I woke up the next morning, a little too hot. The night before-hand had been very cold, so I was rather tightly wrapped in the sheets. The temperature had risen since then so I felt a little ill due to the heat, but it was manageable.

I sat on the edge of the bed and turned around to look at Ebony, see if he was awake. Just as I did so, his eyes flickered open. He gave me a long glance, before looking down at the bed, then around the room. He looked back to me, slightly concerned.

"How did I... get here?" He asked, sitting up and rubbing one of his eyes.

I laughed slightly, remembering the events of the day before. "You fell asleep on me. So I carried you here." I said, shrugging.

I cast a look out of the slightly a-jar curtains. The snow had melted somewhat, and dark clouds loomed in the distance, casting the mountains that lined the horizon in an ominous shadow.

Ebony didn't answer me, and instead gave me a pained look, before collapsing back down into his pillow. He groaned into it and pulled the sheets back over himself.

I rolled my eyes. "You're almost as bad as me, Eb." I said. Then, defying my own statement almost immediately, I stood up and walked to the door. "I'm going to go work on that thing, okay Eb?" I looked back from the doorway.

He just lifted a hoof and waved it in a 'Go on I don't care' motion. I understood, sometimes a man needs his sleep, even if he had been asleep for longer than I had by a small margin.

I snorted as I closed the door behind me, picked up the bag and emptied it across the table. This one's going to be a bit harder. I thought. Mentally preparing my brain to actually 'do work' for once.

I had to not only make all of the strings work correctly, I also had to piece together the wood very carefully. If I got the interior wrong, or left a gap, it would never sound right. And I needed this to be perfect, or at least a good representation of a generic acoustic would be like.

I started on the guitar. By placing the wooden shapes together and sticking them down. I was about to attach the final piece of the frame when there was a knock at the door. I didn't let it distract me. I slowly and carefully put the last piece in place. After making sure it was secure, I left it on the table, the strings still laying beside it.

I got a quick glass of water from the sink on my way to the door. I held onto the glass firmly as I opened the door, in case I was tackled again. You can never be too careful when a pony like Dawn's about the building somewhere.

But instead of an attacking blur of fur, I was met with the record salesman. Veiled Alloy.

He stood awkwardly in the doorway. In complete silence, not making complete eye contact with me. I realized that was going nowhere so I decided to speak up, before he walked away or apologized or something.

I put on my most pleasant exterior. "Oh, hi Alloy. What a nice surprise. What do you need?" I asked. He smiled sheepishly and shuffled slightly.

"I..." He looked to the glass in my hand. "Oh, am I interrupting something? I can leave!" He stuttered, taking a step backwards.

"No no, I just woke up is all." I had to stop him from trying to leave every time I said something, seriously. "Please, come inside." I said, backing up against the door frame, allowing him space to pass.

He blinked. "Sir, Dan... I am honored... but I don't want to impose..."

I rolled my eyes. "Just get in the room." I said, in a very slightly stern voice. That was enough to send him rocketing into the room and onto the sofa. I sighed and closed the door, sitting on the sofa adjacent to his, the half-finished guitar sitting on the table between us. I looked at him and he met my eyes for once. "Now, what do you need?" I said, beginning to tinker with the guitar again.

He tapped his hooves together nervously. "I... wanted to ask you... if you had made any- any more... m-music." He took a couple glances around my room, getting used to his surroundings.

"No Alloy. I haven't. But it's coming. As I said, I will find you when I have new music." I said, while screwing the strings to my new guitar into place.

"Oh... sorry..." He said, looking at the floor.

I attached the last couple strings. "Don't be, I should have told you it would take a while, I've got some things in the works right now." I gave an experimental strum of the strings. Completely out of tune. I used the screwdriver to tighten a couple of the screws, guessing at how much pressure would be needed. I strummed again, a little better. "Like this." I said, gesturing to the guitar.

Alloy blinked at the device in my arms. "What... what is it?"

I laughed slightly, continuing to slowly tune each string. "Human instrument. Back where I come from, music is made by stuff like this, not magic." I played a little riff for him. "See? Obviously this is still out of tune, it needs a lot of tweaking before it will sound like it should. But it's getting there."

