Sailing the Sky on a Windy Sea of Music (Icy, Open)

[Blueblood]

The city of Los Pegasus occupied a peculiar place in the music ecosystem.  The outsize supply of venues for live performances made it an attractive destination for performers who were unable to fill stadiums, whether because their career was pretty much over, or hadn't yet truly begun.  For Sky Sailing, it was the latter.  His cloud home had drifted to a spot over the city reservoir, carried by literal and metaphorical winds to this city, where the young recording artist was to have the biggest run of luck in his life.  It wasn't at a casino, but he considered it better than any jackpot in town.

 

The simple decision to take a nap in a tree had led to a serendipitous meeting with one Wind Dancer, a rising star of the stage with her aerial dance routine, where the pair of them had quickly formed a common bond and deepening friendship.  There was a great deal of mutual admiration for the two creatives, and each took a great deal of inspiration from the other.  Perhaps something even deeper than that was coming to bind them together?

 

For his part, Sky Sailing felt both elated and humbled, as Wind Dancer had loved his music enough to pull her favors in with the venue that hosted her, the Mareage Casino, to allow him to play in one of their cafes.  The Twilight Sky Bistro was an open-air, rooftop eatery with a fantastic view of the city.  It would have an even better view of the night sky, had not the surfeit of surface lights acted to scrub the heavenly space of all visible illumination save Luna's own moon.  The light-blue pegasus, for his part, seemed to be trying to redress the balance in his own clothes, wearing a dinner jacket patterned as a starry nebula against a background of midnight blue.  An old faux-leather flight cap rested on his brown mane, completing an incongruous look as he sat in the midst of an assortment of instruments, tuning each as the time approached closer to performance.

 

To calm his pounding heart and shaking nerves, he took a look to the table in prime position in front of the stage, where Wind Dancer sat in a dress matching his jacket pattern.  She'd lent him the money to get it for his debut here, after he had expressed interest in the pattern as a stage outfit.  Now was his opportunity to justify her faith and confidence, and he gave her a small smile over the top of his keyboard as he looked over the crowd.  "Hey, how's everyone doing tonight?"

Though his eyes were mostly on Wind Dancer, he did know it would be rude not to spare a glance towards the other patrons.  There were no headline acts in town tonight; most were out looking for a fresh face and new songs.  Sky aimed to provide both.  "My name's Sky Sailing, it's great to be here with you all tonight."  The microphone amplified a voice that was normally soft-spoken to carry across the room.

[IceStorm]

 

Spoiler

 

The past couple weeks had... really been anything but a blur for Wind Dancer. The closer that it was getting to today, the more excited and more excitable she was becoming. Ever since she had told Sky Sailing that she had been able to get him a show at the Twilight Sky Bistro and Cafe she had been anxiously looking forward to the event. She had already heard a couple of his songs that he had played modified versions of with his guitar, or some expertly improvised glasses of water that she didn't even know could make sounds like that! It was really interesting to hear and she wondered if he would have been able to incorporate that kind of sound into the actual works that he was doing tonight, but she couldn't wait to hear the songs in their full glory of how they were actually supposed to sound. She just hoped that she would be able to hold onto her emotions this time and not breakdown into a happy emotional mess in front of everypony else. His songs already had a way of touching and moving her, so that was always a possibility.

 

Tonight, she found herself happily supporting a new dress that she had bought specifically for tonight after she had it tailored to match the jacket that Sky Sailing was wearing. Or rather, she then later had the jacket made as she originally misunderstood him in thinking he already had the performance jacket. When he told her over the past few weeks that it was a jacket that he was hoping to acquire but it wasn't one that he had yet. She had the tailor make a second jacket specifically for him and paid extra for priority fulfillment. As it stood, her own dress was that of a captivating blackened sky from the outer cosmos with the blue gaseous lights from a nebula style galaxy flowing around the sides and front of it, with the trailer just being a somewhat transparent black fabric with stars decorating throughout.

 

Naturally, she was one of the first ponies there because she was also one of the ponies that was helping Sky get everything set up for the night. His instruments were in her greenroom after all, and it didn't really take too long for everypony to get them in position that he could get to them easily enough so that he could perform with the instruments that he need to for the night. After making sure everything was set up correctly, she sat at the table that had already been reserved for her, and then for him once he had finished his performance for the evening, and finished mingling with his new fans. He just hoped that he wouldn't forget about her after all this was said and done. How he handled everything she'd done for him in regards to tonight, would tell her whether or not what they had building was true. Or, if he was just another pony trying to get to the top through her. None of the time that Wind had ever spent with Sky Sailing had ever given her any inclination of that so she mostly knew that this wasn't the case with him. He had been so nice and sweet, and just acted different than everypony else before then. She knew that tonight would only serve to solidify that of which she already knew.

 

When Sky Sailing looked over to her, she smiled and waved to him with a reassuring smile. One that told him, without any words that he would be okay, and that he's got this. Then she heard him start talking and introducing himself to the crowd and telling everypony that it was nice to have them for the evening. She could tell that his eyes were mostly on her, which made her blush a bit and smile even more as she shifted in her seat as the waiter came over to her and tried to get everypony's orders in before the show actually got started. Afterwards, she went silent again, and she watched, and waited.

[Alivda]

Raven grinned as she walked into the restaurant, unable to keep the joy down that she felt from spending yet more time with Icy. She'd been busy with something today, which left Raven to explore the town on her own while she was waiting on her supplies to arrive so she could start her research. In truth, she'd spent a lot of time with Icy, especially seeing as how they lived together now, but the joy swelling up every time she saw her hadn't diminished slightly. She wondered slightly why Icy had picked this place for dinner, before noticing a pegasus near the stage. If she wasn't mistaken, that was the performer they'd seen her first night here... Maybe Icy was trying to support a friend of a friend? It didn't really matter to her though, as she was shown a seat in the middle of the room, one with a small little reserved placard on it that the waiters took away. When the waiter came back, she ordered a soda to sip on while she waited for Icy to show up, not wanting to eat without her...

[Blueblood]

There was still a few ponies trickling in, some who had arrived before their dates, and others who would be eating later in the evening.  Sky knew that he'd have to factor that in when putting together a set; he was still a background element rather than a foreground headliner.  The advantage of that was that he didn't have to put too much thought into the order or consistency of his lineup; he could shift from genre to genre, and stay on any subject as long as he liked, or move on after one and done.

 

It had to be said, that a lot of his songs tonight would be based on one particular inspiration.  Shooting a smile over at Wind Dancer, Sky picked up his guitar, holding it in his legs as he strummed with a pick held between his feathers.  "This first one's going out there to all those who are helping other ponies not be alone, written as a word of thanks to one who's there for me, hope you like it!"

 

Spoiler

 This is the song, though it's not quite what Sky's voice sounds like.  He's a little more soft-spoken than the lead here.

 

"I Found a book with your name

And a picture of us
Even though it was framedThi
And covered in dust..."

 

As he started the song, Wind would probably recognize the moment that the verse harkened back to, several weeks ago, when he had attended her own show, and caught a glimspe of her past bound in an album.

