Silence is Bittersweet, Part 1
The light slowly flooded into a room as the sun rose outside. With its light blue walls and lavender carpeting, nothing appeared to be out of place: the nightstand next to the bed, the dresser with its mirror near the window, the bed’s cream colored comforter covering a sleeping mare.
Acoustiana awoke as the warmth upon her face broke her from her dreamland. Opening her eyes to the glow of the morning light was one of the simple pleasures in life she enjoyed.
Looking to her nightstand, Acoustiana gave homage to the photo of her father. She fondly remembered how he would help her when she got home from magic kindergarten in tears, her silent cries brought on from the teasing she always got because of her strange name. Her father told her it was hard, and that he was sorry, but it was just how their family names happened. He would say, with a smile, that his name was supposed to be Lilac. However, when his mother saw in her arms a little colt they changed it to Milac. He would always chuckle as he recited the mean nicknames he dealt with growing up. He would hold her close, telling her that if she just tolerated those that made fun of her, that the rest of her life’s troubles would be lessened as well.
Rolling out of bed, Acoustiana headed to her bathroom to perform her morning ritual of grooming. As she stared at her light pink coat, she noticed that some of it has transgressed and she quickly brushed the rebellious tufts into order. Turning her attention to her light green mane, she found the night had done it no justice. She huffed at a traitorous lock of her mane dangling in front of her face, only to watch it wrap around her horn. She began her rigorous brushing to reclaim her desired style. When she felt her mane was well enough, she looked herself over one last time to ensure that she would be presentable to anypony that may choose to visit.
Acoustiana looked into her own eyes and reminded herself that she shouldn’t get her hopes up. The vibrant orange eyes staring back at her protested against losing hope, but she merely closed them and headed downstairs to fetch herself some breakfast.
Being in Foalsdale for only a month, Acoustiana had yet to make any friends. She thought knew why. The ponies in the city probably felt too awkward around her to want to get close. Few ponies knew hoof-language, and when she tried to write down what she was trying to say, the other ponies showed their unease about having to take longer for conversations just to ‘hear’ what she had to say.
A knock at the door snapped Acoustiana out of her ponderings. Upon opening it, she encountered a smiling mail pegasus, who hoofed her a letter and gave her a wave goodbye. Acoustiana waved back, but the mail pony was already on its way to deliver a saddle bag’s worth of mail elsewhere. Acoustiana sighed and closed the door. She moved to sit on her velvet couch to open the letter she had just received.
The letter was from her new employer. There was to be an acting troupe coming into town in a month's time, and the orchestra was scheduled to play for them. Practices were to start early the following day so that they might figure out who was going to participate. Acoustiana was requested to bring both her instruments, as the musical scores were going to be diverse and the extra strings would be quite helpful. That last bit made her scrunch up her nose. She may be one of the few ponies with the skill and concentration to play two separate instruments, but that didn't make it an easy feat.
She remembered telling the composer that her skill wasn't something to depend on, yet try as she might, without a voice of her own to convey the strain it put on her, the composer would just brush her concerns off as if it was mere performance anxiety. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Acoustiana trudged her way to her music room to tend to her instruments and get a little practice in before her sessions the next day.
Looking over her beloved violin, Acoustiana ensured that it was tuned and that her bow was missing not a hair. Satisfied with her first instrument, she turned to her double bass. Looking over it, she enjoyed how well polished it looked. Being able to see her reflection on the well built instrument always reminded her why she enjoyed it. She looked over the bow for her double bass and, seeing that is was in full working order, began her test of the bass’ tuning. She concentrated magic through her horn; the gentle orange aura enveloped both the bow and bass, standing the instrument upon its spike. With a gentle glide of her bow Acoustiana cringed. The sound of her bass proved to be badly out of tune, almost causing her to drop the instrument. Regaining her concentration, she proceeded to correct the offensive sound. After numerous adjustments, she was able to get the beautiful deep sound she loved so much from her instrument. Nodding in approval, she proceeded to go through her paces, feeling for the music as it flowed, envisioning each note as it wafted out and bounced around the room. She started feeling the strain that using magic caused her, almost making her miss a note. Finishing her practice song Acoustiana put her double bass into its case, ensuring that she had her extra bow and essentials with it. Upon locking the case, she turned back to her violin.
