Chapter 9: Too Much Saxual Content
Now that they have their bassist they essentially have somewhat of a framework of a jazz band. Granny Smith’s pleasure at Octavia’s experience of performing shows itself in the old mare’s expression. At least the old mare does not have to worry about teaching them every darn tooting thing, as they had a pony among them that they could turn to. This helps Granny to focus more on teaching both Spike and Pinkie to play properly in a band.
“Now hear, since Octavia here has already the experience in this kinds of things, she would be helpin’ me supervise you two squirts in this. Pinkie you still need to learn how to feel more about jazz and make sense of yer randomness, and Spike your problem is the exact opposite of Pinkie; you need to keep track of yer properness and timin’. Do ah make mahself clear?’” Both the dragon and the pink pony groaned at Granny Smith, but deep down they know it.
“Yes Granny.” Both of them answered.
“Good, now Octavia who would you like to take under yer hoof?” Granny Smith asked Octavia. Octavia is now looking at both of them with her forearms crossed, and one of her forearms rubbing her chin.
“I think I could help Spike.” Spike could not believe his luck as he will get a mare that is pleasing to the eye as his mentor. Octavia could see that the dragon is now ogling her through and though in an unhealthy way, and she will make sure that he would have numb fingers by the time she is done with him.
“Fair enuff, Ah don’t really know about them fancy things, so ah will be with Pinkie instead. So Octavia, how long do you think you’ll need to straighten Spike out?” Granny asked the gray mare.
“Give me about three weeks Granny Smith. Twilight, will you help me with this?” Octavia gives Twilight a wink, and soon enough Twilight winks back at Octavia knowing that whatever it is that they are about to do to Spike, she will be enjoying every moment of it. Spike now looks at both mares with a sense of apprehension and regret.
“That’s good. Pinkie?” Granny Smith’s attention is now on Pinkie who is now looking at her, wondering what Granny Smith would put her into.
“Yes Granny? What do you have in mind anyway? Pinkie asked the old mare. The old mare could only smile and look at Spike as well. Spike is now looking at everypony with a metaphorical wall behind his back.
“Ah think we need to call in an old zebra friend of mine.”
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-Manehattan-
The sound of the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple shakes echoes throughout the apartment that the old stallion has called his home for over twenty years, and he had gotten used to this. The house may be old, but it is luxurious to a great extent, with many classy paintings, fine furniture and state of the art equipment to ease the lives of a city-dwelling folk like himself and his wife. But surprisingly for a stallion of his wealth, he still prefers to do things by himself and this also includes breakfast. Suddenly as he was frying some eggs, a magical letter appears from thin air surprising the old stallion.
“My, My, what is this?” The mysterious stranger then proceeds to open up the letter and started reading the letter. To his surprise it is from an old friend of his back in the day, a mare from the good old days of adventure and intrigue.
Dear Miles,
Howdy, it’s been a good thirty years since we last met in Saddle Arabia tryin’ to escape from tooting them Arabian corsairs and also savin Equestria from them Neighponese ninjas at the same time. Ah couldn’t write and talk to ya for quite a while due to many unforeseen events happenin’ in the past forty years, which includes havin kids and grandkids and building a business empire on Zap Apple Jam and founding an entire town called Ponyville. You might have heard of this town from the news anyway mah dear. And Ah am sure that you also couldn’t send anythin’ as you are busy with yer performances around the world, and I am glad that you had found yerself a fine lady and a classy home to retire to in Manehattan. Oh, Ah am straying a lil’ off-course with mah letter now…..
This time ah need yer help in somethin’. One of mah grandkid’s friends Pinkie is interested in jazz and she needs some help in makin’ herself mighty presentable for it. She also got herself a band which consists of a purple baby dragon on the piano and a mare named Octavia on the double bass. If you could, please reply back to me and it will be mighty kind of you to visit us. Ah will show you ‘round Ponyville and also let you meet mah grandkids
From, Edith.
The old stallion is quite happy that his friend is still alive after all this while, and this time she needs him to help in something that he always has a passion about; jazz.
