Music of the NIght Part 3: Stallion of Music
Tonight was the night. Luna was seated next to her sister and co-ruler, Princess Celestia. The Royal Opera House was filling up slowly with the cream of the crop of Canterlot, the grandest city in Equestria. “You seem a little jittery tonight, Luna.” Celestia said with a tinkling chuckle. Luna smiled nervously. “I know you are a big fan of tonight’s main performer. What was his name, again?” she said.
“Cleff. His name is Cleff, and his is a talent above the others.” Luna said, her ears wilting back as she leaned on the lip of the opera box. She stared expectantly down at the maroon curtains. The show was far from starting, but she was very anxious to see him perform on stage. When she thought Celestia was not looking, she chanced a glance over at the shadowy box five. Her ticket had dictated that she be there, but her royal duties put her in the royal box. She squinted at the figure she’d set up there.
Princess Luna’s twin royal guards were seated, one on the other’s shoulders, in the singular seat in box five. There were thick, thick curtains of privacy around three of the box’s edges. Anypony in the audience that peered up into box five would only see a large figure watching the show. One grunted at the other as a hoof found an eyeball. How embarrassing was this?! But, the Princess of the Night commanded it, so here they were. What exactly one was supposed to accomplish stacking one bat-winged stallion atop another in an opera house seat was anypony’s guess. If Cleff were to ask anyone if box five were occupied, they would look up and see a figure in the dark, surely his nighttime friend.
Below, in the crowd, sat a pair of Ponyville ponies. Rarity and Twilight Fluttershy. It was a rare occasion for them to be in Canterlot, much less doing anything that was for neither woodland creatures nor selling dresses. But here they were, coming to an opera for the first time! How exciting! Rarity looked about with a great big smile plastered over her face. High society was just fantastical for her, and she enjoyed every moment of it. Fluttershy ooh’d and ahh’d at all the golden statues of ponies supporting the ceiling and buttresses of the massive auditorium. This had to be the biggest, fanciest place she’d ever been in.
The lights were beginning to dim, and everypony was struggling to their seat in the packed house. Up in the royal box, the lights flared briefly. Celestia and Luna rose, smiling down upon the crowd as was tradition, giving their silent blessing as everypony bowed before them. They loved that the princesses came to public events like the opera. It kept them current, and visible to the masses. Celestia gave a kind gesture with her hoof and the lights around the royal box began to fade out until they were in shadow. Luna’s pupils expanded hard, used to the blackness. “How exciting!” Princess Celestia said in earnest. “I am glad we found something we can both enjoy together, little sister.” She nuzzled Luna with sisterly affection. “Music is such a wonderful thing to be passionate about.”
“Yes… yes it is.” Luna said vaguely, sitting as regally as she could on their cushion and waiting torturously for the curtain to part. Celestia’s twin guards smiled privately from their posts at each other. It was healthy for their princess to have an equal at last, to be social and pal around with. Her subjects loved her dearly, but fell over themselves to please her far too often. Luna’s return was a very healthy thing for everyone involved.
Below, Fluttershy and Rarity whispered excitedly together. It was their first high society opera. Sure, there were plays in Ponyville now and then, but certainly nothing on this scale. “Just think darling, this Cleff fellow is the main attraction, and he’s from quaint little Ponyville!” Rarity gossiped with her friend, who giggled good-naturedly and nodded. Rarity peered at Cleff’s grinning face from the show program pamphlet. “I’ve not had the opportunity to hear him sing, but if the local spa gossip is to be trusted then perhaps he’ll bring a bit of small-town flavor to the high society of Canterlot!” she was chirping like an over-excited bird, just happy to be there amongst all the nobility and high-breeds.
“Oh my, it’s so nice to know there are success stories like his from Ponyville.” said Fluttershy as they finally settled into their seats while the remainder of the lights went down. Suddenly the orchestra STRUCK up, startling the audience into growing applause. Fluttershy gasp, clutched her chest, and nearly fell out of her chair like a fainting goat. Rarity fanned her with the program until she recovered. The curtain slowly parted.
A white stallion with an electric blue mane stood alone on the stage. Sharply dressed in a suite and bowtie with costume make-up and prop sword on his hip, he bowed and the audience clopped their hooves on the floor more loudly. His cutie mark was that of two circles and two dots. He smiled dazzlingly. Rarity’s eyes sparkled. It was music, there on his flank. The sign meant ‘ten beats’ to any who could read in three-quarter time. It meant his talent lay in holding notes for a long time, long and loud. She shuddered with excitement. He was so handsome! Fluttershy caught her not-quite-drooling, and playfully reached over to close her hanging jaw. Rarity’s face colored and she sank into her seat.
