//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Adagio 
// Story: Nighttime Harmonies 
// by Belgerum 
//------------------------------//


~N~

Hours passed quickly for Nightmare Moon, though she couldn’t hope to count them. No clock ticked to keep the time, but yet, it continued to pass by, with no means of measurement. The past years of isolation seemed to make each day, each rotation of the rocky sphere in the sky above Equestria, pass at a sluggish pace.
Octavia had still not returned, but Nightmare didn’t necessarily expect her to be so open this soon after her arrival. She had behaved a bit differently than others at their first meeting though, though, so she didn’t know what exactly to expect. There was definitely a lot of potential though. If only she could get the mare to trust her, she likely become a wonderful companion.
But at this moment, Nightmare felt horrible.
She had gotten carried away, and shown Octavia her true power, unleashed by anger. The pony had just been forced away from her life in Equestria, and to start her new life in such a way must feel horrible for the her.
And it only happened because Nightmare Moon couldn’t control her emotions.
She was exhausted, hurt, defeated... even Luna, her only true friend for centuries, couldn’t forgive her for her actions. Eyes glued to the surface beneath her, tears dripped from her turquoise eyes to the stony ground below.
‘I’m just as horrible as they say...’ she thought to herself, ‘I really am. Even Celestia can’t—’
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden pain in the back of her head.
“OW! By the night! What was—”
Nightmare’s horn glowed for a moment as she rose to her full height, intending to make clear the harsh consequences for the assault of a deity. Her regal horn glowed, illuminating the grey dust of the moon with a eerie blue light as her eyes searched, furiously seeking whatever had dared to interrupt her solitude.
A hollow thud sounded as an object hit the ground nearby.
After a thorough scan of the area with both vision and magic, to be sure there were no assailants, Nightmare Moon grumbled, cursing herself for her inattentiveness. She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and collecting herself before she did something she’d regret in anger. Hundreds of years on the moon had helped her control her temper somewhat, but she still needed a few moments to herself sometimes.
The object that must have hit her had landed in a small crater, the dust from impact now settling on the ground around it. Walking closer and inspecting it, Nightmare saw it seemed to be a brown carrying case. She guessed, and after flipping latches and inspecting the inside, confirmed, that the contents were a musical instrument. She assumed it belonged to the newest visitor, probably sent in her wake by Celestia as an act of 'mercy' on the poor pony who was now trapped with her.
So this "Octavia" was a musician. she recognized the instrument as a cello, which, if she remembered correctly, was the second largest of the stringed instruments. It took some talent to play such a large instrument, not to mention a stringed one in general, without the magic of a unicorn. The prospect of such an endeavor being possible for the newest visitor made her feel more respect for the mare than before.
Nightmare Moon sighed and picked up the cello in the firm grasp of her telekinesis. She figured it would likely be a good idea take this instrument to its owner, even if the pony didn’t ever want to talk to her again. Nightmare herself knew little about the operation of such an instrument, much less what tunes she might play on it if she did, so it seemed logical to give it to another who could make better use out of it than she.
Nightmare galloped into the distance, keeping the object close to her with strands of magic. Her gaze held straight with her head high, her eyes scanned the horizon, searching. The surface of the moon was such a vast space to be searching for her little pony, but she kept on, looking for the mare
And she searched not just so she might return to her the one possession the mare might now have access to, but also so she might apologize for her earlier temper, and to try to show the mare the better side of her.






~O~

Octavia lay on the surface of the moon, looking up at  the stars, counting the shining dots for the seventeenth time. She couldn’t tell whether it were day or night back in Canterlot, for the moon and Equestria below both seemed to move between the two on their own cycles, but that couldn’t stop her from thinking of home all the same. Her family, friends, and even the few possessions she could call her own were all now caught up in a place that she couldn’t even fathom how far away it was. wiping away her tears, she continued to silently stare at the heavens above, memorizing the locations of all the objects contained within.
“Ahem.”
Octavia looked up as Nightmare cleared her throat quietly, though that didn’t mean much on the silent landscape of the moon.
“I believe this may belong to you. Celestia sent it.” she said, using blue strands of magic to levitate an all-too-familiar case to her side.
Octavia wiped away the moisture from her eyes for a second, making herself at least somewhat presentable as she stared at the case, eyes open wide in disbelief. She quickly undid the latches on the side of the case, revealing the polished surface of the musical instrument beneath, the familiar strings, each of a different width and tone, and sleek carvings into a deep resounding wooden chamber. 
Reaching into the case and pulling the instrument upright, and holding it against her chest. The feel of the instrument on her hooves was so familiar to Octavia, unlike anything else in this harsh world of gray dust. Looking it over to be sure nothing was impaired or broken, she glanced at the ornate emblem carved into the back side of the wooden body.