 

"It's the map in my mind
That sends me on my way

They say it's never too late
To stop being afraid
And there is no one else here
So why should I wait

And in the blink of an eye
The past begins to fade

 

So have you ever been caught
In a sea of despair
And your moment of truth
Is the day that you say "I'm not scared"

Put your hands in the air, if you hear me out there
I've been looking for you day and night
Shine a light in the dark, let me see where you are
'Cause I'm not gonna leave you behind

If I told you that you're not alone
And I show you this is where you belong
Put your hands in the air
One more time

I've seen a million miles
Met a million faces
Took all I knew 
To reach all these places
 
And I'd do it again 
If it brings me back to you

So have you ever been caught
In a sea of despair
And your moment of truth
Is the day that you say "I'm not scared"

Put your hands in the air, if you hear me out there
I've been looking for you day and night
Shine a light in the dark, let me see where you are
'Cause I'm not gonna leave you behind

If I told you that you're not alone
And I show you this is where you belong
Put your hands in the air
One more time

Put your hands in the air

Put your hands in the air, if you hear me out there
I've been looking for you day and night
Shine a light in the dark, let me see where you are
'Cause I'm not gonna leave you behind

If I told you that you're not alone
And I show you this is where you belong
Put your hands in the air, one more time
Put your hands in the air, one more time"

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

The ponies that were still trickling in didn't seem to matter to much to Wind Dancer. In all reality, at this very moment, not very much did matter to her. Only the pony that was currently on the stage for the performance tonight. Of course, the others would probably soon matter to her after he started playing. After all, she had recommended him to the atmosphere so the reactions of others... could either bolster his confidence in himself or shatter his dream, and likely shattering hers in the process at this point. Her career would be fine without question, but her heart on the otherhoof... she didn't wanna think about what could happen if this show wend down a bad path, but the thought was very much on the forefront of her mind now. She didn't want him to get hurt from one performance and give up on everything that he'd worked so hard on, or more importantly... give up on her.

 

She then heard the initial plucks of his guitar as he began. She hadn't heard this one yet... She had no idea what to expect from this one, but then he spoke, saying that this one was going out to those helping others not be alone. He also said that it went out to a word of thanks to somepony that was there for him. She couldn't help but blush a bit. This... was another song for her? All of her own nerves were now full swing. She could already tell from the first few notes that it had a decent melody behind it. Then he started singed. Her eyes went wide. Almost immediately from the first words she was brought back to the night that... everything really started. The night of her performance when he was in her greenroom! There was no way that wasn't in reference to the album that she had on her dresser!

 

The song continued, and she was very much enthralled. She wasn't paying attention to anything else at the moment as she watched and listened. She didn't even know that the waiter had brought her her food until she accidentally bumped into the plate. Thankfully it didn't clatter or make any sort of sound that could disrupt from the event that was taking place on stage. When she did though, she noticed that many ponies that had been conversing with each other had stopped when the singing started and were now watching as well. The soft spoken tone of Sky's voice carrying through the amplified mics to the ears of so many that were now only paying attention to him. She turned back, and she couldn't help but feel a bit emotional once more as she heard him going through the chorus... The song, and everything about it... This wasn't the first one that he wrote that hit her feelings on the head. She was never one to let others stay sad and upset. The entire reason she became a performer was so that she could make everypony else smile, and now... now it was her turn to provide the smiles for somepony else.

 

As the song began to wind down and then came to a stop, she could her the gentle applause coming from the ponies in the restaurant. It was an expectant applause, one that made it clear they were now expecting more from the singer that had taken the stage. Wind also applauded lightly, but keeping good etiquette and not keeping it too long. After all, he only just started tonight. She was certain that she would have to save her energy for later, if this first song was any indication, tonight was going to be a long, very fun night.

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Luna that took much longer than she was expecting it to! Why? Why did they pick today of all days to hold a council meeting in her casino? They had taken so long to get everything else taken care of, that Ice was almost certain that she was going to be late! She had made plans to go with Raven tonight to go to a show that she'd heard Windy was promoting. IF Wind Dancer was promoting this singer and had worked on setting this event up, then it must have been a pony of note. Not to mention the rooftop Bistro was one of the better premium restaurants that was in the Mareage. At least in her opinion. All the others seemed to overcharge for what little food they give. She remembered going to the Artisan Cafe with Tempest and both of them left hungry and spent... more than she would have liked for what they got. It was great food sure, but there wasn't near enough of it. 

 

This place though, their sandwiches were huge! and filled with tasty goodness! Ice came in just as the first notes of the song were starting to play and he introduced the song as one that went out to the ponies that made sure others weren't ever alone. Those words instantly piqued Ice's attention as she slid into the chair next to Raven. "Sorry I'm a bit late... the bearucrats decided that they wanted to take forever to get out once their meeting was over... an hour ago... but I managed to get cleaned up and here," she smiled whispering softly to Raven to not disrupt the music that was playing. She herself was quite hungry, but when she started hearing the song itself, and the lyrics. She couldn't help but get a feeling of resolve within her. IT was almost like the song itself was reminding her of all the reasons why she did and felt the way she did. She knew that it wasn't but it almost felt like the song was written about her, and the fact that she refuses to abandon anyone and anything, because of everything she went through in the past... It reminded her that she wasn't the only one with a past like that here in Equestria, and it strengthened her resolve to do something about it.

 

A few moments went by and then the waiter came back over and she silently used her magic to point to one of the sandwich options and a drink, which was a strawberry soda. She also took the moment to straiten her dress that she was wearing for the evening. It was that of an ocean blue with ripples of ice and sky blues flowing through it. A dress that was appropriate for a high-brow outdoor cafe. It was at that point that Ice spotted the pony that had been talking about the performer. Wind Dancer was in one of the tables right next to the stage and she seemed to be watching the performer with... a look that Ice knew all too well... She had a thing going for the singer!! She knew that look because it was the same kind of looks that she gave Raven!!! Oh she was so happy and excited!! This wasn't the time nor the place to bring it up, but she would definitely have to ask about it the next time she's performing in the Fire and Ice! As it was right now, she funneled her excitement into leaning against Raven and listening to the music that was being played.

 

When the first song ended, she was one of the ponies that started to applaud, albeit a bit silently. It was considered rude for a loud ovation before a performer was concluded with their act for the night. She at least hoped that he was going to be doing more than one song. His voice was soothing to listen to, unlike some of the harder rock stuff that had been circulating the industry recently. It wasn't saying that that style of music was bad, but they had very different styles of vocals. She found herself much preferring this style of singing and she anxiously awaited the next song. "It's only one song, but he's pretty good. Wonder what else he's got in store for us tonight," she said with a smile.

[Alivda]

Raven smiled as she started to listen to the music. Whoever this pegasus was, his voice was quite lovely, and she started to get lost in the song, almost jumping a little as Icy sat next to her. "It's okay, you're a up and coming business mare, not to mention your... projects... I know just because we live together now doesn't mean we can be joined at the flank." She responded to Icy's apology, in a similar volume, though she couldn't keep from slightly giggling after her statement. She simply smiled and leaned her head against Icy, though when the waiter came back, she ordered a similar sandwich. As they waited for the food, she kept leaning into Icy, a happy smile on her face as she let her eyes close and the music wash over her. Soon, though, the first song was over and she straightened back up to applaud alongside Icy though at the volume one might at a play or an opera. "Yeah, that was great. Soothing, touching, but driving too... He definitely has talent..." She said, smiling back before taking the moment between songs to give Icy a kiss.

