//------------------------------// // 7th Movement // Story: Sketchy Salad Symphony // by Sketchy Sounds //------------------------------// It had been more than a month now since that day, but Octavia recalled it well. The request had come to her on an otherwise ordinary evening, as she had been sat in her house fastidiously sorting through sheets upon sheets of music. Her otherwise ordinary activities were interrupted by a sharp knocking at the door, which had caused her to jump slightly as she was not in the habit of receiving guests in the evenings. Nevertheless, she had set down her music and headed for the door, mentally puzzling over who could be calling so late in the day. “Who is it?” she had called hesitantly. “Royal Guard, ma’am. I’m here to give you a message from Her Highness Princess Luna.” Octavia had been forced to hold back a gasp at that, as she hastily opened the door. Stood outside was indeed one of the Royal Guards, resplendent in the golden plate armour of his station as the moonlight glinted off it. The guard merely nodded a greeting to her, reaching into a small bag round his neck. He drew out an ornately decorated and deep night blue coloured envelope, passing it to the cellist. “I was instructed to give this to you personally, miss Octavia, and to not let another pony lay eyes upon its contents. That includes myself – so if you shall excuse me, I must return to the palace.” Octavia had nodded politely to the white stallion, pressing the envelope against her chest with a hoof so she didn’t have to hold it in her teeth. “Thank you, sir. I shall not delay you further. Good evening to you.” The guard had nodded, said a brief “And to you.”, and then he was gone in a flurry of wings. Octavia had hurriedly closed the door, clutching the envelope gingerly in her mouth. Her heart was thudding a bit out of both the shock from getting such a visitor at this time of night and the apprehension and excitement of the message he’d brought. After all, what could Princess Luna want with her that she did not want any other pony to see? She resolved not to waste any time in answering that question, and had hurried back into the living room of her house. Seating herself on the couch, she slowly and carefully broke the seal on the envelope; its decorative styling was such that she had found herself almost regretting having to damage it to get at its contents. Finally, however, she’d pulled the parchment from its decorative packaging and unfurled it to read. Dear Octavia, I write you this letter not as Equestria’s co-sovereign, but rather as a musician and as a sister wishing to please her sibling. You are perhaps aware from your own studies of music that, long ago, I was a patron of the arts - most notably music - and prone to indulgence in them myself. Sadly, time has not been kind on my ability. I fear that these hooves of mine, which once were tools of the most intricate of melodies, have now lost the dexterity they once possessed. I am concerned that, on my own, I may fail to find the drive required to practice with sufficient vigour and dedication in order to revive what once I knew like second nature. Hence I have a request to make of you. This is something I dare not ask of my sister - for although I believe that she would indeed be more than suited to the task of driving me on to re-master the skills I once possessed, I should very much like to instead surprise her : she remains unaware for the time being that my talent has gathered so much dust, and I feel it would be a most wonderful surprise to her should I be able to again play for her as once I did. Therefore, I humbly request that you would assist me, if it is within your means to do so. Please do not take this as an order, a command, or any kind of edict. It is not my wish to impose upon you, for I know all too well the strains of a musician’s life. I await your reply in writing. Signed, Princess Luna. Octavia had sat, blinking, staring at the letter. She read through it again, slowly, and then once more to be certain. She had not misread; the letter was indeed a request from Princess Luna to take her on as a pupil. ...this calls for a cup of tea. she finally thought after several long minutes’ worth of contemplation. Having come to that decision, she had headed to her kitchen and set a kettle on the stove, returning to the living room to compose a reply. Locating a blank sheet of paper, she carefully picked up a pen and began to write. Roughly two hours and about four cups of tea later, a more relaxed Octavia was sat reading over her letter to the Moon Princess. Dear Princess Luna, I am greatly humbled that you would consider me as a tutor. While it is indeed very true that I am currently somewhat occupied with preparations for yet another concert, I would nevertheless be delighted to take the time to assist you in honing your musical skill once more - after all, I am certain the opportunity is sure to be one-of-a-kind. Please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience in order to arrange tuition. Your loyal subject, Octavia. “Hmm... yes. I believe this should suffice.” she murmured to herself. She carefully rolled up the letter and sealed it shut, setting it aside to carry with her the next day to be handed into the palace. That had all gone on nearly a month or so ago; she couldn’t recall exactly. Nevertheless, what it all boiled down to was that she was now the personal music tutor of none other than Princess Luna herself - and she was not allowed to speak of it to anyone. That had been an explicit part of their agreement: Luna wanted no-one to know that she was having her skills sharpened, especially not her big sister. It was quite the big responsibility, but in spite of that-- Two swift knocks on the front door halted the musician’s thoughts. That was something Octavia appreciated – even though Luna could, if she wanted, simply teleport herself straight into the house, she chose to be polite and make her presence known. “Coming!” Octavia called out as she headed for the front door. She paused as she reached it, taking a moment to compose herself. Despite the fact she had by now met