The Aura Of Music

by Kumare Tanamaru

Prima Colazione e uno Spettacolo

Aurora...

"M-mother?"

Yes, it's me. How have you been sweetheart?

"I haven't been doing very well without my voice mother... It's hard to make friends."

That's alright. You'll be fine. I'm so proud of you.

"Mother? Can I have my voice back?"

No! I mean... No sweetie... It's not your destiny.

"My destiny?

Yes... Your destiny is music, remember?

"But mo-"

Ah ah ah! No buts!

"Mother, please!"

I told you no! We are not going to discuss this any longer.

"Why won't you listen to me mother?!"

Why should I? You can't be heard anyways.

Aurora awoke and stared at the ceiling. Sweat dripped from her brow as she traced the roof with her eyes. Aurora lifted the rest of her body up out of the bed and gravity took over for the dripping sweat, which brought it spilling into her eyes. She flinched at the liquid going into her eyes and rubbed them.

Why would she say that... even in my dreams...? Mother... If you can hear me... Aurora squinted at what she had just thought. If you can feel me... Anything... I'm scared... I just had a dream about you...

*Yawn* "Hey Aurora... what are you doing awake?" Spike said as he walked up to the yellow pony.

Aurora looked down at herself and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Hey, are you al-"

Aurora reached out and grabbed spike in her hooves. She pulled him close and hugged him tightly.

"Um.. Aurora..?"

Spike felt something warm fall onto his head, and felt her breath stutter. Instead of saying anything, Spike wrapped his arms around the emotional pony, in an attempt to console her.

"Hey, it's alright... I'm here for you if you need me..."

Spike felt Aurora's breath stutter even more than before, and he held her tighter. He knew something was wrong. He didn't know what was making her so upset, or why she was so upset, but it didn't matter to him. And he knew that it didn't matter to her- all that mattered was that he was comforting her in her time of need, and she needed someone to cry on. He was happy to oblige.

*****

"Oh, good morning Octavia. Did you sleep alright?" Twilight asked as Octavia stood in the doorway to the balcony. "Octavi-"

"Shh." Octavia hushed. She motioned for Twilight to come closer, unmoving, and completely focused.

"Uh... okay?"

Twilight stepped lightly and carefully in fear that she might mess something up. She looked through the doorway to see Aurora and Spike holding each other. Twilight could tell that Aurora was crying from her sudden movements, and the glistening of water reflecting from the sun as they dropped from her face.

"Oh, they're awake! Let's get them for breakfast."

"No."

"Huh?"

"My sister needs to be alone right now."

"Alone? But she's with Spike!"

"You know what I mean Twilight. Just give her some time."

"B-but."

"Come on. Let's go fix some breakfast while we wait. It'll be fun." Octavia smiled.

Twilight nodded and looked back into the room where she had seen her two best friends.

*****

"G'morning Twilight." Spike yawned.

"Oh, morning Spike! Ready for breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'm st..... Wait, you made breakfast?"

"With a little help from Octavia, yes!"

"Well that's a first..." Spike mumbled.

Aurora came out of her room and smiled at Spike who was in the kitchen. Spike motioned for her to come closer, and starting talking to Twilight again.

"Aurora's up. I hope you made enough for yourself Twilight."

"Don't worry Spike," Octavia said. "I made our breakfast. Twilight made you and her own. There's plenty."

Aurora came into the kitchen and inhaled deeply. She smelled the sweet smell of Appleloosan style toast, and the bitter-sweet smell of green tea and honey.

"Like what you smell, dear sister?" Octavia said.

Aurora nodded and smiled at her sister.

"So Aurora," Twilight began "Did you sleep well?"

Aurora's expression changed a bit, and she brought out her quill and paper.

"I didn't sleep very well, but I can assure you that waking up was the best part of the day so far."

Aurora smiled at Twilight as Twilight read her letter.

"Well, I'm glad that you're enjoying your- Ah..." Twilight was interrupted by Aurora hugging her tightly. Twilight smiled at this and hugged her friend back.

"C'mon, let's eat! I'm starving!" Spike whined.

"Alright, alright Spike. Keep your scales on!"

*****

"Ahh. That was delicious... Where did you learn to cook like that Octavia?" Spike said, rubbing his pudgy belly.

"After years of being in Canterlot," Octavia said finishing her tea. "You pick up on a few things."

"So Aurora," Twilight began. "What are your plans for today?"

Aurora perked up and got her quill ready to write.

"We're going to see the high-school marching band today. She's going to be visiting some new friends she made, while I try to get some writing done."

"Oh... That's nice." Twilight said. "So, who are you going to see, Aurora?"