Octavia glanced away quickly, more tears forming. After a moment of easy breathing, she wiped them away, before placing the instrument back in it’s case, hiding the emblem from her sights once more.
“Thank you...” She whispered, looking back up at the alicorn.
Nightmare sighed, “You are welcome.” She looked down, before mumbling, “I’m sorry about before... I lost my temper, but you should know that I would never do that to somepony like you... I’ve never killed anypony who didn’t deserve it.”
Octavia silently shut the cello case, briefly wondering what she meant by ‘deserving it,’ but she pushed the thought out of her head quickly. She resolved to make sure that she didn’t get on this alicorn’s bad side, so that she would never need to find out.
“Apology accepted. I’m sorry I brought up such a... troubling topic.” She said in return. bowing her head once again, showing respect and courtesy. The alicorn had shown her a lot more kindness than she’d expected. She didn’t know what her expectations were of a goddess of nightmares and shadows before she came to this place, but, at least for now, it seemed not to be as unpleasant as many might have thought.
“You have my word... I shall do nothing to you, so long as you don’t try to,” she spoke through her teeth, “Rid the world of the demonic scourge of Nightmare Moon.” She growled and rolled her eyes.
Octavia blinked, then looked away from the alicorn, feeling her fears both assuaged and agitated. Not knowing what else to say, she simply looked back and forth from the ground to the sky, as if expecting something about them to change, to save her from her fate.
“What is wrong. Do you not trust me? Am I that hard to put faith in? Has Celestia so corrupted your mind with lies that you cannot fathom that I could be trustworthy?”
Octavia felt a sob come from deep in her throat, but she managed to hide it within a forced chuckle.
“Oh no, I’m just a little upset by the fact that I’ve been forcibly trapped on a hunk of rock, far away from everything I’ve ever known. Nothing much.” Another sob came, but this time, there was no hiding it as she voiced her own despair.
Nightmare walked over and put a hoof on her shoulder, “Octavia... that was your name, you said, right? Do you not realize how lucky you are? Every other chosen one has spent the remainder of their years here, until they died, but didn’t Celestia tell you? It’s our destiny to return together in two years.”
Octavia shrugged off the hoof, looking away. “I appreciate the gesture, but... right now I just... need some time to collect my thoughts.” She said, stopping herself from getting too emotional. She felt like refusing the comfort of such a powerful being was wrong, that she might somehow offend her, but it felt so strange to feel the dark hoof on her shoulder, so uncomfortable that the higher being, who she might fear and respect, was stooping so low as to care for a complete stranger.
“If you want me to leave you alone, I can.” She said simply.
“That would... be nice, thanks.” She said.
Nightmare Moon nodded her head in acknowledgement, before pacing off into the grey landscape, disappearing over the crest of a hilltop, leaving Octavia to herself in a bowl of grey dust, with only her cello to keep her company.
Octavia stood still for a few minutes, just thinking. Breathing in and out slowly, calming her nerves again. She looked at the case that was lying nearby, knowing that what lay inside was all that she had in this new world to remind her of home, and the only thing left to keep her separate from the dust that surrounded her.