He seemed mesmerized by the sound for a couple seconds. "Such an ingenious design..." He whispered, with wide-eyes. I, slightly creeped out, didn't respond and instead kept working on the strings. After a couple second of watching me, he spoke again, in a louder voice. "Are you... going to use that in your music?" He pointed to the guitar with a hoof.

"Well, I was hoping to, but my music-magic does not work properly while I am using things like this. Or at least it didn't while I was using the electric guitar I made." His ears perked at the mention of something else 'I made'.

"Eletic what?" He asked in a normal voice. Then he flinched and returned to his usual, shy-ass voice. "Oh, sorry, I mean... if you don't mind me asking."

I gave him a confused look. His awkwardness was completely gone for a second there... maybe he just really likes music or something.

I noticed I had not answered, so I corrected myself. "Oh, er, Electric guitar. This here is an acoustic guitar. It uses purely the sound of the strings vibrating to create it's sound. Whereas the electric guitar uses magnets. As the strings vibrate, it causes the magnets to create a small electrical charge in the wires that are wrapped around them. Those charges flow down the wires and are then changed into sounds by... well... here it's changed into sound by magic. Back on Earth we had different ways of doing that."

He blinked, amazed. "Pure genius." He whispered. He looked up at me and continued in his usual voice again. "Tell me, what does this... elect...ric?" I nodded. "...electric guitar sound like?"

I laughed slightly at his new-found enthusiasm, he didn't show it in his voice, but I could see the anticipation in his eyes. I strummed through the strings on the un-tuned guitar. "Hm, it's pretty close, but still a little off." I mumbled to myself as I put it down. "I'll do that later." I looked back up from the table. "You want me to go get the electric one?"

He nodded very quickly. "Yes! I-I mean... if it's not too much trouble."

I snorted a laugh as I walked to the door. He really reminds me of someone. I wonder who? Ha, maybe they share a relative or something. He followed me to the door. I turned as I opened the door. "You can wait here, if you want. I don't mind." I said, he would be to scared to break anything while I was gone.

"No thanks... No offence but I feel an... evil presence in these rooms." He said with a scared glace back into the room.

"...Really?"

"...Yes it's... rather scary."

I chuckled slightly. "That's probably just my partner."

He did not make any further comments and soon we reached Chrome's room. I didn't know where Steve lived, so I figured Chrome might know. I decided to put on a show for Alloy, to show him how my relationships work.

I knocked heavily on the door. "OI Chrome! You up yet?" I called through the door. Alloy flinched at my volume.

After a couple seconds, the door opened. Alloy froze.

"Sup Luna." I said, clicking my fingers at her. "Chrome available right now?"

Luna had possibly the worst case of 'bed-hair' I had ever seen. She did not even try to look even a little regale. She sighed slightly. "Yes, he's free. Just very tired. What do you need, maybe I can help instead."

I laughed at Alloy's stunned expression before turning back to Luna. "Yeah, I need to know where Steve and Dawn are staying?"

She rolled her eyes. "Rosewood and Dawn are just down the hall." She pointed further down the hall. "Second door on the left."

I reached over and patted Luna on the nose. Alloy gasped under his breath as I smiled in amusement. "Thanks Luna."

She gave me a blank stare. "...Never do that again."

"You got it." I said as I walked away. I realized Alloy was not following a couple steps later.

I turn around and sighed. "Look's like I will have to give him the 'Luna treatment'." I said as I walked around him and to his other side.

Luna blinked in confusion and I smirked as I began pushing him along the ground. Luna finally got what I said, rolled her eyes and closed the door.

I continued pushing Alloy, but he came to his senses about half way there. Once we got to the door I hammered on it in a similar fashion to how I did Chrome's.

"Steve! I need to borrow the thing!" I called through the door.

The door opened very quickly, revealing Steve. Alloy reeled back at the sight on the griffin, hiding behind me slightly.

"What thing?" The griffin asked, not looking very amused. Must have woken him or something.

"The thing I gave you, to learn?"

"Oh yeah, that. Wait a second." He turned back into the room for a second, and returned with the glorious piece of craftsmanship. "Why'd you need this?"

"Just showing someone." I said, shrugging. Steve eye'd the stallion's cutie-mark. A record. Yeah he's probably figuring out what I am doing. I decided to distract him slightly. "You been learning this thing?"

