped on a loose stone on the floor and she fell over, hooves flailing. The monster turned away from Medley and fired a blast that struck Lyra full on in the barrel.

Octavia's heart fell. "LYRA!"

Medley cursed. "No!"

"Medley, grab Lyra and fly her out! Octavia, book it!" yelled Vinyl.

Octavia wanted to protest, but held her tongue -- with all the rubble in the room, Medley would be able to fly Lyra out a lot faster than she, Octavia, could drag her away. "Understood!"

Her next few moments were a blur of running. She jumped over the smaller piles of rubble and dodged around the larger ones. A few blasts came close to her, but not many; she figured that the monster was targeting Medley instead. She stumbled on a large rock, yelping as she bashed her front left shin on the ground, but then she was up again and almost at the door.

"Gotcha!" called Medley. "Girls, Lyra's waking up! We're gonna be okay!"

Octavia, smiling, glanced quickly over her shoulder. Indeed, Medley was now flying out of the room, with a stirring Lyra on her back. Lyra rose unsteadily, as if she wasn't sure what was going on.

Then the monster boomed, in the Royal Canterlot Voice, "SEIZE HER! STOP HER!"

Lyra's reaction was instantaneous. She grabbed Medley around the neck and began to squeeze.

Medley's cry of confusion was immediate as the pegasus lost altitude and crashed into the ground. Lyra was almost thrown off of her, and she scraped a leg badly against a sharp flagpole as they skidded by, but she didn't even seem to notice. She just kept hanging on, systematically choking Medley.

Then the monster fired a blast of energy into Medley's unconscious form. Medley collapsed, perfectly still. The creature said, "RELEASE HER."

Octavia was still frozen in shock when she felt a tug again. Vinyl yanked her out of the room and slammed the doors shut, gasping a little at the exertion. For a moment, nopony spoke.

And then Vinyl said, "So, next time, mind if we try it with a plan first?"

***

"Now what?" whispered Fluttershy.

The four remaining ponies had hidden behind columns in the first hallway, waiting for the monster or Lyra to pursue them. Ten minutes had passed, however, and nothing had come after them. They had thus slowly left cover and gathered by the door again.

"How should I know?" asked Octavia. "Even neglecting that Cadance imposter, we have to get past Lyra, and probably Medley too, now." She shook her head. "Medley's one of the best fighters in the group, and with Lyra's magic spells..."

"Stay calm," urged Bluenote, though even she had lost her smile. "We'll figure it out. We'll get through this."

"How?" demanded the cellist. "We do not even know what we're fighting!"

"I think I do," said Vinyl.

The other three ponies turned to the DJ, who was leaning against a wall with a serious look on her face. "What?" asked Octavia.

"Remember how the tyrants said Cadance is some kind of golem? A construct? No reason they couldn't make more than one. You know, prototypes and stuff." Vinyl nodded. "That's probably it. This thing is a golem. That room is supposed to have Burning Sun's trap, right? She got one of the Cadance prototypes out of storage, or just built another one, and left it here to guard her back."

"Then why hasn't it chased us?" whispered Fluttershy, who was standing with Bluenote between herself and the door.

"Hmm." Vinyl thought for a few more moments. "Well, remember what Burning Sun said back in Ponyville? Nightmare Moon possessed ponies and messed with their minds to make them join her. If that golem guard chased whomever it saw, Nightmare Moon could lure it away from the room by sending a few of her minions after it, then slip past. So instead it stays there and doesn't leave."

"Knowing what it is is good," said Bluenote. "Now we can start figuring out how to beat it."

"Wait. Beat it?" Octavia frowned. "Princess Cadance is an alicorn. She moves the sun and moon and holds more power than any mortal pony. If that golem has her abilities--"

It doesn't." Vinyl smirked, clapping her forehooves together. "Cadance, our Cadance, has been out and about for the past millenia. So she knows all the latest magical developments, right? That thing's been cooped up for the last thousand years. It's obsolete."

"So? She was built by the greatest mage in history! The Burning Sun--"

"Bah. I could beat the greatest composer in history if I had a thousand year advantage in instruments and theory," said Vinyl. "Anypony could. Sure, she's strong, and she'll take a little strategy to wear down, but I've got this."

"But... Vinyl, we're just musicians. She's an alicorn," whispered Fluttershy.

"We do not know anything about her--" began Octavia.

"You forget who you're talking to? This is DJ-PON3, who draws ponies from miles around to her shows." Vinyl took her sunglasses out of her saddlebag and began cleaning them with a cloth. "I do all my own stunts, and that's both musical and magical. My speakers, sound setup, even my rockin' shades, all my own design." Vinyl's horn glowed, and the sunglasses glowed slightly in response. "There's nothing I can't figure out about craft magic, and that's all a golem is. One big spell wrapped around a pile of parts. If I can get close to her, maybe distract her with my tunes, I can take her apart."

Octavia was still skeptical. "So what's your plan?"

"Working on it. Give me a minute."

It was closer to five before Vinyl spoke again. She nodded once, then turned to look at the other three ponies. "There were a couple doors on the right wall of that hallway. Octavia, if this castle's built like the one in Canterlot, where do those go?"

"Nowhere. Just to some storage closets."

"Perfect. If you three can grab Lyra and Medley and get them into one of those rooms, I think I know how to deal with the Cadance. Or at least, I can work it out." She nodded. "We all ready?"

"I am," said Bluenote. "I think we can do this. There's four of us and only one of it, and we're fighting for our friends... it's just a golem. It can't match our passion." She chuckled. "Or our heart."

"I'm ready," whimpered Fluttershy.

Octavia looked at the others, still not liking the plan but not having any better ideas. "What do you need from us?"

Vinyl explained. "...once you're done with that, I'm going to tear that golem limb from limb." She grinned. "And I'll look absolutely awesome doing it."

***

Octavla carefully stepped into the room and began to approach the golem. Vinyl says that they probably won't attack until I pass that same threshold as last time. I should be safe up until that one pile of rubble I passed before. But despite these thoughts, she could not ignore the cold, clammy feeling in her gut.

The golem stood perfectly still, just like the last time Octavia had seen it. In front of it knelt Lyra and Medley, faces shining with something that looked close to adoration. Lyra's leg was bleeding freely, and Medley front was all banged up from crashing to the stone floor, but neither seemed to notice.

Vinyl observed that the Cadance didn't tell Lyra to strangle Medley, only stop her. Lyra figured out how on her own. So they have at least some autonomy, so maybe I can talk them into doing something stupid. I just need to distract them while the others get into position... "Lyra!"

"Octavia," said Lyra. Her voice was unusually calm and tranquil. "Come closer. Bathe in the love of our master."

"Master?" Octavia stopped just shy of the pile of rubble that Vinyl had mentioned.

"We do as Cadance commands," said Medley. "She is the only pony worthy of our loyalty."

"Our service," said Lyra.

"Our efforts."

"Our... love." Lyra did smile a little. "You should come closer, Tavi. Cadance will show you what true love is."

"What service does she want you to render?" asked Octavia. She wanted to turn and see if the others were ready, but Lyra, Medley, and even the Cadance would probably notice.

"To guard this room," said Medley, simply. "Forever."

"But then you may starve to death."

Lyra shook her head. "So? We don't care. Cadance has taken us into her service. We love her. A thousand deaths would not requit the smallest amount of the debt we owe her."

Octavia heard something in her ears: a short, sharp drumbeat. Vinyl's signal. Time to move. Medley and Lyra didn't seem to notice, although the Cadance did turn so it was looking just to Octavia's left. The cellist, though, focused on her two enthralled friends. "I will rescue you," she announced.

"We don't need rescue," was Medley's immediate response.

"Be that as it may--"

And then Octavia charged at the two ponies.

***

Things seemed to happen in slow motion.

Medley took to the air immediately, soaring up and swooping around. It looked to Octavia like she was going to try a diving attack, like she had used on the kelpies. Octavia felt herself tensing and preparing for Medley's heavy hooves. No. Ignore her. Lyra's my focus for now. Come on...

Lyra grabbed her toy lyre from her saddlebag and brandished it in front of her. "We'll bring her down, master!" she cried as she began to play. "We'll bring her into your service!"

Her music sounded heavy and dissonant, a stressful work that was somehow grating to listen to. Octavia tried to ignore it, but it seemed to force its way into her ears regardless. Her hoof began to drag, and she yelped as it caught in a crack in the floor and almost wrenched her leg out of its socket. Only her strength let her yank it free before she was crippled. Oww!

Lyra didn't seem to notice. Her horn just glowed all the brighter and she play louder and faster.

Despair tore at Octavia's heart, and she was tempted for a moment to simply lie down and let the Cadance brainwash her. The battle was futile, after all. But she looked at Lyra, and she saw the pony who had found her when she was at her lowest, who had given her a blanket and hot chocolate and a warm ear. No... however hopeless it seems. I'm not losing my friend to this monster.

