I don’t play live very often.

I preformed lyre in a large symphony with somewhere around one hundred musicians once. Pretty much every musician you’d ordinarily think of from Canterlot was there.

I was completely muffled behind talented musicians, though. I don’t think you could even hear my mistakes, let alone anything else.

If I remember right, and I probably don’t because I’m horrible at history, after Princess Celestia banished Princess Luna to the moon she wasn’t the only pony upset. The law was put into place to try and lift spirits. There isn’t really a penalty for ignoring it, but there’s a huge tax break for those that abide by it.

It’s based upon a number of puns per year, but a certain number of those puns have to be different and spaced out over a certain number of days. You can’t just say the same thing over and over again on the last day (that day always being your birthday).

It’s not really enforced, it’s just sort of tradition at this point. Even if somepony accuses somepony else of ignoring the law, there has to be pretty sizable evidence to prove it.

That or the defendant has to be stupid enough to plead guilty.

…

Once upon a time…

…

Once upon a time there was a guard…

…

He saved my life…

I talked to him. It gave me something to do; somewhere to be that wasn’t so dangerous….

…

He was one of those ponies I offered it to. But he declined. He was… virtuous. In a sense I couldn’t comprehend at that age. At that point in my life.

…

[Tap] [Tap] [Tap]

They killed him… Broad daylight, they came for him. And he still managed to save me…

[Sniff]

…

And all I could do was run…

No.

…

[Audible sigh]

Growing up, there were a few times, but it was never on any regular basis.

…

Looking back, I don’t even know if it was a mistake or not. I just wanted to give back to a few stallions that really helped me out. It was offered as a gift, and they accepted…

…

[Audible sigh]

Yeah, I know what that makes me… But I will never do it again.

When me and a few others would go clear across Canterlot to this video game store to play some games on the in-store displays, I remember this one filly, way younger than us, that would watch us play Grand Theft Carriage. She even played a few times herself.

She was in advanced classes and made excellent grades. Sorry, I just don’t buy the whole “corrupting youth” thing. Can make ponies more jaded and cynical, maybe. But she never had a problem with it.

By the way, we’d sometimes get paid bits for playing those games by the owners. We’d make them look easy and customers would get drawn in.

That’s not my place to comment.

I will say this, since I know who you’re comparing to whom. If Boscov still ate meat, I’d have never given him a chance.

This is modern times we live in. There’s not a diet around that can’t be supplemented by the pharmaceutical industry, and no excuse for rational beings capable of logical thought to still eat at the cost of another’s life.

I’m close friends with Gilda, and I care for her deeply. But that divide will always exist.

There’s a certain degree of danger any time somepony strives for power, regardless of the reason.

Not that I believe you’d ever purposefully do anything negative, but that’s the line between intentions and realization.

And that’s a far as you get on the subject.

This is still a family-friendly page. No details.

Well, let’s see.

The job I had as an atmospheric musician there was only a trial thing. The trial ended around the time I came to Ponyville.

Most of the ponies in Canterlot’s upper-end think they’re above working at a lot of places, so maybe I could have gotten a job as a grocer, a fast food attendant, or a floormare at a department store.

Tragedy is easier to deal with when you expect it.

…

…

… I don’t have any better of an explanation than that…

I…

…

Love… is a difficult thing for me… I’ve been through such horrible things… Ponies that seemed just as benign as you… Ponies that I loved…

I’m not saying I think you would ever hurt me. That’s not it at all!

…

I know I’m capable of loving you. But I can’t lie to you, Boscov. It’s just… Not there yet…

I’m… I’m sorry…

In a strange, you’re-still-an-uncouth-immature-foal-for-the-way-you-asked, sort of way, the question does point to an underlying truth. My body isn’t as sensitive as it once was.

However, this is still a family-friendly page. That’s as much as you’re getting out of me one way or the other.

I’m afraid not, no.

I’m not much of a spell teacher. I’m really not even that magical. I’ve just practiced so much with amplification and manipulation that it comes much easier to me than it would to most.

Somepony like Twilight could easily do better than I with a fraction of the experience.

Let me give you two scenarios.

Either A) I haven’t, and I’m insulted you were even ask something so horrible!

Or B) I have, but do you really think I’d want to talk about it?

Well…

When Gilda left Twilight, I wanted her to stay here…

Heh… Mint is always going on about how I never let her give me any money… But I was going to ask her to help me pay for an addition to the house. A master bedroom with it’s own full bath that would lead to the kitchen. You know, somewhere to live, but still be independent…

Too late now, I guess… And Gilda would never have agreed to it. It was a stupid idea…

Um… I guess if you got me something small, like a vanilla frosty I’d accept it. That’s not necessary, though.