He beamed and nodded. "Oh yeah! That thing can make noises I didn't even know were possible!"

I took the instrument from him and cradled it in my arms. "Yep, it sure can..." Then an idea. "Hey, how about we kill two birds with one stone. Steve, you show me what you have learned, and Alloy here can see what kind of noise it makes." They both flinched at something I said. "What?"

Steve gave me a strange look. "You humans have some weird phrases you know that?" Oh yeah, two birds with one stone. Gotta remember to not use that again.

"You know what I meant." I said as he lead us both inside. Alloy skirted around the griffin in the doorway.

The room was set up exactly like mine, but mirrored. Me and Alloy sat on on of the sofas, facing the rest of the room.

I handed Steve the guitar as he sat on the sofa across the small table from us. "Who's this then?" He asked, pointing at Alloy, who flinched.

"He's a friend of mine. He's the one who's been selling the 'My feather' records." I said. Steve nodded understandingly. "Alloy, this is Steve." I said gesturing to him. Steve growled slightly at his real name. "And Steve, this is Alloy." I said, gesturing back.

They shared a slightly awkward greeting.

"Now, the guitar?" I asked, once they were done.

"Ah, yes. Let me go and get Dawn, it's better with the pots." He left his seat and began walking to the bedroom door.

"Wait, you two have been playing together? I asked.

He turned back while walking. "We tried it and it sounded good, so we do it together, yes. Were we not supposed to?" He looked slightly worried.

"No no, if anything it's good." I said. It's also an entire step skipped in my plan.

Steve walked into their bedroom and retrieved a very tired looking Dawn. Steve went into the kitchen and, with practiced ease, built an impromptu drum-set just as I had, except this one was changed slightly. Steve sat on the sofa and readied his tool. Dawn slowly walked over to the pots, shook herself, becoming more awake, and wielded the two spoons in her wings.

Alloy watched in confusion. I watched in amazement as Steve lifted a finger and Dawn started a single tapping motion. Steve then lifted another, Dawn added another couple hits to each beat, he lifted a third and Dawn had a full-blown beat going. It was simple sounding, but still very impressive. Steve lowered his hand back down to the strings. Waited for a couple seconds, then began once one of Dawn's rounds on the drums was done.

Needless to say I was amazed by what I heard in the next couple minutes.

It was Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, covered by a home-made electric guitar and a couple pots. Basically, what I'm saying is that it was bloody beautiful.

Steve handled the strings like a pro. Granted the song was not very fast, but he had somehow figured out how to do pitch-harmonics. And Dawn... well Dawn broke one of the pots half way through, but substituted it for one of the other ones. If that doesn't show versatility, I don't know what does, there was not even a pause in the song, they both continued as if nothing had happened. And that is how you do it.

Considering that Alloy was completely and utterly silent for about a minute after they had finished, I decided I should speak first. "What's that songs name?" I asked. They two looked at each other and shrugged.

Steve looked back to me. Putting the guitar down. "It's a song I have heard many times while in my homeland... I am not sure what it's called though..."

I thought for a second. Beethoven...Beethoven...Ah-Ha! "Beethoofen?" I asked. God I hate myself.

Steve beamed. "Yeah! That's it!" Of course it is. "How did you know that?"

I just smirked and tapped the side of my nose. Steve and Dawn rolled their eyes. I looked over to Alloy, who was still frozen.

"Well? What did you think?" We all turned to the nervous stallion.

He blinked. "It was... amazing... You two should make a ban-" I shoved my hand over his mouth.

The other two stared at me. I quickly pushed Alloy towards the door. I got him outside the door with no resistance. "Alloy, visit me in a week or so if I don't visit you first, got it?" He nodded slowly. I slammed the door and sat on the sofa, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Dan, what was that all about?" Steve asked from the other sofa. I caught my breath in my mouth.

"He... really needed to go somewhere today...?" There clearly were not buying it. "Uhg, who am I kidding. I was teaching you how to play music the human way so that we could make a band. It was meant to be a surprise but..."

They gave each other pained looks. "Dan, it's okay. We were actually thinking about doing it ourselves anyway." Dawn said. "You can join us if you want. We do need more members."

