The Stringed Octave

by HowTea

C - Comeback

I can't believe it. I'm really back here, again.

Forests and meadows, rivers and paths. The whole world was passing by in the eyes of a blue pony sitting in the train. Raindrops on the windows blended with the dark curtain of a night as the strong wind leaned onto the side of the train. But not everything was covered in a shroud of the night.

He looked deeply into the window as he glimpsed a dark blue stain on it. His own eyes were staring into him and filling him with questions. Questions which couldn't be answered by anyone, except him. Questions which didn't have to be answered for there were no right or wrong answers. Questions which didn't even have to be questioned because his only company in the trains bedroom already knew it all. It was only him, his guitar and the reflection of his eyes, watching his every move.

Guitar was packed in a black case with a pocket on the front. The pocket was full of blank and written sheet papers, guitar cleaning kit and guitar picks. He knew he doesn't need them, but he just couldn't go there without them. The case had marks of years of usage.

Rain and wheels on a railroad sang a lullaby and the blue pony willingly surrendered to it. As his body fell onto bed, his mind was flooded with relief and tiredness. With every minute, he was closer to the headspring of his nervousness, but he couldn't mind anymore. He chose this train and he chose this way. His head was spinning around everytime he grabbed a thread of thoughts of that place.

I chose this...

His breath slowly calmed and fear faded. He felt thunder coming. The storm muffled everything in his mind, except for one name, which clinged to him like goo. Canterlot.

A dim sunlight stabbed HowTea in his eyes. Confused about what's happening, he tried to cover his head with a pillow. Sounds of whistles were hammering his ears. He finally managed to open his eyes and looked out of the window. Thin water lines were making their way on the window. Trying to not focus on them, he slapped his cheeks and wiped out the window. HowTea let out a stifled gasp at the image behind the glass.

Tiny figures with umbrellas and raincoats were making their way through a maze of roads and buildings. Royal guards wore their armour and patrolled the streets proudly, no matter the weather. Ponies were swiftly walking, trying to find shelter in shops and restaurants. There were neither less, nor more ponies outside, even though it was raining. HowTea saw a couple, galloping as wind showed off its strenght and turned their umbrella inside out. The mare had a cream coat and the stallion a chocolate-brown one. HowTea couldn't catch the colour of their manes, because a tunnel wall got into his line of sight.

"Tunnel?" HowTea whispered to himself, remembering what comes after it.

The train station was the same as he remembered it. A huge building with many windows and wooden platform. Huge clock above the entrance to the building was showing 7.01. Train stopped and cold morning atmosphere combined with a smell of rainwater soon filled the whole car. HowTea shivered a little and put on scarf.

"Last stop! Canterlot!" HowTea heard the train steward.

He didn't want to go out, but he had no choice. The train had to take new passengers and get back to Ponyville. HowTea sighed and wrapped the guitar case in his raincoat. He took a deep breath and stepped out from the train. As soon as his hoof touched the wooden platform, a big splash of water welcomed him in Canterlot.

HowTea put the guitar case on his back and dragged his luggage to the doors of the the train station. His orange curly mane was straight in a couple of seconds. His luggage was as soaked as he was, before he opened the door and entered the blue building. Tiled floor was even more cold than wet planks.

"Excuse me, mister!" HowTea looked around to see the source of the voice, but there were way too many ponies around.

HowTea felt dizzy. Closing his eyes, he looked down and started rubbing his forehead.

Pony white as snow appeared in front of HowTea. "Mister!"

The blue pony tried to blow away a waterdrop which was forming on his nose before rising up his head. The stallion standing before him seemed to be the same age as him. A dark green scarf with blue stripes was wrapping his neck. His dark blue mane was straight, almost covering his left eye. Everything about him was chilly, except for his warm smile. His cutie mark consisted of two notes connected with with flute.

That's how you know someone has got talent for music, unlike you, tea bag brain.

"Good morning, mister," the white pony began, "My name is Silk Note. Are you mister Howiry Be-"

"Tea," responded the orange-maned pony and as he saw the confusion in Silk's face, he quickly added, "I don't like it when someone calls me my whole name. I'm HowTea, but you can call me Tea. Also I'm no mister."

Silk nodded and continued with embarrassment in his voice. "Alright, m- I mean, Tea. Principal Treble was expecting you and told me to show you around," his eyes wandered around HowTea's cutie mark, "but the weather..."

"It's okay, just show me the university and my flat," HowTea responded, checking if the guitar case is safe from upcoming water shower.

