Inverno’s Opus in A Minor

by CrackedInkWell

19: Morning Lesson in G Major

“So how exactly did you two find Buch and Moztrot?” The Professor inquired as he was rubbing his temples. When he asked this question, the Crystal Train was moving out of Canterlot towards their next nearby destination – Ponyville. While the sun was rising, he, Prince Shining and the two guards across the table from them in the dining car were sat down to their mugs of coffee.

Offense shrugged. “To be honest, either this was fate or dumb luck. But either way, at least now got four of the twelve guys Inverno resurrected.”

“It’s progress.” Defense nodded in agreement. “Besides, we got to know those guys, Schubit and Maneler a little better.”

“Good for you.” Shining sipped his coffee. “Still, I do find it surprising that Celestia basically throws them an impromptu sleep-over. However, that still doesn’t answer the question of how you were able to find them.”

Both guard brothers glanced at one another for a moment before Defense replied. “Honestly, it’s not that hard to miss when they’ve activated their powers. At the same time, we just… ran into them.”

“Yeah," Offense nodded, "but the places we found them seemed random to me, if I’m being honest. One was performing with an orchestra at some Opera House and the other was a DJ at a dance club.”

“In hindsight,” Professor Key commented, “the dance club should have been obvious to me. Considering what I know about Moztrot, he was somepony as much of a party animal as he was a hard worker. But to be honest, I’m more surprised that he spent the night with Princess Celestia.”

“How come?” The three other stallions asked in unison.

After taking another sip of his coffee, the Professor told them. “Because in a way, she ruined his life.”

“What?” Shining asked in shock. “How can you say that?”

“To be fair, it wasn’t entirely her fault. Back when Moztrot was alive, he had gained favor of the Princess at first through an opera of his. There is documentation to say that she did like his music. However, the other composers at the time persuaded her to not only not give him any position in court but reduced his salary to a very meager sum.” The old professor shook his head. “Moztrot was forced to quit when his family was basically driven into the gutter. He died penniless. And as for Celestia, by the time she figured out what was really going on, it was too late.”

“Do you think that Princess Celestia invited them over to the castle to apologize to him?” Shining inquired.

The Professor said he didn’t quite know. Just then, from the head of the car, the door was opened and Inverno walked right in, carrying a few pages of sheet music in his aura. He passed by them with a cheerful, “Good morning!”

“Inverno?” Shining called out, getting his son’s attention. “Where are you going? Aren’t you going to have breakfast?”

“I want to have my lessons early.”

“At half-past nine in the morning?” Key Signature tilted his head, pulling out his pocket watch.

He nodded. “I figured that since we’ll be at the next stop by noon, that I want to start my lesson early. Besides,” he grinned, “it’s not every day that you get to compose with Buch and Moztrot!”

“Have you met them?”

“No.” After a pause, the colt tilted his head. “Why? Have you?”

“Well… not exactly…”

“Why?”

The Professor coughed into his hoof. “It’s just… well… I know this sounds silly, but I’m rather… nervous meeting them. Buch in particular.”

“How come?” Shining tilted his head. “Was he a jerk?”

“No! Celestia, no! It’s not that at all. It’s just… he’s an idol of mine.” The old stallion confessed. “Without him, music, as we know it, may not exist the way it does. He laid down a legacy that is immeasurable. His work was some of the first pieces of music I’ve learned to play. And his technique is what I strived to teach my students.”

Inverno walked up to the aged teacher and took his hoof. “You know what? I’m nervous about meeting them too. But if you want, you can meet them with me so it wouldn’t be so bad. I want to meet with all of them when I still can to learn a thing or two from them, as much as you probably want to as well. So, would you come with me?”

After thinking for a moment, looking between him and the door towards the back of the car, the Professor took hold of his coffee and got up. “You’re right. It’s about time we go talk to the masters.”

---

When the light provided to be too much, it forced Buch’s eyes to open. At first, he was startled that not only was he moving but that he was someplace else. The last thing he remembered before sleep overtook him was that he was in a guestroom of Canterlot Castle. Now he found waking up with a jolt that he was inside the crystal, see-through train car that was curling down the mountainside. He took notice from his bunk that the other stallions, Moztrot and Schubit were still asleep or at least trying to with a pillow over their eyes.

The only one that was obviously awake was Maneler who was in the balcony part of the car with a mug in his cloven-hooves. He also noticed a pot with a few mugs that were on a tray next to the deer. Judging by the smell, it was the alluring scent of freshly brewed coffee. So, rolling over onto the floor, Buch got onto his hooves as he trudged his way towards the very back of the car.

