{Las Pegasus} A Late Night Stroll[Attn: Blue]

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

The smile that was on Wind's face widened as she heard the words that Sky was telling her, all without missing a strum. When he told her that she was one of those sights that he thought he'd only seen in dreams before, she giggled. "Well," she said through her giggles. "I can assure you that you're not dreaming, and that I am one hundred percent not a dream," she smiled before swooping up to him and giving him a boop on the nose. "If I was a dream, I wouldn't be able to do that and you feel it," she giggled again.

 

When he brought up the idea of fireflies, she thought about it for a moment, and she liked the concept, but felt it needed to be altered just a bit. "I like that idea, but perhaps not with fireflies. As you've noticed, my gusts can get a good but if force behind them and they are small enough that i could easily hurt them by accident. Perhaps something that has a similar effect like enchanted confetti, or using a glitter based confetti in combination with the lights that are already present in Las Pegasus. Those could work and I don't have to worry about accidentally hurting something as innocent as a firefly," she finished with a smile while she hovered there. 

[Blueblood]

Sky's face scrunched up in an undeniably cute way when booped.  Cute enough to tempt a repeat, in fact.  "Um, I dream pretty vividly.  You can have all senses in a dream.  At least, I do.  Maybe other ponies don't.  That... might explain why nopony else seems to share my confusion."  The thought made him pause, as it had never really occurred to him before that it was unusual to dream in all senses.  "Huh.  Anyway, that's what I mean when I say I'm a light sleeper, but a heavy dreamer.  My dreams could simulate anything, even that.  But I'm willing to bet you're real."  He gave Wind Dancer a grin, as he got off his perch, swinging the guitar back around to rest on his withers.

 

"Oh, of course."  He answered, in response to the plight of the fireflies.  "You'd probably have to use special effects to simulate the sight, but that's what I couldn't help but think about as I watched you dance.  Dancing fireflies... yeah, that works."  He nodded, his mind drifting away from the conversation.  "I think that's what I'll make the song about, but I've got to write this down..."  He made to go back inside, before suddenly remembering he had a guest!  Sheepishly, he turned back to the mare, blushing, "I'm sorry, but I have to write this song while inspiration is still fresh.  Can we meet up again later, though?  I'll be staying in town for a while, I think."

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

Wind thought for a moment about how he dreamed. It was indeed odd. If he could feel in dreams and then feel the same when awake... then how did he know he was awake? Still though, the look on his face from the boop was priceless. She felt tempted to do it again, but the professional inside of her got the better of her. 

 

Wind smiled as he understood where she was coming from. She liked the idea and she was doing something similar to that concept here in a few days at the Mareage. She'd be using the water and lights from the volcano display... which... made her realize she needed to check on that order. She wanted a change to practice in that flight suit before the show to break it in. Breaking in s new suit during show was always painful. 

 

She was about to bring that up to Sky when she noticed that he seemed to have a spark of inspiration. He told her that that he needed to write now while he had the inspiration to do so and asked if they could meet up again. "I'd love to. And that works anyway. I need to get back in town to check on an order for the show. See you at seven on Wednesday!" 

[Blueblood]

"I certainly will!"  Striking inspiration or not, Sky Sailing stayed on deck long enough to wave goodbye to Wind Dancer, with a big smile on his face.  Who would have thought that a chance meeting from taking a nap in a tree could have led to meeting a mare like her?  It was things like this that really made Sky feel that his life was a dream... but he really, really hoped his new friend was real.

 

~*~

 

The past couple of days had been spent living as a hermit, more or less.  It was like this whenever Sky Sailing was on a creative streak; as usually happened when inspiration drove him to the writing table, it lingered for longer than just one song.  He was pretty sure he had the beginnings of a full LP on his hooves, with a standout single, as long as he was smart in how he released it.  All artists dreamed of their breakout hit, of getting noticed by enough ponies, or at least a few of the right ponies.

 

But it seemed that his new friend Wind Dancer had gotten that break, and Sky wasn't about to forget her show.  Not when he'd spent a good portion of his limited bits on a ticket!  He had a sense that she might have paid for his admission, but... things that came free were to easily taken for granted, and he didn't want to do that.  Not to her.  *Why do I feel so strongly about that?*  He asked himself, preening his wings and combing his mane before going out on the town.  *Is it artistic integrity?  Or... something personal?*  He made no attempt to answer that question, content to let himself wander in wonder as he found an unwrinkled shirt and tie.