She was very near Lyra. The bard lowered her head, as if preparing to gore Octavia. Above them, wings flapped as Medley began to dive down. Octavia took a quick breath as she continued to near Lyra, preparing herself for pain--

And then Bluenote bullrushed the bard.

"Hey!" cried Lyra, but Bluenote was bigger than her and rushed her towards a door on the side of the room. "Stop!"

"Freeze!" yelled Medley, beginning to dive after them.

The Cadance did nothing.

Octavia dropped her speed a little to allow Medley to swoop in frotn of her. She watched as Bluenote rushed Lyra into the side room, little more than a small closet with an open stone door. Medley flew in after the tubist, and after a brief scuffle, Bluenote went flying out and skidded across the floor.

And then Fluttershy, who had slipped over by the door without anypony noticing, shoved it shut.

"Now!" yelled Octavia, grabbing the heaviest rock she could find from the nearest pile of rubble and hurling it in front of the closet. "Keep it shut! Bluenote, help me get something to barracade it!" Indeed, the door was beginning to shake as Lyra and Medley attacked it from the other side. "Vinyl, go!"

"You got it!" called the DJ.

Octavia reached the door along with Bluenote and put her strength into holding it shut just as the two ponies trapped within gave it a titanic shove. It was difficult, but both Octavia and Bluenote were earth ponies, and they were able to keep the door closed. Meanwhile, the cellist heard a faint two-tone percussive sequence behind her.

Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa ...

Octavia turned to see Vinyl trotting towards the pile of rubble that marked the point when the Cadance would begin attacked. Her horn was glowing, and music seemed to be flowing from it. The DJ waved a hoof at the monster and sped up. "Ugly! Let's go!"

Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa Thump-pa thump-pa... BAM

With the last beat, Vinyl's horn flared up and sparks began to fill the air. As the music continued, gaining in speed, strength, and complexity. The DJ began to fill the room with blazing, pulsating lights which reminded Octavia of the wubstep concert Vinyl had performed in Ponyville for her party. A few more strong beats sounded before the initial thumping resumed -- this time with a strong, steady, and powerful beat beneath it.

"How is she doing that?" asked Octavia. With all the lights and sounds, she couldn't see how Vinyl had the strength left to trot, let alone gallop like she was doing.

"She does this stuff at concerts all the time," said Bluenote. "Even without her gear, she's really good at playing music with magic."

Octavia felt a pang of envy.

Meanwhile, Vinyl was beginning to run back and forth in front of the golem, moving faster than Octavia would have predicted she could run. The music kept building, Vinyl kept running, and then, suddenly, the white mare darted into the danger zone at top speed.

The golem attacked, firing blasts of energy at the dodging unicorn.

And Vinyl began to sing:

Risin' up back in the groove
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance now I'm back on my hooves
Just a mare and her will to survive

Vinyl's horn flared like a torch, firing blasts of light directly at the golem's eyes. The creature continued to try to shoot Vinyl, but its blasts went wide as the lights flashed and obscurred its vision. The golem paused, then began shooting at the lights themselves, apparently trying to dispell them, but it didn't seem to be effective. Vinyl laughed and continued to run circles around the golem.

So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

The golem paused, then shut its eyes and cocked its head, as if listening for Vinyl. Vinyl smirked and cast another spell, and suddenly the magical backing seemed to be playing directly next to the golem's ears. The golem tried to dodge away, but the music and lights followed it, effectively blinding and deafening the enemy. When it began to run after Vinyl, it tripped over a pile of rocks that it couldn't see; when it flew into the air, it clipped a column and spiraled downwards. Meanwhile, Vinyl continued to sing:

It's the Eye of the Pony
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival...

The volume of the song swelled and the golem reared, hooves clapping over its ears. Vinyl levitated one of the fallen flag poles, held it like a spear, then darted in and stabbed the golem in the neck. Her horn flared as the DJ funneled magic along the spear into the construct.

"Go Vinyl!" yelled Bluenote. "Unmake that thing!"

"Yay!" said Fluttershy, albeit in a small voice.

Octavia could only watch in awe.

And the last known survivor
Stalks her prey in the night
And she's watching us all ...
With the Eye of the Pony!

The construct and Vinyl's horn began to flash with magic at the same rate, and then, with a sound of shattering glass, something around the golem's neck flared and then shattered into dust. The golem's head popped off and rolled away, faint light bleeding from both of its neck stumps. The golem took two more steps, then fell over and was still.

Vinyl grinned and raised a hoof to cheer.

Then the golem got up.

Its horn glowed, and its head levitated into the air, settling back onto its neck with a soft crunch. A few seconds later, the golem shook its head, which now stuck fast on its neck. Its horn glowed, and the backing music vanished. Vinyl blinked. "Hmm. This thing's got some reconstruction spells too..."

"Can you beat it?" asked Octavia.

"Yeah! Just got a few more spells to break!" said Vinyl. She tilted her head and cracked her neck. "Let's go!"

She began to spring from pile of rubble to pile of rubble, clambering over the fallen rocks and ruined columns and dodging about. The golem had once again shut its eyes, and was again bringing its horn to bear on the DJ. Vinyl began to sing again:

Face to face, out in the heat
Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry
They stack the odds till' we take to the street
For we kill with the skill to survive

The golem cocked an ear as Vinyl ran about, then began to shoot at the DJ again. Vinyl didn't seem to even notice, staying one step ahead of the blasts. She rolled down a big pile of rubble, leapt to her hooves at the bottom, and sprang behind another just as the monster fired more blasts at her. The DJ's horn glowed, and she sang a few more lines:

It's the Eye of the Pony
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival

But her voice sounded different now, and Octavia realized that she was magically throwing it to a position a few feet away from her. The golem wheeled about, aiming at that spot, and Vinyl had a chance to turn and race right for the monster. She levitated another fallen stake to her side. "YEE HAW!" she yelled, the sound coming from ten feet to her right.

The golem charged up a massive blast and fired it, then feet to Vinyl's left.

And Vinyl leapt up and impaled the golem in the back with the spear.

And the last known survivor
Stalks her prey in the night
And she's watching us all ...
With the Eye of the Pony!

Vinyl's horn again glowed as she channeled some dispelling magic at the golem, while the golem writhed and tried to throw the unicorn off. Vinyl won; the golem's back crackled and smoked, and then the alicorn golem abruptly split into two pieces that tumbled down. Vinyl fell to her hooves and rolled away, face flushed with exertion. "Think that did it!"

Then the golem's halves floated into the air and stitched themselves back together.

"... or not," Vinyl admitted. "Come on, now it's just being a sore loser."

Octavia took a step forward to try and offer help, but the door behind her shuddered, and she realized that Lyra and Medley were still trying to break loose. She put her back against the door once again, joining Fluttershy and Bluenote. "Come on, Vinyl!" she yelled, not knowing what else to do. "You can do it!"

"Go Vinyl!" yelled Bluenote.

"Yay!" whispered Fluttershy.

Vinyl gave them a quick wave, then began to run just as the alicorn began to blast at her again.

Risin' up straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop
Just a mare and her will to survive!

She suddenly stopped and wheeled about, her horn glowing until it was almost blinding to look at. Pyrotechnics spun into existence and swept at the golem, which summoned a shield to intercept... but the spells, with a flash, were suddenly a step ahead of where they had seemed to be, and they moved into the empty space the golem's shield had vacated. They struck the golem's coat and began to burn.

"Syncopated magic," whispered Octavia, awed in spite of herself. Syncopation was a term for techniques involving moving the beats of a musical work ahead or behind where they would normally be played. By treating her spells like a musical 'beat', she could use the syncopation that she was already familiar with, as a percussionist and DJ, to shift her magic unexpectedly. A remarkable application of musicological theory to magic...

Vinyl's voice rose as she charged at the golem, which was now trying to put out the fires all over her coat:

It's the Eye of the Pony
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks her prey in the night
And she's watching us all ...
With the Eye of the Pony!

She levitated a pole and stabbed the golem again, this time in the heart. The golem writhed wildly as magic flowed into it.

"Come on, come on," muttered Vinyl as she continued to pour on the magic. "Break..."

And then the creature shattered into millions of pieces, with metal shards, gem fragments, and dust cascading to the floor. Bright yellow light -- magic, Octavia guessed -- poured out from the collapsing body and dispersed into the air. Within seconds, all that remained was a large pile of debris and the golem's horn.

The room fell completely silent for a moment, the ponies only staring at the fallen pile of junk.

And then Vinyl laughed. "Told ya I could do it. And that I'd look awesome too." She winked. "DJ PON3 is in the house."

***

Lyra and Medley seemed back to normal as soon as the golem was destroyed, but Fluttershy refused to proceed without checking them out, and also before redressing Octavia's back -- her wounds had opened during the fight without her even noticing it.

"Excuse me," said the cellist, approaching Vinyl once Fluttershy's ministrations were complete. She winced at the stinging in her wound; the pegasus was starting to run short on painkilllers. "I need to say something."

