//------------------------------// // Intro of a Melody // Story: Tune of A Tortured Heart // by Blitz Stratus //------------------------------// "Why am I cursed with this forsaken talent to play this violin?" Treble screamed as he slammed his hooves against the oaken table. His sapphire eyes where red from the last hour of crying. "Don't worry about it Treble, we"ll find a way I'm sure." The sand colored colt said trying to calm his friend. "Face it Hayden I'll never be able to stop this suffering I feel every waking moment." Treblen slammed his hoof again against the table in his friends home. His stone colored coat around his hoof was beginning to turn red with blood from him hitting the table so many times. "Will you stop that!" Hayden shouted at him. "Look there you go again hurting your self till you bleed! Hold still while I patch you up." He said as he grabbed the first aid kit out of one cabinets in his kitchen. "I'm sorry Hayden but you know what I'm going through." Treblen sighed, putting out his hoof as his friend rapped a cloth bandage around it to stop the bleeding. "Yes I do but there's no reason to behave like this." Hayden said softly as he tied the bandage close. Treblen had know Hayden his whole life & he was the only one to understand his suffering. He had been born with the gift to play the most moving music. But to him it was a curse, always bring up bitter memories of his parents forcing him to play. They had made him practice everyday when he was a foal, never a kind word coming from their mouths. He had been lucky to have Hayden as a friend even though he was forbidden to by his parents. He could fix anything and even though it wasn't his fortia, he could help ponies and animals to. But try as they might, nothing was working. "I just want to end this pain I feel." Treblen sobbed, as more tears began to come forth. "Just give me more time ok. I will think of something." Hayden said as he helped his friend to his hooves. "How about you go outside to get some fresh air for starters, then turn in for the night?" "Yeah that sounds good." He mumbled as Hayden helped him to the door. It was a cold out but Treblen didn't care it would take his mind off his curse. He wandered over to the edge of the stone deck and laid there staring up at the night sky. It reminding him when he first began to play. "No! Don't go there Treblen you'll only bring up horrible memories." He said as he shook his head violently. But the thoughts wouldn't go away. Trying to pound there way into his head. He grabbed his violin and began to play it was the only thing that cleared his head. The tune was low hardly audible to any pony but it resonated strongly through his bones. He didn't know what the tune was but he felt like it was in his very blood. It was a sweet tune one of a long ago love that the violins first owner must have played everyday to his love. But as he finished the final chord a wave of anger surged through him. "Accursed thing why do you torture me so!" Trblen shouted in anger, as he raised the violin above his head. He was going to smash it and put a end to its horrible existence but as its edge neared the ground he blotted to a stop. He gazed into the black wood of its body and heard the melody from long ago begin to play in his head. "Why won't you let me move on?" Tears began to fall from his eyes. "Please I want to forget this bloody thing and all of its memories it holds." He sighed, setting the violin in its case and then staring down the cliff face. He had thought about it, just to throw himself over the edge and dying on the rocks below. "This would end my suffering but just can't make myself take those final steps." Then the tune began to play again, loud and strong it resonated insid his head. He gave up on fighting it and allowed the melody to take him back in time when he was a foal. He was sitting on his grandma's coach waiting her to bring him his birthday gift. "What you get me! What you get me! What you get me!" He said jumping up and down as she walked into the room with a box on her back. "Now hold on or you'll hurt yourself." She said holding him by the shoulders so he would stop. "Ok but what you get me?" His eyes never leaving the box. "Aw this is something your grandfather was give by his father and was the same for his father." She removed the box from her back and placed it before him. "Be very careful not to break it ok, its over a thousand years old." She said with a smile as she unlaunched the golden locks of the box and opened it. What lay inside it was a beautiful violin. Its body was ebony, dark as the night sky. The neck was pure white, its dark strings standing out strongly against it. Its bow matched it counter part perfectly the only thing setting it apart was the gold clasp holding the bow strings. "Ooooh pretty." "This was played by your, well, I don't know how many greats it would be?" She said rubbing her chin. "But I think it was at the time before the Everfree was turned into a living nightmare." She said with a sigh. "Can I play it grandma?" Treblen asked with wonderment in his eyes. "You can try dear but I think you'll need a few lessons before it sounds like it should." Treblen carefully lifted the instrument out of its case and looked it over. He had no idea how to hold it or play it but he found himself placing it under his chin and pulling the bow across its black strings. At first it made no noise but a feeling came over him and a melody began to take over his arms. He pushed and pulled the bow across it strings creating a song he didn't know but felt it made up his very being that it was woven into his very soul. The violin shut the world out around him taking him to a place where there was only feelings as his hooves danced across its strings. When the tune ended on a low chord he opened his eyes. His grandmas jaw was resting on the floor and all the windows were full of birds and