[Blueblood]

Sky sailing greeted the initial applause with a smile, mixed of relief and gratitude.  It was a hard thing to put oneself out there in the public eye, particularly when the creative work presented bared one's inner feelings.  But after the first time, it got easier, like the moments after diving into a pool of cold water.  Acclimating to the eyes upon him, the pegasus adjusted his seating, so that he was still holding the guitar, but now the frets and picks were wholly handled by hoof.  In the meantime, his wings were set behind him, pin feathers resting on the keyboard to allow dual instrumentation during a live one-pony show.  It was an impressive display of dexterity, though Sky had performed and practiced alone for so long that he had little notion of how unique his idiosyncratic style was.

 

He launched into the next song without introduction this time, as if this were but a second part of the first.  It was a different style, much softer spoken and dreamy, but the pony it was dedicated to was the same.  Wind Dancer would recognize it, as a song Sky wrote about himself with respect to her, as opposed to the previous one, a song about her as Sky saw her.  This time, instead of playing on improvised glassware, he had full instrumentation backing him.

 

Spoiler

This is a more accurate representation of Sky's voice, btw

 

"I opened my eyes last night
And saw you in the low light
Walking down by the bay
On the shore, staring up at the planes
That aren't there anymore

I was feeling the night grow old
And you were looking so cold
So like an introvert
I drew my over shirt
Around my arms and began
To shiver violently before-

You happened to look
And see the tunnels all around me
Running into the dark
Underground
All the subways around
Create a great sound
To my motion fatigue
Farewell

With your ear to a seashell
You can hear the waves
In underwater caves
As if you actually were inside
A saltwater room."

 

As wind would recognize the verse, she might also see that Sky had procured a spare microphone that just so happened to be close enough to her table to pick up her voice.  She could then join into the chorus, where he'd written in female vocals:

 

"Time together isn't ever quite enough
When you and I are alone
I've never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
Only time, only time

 

When we're apart what ever are you thinking of
If this is what I call home why does it feel so alone
So tell me darling do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time, all the time

 

Can you believe that the crew has gone
And wouldn't let me sign on?
All my islands have sunk
In the deep, so I can hardly relax
Or even oversleep

I feel as if I were home, some nights
When we count all the ship lights
I guess I'll never know
Why sparrows love the snow
We'll turn off all of the lights
And set this ballroom aglow

 

Time together is just never quite enough
When you and I are alone
I've never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
We need time, only time

When we're apart whatever are you thinking of?
If this is what I call home why does it feel so alone?
So tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time, all the time

 

Time together is just never quite enough
When we're apart whatever are you thinking of?
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
So tell me darling do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time."

 

Drawing in an audience member like that was a bit of a bold move, but it was that extra bit of shoponyship that showed Los Pegasus' influence on Sky.  Why else would one attend a live performance, save for moments like these, which could happen nowhere else?

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

The next song that Sky had started to play had a sound that was familiar to Wind Dancer. It wasn't until she heard the first line that she recognized it. She was puzzled for a bit, and internally she panicked a bit. She'd heard this song! This was a duet! There was only him though! It was then that she caught the microphone by her own table, and then made eye contact with him. This was supposed to be his performance! She couldn't help but smile softly though. She couldn't afford to lose herself in this song like she did the last one, or the last time she heard it from him. Instead she would be lightly nodding her head to the beat. And then, it was time. Wind Dancer's voice was soft, yet projectful, and full of tone.

 

"Time to-ge-ther is just ne-ver quite eno-uuugh

.

.

What will it take to make or break this hint of lo-ooove.

.

On-ly Ti-i-i-i-ime!

 

When We're apart what e-ver are you thin-king o-oooof?

.

Do tell me Dar-ling, do you wish we'd fall in Lo-oooove?

.

All the Ti-i-i-i-ime!

 

...

 

Do tell me Dar-ling, do you wish we'd fall in Lo-oooove?

.

All the Ti-i-i-i-ime!

.

Time to-ge-ther is just ne-ver quite eno-uuugh

.

.

What will it take to make or break this hint of lo-ooove.

.

On-ly Ti-i-i-i-ime!

 

When We're apart what e-ver are you thin-king o-oooof?

.

Do tell me Dar-ling, do you wish we'd fall in Lo-oooove?

.

All the Ti-i-i-i-ime!

...

Time to-ge-ther is just ne-ver quite eno-uuugh

When We're apart what e-ver are you thin-king o-oooof?

What will it take to make or break this hint of lo-ooove.

Do tell me Dar-ling, do you wish we'd fall in Lo-oooove?

All the Ti-i-i-i-ime!"

 

It took every bit of Wind Dancer's Self control to not take the stage with him for the duet, but she didn't want to steel his spotlight tonight, but she was able to keep herself in tune and harmonize from what she'd heard from him singing and what bits she'd sung with him before when she heard him humming it. She loved this song! She just wasn't expecting it to be on the list for tonight. She couldn't be happier that it was. She could only smile brightly back at him on the stage, using a wing to rub a tear from her eye before anypony else noticed it. She couldn't help but blush a bit when she heard the applause for the song. She smiled a bit before she also joined in the applause waiting to see what tricks he had planned for her next. At this point, all eyes were on both of them now waiting to see what's next.

 

 

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

"I know, I just feel bad because I promise that we'd make tonight special and I was late," Ice whispered when the applause died down. She returned Raven's kiss with a smile as she leaned into her once more as the next song started. Her jaw dropped. Back to back very emotional songs... New emotional songs. It wasn't often that a newcomer to the stage would take a chance on using their own material for their first couple gigs. One or Two possibly slipped in between, but Ice loved it. She could hear the lyrics wash over her as their plates were set in front of them.

 

She used a bit of levitation to bring the sandwich up and then her jaw dropped again as Wind started singing. She'd spoken to the mare several times before, but she had no idea this was inside of her. "She's not too bad herself," Ice commented quietly. Wind was so elegant, and so on point... She could see from her reaction that this wasn't planned, but she was able to take it and run with it. She was a performer herself after all so that was only expected. That didn't make the sight, or the sounds any less lovely, and the way the two were looking at each other, and how the Pegasus had everything set up for her to join in for a song that was obviously meant for two, there was definitely something going on between them. If not yet, then soon. For now, she was content to hang her hoof around Raven, munch quietly on her sandwich, and watch the performance.

[Alivda]

Raven nodded and smiled. She understood how Icy felt, and knew she'd have days where she wouldn't be on time for something they scheduled. As they leaned into each other, She listened to the songs, both were very emotional, and she could easily see herself serenading Icy with them... Matter of fact, if the performer ever recorded them, she'd buy Icy a copy. If her reactions to the songs were any indicator, she really liked him. Maybe she could find a way to get his signature for now... that would be cool, and make a nice gift. She noticed their food had arrived, and began to eat, a soft smile on her face as the performance went on.