Grey sky was crying tears it holded for a long time. Every raindrop was filled with sorrow from times long gone. Times which couldn't be brought back. Times which nobody remembered. Sky just needed wash away its doubts, just like everyone else. When the two ponies left the train station, carriage was waiting for them. HowTea closed the door of the carriage and sat down. Stallions dragging the carriage didn't mind the water at all.

The carriage rode into endless loop of buildings. HowTea was sure he would get lost if he tried to find the university on his own. Ponies galloped home from strenght-gaining wind.

"It's a real shame, this weather," Silk broke the silence, "I heard you lived for some time in Canterlot before?"

"Yes, potion-making classes at Canterlot's Magic School," HowTea responded.

Silk raises his eyebrows. "I'm sorry for this, but, umm..."

"Go on, I won't get mad," HowTea smiled.

"I see you play guitar, but-"

HowTea giggled. "But nothing else is music-related on me?"

Some ponies outside swore at the carriage for splashing them with water, but the two stallions ignored them.

"I didn't want to be mean, I'm just curious," Silk folded his ears, "you differ from everyone else in the university."

HowTea waved hoof. "It's alright. I don't think I'll stay here for too long. I just want to play my guitar a bit better and since I've got a chance to study, then why not try it?"

"You're right," said the white pony, ending the conversation.

The carriage almost lulled HowTea to sleep again, but before he could close his eyes, they were at the place. He could finally see the famous Canterlot conservatoire with his own eyes. It was a huge yellow building in a middle of a small parc. Small fence was bordering the pathwalk from the garden. A few small trees were standing on a green carpet with flowers of all kinds. Building itself had many windows, modern design and a big sign above the entrance with the name of the school, Canterlot's Art and Music School.

"That building has got a long tradition. I've read that it was built shortly after Canterlot's hall was. It surely was smaller back then and only royal family could afford to send their children there, but as the time flew, the whole place grew bigger. You could say it started from the bottom and now we're-"

HowTea put his hoof on Silk's muzzle. "Don't."

Silk laughed. "On the other note, I think you'll fit. Your flat is over the street, that door there," the white pony pointed at one of many doors from a big building mash.

The door was made from ebony and looked very old-fashioned. Water was gathering on marble stairs leading from brick pavement to the doors. HowTea imagined slipping on those stairs and shivered. Both ponies got out from the carriage and Silk gave four shining bits to each one of the stallions. Stallions thanked, waved and galloped away with the carriage.

"Little expensive if you ask me," HowTea mumbled.

Silk heard that and responded. "Welcome to Canterlot."

HowTea and Silk walked towards the stairs, not minding the rain anymore.

"I'm gonna take my leave now. We both gonna get sick, if we stay here longer. If you need everything, knock on the sixth door that way," Silk pointed to the right, "looking forward to see you tomorrow, Tea. And be sure to meet the principal Treble as soon as you can. Goodbye."

"See ya tomorrow, Silk, and thanks for everything," HowTea waved at the blue maned pony and opened the door.

The door led to a small hall with a little window and stairs. HowTea walked towards the window and knocked on it. Nothing happened. He tried again, a little harder this time.

A slighty deep voice came out of the room. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."

"Name?" a mare showed off behind the window.

Brown freckle on her left cheek was shining in contrast with her light orange coat. Glasses were covering her candy-pink eyes, with red spots from illness. Her brown mane was wrapped in mesh hard hat. Her cutie mark, a spoon crossed with a cherry, was almost covered with her apron. Her voice sounded strangled, which made it seem it's really hard to speak for her. She had a name tag pinned on the apron, Cherry Whirl.

HowTea sighed, since he had to hear himself saying the name. "Howiry B. Tea."

The mare coughed and searched papers. "University of Music?"

"Yes."

"Third floor, door number twenty-five," Cherry gave keys to HowTea and a weak smile appeared on her face.

"Thank you, miss, get better soon!" HowTea said, as he dragged the soaked luggage upstairs.

The apartment consisted of three rooms. Living room and kitchen were merged. The other two rooms were the bedroom and the bathroom. The whole place was quite narrow. Green soft couch was taking most of the living room. Small fluffy carpet was covering a wooden floor in front of the couch. Bookshelf was covering the wall on the left of the couch. On the right side, there was a counter, which bordered the kitchen and the living room.

HowTea unpacked guitar first and put it on a guitar stand next to the couch. Windows behind the couch and in the kitchen were giving a nice view of the parc around the university. HowTea sneezed.

Last thing I need is being ill too.