with the Princess of the Night on a few occasions, it was nevertheless still Luna herself on the other side of the door. As she pulled open the door, Octavia was at once reminded of why she found the princess both intimidating and soothing at the same time: standing nearly a head taller than the cellist, her flowing mane twinkling with the light of the stars and her keen teal-coloured eyes fixed in a steely gaze in front of her, the night blue alicorn cut a regal and somewhat awe-inspiring figure clad in the deep black crown and necklace of her station. One could be forgiven for mistaking her momentarily for the terrifying creature she had once become - but only briefly; for the instant her gaze fell on Octavia, the princess’s expressionless stern gaze softened into a warm smile. It was an expression which you couldn’t help but mimic the moment you saw it, and Octavia was no exception as she smiled back at the taller pony. “Good evening, Your Highness.” she smiled. “Good evening, Octavia.” the princess replied, her voice soft and yet characteristically strong. “May I come in?” she asked. “Of course you may.” the cellist replied, stepping aside and holding the door for her pupil. Luna bowed her head slightly in thanks and trotted inside. Octavia closed the door behind her, glancing outside briefly as she did so. Although she couldn’t see any sign of them, she knew that somewhere outside there would be a Royal Guard or two keeping watch over the house - not so much for the sake of protecting the princess’s well-being so much as for preserving her privacy. “I hope the evening finds you well?” Luna’s voice called from the living room. “Quite well, thank you!” Octavia replied as she headed through there herself. “And how are you faring?” “Hm... well enough.” the princess replied. Her horn glimmered with magic as she lifted a violin from where it sat in one corner, on a stand. She had taken to leaving it in the care of her tutor of late, something which had mildly terrified Octavia. It was, after all, no ordinary instrument - its body was a deep, dark blue, the colouration similar to its owner. Additionally, the strings were made from some kind of material Octavia was unfamiliar with. They bore a silvery hue like starlight, and when they caught the ambient light of the moon or stars, they shone in much the same way themselves. The instrument’s looks were not just for show, however, as it made the most indescribably beautiful sounds when played – or rather, it should have done so ordinarily, save for the fact that its owner was still woefully out of practice. As a result, more often than not it tended to instead make horrible atonal squeaks and squeals. On the occasions when Luna did manage to recall some of her former skill, however, it sang with a shimmering tone unlike any other stringed instrument Octavia had ever heard. These occasions were, thankfully, beginning to occur more frequently. Octavia hadn’t outright asked about the instrument’s age, but she could hazard a guess: considering how carefully Luna tended to handle it, and the fact that it seemed to have been made especially to suit her, the instrument was likely older than Octavia herself - or any other pony currently alive, for that matter. Well. Almost any other pony. she mentally corrected herself. “How has your practice been, of late?” the princess enquired as she experimentally plucked the strings of her favoured instrument. “It is coming along well enough.” Octavia replied. “Of course, as I am sure you know, composition is an ongoing process of refinement.” “Well, indeed. There is nothing wrong with striving for perfection.” “Quite, though it it is rather taxing.” Luna’s face became a picture of concern as she looked upon her tutor. “I have stated so before, but I shall re-state it now: if ever you feel there is too much pressure being placed upon you, do not hesitate to say so. I shall not take it as an affront if you need more time for other affairs.” “And I am most grateful for it, Princess, but I assure you that at this time, I do not yet feel there is such a need.” Octavia replied politely, a smile spreading across her face. “After all, I found time enough to socialise just recently.” “Oh, is that so?” the princess replied with a blink, followed closely by her concerned look giving way to a more relaxed smile. “Well, I am glad to hear you are not neglecting that aspect of your life. I am sure you do not need me to remind you what ill effects that can have!” “Indeed I do not.” Octavia replied politely. “Anyway. What did you get up to, if you do not mind my inquiring?” Octavia proceeded to relate to the Princess the tale of her exploits the past few days. Luna seemed somewhat amused at her tutor’s description of how her new acquaintance had reacted upon meeting her initially, and she listened with interest as Octavia continued on to tell of her subsequent meeting with him the previous day. “Well, it sounds like you are getting on rather well.” she observed with a smile. “I am glad to hear that.” I had been worried about you, after all, she added mentally. Octavia nodded in reply, then cleared her throat. “But enough about my social endeavours. I hope you have been brushing up on your scales, Princess.” she smiled, taking her own violin into her hooves. “Naturally.” Luna replied. “Then, let me hear.” Octavia instructed. Luna took her violin up into position, nodding slightly in response to her tutor’s instruction. With a look of concentration creasing her face, she drew the bow across the strings. Initially, they let out a high-pitched squeal, but the alicorn quickly corrected her draw and the squeal eased into a long, soft note that wavered through the air. With hardly a single further squeak or squeal of the strings, she made her way deftly through assorted scales. Octavia kept her eyes and ears trained on her pupil, nodding every so often to show her approval of the Princess’s returning skill. “You are definitely improving, Your Highness.” she stated a few minutes later. “Only a few short weeks ago, that display would have been naught but a cacophony of strangled rabbits.” The description of her prior