[PyroBlaze]

Terry had been around for a while, so he knew most of the shows that tended to go down in the town, but this stallion was new. Some fresh faces on the scene could be good, so he decided to come check it out, get a lay of the talent and support a new performer. That’s how he found himself sitting at a table listening to the songs coming from the musician, and partly from a mare in the crowd that looked like it could be Wind Dancer. Regardless, Sky Sailing was doing good so far, so Terry added his own applause when the time came, eager for more. Maybe he could help the musician land some more stages around here. 

[Blueblood]

Sky was elated that Wind Dancer had picked up on the duet cue, and it seemed like the rest of the audience loved it as well!  He beamed to the audience, as he set down his guitar to take a sip of water.  "Thank you.  As you can see, I've never been good at keeping my sources of inspiration secret."  He said with a laugh.  "And it's weird, this feeling, it's changed how I've viewed the whole world.  I drifted in here from Cloudsdale, and felt like I'd washed up in a sea of strangers.  But all I needed was one helping hoof, and now I'm here, and I feel like somehow all my friends and family are here to see me, and I'm an only foal, so that's super weird."

 

The sharp focus which had marked him during his period of inspiration and creation was subsiding back into his general state of dreamyness, which could cause him to ramble.  Still, he kept it together long enough to put down the water bottle and pick out a few chords on the keyboard.  "Are you all from this town, or is there anypony like me out there, stranger in a strange land, looking for a friendly face?"  He genuinely didn't know; there were actually quite a high density of performers and venue-owners in this crowd, enough to make a career if it went well.  He was genuinely unconscious of the fact, and probably even Windy hadn't expected it.  He was just treating it like a casual cafe performance, something you might see in a heartland coffee shop, with the local talent strumming tunes, with no expectation of climbing the ranks from here.

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

It took a few moments for Wind Dancer to feel her heart slow down a bit after the singing. She herself had never sung in front of anypony else before. Before tonight she didn't honestly think that she had any talent for it. All of her talent was in dancing to the music and generating wind from it right? She couldn't sing and dance could she? Was that something that was even allowed? She'd been to performances before where they've done things like that, but they were all stage shows like this one. Almost no stage venues were large enough for her to do both, and she'd never seen a lot of ponies in her style of dancing singing. It was something to think about for sure.

 

Her attention was brought back to the performance at hoof though and Sky as he started talking. She couldn't help but blush a bit when he said that he wasn't very good at hiding his source of inspiration. She just simply smiled and waved to the crowd that was now looking at her. At the very least they enjoyed her little unexpected part of singing that she did. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he set the guitar down. He wasn't done yet was he? She knew he had more, she heard more from him when she'd visited. She then heard the chords on the keyboard behind him and smiled. Interacting with the crowd wasn't a bad thing and a couple of ponies out there raised their hooves when he as if there was any pony out there that was like him. A stranger in a strange land, looking for a friendly face. A few ponies raised their hooves, but most of whom was here tonight were ponies that were residents that she'd recognized from past shows of her own.

 

Naturally this was one of the few questions that she wasn't going to be able to raise her hoof to tonight. Most in the room would definitely know that while she's definitely a friendly face, she was no stranger to Las Pegasus or it's inner workings. She was right now though, quite happy and anxiously awaiting Sky Sailing's next song. She couldn't help but wonder internally what he would be playing next. She did take this opportunity during the to work on her salad a bit so that she wouldn't have to worry about the mic next to her picking up the crunch during the show. Just in case the sound ponies forgot to turn it off.

 

 

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

The music stopped briefly and Ice looked up to the stage as the performer started talking to the crowd. When he asked how many here were a stranger in a strange place, she couldn't really help but raise her hoof a bit. She wasn't so much a stranger anymore, but she'd still only been living in Las Pegasus herself for a year or two. There was still things about this place that she was still learning herself, and how some things worked in the hierarchy here. She might have been one of the wealthiest mares in Canterlot, but here that list was a lot shorter. She was still up there, but there were ponies here that own multiple casinos and had even more limitless wealth than she did. Still, she wasn't a small fry by any means. The fact that she was an owner alone meant she had some political pull within the city even if she was on the mid to low side of the totem pole here.

 

She finished her sandwich and then ordered a strawberry hard cider. They weren't gonna be leaving any time soon so she might as well get something a little bit stronger. She remained leaning against Raven as the performer continued. She took this moment too think about what they would be able to do once the performance was over. She wasn't going to be rude and discuss it at the moment, but something else might be interesting to do afterward. Most of these performances only lasted an hour and the night would still be young in a place like this. Of course she'd want to speak with the performer once he was finished tonight and arrange for a meeting with him in her office to set up possible performance dates, but everything else was up in the air afterwards.

[Alivda]

Raven smiled as the performer talked about his inspiration and Wind gave them all a little wave. It was cute, if nothing else, and Raven smiled as it made her think of how her and Icy were. However, she was a little confused when Icy ordered a hard cider, before realizing that this probably wouldn't be a really long show, so they'd stay for all of it, and that meant they needed something to sip on while they sat there. She ordered a non-alcoholic one for herself, smiling and gently holding Icy's hoof in her own, a hoof that followed hers up in the air when the performer asked about if there were any stranger's out there, though with a bit of hesitation. Raven couldn't help but think to herself that she was an out-of-towner, but at the same time... She now lived here, so... She may be a stranger in a strange land, but she'd make it her land, and embrace it... And she had the right pony next to her to lean on and help her.

[Blueblood]

Hm, it seemed the crowd were mostly locals; this place was the sort of good deal you had to live in Los Pegasus long enough to know about.  That said, there were enough ponies from out of town that Sky Sailing felt confident in his next pick of song.  "Alright then, some of you might be able to relate to this next one."  It would take a few adjusting of the crystals on his keyboard to get the sounds right for it, so he continued this introduction.  "I started writing this one some time ago, when I first furled sail and left Cloudsdale.  Was both excited to leave and homesick at the same time, staring at old travel brochures and postcards late at night because I couldn't sleep.  And I still kind of feel that way today whenever I'm in large city, even though I've never been to the one in the song, funny enough.  Anyway, here goes!"

 

In addition to the adjustments, a few more doohickeys were added to the keyboard to get extra sound.  It looked like he went dumpster diving behind the music shop to get the pieces for them, because that was exactly how he did.  Nonetheless, he was able to weave the sounds together into a coherent whole:

 

Spoiler

 

 

"Feels like I've been away for a thousand years,
So tired of these sky ports and souvenirs.
I shiver in the night and I think of you.

 

I stroll the boulevards
I stare up at the stars
And wish they'd all align! (Here n Polohoma)
You keep me on my toes,
And this is how it goes,
You never leave my mind!

 

Are you having fun yet?
I'll send you the sunset
I love the most here in Polohoma.
I'll melt in the moonlight
And follow the shoreline
On down the coast here in Polohoma.
Oh, can't sleep the whole night through
Oh, when I am missing you
I'm thinking it out loud
I wish I could reach out
And hold you close here in Polohoma.

