//------------------------------// // The Child // Story: The Music Box // by DaFunkySquirrel //------------------------------// Chapter 2: The Child (No Subchapters) Cavatina sat on the hospital bed with her foal, dozing in the mid-morning sun. Her body ached with the stress of birthing, but the night had ended happy, with a healthy foal gently nursing in her arms. Her little Octavia was absolutely perfect in every way she could think of. Her coat was a near perfect blend of her mother’s rich auburn fur and her father’s stately grey. Her mane and tail were a similar story, with Octavio’s coloring and Cav’s natural wave and length. She was healthy but lithe, as well as quiet...at least, as much as a newborn could be. She had no doubt her little octave would grow up to become a fantastic performer. Of course, as with most things, the moment only lasted for a fleeting few hours before it was forcibly passed. A knock on the sliding glass door bumped her out of her lull with a bit of a start. The filly in the crook of her forehooves complained lightly but otherwise did not react. “Yes?” An dull brown hoof pulled the door aside, taking some of the curtain with it. “Cavatina?” The somewhat timid voice had a mild, upper-crust Trottinghamian accent, not too dissimilar to her own. She did not recognize the voice, but something in the way it spoke told her she could trust the mystery stallion. “That’s me, but please,” she whispered, glancing down at the little babe. “Try to keep your voice down. The baby is sleeping.” The earth stallion entered in full, lifting a hoof to wave dumbly at the new mother. “Hi, uh...” He turned, having entered in full, closing the door behind him. Cavatina opened her mouth to point out his mistake, but he had already made it, his face screwing up as he felt his tail attempt to remove itself from his spine. He gingerly cracked open the door and pulled the complaining follicles close to his flank. She noted his sand timer cutie mark with some curiosity. “Ouch.” The mare smirked. “Hello, mister...?” “Doctor. Just...call me the doctor.” She raised an eyebrow. “Of what?” Their eyes met as he sat gently on her bed. His eyes held a knowing, humorous glint. “Everything.” Cavatina released a halfhearted chuckle. “I’m sure. You’d be old and greying before you had the chance to take a quarter of the classes you would need from Canterlot Community, let alone the Royal Academy, Doctor.” He flicked up an eyebrow slightly, a dark and weary look crossing his countenance. It was so quick, she almost didn’t notice it. “You would be surprised.” He pulled a small, bone-like implement from under his green tie. It had what looked to be a light bulb on one end, intricate detailing along the shaft, and a large circular trigger grip under the end opposing the light bulb. He shoved his hoof into the trigger, tongue sticking out in concentration as he struggled to angle it correctly to use said trigger. He finally figured it out, with a quiet “Aha!” and pointed the bulb end towards the happy pair. Cavatina stiffened slightly, before the doctor’s offhoof gently stroked the end of her shin. “Relax, Miss Melodyssey. This won’t bring any harm to you or your daughter.” The bulb on the end lit a dull yellow and gave off a semi-harsh whirring, grinding noise. Octavia cooed unhappily, turning to find the source of the noise, but it had already been cut off by the time she had turned far enough. It clicked up, revealing a multitude of what looked like arcane crystals glinting in the afternoon sun, and the doctor held the implement up to his face, muttering softly, before pushing it over to his ear, listening with a look of wonder and nerves as his eyes flitted around, unseeing. Suddenly seeming satisfied with the results of his test, he pushed down on the bulb, locking away the crystals from view. He turned to the tired duo with a bright smile. “Your filly is in perfect condition. I had no need to even come here.” He looked down, the smile wilting on his face slightly, before looking pensively back up. “I’m sure your little Octavia will be a perfect little pony.” The smile cracked into a wry smirk, one side of his lips curling up farther than necessary as he sent a glance down toward said perfect little pony. “And she’ll do great things.” She smiled, slightly nervous. “How can you be so sure?” He simply tapped the side of his nose and winked at her. “That would spoil the fun, now wouldn’t it?” Cavatina tried to not notice the extra emphasis on that word. He stood rather abruptly, flicking a hoof off his brow in a half-salute. “Tell your husband I send him my best regards.” With that, he trotted out, making sure not to catch his tail in the door twice as he shut it behind him. Cavatina leaned back, confused and now more tired than she’d been after her labor had finished. Who was that stallion? Her eyes closed softly, letting Octavia’s gentle massaging of her teat lull her back to sleep. She noted with some offhoof sleepy humor that Octavia seemed to grumble ‘stupid doctor’. Alas, twas not to be, as the door to her room again slipped open, admitting a much more recognizable face. Octavio padded in, quieter than the odd doctor, she mused. “Who was that?” He questioned, glancing behind, incorrectly expecting the strange stallion to reenter the room after him. Cavatina shrugged, taking care to keep the foal in her hooves still. “No idea.” She smiled slightly as she thought of his prediction for said foal’s future. “He was very nice though.” Octavio remained unconvinced, looking perplexed. “Uh...The doctor said he would be in in a moment to examine the pair of you.” He released a genuine, if hesitant, smile as he climbed into the uncomfortable bed, cradling his lover. She simply leaned into his embrace, drifting off. “That sounds good.” Her eyes drooped. Before she slipped away into a dreamless sleep against her husband and new co-parent, she heard what sounded like metal grinding against metal.