//------------------------------// // Music To My Ears // Story: A Melody for Two, A Melody for You // by Eggtaro //------------------------------// "I still can't believe you actually got tickets to the concert," said Octavia, trotting ahead of me, with a bounce to her steps. "I thought they were all completely sold out!" "I had my connections," I was lying, of course. I didn't really had any 'connections'. I was just lucky enough to get my hands on them. It wasn't cheap, but it will be totally worth it. Oh, hello. Glad you could join us. You must be wondering what's going on right about now, right? Don't worry, I'll tell you. Just...be prepared for any sudden interruption from my excited friend here. Two years ago, the official treaty (or simply known as 'The Treaty') between Equestria and Earth was signed. Enabling both sides to travel to each other's world. There was of course, rules and laws that must be followed. But so far, nothing catastrophic had actually happened...yet. The humans of Earth and ponies of Equestria had been living quite peacefully thus far. I, myself, had been to Equestria. It was truly an eye-opening experience. I have future plans to return there someday; Equestria is truly a remarkable place to visit. Since the arrival of the Equestrian ponies to earth, we have been living side by side with them among us. It was difficult to adapt at first, since the ponies we have on earth aren't intelligent, nor could they speak human. You could already imagine the surprise we humans had when we first laid eyes on the Equestrian ponies. But all that was two years ago. Now, we coexists in each other's world. We have ponies living here on Earth, and they have humans living in Equestria. Perhaps, I too, would move there one day. It would be a very nice place to live out the rest of my life. Anyway, I met this particular earth pony named Octavia Melody, a cellist from Canterlot, during one of my visits to Equestria. I heard her play one evening with the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra, and I was immediately captivated by her. There was a part during the play when she had a solo performance, and let's just say, it was incredible. Cellos, aren't really my type of musical instrument. They are heavy, and takes up a lot of space. They don't sound all that good either. Why would anyone want to play such an instrument? If you ask my opinion about cellos before I met Octavia, that will be my answer. A very ignorant answer, too. Everything changed in that one evening, though. One that I will remember for the rest of my life. Every note that came out of Octavia's cello was beautiful. The way she moves her body with the rhythm, the way she conveys her feelings through her cello, I enjoyed every moment of it. After the performance, I was already prepared to leave. But fate somehow made us bumped into each other (And I mean we literally bumped into each other). I was at the Main Portal (A magical portal that acts as a gateway from Equestria to Earth and vice-versa). The crowd was thick with ponies and humans, all lining up and waiting patiently to head back to Earth. It was there where we ran into each other. Octavia was carrying her cello with her (which wasn't really easy for an earth pony), and she accidentally slipped, causing her to bump right into me. I managed to save her from falling straight to the ground, but...her cello wasn't so fortunate. The cello case wasn't properly closed, so, by the time it hit the ground, the contents came falling out with it. The fall alone almost broke the neck in half; it was the crowd that did the Coup de grâce. So, there I was, with a battered cello on the ground, and a pony who was ready to burst into tears (I would learn much, much later that her cello was a gift from her beloved and respected mentor). The crowd paid no attention to us; they were more focused on the portal. "M-my cello!" cried Octavia, her tears already flowing freely down her cheeks. "Why didn't you s-save m-my cello?" Believe me, I was bewildered by her question as well. If I were Spider-man, I would've shot some webs out to soften the fall. But, I wasn't. "I thought saving you was the more proper course of action," I told her, picking up the broken cello parts. "A cello can be easily fixed you know." "D-don't you understand? This cello is special to me! Nopony can simply fix it up! It's one-of-a-kind!" If you thought women were stubborn, just wait till you meet Equestrian mares. After much persuasion, the both of us managed to cross the portal without further tears and broken cello parts. She told me that she was planning to travel to Earth for a brief vacation that very evening after the performance, to grab a little relaxation in another world. I was curious as to why she wanted to grab a vacation right after the performance. But---even till this day--- she never really told me why. "What am I going to do now?" Octavia glanced at me with watery eyes. "I came here for a nice, happy vacation," she picked up her cello's end pin. "and this happens. My vacation is ruined!" I was no musician, and I knew nothing about cellos at the time. But I knew it wasn't right to abandon her to deal with her problems. "Maybe we can get it fixed," I suggested to her. "There might be someone on Earth who could save your cello." Octavia looked at me, with a small glimmer of hope dancing in her eyes. She rubbed away her tears an--- "Come on! The concert's about to start!" Horse apples! Hold on for a second, will you? Octavia's biting on my sleeve. I gave a quick glance at my watch, there is still like thirty minutes before the concert actually begins. "Octavia, there's still loads of time before it starts." "I want to get good seats!" Octavia can be so adorable whenever she's excited. "You do know our seats are numbered, right?" I gave her a grin. She can't fool me. "But...but..." She turned around and looked at me with puppy-eyes. No! My one weakness is being exploited! "Oh no, Octavia, I won't fall for this trick again." I was lying of course, again. I could never say no to her, anyway. "What if the Piano Guys comes on stage early? What if...what if they decided to start the concert earlier than scheduled?" Octavia bit down on my sleeve and pulled with all her might. "Lesh guu!" she said with a mouth full of fabric. "I'm really starting to