 

I wander all alone in the pouring rain
Ride shotgun on the wind in a bullet train
I shiver in the night and I think of you.

 

I stroll the boulevards
I stare up at the stars
And wish they'd all align
You keep me on my toes
And this is how it goes
You never leave my mind

 

Are you having fun yet?
I'll send you the sunset
I love the most here in Polohoma.
I'll melt in the moonlight
And follow the shoreline
On down the coast here in Polohoma
Oh, can't sleep the whole night through
Oh, when I am missing you
I'm thinking it out loud
I wish I could reach out
And hold you close here in Polohoma

 

I stroll the boulevards
I stare up at the stars
And wish they'd all align
You keep me on my toes
And this is how it goes
You never leave my mind

Are you having fun yet?
I'll send you the sunset
I love the most-

 

I'll melt in the moonlight
And follow the shoreline
On down the coast-

 

Oh, can't sleep the whole night through
Oh, when I am missing you
I'm thinking it out loud
I wish I could reach out
And hold you close
Here in Polohoma (here in Polohoma)
Here in Polohoma (here in Polohoma)
Here in Polohoma (here in Polohoma)
Here in Polohoma (here in Polohoma)
Here in Polohoma (here in Polohoma)"

 

Letting the song trail out on the outro, Sky shut off one of the gadgets he'd placed atop the keyboard.  "Someday, I'm actually going to be in Polohoma.  Hope I get the chance to sing that song there, and them know how much a place I've never been meant to me that night."  A resolution, quietly but sincerely stated.

[PyroBlaze]

Terry couldn’t really raise a hoof to the question Sky posed. Sure, he was born and raised elsewhere, but he’d been here long enough to call this place home. Regardless, there seemed to be enough hooves in the air for the transition to the next song, so that was good. He hadn’t been to the city of Polohama himself either, it might make for a good vacation destination someday. 

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

It was nice to see that some of the ponies that were in the crowd raise their hooves when Sky asked about who all was strangeres to Las Pegasus. She was a little bit surprised when Ice Storm and the pony that she was with raised their hooves, but then thought back about it. She would be relatively new to Las Pegasus. When it got right down to it, The Fire and Ice casino was only two years old, and most of that first year was i being constructed. Before then there wouldn't have been much of a reason for her to be here. She definitely wasn't no stranger to Las Pegasus though. Everypony who owns a casino here is known because to the sheer amount of wealth that it takes to fund one. Of course, only time will tell how it will stand with the others once all of the newness of it wore off. She thought it was a great place herself, but she was also only one pony. She'd never heard anything bad about it though. The only thing that she heard that was a bit unusual is that more ponies go in on average than come out.

 

She then smiled as the chords started to take more shape and present a few beats. The sound was completely different to the songs that he had done to this point, but yet it was it. Everything melded together. The song itself had tones of energy in it, and and Wind could feel herself tapping her hooves and nodding her head with the beat. She could already start picturing things to put with it. Almost instinctively she felt her wings raise a bit, but she quickly forced herself to fold them back as she began to feel a slight breeze. She definitely didn't need to stir up anything right now. She couldn't help but blush a bit as she shuffled in her seat. Her wings wanted to move on their own so it was taking her conscious effort to keep them pinned next to her. Of course the slight breeze didn't go unnoticed by the other customers whom glanced at her when they felt it making her blush even more.

 

As he began singing and she began listening to the song, she couldn't help but find herself imagining what Polohoma must be like. It was definitely a place that she wanted to visit at some point but, she was a performer and so many counted on her for smiles. There was no way that she could go on a vacation right now. It would have to be planned like... almost six months in advance, and even then that was a hard maybe. And even though she had to make an effort to keep her wings closed, she still couldn't stop herself from moving to the music. She was a performer after all, there had to be a little give. She would have to get them a gig where they performed together at some point... At that point she started to get gears turning in her head... she'd need to invite him to a few of her practices... After tonight and how everything had started she was fairly certain that she could pull some strings to get them an act together. Until then, her mind was turning on other ways she could help. She music started to die down and then he disconnected some of the devices that were on the crystal keyboard. He added that he'd never been to Polohama either and that he would love to perform there at some point so he could sing that song there, and share the experience of playing it here tonight for the first time with them. Perhaps that trip could be sooner if they were doing a performance over there. After all, then it's a business trip and everything has to be planned accordingly!

 

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

Ice Storm felt the weight against her as Raven and her rocked back and forth as they listened to the music. She listened to him add that the next song that he choose for the night then didn't seem so out of place now. When he started, the first thing that she noticed was that the style was different' The tone was still pure, but the instrumental part was almost like a mixture of the electricy sounds that he was just using but also kind of a rocky sound that Khaz has? It was definitly unique and different, but it wasn't bad. In fact it had a really good, and really catchy beat. Even Windy was starting to get into it. Of course... She watched Windy fold her wings back down and blush as soon as a breeze was felt on the roof top. Thankfully it was an open sky up here tonight but most ponies knew where that brief gust came from.

 

Her focus then shifted back to the singer. She was surprised that how well the contrasting sounds worked together. You could very clearly distinguish both parts of the song and it made it quite enjoyable to listen to. The moldy of the lyrics and the moldy of the song danced in her ears. He definitely had talent and would have to Thank Windy for bringing him into the limelight here. By now her Cider had arrived and her sandwich the crumbs of an afterthought. Of course she was hungry enough she was contemplating ordering a second, but that would wait until after this song.

[Alivda]

Raven closed her eyes in preparation for the next song, trusting Icy to lean against her and keep her upright. She thought for a second on how things could seem out of place and then change, and couldn't hold back a small giggle. When she'd first joined STAR, she was simply looking for a place to utilize her parent's army like training, and instead,  had ended up as a researcher, dating the head of the organization. She wouldn't change it for a second, though, as Icy made her heart swell, and just filled her heart in a way she'd never felt before. She could still remember how she'd been unable to really talk when she'd first seen how beautiful Icy was, and it was a memory she'd always treasure. As she listened to the musician, her memory drifted to her travels with her parents. She couldn't really remember the towns they'd been to, and she hadn't made a habit of traveling after her accident... She wasn't sure if she'd ever been to the place this song was about...

[Blueblood]

Once again, the song was received well, and the evening was far enough along that the applause in the cafe properly filled the space.  It was energizing to Sky Sailing, who visibly perked up as he flexed his wings.  He needed to stretch and loosen them after such tight feather-work; fortunately, he didn't have Windy's ability to create gust with a single flap.  He could feel the nascent breezes Wind Dancer was stirring up though, and he caught her gaze just as she was clamping down.  With a laugh and a wink, he placed his own wings back down on the keyboard.  "Ah, thank you.  A lot of my early songs came out of lonely nights.  And it's not like I stayed inside all the time, but even when I went places, it was like I couldn't walk outside of my own head to say hello.  And half the time, when I did, I ended up waking up and realizing it was all a dream.  You know what it is to work up your courage to start making a friend, only to realize they were never real?  Those weren't easy mornings to get up to."

