//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Melodies of Friendship // by TalkingToMyself //------------------------------// The Gala went on deep into the night and at some point, it even changed into a real party. Most of the nobleponies took their exit before midnight, after Princess Celestia declared the official part of the Gala to be over. What she didn’t mention was that there were still various activities planned throughout the night. Pinkie Pie took over and ensured that everypony had fun, the buffet got restacked with more party-friendly snacks and a pony name DJ Pon3 was left in charge of the music. Bon Bon, Octavia and Lyra sat near the dancefloor again with Crystal Note and looked at the stage with gleeful anticipation. Some strange devices now stood were the instruments had been before and none other but the unicorn mare with the shades from before now entered the stage and stood behind them. Crystal Note threw a surprised glance to Octavia, but she just nodded and gestured for her to watch. As soon as DJ Pon3 stood behind the turntables, the crowd cheered and she fired up the first tunes while the dancefloor filled again. Crystal Note’s ears perked up as the utterly unfamiliar music hit her ears and turned to her friends, looking helpless and confused. They chuckled softly and Lyra explained to her about music records, turntables and house music, all concepts she had nothing to compare to from her life in the Crystal Empire all those centuries ago. It took her a while to get familiar with this strange form of music, but she soon bopped her head along to the beat and smiled as she watched everypony dance. This time, there was no strict set of rules, just ponies having fun. Lyra and Pinkie Pie had tried to drag her on the dancefloor as well, but Crystal Note was fine watching for now. She chatted with a few ponies she knew, like Applejack and Apple Bloom who sat with her for a while, but most of the time she sat by herself. She wasn’t scared of anypony. She knew that if she wanted, she could just join in and they would immediately welcome her without a second thought. She wasn’t nervous either, not after the intimidating mass of nobles was gone now. She was just content with watching everypony around her. She didn’t feel left out, but she didn’t feel the urge to throw herself in either. She had reached a very pleasant state of equilibrium, with both herself and the party around her. Eventually though, she had to take a break, even from just watching. She walked through the groups of now laughing ponies and saw a door to one of the many balconies of the palace. A little bit of fresh air was just what she needed right now. She walked through the door and sighed in contend as she felt the cool air of the night. She closed her eyes and just enjoyed the soft breeze for a minute. “It’s a beautiful view, isn’t it?” Crystal Note’s eyes snapped open and she noticed an earth pony mare standing at the banister in some distance to the door. In the starlight, Crystal Note could see that she was wearing a pretentious gown and a necklace with a crest made of precious stones. With that, she looked just like the other nobles Crystal Note had seen at the Gala, only that she was an elderly earth pony instead of a unicorn. Something else didn’t match either. The mare wore a beautiful dress and the crest of a noble family, but her posture was slumped from exhaustion. Tentatively, Crystal Note walked closer to her and when she saw the mare’s eyes, she could see a deep sadness in them. It didn’t take a genius to understand and Crystal Note had seen this expression before, unfortunately. She was looking at a pony mourning in loss. Crystal Note stood next to the mare and said nothing for a while. She had never seen this mare before, but somehow she felt a connection to her. She stayed, hoping that her company might bring the mare some comfort at least. The mare appreciated this with a soft smile. Crystal Note saw sadness, but no desperation in her eyes. Instead, there was acceptance and a certain measure of peace as she started to talk once again “We were here, last year, my husband and I. We looked at the stars forever, at this very spot. I only came back here because if him.” Crystal Note watched the mare who was still gazing at the stars and whispered in a shy voice “What happened to him?” The mare curled her lips into a sad smile “He passed, my dear. He was old. I am old, too. He just went ahead without me.” Crystal Note implicitly understood. Why the mare was here tonight, by herself when inside was the biggest event of the year happening. She was mourning, but it was healthy. She didn’t cling on what happened or blame herself. She had accepted it and found her way back into life. She had become wiser of this, not weaker. Crystal Note was mourning too, but now that she had seen it, she longed that peace that the mare next to her had. Everypony she lost had been ripped out of life by force or tragic events. She had cried and cried over them, mostly her parents, mostly all by herself. She tried to push it away, out of her thoughts and as far away as she could, in the company of her friends or by simply drowning them in the music she played, but all those regrets, all this sadness was never really gone. Each and every day, whether she liked it or not, her sadness drained some of her strength and energy. She had never healed from it like the mare in front of her and she couldn’t tell why, since she wanted and needed it so much. Her voice trembled both in fear and in desire as words tumbled out “How did… how did you… why can you… why can you smile again?” The elderly mare turned her head and looked at Crystal Note. It was clear she could see the same sadness and loss from the crystal pony. For a moment, there was pity in her eyes, but then the smile returned, brimmed with compassion “We had so many good times together, my husband and I. We’ve been together for decades, always together. I know he would not want me to wallow in grief. For his sake, and mine, I’ve moved on. I have ponies counting on me and helping me. For them, I keep going.” She kept looking at Crystal Note as she spoke and she anticipated her next questions “That does not mean I forgot him. That does not mean I left anything of him behind. He’s still with me, in my heart. He is just in a place where I can carry him without hurting myself.” Crystal Note could only nod. Something stirred deep inside her, and even if she couldn’t understand yet, she