Aurora wrote down the names and gave it to her friend across the table.

"Fluttershy and Trey huh...? That's good! I'm glad you get along with my other friends as well. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend. I've got a lot of studying to do." Not to mention I can't control myself when I'm around Trey...

"Well sis, it looks like it'll be just you and I today. Shall we be on our way? We need to be there by eight."

Surprise overwhelmed Aurora as she looked at the time. A quarter til eight. Aurora quickly ran into the bathroom to adjust her mane to look nice, and then took off out the front door of the library. Octavia followed her sister slowly out the door and waved to Twilight.

"I guess we'll see you later today. Take care!" she said closing the door.

"Now," Twilight said turning around. "Time to do some studying."

*****

Oh my goodness, how could I have forgotten the time?! Aurora thought as she ran along the path. And for something this important? Goodness gracious!

When the band field came into view, Aurora smiled and ran a bit faster. She could see a tan pony with a green hat sitting in the grass not too far from the practice field. Fluttershy turned around to see Aurora running up to greet her, and she smiled slightly.

"Oh, good morning Aurora. I'm glad you could make it~! Just a second, Flutterwing~! Anacrusis~! Come meet our new friend!"

"Hi there! It's nice to meet you!" A little filly said to Aurora.

The filly was white, with a pink mane, and smiled greatly at her.

"Aurora this is Flutterwing, my daughter. And this is Anacrusis. Don't be shy, she's friendly."

A little colt stepped out from behind his mother and squeaked.

"Hi...."

The little colt's coat was a light tan, just like his mother's, but had a black mane with red highlights in it, to match his father Trey.

"Wonderful, aren't they?"

Aurora nodded and looked out to the field with gleaming eyes.

"Welcome to the practice field, where we work hard, or we go home!" Fluttershy recited. "That's what they usually say. Oh, Trey should be here in a bit. He has to call for break first. It's only the middle of summer and they already have most of the first movement done. I don't really like this year's show... It's kind of scary... But I'm sure that it'll sound great anyways." She said as she smiled at her husband in the tower. "Come, sit and watch. They're doing the fear of spiders and snakes now." Fluttershy shuttered.

Aurora did so and continued to watch the band. She pulled out her quill and paper, ready to start asking to questions.

"ALRIGHT BAND, RUN IT AGAIN! FROM THE TOP THIS TIME! HEY REX, PUT IN A LITTLE EFFORT, YEAH?" Trey called across the field.

A metronome sounded four clicks, and then some silver drums from the front section sounded in a slow steady beat. Wind chimes complimented this, along with a set of bells, and the flutes. A sudden crash broke the soft noise, and the drumline took over while the front section aided with the silver drums. A lone snare drum in the front section began to play, and Aurora got to her hooves to get a better view. The drum played quietly, but articulately. The rest of the instruments in the section began part of the melody, while the woodwinds finished the rest. When the drumline came in, the music sort of fell to pieces, and the marching forms began to crumble.

"STOP!" Trey shouted at the imperfection. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? IT'S A BACKWARDS MARCH THERE!"

"YOU TOLD ME TO FORWARDS MARCH IT!" A voice answered.

"I DID?"

"YEAH!"

"WELL CHANGE IT CAUSE I DON'T LIKE THAT." Trey said, looking at his clipboard. "ALRIGHT, YOU GUYS CAN GO TAKE A BREAK. I GOT SOME BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO.

The crowed cheered, and headed towards the school, where there were refreshments waiting for everypony who needed, or wanted one. Trey put his clipboard down and dove off of the tower, expanding his wings and soaring over to where Fluttershy, Aurora, and his kids waited.

"Oh, Aurora, I'm so glad you could make it!"

"Hey sis!" Octavia called to Aurora. "I'll be inside writing if you need me!"

Aurora nodded to Octavia and started writing something for Trey to read.

"That was amazing! I can't believe how great that was! With all the drums, and, and the instruments! There are so many! And they all look different!"

"I take it that you enjoyed it. I'm glad. Say, would you want to meet the section leaders? I'm sure you can learn a lot more about the instruments that way. What do you say?"

Aurora nodded in excitement, and smiled a beaming smile.

"Great! Come on down to the band hall, and I'll show you around while we talk to some of the section leaders. Fluttershy, are you coming with us?"

"Oh, yes. Come children~" She sang in her soft voice.

"I love that mare..." Trey sighed. "Let's get going Aurora! There's work to be done!"

Comments

[Kumare Tanamaru]

New chapter! Yay~!

[RLYoshi]

That dream at beginning gives me a feeling something bad's gonna happen soon...

Well, enjoying the story so far! I demand moar!