 

Feathers slightly stroked the keys, picking out a few notes.  "But other times, it did work out.  I just had to get over the introvert's fear of the rest of the world, which usually meant realizing that almost all the bad things that happened to me in the world weren't real either, just paper tigers.  Which is where this song came from, so I hope you like it!"

 

Spoiler

 

 

He stripped down the sound for this one, letting the keyboard predominate, along with his voice.

 

"Well I’ve been huddled up alone by the fire even though
I’m not exactly feeling cold
And I’ve been bundled up for days too confused to be amazed
At all the icy water in my veins
Why do I feel so alone?

Yeah, I’ve been moving in and out of this old split-level house
And I’d just as soon burn the whole place down
'Cause I quit working lumberyards to build a mansion out of cards
But I feel thin behind these paper walls
Why do I feel so alone?

'Cause the angriest bark is always worse than the bite
Like the ache in my chest that my heart didn’t invite
But if the prettiest romance isn’t perfectly right
That makes every love lost just a holiday every night

Well, I’ve been painting through the night in the basement out of sight
Brushing paper tigers black and white
'Cause come tomorrow afternoon I’ll fill a helium balloon
And set 'em free into the baby blue sky
So they won’t have to be alone

'Cause the angriest bark is always worse than the bite
Like the ache in my chest that my heart didn’t invite
But if the prettiest romance isn’t perfectly right
That makes every love lost just a holiday every night

But when I close these heavy lids after dark
Each sweet dream is a target
And all my shots are so consistently wide of the mark

'Cause the angriest bark is always worse than the bite
Like the ache in my chest that my heart didn’t invite
But if the prettiest romance isn’t perfectly right
That makes every love lost just a holiday every night
Just a holiday every night, just a holiday every night
Just a holiday every night

Well I’ve been huddled up alone by the fire even though
I’m not exactly feeling cold
But how my heartache hit the trail when a paper tiger tail
Fluttered down, I guess I’ll never know."

 

He wrapped up the song on a soft note, sighing in relief as it was done.  "I wrote it to be a happy song, but it doesn't always bring the best memories.  Music's a kind of alchemy in that way, you can turn a bad time into a good tune, but you'll always be left with leftover ingredients."  He stretched his pinfeathers, feeling the joints pop with a grimace.  "Phew, this isn't as easy as it looks, but I've got a couple more numbers in me.  I already know what I want for the last one, but is there anything you guys want to hear?  I've got several in my backlog for all occasions, so if you wanted to make tonight special for yourself or someone else, just ask for a accompaniment!" 

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

Wind couldn't help but smile sheepishly when Sky Sailing looked at her when the slight breeze kicked up. She hadn't meant to, and she actually felt really bad about it. She felt a little bit better when she saw him wink at her. At least it let her know that he wasn't upset with her. To her, that was.... well the third most important thing about tonight. The first was his happiness and then the happiness of everypony else, which in their line of work directly affected that first aspect quite a bit. She considered herself lucky that if there were ponies that were disappointed in her shows, they were few and far in between and drowned out by those who loved them. Because of the nature of her performances as well, it helped her not really notice if ponies didn't stay for the entire performance. She knew that there were going to be ponies that didn't care for her style of entertainment and that was okay.

 

She heard Sky start telling the crowd that a lot of his early songs came out of lonely nights, talking about how his dreams affected him. She thought about the first night that she met him and he kept asking about if she was real or just another pony from his dreams. He further commented that it was incredibly difficult to open himself up to make friends because he was always afraid that he would wake up and find out that the friend he just made was a dream. Her heart sank a bit. No pony should be scared to make friends, and to have moments like that... she felt a small bit of happiness inside of her that he had chosen to give her a chance and not presume that she was just a dream. But she smiled a bit as well, when he perked up a bit saying that it was a double edged sword in a sense because it also meant that everything bad that happened to him wasn't real either. He started picking up more notes off of the keyboard. He mentioned being able to push past the paper tigers and that was the inspiration for the song that followed.

 

As he started singing, she raised an eyebrow. The lyrics were definitely different and she could hear the hurt and sorrow behind them even though the song itself was upbeat and melodic. He continued, and the chorus caught her attention. She could tell exactly what that part of the song based off of what he just had told everyone. The chorus she could tell was about him waking up and realizing that all of the friends he just made were figments of a dream world and not actually there. One thing she was sure of, was that she was going to try her hardest to make sure that he never has to feel anything to that extent again. She already had developed some strong feelings from him after all, and tonight was the final test to see if they were well placed. So far, everything seemed exactly as she hoped, but the performance wasn't over yet.

 

The song continued, and when he finished it, he commented that the song itself didn't bring back the best memories despite being wrote to be a happy song. She had already gathered as such and was happy that she was able to read the song correctly. She smiled and looked to the crowd a bit when he asked if anypony had a request that they would like. That he had a decent backlog of things prepared for tonight as well. He added that he had a couple more of his originals prepared for tonight as well. She personally wasn't sure all that he knew and didn't wanna put him on the spot by requesting something that he didn't know. Just then she saw a pony stand up in the back of the room. It was the owner.

 

"I would like to make a special request myself. I hope you know this one because of the meaning that it will have with almost everypony in the audience tonight. Life itself can be cruel and unforgiving. It sounds like you've been through your fair share of turmoil just like most of the rest of us," they said looking towards Wind Dancer with a smile. "This song I request I send out to Ms Wind Dancer, Mr. Storm from our neighboring establishment, and any other pony that is present that pulled themselves from the ashes of a rock bottom start to life. I personally would like thank all of you, for not losing sight of what is truly important in this world," the owner said with a smile. "I would like to request, 'It's Time' from Imaginary Ponies."

 

Wind Dancer was at a loss for words. One, she wasn't expecting them to put her on the spot like that in a show that wasn't hers. But to hear how highly they thought of her, and the others here and to hear them talk so highly and readily willing to request more from Sky made her swell with pride, happiness, and a platonic love. Wind's she gave the owner a warm smile when she looked at her with tears in her eyes before the owner moved to the other owner present and nodded. She didn't know if Sky knew exactly who it was that was making the request from him, but thought he might figure it out when she started talking about her neighboring establishment next door. Wind Dancer knew exactly who it was though, and with them making a request like that... she knew that this wasn't going to be his last performance in this establishment.

 

 

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

Ice continued to sip at her hard cider as she let the music wash over her and Raven. During the small break in the music she decided to go ahead and order a second sandwich and it was here before long. She listened as the singer spoke about some of his experiences growing up. She imagined that it would be difficult in circumstances like that to make friends, but she was happy that not all of the ponies that he was making friends with turned out to be dreams. After all, the one that was sitting booth next to him seemed like a very important friend to him at this point. The way they looked at each other, the body language that they had, the way they seemed to be able to communicate without words... yeah... if they weren't yet Ice had a feeling that they would be a couple soon.