The sun shone down upon the backyard of a towering mansion, reflecting on the surface of the large swimming pool. The very tops of other buildings in Canterlot rose above dividing walls, keeping the land of the rich ponies separate. While the space was in the middle of a city, the land was well-kept by magic and servants. Greenery had been planted in this particular area, with even a few trees extending towards the sky, though not nearly as high as the towering royal castle in the distance, or even the buildings nearby.
Octavia lazily dipped her hooves into the pool from the edge, as other ponies milled about the space, talking with one another. There was a high-class party going on, and while guests were about, she had to with hold her desire to plunge into the water, and feel the cool liquid relieve her from the sunlight’s warmth. But doing such might ruin the fancy dress her parents had made her wear, and this was a somewhat serious event for them. It simply wouldn’t be proper to do such a thing in the presence of so many others.
It would be especially unacceptable for her to do such a thing on her birthday.
Coming once a year, the event seemed much like other special events to Octavia. While the day was special mainly for herself, her parents made it an event for all, with a public party for family, friends, and many that Octavia didn’t even know. Sure she received gifts from her parents, and some of her family, but she disliked the formality of events like this, and how she had to restrain herself and behave ‘presentable.’
At the very least though, there was the music. A group of five ponies had been hired to play, all playing differently sized instruments. They played together, the five sounds, each different in their own way, coming across differently in each context, from measure to measure and tune to tune. Octavia liked each of them, taking in the beauty of the sounds they produced.
Three of the instruments were fairly similar, being smaller, and held in the same way, with the bow and wooden body drawn over a shoulder. They made higher sounds, and played melodic material amongst themselves. Playing expressively, the players moved along with the sounds, raising eyebrows and tensing muscles as one piece rose to it’s climax, before releasing the tension in both sound and body, letting their arms fall back to more relaxed positions.
The last two players seemed very different, however. The instruments were much larger, perhaps even bigger than the ponies themselves. They played along with the first three, though they demanded not nearly as much attention, playing parts that would only accentuate those of the others. the sounds they made, though not prominent or featured, were deep and resounding, and filled the entire sound with emotional texture together.
The second-largest instrument was being played by a mare with a silvery white coat, and an equally fine mane of light blue. Passionately playing, a warm smile formed on her lips as she drew her bow into complex rhythmic patterns, not missing a beat, nor making a single wrong movement.
Octavia had always loved music since the moment she had first heard it’s majesty, but this instrument was one of those she loved the most. The gracefulness of the carved wood, and the thickness and resonance of the strings all gave her chills as she heard the instrument play.
The piece ended shortly after, with a few repeated gestures and one final, echoing note from all five instruments. Hearing the temporary closure, the guests nearby gave a small round of polite applause to show their approval.
Hearing a light chime of a silvery utensil on a glass from the center of the area, the guests finished their conversations and began milling towards the source of the sound. Octavia followed, knowing that the summons was likely for an announcement of some kind.
“Gather round everyone!” Said Octavia’s father, from the center of the group of ponies. His grey coat and mane matched perfectly with his top hat, as he called the attention of everyone around.
“Today is a very special day for my daughter, Octavia,” he said. “Today is the day she turns six years old. It is a day to be celebrated as she edges closer and closer to becoming a grown mare. It won't be long now before my little filly will get her cutie mark, and soon after, find her place in the world as whatever it is she chooses to be.”
The young filly sighed in embarrassment. Her father, despite his formal appearance, and the wealth he commanded, was ever the dreamer. He was one of those fathers who believed that if anypony wanted something with all of their heart, their wish would someday come true. And so, of course, he had always tried to plant in her head tales of wonder, of achievement, and of striving hard for dreams. Octavia had always wondered how such a man had ever come to accumulate his fortune, especially considering that he was an earth pony who commanded neither wings or magic.
"And so, of course," he continued, "We have gifts for my young mare. Gifts that will be hers forever more, and help her chase whatever dreams might come upon her mind as she enters the world, ready to show what she can become."
As her father continued to speak to appeal to the crowd, and introduce what was yet to come, Octavia noticed her mother approaching the center of the group, carrying a large wrapped parcel on her back. The petite mare was more colorful than her husband, with a light green coat and mane Silently shaking her head as unicorn stallions offered magical help carrying what the filly could only assume was her gift, she glanced briefly at Octavia, smiling proudly.
"...And so we are proud to present to her something special for her birthday. We hope that she finds it enjoyable and useful in the future."
Her father finished his little speech as the package reached her, the crowd shifting their attention to the filly and the wrapped parcel. The stares of the others were expectant, so she wasted little time in getting to work, neatly untying ribbon and string, and unfolding paper wrapping.
Inside was the cello. It looked exactly like the one she had seen onstage, and which had pricked her ears up in enjoyment and content.
This was the cello upon which she would learn to play, upon which she would give her first performances, and the which she would cherish and keep as she became an independent mare.
The cello that would someday reach the moon.






~N~

Over the hills of grey rock and dust, the sound of the musical instrument rang out. The silence that constantly pervaded the desolate world broke as the vibrations of strings struck the world about them with sounds that it had never before been witness to. But the grains of sand and the rocky surface of the moon cared not for the musical and elegant melodies that moved past them. They were merely objects, and what a poor audience objects were. They could not support any form of art, could not enjoy it, nor even comprehend it. All that the sound would ever be to  them was a slight movement, a small twitch of movement as the vibration passed through.
It seemed such a waste indeed, that so much effort could be made, and so much beautiful music could be made to an observatory of stone and dust.
But the barren land was not entirely devoid of a listener. Nightmare Moon stood silently, listening on a hilltop nearby.
From her vantage point, she could clearly see the earth pony in the valley below, eyes closed in concentration as she drew a bow over the wonderfully resonant strings. She looked much calmer than she had before, like the art of making music had granted her a certain aura of serenity and focus, allowing her to forget everything around her, save the sounds of virtuosic beauty.
Meanwhile, Nightmare Moon listened, silently observing the musician practice her craft.
For the first time in hundreds of years, the ears of the alicorn pricked forward, hearing a melody strung together masterfully by an artist. Nightmare didn’t know the name of the melody, or if it even was a written tune or an improvisation, since she had been gone from the earth for long ages while equestrian arts flourished. Despite that fact, Nightmare Moon, the goddess of night and ruler of darkness, found herself closing her eyes and listening in bliss.
Oh, how long it had been since she had the luxury of the arts at her disposal. She remembered a time long ago, when she lived in a castle framed with paintings, where a quartet played in the courtyard, and soft fragrances emanated from flowers blooming in spring. Oh how long it had been.
A small grin spread across Nightmare Moons face for what felt like the first time in ages.
'Soon, Luna, will we hear music again.' she thought inwardly to Luna as the cello played on and on. 'Only two years... and we can return. Only two more years, and we can finally see our precious subjects again.'
A bitter laugh sounded from deep within the alicorns mind.
"Maybe you will..."