(Bonus) The forty-ninth attempt: Piano Amour
930 years post Celestia
Piano Amour looked out at the audience and nodded. There was little left to do. Just the one final step, and then… then it was out of her hooves.
She didn’t want to retrace the steps that it had taken to get here. She knew them all by heart. Her mother’s business had suffered a run of bad luck, her daughter had broken her wings in a bad fall, her cousin had been scammed out of his life savings, her husband had crashed his carriage into that of a rich Viceroy and had been sued … a stream of problems, each worse than the last. At this point, the once-mighty Amour family was staring at bankruptcy and ruination.
Was it really a hundred years ago that they’d held seats on the Court, counted generals and Courtiers as their closest friends, given advice to the princess herself? How times changed. There had been rumors, of course, of some horrific deed, some monstrous crime committed by an ancestor from a century prior, after which the Amour house had slowly but inevitably collapsed. Piano didn’t suppose it much mattered. Penury was penury, whatever the cause.
Piano Amour had no particular talents at business or politics. She had been a pianist, a fine and noble profession, if not normally the most profitable one. She’d been told that she’d been born in the wrong century; an Amour pianist, after all, could have had a splendid life in the past. Now, though, she could only wish she had a talent that was more useful at keeping her family in their homes.
But she didn’t, which was why Piano Amour had embarked on her last hope. Besides this, there was only public charity, and though nearly broke, she was still a proud Amour. She would not beg for alms from the public trough. But if Luna would elevate the family again, that was different. She had been unable to get an appointment with the princess, though, which left her to resort to the Symphony. I don’t care if Luna banishes me for playing it. To banish me, she has to talk to me, and that means I can talk to her. I’ll beg her to save the Amour family. I don’t care if I get thrown to the wolves later.
Of course, she didn’t want to be banished. And she had… well, thoughts… on how the piece could perhaps be played. Thoughts drawn from her own experience. Thoughts that she figured the others who attempted it might not have understood. And if, just if, she could play it right… maybe that would be enough to reverse the decline of the Amour house. Maybe her children could grow up in the environment she yearned for them to have.
She had to try.
So she took the stage, thanked the audience, and especially thanked Luna. “I know this piece has a… history, but I am pleased to see that you, your majesty, came regardless. Your subject is grateful for your appearance.”
And then she played.
It was slower than the other renditions, more mournful. And the ending, of course, was far different than anything any other pony had tried. There was the fight, of course, oh was there a fight – a knock-down, drag-out, hateful, spiteful fight, with clashing melodies that annihilated each other, melodies representing a war between two sisters that could have no winner in any meaningful sense. Yes, Luna was ultimately left standing, but with a shattered kingdom and a shattered heart.
I think you felt what it was like to lose your family, to let them down, princess, thought Piano, as she strived to perfect each theme. I don’t think you were happy about your victory. I think sometimes you lie in bed and wonder if it would have been easier had you let Corona win.
The Amour family hadn’t retained much, but they still had many, many books that they hadn’t been able to sell off and hadn’t (yet) had to burn for heat. Histories, mostly. Piano had read through them, and she knew of the dark days that followed Corona’s defeat. Of the land plunging into twelve years of chaos, of Luna’s drunken spree throughout the country. It was an alicorn in total despair.
The piece ended with a long, slow, and sad sequence. Luna, the victor but alone. Corona dead, the country in ruins. It wasn’t clear if the Luna theme even thought it was good that she won – certainly, in moments, it seemed almost suicidal, summoning up snatches of Corona’s theme as if wishing to have her sister back, though it meant her own destruction, though it meant leveling the country in burning fire. It was how, Piano was certain, Luna had felt.
Maybe that would move her heart, where all the politic, bowdlerized renditions had only moved her to anger at their glib dishonesty. And even if it didn’t… well, to banish her, they’d have to talk. Piano would settle for that.
Piano opened her eyes and looked towards Luna’s booth. Would the mare be smiling? Crying? Or would she have raised a hoof in anger?
