Octavia Melody's love of music has revolved around a single influential and prestigious work of art, the song May Our Sun Shine Forever. Since she was a filly, what has been the Equestrian national anthem for generations has continually inspired Octavia to perform, shaping her into the promising cellist she is today. Though the completed original was lost to the passage of time, the remnants of the final masterpiece composed by the Grand Maestro Glissando has been the cornerstone of not only Octavia's career, but modern music theory in Equestria.
When the tattered remains of an ancient songbook possibly containing the original song in its entirety is found, the Equestrian Society for the Performing Arts and Princess Luna begin planning a concert series to celebrate the work's eventual restoration. However, their meeting screeches to a halt once Princess Celestia vehemently forbids anypony from playing the original in the concert and demands its restoration to cease immediately. Octavia Melody finds herself at a loss, wondering why the princess of the sun would silence such a beautiful song meant to bring light to the world.
Proofread and Edited by TheAncientPolitzanian and various others over the years of trying to fix this thing.
Cover Art Depressing Melody by TertonDA
Updated 02/27/24
Hmmm... another little fiction published without the help of an editor by this Lord Regulus character...
...
*Draws a puff out of his nicotine free, carcinogen free, peach flavored, water vapor cigar*
Let's hope it isn't too melodramatic.
... Also peaches are delicious.
Side note: I dunno if this fiction is sad or dark enough to warrant those tags. I mean sure, some of it is kinda heavy, but... meh I'll let y'all decide.
That was a wonderful story that really fits the sad genre well. Not to mention that any well-written story about Celestia and Luna's past is always a plus for me. Excellent work, so have an upvote and a favorite!
Rare is it that I find a story that leaves me engrossed with it and my heart thumping madly in anticipation for what is to come. You did this in spades from beginning to end. This story is magnificent and easily one of the better (if not best) stories I've read on here recently.
Well done. Well done.
-bows and exits to recompose-
While the story was pretty good, I once again find Princess Celestia to be something of an annoyance here. That's not your fault, though; I find her annoying just about everywhere.
I mean, really. This whole situation could have been avoided if Celestia had just told Octavia and the others "That song was written by a fanatical sun worshiper who thought I should cleanse the world of those who don't worship me and also thought that my sister was a monster and I should have killed her. So, I'm really not comfortable with you performing it." But no, she had to shake her head, say no, and when her ponies actually use their brains and ask why, she just snaps at them and expects them to do what she says because, hey, she's the queen... I mean princess. If she explained why she wasn't comfortable then there would be no problem.
Ugh...
Well, good story anyways.
Simply beautiful! It reminds me to the Symphony for Moon and Sun from the Lunaverse
This is really good keep it up.
4980636
Well thank you for your kind words, Manaphy! Glad you liked the story.
4980881
Oh... but I didn't think the... hmmm... as a certain time-traveling, bubble-butt mare would say, don't question the results. Glad you enjoyed it the story!
4981489
Yes, and I do see your point. We'd also have a lot less stories here on FimFiction and in the show if Princess Celestia gave us blunt reasons for her actions. It's the whole "Use the foopin' eagles to fly the ring to Mt. Doom, ya jerks! I liked Boromir!" thing and I, as the kids would say, getz teh feelz. You know, because Z's make it more hip.
I won't defend the story by quoting the work as the author as that goes against my writing principles to do so, but I do think hiding something because one is scared and ashamed of what they have done is credence enough for such behavior. Of course, for that to work, you need to be okay with Celestia being capable having such flaws.
You're making me wonder, though. Should I put the AU tag up there since I'm taking rather large liberties with untold parts of the MLP timeline?
4981576
Welp, So much for this being an original idea! Never read that one or its prequel before, but I have read Longest Night, Longest Day and I do mean to continue that AU saga at some point. It is a very good one... I forgot to like and favorite it now that I bring it up.
4981769
Thanks. I try to everyday in every way.
Also CAAAAAAKE!
That was goddamn beautiful! Have a like an a fave!
This is the best oneshot fic I've read in ages.
Keep up the good work.
o mai...