“Who is it from dear?” An old mare’s voice asked the old stallion.
“Well mah dear, Ah am gonna pay a good friend a visit. Y’dig this?” The old zebra stallion replies back to his wife.
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-A few days later at the Ponyville Train Station-
“So who is this old zebra friend that you speak of Granny? Is this pony like Zecora? Does this pony speak in rhymes? How do you know this Zebra? Is he once your lover? Did you guys go on an excellent adventure?” Pinkie threw a whole blob of questions at the old mare, but the old mare had gotten so used to the questions that she is able to take in all the questions and answer them all.
“This friend of mine’s name is Mr. Coltrane, and no he ain’t exactly like Zecora as he had lived in Equestria for most of his life so he speaks just like us regular ponies. He was not a lover, but definitely an old friend and would reckon that we had our fair share of adventures.” Granny Smith is now looking around as the newly arrived train docks with the train station and soon her eyes are scouting all the passengers are they are all coming out from the train. Soon enough the old mare is already waving at somepony. Pinkie’s attention turns to the general direction where Granny Smith is waving to.
The pony greeting Granny Smith is a rather old zebra with faded colors, wearing a rather sharp black suit that blends and yet contrasts with his black stripes and white fur. Unlike Zecora, the zebra does not have a lot of jewelry on him, but instead the pony is wearing some sunglasses which fully obscured his eyes. Interestingly his mane is rather cropped like that of the Royal Guard, and his cutie mark looks like a stylized hook with some waves coming out from the end of the hook. Pinkie always wonders why zebras have such weird and exotic cutie marks.
“Edith! There you is! Was wondering where you at. How’d you been?” The zebra’s sing-sing accent is quite similar to Granny’s own accent, but at the same time sounded like Zecora’s accent. Before long the two old friends are in each other’s embrace and went on having some small talk with each other.
Darn it, why do all zebras have such cool accents? Why can’t I be born as a zebra? I would be able to do some gypsy magic if I were a zebra. Say Author, will you every write a story where I turn into a Zebra? It would be cool for me to become a zebra!, Pinkie wonders to herself. Before long she realized that Granny Smith is looking at her with disapproving eyes, and that killed her thoughts.
“Now don’t be staring and be rude to our guest. Pinkie, Ah would like you to meet Mr. Coltrane. Miles, Ah would like to meet Pinkie Pie. She’s the pony that Ah told you in the letter.” Pinkie then offers a hoof out for a formal hoofshake. But instead what she got is his hoof gently bumping her hoof.
“It’s mighty kind of you to dig me here, Pinkie girl. “ The old zebra gave Pinkie a nice and polite smile. It was then that Pinkie realized that the old zebra have his saddlebag on one side, while on the other side he is carrying a large square case of some kind. Pinkie could only nod in agreement when Mr. Coltrane talks to her. She wanted a more eloquent answer to come out from her mouth, but instead her mouth moved before she could compose her answer.
“Yes I do Mr. Coltrane! I like jazz! In fact I am also going to throw you a party to welcome you to Ponyville and also to thank you for helping me in my jazz play! But wait, I heard of your name before somehow when I was listening to Granny’s record! OH MY CELESTIA, YOU ARE MILES THELONIOUS COLTRANE, THAT JAZZ SAXOPHONIST! GRANNY I DIDN’T KNOW YOU KNEW SOMEPONY FAMOUS! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME GRANNY! OH MY CELESTIA I MUST NOW PREPARE FOR THE BEST PARTY EVER!!!!!!” Before the old Zebra could even say anything, Pinkie disappears in a pink streak of light from the train station. Mr. Coltrane then looks at Granny Smith, expecting her to give him an answer to many things, but the old mare could only pat her old friend’s shoulder.
“Welcome to Ponyville, and Ah suggest that you best just leave things as it is Miles. And yes, that’s Pinkie in a nutshell.” Granny Smith proceeds to lead the zebra out from the train station.