stray cat. "Treblen how did you?...." "Did I do good grandma?" He asked as smile grew upon his face. Tears where falling from his eyes as he looked down at the violins case. "Why couldn't it have just stay like that?" He said through a sob. "Hey Treblen! Come on inside you can't sleep out there you'll catch a cold." "Huh? Sorry Hayden I didn't know I had nodded off." He said raising to his hooves. "Don't forget your violin Treblen." "I wish I could." He mumbled to himself as he picked up its case. o~o~O~O~o~o "I'm going to be in town for most of the day Treblen." Hayden said as he threw his saddle bags on his back. "Why?" "I have to fix the town clock tower because you know some pony tried to do a sonic rainboom and crashed into it breaking the mechanism." "I wonder who that could have been." Treblen said rolling his eyes. He had only been staying with Hayden for a couple of weeks now but he pretty much knew the daily goings on in Ponyville. "I swear if that pegasus breaks anything else I'm going to clip her wings and tie lead around her waist." "But hey you know she's going to be in the wonderbolts." Treblen sarcastically snickered. "Yeah right when they stop looking for talent and only focus on speed." Hayden said with a huff. "Anyway have fun." Treblen waved to Hayden as he got to the door. He paused for a moment. "Hey you want to come with?" Hayden asked turning around to face Treble. "Hhmm?" "You want to come to town with me?" Treblen sat there for a moment. "He had been couped up for awhile now maybe it would be good to get out and about." "Sure why not." He said hopping up from his chair. "Just hold on let me get a few things." He ran up stairs and grabbed his bag. He was shutting the door when he saw the case. He stood there staring at it. "NO! I'm not taking that with me." He said closing the door to his room. o~o~O~O~o~o "So you'll be at the town clock tower all day?" "Yeah so you'll know where to look if you need anything." Hayden huffed. He normally loved fixing things but not the same thing for the third time in a week. "Anyway here's some bits go have some fun." Hayden didn't know if bringing Treblen with him would help but at least it would get his mind off his curse for awhile. "So when I hear the bell toll you'll be done?" "Yeah or I've gotten fed up and hit it with a hammer." They chuckled at this and went their separate ways. Treblen walked through Ponyville the whole day just exploring every back alley and store he could find. "This towns really different from Canterlot." He said to himself as he walked out of a sweets shop, his bags filled with all different types of pastries. "Its nice not to be surrounded by snooty pony's everywhere you turn." He was trotting past another row of stores when he glimpsed something that made him stop in his tracks. In the window of one of the shops was a snow white cello. Treblen was drawn to it. He could hear its song begin to play in his head when a hoof pulled it from the window. He sighed and turned to leave when some pony placed it back in the window. But when he went up to the window it was pulled back inside. "What the hay?" With a puzzled look Treblen walked over to the door and pressed his ear to it. "Sorry miss, five-hundred bits is the lowest I can go on the cello." A colts voice protested. "Don't be ridiculous. Three-hundred bits and that's all I'll pay." A mares voice retorted. "One that's far too low and two after that pathetic performance I'm not sure I want to sell it to you." "It not my fault that you've kepted it in such poor playing condition." "Yes its always the instrument and never the pony pulling the bow." The colt said with a sarcastic whim. The shop door kicked open before he had a chance to move, smacking Treblen in the face. When his head stopped spinning Treblen found himself sitting in the dirt, stars swirling around his head. "Fine then you greedy old foal! You won't have me buying anything from you in the future." The mare said with a huff. "Typical Canterlot hussy. What's everything handed to them because their heads so far up there a......Hey kid are you all right?" "That depends. Are there really four of you?" Treblen stumbled as he tried to stand up "Why don't you come in and sit down kid?" The colt said as he helped Treblen in to the shop. The store walls were cover from top to bottom in everything from shovels, to saddlebags, to the cello which he now sat by. "Here, this will help your head." The colt said, tossing him a canteen. After taking a swig Treblen's focus shifted back to the cello of snow. "So was three hundred bits really that low for this thing?" Treblen motioned toward the cello. "No not really. It was just after her performance I didn't think she deserved it." "That bad huh?" He said taking another swig of cider. "Yeah which was odd. I heard her play at the Gala but it seems that..." Treblen was now interested in the cello. He put down the canteen and picked up the bow. "May I?" Treblen asked as he stood up. "Go right ahead." Treblen stood up the cello and placed its bow upon its strings. It made a little hum and them he heard it. It was a low but powerful melody. It song of rich forest and mist covered hills. "Green Sleeves." He whispered under his breath. The cello sung deep and low as he pulled the bow to and fro, the whole shop seeming to vibrate with the tune. When he played its final high note he opened his eyes and let the air out of his lungs. "So five-hundred bits was it?" Treblen asked as he set the cello down so he could relax his arms. "Kid...." Treblen turned around to find the colts eyes filled with tears. "Take it." He said as he grabbed the case from behind the counter. "Really?" Treblen face covered in confusion. "Kid I have never heard a instrument sing like that before. Please come back to my store anytime you what to." The colt said as he handed Treblen the cello. "Will do sir." Treblen said giving the colt a mock salute.