Maneler noticed him when he opened the door. “Ah, I was beginning to wonder when one of you was going to wake up.”

“Where are we?”

“I was told that we were heading towards a small town called Ponyville.” After Buch gave a confused look, he explained, “It’s a place that’s nearby Canterlot, in a valley that shouldn’t be too far from here. Coffee?”

Maneler put his mug down to pour for the Pegasus his share of the black liquid.

“How did we get here?” Buch asked.

“I believe Princess Celestia had a role in that. Probably teleported us in our sleep. Either way, this train is going towards Ponyville where, as I have heard, there are supposedly two more composers like us there. If any of us finds them or not is a different issue.”

“Ah…” The Pegasus nodded. “I see…” The two of them sat there in silence, watching the railroad track flying right underneath them. “Out of curiosity, sir,” Buch started up, “what is your opinion of our fellow travel companions?”

“Where do I start?” The deer chuckled. “Schubit is a sort of stick in the mud, but he can warm up once you get to know him a little. Moztrot, as far as I can see it from last night… he’s… young at heart. A jovial kind of pony to all except for Celestia… I don’t know why.”

Buch cleared his throat. “I confess, I know why.”

Maneler raised an eyebrow. “You do?”

He nodded. “Do you recall last night that she wanted to have a private audience with him?”

“I do.”

“Well, at one point I decided to get up to find the kitchens as I was feeling rather puckish but didn’t want to disturb the servants. Of course, I asked the guards where it is, and they pointed to me where. But on the way down, I happened to hear their voices. Now, I don’t believe I have heard the whole conversation, but I did catch that Celestia was apologizing to him.”

“Really? What for?”

Buch shrugged, “From what I can gather, I think he was once a court musician to her and somepony had convinced her to not only lower his salary, but forced him to quit, sending him and his family into poverty. But Mr. Moztrot… well, he did sound quite upset.” Maneler didn’t say anything as he focused for a moment on his drink. Fortunately, Buch filled the silence. “To be fair, I can’t entirely blame him for having such thoughts against Her Holiness. To be released like that without so much as a reference for even the lower nobility is enough to make one angry.”

“You’re speaking as if you’re a servant.”

“That’s because we were. At least, in the time I came from. We were servants to the wealthy and powerful. To compose music for whatever occasion they requested. I served that very duty with dedication. But it is a position I am grateful for. For we may be servants but were educated ones at that – for given the task we had, we had to be.”

Maneler smirked, “I suppose it shows how much different our times are. Of course, I did have my jobs, mainly conducting for operas and orchestras, but the work I did was simply because I wanted to, not necessarily through a commission.”

“You are very fortunate indeed. To be free to peruse your interests. But I, with the family I had, have to make ends meet.”

“Don’t we all?”

Buch couldn’t deny that fact. But before he could take another sip, they heard the door at the other end of the car be opened. The first to enter was a pale colt that walked in with a spring in his step, while the second was an older yellow stallion who was shaking as he entered. The Pegasus looked up to the deer with confusion, but Maneler with a knowing look replied. “Ah yes, I don’t think you were introduced to the colt that gave us a second chance of life.”

They watched the two of them walked across the car over to the observation car with the colt first to enter. “Mr. Buch?” He said as he held up a hoof. “My name is Inverno, I’m a fanatic of your work, sir.”

“Oh…” Buch gingerly took up the hoof to shake it, despite having a cautious look when he saw the colt’s scarlet cat-like eyes. “Thank you?”

“And this is my teacher, Professor Key Signature, he likes your music too.”

Before the Pegasus could do or say anything when he turned his attention towards the elderly stallion, he was already kowtowed to the floor, kissing his hoof. “I’m not worthy,” the Professor said, thus earning him an eye roll from his idol.

“Please get up, sir,” Buch told him as he helped him to his hooves. “I already had received some awkward worship from Celestia (of all ponies,) I’m sure that is already enough.”

“Oh, uh…” Key stuttered. “F-Forgive me I… I-I…”

“It would seem that the old Professor has a serious case of being star-struck.” Maneler chuckled. Inverno asked him what that meant. “It a sort of nervousness one feels when somepony encounters a personal hero of theirs. Where one gets so nervous and excited that they lose their powers of speech and nearly faint.”

Buch blinked. “Is that why he’s acting like this?” The Professor nodded to him. To this, the Pegasus tilted his head. “But… why me?”