None of those. Luna was gone.
She wasn’t even going to talk to Piano.
Feeling lower than ever before, Piano rose and left the stage and whispering audience behind her. She would cry, she told herself, when she got home.
“Piano Amour.”
Piano’s head shot up. Luna was standing before her, on the creaky backstage area like it was her throne room. And she looked… angry, yes… but also understanding. At least a little bit.
“I understand,” she said, in a quiet voice, “Your family’s straits. I apologize for not doing more earlier. Your family has always served the Court well and with wisdom.”
Amour blinked. Could it be? Was Luna going to save them?
“But,” and now there was ice and steel in her voice, “Your circumstances do not give you the right to bring up my history in a transparent attempt to circumvent my secretary. They do not give you the right to lie about me.” She approached Piano. “Do you truly believe,” she said, “That I care so little for my subjects that I would ever wish that it was Corona who was the victor?”
Piano didn’t know what to say. “I… I don’t know, your majesty. All I know is my own feelings.”
“Then you had no right to play that piece.” Luna sighed. “I acknowledge your courage, and your love for your family. I will… see to it that the Amour decline is arrested. I will not build your house back up – the Court is a meritocratic institution, and I cannot and will not interfere in that manner – but you need not worry about homelessness, or destitution.”
Tears filled Piano’s eyes. “Thank you!”
“I am not done.” Luna turned away from Piano. “You admit that you played a piece that you did not understand, though it took me and my sister as the subject. You have betrayed your art, and you have lied about me to your audience. I would think very carefully, Piano, about this before attempting another piece in my earshot.” Piano could feel the chill emanating from her. “I will not forgive you a second time.”
Luna vanished in a blueish mist, leaving Piano to stare after her in wonder. She didn’t care if she could never play in public again. Her family was safe, and that was what mattered.
That was the only thing that mattered.
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Looks like Piano went too far the other way. Sure, Luna was sad, but like the others, Piano couldn't help but project her own feelings onto Luna. Luna doesn't think it'd be better if Corona won. It's like Piano doesn't even understand why Luna fought Corona at all.
...actually, come to think of it, none of them really brought up the 'why' she fought, did they? Setting aside Stringer and Off Beat/Sweet Song, who weren't trying, the others all wrote how they think she won, and perhaps how she felt, but not why. In their stories, Corona was just a monster to be opposed, because that's what you do to monsters -- you oppose them.
Maybe that's a clue, eh?
Headcanon: The Amour family was given enough money to stop their decline, and they remain a minor noble house. They still aren't what they once were, but they're not in danger of losing everything. They are some of Luna's most devoted followers, and -- in the very rare cases when they have influence, mostly pertaining to their small collection of lands -- invariably act how she wants. Piano herself never performed in public again, but, free of the worries of leading her house to its final grave, took up charity work.
They're not related in any way to Mi Amore Cadenza, by the way.
Running tab of things that don't work playing this piece:
1. Making the ending about might and strength
2. Making the ending about cunning and intelligence
3. Making the ending glitzy and flashy, with no real themes
4. Hoping Luna doesn't show up
5. Making the ending about magical prowess and skill
6. Being a 'hero' of Equestria
7. Making the ending mimic the other four movements
8. Making the ending a dirge about Luna's despair
9. Being in desperate need.
my feels! why am I sadsing!?
can't wait for more chapters!
1002907 This was perhaps the most sad and sympathetic case yet. I still think that Piano came closer than anypony else thus far. But as you said, Luna loves her subjects too much. And also as you said, nopony else has addressed the fact that both sisters wanted to protect their subjects and were fighting to do so.
1002907
Which, of course, leads us to what will succeed:
10: Presenting it as a battle between someone well-intentioned who lost her way and someone who regrets a harsh necessity.
