Episode 11
No Room, Part 2
"This is completely unfair." Melody sighs.
The crew were set up in the park, just outside of the complex. The Lunachicks were running the song with the dancers, but Melody was too busy pouting to join them.
"I know it is." Feather tells her. "But it's what we have to work with, unless you want to stay up until one in the morning to run the song."
"Or wait in that long ridicules line." Electra comments.
"Well, we are the lunachicks. That is where I came up with the name." Feather reminds.
"Cause you're all insane?" Melody asks.
"Hell yeah!" Electra chimes.
"No." Feather corrects. "Because when I signed their band, we were only able to get gigs playing during the early mornings. Times like one in the morning were normal for us."
"We played at night, and we're all girls. Luna, chicks." Electra summarizes.
"That's when the lighting choreographer started calling me chicka." Feather smiles, but quickly snaps out of it. "Anyway… when Rika Fringe took over as our singer, she was unable to make night-time rehearsals, so she changed our schedule."
"And our name." Electra adds.
"To Lunachick Fringe!" The drummer, Tempo, chimes in.
"Shouldn't you all be rehearsing?" Feather questions. "And you too Melody. No more moping, I want to hear some music."
"Sorry Blanko, but the acoustics here suck." Electra explains. "The only thing you'll be hearing is some flat tunes, if that."
"I miss our rehearsal room…" Tempo sighs.
"I don't care how bad the space is, it's what we're using. So why aren't we using it?"
"Someone's bitter." Melody notes.
"That's not music I'm hearing."
Melody glares at her as she walks herself over to the 'stage', which was really a circle of stones, and takes her place.
It was horrible; the music didn't line up like it should have, Melody was off time, and the dancers kept missing their cues. They were stumbling into each other and stepping over rocks; not used to performing on such an un-even surface.
The sound of clapping is heard.
"Bravo, really. Fantastic job." Thiala laughs.
"Don't you have somepony else to bug?" Melody grumbles.
"Oh, mwah? I was just stopping by to see where I had evicted you to. I must say, this space is atrocious!"
"Yeah? And just where are you rehearsing?" Melody huffs.
"Techi's getting into the festival's theatre soon so she can set up the lighting early. I'll be tagging along as a dry-tech participant. You know- so she can have an actual performer to test the lighting on."
"Bitch." Feather smites.
"Maybe, but fact of the matter is you're stuck here, while I get the best stage Clantopia has to offer." Thiala gloats.
"Not you. Techi." Feather informs. "She always offers that position to the Lunachicks first."
"As I recall, she always let the three of us use it over your band." Thiala remarks. "Not that I give a damn."
"Why don't you go then? Go use your dumb space, and leave us the fuck alone." Melody scowls.
"Of course." Thiala grins. "And if there were any dancers who wanted to join me-"
"Please!"
"No way…" Feather says, nearly breathless. "No, but you said… you told me how good this would be for your career to work with Melody. Are you really just going to head off with her?"
"I am."
"Me too."
"Ditto."
"Sorry Feather… but a terrible performance isn't going to do anything for my career. I need someplace better to practice, it's nothing personal."
Thiala smirks with pride as the dancers join her side. "What about some live music for my song? I'm sure the Lunachicks would sound much better practicing on the stage which they're expected to perform tomorrow, hm?"
"Thiala stop!" Feather demands.
"There's no chance we're coming with you." Electra notes. "And tell that Techi that if being loyal comes first, then she's a traitor in the eyes of Lunachick Fringe."
"Suit yourself." Thiala shrugs. She takes her dancers, who look back apologetically, before following her towards the theatre.
"Thank you Electra." Feather sighs.
"Anything for my long lost lover, huh?" She laughs.
Feather wasn't laughing, though. She hung her head in silence, ashamed she couldn't provide a better rehearsal space for her performers.
"…come on Blanko, cheer up."
"Forget Thiala." Melody says. "And her dancers too. Who needs them?"
"They needed us." Feather sighs. "I let them down. I let you guys down… I may have even let Thiala and Techi down, in all of this."
"You can't be serious." Melody exasperates.
"I'm not saying what they're doing is okay, but I can't just allow this to happen. I have to fight back… you guys deserve it."
"Feather…" Electra sighs. "You're doing your best."
"No. I'm going to get our rehearsal room back. Some how." Feather says, completely determined. "You girls chill here for a moment. I'll be right back."
Before any could protest, Feather flies off towards the complex.
"So… practice is canceled until further notice?" Electra guesses.
"That's what it looks like." Melody replies.
Feather enters the complex. The line was getting shorter, but still exceptionally long. She pushes past the waiting patrons, and enters the room.
"Listen up everypony." She calls, stepping up on stage.
"Feather, we're in the middle of our run." One of the group members on stage says.
"And I'm sorry to interrupt, but several of you are in violation."
The crowd begins to chatter.
"I know Thiala said the space was open to everypony, but I must remind you this space is only available to citizens. Citizens of Clantopia. I must ask anypony from other parts of Equestria, even if they are performing in Clantopia's festival, to leave the vicinity.
A few groups leave. It wasn't much, but…
"Also, when nearing time for the full-moon festival, all theatrical facilities in Clantopia are reserved for those who are in the show only. Anypony who is here for independent purposes other then to perform in the festival must also leave until the festivities have wrapped up." She continues.