"Autographs later," said the DJ, checking over the golem's 'body.' "You know, if this thing wasn't totally evil, I'd want one. Can you imagine how awesome a golem would be?" She grinned. "Golem, do the dishes! Golem, carry the luggage! Golem--"

Octavia coughed. "I wanted to apologize to you in particular. It was my charging into this room against your advice that caused all the problems, and you had to go to all that effort because--"

"Hey, we all do dumb things," said Vinyl, waving a hoof airily. "If it were up to me, we'd still be wandering around in the leshy's maze. Let's just accept that I'm not the brain-dead metalhead you thought I was, and you're not the representative of the snobby-idiot class I thought you were, and we're both pretty awesome in our own ways."

Octavia could not help but smile. "Snobby-idiot?"

"Yeah, you know. The nobles who don't have a thought in their heads except what their advisors and friends put there. No offense, Tavi, but some nobles are some of the most ridiculous ponies on the planet."

"None taken. I do know a few nobles like that. Remind me to tell you about House Lulamoon's heir, sometime."

Vinyl's eyes twinkled. "Finally think we might get out of this alive?"

Octavia realized that, for the first time since entering the forest, she had spoken of future events without any sort of qualifier. "Well, we are doing a lot better than I had feared."

"Great. So--"

"We're all ready over here," called Bluenote. "All doctored up!"

"Be careful," Octavia heard Fluttershy saying as she walked back to the rest of the group. "I don't have many medicines left."

"I will," said Medley.

"You're awesome," chirped Lyra. "I feel good as new!"

Fluttershy blushed.

"Hey," said Medley to the others. "Thanks for bailing us out back there."

"What are friends for?" said Bluenote.

As the ponies talked, they moved to the doors at the far end of the hallway. "This should be the throne room," said Octavia. "We are here."

Bluenote stretched out a hoof and touched the door.

A faint hum sounded from behind them, and all six ponies turned.

The golem's horn had levitated, a faint bit of remaining magic triggering at last. Before any of the sextet could do anything, it floated to the nearest hole in the wall and unleashed a blinding pillar of light into the sky. It crumbled to dust after a few seconds, but the light remained there, immobile, for several seconds afterwards.

"A beacon," managed Vinyl.

"To warn the Burning Sun somepony got this far," said Medley.

The six looked at each other, and Octavia couldn't deny a jolt of fear. Traps were one thing, but to have the tyrant herself--

No. They had to continue. They had no choice.

"We must continue," said Octavia, clapping her hooves briskly. "Hurry. We just need to get into the next room and pick up the Elements. We cannot stop now. Not with the whole world depending on us." She took a breath. "We have come this far. We can do this. Now we must go just a little further."

And then, projecting as much confidence as she could, she opened the door to the throne room of the monarchs of Equestria.

Author's Note

A few things got cut here. Noticeably, the golem originally fired actual hearts (as in, the organ) at its enemies, which could themselves shoot tentacles to trap ponies and hit them with the 'love the golem' spell. I cut that for being a bit gross. Now it's just laser beams. Or Ancient Egyptian Laser Beams, if you're a fan of Yu Gi Oh Abridged.
There were also bits with Fluttershy using a swarm of birds to distract the golem to help Vinyl (I cut it because I doubt Flutters would be wiling to use her birds as bait, and given what we've seen of the Everfree pretty much the only birds she'd be liable to find would be, like, vultures, or pony-eating bluebirds or something) and with Octavia using her hearing to identify the golem's weak spot over its heart (seemed implausible).

Interlude: Own the World

"THOU SHALT TASTE MINE JUSTICE!"

Burning Sun's entire body blazed, fire and flame shooting off of her and licking the clouds above her head. She ignored them. just as she ignored all other matters of insignificance. The charred, grass under her hooves, for example, or the sluggish river a hundred feet to her right, or the cowering ponies in the town directly in front of her.

"As if." Nightmare Moon stood atop the city gates, a thick black cloud streaming forth from her mane and floating high into the sky. "Want to try again? I almost felt that one."

"IF THOU REJECT MINE MERCY... THEN THOU MUST DIE," thundered Burning Sun. She still could not believe the impudence and treason of her sister. The nation was hers by right; she could lead it best and she was eldest anyway; that her sister wouldn't back down... that her sister had even turned to dark, forbidden magics to resist her... was depravity of unimaginable proportions. She needed to be punished, and the harsher, the better.

The gates of the town opened up, two dozen commoners marching out. Their eyes were completely black, and their steps were far too even for a ragged mob of civilians -- some of Nightmare Moon's brainwashed zombies, then. Burning Sun sneered. Did her sister really think that throwing a few petty poinies in front of her would accomplish anything? "PATHETIC!"

"We'll see," hissed Nightmare Moon. "Attack!"

The ponies charged at Burning Sun, who calmly raised a wall of fire to intercept them. The ponies would march into it -- their just desserts for being so weak as to wind up as the corrupt servitors of her depraved sibling -- and that would be the end of that tactic. But every spell her sister cast further weakened her; Burning Sun had more magical strength than any rival and she knew it. She just had to wear her sister down--

"Stop!"

No ponies had charged into Burning Sun's fire, and she frowned and lowered the flames a little so she could see what was going on beyond the wall. The ponies were standing there, eyes suddenly much clearer, and covered by a faint, shaking -- but still doggedly present -- glow. Burning Sun's eyes narrowed. That damn golem...

"Run!" yelled Cadance, materializing from a nearby copse of trees. Nightmare Moon lashed out at the civilians with tendrils of black magic, but Cadance's shield intercepted and blocked them, though it shuddered several times in doing so. This seemed to jar the ponies out of their stupor and they took off at a dead run, scurrying over the nearest hill and vanishing from sight.

"No matter," drawled Nightmare Moon. "Plenty more where those came from."

Burning Sun frowned as she looked at the golem. Her coat was torn, her legs were bloodied, her face showed total exhaustion -- but still she came forward, constantly spoiling the attacks of her and her sister alike. That wasn't right or proper. In fact, it was -- in its own way -- a treason akin to her sister's. A glorified mover of planetary bodies! How dare she interfere like this? "FOR THE LAST TIME, GOLEM, I ORDER THEE TO STAND ASIDE!"

"No!" Cadance's voice was weak, but she managed to keep it steady. "I won't let you hurt my ponies!"

"If you help me--" began Nightmare Moon, hopping off the gate and approaching her sister.

"I won't let either of you hurt them!" Cadance's voice became pleading. "Can't you make peace? Give up this feud, I beg you." She lowered her head. "You both say you want to help the common pony. Can't you see how much damage you're doing?"

"Regrettable necessity," said Nightmare Moon. "My sister is a tyrant, insane beyond control. She must be defeated--"

"DEPRAVED TREASONOUS WRETCH!" roared Burning Sun. "THOU DESCRIBEST THINESELF!"

"If you must fight -- at least fight somewhere else!" begged Cadance. "Go to some deserted steppe, or desolate island or some other place away from innocents you could hurt!"

"Oh, I'd love to," said Nightmare Moon. "But the moment I did, my sister would take over the country and burn all that opposed her. I dare not leave for a moment."

"SHOULD I LEAVE," thundered the other mare, "MINE SISTER WOULD CORRUPT THE NATION IN HOURS! I SHALT NOT LEAVE WITHOUT HER HEAD!"

Cadance bowed her head low and said nothing.

"Now, golem," said Nightmare Moon. "I appreciate a good challenge as much as the next mare, but really, you're just getting... annoying at this point. If you keep interfering, you have to know what will happen."

"I know," said Cadance.

"Now, nopony's saying you didn't try hard," continued the Tyrant of the Night. "Truly a remarkable job of helping the common pony. When you stopped that star from smashing into Trottingham, it was truly a heroic act." She grinned in mockery. "I think we all agree you've given it your best shot. You can stop now. If you don't..." She shrugged. "Eventually, one of us is going to unmake you."

"I know," repeated Cadance. "And I don't care." When she raised her head again, her eyes blazed. "I will fight to the death if need be to rescue even the smallest pony of my country from your insanity."

"Your country?" repeated Nightmare Moon, the words a barely controlled laugh. "You're a golem! No more alive than a lever or gear. This isn't your country. It is mine!"

"NO!" roared Burning Sun, her flames stretching even higher and breaking up the clouds. "IT IS MINE!"

The three alicorns, Cadance standing directly between the other two, stared at each other for a moment. And then, her voice heavy and low but firm as steel, Cadance began to sing:

"Your hearts are screaming emptiness.
Magic fills the air.
Could leave me lying on the floor
Could leave me dying here."

Nightmare Moon laughed, soaring high into the air and flipping over the golem. "So you've grown a bit in the last thousand years, I see. You can even sing now." She chuckled. "Well, I know a few verses too. Sister! Your end is NIGH!" And she launched a wave of pure emptiness at the Burning Sun.