Though she has been told, on many occasions, that her talent to play with magic was superb, Acoustiana refused to use her magic on her violin. Out of pride, and embarrassment, she didn’t want to acknowledge her weakness in the use of magic. She loved the way that she could not only just hear the notes that floated off the strings, but also in being able to feel the notes vibrate through her body. This added an extra bit of enjoyment that she got out of her preferred instrument. She performed a quick warm up to ensure that the violin rested just right against her chin and that her grip on the bow was perfect. Satisfied, she played one of her own songs, pouring her emotions into it; the sounds that came from it carried a sorrowful tune, and as the notes wafted through the air they did so as if solitary and alone. Upon finishing, she felt the heaviness that resided in her chest, and she felt the water that was starting to collect in her eyes. Shaking her mane, she refused to allow herself to dwell on the emotions that she allowed to pour out in her song.
Looking at the time, Acoustiana realized that it was well past lunch. Her stomach growled in agreement to her idea of heading into the city to get herself a treat. After a quick check in a mirror to ensure that she had no tear stains, she headed out her door and into the quiet street that led from her house to the bustling city. Ensuring that her saddlebag was well secured, she started her trot to her preferred bistro where they served a delectable clover stew.
As she often did on these trips, Acoustiana took in the sights and sounds of the area. Her house was situated on the outskirts of the city, where there is more room and less noise. It also made it so the plants and animals she enjoyed were more in abundance. She looked to the birds with envy for the beautiful songs they were able to sing, but enjoyed their voices all the same. She then looked to the flowers along the path, blooming in their menagerie of colors. Yet as always, the further she went, the more the birds’ songs got drowned out by the sounds of the city: Pony hooves clopping on worn cobblestone; the undecipherable chattering of ponies; the buildings amplifying the sounds as if they were built as a uniform sound wall. She was glad for one thing about the city, however, unlike Manehatten, Foalsdale folk were apt at polite conversation with those they passed by. But they too were busy to get onto whatever destination they were on the streets for, and rarely stopped for more than just a polite greeting and quick farewell. Acoustiana didn’t mind this, as it allowed her to simply smile and nod to those giving her greeting, and a friendly hoof shake goodbye.
Arriving at the bistro, Acoustiana looked at the shop’s sign. It swung above the small patio where the patrons were able to sit and eat outside in the sunlight, albeit shaded by the nearby buildings. The sign was masterfully painted, and always seemed fresh and clean. The letters, in a wonderful misty font not unlike steam or scent, spelt out Colterbean. The beauty of the sign had made Acoustiana want to investigate the place the first time she had visited Foalsdale. She went inside and gave the familiar old stallion behind the counter a big smile and a wave.
“Thank you for your patronage,” he said as a pair of ponies got up and left. The gruff stallion then looked to his newly arrived customer. “Will it be your usual Ma’am?” he half-shouted smiling.
Acoustiana answered him with a quick motion of her hooves, and politely giggled. She nodded at his bewildered gaze, then remembered that he had yet to learn that particular hoof sign. She then took a seat near the window that had just recently been vacated and cleaned by the young filly working there. Staring out the window, Acoustiana allowed herself to reflect on her years of musical practice while she waited for her order.
“ORDER UP!” yelled a voice from the kitchen.
This snapped Acoustiana out of her reverie and she noticed that her stew was already done. She looked on expectantly as the young filly carefully balanced the tray holding the food as she took it over to Acoustiana’s table.
“Here you go miss...enjoy!” said the waitress. Then with a half forced smile the waitress turned around and scooted to another table that had just been vacated by another patron.
As Acoustiana breathed in the smell of the stew, she felt a little bit better. The stew tasted as good as always, the dancing hymns of spice and broth mingling with the well cooked clover leaves saturated in flavour. The gentle flavors dancing around her taste buds allowed her to relax and make it easier to endure her day. After eating, she left the waitress an extra few bits in tip. She could tell that the waitress was new and probably getting worked to the bone with almost no end to her day. With a wave of her hoof she bade the old stallion behind the counter a farewell.