 

While Sky had been in Los Pegasus before, he had yet to hit that neon-lit portion of it made famous by the tourism bureau.  The bright lights blazed like the stars themselves had come down from the heavens to party here on earth.  It was a fascinating, but slightly frightening sight.  The stallion couldn't help but gawp at the sight, but kept himself above street level, out of the way of everypony else.  He made his way to Wind Dancer's show, carefully trying not to attract too much attention.  Getting into the darkened outer theater was a bit of a relief, even though the Mareage was by no means a dark place.  It just wasn't the street outside, and that was enough for him for now.  He could perch in the stands (only able to afford the cheap seats), and await with mounting anticipation what he was about to behold...

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

Wind Dancer smiled and she waved good bye to Sky as she turned and made her way back to Las Pegasus proper. She was thankful to find that her order for the upcoming show had in fact been completed. Without a second thought she went home to break in the suit. She was very pleased as to how it came out. It was made from a stretchy shimmersilk, and was almost arctic colored with very faint traces of light sky blue disguised as wind blowing eighth notes through the background, and a treble staff across her chest. It glinted and shimmered greatly here in the day light. She could only imagine what it would look like with the moonlight, the lights from the strip, and the lights from the Volcano itself. Knowing that her new friend was going to be there as well... it made her giddy just thinking about it.

 

~*~

 

Spoiler

 

Nervousness... It was a feeling that for the most part Wind had long forgotten. After having doing so many live shows before, this one was different. First and foremost, this show was very dangerous. She couldn't let the winds get too out of hand until the volcano got ready for it's grand finale or she risked blowing the pyrotechnics of the event towards populated areas. The grounds team though said that they made sure specifically for this tandem show, to replace most of the fire jets with water jets, and were using lights in the lake to simulate the effect. It was far less likely for somepony to get hurt from getting wet. In fact, Wind Dancer presumed almost everypony in attendance would be by the time that this show was over. She still had to be careful though for the final eruption of the volcano did have a large bout of flame that spewed from the top as well as it's column of water. They increased the pressure of the water so that it would shoot higher, but the updraft that she would make when bursting through would carry both the fire and the water high into the sky and she could start part two of her routing.

 

Overall she was happy with the planning as well. The first song that was being played for the eruption was one of her all time favorites, and a routine that she had done many times before. Flight of the Pegasus would always be a staple in households everywhere. At least ones that respected the music of old. Wagmare was one of her all time favorite classical composers. The second song, Move it, was a lot more modern and would be exciting for the younger crowd. It was also much more an intense routine as while the first would have her mostly on the lake, the entire second movement of her show would be airborne and she'd have to use the direction of the wind to shape the water in the air as it fell back to the ground all without letting the water return to the lake. It was going to be by far one of the most strenuous shows that she'd done. To the point where the event coordinators, the casino owners, and her agent that handled the casino bookings were all asking if she thought she could physically handle it. She had no doubts at all. She'd been able to keep the routines up in training and practice without too much of an issue. She only had about half of the water she was supposed to by the end of each run, but was more than enough to get the job done.

 

Tonight was also one of the few nights they every brought out the theater seating for the Volcano. They did so specifically because they didn't want anypony too close to the lake if the fire from the jets did get out of control, and give Wind time to get herself set before everything started. She had a very specific spot that she wanted to be in when the lights came on. Before the curtains closed though, she did managed to peek through and see Sky sitting up in the upper levels of the seating. She felt her heart flutter a bit. He came!!! He remembered!! She found herself now very happy and ready to get everything stared.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Then, the lights around the Strip dimmed. All of them. There was an unwritten rule of courtesy that all of the casinos and establishments seemed to comply with here in Las Pegasus, and that was when one of the other casinos was performing a big out door show, they would do what they could to minimize distractions. They still had a business to run, but they wouldn't go out of their way to take away the enjoyment that others are paying to see. The lights dimming meant one thing though. It was showtime.

 

Instead of pulling the curtain back and leaving the metal bars to block vision potentially, and them be an extra hazard for both Wind and others, they rolled them away. At that point once they had been secured, the spotlight came on, shining directly on her as the music began to play. When it did, the initial movements weren't much as she unfurled her wings. Ripples could be seen swirling around her in the water as the winds began to pick up and already, the tips of her hooves rested on the water as if she were walking on it. With a single axial and then a burst of wind in all directions, and the first of the water jets going off to get caught in the wind, illuminated red. From there, Wind was in motion, using her wings and the wind she created to skate across the top of the water. As the song continued,, every burst and echo of the melody of the piece came new bursts of water, and new jumps, and new shapes, all amplified from the winds that she was kicking up. She was doing good so far that with a few burst gusts by design, specifically timed when there was no fire, the winds stayed relatively calm.

 

From there, the volcano behind her started to activate, the fiery lights inside of the magma chamber beginning to make their presence known, and the water beginning to spew, showing signs that a dangerous eruption was imminent. At this point Flight of the Pegasus was entering the softer more dissident stage of the piece. The instruments and chords began to clash as the speed of which Wind was skating in her storm was picking up. The winds themselves began to build with the tension. Then came the section of the dissident chords and falls leading it to the dissident melody. every burst of the chord was an axial, but no burst, no additional flare as the chords and the falls came back for the second time.