The show began. It was the story of a stallion who fell in love with a pony obsessed with knowledge and books. When he pursued her, she wrote her name and address in a book for him to find, so he spent ages searching high and low in an entire city. He found the book by fate, and eventually reunited with her. His test completed, he was able to declare his love and live happily ever after. The reading part drew a few chuckles since Cleff himself was blind, but nopony dared point it out. He moved about the stage with practiced ease, and his voice rang loud and true. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. High society ponies in the audience wept into handkerchiefs, and one of Celestia’s guards gave a noticeable shudder of emotion as the play ended out with a wedding, as all good comedies do. When the final note was sung and finally cut out, the audience leapt to its hooves with thunderous applause! Thousands of stomping hooves rolled back and forth through the rafters, screaming their love for the talent that was Cleff.
A few flowers fell from here and there, offerings to Cleff and his grand musical talent. Rarity pulled a rose from her saddlebag and tossed it. It wafted past Cleff’s nose by pure chance and he bent to pick it up in his teeth. His glasses slid down his muzzle a little, revealing his milky eyes as he tried to wiggle his eyebrows at whoever had thrown the rose. Rarity got more than a few laughs and approving gestures from other ponies. Even Fluttershy was grinning widely as Rarity put her foreleg over her forehead and made a swooning motion.
High, high above, Princess Luna glared directly at Rarity with all the fury of a thousand cold full moons. Celestia eyed Luna silently, blink-blinking. It took ages for the applause to die down, and by then she’d swept from the royal box and away. Celestia looked at her armored guards, who shrugged a little after a moment.
The rest of the opera’s cast came forth to stand in a long row and bow. The audience grew thunderous again, roaring their approval for the grand art of the opera. Meanwhile, over in box five, the two guards collapsed into a heap of flailing hooves and out of sight, exhausted. They did not see Luna leave, nor the whispy cloud formation of her fast-travelling form.
=-=-=-=
Cleff was laughing good-naturedly as he was swarmed by fans and fillies of all smells and voices and presences. Though he could not look upon the beauty of the denizens of Canterlot, all his other senses told of the soaps, the sprays and manicures, all the attention taken to make everything perfect and beautiful. It was entoxicating. He finally made it to his dressing room with an audible, “Whew!” It was a good thing security was so good in the royal opera house. No one would bother him here.
Cleff found the basin and began to wash off all the make-up he’d been caked under. One thing they didn’t tell you about performing in opera was that there were tons and tons of make-up artists to work on you. If you character was mostly happy, your face would be painted to look obnoxiously happy so that even the poor ponies in the BACK rows could see the smile. Up close it looked ridiculous, though. He didn’t want to wear the make-up, but it was all a part of appearances. Or so he was told. He dunked his face a few times, then pawed around for the scrubbing cloth.
“Here you are, dear.” A feminine voice said to him, making him jump when a cloth pressed to the side of his face.
“ACK! Who’s there?! Who’re you!?” Cleff yelped, cocking his head back and forth. Why had he not sensed her when he came in? Well, his head had been clouded with the perfumes and such of all the other adoring fans that had crowded around him as he’d left…
“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you darling.” She sounded apologetic and genuinely sorry. He relaxed a little. “I just wanted to come and compliment you, and tell you I’m EVER so excited to see someone from Ponyville making a big name for themselves here in Canterlot.” The tone was certainly excitable, but the carefully hidden accent was still there in the underlying tones. Ponyville, a pony from ponyville, where he was from.
“Do I know you?” he ventured, wiping his face and trying to examine her a bit more closely. “Your voice… you’re from Ponyville right?”
“Oh course, darling! A friend and I came to see you sing here at the Royal Opera House!” She said. “My name is Rarity, and your voice is simply divine!”
Cleff was understandably flattered. Forget the faceless crowds of high society. The strangers he would never know, cheering for him on singular nights when he got lucky enough to perform before the high breeds. Here was some-filly from back home, come all the way from Ponyville to see him. “Th-thank you, Rarity. It’s nice to hear from somepony who’s from back home.” He smiled brightly.
Rarity’s voice caught a little when she saw her tosses rose cradled in his lapel. “You kept my rose…” she said in a small voice, and both of them blushed at each other. He nodded silently. “Say Cleff, uhm…” she looked to one side, then summoned up her courage to speak again. “Would… would perhaps you like to join me for the evening meal? My friend Fluttershy has already retired for the evening, and the night life in Canterlot can’t be missed on a short visit like this!”
Cleff cocked his head. She was so direct. He wasn’t sure he liked it. But then he remembered. Would he rather hang out with ponies who did not know him, or perhaps find time to be with a seemingly attractive philly from his own hometown? He tilted his head a little, working the thought in his mind. Although it was crude to say something like ‘local flavor’, he did think it was a better idea to fraternize with females from his own hometown, than the high and mighty pedigree of Canterlot. Finally, his beaming smile worked its way up his muzzle and he bobbed his head a few times. “That sounds good! Alright Rarity, let’s do it!”