1003167
This, and also, because Piano got to speak with Luna and was in fact told to be cautious of any future attempt to play anything for the princess, she probably could have been given the opportunity to try one more time to get it right. Yes, Luna was angry at how Piano had tried using the piece as a form of manipulation, but at the same time I think she recognized how close it came to being right, and so her anger was tempered not only by Piano's obvious desperation, but by the idea that this mare might have had the potential to get it right. Of course all Piano had ever wanted was to save her family, and so with that accomplished she never had the motive to consider what Luna has said to her and so never reevaluated her own performance of the piece.
1003208: Yep, exactly this. Of all these ponies, Piano alone probably could have tried again... but with her family saved, she didn't have the motivation to do so. Nor did she want to push her luck.
1003215
Indeed, and as a follow up.
It strikes me in the way Luna addressed Piano the truth of why she continues to let ponies try. She wants to here the original, yes, but more importantly she wants her subjects to understand her. The recurrent statement with each failure, those that bothered to actually try at least, is always akin to '...and so that is what you think of me?'
This is of course why so many attempts have angered her so much. It's less to do with the naive ignorance of those performers, save the most argonaut who seek only to use the piece for their own selfish ego. More so, each failure is a reminder of the gulf that exists between Luna and the citizens; that no matter how much she might want them to, none of them truly understand her. And it is that understanding she craves above all else, because with Celestia, her one and only sister gone, there is no one left who can know and support Luna as anything more than a sovereign.
This is also why she has never had the piece properly recommissioned. Sure should could easily recruit a talented musician and just tell them what the proper ending is supposed to be, but that would be meaningless because then no performance could ever be anything more than royal proclamation. Little different than the propaganda of a tyrant, a second Corona, the one thing Luna most fears becoming.
1003257: Yep. Her subjects keep saying they want to honor her by playing this piece written about her, and all they do is show that they barely understand her. They just see her as some one-dimensional soldier, or a cunning manipulator, or, in this case, an almost-suicidal nihilist. And every time she gets her hopes up (excepting the 'cheating' performances like Stringer), and every time, they fail her. And she just feels more alone.
That's one of the reasons that she doesn't just say what they right ending is -- she does want somepony to understand her, and doesn't want the only way to get the right performance to be by royal proclamation ('Here is how to play this work about me! Here are my good points in the work!'). The other is that she doesn't think a pony could play it if they needed her to tell them what to do. She can state it to them, but unless they really know and feel it, they're not going to be able to pull it off. Thus, asking her is basically a flag that they won't be able to do it, and so she wouldn't want to encourage the asker.
1003240: Glad you're enjoying it so much!
(As a classical music aficionado, I'm pleased to see that I'm able to spread the joys of classical- and romantic-era music among the MLP fanbase. :-)
1003494: I haven't heard that line directly, but Gordon Ramsey has occasionally done something like it:
R: How big are those scallops?
Idiot contestant: A bit big, chef.
R: Big? They're massive!
My favorite kind of 'intersecting gambits' plot is one where none of the characters are idiots, they just either have different goals or different information. Blueblood and Greengrass actually want the same thing (for Octy to botch the concert), but Blueblood doesn't know that Octy has reformed, because he doesn't know what Fleur is doing (whereas Greengrass knows that Octy flipped on him, which is really all he needs on that front). Blueblood thus can't understand why she would do this unless she thinks she can pull off the concert. Hence him crafting his own gambit. Meanwhile, Octy wouldn't see what Blueblood is doing -- since everypony 'knows' she'll fail the Symphony, none of them have any reason to stop her from playing, so she's not concerned about any other noble trying something. Hence her asking Lyra to 'wait for her' at the concert hall instead of, say, accompanying her there -- she doesn't think she'll run into interference en route.
Wow. So here we have the polar opposite of Off Beat, basically. What do you call the opposite of a sociopath? An altruist, I think. either way, good for Piano Amour!
On Luna:
Luna is fundamentally an artist. Her whole reason for going Nightmare Moon in the mane universe was, after all, ponies not appreciating or acknowleding the hard work she put into the beautiful night sky. As an artist, she'd definitely never stoop so low as to just tell ponies how to play the piece. It has to be felt or it's utterly pointless.