 

The first chord, she began to spin in place as the water began to swirl around her, the second cord, and then in rapid succession building the water and wind around her with each of the chord progression up... Single Axial, Double Axial, triple axial, all without missing a step, and all without a release of the tension. The volcano behind her was now roaring, water churning and bubbling from it's peak, flames bursting from it's caldera in time with her axials. At this point from all the fire and the water that had been misted into the air, the ponies in the crowd would be able to see the wind currents that Wind Dancer was generating and they'd be able to not only feel, but see the winds churning and swirling over the lake. At the moment, from the winds building the way they were, the center of the lake looked like it had a small hurricane churning over the top of it.

 

Then, Wind's speed kicked up even more as the final chorus of the melody started to play and the dramatic build of the ending and the final eruption began to build. She began backcircling the mountain part of the volcano, getting drenched with each burst of water as the volcano spilled over more and more. She had to time this perfectly. She continued to get closer and closer to the short summit, the circles tightening and getting faster still. Wind was no rainbow, but she could still get a decent burst of speed behind her. Especially if the winds are assisting her. Then with a cacophonous boom, and pillar of fire shooting from the mouth of the volcano, Wind Dancer burst through, pulling and releasing the entire flow of wind that she had been building into the air. The amount of wind had also pulled some of the water in the lake but no where near as high as the water that had shot from the eruption itself as the final chord played of the first song and then all went silent. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

"I like to move it move it,

I like to move it move it,

I like to move it move it,

You like ta.... Move it!!"

 

The next song began over the sound system, and Wind could be seen nodding her head in time with the words as the soft bass line started, and then... as soon as the bass drum kicked, Wind Dancer started the second half of her routine with very fast, quick, decisive movements, contorting her body in ways that most pegasi wouldn't think possible. Every bass kick was met with a hip shake, wing kick, coordinated leg movements, the entire time looking like she was standing on her hind legs in mid air. She never lost altitude, and every movement generated powerful gusts of wind. At this point, multiple spotlights of different colors were on her and the swirling masses of water in the sky as the winds had them now generated the water into double-helix horizontal corkscrews.

 

At this point ponies were gathered in masses well outside of the theater to see the show. If Sky would look at the crowd at all during her performance, the entire square was packed. And then, right before the fade out at the end so that the show ending fit better, the music cut out with one final base hit, with Wind holding a pose with one wing wrapped around her as well as her for arm, her head down into the forearm and her other wing and 'arm' extended, slowly falling as the swirling water all poured itself back into the lake as Wind herself came to land still holding the pose on the top of the Volcano as she waited for the response of the crowd.

[Blueblood]

As the lights further dimmed, so did the ambient noise, as if one were a signal for the other.  For all the vaunted rudeness of the cities, the courtesy of the theater was extended to public performances as a ritual.  The ancients did so, with a fully divine meaning backing their actions.  Perhaps it would have been to much to say that they were gathered here to witness a goddess (Wind Dancer was not, after all, an alicorn), but for his part, Sky Sailing's silence was reverential more than habitual.

 

And then... the curtains rolled back, and the first trills of the music began to wash over the audience.  He recognized the piece from the first sound of the strings, and it quickly slotted into the background as Wind soared to the front.  He'd seen her dance before, in a private performance, but here was a full, choreographed routine, where the play of light against the water, the water following the trail of the wind, and the dancer were all deliberately aimed to create the impression of transcendence.

Sky breathed in, holding each breath until he could no longer, his attention fully captivated by the dancer, seeming to straddle the line between Mercury and Vulcan.  The tune brought to mind the mythological, and the routine was perfectly fitted to convey the grand sweep of the original source material.  Storm, thunder, rain, fire, earth, the pegasus danced with them all!

With barely a pause to fit in a burst of spontaneous applause, falling on the theater like the raindrops from Wind's last move, there came a sharp break in style, pulling the mind from ancient days to the here and now.  Or rather, the here and decade and a half ago.  Sky had been a young colt when this song first came out, but it was little surprise that his age group still appreciated it.  It was just the sort of jam that could get the most uncoordinated and un-confident up on their hooves.  For all that, it was fascinating to see what a master could do with it.  

Even though Wind Dancer was an entrancing sight, Sky found himself closing his eyes, unconsciously extending his wings.  If the song wasn't causing involuntary motion in most of the audience, it might have been seen as annoying.  As it was, Sky was able to get a sense for the winds, without the visual aid that the water would provide.  It was the sort of appreciation a common audience member wouldn't be able to give, and if that was the only thing he himself could bring as tribute... that was enough.

