Inverno’s Opus in A Minor

by CrackedInkWell

15: The Canterlot Sonata in F Major (1st Movement)

The first thing that struck Inverno as the train circled up Mt. Canter was how much of the land he could see. Farmlands, valleys, forests, rivers, lakes, mountains, hills, and deserts as the Crystal Train climbed higher; with a view that was massive as it was majestic. But what really got his attention was the city that rested near the top of the mountain, just clinging on the very side of it. Sombra used to tell him that the capital of the Princesses of the South was a dark and gloomy place where death reigned supreme. However, not only that wasn't the case, but what he can see was something that only the most majestic of music can reproduce.

Even up close when the train pulled into Canterlot station, Inverno was in awe. He had never seen or imagined anything like the capital of Equestria. A place of white marble with gold, blue, and purple onion-shaped domes, flying arches, and bridges, painted and tiled in bright colors of flowers, stars, suns, and moons. The only thing to come close to Inverno’s mind was that it looked like something out of the most exaggerated fairytales. Everywhere there were light, flowing fountains, and wealthy ponies in their finest going about.

“This place looks like what Moztrot would write.” He commented.

Shining shrugged. “I wouldn’t know, but it’s home to me.” He looked back at Schubit and Maneler, who was just in awe of the city as his son. Behind them, the Crystal Guards were standing in formation in front of the train station.

“So Buch should be here, right?” Inverno asked.

“As well as someone else,” Shining nodded. “Hey, Inverno? I was thinking that since we’ve been riding and searching for these guys for the last couple of days; do you think that you probably want to take a break, at least for tonight?”

“What’s there to do here?”

“Tons!” His dad laughed. “I mean, growing up here, there’s plenty to do. There are places to eat, a couple of movie theaters, arcades, I guess it all depends on what you want to do.”

His son looked behind him at the two composers. “What about them? Should we ask them too?”

After giving some thought, Shining turned around and approached them and his troops. At the same time, Professor Key was the last to get off the train. “Gentlecolts, after spending about a week of searching and riding this train, I think it’s high time that I’m giving you all a break. For tonight, I’m going to allow all of you to take a rest and enjoy the city. In the meantime, Schubit and Maneler shall have an escort as they too will be given some free time. However, it should be made clear that if you find something strange or happen to find the ponies we’re looking for, report it to me immediately. Otherwise, we’ll continue with the search tomorrow morning.

“Now I need at least two guards to be with these guys. Any volunteers?”

A brief moment, Shining scanned for any to step forward. And indeed, two of them did. The brothers' Offense and Defense. Shining assigned Offense to follow Maneler and Defense with Schubit.

“Alright then everyone, dismiss!” After the Crystal Guards saluted him before wandering off, Professor Key Signature approached the Prince. “So, Professor, is there anything you wanna do since you’re back in Canterlot?”

“Nothing that comes to mind.” He replied. “Although, I wouldn’t mind spending more time with my student. Not to mention that I’ve been missing my own bed since this journey has begun, so it would be nice to be home before leaving it tomorrow. But what about you? Is there anything you had in mind?”

“Yeah.” Shining nodded as he turned over to Inverno. “There is actually, I wanna see my parents and introduce them to my son. After that, I’m game for anything. Come on Inverno, let’s go meet your grandparents.”

---

“I never thought I would ever see Canterlot.” Defense looked over to Schubit who said this. “It’s more magnificent than the illustrations I’ve seen.”

The guard tilted his head. “But you have visited Equestria, didn’t you?”

“Only in Sires Hollow.” The unicorn pointed out. “And not for very long. I mean, the only reason I came to this country was from a friend of mine. But when things turned sour, I moved back. It’s a real shame that I never got the chance to see more of this land.”

“You and me both. To be fair, this is me and my brother’s first time outside of the Empire.”

Schubit raised an eyebrow, stopping in the middle of the street. “Is that so?”

“It’s true. This whole mission is volunteers only, you know. My brother Offense and I joined on simply because we needed an excuse to just get out there and see what the rest of the world is like. I know we’re supposed to search for ponies like you, but between us, I just wanted to see what places like Manehattan, or Applewood, or even see what Canterlot looks like.”