“Thank you for your patronage,” he replied just as the sound of crashing caused him to go dashing off into the kitchen area.
Giggling to herself at the antics, Acoustiana trotted down the road towards a new fruit stand she noticed but a week ago. It looked like a country pony was in charge of it, which meant that the fruit sold would be fresher than those normally sold in the local stores.
Acoustiana stopped in the plaza area, looking through the many ponies for the whereabouts of the stand. It was right where it was the last time she had seen it, next to the city’s walk-through garden. It looked to serve a variety of fruits, but the predominant type of fruit were melons. Acoustiana started to trot up to the stand in order to inspect the fruit to see if her suspicions of its freshness were, in fact, true. As she got closer, the stands’ owner noticed the approaching customer and her face beamed with joy. The yellow earth pony almost seemed to bounce with excitement, her brown mane swaying in her excited movements.
“Hey! Did ya wanna buy some of my DE-licious melons!?” The young mare nearly screamed while never blinking, having locked onto a potential customer with her lime green eyes.
Acoustiana gave a small shrug and started to sign out if the vendor knew hooflanguage, all in the foalish hope that she would understand her.
“Uh...miss?” the pony replied with a raised eyebrow. “I do enjoy a game of charades, but answering a yes or no like that is a little awkward.”
Acoustiana sighed with the sting of her hopes being shattered yet again. She took out her notepad and started writing down her message.
Looking thoroughly confused, the vendor pony watched this strange unicorn to write whatever it was she was writing, still waiting for an answer to her simple question.
“You know, it’s just a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Did I offend you? If so I am really sorry. I’m new to the city so I haven’t figured out all of the customs on how to sell my fruit, but I promise I’m doin’ my best.” The earth pony looked dejected and very apologetic.
Acoustiana held up her hoof to signal the pony to wait for her to finish. When she finished, she floated the notepad over to the earth pony so that she could read what it said and have all her answers.
“What the hay?” The vendor showed complete confusion all over her face. “Somepony that can’t talk? I’ve never met a pony that couldn’t talk.” The pony looked over to Acoustiana who had started to wilt at the all too familiar words she was hearing.
Acoustiana was preparing herself for the assumed next string of words that would always sting. Reminding herself on her fathers words allowed her the strength to not just turn and leave.
Seeing that her words where putting off this potential customer, the vendor quickly tried to move past the issue. She also reminded herself that if she got a bad reputation in the city, then the quality of her fruits would never matter. If these ponies thought she would just be mean to them, they would never buy from her.
For her part however, Acoustiana was starting to regret visiting this new vendor. After giving her name, she was sure this simple earth pony would mess it up. A lot of ponies usually butcher her name calling her Ana, or worse, Custi; she really hated being called Custi. She figured this one would do the same.
“Sorry about that Miss...Acuse-Tia-Na...” The earth pony attempting to decipher from her memory of the name on the notepad. “I didn’t mean to offend you, it is just something new to me. Err, like my wonderful stand here is new to this city!” she said with an exuberant hoof gesture and a grand smile.
Still cringing from the near verbal barrage on her being mute, Acoustiana looked on in slight fear and wonder. Why was this vendor pony so excited when almost no other pony seemed to even notice her stall was there in the first place? She just couldn’t figure her situation out edgewise.
After a few awkward moments, the vendor pony started looking around while trying to hold her dramatic pose and smile, only to give up on it, slamming her head onto her stall.
“My family said this was the worst idea ever, but did I listen? Oh no! Not Cantaloupe, no sir-ee, I can sell any of the family’s fruit anywhere!” she exclaimed as she slammed her head against her cart a few more times.
“Excuse me, miss Cantaloupe, but I do believe that, in order to sell your produce, you may wish to refrain from destroying your vehicle in which it all rests,” a pleasant colt’s voice from somewhere above them spoke.
Acoustiana looked up, seeing a well groomed white pegasus hovering just above the vendor. The pegasus looked over to her and noticed her slight cringe.