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

The length of silence in the air lasted just long enough until the water had fallen back into the lake. Then with no warning into the crowd, Wind Dancer fell backwards into the caldera of the volcano, only for them to activate the pressure jets one last time, firing her up twirling into the sky as the first notes of Beethooven's fifth sounded. She rode the flow of water and wind as she twirled down the mountain, picking up a bit of speed on the way. She opened her wings fully down by the lake sliding across the top of the lake onto its edge. The wind carrying the wind and the wake of the water up into the first few rows of viewers. The upper rows would be hit by the misty overflow as the music continued and a double axial from a near standstill sent Wind back in motion across the lake.

 

Her motions were slow at first, the music built, the winds, built, and her speed built. At the mini climax of tension of the opening sequence, the jets fired as she let her wing dip into the water and rolled left from the first arppegiated fall, and then flipped direction for the second fall, and then the original direction, water cascading and swirling in the air horizontally almost as if leaving contrails from her wings. That sequence ended in a double axial that sent her through a ballerina trough of moves. The music started picking up again, and she to began to ascend a bit rather than staying on the lake. The dramatic part was it seemed that the lake was starting to following her in her ascent, as the jets were now on constantly, arch and curving around the sky as Wind Dancer pulled the water into the sky, and the special effects team so far had been on point with everything. She began to incorporate a few more aerial moves into her routine, using helixes and twirls to accent the beats as the music progressed through itself once more before coming to a silent pause.

 

A moment later the melody came back, but in a minor, more sinister key, and she began to move back down to the lake surface with sharp, hard rhythmic dance steps as she returned to gliding above the lake. The piece drew out a little bit through the solo, and she slipped back into ballerina mode as the music shifted back to it's original melody and began it's final climax. When the symphony finished, silence followed. This time the pause was long enough to let all of the background reverb and echo dim. The piece that would be following was another modern piece, made using a crystal soundboard like the one that Sky had shown her.

 

Spoiler

Song 4

Song 5 (Stop at 6:26)

 

Song 6

 

Then, with a loud aetheric sounding cymbal crash that echoed through the strip, all the lights cut out. Even the neon ones on the sides of the casinos facing them. Slowly, electric music could be heard coming into the background. Then the bass and rhythmic notes kicked in, lightly at first. Every note, a strobe light came on and popped onto her, slowly first, accented only from the melody that was on the forefront. The flashing got faster, and faster, and faster as the build up continued until all the lights came back on. All strobe lights were now dancing through the sky while two remained focused on her. The ones dancing around reflecting through the water and mist that was in the sky creating a prismatic effect. The water was refracting the light in such a way that it made her look much larger than she was. Almost like it made a hologram over her. She started swinging, aerobatic flips, rolls, all of which creating powerful swirling winds in the mist, making sure to direct some of them towards the crowd.

 

That song continued and faded as she went back down onto the lake as the third and final classical song of the night started, sending her into another, intense aerial figure routine. This one was a lot gentler a tone than the first two as she picked one of Beethooven's softer works. It wasn't really slower, but it wasn't as... robust as his earlier works. Still amazing by any means and anypony who liked the old stuff would still have a copy of it. The routine went off without any drawbacks, and she soon found herself in the sky once again waiting for the final song to begin. This particular song was added at the last minute by herself. She had told the event organizers that she had met somepony the other day, that had already had a small effect on her and she wanted to thank. Since he was here, she looked directly to Sky before winking at him right as the final song started and she began her final routine.

 

Despite the last song being another electric song, there was still a lot of eloquence and grace in the dance moves that she had chosen for the slower sections, while the heavy fast sessions had a lot more pop. The music and the routine continued though the course of the song, The myriad of designs flowing together like a well woven tapestry as the Winds that she had made were starting to die down, and Wind Dancer herself slowly descended from the air once more, but instead of landing on the lake she landed on the platform behind it, striking a full spread pose on only her right hind leg, facing the crowd as the final note of the night hit. A few moments passed as the main lights started to come back on as she waited for the crowd.

[Blueblood]

It wasn't true that Sky's experience watching Wind Dancer were beyond words; there were quite a lot of words in the Equestrian language, some of them quite apt to the situation.  The best one the stallion could think of was enchanted.  Not merely in the fuzzy greeting-card sense of 'I was enchanted to meet you,' but in a more ancient sense, as if the mare's movements were the working out of a ritual spell that bound him in place and captured his attention.  Perhaps they were, unintentionally.  Perhaps the whole of the performing arts were merely the remnants of the oldest form of magic, the invocation of gods.  