"...Of course I will join you guys! I even have a new instrument in my room!" I said, my eyes blurring slightly due to the moisture collecting in them.

Steve tilted his head. "We were thinking more... singer..."

"Oh no," I said, "I can only sing what I use music magic, I really can NOT sing at all."

Dawn thought for a second, her eyes drifted to my hands and she hummed slightly. "I think I have an idea for what you can do. What is that instrument you mentioned?"

"It's similar to Steve's, why?" I responded.

"I think I have an instrument better suited for you." She said, smirking.

I blinked. "YOU. YOU have an instrument?"

"Well, it was actually my mother's. But she never used it, so I am sure she'd be fine with me giving it to you."

I thought for a second. "What is it?"

She smirked again. "You'll find out when you see it, for now, go teach Ebony how to play that 'new instrument' you have. He has wings and magic, so I am sure he can manage somehow. And remember to keep your hand's limbered up, you want to be prepared when this instrument arrives."

I stared for a second. "Well... thanks, really. I'm always down for learning new things."

Dawn laughed slightly at this for some reason. "Now get going you. Ebony's been waiting on the other side of the door for about... 15 minutes now."

I looked to the door, which slowly opened. Ebony poked his head in horizontally. "How'd you know?!"

Dawn shrugged. "Paranoia teaches you things sometimes."

"Ebony," I said, "How much of that did you hear?"

"All of it." He responded, "Though I had to leave for a couple seconds when you threw that pony out of the room."

"All of it?" He nodded. "Great, he pulled a Celestia on us." I said, sighing.

"Big Cely still doing that huh?" Dawn asked. Wow, she really IS close with the Princess. No wonder Celestia reacted the way she did when Dawn was found.

"Yeah, she's listened to I think two of my conversations now. I can see through her invisibility though, so she's even more creepy for me. She's even got Luna doing it too!"

Dawn gasped. "No. Way."

Steve looked between us, confused. "What are you two even talking about?"

Dawn waved a hoof. "Don't worry about it. Now, Dan, Eb'ster, get going. You've got an instrument to learn." Eb'ster... that's new.

I shrugged and waved as I left the room, pushing Ebony out of the room in the process.

We began walking back to our room.

I laughed as we walked. Ebony gave me a confused look. "Sorry, Dawn just makes the best nicknames." He rolled his eyes. "Gotta use 'Big Cely' at some point." I mumbled to myself.

Neither of us had had breakfast. (Well, Ebony probably just helped himself to love throughout the day) And it was past noon, so we decided to head to cafeteria. I picked up some stuff. Boring green stuff of course, they don't serve anything else there. I sat down on a very special table, Ebony sat across from me.

It was the table where I had first seen him.

We made casual conversation as we ate. The other ponies in the palace seemed used to Ebony now, actually. The ponies outside still freaked out slightly, but the guards and workers of the palace had all seen Ebony by this point. So it was nice to see him sitting in a room full of ponies and NOT be the center of attention.

Once I had finished my 'brunch'-like meal we headed back to our room. Once I had finished tuning the guitar one last time I handed it over to Ebony, who took it in his magic with some effort. He barely used his magic for anything, as side from panic-lasers apparently, so he was struggling to hold it.

I used a small shaving of wood as a pick for him to use, so he would not have to use his magic to control the strings.

I had him playing basic stuff by the end of the night. But he was struggling to say the least, it got to the point where I had to hold the thing up for him, because it kept dropping to the floor whenever he lost complete focus.

For the second night in a row, he fell asleep somewhere other than the bed. He went to get a drink and never came back, and when I peaked around the kitchen counter I found Ebony passed out on the tile flooring. Once again I had to carry him to the bed.

Perhaps I should make him take... unicorn lessons or something... Do those exist? I don't know.

Updated: 10/11/15
-Fixed stuff (too tired to remember(I fixed it K?))

Actually getting around to do the thing I wanted to do since day 1 of writing. Only took me a couple thousand words to get there.

Just realized... I forgot to have lunch because I was writing all afternoon... oh well.

Oh, and please leave a comment, saying what you think. Try to keep it constructive, I'm new to this whole thing and I know writing is not my shtick. I just want to know you guys's opinions.