“B-Because…” The old professor took in a deep breath, taking a moment to think about his response. “Sir, you are a great influence on me. Indirectly as it may be, your work had helped shape the pony that I am today. I play the piano, the organ, harpsichord, and other key instruments because of you. Your perspective on music influenced how I teach my students. Although there are a million things in my mind that I would like to say for the legacy you left behind, I can only sum it all up simply as this: thank you, Mr. Buch.”

Upon hearing this, Buch put a hoof up to his withers and bowed. “I am humbled.”

“What about Moztrot?” Inverno asked, pointing to one of the bunk beds. “Is he awake? I’d like to meet him too.”

“Good luck,” Maneler said. “I wasn’t exactly quiet when I woke up early so, I think he’s mostly still sound asleep.”

The Professor eyed the grand piano that was in the crystal car and hummed in thought. Exiting the observation room, he walked over to the keys of the piano.

“Professor Key?” Inverno asked. “What are you doing?”

“Watch this.” The elderly stallion raised a hoof and began to play out a tune. A Moztrot melody that he stopped a few notes before completing. He repeated this a few times until the composer of that tune started to stir. Another round, Moztrot flopped himself to the floor and marched over to the piano to finish off the final notes.

“Celestia I hate when I have to be wakened up like that.” He muttered. “It’s worse enough when Papa did it.”

“Welcome back to the land of the living.” Maneler chuckled as he poured a cup of coffee into another mug. “I think you might be in need of this.”

Moztrot didn’t say anything as he took the mug into his hoof took a gulp of the bitterly black liquid, letting it take a minute to really wake him up. “Thank you…” After a couple more sips, he notices Inverno and the professor. “So, who are these two?”

“The colt is named Inverno,” Buch informed him, “and the other is Professor Key Signature.”

“Inverno…?” Moztrot walked up to him. “If I recall correctly, Princess Celestia said that a colt name Inverno was the one who is responsible for bringing us (plus a few others) back from the dead by using necromancy. Is that right?”

“Um…” Inverno’s eyes shifted, his mind going blank as to what to say.

In that moment of being uncomfortable with Moztrot staring down at him with a glare, that suddenly his mood changed that to laughter. “Oh, I’m only messing with you child! You must learn to lighten up your mood around me. After all, you don’t have to be nervous, considering what Princess Sunbutt has told me about you.”

“Sunbutt?”

“His nickname for Celestia.” Professor Key sighed. “He’s the very few ponies to call her that and live.”

“I know it may not look like it,” Moztrot said to him, “But the stoic Princess of the Sun does love to laugh if you get into her sense of humor. Now, where was I? Oh yes! What she told me about you, young Inverno! That I hear that you’re a composer, and at the age of fourteen too!”

“Well…” Inverno blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m only still learning, sir.”

“Oh, don’t call me sir,” he waved a dismissive hoof. “That was a title my Papa used. No, we are composers, aren’t we? We’re all equals here. Even Grandpa Buch is an equal.”

“Grandpa what?” Buch asked but his question was ignored.

“So, what’s this you got here?” He snatched the sheet music out of Inverno’s aura. “Is this yours?”

“It’s not done yet,” he said, “but it is something I have been working on.”

Moztrot held the sheet music in his hooves, scanning each bar of each page. He gestured for Maneler and Buch over to take a look at it before turning over to the sleeping Schubit. “Hey, Grumpypants, wake up!”

“What?” The unicorn grumbled.

“Wake up and take a look at this.”

Schubit lit up his horn to put on his spectacles. “What could be so important to wake me up at this hour?”

“This!” He said as he shoved the manuscript in his face. “Take a look at it.”

After Schubit muttered something incoherent, he took the manuscript into his aura to look it over. He studied at the short melody for a moment before giving it back to Moztrot. “It’s a nice little tune. So why is it worth waking me up for?”

“I believe that this young stallion here,” he pointed to Inverno, “has given us a puzzle.”

“May I see that?” Buch asked, taking the manuscript into his wing. “Oh! I know what this is. It’s a canon.” Almost immediately, his mind looked through this short melody, only a few bars long as he could see the possibilities that could be constructed. “Tell me, child, is this your own invention?”

Inverno nodded. “I’ve worked almost all night on it. Of course, I had to correct it many times, but I was hoping to learn more about counterpoint and how to further develop a melody.”

“And he needs to polish up when it comes to harmony.” Maneler pointed out. “I have to give him some pointers when I showed him about orchestration.”

“Now that is a serious matter.” Said Buch. “After all, harmony is next to Godliness. Now come, child.” He turned and walked towards the piano. “We shall use what you have as a teaching tool. You must show me how much you know of how to balance a phrase.”