 

What she wasn't expecting thought was the golden coated owner of the place to stand up when the singer put out the question for requests. She herself couldn't think of a song off the top of her head but when Golden Bit started talking and she heard what the mare start saying she couldn't help but smile. She knew that the owners here were good ponies, but she'd never had a chance to sit down with them herself. Seeing her first hoof, and hearing the high praise that she had for her performers and seeing how she held herself, she could see why they were one of the most respected owners here in the city. The owner even turned to her giving her some praise and commented about how things had been for her when she grew up. She intrinsically wondered how she knew that, but she also knew that money talked and she likely had sources just like she did for things that were going on behind different scenes.

 

At this point, Ice was just content to lean against Raven. Once the owner turned away a bit and everypony else had focused their attention back on the singer, Ice gave Raven a small kiss on her cheek before letting her head fall on her shoulder. It wasn't that she was worried about everypony else's reaction to kissing Raven, it was more she was worried about Raven's reaction to getting kissed while they were the momentary center of attention. The last time that happened was an exciting event for sure.

[PyroBlaze]

Terry closed his eyes for the latest number, just letting it wash over him as he listened. He’d have to introduce himself afterwards, get to know this stallion a bit better and perhaps help get him more gigs. His little inn wasn’t really a big venue, but maybe he could try having some live music in it sometime. Something to run by Leche, he supposed, see what she thought of the idea. 
 

For now though, the song was ending, so he applauded as his eyes opened up again and a smile spread across his face. When the call for requests went out, he had to think about if there were any songs he wanted to hear, and in the meantime another pony spoke up. The owner, Golden Bit, requested her song after a bit of lead-up, so Terry decided to keep quiet for now and see if anything came to mind before next time. 

[Alivda]

Raven smiled as Icy kissed her and leaned against her, her horn sparking just slightly, only really noticeable because of the dim lighting. She'd heard the owner of this casino's request, and agreed it was a good song, though she'd have chosen 'On Top of the World' by the same band, seeing as it was a more triumphant song. However, she didn't want to suggest the same band if she did suggest anything, and that was the owner, so... She'd wait, to the next song... Hopefully he'd be able to preform the song she wanted...

[Blueblood]

Sky hadn't been in town long enough to learn the names of the big players in Los Pegasus, though truth be told, the dream-drifty way in which he lived his life could well have left him oblivious to them for years on end, if they didn't come of their own accord into his life.  Golden Bit was coming in now, and true to Wind Dancer's assumptions, Sky Sailing didn't know her from Princess Bluebelle.  Even her remark about "neighboring establishment" didn't ring any alerts in his mind; if he thought about it at all, he supposed that Golden Bit was the manager of this cafe, and 'Ms. Storm' ran the gift shop, or something.

 

In any case, Sky was as willing to accede to her request as to any other audience member, and as none others were forthcoming, 'Imaginary Ponies' it was.  Sky knew the band, of course, few in the music industry didn't, though he couldn't claim a deep knowledge of their discography.  This song he knew, at least, though.  "Alright, then.  Hm, I'd like to give it a little more percussion than a drum machine can muster, though.  Hold on..."  Adjusting the grip on his guitar as he picked it up once again, he tried to position himself on his chair so he could stamp his hooves on the ground.  "Yeah, that's it.  So, if I could ask everypony in the front row, to just clop along once I set the rhythm?  I think that will make this sound so much better.  Alright?  Let's go."

 

Spoiler

 

 

It took a bit for the ring of ponies in the first set of tables to get in sync, but soon enough Sky was able to have the rhythm carry the song.

 

"So this is what you meant
When you said that you were spent
And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit, right to the top
Don't hold back
Packing my bags and giving the Academy a rain check

 

I don't ever want to let you down
I don't ever want to leave this town
'Cause after all
This city never sleeps at night

 

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

 

So this is where you fell
And I am left to sell
The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell right to the top
Don't look back
Turning to rags and giving the commodities a rain check

 

I don't ever want to let you down
I don't ever want to leave this town
'Cause after all
This city never sleeps at night

 

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am.

 

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am.

 

This road never looked so lonely
This house doesn't burn down slowly
To ashes
To ashes

 

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

 

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am."

 

His performance was good, but it was pretty clear that in a lot of cases Sky was singing somepony else's words.  It was only to be expected; the original author wrote the lyrics form the perspective of somepony who'd already made it, after dealing with both bad fortune, and good, reaffirming their commitment to maintain their identity.  Sky hadn't yet taken that journey, so his mood was more aspirational.  But when he got to the lines of 'I don't ever want to let you down/I don't ever want to leave this town,' his voice filled those lines to the brim with sincerity.  In this city, he'd found the first ponies, besides his parents, who really believed in him, and this was his way of saying thank you.

 

The song wound down, with the stomps and clops of music fading naturally into applause.  The stallion smiled over his microphone, placing the guitar back in its case.  "Thank you.  I've got one more for you tonight, a very special one, in fact.  I asked some of the stage ponies who work here if I could bring in a few experimental things for the show, and they were quite interested.  Brought a few ideas to the table themselves, in fact.  As soon as I hear that they've got everything ready..."

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

Wind Dancer smiled back towards the stage as Sky called out to the ponies to start mimicking the rhythm for him, and no sooner did Sky start with it, Wind saw Golden bit start into it as well. Wind soon followed in once she heard the beat a couple times. This song was new to her, as she hadn't heard a lot of stuff from Imagine Ponies yet. It had been on her list to get around to but... that was a very long list. When the lyrics started, she could tell the inspiration behind them quite easily. It wasn't only that though... Wind found herself pausing in her rhythm as almost like a movie... everything from her memoir began to play in her mind along with the song. It was something that she wasn't going to ever forget herself, but this felt different... she felt like she was watching everything unfold. As it continue, more and more of her memories started playing side by side each other. The pain of the past playing next to the exhilarating performances of the present.

 

It was then that the final words of the chorus resonated with her, and she immediately understood what Golden Bit meant... She could already feel her eyes beginning to water as she looked back to the soft smile she was wearing as she looked both to her and Sky, and she was never good at hiding her emotions to begin with. It took every bit of self control she had not to have a full break down right there, but she couldn't stop a few tears from rolling down. She thought back to her parents, wishing that they could be here to see this, and how far she's come from the night of that accident. She knew that her parents would be so proud of her. Every verse was another set of scenes, and she had to wipe her eyes quite a bit afterwards, but her cheeks were already tear-marked. Wind couldn't help but smile and stand up to receive the hug that Golden bit offered her.

 

"I won't... Don't worry," she whispered and smiled to Golden bit when she heard her say never lose track of herself, and never ever change. She'd made it this far because of everypony else that was around her. She wanted to help be that rock for others as well, to show that no matter what happened in the past, as long as you survive, you can overcome it. As the song wound down, the applause was much larger than the previous ones and louder too. When he mentioned he had one more and she noticed that this last song was requiring a bit of a set up for it. She had to wonder what was in store for this last one. On the flip-side, it also meant that he was just about done for the night. Another amazing night was coming to an end... she didn't want him to go home yet... maybe she could get him to stay with her again tonight... or they could go back to his place tonight! One thing she knew... ever since she'd met him, she'd found herself lonelier and lonelier every night that he wasn't there with her...