I don't know where that Citizen Kane gif of the dude clapping dramatically is, so you're just going to have to imagine me posting it. This was... wow. This is one of the most powerful Octavia stories I've ever read, and I thank you for posting it. It was amazing.
4981806
To defend LOTR, Mordor did have quite a few of these, 9 to be exact (and that's all we know for sure, might have had others just roaming around...) : 2.bp.blogspot.com/-B9-DgqF6xsc/TYTsj1HwTUI/AAAAAAAAABM/D8n7mZcvcnw/s1600/1130-nazgul.jpg
and who knows what Sauron had in his arsenal, maybe an anti-flying things-that-aren't-mine spell or something. Completely irrelevant digression.
A one shot.... getting into the featured list.... that is not clop.... and is actually amazing..... and unique.
By god this is now one of the best fics I've read on the site in a while, bravo.
Fantastic work! I've never read a oneshot that was anywhere near as engrossing and immersive as this one.
Finally! A story in which Octavia is paired with a stallion! Very well done!!!
4982912
Most important, Sauron could summon storms on his territories. The eagles would have been fried chicken before even getting close to Mt. Doom.
4981489
A fanatical who was once her friend, who suicided herself weeks after being lectured by her "Goodess", after which Celestia decided to adapt the song about murdering Luna into the national anthem.
Too much uncomfortable stufff... no wonder Celestia didn´t want to talk about it.
I hope to god that is an oxymoron, or you are going to be getting a visit from the Anti Pony Wank society.
Huh. I expected Celestia to be more angry in the end, being of the apparent opinion it is better to forget history than to falsify it. After all, she could have had the song rewritten into a mockery of its original message long ago. It's a job for somepony extraordinary, but not one per several centuries extraordinary.
Then again, I suppose she should have just banned it back before the lyrics were forgotten.
4981806 Thanks for the reply. Once again, the story's good, I just feel that Celestia is annoying. It's not your fault, though, because I really just find the character annoying. S'all good.
Also, I'm not sure if I would call this an AU or not.
4981489 I do agree with this... but for the most part it doesn't take away from the story. It makes Celestia more, for lack of a better term, human. She's fallible, and it's not a big knock against her.
Still, it'd be nice every once in a while. ;)
4983572 She's always been fallible and fleshed out. I'm not denying that. She's always fallible in the same exact way and gets away with it because everything works out in the end.
It was a great story, thank you for sharing it!
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All of you made work fantastic today. Even though work wasn't great, just reading these brightened up my day! Thank you!
4983613 (And all those who have been replying about this thread)
Doesn't mean its bad if it is done right, but if you don't like the character to begin with then there's nothing for it. Glad you shared your thoughts, though I am curious as to what Celestia you would like to see from a fiction here on the site.
4982912 4983118
Those would be Fellbeasts, and yes that would make it a bit more challenging for the eagles, but I can see it being done if... oh Sauron can rain down lightning storms in his territory? Must've been some part of the book I missed. Why doesn't he do it more often?
4983186
uh... what? Why? I just meant the eyes were super-duper old that could outlast the erosion of mountain ranges or something. How does... never mind I don't even want to know.
...
4983454
Well... I hadn't thought about that interpretation. I hope that wasn't the take-away for you.
4983888
Featured and a comment from a moderator... Does that mean I win? #i beat fimfiction
Congratulations on finding the undone and rendering it well.
This is perfect
Tears were shed over this story, for it is worth its word count in gold
4983982
Believe it was the sillircrum, or whatever that unfortunately unfinished lorebook of Tolkien's was called...
As for now doing it more often, he kinda already is, to an extent. I mean, have you looked at Mordor recently?
img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130419144638/lotr/images/b/b0/Fotr6.jpg
I mean, heck, the fumes and gases in those clods must be highly toxic , and that's without Saron messing with them.
One of the reasons I think its not all one giant death cloud is that his orcs need to live. Kinda be a moot point of he killed EVERYTHING in Mordor, kinda hard to invade with no army ( and the last time he tried being a necromancer, he got his metaphysical ass handed to him by the council). Also, why bother? Its not like anyone would be stupid to try and walk into.... oh yeah.....