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Soon enough by the time evening arrives, there was a full-blown party in the Ponyville Library welcoming Mr. Coltrane in town. All of the folks of Ponyville were present at the party including Zecora who was idly chatting with the old Zebra in some kind of vernacular tongue of the zebras. The old zebra is currently staying at the library, as it was the most convenient place for the zebra to coach both Pinkie and the rest of the band in, as the old zebra explains, ‘The Jive of Jazz’. Before long somepony request that the old zebra plays a tune for everyone.
“Well, if you insist mah lil’ ponies.” The old zebra then walks towards the large square case that he had brought with him, and he opens it. As everyone watches, he assembles his musical instrument of choice. Once the instrument is assembled it is definitely a sight for most of the ponies as they had never seen such an instrument before in their lives. It is an odd-looking instrument as it is an approximately curved conical tube of thin brass with the wider end of the tube is flared slightly to form a bell. The narrow end looks like a next of a goose, and it appears that there was a mouthpiece at the end of this narrow end. The thing that caught most of the ponies’ eyes is the myriad of keys on the instrument which gives it a rather complicated nature as compared to that of the usual trumpet or trombone. The zebra then points to Octavia and calls her over. The gray mare walks towards the old zebra, wondering what he wants from her.
“Your name’s Octavia right? Granny told me about you, you fine dinner cat. Y’dig mah tunes, cat?” The zebra asked in his sing-song accent. Octavia could only try to guess what the old zebra said to her.
“Yes, Mr. Coltrane, I have played some of your pieces before.” Octavia answered.
“Cool, need some boggie-woogy from you cool cat as Ah am gonna lay my racket. Y’dig?” Octavia could only nod in agreement. She then walks away from Mr. Coltrane to go and fetch her double bass. The old zebra approves of this mare’s attitude. Most mares her age would have protested at the improvised nature of his performances, but Octavia is able to understand what is going on and is willing to go along with it, seeing the professionalism of the mare in performances. Soon enough she is back with her double bass and poise for action. He nods at her and then his attention is now at everyone in the room.
“Alright y’all, Ah am gonna start mah gig with mah saxophone. Now Ah would warn you, this might have some sax-ual content. Enjoy.” There is some polite laughter among the crowd about the sexual innuendo and some claps from the crowd before the zebra began playing on his saxophone. Immediately the entire library is filled with a sensually complex sound emanating from Mr. Coltrane’s instrument and the accompaniment of the bass by Octavia only serves to give the whole performance a certain measure of class at the same time. Some of the mares actually looking rather enraptured by the sound that he is making and before long, like dominoes falling and tilting the other dominoes, the sound of mares screaming and fainting from the music that the old zebra was making can be heard, and some of the other mares are actually just looking at him with rather predatory eyes. Mr. Coltrane is familiar with the hungry eyes of lust whenever he plays with his saxophone and he is proud that he still got what it takes to make mares feel all hot from within.
Pinkie is amazed by the whole sight of this performance. She never knew that playing an instrument could actually make ponies do things against their will and she had found a newfound respect for this old zebra. As Pinkie looks at all her friends, she could only wonder how Mr. Coltrane does all those things to her friends. Twilight and Rainbow Dash are now dragging an unconscious Rarity away while Applejack is trying to restrain a certain shy yellow pegasus from jumping on the old zebra and do Celestia knows what on Mr. Coltrane especially without protection. Spike and the other stallions are now just looking down at the floor, ashamed of themselves for some reason. Only the older ponies, those ponies that are too bothered to listen to the song as they have to attend to their friends’ sudden change of behavior, Octavia and Pinkie herself seem unaffected by the music.
My Celestia, Nana Pie was right when she said that music was way more potent during her time, Pinkie reminded herself. Once Mr. Coltrane stops playing his song, there was a deafening silence. Then slowly but surely, hooves clopping each other could be heard and there was a thunderous applause from the audience. Soon enough there are some rather lewd and embarrassing yells from the audience, most of which are to ask the old zebra to be the father of their foals or make sweet love to them like how he played his saxophone.
“YEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Pinkie looks behind her and it seems that somehow the muscular pegasus cop that she helped the other day is shouting in enthusiasm over the performance. Pinkie then looks at Mr.Coltrane and all she gets back is a wink from the wily old zebra.