With all the arrangements made, it was time. Boomer, Riff, and Deadbeat took their places, and the lights all dimmed. Nightshade tossed Raven her guitar. "You're on. Good luck."
"Thanks." Raven took a deep breath and hurried out to the stage. She readied her guitar and stood on her hind legs at the mic. She began to sing: "Another bad break - burst another bubble Another lost cause - here's another trouble another heart ache - one more chance gone another lost chord in yet another wrong song." She strummed her guitar, allowing the blimps to ignite. She would continue: Spoiler Sometimes I feel like I'm standing on a hillside - screaming at the world only wishing it would hear. I can't deny that I'm tired of your lies but I hope if I hide that you'll all disappear. Can a fat mare squeeze a camel through a needle's eye? As hell freezes over the little pigs fly. Just when things seemed better than before, listen there's a 'black dog' howling at my back door. You say I took it all the wrong way, and got the wrong end of the stick. Proceed to water down the truth, then make me drink it 'til I'm sick. It's a monkey shine - a mare's next, a cock and bull story. you're talking through your hat, you're full of sound and fury. You're wide of the mark, on the wrong scent, barking up the wrong tree, out of it, not a leg to stand on.. Dignity is one thing that you can't preserve in alcohol, here's a drug to blow your mind - it's called sodium pentothal I've smelt more rats in my time than a sanitary inspector, so every word you start to speak sets off my lie detector. [Solo] Another bad break - burst another bubble Another lost cause - here's another trouble another heart ache - one more chance gone another lost chord in yet another wrong song. Truth often hurts - but it hit me like a hammer, I've been sweating blood for 'product' - I thought it was my art. Would it have made it tougher, all I've had to suffer if you'd come clean and told me the score form the start? Stop treating everypony like a charity I may have sold my soul - but I won't part with my sanity. I was a schizophrenic - my better half left home, the Samaritans don't answer when I call them on the telephone. You say the check is in the post, and it'll sound great at the mix, but we have heard them all before, have we the memory span of fish? It's a monkey shine - a mare's next, a cock and bull story. you're talking through your hat, you're full of sound and fury. You're wide of the mark, on the wrong scent, barking up the wrong tree, out of it, not a leg to stand on. Dignity is one thing that you can't preserve in alcohol, here's a drug to blow your mind - it's called sodium pentothal I've smelt more rats in my time than a sanitary inspector, so every word you start to speak sets off my lie detector. (Original song credit: Skyclad - The Wrong Song)
In the VIP section, Marquee was talking to a pair of professional-looking Unicorns. "See, what did I tell you? This little filly's good!" "She's unpolished, but she has potential. It's too soon to make a decision." Nightshade was sitting on a cloud just above the mosh pit, and joined the applause as the song ended. She glanced down at the VIP section, and saw Marq working his charm on the studio headhunters. She also noticed that the princess was nowhere to be seen. After a quick scan of the crowd, she located Luna directly below. The princess, it seemed, had decided to give moshing a try.
Raven took inhaled deeply before talking to the crowd. "I just wanted to real quick let you all know what a bucking honor it is... to rock with you tonight. Now. I wonder what happens if you let that pit get even wider! You guys should totally find out." She briefly slid out her long, split tongue as she started to play a hard riff, beginning the next song. Spoiler Tear me to bits enjoy the scene Of screen name verbal vanity Churning the words imbued in filth Your tongue oily water under my bridge You have the world, it’s all for you I wish you’d find the lost in you Grateful for the pain, it proves we’re alive Can you feel it I can’t make you want the truth It’s up to you Yours is an empty hope Yours is an empty hope Feed me to pigs in your fantasies Your sea roars bitter elegies A narcissist who bribes the pool A hollow voice, ruin with a roof Stop! Life is now, still all for you Turn from the hate, turn from the smoke I see the parchment of your soul The notes, the song Join your voice I can let you have the world It’s all for you Yours is an empty hope Yours is an empty hope Asmo, meanwhile, conjured up a tentacle and used it to push himself up to Nightshade's cloud. "Holy crap. This girl can play. Like she knows what she's doing or something."
Nightshade nodded. "She's doing really well, but..." She pointed down to the Unicorns standing with Marq. "See those two? They're with Sunlight records. They usually wouldn't come out to see an unknown, but the company president owed Marq a favor. If Raven impresses them tonight, they'll almost certainly want to sign her to the label."
"Uh... well, just remember that you could've said no." She sighed. "Well, everypony seems to be enjoying themselves." Her jaw dropped slightly as a noticeably intoxicated Princess of the Night did a stage dive. "Wow."
"Huh. Moonbutt's kind of a badass." Raven finished the song with a wide smile on her face. "*squee!*. Yes! You guys are amazing! This isn't something I'll do much, but I'd like to pay homage to some of the hardest mother buckers out there. How many of y'all have heard of a little band from Germaney called Fauststein?"
The crowd roared in response, with Nightshade joining in. She turned to Asmo. "I think this might be your cue."
Raven smirked. "This one's called... BENZIN!" She began to play her non-electronic version of the intro. "Yep, that's it. Do me a favor. I think Maya's probably gonna join the crowd soon. When you see her, tell her I'm about to do something stupid." Asmo lowered himself and vanished into the backstage area. As of on queue, Maya pushed a cloud over and sat next to Night, smiling. "Heard this was kinda your doing."
Nightshade nodded. "Yeah, kind of. The kid seemed nice, so I thought I'd do her a favor with a gig. She gets payed, the bar makes a bit of money, win-win, you know? It all kind of spiraled out of control from there. Now I'm sitting at a quarter-million bit concert, watching a seventeen year old try to impress a couple of record company bigwigs that I never even told her were here. Not to mention the fact that that same seventeen year old has, for some reason, developed a crush on me? I'm not ready to date again! I certainly don't want to hurt her! Oh, and let's not forget that she is way too young!" She sighed. "Also, Asmo asked me to let you know that he was about to something really stupid."
"He always is. Got a healing potion ready for him. Now let me ask you something. Setting aside age, do you like her?"
"Uh... well, damn. Honestly, I don't know. She's a nice kid and all, and I suppose I could grow to love her, but right now?" She hung her head. "No. I really don't have much romantic interest in her. It has nothing to do with her. She's great. I'm just not in a good place right now, I guess. My last relationship ended... it ended badly. I think I'm just better off alone. It's better for her not to be involved with somepony like me."
"Well, I'd say take it slow. But come on. You can't give up on love just 'cause you bucked up in the past. I used to think just like that after I did... well, a very bad thing. But I smartened up, now look where I am today. Happy."
"Well, like I told her, taking it slow is the only way this would work. I'm still not convinced I'm right for her, but she seems to think so." She glanced down at the Marq, who looked up and gave her a slight nod. They liked Raven. "Honestly, if things work out tonight, she'll probably be too busy to remember I even exist."