Rain was still throbbing at the windows while the blue pony was unpacking his soaked luggage. When he was satisfied with his work, he trotted off into bathroom to have a nice hot bath. As he lied down and the warm water wrapped itself around him like the fluffiest and warmest blanket, his thoughts melted and evaporated. There was no tomorrow, no yesterday, only the how water. HowTea was slowly drifting away on a wave of dreams.

He appeared in a big white room. Everything was bright, even though there was no lights. There were no shadows, only light that somehow existed in the air. HowTea wasn't even sure on what he's standing. He didn't feel anything under his hooves. Nothing was weird, everything was just as it supposed to be. Except for water leaking out of space.

Water?

HowTea opened mouth, but couldn't say anything, because he was underwater. He tried to swim up, but nothing was showing he's moving. He started panicking, because his air was running out really fast. He closed eyes and swam as fast as he could.

HowTea opened his eyes and splashed water everywhere. His breath calmed down as he looked around. His vision was blurry, but he could see he was still in the bath. He facehoofed while looking at himself in mirror.

It was still raining. The sky took darker shade of a grey colour and the rain was even more intense. Tea's stomach grumbled, realizing he hadn't eat anything since he got on the train. There was nothing in the kitchen and he didn't want to go out. He smiled with relief when he realized there's some food left in the luggage. In a split second, an apple pie appeared in HowTea's hooves. In another second, the apple pie dissappeared again.

"Well, there goes my lunch and dinner," HowTea said quietly, slowly realizing he will have to go out to get some food, "dang it!"

Someone knocked on the door. "I'm coming!"

A light blue pegasus stallion was standing with a package behind the door. His green eyes were glued to a paper he was holding. Water drops were forming on his reddish purple mane and falling on flight goggles wrapped around his neck. His cutie mark was covered with a wet glarish chartreuse raincoat. There was a logo of Equestria's most known mail company, the Equestria's Pony-Express, on the both sides of the raincoat. Under the logo, there was a red coloured number 36, probably the identification number.

"Mister Tea?" the stallion asked, still looking in his papers.

"Yes, that's me," HowTea responded, looking at the package.

"Please, sign this," the mail pony gave HowTea the paper with a pen.

HowTea grabbed the pen and signed himself on the right bottom corner. The stallion checked the sign and gave the orange-maned pony the package, waved and trotted back downstairs. The box wasn't big or heavy. As HowTea was opening it, something was rattling in the box. A letter appeared inside the box.

From: Principal Treble

Dear Howiry,

welcome to Canterlot. I really hope you will like it here, even though the weather isn't as nice. Silk promised me he'll show you around the school tomorrow.

There are lots of things to see. Our school has got its own cafeteria, over sixty classes and a beautiful park around the main building. A big concert hall is centered in the middle of the campus.

Please take a visit at my office when you are done with the tour around the university. We need to fill out some papers with you.

Yours sincelery,

Principal Sweet Treble

HowTea looked inside the box. It was full of cookies.

"Best school ever!" HowTea shouted, pulling the box inside.

The bookshelf was offering varieties of books. Guides and stories mainly, but no sheet music. HowTea was glad because, even though he played guitar for some time, he couldn't play by notes well. The couch, which was taking most of the space in the room, was really comfortable.

So, what am I doing here then?

His guitar was smiling at him, or at least it seemed like that. Small tapes of light were falling on its black lacquer, which as a result shined like a billions of white drops on a night's canvas. A white neck was slashing the guitar in half like a raging waterfall. A hole was waiting patiently in the center of the guitar, waiting for the flowing wave of bronze strings.

Trying to get better?

It was getting dark outside. Army of dark clouds was marching through the sky, getting no resistance. The darkness was swallowing everything around, except for the University. The building was fighting back with its reflectors. A single castle against the whole world. Soon, the street lights joined the fight. The whole Canterlot shined in a victorious joy with a glory from another successful battle.

Hell no...

Sounds outside were calming down. Only raindrops, the aftermath of the failed battle in never-ending fight between sky and clouds, were streaming down like a blood. Or tears? Was the sky bleeding or crying? A strong wind tried to wipe out the tears and slice through the clouds, which made even more raindrops come out.

I'm here to be the best.

Comments

[HolyCross9]

You know, its rare to see a story that features a straight relationship with Octavia with an OC stallion, especially with fans crazily pairing her with Vinyl. Of course, I've never been a fan of that one either.

I hope you'll progress well with this story too.

[HowTea]

7353073 Thank you >w< it makes me really happy, I will do my best.

[HolyCross9]

7365944 you are most very welcome.