The white-coated alicorn just barely managed to dodge, the emptiness striking the ground and simply wiping it out of existence to a depth of thirty feet. Meanwhile, Nightmare Moon sang:

"I creep through hills and trenches
I stand behind each door
Your blood & sweat & water
Sinks into the crashing shore."

She cackled and stretched out one leg in mockery.

"Take... my... hoof -- it's my world!
See... the... proof -- I'll make it real!" Waves of black emptiness and dark energy swept out from her in all direction. Burning Sun's flames blocked them from touching her; Cadance's fading magic diverted them from the town; the rest eliminated boulders, trees, grass, and earth in an eyeblink.
"Come... with... me -- in my world!
ALL... OF... THIS -- is MY WORLD!"

Burning Sun's flames reached higher, forming into tendrils. One wrapped around Nightmare Moon's leg and dragged her down with an awkward squawk; she slammed into the ground hard enough to rend it asunder and bury her feet deep. The Sun laughed, a long and mad sound.

"Sun fire rising higher!
It breaks across all lines!
Thoust debt to pay and thou payst all day --
Because that fire's mine!"

The flames flared up, and then stopped, bent back, and seemed to fold into her body... which began to grow. Cadance could only watch as the tyrant swelled in size, her skin and coat rippling as the fire contracted inside it, until the alicorn was at least thirty feet tall. She extended a hoof the size of a redwood, planting it over the lip of the hole her sister was climbing out of.

"Take... my... hoof -- it's my world!
See... the... proof -- I'll make it real!" She casually tossed a single flick of fire from her mane; it hit the ground, exploded, and raised up dirt in a fifty-foot spout.
"Come... with... me -- in my world!
ALL... OF... THIS -- is MY WORLD!"

Cadance backed up. She felt terrified. She had tried to rule the nation well; she thought she had done a good job; but she simply didn't have anywhere near enough power to deal with her creators. Even the very sky itself had been rent asunder; no stars remained, with some having been consumed by the sun (which had grown and now seemed to fill the entire western horizon) and others thrown to earth by Nightmare Moon. Above Cadance was just a cold, imperious moon, a ravenous sun, and empty void. Nothing else.

The golem had to force herself not to collapse in despair. There wasn't much more she could do to protect her charges, and there was nothing whatsoever she could do if the two stopped fighting each other and attacked her. She would be unmade -- it was as simple as that. She needed to run. And hide.

She sang, softly:

"The course is moving closer.
I can taste the end here now...
I feel the heavens shaking
With alicorns dropping down!"

As Nightmare Moon teleported out of the hole and the two alicorns began again to launch powerful attacks at each other once again, Cadance heard a faint sound. Turning, she realized with horror that one of Nightmare Moon's conscripted ponies hadn't run away from battle with the rest. She was a young filly, maybe college age, and one of her forelegs had slipped into a gopher's hole and broken; her companions had apparently been unable to free her. She was kneeling, crying in pain and fear. She didn't seem to notice Cadance.

The alicorn stopped, the sight of one of her subjects in need reminding her of why she was engaged in such a hopeless fight. With a little bit of magic, she eased the leg out of the hole; with another, she dulled the pain. "Can you walk?"

The mare turned to her, sniffling and shaking her head. "It's broken..." She realized who she was talking to. "Princess?? Run! They'll kill you!"

"Not without you," said Cadance, working out her next move. "You're my subject. I won't let monsters hurt you."

"But..."

Cadance shook her head and reached out a hoof to help the injured mare get onto her back.

"Take... my... hoof... it's our world.
"See... the... proof... and make it real." She smiled softly.
"Learn... love... live... in our world.
"All... of... this... is our world."

She eased the pony onto her back. "The monarch lives for her subjects. As long as I have any strength left, I won't let the tyrants hurt anypony that I can save. Come on -- I'm going to get you over this hill and back to your friends."

***

Burning Sun was readying another blast when a beam of light crashed to the ground in front of her.

For a moment, she stared blankly. One of my magic alarms... left over from a millenium prior? But where? Who? The only one I set that my sister did not unmake was the one in the old castle, but why would anypony go there? By that point, everything had been moved out of the castle, and the only thing any of us might have brought was--

She froze. "The Elements!"

"What, those old trinkets? I doubt you can use them, sister," called Nightmare Moon.

Burning Sun ignored her sister. The Elements were, after all, far more of a threat, and it was entirely possible that the golem had simply left them in the old castle after using them against the alicorn sisters. If somepony was trying to seize them, that might pose a real threat to her imminent reign. They had to be secured.

With a blast, she buried her sister under the earth. With a mighty flap of her wings, she soared into the air and began to fly towards the ancient castle at top speed. She was an alicorn and nigh-omnipotent; it would take mere minutes to reach the Elements and kill whoever was trying to steal them. Then she could set a trap, eliminate her sister and the golem, and rule. Equestria would have its proper monarch at last.

"Idiot!" hissed Nightmare Moon, digging herself out from her impromptu tomb. "I'll grab them first, tear you limb from limb, and rule." With a flash she was in the air, pursuing her sister.

Behind them, Princess Cadance -- having just returned from bringing the injured mare to her friends in the hills -- flapped a few times to get into the air, but she felt unusually heavy. She realized that she was at her limits, and though she struggled, she found herself collapsing to the ground.

My makers... she thought, just before she fell unconscious from exhaustion. Please... please, let there be something to stop you from hurting anypony else...

It felt like too much effort to even stay awake anymore, and her eyes slipped shut.

The two tyrants were already miles away.

Symphony To Battle Tyrants

Though the throne room was suffering from a millenium of neglect, though inches of dust coated everything and the room smelled of mildew and mold, though the great columns were cracked and split asunder, the walls half-collapsed, the ceiling dripping water onto the floor through holes the size of apple baskets, though half the ancient eves had completely rotted through...

Despite all of that, the room retained its sense of grandeur.

Octavia paused as she walked into the room, causing Bluenote to bump into her rear and knock her forward. "Sorry!" said the tubist. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Just... stunned," managed Octavia.

The room was massive. Two thrones sat in the center of a huge circle, the seats themselves wrapped in gold and silver and studded with gems so bright that they could shine through the dust and dusk. Around the chairs were ten concentric circles, each larger than the last, where the nobles, Courtiers, and aids of the princesses would have stood. The surviving columns had carvings of such intricate detail that Octavia could make out mane stylings, cutie marks, even freckles on thousands of ponies engaged in war, diplomacy, art, science, and everything else ponies did. The walls of the room were similarly engraved.

"What a lovely sight," deadpanned Medley. "So where's the magic thingies?"

"There! In front of the thrones!" Lyra pointed. "Look!"

Sitting before the two seats were five large, undistinguished rocks that alone failed to match the splendor of the room. Inscribed on each one was a large sigil. For a moment, Octavia's heart quickened -- but then she realized that the number was wrong. "Lyra, how many Elements were there supposed to be again?"

"Six!" She paused. "...oh."

"What, is one out for cleaning?" Medley scowled. "Maybe it broke?"

"I don't see it," said Fluttershy. She looked around nervously. "Maybe... maybe we should try the other five anyway?"

"Why not?" said Vinyl, and she began to approach. "I wonder what'll happen if we kick them--"

"Vinyl, please do not kick the most powerful magical artifacts in the world," interjected Octavia hastily. "Can you look at them with your magic?"

Vinyl's horn glowed. "...um. They look kind of like big rocks. I'm not sensing any craft magic, girls."

"Great. They don't even work?" Medley looked around. "I hate to say it, but maybe a tactical retreat's the best option."

"We cannot stop now!" insisted Octavia. "Maybe there is something we missed, such as a spell to activate them! We have to find it!"

"At least let's move them," said Vinyl. "I can't sense them at all magically, so maybe if we get them into another room or something, the tyrants won't be able to find them. That could buy us some time."

Bluenote trotted over to one of the stones and began to strain to lift it. "Oof. Pretty heavy..."

"Lyra, can you buff us again?" asked Vinyl. "If you can, the rest of us can probably get them hidden in, like, twenty minutes--"

There was a devastating explosion from the front of the castle. "TREMBLE IN AWE!" roared a familiar voice. "AND BOW BEFORE THY QUEEN!"

"--Which we don't have," finished Octavia.

She had barely begun looking for places to hide or flee to when the throne room doors burst open again and the Burning Sun -- a towering giant of a pony -- charged in. Flames leapt from all over her body, causing Octavia to stumble backwards from the heat. "BOW!" roared the tyrant. "BOW, AND I SHALL CONSIDER SPARING THINE MISERABLE LIVES!"

"No way!"

Octavia turned, and to her amazement, she saw that it was Bluenote who had spoken.

"I'm not afraid of you," said Bluenote. She smiled. "I have faith in my friends and myself. We're going to stop you." She chuckled. "No doubt about it."

Burning Sun reared up on her hind hooves. "FOOL! DOST THOU KNOWST WHO THOUST SPEAKETH TO?"