performances raised a small giggle from the Princess as she nodded in agreement. “True! Though I feel my skills returning by the day. It is as much a matter of memory up here,” and with that she tapped a hoof to her temple, “as it is in my hooves. I expect come the equinox, I shall have regained my former skill. So long as you are able to continue guiding me.” she said with a kindly smile to the smaller pony across from her. “I shall of course do my best, Princess.” Octavia replied happily. “Come, we should practice.” she stated, readying her own instrument. “Very well. Lead on...” Luna replied, returning her bow to its ready position. “I expect you know the piece ‘Eyes’, yes?” Luna nodded slightly. “A fairly newer piece, but yes, I have heard it.” Octavia had to stifle a giggle at that - after all, the string concerto had been composed close to a century or so ago. It was hardly what most would term as “newer” - although, with that said, her student had been disconnected from the music world for a millennium. It was understandable that her thinking on what was new and what was old would of course differ from the average pony’s. As it was, Octavia simply gave a brief nod to her pupil before bowing the opening bars of the piece. It didn’t take long for the strains of her instrument to be joined by the silvery tones of her pupil’s. Together they made their way through the piece, the higher notes being played by the older of the two musicians. For the next few minutes, the air was filled with nothing but the sounds of the two instruments’ tones mingling to form the most beautiful harmonic resonance within Octavia’s home; the two musicians lost in the resonant sound of their instruments’ combined voice. Even after the piece was finished, they continued on playing, freely improvising as they went. After what felt like about maybe ten minutes, Octavia took a glance at the clock on her mantel. She gave a short gasp, and brought her playing to a close. Her pupil soon followed suit, noting the absence of her tutor’s playing. “Oh my.” Luna started, taking a glance at the clock herself. “Time does hurry on when one is enjoying oneself.” “It most certainly does...” Octavia agreed. “I am sorry to have to usher you away already, Your Highness, but I am sure you understand that I need my rest.” she continued, her tone somewhat apologetic. “Yes indeed, dear. I shall not keep you from your sleep, I do know how busy you are, after all.” Luna replied, nodding. The two of them headed for the door, which Octavia pulled open for the taller pony. “Have a lovely night, Princess.” she smiled, bowing slightly to her sovereign. Luna gave a slight nod in reply. “And you too, Octavia. Sleep well, and pleasant dreams.” she replied softly, before exiting her tutor’s house. As she stepped outside, a pair of Royal Guards descended from overhead to flank her. She nodded briefly to both of them, and then the three took flight. Octavia watched them go, somewhat taken with the elegance displayed by the three as they soared up into the moonlit night and away toward the palace. She smiled as she watched them go, a warm satisfaction lingering in her heart at having had such an enjoyable evening playing alongside the Princess. Her smile faded slightly as she closed the door, however, as she remembered the hectic time she still had to go through with more practicing and composing. She heaved a sigh and headed toward her bed, flopping down on it and stretching out. She pulled off her collar and tie, setting them down on the small chest of drawers by her bed. Nestling down into the blankets and cushions, she drowsily closed her eyes as the past few hours caught up with her. Meanwhile, Princess Luna returned to her home, alighting softly on one of the balconies that looked out upon the city. Her escort had left her once they had returned to the palace’s air-space, and so she now stood alone on the railing of the balcony, looking back over the city. Her city, right now - the night was her domain, after all, and her sister was currently sleeping soundly in her bedroom. Luna sat herself down on the smooth stone floor of the balcony, turning her face heavenwards and gazing at her moon. “Beautiful as ever, I see.” she said to herself, as her eyes studied the far-off, pale white surface. She sighed, and cast her eyes back down on the city. “Tis a far cry from what once it was, down there.” she said introspectively, noting the assorted points of light from street lamps and building windows, indicating ponies still awake even this late at night. “Though, tis most certainly not a bad thing.” she smiled to herself, a feeling of happiness dwelling in her breast as she thought of the many ponies both within the city and beyond who were still up and about to enjoy the beauty of her night. She stretched and shook herself a bit, then turned and headed inside the castle. She gave a smile and a nod to the guards she passed as she made her way along one of her home’s many corridors, her mind a myriad of thoughts and feelings. While it was true that the change in the times had brought her a greater sense of happiness from there being greater balance between night and day and the times that ponies spent enjoying each, there still remained a matter in which the Princess of the Night found herself feeling a lack. Having been away for a thousand years meant that, save for the one pony she loved the most, everyone she had ever known and cared about as her friends had passed away. That was something that cut her deeply; perhaps moreso than she was willing to let on to those around her. She suspected, though, that her sister could probably tell - nay, she knew that Celestia could tell: her ever-caring and benevolent sister had commented lately on Luna’s uncharacteristic quietness. Luna had yet to confide in her exactly what she felt, however, for she knew that to do so would likely cause her older sister to want to help her out. There was, of course, nothing wrong with that, but... I want to do it my way. was the underlying thought that the younger ruler had regarding the matter - even if it meant becoming frustrated in her efforts to do so.