 

Was that hyperbole?  The common pony might think so, especially when the thoughts were juxtaposed to modern electronica.  Beethooven held them up better.  Nonetheless, Sky couldn't help but shake the sense of something important happening tonight.  This was more than mere entertainment, he knew, somehow he knew that he would remember the day he came to see Wind Dancer perform for the rest of his life.  What it was that he would remember, though, would be more like a series of snapshots than a movie, of incredible moments.  The burst outward from the volcano, the strobe catching a pose that seemed impossible, and the wink she gave him as the last song played.

 

He blinked.  It was if there was a break in the ritual, bringing him out of reverie into consciousness.  Right here and now, for the first time in a while, he was certain that he was awake, aware of every surrounding detail.  A couple beside him were caught in the mood of the song, attentions wrapped in each other.  Had they been beside him the whole time?  He only saw them now, but briefly.  Wind still kept the majority of his attention, up until the end, when he was the first to come to his hooves in applause.  

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

There was a prolonged silence from the crowd at first as the lights started coming back on around them. Given the nature of the performance so far they were likely making sure that there wasn't anything else following like there had been. Then Sky was the first to stand to applaud and as soon as he did the rest of the audiance burst into a roaring cheer and a standing ovation for the pegasus. One that made her swell with happiness on the inside, but all the more so because the one pony that she had been hoping would come since she met him a few days ago came, and he loved it! She could feel her heart fluttering inside of her. She knew that she shouldn't get so attached so quickly... but something felt right... She just had to hope that he wouldn't be like the others that she'd tried in the past. The downside of being as popular as she was, was that sometimes ponies try to use that fame to better themselves and don't really care about the pony themselves just their fame. This... This time felt different, and she hoped that she was right... only time would be able to tell though.

 

She stood up as the spotlights focused on her and a pony came on over the speakers. "Alright everypony, Let's hear it for the Mareage's Favorite dancer, Wind Dancer!" he announced as the crowd once again, the whole crowd, even the ones that could barely see her at the back of the square boomed in applause, hoof stomps, and loud, almost deafening cheers from ponies several thousand strong whom had come to see her. She gave a final bow over her right hoof and wing. From there the event director began going over the final credits for the sound team, lighting and effects. She would have to make sure to thank all of them herself as well at some point.

 

As the crowd began to disassemble she slowly made her way to the public side of the lake and like she always did with her shows, she smiled and interacted with her fans. She signed autographs, played with some of the younger fillies. She spotted the owner of one of the next door casinos whom approached her. She had apparently come there on a date and had rave reviews of her. They talked for a small bit before she nodded to them and made her way back over to Sky. "So, what did you think? Did you like it?" she asked him with a smile.

[Blueblood]

The journey to the public side of the lake was one full of jostling for Sky; the enchanted feeling from the evening still lingered about him, keeping him in an abstracted state of mind, vulnerable to bumps from other ponies.  Everypony around was in too good a mood to mind, though, himself included.  From where he was in the crowd, he could see her interact with her fans, not without some pang of envy at how easy public appearances like this came to her.  Perhaps he should ask her how she came to do it so well...

 

Soon enough, though, they were back in front of each other again.  "That was... magical.  I was certainly spellbound, I'll tell you that!"  He replied with a smile.  "It's amazing to see what you can do when there's no restraints on you.  To see you at the peak like that... it's inspiring."  

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

 

Wind Dancer couldn't help but blush a bit from the praise that Sky was giving her. She'd heard just about all the praise before from a majority of hey fans, but hearing that everything felt magical from him had a completely different feeling behind it. It made her heart swell and over joyed her to the point where it was becoming difficult for her to contain it and keep a professional composure. The fact that he said that she was giving him so much inspiration only added to those feelings. 

 

"Thanks, that means a lot," she smiled softly. "Why don't we go grab something to eat together? After a show like that I'm starving. Though I could probably use a shower first. Between the water and sweat I'm probably a little rank at the moment," she smiled sheepishly rubbing the back of her head with her wing, her flight suit still glimmering in the lights.

[Blueblood]

"You're welcome.  And yeah, something to eat sounds great.  I might have... forgotten, on the way up here, eheh."  He laughed at himself; the anticipation had taken the edge off his appetite, but now it had come practically roaring back.  "I have an odd sleep schedule, so I was thinking about going to a diner that serves all day breakfast.  Sound good to you?"  Sky wisely decided not to comment on Wind's scent; truth be told, it wasn't that bad; Wingpits could get quite stinky, but not too much in a single day if one was regular about one's hygiene.  "I can wait outside, if you like."

 

Unbeknownst to him, his conversation with Wind Dancer was not going unnoticed by the surrounding ponies.  It was quite obvious to them that the two of them were starting to set up a date.  Already, the celebrity rumor mill was churning, and with photographers there anyway for the show, well.  This private conversation wasn't going to stay private very long!

