Sensations

Once finished with Moonlight Sonata, Octavia realized that she was crying. The salt tasted surprisingly refreshing in her mouth.

Moonlight Sonata. I still remember the notes. The cellist started plucking the triplets. A D F. Repeat eight times. I still remember where to place my hooves. I still remember how it sounds...but I can't hear it. The cellist's violet eyes closed as she lost herself in silence, the piece coming to a close as the vibrations of her cello slowly ceased. Her tears continued to fall, though she didn't understand why.

My voice...I can't hear it, either. The wind...the falling leaves, the voices and instruments of my orchestra members..I can't hear any of it. No matter what anypony says, I hear silence. She looked outside, her vision slightly blurry from the wetness, and saw nobles walking about, more than likely gossiping about the latest fashions or rumors that had spread.

Have they heard of my deafness? If so, that will be a disappointment. I wanted to tell everypony myself...not that I would know if they knew or not. I will settle that when I- Octavia's thoughts were interrupted by her stomach growling angrily, begging for food. It has occurred to me that I've yet to eat...perhaps a small snack will do. I still have much to practice; rehearsal is tonight. Tonight is also going to be the First Telling. It is only fitting that the orchestra that I have grown to love is the first to know, is it not? Octavia's stomach growled again, more fiercely this time.

A cucumber sandwich with a side of tomatoes would really be nice...and my coffee. Yum!

Before going to the kitchen, Octavia carefully put her cello back in the case. First she gingerly lay it in her case, securing it with the utmost care. Next, she loosened her bow, making sure that the strings were properly floppy, and clipped it into its spot. Octavia gently lowered the lid as if she were placing a foal into it's cradle. Finally, she zipped it up, not sure if she was doing it too hard because she couldn't hear it's annoyed cry as it ran along the track. Curses! she thought, not wanting to have to replace her zipper. I must find a way to know what that is fine.

Walking downstairs, she opened up the fridge door, scrunching her face as she backed away. Ew. Rotten tomatoes...suitable for the rats, but not my kitchen. Octavia picked them up, felt the squishy texture and then smelled the stink that seemed to be wafting from them. They smell worse than anything I've had to deal with. What a shame, I am really craving tomatoes! With precise aim and swiftness, she tossed the tomatoes out, the smell lingering in the kitchen as she went to wash her hooves with the crisp, cold water from her sink.. Great, now I will have to clean, again.

Moving to dry her hooves, some droplets of water fell to the ground. "Oh, Celestia," she grumbled, or, rather, thought that she did. Really, it sounded more like, "Arg mia."

The gray mare grabbed a towel and started drying the fallen water that had nearly evaporated already. Wait a moment... Octavia felt the ground without the towel. She closed her eyes, and tuning in closely, she could feel vibrations coming from upstairs.

What? Octavia felt confused. She had never felt a phenomena quite like this before. I had better check to make sure that nopony has broken in, although even if they had, I don't have much that holds great value to anypony else. It's mostly just old music and my cello...if they steal that, they're dead!

Octavia methodically walked through her bottom floor and found nothing; however, the vibrations continued. Well, I had better go upstairs now. Trusting her instincts, Octavia walked upstairs, the vibrations in the ground getting more noticeable; they didn't rock the ground to and fro, but they were felt, and they were noticed, nonetheless.

The rhythmic vibrations of a melody to deaf ears was lying on the other side of the door. The music...I left it on before I slept. But...these vibrations. I'm only feeling them now? wondered Octavia, realizing that music is the only plausible reason for the vibrations to be acting like this. How strange...

Opening the door, Octavia felt something pass through her; the vibrations that were going through the floor were hitting her full force, and she closed her violet eyes, feeling them start to water again. This is the sound that's running through the air...I can feel in. In my body, I can feel it. The silence...is no longer so bleak and scary...it seems more, warm, and, well...comforting. The mare smiled as she turned off the stereo. She unpacked her cello, feeling the need to touch her instrument, touch the thing that is keeping her sane. She sat there, looking at her cello with a smile and grabbing her bow.

Moonlight Sonata...the beat should be approximately this! She lightly tapped her cello, keeping time before starting to bow, rooting her hooves on the ground and holding her precious instrument close...feeling its curves and the vibrations that it sent out into her body. These vibrations will keep me sane.

While I've lost my hearing...while I can't hear the things this world has to offer...I can still feel. The air rippling like water, the sound carrying...I can still hear. I just hear differently. When the vibrations came to a place that she knew, Octavia joined in with the melody, and the air sung with both noise and movement. The world was perfect just then: the air was still, the birds were silent, ponies weren't making a lot of noise, and Octavia figured out a way to fit in, to hear.

This, she thought, a huge grin escaping her. This is a story that the entire orchestra should hear! How should I tell it?

Before she could finish that thought, a different one appeared. I wonder if Grandmother Presto learned about this?

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Moowell

Moowell #1 · Nov 26th, 2014 · · ·

You and I have very different takes on what happens when Octavia loses her hearing.

MoltenXKid

MoltenXKid #2 · Nov 26th, 2014 · · ·

That has to be a horrible feeling for a musician to loose their hearing. I haven't used my trumpet in months but I'd hate to not be able to hear it. Glad octy could recover.

LiveLife