"Oh, we know!" said Lyra. She grinned. "But we don't care! We are Equestrians! We'll fight for what is right FOREVER!" She cheered, pointing her toy lyre at the tyrant like a sword.

Octavia froze. She was acutely aware, suddenly, of her own mortality and weakness. She was a musician and had no combat training. Neither she nor the others would survive a direct fight; Burning Sun could simply step on them to end the conflict. The Elements didn't work, the team had failed... so why were the others so defiant?

And why, she wondered, did she feel such an urge to join them?

"We're not abandoning our friends and the country," said Medley. She was trembling, but she didn't back down even one step. "That isn't who we are."

Fluttershy took a deep breath, and put her wings around the nearest two ponies -- Bluenote and Lyra -- but she said, "Even if we have to give our lives, we'll do it to help the other ponies!"

The left wall of the room collapsed with a roar as Nightmare Moon burst in. She grinned savagely. "Are you so sure you want to die? Surrender the Elements to me, little ponies. Do so, and I will grant you mercy." Her voice grew lower, seeming to tug at Octavia's ears. "I could consider your actions against me to be born from ignorance, not malice, and I--"

"You will show no mercy anyway." Octavia realized that she was talking -- and then understand that she had to be talking, for this was who she was. She wouldn't stand by and allow such a lie to go unchallenged, not while it was out there in an effort to manipulate the others. They're my friends... I understand now that I must defend them. "You showed no mercy to anypony back in Ponyville. There is no point in trying to convince us that we can stand down and work out some peaceful resolution. We know it is not possible."

"So stop trying to get us to give up!" yelled Vinyl. "No way, no how. You want a fight?" She grinned, every inch the defiant and reckless DJ that she played in her shows. "Then BRING IT ON!"

The dark-coated alicorn paused, then shrugged. "Fine. Your lives..." She grinned, showing a lot of tooth. "To waste."

Burning Sun stomped her hooves, hard enough to shake the ground and send the other ponies sprawling. "YOU DEFY ME? THEN TASTE THE FIRE!"

"Taste the night," hissed Nightmare Moon. "Taste nothingness, pathetic foals."

Octavia forced herself to watch as Burning Sun's horn glowed and a blast of fire formed and sped at her. I tried. Cadance, I tried--

The fire vanished a foot from her face.

Octavia could only stare in confusion.

"WHAT?" roared Burning Sun. "SISTER! HOW DARE--"

"It wasn't me!" cried out Nightmare Moon. Octavia frowned. She sounded... scared. "It's them -- no! Not again!" Her voice became a wail. "NOT AGAIN!"

Octavia turned behind her, and saw with a shock that the five rocks were glowing brightly. As she watched, they levitated into the air and began to pulse.

And then she understood, and she laughed.

"Did you think you could defeat us?" she asked. "Six ponies, like us?" She gestured to one of the others at random. "A pony like Medley, implacably loyal, who fought through an entire village of pony-eating monsters to rescue her friends?"

One of the rocks flashed and soared over to Medley, who cautiously put a hoof on it -- and then glowed, as if connected to some incredibly strong power source.

"A pony as kind as Lyra Heartstrings, who saw the pain and loss in even the most monstrous of beasts and fought to heal its wounds?"

A rock floated to Lyra, who was likewise energized.

"A pony like myself, who--" her voice caught, slightly, but she forced herself to keep going, "--who despite all my faults, will never let your lies pass by unchallenged? Who was willing to be dashed against a rock for the sake of what I knew to be true?"

And then a boulder was in front of her, and she felt a surge of power, and energy... and a strong feeling of friendship. She was staring down alicorns, she had no idea what was going on, but she somehow knew that she would rather be there, defending her friends, than anywhere else in Equestria without them.

The words poured out of her. "A pony as optimistic and joyous as Bluenote, whose laughter helped defeat a monster built of pure rage! A pony as generous as Fluttershy, who sacrificed everything she ever wanted for the sake of others! Not to mention the magic of Vinyl Scratch! I don't mean spells and cantrips -- any unicorn has those -- but the magic of the friendships she has with the five of us, that got us this far, past all measure of monsters and the best traps you two could devise, is far stronger than anything you can wield!"

She realized, distantly, that five of them were glowing. And, actually, floating. Only Vinyl remained grounded, staring at the alicorns with defiance and determination on her face. The rest of them were sparkling with pure energy.

"IT MATTERS NOT!" roared Burning Sun. "YOU STILL LACK ONE ELEMENT! YOU HAVE NOTHING WITHOUT IT!"

Octavia hesitated, but Vinyl took over. "Weren't you listening? We have everything we need! Loyalty, Kindness, Honesty, Laughter, Generosity -- and the Magic of friendship!" A brilliant light swept over her and she floated up to the rest of the ponies. "It's not in a rock or an old throne room, it's within us! And it's something you will NEVER understand!"

A loud humming filled Octavia's ears. Dimly, she was aware of Burning Sun throwing fire at them, but it seemed to just vanish before it got close. A surge of power swept over her, causing her hooves to kick and her coat and mane to stand on end, and then...

And then she was back on the ground.

With her cello. But she knew, somehow, that it was far more than a standard cello now.

"Huh?" She turned to see Medley, who was standing behind her aeolian harp. The stone frame and the strings were glowing, sigils embedded within them giving off a pure and powerful light. "Are these the Elements?"

"Yep!" said Lyra, brandishing her glowing lyre.

"I had thought they'd be jewelry," mused Bluenote. Her tuba flashed and twinkled, sigils neatly worked into the brass of the instrument as if they had always been there.

Vinyl chuckled. She was standing behind her speakers and drum kit, all lit by that same powerful light. "Jewelery, schmewelery! This is way more awesome."

Two dozen twinkling birds flew overhead and landed in front of Fluttershy, who had a golden conductor's baton in her mouth. "Let's stop them," she said. Her voice was unusually firm. "Let's stop them now."

Octavia spun her cello around, taking one moment to admire the pure power radiating from its every part. "Of course."

Burning Sun's mouth was open. "IMPOSSIBLE! THIS CANNOT BE!"

"Shut up, you idiot!" cried Nightmare Moon. "Kill them! Kill them quickly!"

"Not a chance," said Vinyl. She raised two drumsticks. "Elements, ready!" She clacked them together four times. "One! Two! Three! Four!"

And they began to play.

***

The music was unlike anything Octavia had ever heard.

No orchestra could match the power and clarity of their music. Every single note worked with each other perfectly, a symphony of sound that threatened to rock the very foundations of the castle. The work was not drawn from any one particular style; it was a blend of all six styles that somehow worked, each instrument and genre supplying just the right notes for a truly harmonious, gorgeous work.

Vinyl’s drums and speakers provided a steady pulse, constant energy feeding into the music. Lyra’s lyre hit the high notes and Octavia played the low notes, both on strings, forming a powerful, seamless melody that rang across all pitches. Fluttershy’s chirping birds provided punctuation and accents at appropriate intervals, sounding off at just the right point to highlight a phrase, melodic line, or measure of Lyra’s, while Bluenote’s blats of the tuba did likewise for Octavia. And Medley’s aeolian harp, sounding as Medley flapped her wings behind it, danced between the medley of the other five instruments and provided a blanket of sweet sound that filled in the cracks the other instruments couldn’t reach.

It sounded perfect.

Distantly, Octavia heard Burning Sun scream in rage. She saw gouts of fire launch towards her. She saw them fizzle away as they neared. But this was all very far off; almost like it was happening to some other pony. She was performing, wrapped tightly in her music and surrounded by fantastic musicians -- no, by fantastic friends. Nothing the tyrants could try was worth thinking on. There was only the gorgeous music.

Vinyl, grinning, slammed her sticks together a few more times to mimic hoofsteps. Bluenote blatted a horn-like sound from her tuba in response. The music revved up, strings, brass and bird following the percussion, and then -- as Burning Sun launched fireballs at them, fireballs which were knocked aside by perfectly timed drumbeats -- the DJ began to sing:

A darkness falls over the land
Enslaves, says we cannot withstand!
And I -- try to see
The light -- through the disease

I tried to get up on my hooves
Been so long, working through this mad wood!
But somewhere deep inside, I know
That fate favors the bold!

She blasted out a long, stunning wubstep solo that sent both alicorns stumbling back into the wall. Before they could recover, she whooped, flashed a brilliant grin, and continued:

So tonight, though I am a little pony
I run -- down an erupting volcano
And I drink, drink, drink
From a chalice filled
With the laughter of small foals!

And indeed, Octavia noted that her drums and speakers sounded like foals, even moreso than the themes of the 'Sonata of Morning' she had written a few days prior. They scampered and bounced and seemed almost to laugh... and the alicorns were powerless before them.

Vinyl twirled her drumsticks, adjusted a speaker, and pointed one hoof at the rest of the band. “Take it away, girls!”