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

 

Wind smiled when Sky accepted her invitation to dinner. Her smile turned into a slight look of worry when he said that he hadn't had anything to eat at all yet today, but that dissipated a bit when he said that it was mostly due to his sleep cycle and was planning to go somewhere anyways that served all day breakfast. "Oh! That sounds great! I know a good on that it's to far away from here. Their hay-burgers are amazing to!" She smiled. She was a little worried that she was more spot on with her current scent than she wanted to admit when no response came. A shower was definitely needed

 

"Na, don't wait out here. It an easy way to get mobbed or lost. With as many ponies that are out here, both can easily happen. A shower won't take me that long," she said before motioning for him to join her as she started to head back to where her room would be in the Mareage, waiting for him before moving to far ahead so she could get him pay security without a problem.

 

She herself was so focused on Sky, that she also didn't notice the ponies around her that had caught wind of their conversation. The reporters doing what they did, had already ideas and scribbles wrote down as to what their conversation could mean and if they're was more to come from them. They would have to wait until the presses opened later to see what they had in store for them. 

[Blueblood]

Sky blinked, a little surprised at the ready offer.  "Oh, OK."  With a shrug and a smile, he followed Wind Dancer backstage, keeping close to her as they passed by security.  His gaze wandered a bit, as he took in the place.  Given that he had never played any venue fancier than a coffee shop or cellar club, the digs given to highly-advertized Los Pegasus acts was a new thing to him.  "Wow, this whole greenroom seems almost as big as my studio!"  He remarked, right before Wind went to take a shower.

 

While the mare busied with cleaning herself, Sky would sit quietly, observing the room for anything it could tell him of its occupant.  Pictures, trophies, mementos, physical embodiments of memory and value...

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

 

Wind smiled and blushed a bit once again when Sky commented on the size of the greenroom they gave her. "Yeah, not sure why they thought that little ok me here would need a room this big to change in. Though I am happy that they came with showers so it makes aftershows so much better," she smiled before stepping into the washroom. 

 

As Sky would look around the greenroom, there wouldn't be much in the way of trophies, as Wind Dancer wasn't a competitor in anyway. She danced for the fun of dancing and the smiles it brought to others. What he would find though we're pictures of her parents all around. A lavender pegasus mare with a silvery white mane, and a lighter blue pegasus with a dark blue mane. There were several separate and she as a family. She had a few of the posters from up from her first performances going back a few years.

 

What would probably catch his attention the most was a small album that on the cover read, 'don't waste a gift that others never receive,'. If he would open the album, he would find a very old newspaper article from the Cloudsdale Times with the headline 'Tragic Accident: Filly caught in deadly Storm,'. It also had several pictures that had been taken from the accident, and afterward. Then on the last page of the album there was a nother article. This time from The Las Pegasus Chronicles that read, 'Local Dancer Impresses Mareage, Casino's response to being tears,'. The headline read and the article would detail how the owners fell in love with her dancing and personality, and then paid for all required medical treatments to put the pegasus back in the air. The final pictures being of Wind Dancer flexing her wings with nearly full maneuverability. Under it all was a note. 'Thank them by making them smile." It said with a heart on either side. 

 

Not to much longer, Wind opened the door from the washroom and a plume of vapor released into the room. Wind would follow the plume in with hey flight suit draped over get back and she placed it in the hamper to get cleaned. "Alrighty, I'm ready now that I don't smell like the bottom of a lake anymore," she giggled a bit. 

[Blueblood]

For the first few second, Sky just looked at the pictures on the wall.  He wondered, briefly, if his parents knew hers, but the faces didn't look at all familiar to him.  Soon, though, his eyes lit on the photo album with the note on the cover.  Taking a quick glance back at the bathroom door, he flipped it open to browse.  It was a reminder, it seemed, of all that she had gone through, and the opportunities it had taken to get to this point.  *I should probably put together something like that myself.  I've got some mementos of my own that should probably be put together.*  Feeling the ticket stub to tonight's performance in his shirt pocket, he made a note to include it as well.  Taking one last look at the album, he murmured, "You certainly did, at least for me."  As a reply to the last note within.

 

Closing the book, he turned around to greet the pegasus as she came out in a cloud of steam.  "Okay then, let's go!"  He led the way outside, though he had to take directions to get back out on the street.  He kept close, so as to not lose Wind in the blaze of neon as they walked the streets to a quieter offshoot from the strip.  The diner in question was a refurbished diner compartment from a train, the genuine article from which all others were derived.  Inside was the classic serving counter, checked tile floors, and chrome seats.  The servers were younger than average, recruited with cuteness and visual appeal in mind; this was a tourist town, after all.  But the air was filled with the real scent of a good diner; hay bacon, eggs, coffee, maple syrup and all the things you poured it over.  There was a sizzle and clatter from back in the kitchen, and overall the place was exactly what everypony pictured in their mind when you said the words "real diner."