“You should come to Whienna. Especially in the springtime when the flowers are out, and the trees are budding with new leaves. The countryside especially. It has forests and fields that you can let your soul wander in tranquility.” He signed. “Although, I can’t say if things there are the same since I have last known it.”

“Let’s keep going.” The guard said before continuing on their exploration of the city. “Since you’re here, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Yes?”

“Well… I know you’re from the past. Like early 800’s or something. So… I’ve been wondering, are you and the other guy taking this okay? I mean, being hundreds of years from what you’ve known.”

The unicorn sighed melancholy. “I admit, it took me a couple of days to figure out that this isn’t 828. One day I was dying of syphilis, the next I wake up in a wooden room on wheels, in a town that is both familiar and not at the same time. I found myself in a new body, a new world, and… apparently, with new abilities that I don’t know how to control or to activate. But do you know what’s worse? Finding out that you’ve been gone for nearly two hundred years?” Defense shook his head. “You realize that you can’t write or visit your friends or family anymore. I will give the colt credit that he’s trying to reach his hoof out in friendship, but I know deep down that he can’t replace the ones that I have gotten to know and have relied on.”

“What do you mean?”

“Apart from that I no longer have those that I personally know, I’m also poor too. A vagabond really, that relays on the mercy and kindness of my friends.”

“But… You’re a composer.”

Schubit snorted. “It doesn’t mean that I’m Beethooven. At least he gets money, and I hardly do! On some days I barely have enough to eat or find a place to rest my head. Oh, I compose alright, but only on any scrap of paper I could find. This is exactly why I’m shocked that I’ve been brought back to life. Because I didn’t think that in the short time I had, I didn’t think I did enough to be remembered long after my death.”

Defense shrugged. “Well, I guess you did something right.” When Schubit didn’t reply, he asked, “So… What do you want to do?”

“I’m not sure. What do ponies in these modern times do for entertainment?”

“I guess it depends, really. I mean, to be fair, us Crystal Ponies have only been introduced to things like movies, trains, the radio, concerts, dance clubs, and things like that for about a year now.”

“Dance clubs?” Schubit raised an eyebrow.

The guard took a moment to choose his next words carefully. “In a nutshell… they’re clubs for social gatherings. Meet ponies, dance, drink, that sort of thing.”

“Ah…” The unicorn nodded. “So, a soiree? It is funny how little things change.”

“Of course, I don’t know where one nearby is.”

“Then how do we know where to find…” Schubit froze as his ears straighten up. “Do you hear that?”

Defense stopped to listen. There was a curious thumping noise that had a derange beat. The two stallions looked about until they pinpoint where this odd noise was coming from. Within a minute, they located the sound was thumping from a flight of stairs that lead to a metal door. There was no sign to indicate what was there, which made it all the more perplexing to them. However, here the wild beat was at its loudest, and there wasn’t anything to indicate that they couldn’t come in.

When the door was pushed open, they were blasted with electronic, metallic, chaotic noise that nearly flung them back up the stairs. However, despite the loud music, what was behind the door was an entrance to a new world – one of darkness but brilliant streams of color. Neon pinks and blues, light greens, and yellow dance and nod to the beat, along with the ponies who bath in a dark purple light. It looked like something out of a fever dream as the two of them saw through the door the strange glowing tiles that shifted from one color to another, and the glowing ponies who dance.

Defense cupped his ears with his hooves in disgust. “Ugh! This was a bad idea! Let’s get out of here!” However, he noticed that Schubit refused to move. Instead, he was staring, and he asked him what he was looking at. To which, he pointed inside. The guard followed his hoof towards the very back of this noisy and colorful room, at the DJ’s who were making this racket. One was a unicorn with dark shades who had one hoof on the headphones and the other on switches. Next to the mare, was an earth pony that had his long mane down at an electrical keyboard that curiously enough, wore a fancy overcoat that was a couple of centuries behind.

“Why does he look familiar?” Schubit asked over the loud music.

Defense shrugged. “It’s probably just some guy-”

“No, his face… I know that face, he looks like…” his jaw dropped. “Oh, you have got to be joking!”