“You got it!” It was Medley, an angry grin on her face. Nightmare Moon had been trying to sneak some kind of dark magic through the band -- she seemed to have a better grasp than Burning Sun of how the music went together and where the weak spots were -- but Medley's music was always there to deflect, and shield, and fight back. With another thrust of her wings, she played a soft chord that slipped perfectly within a gap between Lyra's and Octavia's melodies, presenting a solid wall of sound that the alicorn could not penetrate. “Let’s show these two what we can do!”

"When darkness is drowning your soul
And makes you feel alone in the cold!"

The aeolian harp's flowing notes were briefly brisk, cold, unpleasant -- but only for a moment. Then that stray verse was wrapped up by the rest of the notes and quashed beneath the swift, bright, and powerful melody the band was playing. Medley nodded at Fluttershy, who shifted the baton to a wing for a moment and thus was able to sing:

"Find me, and grab ahold
This chalice, it overflows!"

Bluenote took over singing next, pausing on her tuba to -- with a brilliant smile, one that spoke of endless joy and happiness and friendship -- sing:

So tonight, though I am a little pony
I run -- down an erupting volcano
And I drink, drink, drink
From a chalice filled
With the laughter of small foals!

She shut her eyes, grinned, and proceeded to play a long section on her tuba. It was deep and powerful and full of life, seeming to sparkle with pleasure at what the world could provide. It had a foal’s sensibility -- but as shown by that of a master, all that bright love of the world, and one’s friends, and the new and wonderful things she saw every day, expertly discussed in musical form.

“Lyra!” called Octavia, whipping off a beautiful chord progression that knocked aside a tendril of emptiness Nightmare Moon had launched at them. “This was your idea, you should sing something!”

“You got it!”

Lyra sprang up on top of the thrones, and madly strumming her lyre with one hoof, she cried:

Elements, of Harmony,
Hand over the reins
Bless our path, that tonight
We find the will to break these chains
And ride!

And then they were playing a long, wordless section. Octavia could feel the power of the music, and she listened as it blasted into the alicorns, systematically wrecking all the defenses and shields they could put up.

The tyrants tried mightily to resist. They launched everything they had at the ponies. But nothing had any affect. No illusions could survive Octavia’s simple, honest string patterns. No mental attack, no hardening of the heart, could make it past Lyra’s ever-present lyre melodies. Burning Sun transformed into a fifty-foot alicorn and tried to step on them; Bluenote’s tuba laughed at her, and she lost her balance and fell on her flank. Nightmare Moon tried to drain off their power and siphon it into the ground; the others deflected, and when the string players faltered for a moment, Fluttershy’s birds chirped with enough volume and strength to keep them going. And beneath them was the constant magical energy of Vinyl's percussion, energy which was unmatched by any tyrant's spell. The alicorns were outmatched.

“Octavia!” Vinyl yelled. “Finish them!”

“Yes!” said Octavia. She grinned, launching another set of chords and a gorgeous harmony that she layered on top of Lyra’s own melody. Words formed in her mind, and she sang:

So tonight, though we are all little ponies
We all run -- down an erupting volcano
And we drink, drink, drink
From a chalice filled
With the laughter of small foals!

Her eyes narrowed, she pointed her bow at the alicorns, and she finished the song with one final verse:

And the blood and tears of our enemies!

Nightmare Moon turned and tried to flee, but the music reached out, grabbed her, dragged her back. The sound wove all about the sextet, forming into something so beautiful that Octavia could not describe it. She could barely keep up with it.

But keep up she did, and an avalanche of music struck the two alicorns and blasted them down.

The two fell back, both stunned and unable to move. For a moment, it seemed like something else stood before them -- a dimly outlined, constantly shifting entity, with no features and no form save two green and hateful eyes. But then another wave of sound struck it, and with a cry, it vanished into the air.

And it was over. There were only six ponies, their instruments, and two unconscious tyrants.

Octavia just had time to set her cello down before collapsing of exhaustion.

Harmony

Octavia's muzzle twitched as a few sunrays fell across her body. Her body slowly stretched, then recoiled from the sun with the motion of a pony who wanted just a few minutes more tucked in up in her comfy, comfy bed. She turned slightly, one hoof falling off of her face and clapping against a flagstone.

Huh?

The jolt brought her back to a level of mild awareness, and she groaned slightly as she cracked her eyes open. She felt exhausted. Maybe, she thought, she had stayed up too late or practiced something unusually strenuous. Whatever the case, though, she had practicing to do, and it wouldn't get done with her lying in bed. She would need to force herself up, untangle herself from the covers, and...

She realized, as the room swam into focus, that she was not in her bed. Remembering everything else from there was the work of only a few moments.

With a start, she scrambled to her hooves, stumbling on the rough floor a few times as she frantically looked around. Her first hurried looks were not for the tyrants, or the exit, or even for her beloved cello, but for the others. Her five friends had journeyed through a forest full of monsters with her, and she had to find them. “Please be okay,” she muttered, forcing her aching and tired body to rotate. “Please be okay, please be okay...”

Just behind her, to her great relief, were most of the others. Fluttershy was asleep, her head on Bluenote’s tummy and her mane tickling the tubist's muzzle as she snored quietly. Bluenote too was out like a light. Lyra Heartstrings had somehow gotten onto one of the thrones before collapsing, and her legs kicked about a little bit as she lived through some wild and adventurous dream. To the side of the chairs was Medley, curled up into a little ball of pony and sleeping motionlessly. And Vinyl...

Octavia blinked. Vinyl was gone.

“Vinyl?” she called, leery of waking the others but fearing the worst for the leader of their group. “Vinyl, where are you? Are you there?”

She looked all around the room without finding her. The walls on multiple sides of the room had crumbled and she hurried to the rubble, fearing that the DJ had been thrown there in the wild magic storm that had ensued that night. One pile in particular seemed new, and she began moving the rocks and stones as hurriedly as she could. “Vinyl, if you are under there, say something! I will--"

“Uh, Tavi?”

Octavia looked up, blushing. Vinyl was staring at her through one of the holes in the wall.

“Where were you?” asked Octavia.

Vinyl frowned. “Just went to go look outside, make sure the sun and moon were the right size and place. They are. We saved the world.” She grinned. “Wait, you were looking for me, weren’t you? Aw, you do care!”

“No, I -- that is -- “ Octavia blushed even harder, causing Vinyl to laugh loudly. “Vinyl!”

“Relax. No shame in having friends.” Vinyl winked cheekily and trotted back past her. “So! We saved the world. We should celebrate.”

“We should go home.” Octavia frowned, looking around. She wasn’t looking forward to a return trip through the Everfree, especially since they now had a bunch of heavy instruments to move through the woods as well. “I still have difficulty believing that we survived...”

“Why not? We’re just that awesome.”

Octavia looked up through the ceiling. “So... we really did it? We stopped them, and saved the world?” It seemed so impossible, but the proof was before her. The sun and moon were no longer battling it out overhead. Instead, there was just the warm, simple light of dawn steadily illuminating the room. “I wonder where the tyrants went...”

“Oh, they’re right outside.” Vinyl pointed at the front door, which Octavia now saw was slightly ajar. “They dragged themselves out just after that green thing left them.”

For a moment, Octavia couldn't speak.

Then: “They’re still here?!”

“Yeah, but -- hey, wait!”

Octavia turned to the others. “Wake up!” she yelled. “The alicorns are still here! We have to fight them, now, before they recover! Hurry!”

Medley groaned as she opened her eyes. “Really, Tavi?”

“Yes! Hurry, now, we have to stop them!”

“No, we don’t!” called Vinyl, but everypony ignored her. With a few yawns and grunts of pain, the others got up and hurried towards Octavia. Vinyl, sighing, followed.

Octavia nodded at her friends, then seized her cello from where she’d set it down the night before, fastened it to her back, and ran forward. She wasn’t sure what she had expected to happen to the tyrants, although 'being returned to their astral prisons' would have been her first preference. If they were still outside, though, and merely sleeping or readying themselves for round two, she might have only one chance to hit them before they could get up.

“Wait!” repeated Vinyl, but Octavia and the others ignored her. The cellist opened the door and dashed out into the hallway, scanning frantically for the alicorns. She saw a flicker of movement from one of the side rooms and dashed at it, hoping against hope that she was not too late. Before she could get into the room, though, the door opened again and an alicorn exited.

For a few moments, there was only silence.

“That’s her?” asked Medley. “Seriously?”

“She...” Octavia began. “She is so...”

“She’s so CUTE!” said Fluttershy, eyes sparkling.

The pony that had once been Nightmare Moon had lost over two feet of height, and though her mane still sparkled like the stars in the night sky, it did seem somewhat dimmed. She looked more like a filly of college age than an immortal demigoddess. Octavia didn’t know what to think. It was as if Canterlot Castle had suddenly turned into a small hamlet. “Nightmare Moon?” she managed, ready for any sort of trick.

“Seriously?” said Medley. “Wow. We hit her harder than we thought.”

Bluenote chuckled. “Yep.”