 

Taking a seat at the counter, Sky took the one=page paper menu to set out between the two of them.  "French toast and an Omelet sound good to me.  How about you?"

[IceStorm]

(Color change to better fit her colorations)

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

 

Wind Dancer smiled and nodded to Sky, letting him lead the way. In retrospect, she probably should have been the one to lead him out of the casino from where they were. It was kinda cute thought to see him asking for directions. They eventually made their way back outside and most of the ponies that had gathered in The Strip for the show had since dispersed back into the casinos and hotels that they had occupied beforehoof. The staff could be seen cleaning up the area and working to get everything put back the way it was. She made sure to stay close to Sky though, and followed him back off to a quieter portion of Las Pegasus, if anypony could call it that. Less busy would be a more appropriate term. "I love this part of the city! There's no truely quiet place here once you're in the city proper, but it's much slower paced. If you really want to see a cool place though, Maremont Street downtown is a great nightly attraction. There's a cover over the street and it has all sorts of shops and lights along it!" Wind said with a smile

 

Her smile grew when she saw the diner come into view. It was the same one that she had been thinking of before. The owners had renovated an old diner car from a train and turned it into a brilliant little restaurant. The food they had was amazing too! Very fresh and delicious. It would be obvious to anypony watching them that Wind had a very light spring in her step, almost like she was fluttering alongside of Sky as they made their way in and sat at the counter, naturally herself taking a seat next to Sky. When he mentioned the French Toast and an omelet she nodded. "That sounds delicious! Extra cheese and green peppers in mine please!" she smiled. So far, everything this evening had happened exactly like she was hopping it would, and right now, nothing else in the world mattered to her.

 

 

 

 

[Blueblood]

The waitress, hearing them both select their orders, nodded crisply.  "Alright, that's two fancy shingles with milky eyes,  with extra Neighrish on the lady's."  Grinning, she took up the paper menu, clearly enjoying her work.

 

"I... think they use different slang every time I come in here."  Sky remarked, watching her leave with bemusement written all over his face.  "It's... a good source of metaphorical inspiration, at least.  Or maybe I just dream about coming here, and can never remember."  He shrugged, turning back to Wind Dancer.  "So, um.  I had a chance to look around your greenroom.  Saw a few things, about how you got here, that made me think about my own life.  I always thought, you know, that I did music because I just fell into its slipstream, and let it carry me through life.  But that... didn't seem right.  Or doesn't, now.  You have a reason to dance the way you do; it's saying 'thank you' to everypony who gave you a second chance to live life to the fullest.  And I've been trying to think.... what my reason would be."

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

"Maybe that's why they change it around so often. Many of the ponies here are young and this tend to be a first job for many. In Las Pegasus everything can be a source for inspiration. The lights, the sounds, the ponies. It all somehow has a way of melding everything together. Dreaming allows for even more inspiration. A lot of my dance routines I actually come up with while I'm asleep and then put them to paper when I wake up. That wasn't the case the past couple nights thought..." Wind said with a smile. Truth be told, there was something else that had taken the forefront of her dreams as of late, and Sky was in all of them. She wasn't entirely sure what that meant yet, nor did it mean anything would bear fruit from this. Nevertheless though, she was hopeful. More hopeful than she had been about any stallion before him.

 

When he continued and started talking about her recovery album, she blushed a bit. She didn't realize she left that out, but she couldn't help but smile as she listened to him talk, and how it made him think of his own life. How he always thought about music as something that he did because he fell into it's slipstream and it would carry him through. But that didn't seem right, at least not anymore. He talked about her having reason to dance the way she did, and he was wondering what his reason was now. She couldn't help but lean in and nuzzle him reassuringly before speaking. "I think the base reason among all ponies in the field of music and arts are one and the same. The joy we get from bringing smiles to the faces of those around us and knowing that it was something that we did ourselves to provide those smiles. There is nothing more satisfying after a show than to hear the waves of happiness from the crowd and know that we are the thing that made them happy. And sometimes, that little bit of happiness, can go a long way for a pony that's been going through a rough patch of life," she smiled as their food was set in front of them.

[Blueblood]

It was nice being able to talk to a fellow creative like this; Sky had heretofore not been all that active within a community of musicians or artists.  That probably was behind his currently slow start in getting a recording studio up and running.  For some reason, though, Wind managed to cut through all the difficulties that the stallion usually had in breaking out of an introverted shell.  The circumstances of their first meeting being so unusual may have contributed to that icebreaking, now that he though about it.  *Perhaps I should sleep in trees more often.  Get in touch with the bird part of my heritage.*

 

Filing that idea away for later, he leaned into the nuzzle, smiling softly himself.  "Thanks... I have to admit, though, I haven't played for audiences much.  My songs go out through the vinyl presses and minor radio stations, and I never see the ponies on the other side.  It's.... a bit too easy to forget that they're real, sometimes."  He sighed, taking in a deep breath of the aroma of their fresh food.  It cleared his head, oddly enough, as well as gave him an appetite.  "Food is a reminder of solidity.  Live shows, too, in a way.  I'm gonna work on lining one of them up soon.  Do you know... any place that's willing to take on new talent?  Not a big venue, just somewhere where I'm able to see their smiles."

