Midnight Melodies 1

Princess Luna slowly settled to the outskirts of Ponyville before crafting her glamour. She wanted to have a night just to see what life was now, in this new era. Celestia had recommended this, using magic to disguise herself as an ordinary unicorn. Crafting the spell was easy: a 'spell of the expected' meant that as long as she didn't act like herself - the royal canterlot voice or any moon magic - anyone she meant would just see an ordinary blue unicorn with dark blue mane, and would not recall details beyond that. This trip wasn't about trying to make friends or acquaintances. It was about learning what the world was in the modern day...or night, as the case may be.

The glamour stablized and lightly held in place, she made her way into town. She avoided those places where Twilight and the others lived and worked. Those who knew her personally would see through the glamour with ease, as they might expect her visit...and Pinkie Pie would even see through more advanced glamours, as she seemed to have some way of knowing the truth about what was going on around her that baffled even Celestia. Pinkie's explanation, "I read the script," left it even less clear than before asking.

Luna looked up and noticed that one particular building had more than the usual number of ponies within, especially this late at night. It was the music hall. Musicians, singers, and those whose talents lent them towards music in all its forms came here to perform, and other ponies came to listen. While appreciated by many, it didn't normally fill to almost bursting. Luna managed to slip in near the back as it filled, only briefly glancing at a poster that proclaimed that somepony named Nocturne would be performing tonight, this statement write larger than even Trixie would to announce herself.

"Who's Nocturne?" Luna managed to ask the mare she found herself sitting next to.

The mare turned to her with a smile. "He's a wandering minstrel. Travels from town to twon throughout Equestria and beyond, making his way with songs and stories. No one really knows much about him...some say he's a unicorn, some claim he's a pegasus to travel so far...some say he's actually a male alicorn!"

Luna snorted. "I find that hard to believe."

The mare shrugged. "Someponies will believe anything. No one even knows what he looks like under that cloak he always wears...and he only travels or performs at night."

"Really?" Luna was rather intruiged. About to ask more, she and her table companion were shushed into silence as a hush fell over the entire crowd. The curtain rose.

A few musicians were on the platform, one on piano, one on guitar, and one on drums. There was only one singer on stage, standing next to the microphone. He was completely covered in a cloak as black as the night. The spotlight shining on him made him seem more like a shadow than the one he cast.

He began to sing as the musicians played. At first, things seemed normal...until he starting singing in counterpoint to himself. Luna watched, amazed, as Nocturne sang in four distinct voices, singing a barbershop quartet solo. She'd never heard such a passioned performance of "Sweet Darlin' Mare." She was rather surprised to discover that this self proclaimed 'wandering minstrel' was as dedicated to his craft as had been those she remembered from over a thousand years ago.

As he finished the song, he glanced around the crowd as everyone clopped their hooves on the ground in applause. His glance at first seemed to be completely undirected, just examining the crowd. Then his gaze froze at Luna's table. He stood staring like that for a few moments, and Luna found herself shifting uneasily, checking her magic to be sure the glamour was still in effect.

Suddenly, dark blue energy surrounded the sheet music the musicians were reading from, rearranging them and putting new music in front of them. They seemed shocked. This apparently wasn't part of the planned performance, but they got ready to play. Almost before they were ready, Nocturne began to sing.

"There's a mare in the corner With tear stains in her eyes From the places she's wandered And the shame she can't hide"

Luna felt her breath catch. She didn't know this song...and the way his eyes seemed locked on her as he sang made it feel like he was singing to her...and the lyrics seemed to sing in her bones.

"She says, 'How did I get here?
I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear That I've fallen too far to love."

Luna felt herself shaking, gripping her magic as hard as she dared, but she felt her mind wandering back to the moment she had been freed from the grip of dark magics and ceased to be Nightmare Moon. How hard it had been to find herself and accept what had happened...

"But don't you know who you are,
What's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?"

Luna shook herself, trying to free herself from the grip of the music, as she found herself looking inside, trying to answer the questions posed by the song...only to find the song had answers for her.

"You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade."

Luna found herself lost in thought, wondering if it was true. Was she truely beyond who she had been as Nightmare Moon? Somehow, it felt that that was a geis of her past she would never escape. The start of that one Nightmare Night here in Ponyville seemed proof of it.

"Well she tries to believe it That she's been given new life But she can't shake the feeling That it's not true tonight."

Luna blinked, shocked at how closely the song seemed to match her thoughts.

"She knows all the answers And she's rehearsed all the lines And so she'll try to do better But then she's too weak to try."

Remembering how ahrd she tried to connect with the Ponyvillians at first, and how much it hurt to be repeatedly rejected, she struggled to blink away her tears.

"But don't you know who you are?"

She closed her eyes, trying to think of happier things.

"You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade."

Thinking of how wonderful it had felt to be with her sister again, to be past the biterness and darkness that still shadowed her heart, and of the new friends she had made, she struggled to open her eyes to the message of the music...and was surprised by the passion that suddenly erupted into the music.

"Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you,
This is not about where you've been But where your brokenness brings you to.
This is not about what you built,
But what we built to forgive you,
And what we built to make you know."

Enthraled in the music, Luna gripped her magic, holding her illusion form just barely. As the energy left the music but the passion remained, she nearly gasped aloud.

"You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
You've been remade."

As the usic came to a close, Nocturne lowered his head, his gaze still locked on Luna. THe curtain dropped. There was hushed silence, as everyone had been ensnared by the music's spell. As heated whispering began - apparently, Nocturne's performances were never this short - Luna managed to get outside and to the outskirts of town, just barely holding her glamour.

"I hope my song did not distress you."

She turned, shocked. Stepping out from under the shadow of a tree was a pony shape that looked almost more like a shadow then that which he had been under...but she recognized him from inside. "Nocturne. No, not distress, not at all. I enjoyed your performance immensely. It...just caught me off guard, is all." When Nocturne made no response, she continued. "I'm a bit surprised, though. I'd thought there were no more wandering minstrels in this day and age."

Nocturne nodded. "I and my predecessors had noticed the march of time, and how much of what had been was being lost. The first Nocturne decided to preserve one small piece of the old world for as long as it took. Each Nocturne traveled the world, bringing music freely to all who would hear, and teaching one apprentice until that apprentice became the successor, taking the name and role for themselves. I am the Thirteenth Nocturne."

Luna swallowed, surprised at the dedication to craft carried down for so long. "But...why do all this?"

Nocturne's voice had a smile in it, though none was visible under the cloak. "One who could not change with time was gone...we preserved it for her return." As Luna stifled a gasp, Nocturne bowed low. "We did it for you, Princess." With that, he vanished as a stray cloud passed over the moon.

Luna felt her glamour dissolve in her shock, as she stared at where he had stood.