//------------------------------//
// Chapter 38: Hearths Warming Eve in A Major. 
// Story: Beethoven's Tenth 
// by CrackedInkWell 
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All around Equestria as the weather grew colder, the ponies anticipated for the big day of Hearths Warming. Trees and flagpoles were set up, seasonal dishes were being prepared at home, and last minute shopping became commonplace. But in Ponyville, posters announced that the Canterlot Philharmonic was coming to their town to play for them a new symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven. This got the citizens there excited because the concert itself was for free for anyone that would show up.

The Philharmonic had practiced the four movements while given direction from the deaf composer. Telling them to intensify, speed up, slow down, put emotion into this and restrain yourselves that until it was good enough. Once he was satisfied, he trusted the conductor, Sea Sharp to lead the orchestra for the special concert.

While Beethoven kept himself busy, he made careful arrangements to send some gifts of his own. Thanks to the help of Princess Twilight and Spike’s smoky delivery service, he had chosen a particular piece to two particular ponies: Prince Blueblood and Svengallop as a sort of joke.

Then on the eve of the holiday, while the sky was gray, the bright lights lit up the streets and homes of the town. On that day there was a gentle snowfall as the train from Canterlot rolled up to the station. Half of the passengers who came out were the orchestra while the other was relatives and friends who come for the occasion of the holiday.

This was what Spike was seeing as he kept a lookout from one of the windows. Up close to the cold glass, he peered out on a gray afternoon until he finally spotted the very ponies he was looking for. Excited, he ran downstairs, “Twilight!” he called out. “They’re here!”

Before long, there was a knock on the library door. Twilight flew up to it to open the door wide, “Mom, Dad, Shining, and Cadance!” she drew them all into a hug, “It’s so good to see you all again.”

“Hey there little Princess,” the father said hugging her back. “How’s it been?”

“Can we come in?” Shining asked, “It’s really cold out here.”

As the librarian alicorn stepped aside to let them in to which they were greeted by Spike, Princess Cadance stood there in the doorway. “Hey Twilight, are you forgetting something rather important?”

For a moment, Twilight stood there confused until quickly realizing what she was talking about.

“Sunshine! Sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”

After the two of them hugged, Twilight asks her how she was in the Crystal Empire. “Thing have been rather slow,” she explained, “Nothing much to talk about really.”

“So what about you sweetie,” the mother asked, “How are things with you?”

“I’ve been keeping myself busy,” the Princess of Friendship told them as she closed the door. “Between my friends and going over Mr. Beethoven’s music, it’s been a rather productive year.”

“Speaking of which,” Shining spoke up, “Is it true that the giant is having his newest symphony being played here?”

“And it’s tonight for free? Yes indeed.”

“When is it?” her father inquired.

“It’s at seven,” Spike told him. “Down in town hall of all places. You guys wanna come?”

“I don’t see why not,” Cadance said. “After all, it’s been too long since the last time we’ve been to a concert.”

_*_

Hours later, the Sparkle family made their way through freezing winds and bright lights towards the heart of town. There was already a mass of ponies that were making their way through the front door and into the large circular room. In the very center was the orchestra was right above them was a microphone, the wire hung from the tall ceiling that leads to a machine that was right next to a large wooden chair.

Ponies crowed around the tuning orchestra while others took their seats on the many balconies overlooking them – to which, one of them that the Sparkle family found themselves in. “I think I can see why this place was chosen,” Twilight’s father commented, “this place has some really good acoustics.” 

“Well it was originally built to give public speeches,” Twilight informed him. “So I completely understand why Beethoven had chosen this place to perform the Sixth Symphony.”

“Speaking of which,” Spike said as he looked down, “Where is he?”

Twilight too leaned over. She could see her friends and her family, along with Ludwig’s neighbors, some of whom waved over to her. Then she took notice of the clock, “Well, we’re still early, I’m sure we’ll get to see him soon enough.”

When the face of the clock showed it was seven, the double doors of town hall opened up where a cold wind blew in the conductor and the composer, both of whom immediately received applause as they made their way to their places. Sea Sharp took out a note and raised her hoof, “Everypony! Mares and Gentlecolts, can I have your attention, please? Before we begin the premiere of the sixth symphony, Mr. Beethoven has requested that I should read this first.”

With her magic, she held it up to her face and read from it: “‘To the Citizens of Ponyville, for the past six months you have taken care of me by giving a place to live, time to work, played my music and have healed me when I needed it, I feel deep gratitude for the kindness you have offered me. For although I still feel homesick, you ponies have gone out of your way to make me feel welcome in this strange land. As such, for the occasion of your holiday, I, Ludwig van Beethoven, have decided that this symphony shall be dedicated to all of you. My gift for your Hearths Warming is that I am changing the title of this symphony, in which it used to be called, ‘The Pastoral,’ has now been changed to, ‘The Ponyville Symphony.’”