“Oh dear! Cantaloupe, do stop; you are terrifying this poor mare,” he said as he landed, and proceeded to poke at the earth pony to bring her attention to Acoustiana.
“Ugh, this just isn’t working Ray. You said this wou...” she stopped as she looked to the pink unicorn, who looked ready to bolt off into the street.
The white pegasus, flicking his yellow main, looked warmly to Acoustiana with his gentle and reassuring golden eyes. “Don’t worry my lady, I can assure you Cantaloupe here is no harm to anypony. She is just frustrated with the lack of sales her stall has been getting, even though we have set her up in one of the busiest places in all of Foalsdale.” He nodded for emphasis.
“Yes, do please accept another of my apologies,” Cantaloupe said. “I just can’t seem to get anything right since I’ve gotten here. If it wasn’t for Ray here I probably would still be begging for people to buy my fruit at the road into this place.” She regarded the white colt who was now browsing the fruit on the stand.
“Oh my!” Ray shot his head up at the realization of something important. “Where ARE my manners? Begging your pardon, but I have yet to introduce myself,” he bowed gracefully with his wings semi extended. “My name is Ray Cloudburst. I am a member of the Foalsdale weather team, sunshine squad. And if I may inquire my lady’s name?” his head faced Acoustiana expectantly.
Before she was able to answer, however, the yellow pony tugged gently at the wing of the pegasus. Displeased by the act, Ray glared at her and gave a snort. She disregarded it, and whispered into his ear. His expression went from offended, to terrified, to perplexed in a rather short period of time.
He straightened himself as he tried to hide the fact that he was blushing. “So...uh...” his face showing that his mind was racing to find the words to his embarrassment.
Acoustiana was all too familiar with this. Too often the regal members of society acted like this when they didn’t know what to say, but needed to remain polite and cordial, as was proper of their station. Acoustiana started to put up a hoof to stop the embarrassing scene for the both of them, but just then he appeared to have found his wording.
“Please forgive my inability to communicate, I was taken aback by the information I was just given. By no means do I mean any disrespect. However, I must say that I find your name as it was spoken to me by our goodly fruit vendor here is very strange,” Ray nods towards Cantaloupe. “Which leads me to believe that she misspoke it. If I may please request your name from your notepad, I think that would be most beneficial. I am afraid that I have not yet learned your hooflanguage. For this I must apologize, though in my defence, I have yet to be graced by anypony who can teach me.” The colt looked genuinely apologetic slightly bowing.
Acoustiana was stunned for a moment. This is the first time anypony had apologized to her for not knowing hooflanguage, and actually appeared to mean it! She shook her self and came back to her senses. Taking out her note pad, flipped to the page where she wrote the message to Cantaloupe as she showed it to Ray.
“Ah ha! If I have it right, my lady, your name is pronounced Acoos-ti-ana, yes?” Ray looked to her hopefully with an eyebrow raised.
Acoustiana nodded in approval and a small smile appeared on her face as this stranger seemed to put true effort into her name.
“Ooooh!” gasped Cantaloupe. “Well this is the third apology I am giving you then. Sorry for messing up your name, I tend to forget these little details. Here, to make up for it, have one of my BEST melons, free of charge of course!” Cantaloupe selected one of her plump melons and gently tossed it in the direction of the unicorn.
Acoustiana caught the lofted fruit with her magic and started to feel a strange warm sensation inside of her. These two were being so kind and generous, yet had no reason to be. She pulled the melon in close to give it a sniff and found that it smelled fresh picked. She held it in her hooves releasing it from her magic. Feeling for the juices inside of it , she found them gently swaying.
The simple gestures from these two ponies made her want to get to know them. At the very least they seemed to care enough to put on real smiles instead of the fake ones she had become accustomed to. She approached the cart shaking her head and pulling out bits in order to pay for the wonderful fruit.
“Not happening, Tiana; I did you wrong, and I owe you a debt for it. If you still really wanna buy some fruit though, I’ll be happy to sell you another,” Cantaloupe said with a stern look on her face.
