//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: The Ritardando // by keithsterling //------------------------------// It's 0900 hrs Equestria Standard time, Rhapsodic School, several years earlier, Downtown Los Ungulas, Coltifornia, City of Los Ungulas, Beginning violin class taught by Baroness Agatha Lyric. Walk up and down the rows of colts and fillies' learning how to play their violins in her classroom was Baroness Agatha Lyric attired in black slightly below the knee-length fit and flare dress with black heeled sandals with a three-inch heel on ash gray bare feet with Tahiti gold toenail polish. She would swing her finger in time with the music score her students were practicing went the student hit a sour note. She tapped the student on the shoulder to tell them to stop and show them how to position the bow and how much pressure to put on the instrument's string. (Bell rings) "All right, beginner classes continue practicing that music score; next week, we have a test with the music score," Agatha said, reminding her class of the test next week with their violin as the whole class sighs at once. As her students file out of the beginner violin class, Agatha walks over to her desk and opens her briefcase to retrieve another music score. She walks down the rows of music stands and chairs, replacing the beginner music scores with a more complicated music score for her intermediate violin class. As she finishes replacing the music scores, their commotion in the hallway, Agatha peeks out a crack in the door. Storming down the hallway was a handsome white body earth pony stallion with purple mane and tail. His 5ft 6in fit equine figure was attired in steeple gray short-sleeve button-down shirt and safari night tapered regular fit jeans. On his ten and two-third long socked white bare feet was brown leather walking shoes. This earth pony stallion was piano player Diomedes Discordant the self-proclaimed great piano player in Equestria. "I will play the Sunset Lament, Argo! If you like it or not, ex-master. I am the greatest piano player in Equestria! No in the World!" Diomedes yelled arrogantly as he's puff up with self-importance. 'The greatest piano player in the world? I think not!' Agatha thought as Diomedes passed her classroom and pushed aside one of her intermediate students walking down the hallway. It 1300 hrs Equestria standard time, present time a few minutes later, Golden Dawn Law Firm, Lady Serena Silverlight's office, Civilian sector: Judicature Ward, City of Canterlot and Capital of Equestria. "Was there any interest in the estate, Serena?" Justice asked as his older sister shook her head. "Not very much, justice. I have received maybe four offers for the land it on and nothing else. Most of the offers are because the Golden Dawn Law Firm and Silverlight unicorn family name are on the temporary deed as the property owner. Because once the score is played, the property reverts over to Miss Octavia Melody." Serena explains as she floats a bottle of water out of her small fridge in her office. She offers Justice and Celestia a bottle of water from her small fridge, and they decline. "Were there any strange offers, Lady Silverlight?" Celestia inquiry as Serena unscrewed the top and takes a drink from the bottle. "Come to think about it, your highness, I received an offer from Mr. Diomedes Discordant to not only buy the land. But the house and all the contents for more than the listed price. I dismiss the offer because it was too good to be true." Serena explains as justice regards his sister curiously. "Fess up, dear big sister, you didn't just toss the offer aside of Symphonic hall buyer. You look into the buyer's background to make sure he could pay the offer." Justice said, knowing as Serena smile too much. "Ooh! Justice, you can sometimes be a pain in your older sister tail." Serena said bluntly as justice smiles at her. "But yes, I did look into his background to see if he could pay the offer. Mr. Diomedes Discordant is a former music student of Baron Argo Lyric from the Rhapsodic school in Downtown Los Ungulas. It seems that Mr. Discordant was not the best Piano Player in the music world as he thought. All the reviews I read on him say he should go back to music school. But still, he had the bits to pay off the offer." Serena explains as her secretary tells her that her next appointment will be arriving soon. Serena hugging her brother and his fiancée as the two ponies leaves the Golden Dawn Law Firm and stand outside the building to talk a little longer before return to Grand Royal palace for Celestia's next court session. "So, what do you think is going on, my love?" Celestia inquiry wondering as justice leans against the car. "That is a million-dollar question, my love." Justice answers opening the back door of the car so Celestia can climb into the back seat once again. "What we know, this Sunset Lament must be played by Miss Octavia Melody for the will to be fulfilled," justice said, climbing into the driver side of the car after closing the door for Celestia. "A Mr. Discordant is very interested in the property and is willing to pay more than the asking price. Which includes the house and contents?" Celestia explains as justice starts the car up. "Mr. Discordant is a former music student of Baron Argo Lyric from the Rhapsodic school. It sounds like his career is not going well for him." Justice comments as he pulls into traffic to drive the Princess back to the Grand Royal Palace for her next court session. "We can assume that the Swindle and Dupe Law firm was created for the sole purpose of having the will giving to Miss Octavia Melody without the last page of the will and strange provision that Baron Argo Lyric put into his will," Celestia explains as she taps her finger against the lower half of her snout thinking. "And that all we know, my love. Besides, let get you