One more group exits.
"As for who's left, Cupie has agreed to a new policy regarding this space, which will take effect starting tomorrow. Anypony who wishes to use the room must sign up for a rehearsal slot on a sheet, which will be posted on the door. Anypony who is a citizen of Clantopia can sign up between 1pm to 11pm on weekdays, and from 12pm to midnight on Saturdays and Sundays. Residence of the complex may sign up any times, excluding Monday and Thursday between the times of 11pm to midnight, which will be closed for cleaning."
Once that was taken care of, the groups went back to their performance. Feather made her way down to the festival's theatre next, to find Melody was already there.
"Feather!" Melody says, approaching her. "I'm having no luck getting through to this girl. Help me out here."
"Hello Feather." Thiala greets. "Come to trick me out of here with your rules? I heard a few complaints from a few of the patrons whom I so generously allowed to use our fine theatrical establishment."
"No." Feather answers.
"Hm?"
"I just came to deliver Electra's message. Techi…?"
Techi looks at her. "F-feather…"
"Techi, you've picked your side, and I respect that. By popular vote though, I'm… I'm going to have to excuse you from having any participation in the Lunachick Fringe."
Her eyes widen.
"I've found a new lighting technician who's going to be activating our cues. I'll have to ask you to allow him to use the space once the Lunachicks begin, and until our song is done."
"F-feather… I…"
"That being said, he will also need an allotted time period in order to get his lighting rigged."
"You're going to play THAT game, then?" Thiala smites.
"No." Feather sighs. "Unfortunately, this is going to be a regular thing. I can't have Techi affiliated with the Lunachicks any longer, the same way as I'm going to have to drop your backup dancers from under my management."
"This is getting confusing…" Melody moans.
"Like Techi, the dancers are individuals I personally recruited for your performances, Thiala. Because they have left without my consent, they are no longer affiliated with me. The only way to be fair about it is to drop Techi too."
"Heya, we gonna perform or what?"
Electra and the Lunachicks were entering now, as well as a fragile-looking male pony.
"Um, where do I set up?"
"The rigging is up there." Feather tells him, signaling towards the upper stage.
"No way, that snot-nosed school kid who fucked up the lighting last time?" Techi comments. "I've been replaced by that?"
"Wait- Feather!" One of the back-up dancers calls. "If I'm following all this right, then if we all come back and perform with you, then that means Techi can come back too, right?"
Feather glares at her. "Technically. But really- you think I'm about to let you come back now just because we have the rehearsal space?" Feather walks up on stage. "This space is reserved for Martin to set up his rigging. He gets to choose which group he wishes to use for his dry tech, and he's selected Lunachick Fringe." She announces. "I'll have to ask anypony else who's not affiliated with the Lunachicks to clear."
"This is uncalled for!" Thiala shouts.
"I will call authorities." Feather replies.
Thiala, about to explode in a fit of rage, grunts through her teeth. "Come on, Techi. Let's find ourselves somewhere else to rehears."
"No."
Thiala snaps her head in her direction. "Excuse me?"
"Hasn't this gone on long enough Thiala? You're making a huge deal out of this when it's not. It's not this important for you to rehears ten hours in one day."
"Oh, no." Feather huffs. "Don't you remember what she said? All she cares about is fucking with Melody. Electra's right; don't even talk to us about loyalty."
Techi squeezes her eyes shut. "I… I know. I understand if you don't want me to be part of your performance anymore… but I can't help you either Thiala. I can't put up with this anymore, all this attitude and demanding. It's too much."
"I agree." One of the dancers sighs. "Even if I can't be part of Feather's song anymore, I can't take any more of this Thiala."
"Just where do you all think you're going?" Thiala asks, stamping her hoof.
The dancer shrugs. "Find somepony else to dance for?"
"I hear there's a new agency going up somewhere around center-Equestria." Another comments. "Just a thought."
"I don't know about moving down that way…" The dancer replies. "But I'm getting out of here. Sorry about all this, Feather."
The four dancers leave, and Techi follows them.
She stops at the door.
"Feather, I hope you can forgive me. This went too far."
"I shouldn't have let it." Feather states. "I should have stopped this back at the rehearsal room. I'm sorry it has to work out this way."
"Everypony's just going to leave me, then?" Thiala calls.
"You're leaving too Thiala." Electra comments. "You're in violation of Bulbo's technical rehearsal."
"Dry Tech. And my name's not Bulbo, it's-"
"Just do your lighting thing."
Martin sighs.
Feather raises an eyebrow at Thiala. "This is what you wanted. A solo performance. And, like I said… I will call authorities."
Thiala slowly trudges out of the room, and shuts the door, turning the lights off as she does.
"Well, that's it!" Melody says, breaking the silence. "We won, right?"
Feather shakes her head. "We lost our dancers, ninety percent of our rehearsal time, and probably the best technical director in all of Equestria."
"Um, guys? How do I fix this?" The kid calls from the rigging above. "I tried attaching this wire thingy to, um… that, but they all just sorta stopped working."
"Lesson one of lighting design; light switch." Electra tells him, and flips up the lights.
"We have less than an hour to do one final run, and then everypony get some sleep. I know it's been a long day today, so get your rest for the performance tomorrow."
A/N:
So, um… review, alright? Thanks.
-Feather