Meanwhile, the pony looked aggravated. “I am not cute!” she insisted. “I am the Princess of the Night, I move the moon and stars, I wield power unknown, I fight star serpents and sea monsters with ease!” She blushed. “I am many things, but cute is not--”

“Oh, yes you are, sister,” called another voice, and a white-coated, rainbow-maned alicorn trotted into the hallway from another side room. She was also shorter than any of the musicians, and even her horn was now a bit tinier than Lyra's. “You always had all the stallions asking after you.”

The first pony’s blush deepened. “TIA!”

(Meanwhile, Fluttershy was looking between the two as if trying to figure out which one was cuter. Bluenote poked her. “Breathe,” she whispered.)

“Wait.” Lyra blinked. “Those two... Burning Sun and Nightmare Moon?”

“Not exactly.” The white-coated alicorn turned to them. “I was... I mean, my name is Celestia. My sister’s name is Luna. We ruled the nation, until...” She paused. “Until we were corrupted.”

“The exact story is not important.” Luna looked down. “But... we became the tyrants, and we warred, and in the end our own creation sealed us away for a millenium. Until we broke out and warred again, and you stopped us.”

Luna didn’t seem ready to do anything else, but Celestia put a hoof on her back and gently guided her into a bow before bowing herself. “You have our thanks.”

“Told you they were cool now,” called Vinyl.

Octavia blinked. “I am confused,” she said at last. “What happened?”

“You’re sure we don’t need to fight them anymore?” asked Medley.

“You probably have many questions,” said Celestia. “As do I, I must confess. I am still not exactly sure what happened to us... but perhaps our creation can be of some assistance.”

Octavia’s eyes widened slightly. In all the excitement, the princess had slipped from her mind. “Is she alright?” she demanded. “Princess Cadance, did you hurt her? She had better be alive--”

“She is,” said Celestia. “Neither of us broke her--”

“If she is badly hurt, I swear, I will--”

And then the impossible happened.

"There is no need to worry, Octavia."

Octavia and all the others turned, and there, in the doors leading to the front entrance of the castle, looking battered and bruised but very much alive, was Princess Cadance.

Octavia forgot all else and, pushing swiftly past the others, dashed at the Princess. She felt herself leaping through the air, and then she was embracing Princess Cadance in the front of the hall. “Princess! You’re alive!” She hugged her closely. “Thank the stars! I was so worried! I--"

And then Cadance was hugging her, and her friends had crowded around her, and Octavia felt like the happiest mare in the world.

***

Princess Cadance had learned many things in the thousand-plus years since her creation. One, as it turned out, was a spell to summon delicious feasts from the air.

“I knew you had been corrupted,” she told the two alicorns, who were bowing at the foot of the table. Despite her repeated protests, both had refused to take a seat with her and the six mortal musicians. “I still don’t know exactly what it was, but some entity or spirit was able to twist you.”

“You were not created until long after our feud began,” Luna protested. “You never knew us when we were... ourselves. How could you know we were altered?"

Cadance’s smile was gentle. “Your advisors, your administrators... and your close friends... saw the changes. Though not immortal, they communicated with each other, elder to younger. It was they who convinced you to create me... and they who, later, told me what they feared.”

She bowed her head. “I was only a golem, but you made me better than you knew. I did not only want to fulfill my duty to raise the sun and moon. I wanted to help you... my parents, in every important sense. I tried to learn everything I could to help you... magic, diplomacy, anything. But all I did was for naught.” She paused. “I’m not sure why the entity did not possess me as well. Perhaps it is because of my artificial nature. But instead, it convinced you two that I was the enemy and needed to be shoved aside.”

“And we continued to feud,” said Celestia, softly, “until we broke into open warfare. And then you were forced to use the Elements of Harmony on us.”

Cadance did not speak for several long moments. “I am sorry,” she said at last. “Had I acted earlier, or... or used the Elements properly, as my student and her friends have... I would not have lost you two to the stars for a millenium. I--”

“No,” said Celestia. Despite her reduced size, stature, and power (for Cadance had confirmed that the two alicorns were now no stronger than your average mortal pony), she still sounded regal. “We let ourselves be corrupted. I resented my sister, and envied her, and hated her artistic gifts... a thousand malevolent thoughts, none of which I ever expressed but none of which I let myself forget. It is no surprise the spirit found fertile ground in my soul to twist me to its point of view. In a moment of weakness, it came to me and told me it could help me. I allowed it, and...I did not even notice the change, it was so gradual, but one day, I was trying to kill you both.” She lowered her head.

“I was no better,” said Luna. “I was so jealous of your popularity and fame... I wanted that. The spirit asked me, and I too gave in.”

“What’s the spirit called, your majesty?” asked Lyra.

Cadance frowned. “I know of no name.”

“It called itself as Nemesis,” said Celestia. “Beyond that, I know nothing about it.”

“I have a question,” said Medley.

Cadance looked at her. “Yes?”

“How come nopony knew about this? Except for Lyra, we all thought that Celestia and Luna were myths.”

Cadance was again quiet for a few moments. “My function was to serve the princesses of Equestria and keep them from strife. I had failed, and I was ashamed.” She shut her eyes. “Even now, though I have grown so much since my creation, it still hurts. I could not bear to even think on my failure... I allowed knowledge of the alicorns to fade away.” She turned to the alicorns. “I am sorry. I had no right to erase your tens of thousands of years of peaceful rule for my own peace of mind--”

“The fault was ours,” said Celestia. “Ours, and ours alone. You... you did far more than we could have expected. You were created only to move celestial bodies, but when the time came, you saved the citizenry from us, and us from each other. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

The three alicorns were silent for several moments, until Celestia nodded at Luna and both approached the golem. “We have been negligent in our duties,” said Celestia. “We allowed ourseles to be corrupted by evil, and forced you into a position you were in no way designed for. We have put you through so much stress and strain that you have every right to hate us.” The two bowed.

Luna added, “Can you ever forgive us?”

Cadance looked at them, and Octavia realized that she was crying. “Of... of course...”

And then the three were hugging, and crying, and Cadance was lightly thumping them on the head and saying, “If you ever! Do that! Again! I’m going to put you in time-out for ever!” And the musicians could not help but smile at the reunion.

***

The rest of the breakfast passed uneventfully, with the musicians mostly listening to Cadance talking with her creators. They did speak, though, when the conversation moved to discussing the Elements.

“You are now Bearers of the Elements of Harmony," said Cadance. "Through your superlative virtues, you have each bonded to one such Element. Together, you wield magical power unmatched in all the land."

“And the power is in our instruments?” asked Medley.

“Yes. Normally, they will act as they always have. But when you need the Elements, you will be able to use those instruments to activate them.”

Bluenote put a hoof to her chin. “So, when great evil comes to Equestria, we should schedule a gig there and we’re good?”

Cadance had to laugh at that. “I suppose so.”

Vinyl brightened. “Hey, I’ve been applying for permits for months to do a show at the gates of Tartarus--”

“No,” said Cadance, Celestia, Luna, and Octavia, all at once.

The alicorns also discussed how the government had changed in the last thousand years, and how it would continue to act in the future. Both Celestia and Luna were a bit confused at the idea of the commoners electing officials to represent them in one of the government chambers, though Cadance assured them that it worked quite well on the whole. The topic of whom would occupy the royal throne also came up.

“Neither of us can move sun or moon now,” said Luna. Her horn glowed futilely, and she scowled up at the sky for a moment. “I knew I shouldn’t have made that moon so heavy.”

Celestia giggled.

“It might be best if you remain regent for now, both for meteorological reasons, and...” she trailed off.

“You know how the government works,” said Celestia. “We need to learn from you. And we need to regain the trust of the populace.”

Luna nodded.

“Will you ever get your powers back?” asked Lyra. She had been the most spritely at breakfast besides Vinyl, and in fact seemed to have entirely forgotten that they had been fighting the alicorns to the death a few hours ago.

“Eventually, they will,” said Cadance. “My creators gave much of themselves to Nemesis, so when you drove it from them, they naturally lost all that they had given. In time, I believe they will recover and heal.” She nodded her head. “There will be a day when Princess Celestia again will watch over the day, and Princess Luna the night.”

“That day is far in the future,” said Celestia. “We should focus on the present, for the time being.”

“In the present, it might be best if you two take part in public service projects,” said Cadance. “Cleaning, construction, and so forth. That would let ponies know that you want to help them now.”

Luna paused. “...would we have to wear the uniforms?”

“Of course! We look cute in them,” said Celestia, smiling.

“Tia!”

Celestia turned back to Cadance. “From what you have described, the government is so different now from when we reigned.” She paused. “How did you know what changes to make? That was not part of your design.”

Cadance smiled slightly. “Hmm. Octavia -- do you know the answer?”

For a moment, Octavia was flummoxed, but then she realized what the right answer had to be. “Those same advisors and counselors. No -- more than that. Those same friends. The ones that helped you know what you had to do to save the nation from the alicorns... they helped you thereafter too.” She nodded. “Not only by teaching you knowledge, but by allowing you to learn and grow past your original functionality. Until you were as capable as they of running the nation.”