Hearing her name truncated like this for the first time, Acoustiana wasn’t sure how to react. Weighing all the ways her name has been butchered, this simpler yet respectful version actually seemed pleasant to her, so she simply smiled and put the free melon into her bag. She pointed to a few other pieces of fruit, and nudged the bits closer to the vendor.
“You got yourself a deal!” Cantaloupe said beaming with joy.
After the transaction was made, Acoustiana smiled to Ray and put up a hoof in his direction as she took out her notepad, flipping to a new page to write the colt a message.
“I cannot wait to see what you have to say, Miss Acoustiana,” the colt said as he stood crossing his fore-hooves.
Acoustiana showed him her words, and as he read them his face had a moment of frustration before going back to a gentle smile.
“I understand your apprehension, Miss. I am sure you get told that by many of those in this city of masked fillies and gentlecolts. Rest assured, I was neither jesting nor fabricating. I do genuinely wish to learn hooflanguage. I pride myself at being a learned pony, and I would be aghast to call myself that if i failed to learn a language used by somepony living in my own city.” Lowering his head so as he could then look up to Acoustiana, “I would be honored if you would assist me in my studies so as I may include said language into my repertoire.”
Acoustiana felt a brush of utter joy, as she found herself hoping that the fears she felt in her heart where unfounded. This was a true first: somepony actually wanted to learn how to talk with her without being forced into it. The colt sat as he nearly beamed with his own pride: he knew he just made the day of a young mare merely by being a polite gentlecolt. However, a large crash echoed off in the distance that shocked the both of them. Ray quickly gained a concerned look onto his face.
“Acoustiana, please step over here next to the cart. If that is what I think it is, you’ll want to be out of the way so as to avoid any accident befalling you or your possessions.” He stepped in front of the two mares and flared out his wings, then proceeded to rear up on his hind legs to see down the street in the direction of the commotion.
Another loud crash caused Ray to wince and land back on all four hooves. He still had his wings spread out as to create a barrier for the fruit and ponies behind him.
“Don’t worry, it’s just our town’s best painter. She would be the best in all of Equestria if she would just slow down and not panic so easily,” he said, letting out an exasperated sigh.
After another crash Acoustiana spied a number of objects suddenly appear wrapped in a magical blue glow, followed by a purple and burgundy streak.
“Hi, bye Ray!” was all Acoustiana could hear of what she believed was another unicorn running by at breakneck speeds. The voice, although rushed was delicate and seemed to chime like crystals.
“PASTEL! Slow down before you hurt somepony, or worse, yourself!” Ray shouted after the pony. Acoustiana noted that his eyes where full of concern and worry as he tried to follow the speeding artist down the street.
“I do hate to run off, but that pony is like a living tornado running through the town with all that rushing. I must see that she doesn’t─” He found himself cut off by loud clopping coming from Acoustiana as she stomped her hooves desperately to gain his attention.
While she had his attention, knowing he had an important task to attend to, she quickly floated one of her personal business cards over to him. Ray looked at it, and realized why she gave it to him.
“Quite right! It would have been dreadfully difficult to get lessons from you without knowing where to go!” he let out a hardy chuckle which ended short at the echo of yet another crash. “But I must be off, I shall get in touch as soon as I can, lady Acoustiana. Farewell to you as well, miss Cantaloupe,” as he bowed quickly to the two mares and promptly took off after the disaster on hooves.
Turning to Cantaloupe, Acoustiana was ready to wave a goodbye when she noticed that the pony was transfixed on her flank. As panic crept over her at the many different thoughts the earth pony might be having, Cantaloupe looked up to Acoustiana with a bewildered look on her face.
“If you don’t mind me asking, but what kind of cutie mark is that? Two sticks with strings tied to them? Are you a fisherpony or something?”
Acoustiana’s mind came to a stop for a moment as the panic quickly began to flee and pure confusion started taking its place. She knew some ponies didn’t know much about music, but to mistake her cutie mark for fishing poles was just absurd. She, however, believed this pony wasn’t intending any insults, but was in fact just confused.
With a smile she took out her notepad and wrote what her cutie mark actually was for the poor pony.