Also, here's a random idea, what if the ring overcame one of the eagles. They are known as a proud race, and the rings uses a wears pride against them. The question is, can the ring enlarge itself to fit an eagle?
Last note, look how close the eye is to Mt. Doom. It would be easy to spot any eagles and zap! them. Only Reason two hobbits, tiny creatures, got to Mt. Doom, was because there was a giant 'last stand' at the gates, and even then they almost got caught.
That was absolutely fantastic, and for lack of a better word: beautiful. It's rare to see stories of this caliber on the site.
I offer you my highest praise without reservation.
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Glad you three liked it as well. I'm also glad you commented. I love comments from people be it positive or negative. The negative ones are the super-important if they're constructive!
4984228
Ah yes, the Silmarillion. I don't think I ever finished reading that one before I gave it to my brother cause he just love, love, loves books. To me, he was Twilight Sparkle before there was a Twilight Sparkle.
Now I want to see a picture or fiction with Gilda somehow winding up with the Ring of Power...
By the way! Anonymous Thumbs-up #117. I saw that~
4984364
A lover is supposed to be a friend before anything else.
You did a beautiful job here. Conveying music through prose is hard to do, but your use of imagery and emotion captured it wonderfully and I am deeply, deeply impressed. I also liked Octavia's reaction to Glissando's real intention for the song. Rather than breaking down from a sense of betrayal from the one responsible for pretty much everything in her life, she took it and made it into what it always could have, and should have, been.
4981489 That might have actually been what happened, if Luna hadn't been right there in the room with her. And if it wouldn't have clued Luna into the zeitgeist of Equestria post-banishment. Telling your recently-returned, spent-an-unknown-number-of-months-without-a-single-public-appearance-or-apparently-talking-to-anypony-who-wasn't-you sister that everypony in Equestria wanted her head stuck on a spear to decorate the castle isn't exactly conductive to healthy rehabilitation.
Actually, a quick question that I forgot to ask:
Where did the name "moori" come from? I don't recognize it as a mythological creature, and I can't find the word used in association with bats or equines, either. Considering that you used Japanese in Let Your Light Shine I thought it might be Japanese, but it didn't show up when searching for the word as a whole or searching for the component syllables. I have become curious.
4983982
4985136
I can’t say for certain where it comes from. I only know that “moori” is, along with “thestral”, commonly used by authors to refer to ponies with bat wings. Almost as often as “batpony” is, in fact.
4983982 Oh ok. I thought you were pulling some bullshit wank where she can fire magic or something out of her eyes and vaporize mountains.
4985087 That would be a decent point, except for the fact that Celestia has no problem allowing a festival demonizing her sister to be made and celebrated yearly.
4983982 A Celestia who actually learns from her mistakes and is confronted about the way she acts and treats her subjects.
For an example, read this: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/60523/parting-words
I liked it. Celestia came off as more, for want of a better word, 'human' here than writers often allow her to be. Though, I really, really think Octavia was a moron for trying to put her revised edition out in public and present it as a fait accompli instead of taking the Princess aside and asking her. What if Celestia had been a bit faster to interrupt?
4983982
Because the ability to rain lightning down on your own territory isn't super-useful unless you're being invaded? Why fry his orcs?
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I guess I was a little bit of a jerk to him. I'm sure they love each other very much. Oh, and the cello is there to.
4984439
*Looks are Eevee avatar* Aww, how adorable, Thank you!
4985087
Octavia: I thank you for your greater understanding and appreciation, strange hat-wearing child.
Rego: That's Negmia-sensei. Show a little respect. The little guys been through a lot.
Octavia: That does not excuse him for wearing strange hats.
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Short Answer: Wade.
Long Answer: Click More in the story's description. I consider myself part of the Merry Moori Bandwagon, which isn't a thing yet, but it should be. Read Sugarfree, it's fun.
4985209
Lightning confirmed!
4985638
Well of course not! that'd be ridiculous... At least I don't think she can do that... *Looks over shoulder slowly* Right, princess?