Cadance smiled. “Exactly. My friends made it possible.”

“But how?” Celestia frowned. “My sister and I were the greatest mages in history. What magic did your friends know to improve on our design?”

“What spells?” asked Luna, looking a bit eager.

“No spells,” said Cadance. “No cantrips, or incantations, or anything of that sort. Just the magic of friendship... but that was enough.”

She smiled brightly. “And I am sure that, as long as you two form a close circle of friends, and stay true to them... even should Nemesis return, it will never again find a hoofhold in your hearts.”

Both true alicorns bowed their heads, and Octavia saw tears falling from their eyes.

“Now -- I for one would like to hear about how, exactly, six musicians made their way through this forest and to the Elements,” said Cadance. Her eyes twinkled. “Octavia?"

Octavia nodded slightly, and then the six began their story.

***

The two alicorns would return with Princess Cadance to Canterlot, though first the golem princess would transport the Elements and their instruments out of the Everfree Forest. Octavia smiled as she watched the others pack up before turning to Princess Cadance. “I am glad we saved the world.”

“As am I.” Cadance bowed her head. “Octavia, I... I am so proud of you right now. Prouder than you can know.”

Octavia bowed. "I am glad I was able to satisfy you, Princess." She paused. "I understand now why my prior actions were inappropriate, and why they reflected badly on you. I apologize."

“Accepted," said Cadance, easily and with a smile. "And, based on your story, I know now that you understand the importance of friendship. You could never have made it this far had you not been able to truly empathize with and befriend these other ponies.”

The two were silent for several moments.

When Cadance next spoke, it was with a brisk, businesslike aspect. "We must return to Ponyville so the other five musicians may return home. You, of course, may accompany my creators and I back to Canterlot.” Cadance paused, a curious expression crossing her face. “I am mindfull of the promise I made to you earlier. You have satisfactorily demonstrated your ability to work on a team, so, as promised, I will not ask you to associate with the other students anymore. I will provide for you a room, and you may compose and practice as you wish.”

Octavia suddenly felt cold. She knew she should be happy -- Cadance was offering her everything she had wanted since beginning her studies in Canterlot. She had wanted it so much that it was the temptation Nightmare Moon’s trap had offered her. But...

If she was locked in a room, she wouldn’t see her friends again. She wouldn’t see Fluttershy helping her birds, or Bluenote cracking jokes, or Lyra swooning over her crush, or Medley perfecting her harp, or Vinyl... being Vinyl. She wouldn’t see or hear any of them. It would just be her, alone, forever and ever...

“Is something wrong?” asked Princess Cadance.

“It is...” Octavia paused. “I do not want to leave them,” she said. “I mean... I know I have only known them for a short time, but I do not want to return so quickly. They gave me a chance when they did not need to, and they are such good ponies, and...” she trailed off. “I will miss them,” she said at last.

Cadance was quiet for a few moments. “Are you sure?” she asked. “I won’t be disappointed in you if you want a quiet life of perfecting your talent, Octavia. You have already done more for the world than a great many other ponies.”

“I am sure. I do not want to lose my friends -- not now, not just to lock myself away.” She paused, realizing what she was about to ask. “Princess, I... you have given me so much of your time and energy, teaching me, but I... if I could stay a little longer...”

She couldn’t find the words.

Fortunately, Cadance understood. She smiled and beckoned the other musicians closer with a hoof. They trotted up to her. “It occurs to me,” she said, “that the music of Ponyville and the surrounding region is not well known in Canterlot.”

“Nope,” said Medley. “No orchestras out here.”

“Well, I think that -- as the nation’s capital -- Canterlot should have knowledge about the music from all Equestrian cities.” Cadance nodded. “Octavia, if you are willing, I am going to give you a new assignment. You are to remain in Ponyville and study its music for the foreseeable future. Become familiar with its styles... and its musicians.” She smiled. “Make regular reports to me. I think this will be good for you, and...”

She didn’t need to finish, because Octavia was already nodding. “Yes!” said Octavia, her self-control slipping for a moment. “Yes, of course. Thank you princess!”

“Wait, she’s moving here?” asked Medley.

Lyra grinned. “Yay! A new neighbor!”

“She’s not going to help you with Bonbon,” said Medley.

“Oh, I can be very persuasive.” Lyra’s eyes sparkled. “Hey Octavia! Let’s do a duet! On the theme of CANDY!”

Octavia could not help but smile. “It would be an honor.”

Bluenote approached her. “Happy to have you here, Octavia. You’ll make a great addition to the town.”

“If you need anything to help you settle in, just ask,” said Fluttershy. “I’m glad you’re staying too.”

“Sounds awesome.” Vinyl grinned. “Happy to have you, Tavi.”

“Thank you. And... I’m happy to be here.” Octavia nodded her head. “I truly am.”

***

“Mail for you, Octavia!”

Octavia stuck her head out of the spare bedroom. “Thank you,” she called. “I’ll be down in a moment.”

Her heart quickened as she trotted down the hallway and then the stairs into the confectionary. She had needed a room, and, by good fortune, that mare that Lyra was crazy about was renting one for a reasonable price. Everything had worked out well. Lyra had even been okay with it, on the condition that Octavia regularly made reports to her about the things her 'Bonnie' liked and didn't like. Her assignment for the day was to find her favorite color, so Lyra could figure out the perfect flowers for their eventual wedding.

Bonbon passed her the mail. “Are you heading out?”

“Yes. I am meeting with the other Bearers in the park. We are going to try to play something.” She chuckled. “It will be... interesting to see if we can do it without the Elements helping us, but I certainly think it is worth trying.”

“Good luck!”

As Octavia stepped outside, she looked at the envelope. She smiled when she recognized the hoofwriting on the outside as Pageturner's. Octavia had written her a long letter, apologizing for her bad behavior and asking if they could possibly be friends again. She hadn’t hoped for much, knowing how badly she had hurt her assistant, but hopefully she would give the cellist another chance...

Octavia opened the envelope, and her heart sank. It was just her own letter to Pageturner, mailed back to her. Unopened. There was only one other page in the envelope, a small note:

“I tried for years. I can’t try anymore.”

For a moment, Octavia bowed her head. She could not honestly blame Pageturner; the mare had tried, and it was Octavia who had failed her for years. Why did I wait so long to learn about friendship? All the ponies I hurt... it was not right.

But then she shook her head. Yes, she had done some bad things. But she had friends now. They would help her not hurt anypony else... and would help her learn and grow into a pony that everypony could be truly proud to know. She would keep trying. She would practice friendship just like she practiced her music, and with her friends as her teachers and helpers, she knew she would get far. She would become a pony everypony would be proud to know, she would make amends to all those she had wronged and she would live just as ponies should.

It would be hard, but she would do it. After all, she had the best friends in all the world.

“HEY, TAVI!”

Octavia waved at Vinyl, who was standing in front of the others in the park. “Hello!” she said as she hurried forwards. “Are you ready?”

“My birds are all warmed up!” chirped Fluttershy.

“Let’s play some awesome music!” cheered Lyra, summoning her lyre with a quick spell. “Come on, this’ll be great!”

Bluenote blatted a note of acknowledgement.

“This might not be your style,” warned Medley, as Octavia got her cello set up. “Sure you want to sit in this set?”

“Of course I do,” said Octavia. “You are my friends, and I would rather play music with you than do anything else in the world right now.”

And so they began to play, and as the sun once again rose over Equestria, music once again rose to meet it.

Author's Note

And that's the story!

Aw, Octy isn't even complaining about her name being shortened anymore. She's getting all friendly-like!

There were two big changes in this chapter. One was a sort of awkward bit where Vinyl began recounting their awesome adventures to Cadance, including of course the part where she epically destroyed a golem. Then she remembers that Cadance is also a golem and quickly scurries away. I cut it because it didn't really fit, and I didn't want to give the impression that Cadance would be vengeful enough to make Vinyl that scared about that.

Second, Pageturner originally didn't even include a note in her reply letter -- she just returned Tavi's letter unopened. My betas convinced me this was perhaps a bit too harsh, so I softened it a little. I did think about having her totally forgive Tavi, but I don't think that works as well. Octavia hurt Pageturner, ignored and neglected her for two years, and generally acted like a selfish prat. Her saving the world doesn't change that... in fact, it might make it even worse, since Pageturner can't even vent about it now because Tavi did something heroic ("What, that mare who saved the world? She's awesome! If you didn't get along with her, it must be your fault.") Responsibility is an important theme in the Cadanceverse, and so, even if you're a hero and do great things, you still have to account for the bad things you do along the way.

That all said... I don't think they'll be separated forever. Tavi genuinely is better now, and Pageturner might just need some time to move on a little bit. I predict that, sometime in the future, there might be a joyous reconciliation... but that is for another time.

Anyway, that's the story! Hope you all enjoyed it. Next up, once I write it -- Boast Busters, C-verse style. Wooo!