There was an erupted applause by the time Beethoven had sat down, took out his headphones for Vinyl to plug in.

The unicorn mare continued, “Also, Mr. Beethoven has said that if any of you would like to clap between movements, you’re allowed to do so. So, on behalf of the composer and the Canterlot Philharmonic, we shall be playing for you: Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony.”

After the stomping of hooves died down, the conductor turned around to lift her baton. The strings readied themselves while Sea Sharp looked over their heads to Mr. Beethoven. With both hands over the speakers of his headphones, Ludwig gave a small nod to begin.

Cellos and violas began low and softly while the violins rise up like rays of the morning sun. The strings grew more with light like a sunrise over a valley. Strings wax and wane before the horns gave it a golden glow that increased in strength as clarinets too joined in. The wind instruments took root like trees, seemingly to welcome the bright morning.

There was nothing cold or mechanical of the sound of the first movement, for the ponies listening, they heard something natural and pure like the forests that surround the town. In an odd way, it was like listening to a long forgotten carol that foals used to sing long ago was now brought back to life. Rich sounds of violins, horns, and clarinets played jokes and games through the forests of bows that rise and fall.

In the back row, the apples could easily imagine their orchards on a warm spring day when the leaves sprout their green leaves and start to blossom. For the families of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, they heard the music of the wind. Rarity’s imagined their younger days, playing games at the park. Over on a balcony, the Pie family listen on to music that all except for one considered it too sweet. But for each of the Sparkle family, it brought memories of childhood, of games, spells and book fortresses that stood up to many battles during the Toy Wars.

For the Crusaders, in their minds, the first movement brought their impressions of summer while on their never-ending quest for their cutie marks. Each of them had a different memory while listening. Applebloom remembered their camping trip into the wilderness. Sweetie from the time they’ve scuba dived into a lake, while Scootaloo racing through the town on her scooter.

Near the front row, Derpy, Dinky, Lyra and Bon Bon sat up and center as they heard the source of the sound shift from one room to the next. The young unicorn leaned up against her mother, “Doesn’t this remind you of that camping trip way back?” Dinky asked.

Her mother looked down from one of her eyes, “How so?” she whispered back.

“Do you remember that time when you had time off, that we’ve decided to go camping up in the Foal Mountains? Especially on that morning when we saw that sunrise?” her mother nodded.

“And attempted to make muffins over a fire?” she giggled, “How can I forget?”

Beethoven’s Landlady leaned on the candymare next to her. Both of them knew what they were thinking: they started to remembered years ago when they’ve really started talking to one another on that playground. They recalled the games their imaginations play out adventures in which would start out their lifetime relationship with one another.

Octavia, as she paid attention to the score, her bow gliding over the spontaneous notes that go from simple notes to more rhythmically challenging. As much as she tried to stay focus, her mind went into a garden in the spring, when everything seemed to be full of color. Like the music, her imagination became rich with flowers, gossiping birds, and the living, breathing nature of the early morning.

_*_

“That was quite lovely,” Mrs. Shy commented as the audience applauded.

“Kindy catchy,” Zephyr Breeze leaned back against the wall, “Are you absolutely sure he’s deaf?”

“He is,” Fluttershy told him, “Which makes all of this more amazing if you really think about it.”

Mr. Shy tried to shoosh his family, “They’re moving on.”

Indeed, after the applause died down, the conductor led the orchestra into the next movement. Flowing strings and a steady long note of horns began, like ripples in a pond. The first violins establish the opening theme of a lazy afternoon in the summertime. Wind instruments too added to the atmosphere as an impression of a cool breeze. The oboe too painted a clear sky and silent trees that sway with the wind.

For Fluttershy, such a slow and easy pace of this movement were relaxing. It reminded her of the first time she explored the forests surrounding Ponyville. Looking up to the sky at the foliage of green from the maple, spruce and birch trees, she could practically hear the music of the wind from the violins, flutes, and clarinets. While it wasn’t as exciting as the opening movement, the Pegasus did think that it was taking its time to paint a scenic portrait of the land. She could almost hear the soft steps of animals in the distant cellos and double basses. 

Snapping for a moment from her daydreaming, she looked over to where Beethoven sat, listening intensely to his headphones. ‘I wonder what he’s thinking about?’ she thought.

Beethoven sat on the wooden chair, listening to as much as he could pick up from the vibrations. His mind transported itself back into the woods near Vienna where he spent many walks with his friends and his nephew. Through the eyes of his imagination, he saw a hodgepodge of memories along the trail in all four seasons. His early attempt at romance in the spring; conversing with his students in the summer; being comforted by his friends in autumn, and scolding his nephew in the winter – Ludwig’s mind went back and forth through the memories of the Vienna Woods.  Yet, now hearing the music play out again for the first time in years without him interrupting it, he’d forgotten that there was loneliness too in the violins, though beautiful as they were.