“Bows? So you’re a hunterpony?” Cantaloupe appeared even more confused. “But aren't bows curved and not straight?”
Letting out a silent sigh, Acoustiana wrote more giving explicit details about what type of bow she was referring to.
Upon reading the explanation, the yellow pony’s face turned almost orange in color. “Aw horseapples. You must think I’m an uncivilized buffoon after that one. But hey! A musician! Wow...It must be so cool to go to all those really fancy places, meeting all those fancy people...” Cantaloupe seemed to drift off in her mind thinking on what Acoustiana disliked the most about being a musician.
For her part, Acoustiana felt that this pony must not have a hoof on the ground when it came to the reality of the world that Acoustiana had to wade through in her profession. She figured such is the case for anypony not apart of the scene. All Acoustiana wished to do was make enjoyable and emotional music. Having to dress certain ways, and act as though nothing anypony said phased her. It was more than she would like to endure, but such was her chosen profession. To get big, she had to endure.
“Tell me what it’s like to talk to...” a look of sheer terror griped Cantaloupe’s face as she spoke those words. “OH MY GOSH! I am so so so sorry!” Cantaloupe gasped out as she smacked herself in the head with her hoof. She then seemed to realize something and stopped her self-appointed beating. “Wow, I bet those gatherings are nothing but awkward for you, aren’t they? Having to write all your words down all the time, dealing with fancy types not having the patience to deal with somepony that can’t talk.” A look of sorrow overtook the yellow pony’s face as she empathised with the hardships she thought Acoustiana had to put up with. A visible increase in moisture to her eyes began to show. “It wouldn’t be awkward, it would be just terrible!” Cantaloupe looked to Acoustiana. “You must be one of the bravest ponies ever, to be able to put up with that kind of treatment.”
Acoustiana looked at the yellow pony with a renewed appreciation. She then got a brilliant idea. She took out another one of her business cards and set it on the cart. She pointed to Cantaloupe, motioned eating, and pointed to the sun. She then slowly and deliberately shunted her hoof in a clock like fashion till she pointed to the horizon. Cantaloupe started to ponder on the matter for a moment before making a venture at to what the meaning was.
“You want to eat some fruit in 15 minutes?”
Acoustiana shook her head.
“You want me to eat some fruit in 15 minutes?”
Another shake.
“By Celestia this is a tough one. Hrm...You want to eat fruit together in 15 minutes?”
Acoustiana shook her head but made a pushing motion with her hoof.
“Eating fruit in...3 hours?”
Another head shake with a pushing motion.
“Okay I give; just write it down else we will be here till nightfall,” Cantaloupe said in a defeated manner.
Acoustiana put her hoof on Cantaloupe’s nose.
“Wait, that was it? Nightfall? OH, you want to have me over for dinner?”
Acoustiana nodded.
“Well isn’t that just the coolest thing ever! Hey, could I see one of those bow things like that are on your cutie mark? And if you’re up to it, I would love to hear you play! I’ve never heard a real musician outside of recordings before.”
Acoustiana smiled and slowly nodded yes. She then perked up and made a flapping motion and pointed to the sky, then to her card on the counter.
Cantaloupe thought for a moment. “I bet you want me to invite Ray as well?”
Acoustiana nodded.
“That would be neat, and then he can hear your music too! Ooh! He doesn’t know your a musician yet, does he? Oh, I bet he will be so surprised! He seems the kind of pony who would really enjoy that kind of music too.”
Acoustiana just smiled and nodded.
“I’ll do everything I can to hunt him down, and I’ll pass along the invite. Then you can be sure that I’ll be there. Though I can’t stay too long, I have to take my cart back to the orchard. It’s a long ways off but it’ll be a lot easier knowing I made a new friend AND got a full belly out of it.”
Acoustiana bowed to what she hoped would become her new friend, and waved goodbye as she trotted back to her home. Feeling an invisible weight lift off of her, she knew that after this day’s encounter she just might have ponies she could call friends.
End Part 1
todmtn:
Rough Draft, Its got OC ponies in an original environment