regret showing you that video on Youtube," I told her, letting her lead the way. "Is not like Steven Sharp Nelson's going to run away or anything." "Steven's the best!" Octavia jumped into the air. "I've never seen anypony play the cello as great as him, except for my mentor." "Steve's a human, Octavia." Octavia ignored me as we entered the concert hall. Rows and rows of seats lay in front of us, some already filled with occupants. The hall itself was indeed a sight. Grand and magnificent. The stage was illuminated dimly in blue, where a black grand piano stood. There were also three cellos beside the piano, neatly arranged. "That's Jackie Jr.!" Octavia whispered beside me, pointing at the first cello with her hoof. "It was used in the Piano Guys lord of the rings video!" "Wait, all the cellos have names?" "Steve named each of his twenty-one cellos," she pointed at the black cello that stood elegantly between 'Jackie Jr.' and the third one. "That one right there, is Carmen Fibre!" "Carme---wha?" "It's French! The cello itself is made out of carbon fibre, that makes it nearly indestructible. The sound Carmen produces are very airy and resonant." Admit it, you're as lost as I am right? Even after knowing Octavia for so long, I still have no idea what she's talking about when the topic is concerning cellos. Octavia nudged me with her head. I looked at where her hoof is pointed next. "You see that last cello there?" she asked me, sounding like a kid on sugar. "That---" "Bruce Lee." I interrupted. Octavia stared at me with her mouth wide opened. "How did you know that?" Octavia gave me a look which was a mix of admiration and surprise. "I heard him mention it on a video before." "Yes, yes, and?" she made a gesture with her hoof at me, as if telling me to go on. "What else do you know about, Bruce Lee?" I glanced at the custom-made cello on the stage. "It has five strings instead of four, allowing it to reach higher notes like that of a violin." Octavia clapped her hooves together, smiling at me. "Excellent!" she praised, which made my heart skip. "I'm very impressed!" We found our designated seats and sat down. Octavia made a gleeful noise as she glanced around the hall excitedly, waving her hoof to some of her friends who I don't recognize. I have to admit, I don't go to musical ensemble concerts very often, even before the Treaty. Not to mention, I'm not exactly the biggest classical music fan either. I always found them to be boring. Most of that changed, however, after I met Octavia. So where were we? Oh yeah. Rubbing away her tears, she glanced up at me and gave me a small smile. "Are you sure there is somepony here who could help my cello?" she asked me. Of course, at the time, I had no answer to the question. How was I supposed to know that? I knew nothing about cellos, and I sure as heck wasn't sure if it could be fixed in the first place. But...I didn't tell her 'no', nor did I left her to deal with her problems alone. I just couldn't, you know? It didn't felt right to me. "Yes, and don't worry, I'll help you search as well," I told her. "Is this your first time on Earth?" And that, my friend, is how I met Octavia Melody. Needless to say, our relationship grew from that point onwards. We managed to find a luthier (who was able to fix it), and we did have regular meet-ups after that; either when I was in Equestria, or she on Earth. It was during these meets that I was able to get to know her better, and I enjoyed spending my time with her. Each moment I spent with her was blissful, fun, and tranquil. Not everyone enjoys the company of Equestrian ponies though. Now, some might say that humans are better off with their own kind, 'Stick to the roots' one might call it. There are heated debates, and arguments on human/ponies relationship. They say that it is 'downright disgusting' and 'a sin to humankind'. A few groups and individuals had even called the ponies 'nothing more than talking farm animals'. I don't agree with that. The statement itself is prejudiced, and arrogant. Did they even took the time to properly know these ponies? Did they sit down and have a cup of tea with them? Obviously, they did not. All they cared about was to continue being the apex species. Human, as you might already know, can be quite violent at times (if not all the time). Protests and riots about the human/ponies relationship had happened in some parts of our world. It is considered fortunate that none of that is happening in my country. If it did, well...I don't wanna think about it. What's important right now, is this moment. Come what may, I'm glad I have the chance to meet Octavia. She's an earth pony that plays the cello. She loves classical music, cellos, and Darjeeling tea. And a huge fan of the Piano Guys. We both met in circumstances unexpected, and in conditions once thought impossible. Our homes may be different, our cultures worlds apart. In short, we live completely different lives! But when you take the time to actually know her (or any other pony), you'll slowly learn that she's the same as all of us. Alive. We both breathe, eat, sleep, cry, laugh, and smile. The outside of us may be different. But on the inside ? We are quite identical. "The concert starting!" Octavia's shaking my arm, and she looks almost ready to fly out of her seat. "This is not a rock concert, Octavia." I said to her, smiling. "Please don't go crazy." Even if she did, though, I'll be right here to make sure she's stays under control. Well, I guess it's almost time for the concert. You'll stay too, right? The Piano Guys are really good. You can check them on Youtube, if you're curious. "Thank you so much!" I feel Octavia nudging her head against my shoulder. "This will be the best night ever!" With Octavia with me? I'm sure it will be the greatest night ever. The hall, now fully packed with humans and ponies alike, begins to darken. The stage begins to brighten as--- Oh, are you leaving already? You sure you don't wanna stay? Well, I'm not going to stop you. Thanks, though, for listening. But before you leave, there is one more thing I wish to tell you. Octavia Melody is the most amazing, most talented pony I have ever met. Since the day I first laid eyes on her, she has captured my heart. I'm deeply in love with her, and I plan to tell her that after the concert. Wish me luck, will you?