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

 

Wind smiled happily as she felt Sky lean into the nuzzle that she gave. As he replied she listened, putting powdered sugar and syrup on her French toast. She then took a bit of the cheesy peppery goodness that was in front of her while she was listening. He said that he hadn't done much for live shows, and that sometimes being stuck in his studio made him forget sometimes that there were ponies on the other side because of it. Her smile remained as she politely swallowed and made sure her mouth was empty before responding.

 

"If your songs are playing on the radios, then you're probably reaching out to a lot more ponies than you think you are. Most of the time, for music to make the radios it has to be well liked. So the fact that you're hearing some of your stuff on it means your doing quite a few things right. As far as venues to play in go, I know several that would jump at anypony that gets pointed in their directions. There's a couple of places on Maremont that are doing live music shows, and I know I can get you some performances in a couple of the restaurants in the Mareage if you don't wanna perform in their theater yet," she smiled, leaning against him as she finished her plate. 

[Blueblood]

Using the wingfeathers to put some salt and pepper on his omelet, Sky took a thoughtful bite of this late breakfast as Wind laid out some options for him.  "It's not like major broadcasts, just the sort of private FM stations that transmit for about 10 city blocks.  I circulate in that scene, but if I ever break out, I'm going to remember the others who were there with me, and give them a hoof up.  That's why I have my own recording studio as well as instruments; having control over that is key to being able to help fellow musicians get their own music out."  Alternating the egg with sweet bread, Sky thought over his options.  "I think I could play one of the cafes, if they'll have me." 

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

Wind smiled and listened as he spoke, explaining that it was mostly just very localized stations and that they didn't have a very large radius. "Sometimes those are the scenes though that will get you your most loyal fanbases. Most of those times those smaller stations are happy to get anything that they can play without having to pay massive royalties for doing so. So they already have a limited listener base anyways. As you start getting bigger, your fans from those places will come to appreciate you more. The fact that you already have all the equipment you need though is a big plus and is often the biggest hurdle in music. For me and dancing, all I need is the music and the location and I can create a dance for it. Creating the music itself though, that takes a lot more talent and a very good ear," she smiled.

 

When Sky said that he wouldn't mind doing a performance in one of the cafe's she clapped her hooves a bit. "Great!!! I will see who I can talk to in order to make it happen! If they get a reference from me they're almost sure to take it! I'll have to make extra sure that they understand that you wanna perform in one of the restaurants that does live shows, and not the main theater. Once we get your hooves wet and they hear your music, I'm certain they'll want you in the grand hall sooner rather than later," she finished with a smile.

[Blueblood]

"Hehe, thanks."  Sky could sense the compliment from Wind Dancer, and it made him blush.  Between the exhilarating performance earlier, the good solid food, and the diner coffee, the stallion looked more awake and alert than the mare would have ever seen him.  "I'll have send word to the local DJ at the station when the show is arranged, so those few loyal fans can show up.  It would be nice to meet them at last."

 

The omelet was almost gone, leaving only the last slice of French Toast soaking in the remaining syrup for him to eat.  Regardless of how many paper napkins came out of the chrome dispenser between them, finishing that would be a sticky affair.  "Thanks again for your help.  And inviting me to the show.  And your apartment.  And talking to the weird pony who fell out of a tree."  He grinned at her.  "Not many would, and I know that from experience."

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

Wind nodded and smiled when she heard Sky thank her for the compliment and when he said that he would have to send word to the local DJ at the station when the show is arranged. That it would be nice to finally meet some of his fans. "I'm sure that you have more than you think you do already. You music from what I've heard is quite good. So you might be a bit surprised at the turn out. I will definitely let you know though once I've got something worked out. I'll begin talking with ponies tomorrow and see what I'm able to do and what dates are available for them to work with," she smiled. She did feel a slight pang in her chest when she realized that most of the food was gone. That meant that this wonderful night was almost over. She didn't want it to be yet...

 

When Sky then started thanking her for everything. Helping him, inviting him to the show, the apartment and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he called himself the weird pony that fell out of a tree. She smiled and gave him another gentle nuzzle, this one... quite a bit more affectionate then the first. "You're not weird at all. I think you're perfect just the way that you are, and don't let anypony ever change who you are. Then you become well... not you, but an extension of them in a way. And you're welcome for all of it. So far it's been one of the happier decisions I've made," she smiled gently at him.