1003535: Yeah, I like Amour. She genuinely cares about her family and others. And she's recent enough that I suppose it's technically possible one of her descendants (or maybe a very, very aged version of her) might show up again sometime.
Agreed on Luna. If it's not felt, she doesn't think they can play the piece right anyway.
that's sad. Ultimately, Luna wants the same thing as maneverse Celestia: For her subjects to understand her and be friends, not just respect her out of adoration and fear.
Methinks she'd rather be Luna than Princess Luna.
1003560: Alas, such is not possible. So long as the monsters are out there, someone strong and capable must keep them at bay.
1003308
Okay, I understand why she wouldn't want to tell anypony what the true final movement is.
But that brings up another related question: Has anypony ever asked her what the battle with her sister was like so long ago?
After all, that's what Octavia resorted to with Lyra, who was present for the 'rematch'. It makes you wonder if the subject has ever been broached with Luna herself.
1004200: I imagine most ponies close enough to her for her to actually answer would know that it was a touchy enough subject that asking would be, ah, unwise.
You forgot to mention when this attempt happened. I forget when Lyra said the most recent attempt was, and I don't want to have to comb through the chapters trying to find it. D:
1004430: Fixed, thanks.
For some reason, I kept reading the name as Piano Armor
It seems my prediction about the dirge was mostly correct.
1003541
Wait! You're right. That was only 70 years ago. I totally want an elderly Piano to be in attendance at Octavia's recital. Do it! make it happen, or I will Pinkamena you.
1003582
Well, she could still do that without actually being the princess. Her title is likely more a matter of making the citizenry feel safe in the knowledge that they are and always shall be protected by the mistress of the moon. Politically it probably also helps keep potential enemy nations weary of open hostility; you don't fuck with a nation that is ruled by a living god that literally controls the very heavens.
Of course even where she only the guardian of Equestria, ponies would probably still treat her with the same kind of distant reverence. It might even be worse as she might then be overtly worshiped as god. In some ways her political rank 'humanizes', makes her more approachable as a mere monarch rather than something purely divine. Also, I'd imagine that were she not politically endowed as the leader of the nation there would be some kind of international scale version of the political power plays that are trying to gain control over the Elements of Harmony.
1005371
As for me, I kept reading it as 'armoire' my first time through. The name made much more sense after I finally went back and read it correctly.
No, it's still wrong of Luna here. There are multiple ways for her to 'get close' to ponies without basically ruining their lives like this. There are other pieces, other plays, other... things. Hell, why not have her sit down with a musician and lead him/her through the battle and her feelings about what happened?
Sitting down with somepony, opening up even if it's painful, no because it's painful. She could do that. But instead she screws over those who are at least trying to honor her. It's wrong.
1003535 I'm seeing a lot of people going 'Luna's being a
for not just TELLING THEM' but I agree with your interpretation of her motives. It really is pointless if you're told the answer; it's like solving a puzzle by looking at the answer key.
1029354
But for as immortal as she is. She's still a pony with feelings, flaws, and quirks. But most definitely flaws. We see that she didn't let Cadance know she was her mother for a little over a millenia, because talking about it was too painful. She let the Court go as corrupt as it did because she was terrified of stepping in and doing it by force because it made her feel like she'd be like her sister.
So it makes a lot of sense that she wouldn't just tell ponies what to fix about something that was traumatizing and even now breaks her heart when she thinks about her sister. Especially not about a song that would entail picking at a wound that still hasn't healed and is painful beyond anything a mortal can ever know.
That and not once has any of the muscians ever asked about what happened, or her feelings. They presumed to use it to further themselves (other than the savant. Really wish we learned what happened to her), and it showed in their music. Rather than being about being honest to the song itself ... so yeah. Luna could talk about it. But we see that she's really, really, really horrible about talking about things that hurt her (hell that's the reason she fell and became Nightmare Moon. Because she wouldn't talk about those things). So it's cannon in a way.