//------------------------------// // Guilty Displeasures // Story: The Composer // by Smug Anime Girl //------------------------------// Despite the looming deadline for the Grand Galloping Gala music, Andante chose to procrastinate at the local tea room. He had quickly come to the conclusion that he couldn’t actually write any of the music himself, so he bided his time and mulled over Schuberry and drank tea in the tea room. "Some biscuits on the side please, Sospiro." He requested from the server. "Ah, chrysanthemum tea will do nicely." Sospiro smiled politely. "Speaking of which, a mare called with a mes-" "She didn't call again, did she?" Andante grumbled. "Next time she calls, I've just left." "But Andante, you really better-" "No, no." Andante dismissed her. "I don't want to talk to her. You know, Sospiro, fat ponies are supposed to be jolly. She's just a nasty old tub of lard." "She didn't call this time." Sospiro said, growing more scared with each word that came out of his mouth. Andante blinked. "Oh, in that case, she probably telegraphed. And if she didn't telegraph, she's standing right behind me!" He laughed, but the smile was wiped off his face when he heard faked laughter behind him. There she stood, wearing an enormous smile. "A.K! What a wonderful surprise! You know I was only kidding, right?" "Of course I know!" The pegasus sarcastically responded. "I want you to know, I haven't laughed like this in years! And you're right, I really am a nasty old tub of lard." "So, uh, what brings you back to Canterlot so soon?" Andante asked nervously. "You were quite obviously ducking my calls." She explained. "I decided to see you personally." "Ducking your phone calls? Oh, Sospiro, why didn't you tell me?" "Andante!" The mare grabbed his attention again. "I heard everything." "It's nice that you're doing this in front of an audience." Andante complained. "I don't know of a pony who wouldn't want to see a mare fight a pony sized cockroach. Now let's go." She yanked him up from his chair and dragged him out of the tea room, despite his protests. Sospiro looked at his table. "Ugh." Back at Andante's mansion, the mare sat him down in the kitchen with a murderous look in her eye. She opened her left wing. "What the hay is this?" "That is a newspaper." Andante replied, thoroughly cowered. "I'm talking about what's on the newspaper." She smacked the article, unimpressed. "Now why didn't you say so, darling?" Andante slowly read it over. "How is your delightful and charming friend, Caballeron?" "Caballeron is neither delightful nor charming, much like you." She rolled her eyes. "This isn't a social visit, it's business." "Of course." He smiled. "And what would the business be?" "Stop acting all chummy." The mare drew close. "This is about Schuberry." "Schuberry isn't business." Andante echoed. Groaning, she threw her hooves in the air. "I know what you're doing, and I can't believe I let you talk me into helping you. Give me back the collar." "No." Andante simply said. "You wouldn't have it if I didn't retrieve it for you." She folded her forelegs. "Cough it up or I'll make you." "I'll call the royal guards on you." Andante gestured his horn. "You could bring Grogar back for all I care. I'll beat him into a pulp. It's about time I took responsibility." The pegasus grasped the newspaper in her feathers. "There's ways to find out that she's really my child. And when I do, I'm taking her away from you." "No you can’t." "Yes I can." "No you can’t." "Yes I can." "I'm going to give up Schuberry over my dead body." The stallion indignantly declared. "It's a deal!" She stood up. "You gave her to me because you said you couldn't take care of her. What makes you think she wants to follow you around on your miserable adventures, never having any sense of stability or permanency?" "Oh look who's talking. For starters, you probably traumatized her with this little stunt of yours, trying to get her back to you." The pegasus began. "I haven't driven her to run away because I keep her cooped up in my basement, forcing her to mold to my image, writing music that she probably doesn't even enjoy. As an artist, you should be nurturing creativity, not crushing it like some kind of evil." "I'm grooming her to become a successful and cultured musician." Andante defended. "While conveniently boosting your own prestige in the process." The pegasus seethed. "The worst of it is, if you were actually a good parent, I could overlook your morally greyness, but you're using her like some sort of machine." "Right, like you wouldn't have killed her by now gavallanting across the world stealing old books or something." He folded his arms. "If it'll make you happier, I'll say that I'm her best worst option, even though it's not true." "Adante, when I'm through with you, you're going to regret everything you-" Andante watched as she fell to the ground choking, covering her throat with her hooves. There was a gentle violin that echoed the mansion the next morning. The playing was unsure and slightly uneven; Andante clearly wasn't completely familiar with the song. He clutched his Ambletivirus violin tightly, and it looked like he was afraid the instrument would simply fall apart. As soon as he saw the mound of blankets and quilts on his couch stir, he stopped. "You're awake?" The pegasus very much would have liked to say, "With that thing screeching, how could I not be?" but she found herself unable to. With her wing, the mare pushed away the covers and slowly sat up. "Something happened to your voice, I don't know what yet." He held out a pen, some paper, and a glass of water. "I'm going to see Schuberry soon." The pegasus chugged the glass of water. 'What is it that you want?' “Every time I do something decent, must I have an angle?” Andante pulled up a chair. 'Yes.' He shook his head in disbelief. "Fine. Be like that. I'll let you stay here and meet her but after that I will have you leave. I mean it this time." 'Until you need me again, that is.' She scribbled. "She won't have to know about this mess between us." Andante slowly got up. "I'll happily tell her we're apart for business related issues. It's not that much of a stretch, considering your work." He drew close. "It's for the best." 'Lie to the kid!' Her steely gaze had a physical effect on Andante, and he shied away like millipedes being exposed to light.