 

 

 

~~~Golden Bit~~~

 

When the pony on the stage began to set the beat for the song that she had requested. Golden Bit immediately joined in with helping provide the percussive rhythm for it. Once a good portion of the ponies that had joined in, including Wind she smiled. She paused a bit though as she felt a brief tug inside her and then looked over to Windy. When she briefly lit her horn, she could feel wave after wave of emotion from her as she looked like she had a deer in a lamplight look on her face. She didn't know what exactly was going on or she she was okay until she turned back to her and saw the teary eyes smile.

 

She started making her way over to her and smiled when she stepped out from the booth and embraced the mare in a hug. "Don't you ever change... no matter what happens or where life takes you... promise me you won't lose the heart that's kept you so strong," she whispered getting a small response from Wind. "Good. I will hold you to that... besides.. it looks like you found a good one," she whispered with a smile before pulling back to applaud as the song finished and everything started to get set up for the last song of the night. With the way everything else was for tonight, she was excited to see what he had planned with all of the gadgets that he had placed now.

 

 

 

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

Ice was also among the ponies that hadn't heard the song that was suggested. When she heard the lyrics though, she instantly understood what the owner had meant when she requested it for those that had either been born at, or hit rock bottom at some point and then pulled their way back up to where they were today. If only she knew just how far she'd actually pulled herself from. She couldn't help but rock a bit with Raven, and by the time the second chorus was being played, most of the restaurant was singing with him, with Ice come in herself at 'I'm never changing who I am.'

 

That wasn't entirely true. She had changed a lot from when she was younger. She wasn't the feeble one anymore that was worried about disappointing somepony in fear she'd lose what bit of stability she had. She was no longer the pony that needed to look to others for protection, only to rarely find it. She was now the pony that was responsible for doing exactly that. Was that a bad change? She didn't think so. After all, it was that path that brought her here today. And despite everything... she couldn't deny that she was still herself. In fact, it was because of all the friendships and relationships along the way that she felt that she had to take on the role that she did. If she couldn't protect her friends, her family... her ponies that she cared for... then who would? The guard had proven that they could be bought or brainwashed and they had let them down on multiple occasions... No... She was the protector of others. That is who she was... and thinking back... that's how she's always been... and that's how she forever will be.

 

She was quick to join into the applause from everypony else and much like everypony else at this point, she was anxiously awaiting the final song from his act. She could see everything getting set up and put in place for it, and she wondered just what exactly was about to happen. It was going to be interesting that was for sure.

[Alivda]

Raven smiled, softly singing along with the song as she leaned into Icy, a warm feeling in her heart. This wasn't all that she had ever wanted in her life... but it was close. She could give up the rest of it, as long as she got to stay with Icy. The music did carry her back, made her think of the bullies and losing her parents, but also reminded her of how she cared for those who were downtrodden in Canterlot. She still had a good portion of her family's wealth... More than she would need... Maybe she could set up, become a patron of sorts for artists and performers who were looking to establish themselves here... She'd have to discuss it with Icy, she knew more about this than Raven ever would on her own...

 

Once the song was over, She bit her lip, a little saddened by not being able to request a song, but that was okay. To be honest, the last song, while good, lacked that flair that came with knowing the subject of the song. Instead, she decided that she could use a little more food herself, and settled in to hear the last song on the musician's set list... and who knew? Perhaps he'd be able to perform a few encores... Maybe she could pull the old joke off and get him to play 'Free Bird'...

[Blueblood]

This next number would require a lot of setup, so Sky Sailing could only catch a few glances of his audience’s reactions to his last number in between setting things up.  The guitar was fully put away now, stowed behind the stage while speakers, what looked like crystal amplifiers, lights, and… foals toys?  The whole was spread around his hooves as he worked, but to keep his audience captive, he kept speaking.

 

“I know I’ve said before about how the cloud of dreams I drift through make life a little hard, and a little strange, but I also feel that it makes everything in some way wonderful.  There’s always something potentially amazing in waiting for me every time I close my eyes, or open them.  This one’s about a sweet dream I had, some time ago, that I’m still not sure wasn’t real, which is a much better doubt to have than the opposite.”

The last addition to his set was a panel of lights on top of his keyboard.  Once that was done, he looked up again, catching the eye of Golden Bit.  He saw his cue to begin, and to be perfectly honest, he couldn’t wait.

Spoiler

 

The sounds were very electronic this time, but instead of the reverberating distortions common to dance music, the notes came out as clear as chimes.  Wind Dancer might even recognize the tune, as the one which she danced to for him the first time she visited his cloud home.  He’d managed to make some lyrics for it by now, and now she might understand where the inspiration for his suggestion concerning her dance…

 

“You would not believe your eyes

If ten million fireflies

Lit up the world as I fell asleep”

 

As he sang out the first lines, all the lights around him would begin to illuminate, blinking in time with the music as more and more of them were synced to the melody.

 

“'Cause they fill the open air

And leave teardrops everywhere

You'd think me rude but I would just stand and stare.

 

I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems”

 

As his whispered first repetition of the chorus concluded, the various toys around him would behind to come to life, waking up, walking, or just looking around as the magic of the music seemed to fill the room all around them.

 

“'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs

From ten thousand lightning bugs

As they tried to teach me how to dance

A foxtrot above my head

A sock hop beneath my bed

A disco ball is just hanging by a thread (thread, thread)

 

I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems (when I fall asleep)”

 

The second chorus had been a loud drop of sound, with the speakers now all coming in line for a full room-filling portion of the song.  As the bridge began, this full sound began to wake up flying toys and vehicles in the back of the room, which then made their way through the tables and audience to circle and race around the singer at the front.

 

“Leave my door open just a crack

(Please take me away from here)

'Cause I feel like such an insomniac.

(Please take me away from here)

Why do I tire of counting sheep

(Please take me away from here)

When I'm far too tired to fall asleep?

 

To ten million fireflies

I'm weird cause I hate goodbyes

I got misty eyes as they said farewell (said farewell).

But I'll know where several are

If my dreams get real bizarre

'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar (jar, jar)

 

I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems (when I fall asleep)

I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems (when I fall asleep)”

 

Just then, as the song was at its peak of volume Sky hit a button on his keyboard, and the lights started to go out one by one.  The toys surrounding him began to sputter and drop down, asleep, or void of the life the song had given them.  He sang out the chorus one last time, in a soft whisper, as once again the stage grew dark around him, and the speakers faded to just the simple string of melodic notes:

 

“I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

Because my dreams are bursting at the seams.”

 

The song ended, leaving a second of silence before any applause would come.  Sky would greet it with a smile, and a somewhat tired look in his eyes.  "Thank you, thank you all for coming out here.  It means a lot to have everyone I know in this city here, and maybe some new friends, too.  Now, I'm kind of hungry, so I'm going to get a sandwich myself.  I'll hold a Q & A at my table, too, if you don't mind waiting between bites."

 

At this, he would turn off the last of the switches on his keyboard, before getting up to take the other chair at the table Wind Dancer sat at.  Sitting back down with a sigh, he looked over at the mare and smiled.  "Well, I did it.  How'd I do?"