Celestia: ...
4985695 4985683
Gurk! The existence of Nightmare Night is one of those things I'd have blast around the ol' head-cannon about for a while myself to figure out.
Also, added the fiction you linked to my "Read Later" list. Thanks!
4985820
Well, I could write an alternate ending for funzies... I'd imagine Princess Luna would play a larger role in that version once the cards came tumbling down.
Sauron's currently stuck on the top of a tower in the worst real-estate in Middle-Earth as a floating eyeball. What else is he going to do to pass the time? I'd do it just for the sheer power of it every so often to freak out the newly spawned orcs. I guess it might get dull after over 3,500 years.
4986101 You can see why I brought it up, then.
4986112
That episode was really an anomaly by itself. The first episode, everypony had forgotten about Nightmare Moon and her eventual return, except for the Princess and Twilight of course. It's so oddball that it is there in the show at all except for the fact that Hasbro wanted a Halloween episode.
If I were asked to explain it away with a head-cannon, I'd have to go with it being much like our world's All Hallow's Eve being slowly turned into a festival about candy and spooky things. What might have been started as a remembrance feast for the loss of Luna or something could have slowly turned into the Nightmare Night they celebrate today as Celestia allowed the memory to be lost to legends and myths for a more lighthearted night of fright. As they said in the show, being scared can be fun! I myself don't care for Halloween in the real world so I didn't really think too much about Nightmare Night itself here.
This was a very moving piece.
I was actually in tears near the end.
Well done.
4986133 Either way, Celestia probably should have put a stop to it. Maybe someone ought to make a holiday demonizing her.
Actually, interesting idea for a story, there. There could be a holiday celebrated by a non-Equestrian culture that paints Celestia in an unflattering light.
This is . . . interesting. I haven't read it yet, but I can't help but think this will be an amazing story. It seems very inspired, and as someone who admires musical art just as much as Octavia there, I can't help but feel the same way Octavia does about many songs, and this is only from the description.
I can't wait to read this.
Awesome story. I like the rewrite of the song.
4985683
That one bugs me, too. Especially when no one recognizes Nightmare Moon at first when she shows up. On the other hand, I suppose no one really expects Santa or the Easter Bunny to show up either.
Best explanation I can come up with is Celestia didn't feel comfortable exerting the kind of pressure necessary to stop it and just hoped that by killing all association between Nightmare Moon and Luna, no one would make the connection after the Elements cured her.... which clearly failed in Ponyville because she showed up there as Nightmare Moon, but might not have failed everywhere. We never see ponies talking about how the Elements saved Equestria when they go traveling... (at least not pre-Discord) Maybe Celestia kept the whole 'was insane until cured with magic' bit secret and just announced her sister was back?
It's still kind of a stretch, though.
Fiction like this is another reason why I write. Everything felt...for lack of a better word, deep: everything felt calculated and just...all in all, well written.
Encore!
4981806
No. It's AU if it conflicts with show canon. If it hasn't been shown, it up for speculation. Thus, this could conceivably be a part of the show. No AU tag.
Anyway, nice little story. I find myself wanting to read more about Octavia/Steeplechase.
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Thank you for your kind words. Oh, and Cullexoh, I don't have e-mailable tissues, so you're just going to have to wing it.
4986792
Music is a very important part of my writing process and I have played piano and alto saxophone before. Sadly, I must say that marching outside in the Texas heat killed any desire to play a musical instrument again.
I'm gonna laugh so hard if you don't like the story.
4987167
Oh! Thanks for the clarification. I should've since that would make a lot more of the fiction here AU. Also, it's not another story, but I did just write a blog post that does that for a little extra fun with the couple.
Also, your profile picture of Chrysalis is awesome!
4987426
I'm a percussionist myself, of six years, but I've always loved the saxophone and trumpet. They're unique sounds and versitile usages are truly amazing. I also love full bands, with strings, winds, brass, the whole shebang. I personally love the compositions of Martin O'Donnell, the man behind the music of the Halo series . . . till he was fired around the development of Destiny. But anyway, the story. Yeah, I think I'll like it.