suddenly had something to hope for. Just knowing that there was a way made an enormous difference to her. The mare smiled when she saw that spark of hope in Crystal Note’s eyes and reached out to touch her hoof. For a moment, they understood each other and Crystal Note could feel what it meant to be at peace with her past. Like any moments though, it passed and sadness returned to mare and by extension to Crystal Note. They turned to look at the stars again and with a deep sigh, the mare spoke once more “It also doesn’t mean that I’m not sad anymore. Or that I don’t miss him. Sweet Celestia, in times like these, I miss him so much. I would give anything to see him again. To hear him laugh with me. To feel him hold me just one more time.” Crystal Note, deeply moved by the words and emotions of the mare next to her, watched the stars, tiny dots of light on a dark sky. She could relate to this, so much. Without any thought, purely following and instinct from deep inside her soul, her lips just moved and her voice was as soft as a breeze as she sung And I’d give up forever to touch you Cause I know that you feel me somehow You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be And I don’t want to go home right now And all I can feel is this moment And all I can breathe is your light But sooner or later it’s over I just don’t want to miss you tonight And I don’t want the world to see me Because I don’t think they’d understand With everything meant to be broken I just want you to know who I am Crystal Note's voice faded out and next to her, the old mare shed a few tears. Crystal Note felt the moisture run down her own cheeks, but surprisingly, she didn't feel the desperation that usually came with her tears. She wiped her tears, but her hoof was not grey as she had expected. She felt, good. Lighter, in a way. The mare next to her brushed away some tears of her own, but she could see what happened “Better, my dear?” Crystal Note nodded and took a deep breath “Yes. Yes. I haven’t sung like this, in years. Not since…” The mare just nodded, of course she understood. She didn’t even have to say it, so she just smiled “That’s a shame, my dear. You have such a beautiful voice for singing.” “Thank you. Thank you so much.” The mare knew she was thanking her for more than just the compliment, so she put her hoof on Crystal Note’s shoulder “If you want to thank me, keep singing. Even if it’s just for yourself. Can you do that?” Crystal Note nodded with a small smile “Yes, Milady. I promise.” The mare smiled when saw that flicker of hope from before was now a bright spark in Crystal Note's eyes, a spark that would not fade so easily anymore. She still felt pity for the young mare who had to go through so much sadness already, but it warmed her heart to see her take the first steps past it, even if it was only a song in the dark. "And you know, my dear, if you're ever in need of an audience, you could visit me at my estate anytime. I would certainly enjoy hearing you sing again." Despite how sad she had just felt, the elder mare couldn't help but chuckle when Crystal Note bowed her head in what seemed like a well-practiced motion "It would be an honour, Milady." The mare smiled and answered the bow with a graceful nod "Very well. You'll find my estate a bit outside the city near the road to Ponyville. Just ask for Lady Ramonia and you should find me." "I will." They both looked up when they heard a loud series of cheers from inside the ballroom and Lady Ramonia chuckled softly "Now, I think it's past time we joined the festivities again. I've held you out here far too long as it is, Miss." At this moment, Crystal Note realized she had not even introduced herself and quickly fix this with another bow of her head. As soon as they were back inside, Crystal Note heard somepony calling her name "Crissy, there you are! Come on, grab your violin, we've got something to prove." Crystal Note blinked confused for a moment when Lyra suddenly took her hoof and tried to pull her away "Lyra? What's the matter." "Well, Vinyl Scratch just claimed that stringed instruments could never sound anything but outdated, so Tavi and I are gonna show her, but we need you! Come on, everypony's already waiting." Crystal Note was about to pull back with a quick excuse, but before she could think of anything, Lady Ramonia pushed her towards Lyra with an affectionate nudge and a loud chuckle "Now, that I just have to see. Let's go!" With that, Crystal Note finally let Lyra pull her towards the stage and she even felt her lips curling to a smile. That smile turned brighter when she almost all of her friends from Ponyville cheering once they saw her, Pinkie Pie and Apple Bloom louder than anypony else. On the way, Rainbow Dash swooped in to lop her violin at her, which she caught safely in her magic. On the small stage, Octavia was already waiting for her with her cello, shooting quips at the unicorn DJ from earlier, Vinyl Scratch. Both of them were smiling though, so Crystal Note knew better than to worry. Lyra and Bon Bon were there as well, the former one with her namesake lyre ready to play. Crystal Note didn't really need any more encouragement, but just to make sure she saw Princess Twilight and Princess Cadance making their way towards the stage as well, chatting and giggling like fillies and just as excited. The three musicians looked at each other and for a moment, it was only them. Crystal Note barely noticed the ponies watching them or the sounds all around them. Octavia gave her a nod and started playing. Lyra and Crystal Note smiled at each other when they recognized one of the songs they had created all together. Crystal Note closed her eyes and on cue, she and Lyra joined in. Just like in the entry hall before, the three mares were in tune from the very first note they played. And just like earlier, Crystal Note immensely enjoyed performing with her friends. This time however, she felt something stir inside her, the same thing she had just felt when she sung on the balcony. Crystal Note allowed the feeling to take hold of her. She suddenly didn't just play for the ponies who listened anymore, or only for her friends. She also played for herself, she played because it made her happy. The fact she knew it made the ponies around her smile was a wonderful feeling, but knowing that she could just be happy for herself took any pressure from her. Together with Lyra and Octavia, she played song after song, free and unchained, with a smile that wouldn't fade.