“What? Who?”

“And now! For the moment you’ve all been waiting for!” The DJ mare yelled out into a microphone. “Are ya ready for my dude, Mo Trotz?!” The dancers screamed in approval.

It didn’t take long for either stallion to realize who that the other DJ by the keyboard was. They have found Moztrot.

---

Offense and Maneler had found themselves in the wealthier part of the city where crowds of ponies of the elite go to and from the expensive shops and comfortable restaurants. Ever since they left the station, the guard noticed how the deer next to him was quiet as he looked about the streets like a wandering ghost. Distant and lost in thought as he gazed at the ponies that walked by without giving them any notice.

"I know this is a dumb question to ask," Offense began, "but I take it you've been to Canterlot before?"

"A few times," Maneler nodded, "Most to conduct. Like I did with most other places."

“So is this place any different than from your time?” Offense asked.

“Huh?” Maneler blinked. “Oh uh… yes and no. But mostly no.”

“Really?”

“From what I can see, the lights are different. The last time I was here, they were beginning to convert from gaslight to electricity. Also, there are a few things in these shops that I have never seen before. But besides that, if it wasn’t for those things, I would not have guessed that this wasn’t 911. It’s uncanny how little times have changed.”

“But what about when we were in Vanhoover?”

“At least the change is noticeable with their skyscrapers, but here… it almost amazes me how similar the clothing is compared to my time.” He glanced down at the guard beside him, “Do you think that ponies are slow to change?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… I mean, for being in the future from my perspective, one would think that there would have been tremendous changes. Such as new modes of transport, or fashion, or technology would be more… how do you say… avant-garde. Yet, looking around, besides a few key differences, it looks like any other city from the turn of the century. I have to admit, it’s a little disappointing.”

At a street corner, the two of them paused as the Guard scratched the back of his neck. “So… What do you want to do? Now that we have some free time, is there anything you like to do or see?”

Maneler scanned the street when his eyes came across a rather large marble building with banners and statues on its side. “Now that I think of it, there is something that I want to do.”

“Great, what’s that?”

“I want to listen to a concert. I was rather curious to hear what music is like in this modern age. Besides, do you see that building over there? That’s the Canterlot Music Hall, that place was under construction when I was alive.”

Offense raised an eyebrow at that statement. “Why do you bring that little trivial up?”

“Because the ponies who were building it promised that it would be the center of all musical culture. That it was going to be this holy of holies for the greatest works to be played in. A place that I wanted some of my music to be played in but thought it wouldn’t be worthy enough to be. However, since we’re here, I want to see what it’s like inside, and hopefully, we’d get to hear whatever music they’re playing.”

The guard asked him what they are playing. Maneler looked over to the banners that drifted in the mountain breeze. “Ah good. They are performing tonight. Looks like they’re playing Buch. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get some tickets. Unless you wanted to do something else.”

Offense shook his head. “I was strictly ordered to follow you around. This means that where ever you go, I go. If you want to go in there, then I’ll have to come with you.”

Understanding this, Maneler approached the giant music hall of classical columns and golden pegasi statues playing lyres where the flow of the crowd was gravitating towards it. As soon as he got in line, he did receive some curious looks from the elite as they approached the ticket booth and eventually got them for box seats. The deer tried to ignore the stares as much as he could but their questioning, if not suspicious looks that they were drilling in the very back of his head was all the motivation he needed to usurer Offense and himself in.

Into the foyer with its grand staircase of a rainbow of marble, twisted cast-iron railings, sparkling chandlers, and oil paintings of the great musicians of the past were on full, proud display. The only way Maneler could describe it was like stepping onto the set of a grand opera where it takes place in a noblepony’s home. Of course, it too was nearly overcrowded with ponies that had come for the concert, and the staring from them multiplied.

“Excuse me, sir?” The deer whipped his head around to a mare who addressed him. He half expected to see someone who was in an elaborate dress of lace and silk that would probably fit well with these wealthy Canternites. However, the white face he saw belonged to a unicorn that had on a close-fitted, dark green trench coat. Even her ghostly gray mane modest style seemed out of place for Maneler. “Sorry to bother you,” she said, “but I take it that you’re new here?”