In that crowded town hall, barely anypony were paying attention to the couples that held hooves as the music played on. Mr. and Mrs. Cake nuzzled in the very back, perhaps reflecting on the days they’ve been together. Teenagers snuck in a quick peck here and there, while those who hadn’t had a special somepony looked on towards a crush of their as they daydreamed with the symphony. Even Lyra and Bon Bon fell under the spell as nopony noticed that their tails entertained with each other’s.

Several minutes past, then suddenly and unexpectedly during a melancholic moment, there was silence. Fluttershy opened her eyes in time to see a soloist playing the flute play short, simple notes that sounded like a nightingale, then a high oboe imitated as a quail while two clarinets a cuckoo bird. There were a few bars of strings and horns before that quartet of wind instruments repeated their simple songs.  After that, the rest of the orchestra gently ends the first movement before the ponies in town hall erupted into cheers.

There was only one word on Fluttershy’s mind, “Beautiful,” she whispered.

_*_

Octavia took in a deep breath as she turned the page of her score, ‘And now for the difficult part,’ she thought before the conductor moved on. The cellist waited for a few bars as the violins and violas start some short by lively notes before the lyrical clarinets and flutes added to the introduction. She kept time as the music developed from these bouncy notes towards a kind of folk dance as soon as the horns came into play. The music grew as more energetic towards the crescendo-like youth on a sugar high at a fair. The way that the strings interacted with the orchestra was playful in every sense.

The third movement captured everypony’s attention as it played games with them. Strings trotted by as a youthful clarinet pay tag before an elderly horn watches over. Violins and violas engaged themselves in a dance with the cellos and double basses. Horns and wind instruments interacted with one another, making the sound richer and bigger before it suddenly slows down and starts up again.

In the audience, a couple ponies had started to bob their heads as the tune repeated itself. The atmosphere this time was more festive like with the winds and horns giving it some character of Hearths Warming in a sense. In an odd way, it almost resembled a carol without words. There was excitement and joy in the bouncing strings and grandeur when the orchestra combined as one voice.

Pinkie was trying to hum along to the clarinet solo that sounded as happy as she was. There was a sort of build up from the strings before it suddenly changes in tune but not in the mood as if the violins spontaneously started a new dance. ‘Something like the dance-off festivals in the summer,’ she thought.

Indeed, as the movement went on, the foals listening were tapping their hooves to the beat of the ebb and flow of the music.

Even Applebloom’s forehoof tapped along the happy tune, she too was trying to hum along to the catchy melody when unexpectedly, the mood changed abruptly. The little Earth Pony, like everypony else, was suddenly confused when all the joy ceased and the lower sounds of the cellos and double basses rumbled. The violas almost seemed to be trying to get away from something. A section of violins was as confused as the audience as they tried to get an answer to what was going on. There was a final warning from the winds before the orchestra exploded into a storm.

Nopony had expected the mood to change so suddenly, gone was the festive tune which was now replaced by bellowing horns and intense high strings. Even the percussion thundered every few bars, making the younger ones jump at the loud noise. Applejack wrapped her leg around her little sister with a chuckle, but then remembered something she learned about the old man in the hospital. From the thundering drum that the strings instantly screamed in response, the orange Apple could swear that she heard the voice of Beethoven’s father. As the storm intensifies, the thunder sounded more like an angry voice calling out for “LUDWIG!!”  

For Applejack, this was not a storm she was listening to, but the very echo of the composer’s drunken father: angry; viscous; cruel; uncompromising beyond belief.

Thankfully, the hurricane did not last long as the darken mood dies down, another takes form. A clarinet starts to calm down the orchestra before a flute scales upward before the clarinet began to sing a new song that the horn echoed. This time the atmosphere has changed again to the very sound of relief. The violins now take on a tune of a kinder spirit, reassuring that everything is alright now, the storm has passed.

Now the ugliness was now being swept away, for extreme beauty of sound rang off the walls of the town hall. It was as if from the destruction came a rebirth of something new into the world. Something greater truth was learned from the struggle in which those who heard it became better than before. No matter how each pony viewed one on another in that room, there was a sense of brotherhood in all of them that united them all.

This last movement encompassed everything that the holiday stood for, a stronger friendship with one another. It brought a sense to pride in their hearts, even to the musicians playing.

In the end, Octavia performed this uplifting, cleansing music to its conclusion. All around her, when the orchestra reached its crescendo, it gently lowered itself down like a sunset. While although soft, it was still grand beyond words. With two final cords, they symphony was over.

A roar erupted from town hall as ponies stomped on the wooden floors. Whistles, shouts of, “Brilliant!” “Bravo!” and “Awesome!” rang out in the circular room, to which did not go unnoticed by Beethoven who finally opened his eyes. Taking off his headphones, he stood up and walked straight towards where Sea Sharp had stood to the very center of the room. After taking turning around in a circle, he bowed.