back to the Grand Royal Palace for your next court session. It always helps me to think clearly by tickling those wonderful sexy deep sets arches of your large white with a hint of pink bare soles." Justice comment as Celestia chuckles playfully with her fiancé plan for her went she finish her court session. "Well, if that what it takes to help you think, my love. Then after I finish my court session, I will surrender my bare soles to my beloved Lord Silverlight to torment as he likes." Celestia comments, blowing a magical kiss to her fiancé. Its 1600 hrs Equestria Standard time, that same day, Rhapsodic School, Downtown Los Ungulas, Coltifornia, City of Los Ungulas, and Auditorium of the Rhapsodic school. Sitting on the bench in front of a grand piano on the stage was Emerald Luster attired in black short-sleeve below knee length striped fit and flare dress. On a pair of eleven and one-third inch, long pearly purple flawless and unblemished shaped bare feet with red toenail polish were black peep-toed stiletto pumps with three and one-fourth heel. She was manipulating the grand piano keys at a concert level pianist impressing the staff and students at the Rhapsodic school. That morning the Curator at Symphonic hall informed Emerald and Octavia that one of the duties of the Baroness was to go to the Rhapsodic School for the performing arts in downtown Los Ungulas for an inspection tour of the school, which include a concert from the current student's body and staff members. They also informed them that the mares must wear a nice black dress and black pumps, the standard attire for the school's female staff. They might be asked to demonstrate their own musical skill during the concert. Octavia has a huge smile on her snout with a chance to perform at the school. Emerald told them not to worry about her; she knows how to play an instrument. Lord Silverlight insists that all the Solar Guard unit members learn to play an instrument to help with concentration and relieve battle fatigue with some of the duties they perform. Standing just off stage behind the curtain was Baroness Octavia Melody after finishing her performance attired in black sleeveless below the knee length fit and flares dress. On her ten inches, long ash gray bare feet with blue toenail polish were black heeled sandals with three and one-half heel. Octavia was dumbfounded with emerald skills at the grand piano. As Emerald's performance comes to an end, they're a huge round of applauds from the crowd as she leaves the stage after taking a bow. "How can you play a grand piano like that, Emerald?" Octavia inquiry as she walks behind the curtain with Octavia. "I always liked playing the piano, Tavi. So went Lord Silverlight insist that I need to learn how to play an instrument, I went back to playing my favorite instrument, the grand piano." Emerald explains as the two mares walk into the rows of the auditorium's seat to watch the performance of students and staff. In the empty hall, Emerald Luster stiletto heels click-clack down the ceramic-tiled hallway of Rhapsodic school of the performing arts after going to use the little mare's room. On her way back to the auditorium to watch the other performances, she heard someone moving around one of the empty classrooms. The small plaque on the wall read 'piano room'. slowly Emerald draws her twenty-two revolver from her thigh holster; she was told by a staff member that all the students and staff would be in the auditorium at the concert. So the school would be empty till the end of the concert. Quickly Emerald Luster slips her feet out of her pumps she was wearing and pip-pops quietly toward the classroom door. She looks through a crack in the door into the room to see a tall pegasi mare dress from head to toe in a black outfit searching around the room for something. Emerald figured the pegasi mare got into the school by way of the skylight removed from the roof. Her foot pushes open the door cause the bell on top to ring. A moment later, the frosted glass window in the door shattered when she heard a shot; the bullet embeds itself in the wall across from the classroom. Quickly Emerald closes the door and waited a moment before kicking open the door with her gun at the ready. After looking around the room and find it empty, she figures the pegasi mare flew out of the room through the open skylight. Sometime later, the Los Ungulas Police Department arrives at the Rhapsodic school to report the incident, and Emerald shows them her Solar Guard badge. "What was that pegasi mare looking for here, Emerald?" Octavia asked as Emerald pap-pops in her bare feet on the porcelain tile, searching the room for what the pegasi mare was looking for. "She was carefully looking around the room, trying to find something in this room. Huh? Octavia, why would you bolt down a grand piano like this?" Emerald asked Tavi went she found metal bolts through the feet of the instrument. "I really don't know, Emerald I never learned to play the piano. I know how to play a cello and violin." Octavia answers as Emerald followed the legs up to the keys and discover two keys were broken. She pushes down on the two broken keys. "Emerald looks at the far wall!" Octavia calls as a door swing open, revealing a small room. "A secret room!" Emerald exclaims as the two mares walked over to the secret room. Inside the secret room were two metal locked files cabinets and few shelves full of well-worn books. "Miss Melody, let call Lord Silverlight; we don't know what your uncle is hidden in that secret room we discovered. Better to be safe than sorry." Emerald suggests as Octavia agreed with Emerald's suggestion. "Agreed, Lady Luster, this has become more than I have an inheritance. So calling Justice and Solar guard in is the best option for this." Octavia said as Emerald pressed down the broken keys on board and closed the secret room.