“I… yes?” He tilted his head, “Sorry, who are you?”

“Call me Tranquility.” She said as she offered a hoof up to him. “I’m rather new to this too.”

They shook hooves.

“Why are they staring at me?” Maneler asked.

“My guess is probably because we never have seen a deer in the city before. Especially when you have a Royal Guard following you. I guess you’re an ambassador or something?”

Before the deer could open his mouth, Offense answered that question for him. “All you need to know is that he is someone of great interest.”

“Is that so?” asked Tranquility with intrigue. “So, can I at least know what your name is?”

“Maneler.” The deer nodded at her. “So, you said that this is your first time here. What do you mean by that?”

“It’s my night off.” She said. “I’ve just made enough bits to afford to come here.”

“Is that so? What sort of job do you have?”

“Waitress. I’ve moved to Canterlot not too long ago and have been working my flank off since. I’ve finally earned enough to just relax.”

“Ah, I see. Although I’m rather surprised that you see Buch as relaxing.”

She shrugged. “Hey, what can I say? This is my first time here. I guess I just needed an excuse other than getting orders from the tables. Still, I never heard Buch before so that’s rather exciting.”

“You never heard Buch before?”

“Like I said, busy. So where are you sitting?”

“Box twenty-four.”

“Mine’s forty-four. So, I think I might be right across from you.” All of a sudden, the lights dimmed for a moment before brightening back up again, whereas the ponies around them moved up the staircase. “I guess the show’s about to start. Still, thanks for talking with you.”

“You as well, ma’am.”

“If you want, I guess we can talk further after the concert.”

Maneler glanced over to Offense, who by the look on his face, didn’t seem to be against this. “That would be wonderful. Farewell Ms. Tranquility.” After she departed from them, he remarked to Offense, “She was nice.”

“I suppose so. Now to get to our seats.”

And so up the grand staircase, down a hallway with steps leading slightly downward, the two of them walked onto one of the many box seats of the grand theater. One with high ceilings that were capped with a dome, painted of Luna’s night. To Maneler, the music hall resembled that of one of the grand opera houses that he used to conduct in. The kind that had baroque style from the elegant curves of the box seats and the rows of balconies to the golden embroiled scarlet curtains.

However, what caught the deer’s eye was a particular box that was across from him that was closest to the stage. Unlike the others, this one had the banner of Equestria, an empty cushion, and two armed guards at attention. Maneler turned his head to Offense. “Do you think the Princesses is going to be here?”

The guard hummed. “Possible. Otherwise, why have security when a royal isn’t nearby?”

A few minutes later, the lights inside the theater dimmed and a spotlight was cast upon the royal box. Then through a curtain, everypony instantly stood up as Celestia herself walked out to take a seat to the applause of her subjects. She, in turn, waved before she sat down.

Once everpony settled down did the massive scarlet curtains parted open. The orchestra sat in circular rows in front of a small platform for the conductor, and a black and gold harpsichord right towards the audience. Maneler from his box could see that only the strings were on stage, and each held old fashion bows that curved outward instead of in that each had a pointy tip at the end. ‘That’s rather a curious choice,’ he thought as to his eyes the orchestra seemed lacking in winds, brass and percussion. However, he had to remind himself that they were playing Buch so he shouldn’t jump to conclusions.

Then out onto the stage, a lanky red stallion in a black suit walked onto the stage to the applause of the audience. He trots up front and center, raising a hoof up. “Mares and Gentlecolts,” he calls out, “Your attention please.” After the stomping of hooves quiet down, he said, “Before we begin, I would personally thank you all for coming here this evening. And you too, Your Majesty.” He bowed towards Celestia. “Tonight, we will be hearing pieces of Buch, starting off with his Harpsichord Concerto number one, Air in G, the Brandenburg Concerto Number three, and then finish off with a selection of fugues. With that said, tonight will be the first performance of our newest soloist for this orchestra who shall lead the way with his exceptional skills at the harpsichord. Mares and Gentlecolts, please welcome, Mr. Chub.”

The audience applauded as a green Pegasus walked onto the stage in humility before the audience.