“Excellent!” Rarity bounced a little, so excited! “I’ll order a carriage for us, you get washed off and I’ll come back to get you. Ten minutes, dear Cleff!” she tagged dear onto the end of the sentence like a tone of affection. He decided he liked it. What stallion did not like sudden feminine attention after such a triumph over the masses. A local girl, no less! He smiled wider and wider after he heard to door shut. He scrubbed his face animatedly, his haunches bouncing up and down excitedly. This opera thing was really going places for him!
The candles and lights in the room flickered. Cleff could only tell this because he was sensitive enough to feel the heat of each tiny flame. He stopped midway in drying his muzzle as his ears perked forward. It was quiet. Too quiet. His milky eyes darted back and forth, and he recovered his dark glasses so that he felt a little more presentable. He turned about, listening. Nothing. He could not smell a second intruder, but he certainly sensed a heavy presence. “H… hello?” he said timidly, his voice a little tired after the powerful opera.
INSOLENT mare this slave of fashion!
Basking in your glory!
Ignorant FOAL this brave young suitor!
Sharing in your tri-ummmph!
A familiar and angry singing voice rolled through his room like thunder and Cleff shuddered. His night time friend, from the pond on the meadow. His mouth was a little agape. Where was she? He could not pinpoint her voice, it seemed to be everywhere in the room. If Cleff could see, he would’ve spotted the swirling, sparkling cloud of darkness hovering around the ceiling of his dressing room. Princess Luna’s gaseous form.
Cleff’s face was apologetic and his ears wilted down. How could he have forgotten so quickly, his practicing partner and close friend from Ponyville. They sang together at least once a week, and all it had taken was a single successful show to turn his head towards another bit of flank? No, no, he could pick what he wanted, thank you very much. But… but surely he owed part of his success to his nameless partner? The mare of the night?
Night mare I hear you, speak, I listen
Stay by my side, guide meee—
Night mare my will was weak, forgive me
Enter at last, mistress---
He sang back to her, wilted and bowing low on his front knees. He’d gained in strength and volume because of trying to emulate the thunderous voice of his nameless pegasus friend. How could he have turned her aside so quickly? Guilt washed over him and his face saddened. The returning voice was bemused and accepting, brimming with soothing confidence—
Flattering stallion you’ll know me
Feel why in shadow we hi-iiiide
Feel the face here before you
I am there, be-siiiide!
Large, gauntleted hooves stuck the floor as a large pony landed. Cleff startled, rearing a bit. When he came back down, he was hooked onto the shoulders of a larger pony. At least twice his size. She was big, so very big! And not in a way meaning fat, she was simply a larger pony. Not built like a stallion, but just… just… a larger version of any normal mare he’d ever touched. Yes, yes this was her. The scent, the voice, it was as though she’d materialized out of a whisp of smoke (which, she just so happened to have). His hooves slowly embraced her.
Night mare of music, guide and guardian,
Grant to me your glory-yyyy
Night mare of music, hide no longer,
Speak to me, strange pony-yyy
Cleff shivered as he continued with her, the odd duet that carried their frustrations with each other’s identities and actions. With no eyes to guide him and his hooves quite full, he leaned with a slow and timid grace. Luna closed her eyes as he dared to nuzzle her. He took the submissive position, his head under her chin, apologetic. His cheek then explored her face, taking in the features in a slow, almost erotic way. She let out a quiet and happy sigh, leaning down to make it easier. There was a long silence as heat slowly worked its way into both of their faces.
Suddenly, a firm knocking came at the door, it was Rarity come to collect Cleff for their evening together. “Cleff? Who’s is that voice?” The doorknob JERKED itself into the locked position by magic as Luna glared daggers at the door. A black mist secreted from her eye sockets, barely contained godly rage. It was all she could do not to blow it off its hinges and end the pony behind it for good. She was an obstacle, and already she was starting to make Luna angry. “Who is that in there? I hear voices!”
Cleff’s head was turned towards the door, and Luna could sense her grip on him slipping. She leaned, pulling his head to her breast briefly. Then, she backed off just a step with her hoof out, careful to scuff it along the floor to make sure he picked up the body language.
I am your pony of musi-iiiic
Come to me stallion of musi-iiiiiic…
If the power of the Royal Canterlot Voice could whisper sensually, this is what that tone would sound like. Cleff turned his head one way, then the other. The mysterious mare of the night? Or Rarity, the pony he’d just met and wanted to take him to dinner? There were a few powerful moments of silence while Luna stood there with her hoof out to him.
Slowly, gently, Cleff’s hoof reached out to hers. Luna smiled darkly. By the time Rarity gathered the sense to use magic to unlock the door and go in, the two of them were gone. The pale unicorn peered around in confusion. “Cleff…?”
End of Part 3