The Master Cellist

by Veridian Phantom

The Master Cellist

The carriage pulls up to the magnificent mansion at last, slowing down to a snail pace in front of the gate as to allow the passengers to depart from the vehicle. You motion for Octavia to get out so you can pay the driver, and exit yourself. You grab the cellos from the back and place them in front of the gate against the red stone brick wall, you press the button to buzz the butler.

A few seconds pass and you buzz it again, this time with a response from the butler.

“Yes…?” His tone showing he’s not amused at the second ring.

“It’s me and Octavia, please let us in.”

The butler pauses a moment, as if thinking who it could be. “Oh yes, you again… Let’s get this over with shall we? I’m a very busy man.”

Your face cockeyed wondering what he’s got against you, as if you angered him last time you met. Turning to Octavia, you ask her what the issue is.

“I honestly don’t know, I’ll ask him a bit later, there’s practice that needs to be done and you’re going to help me, we only have two hours before I have to leave for the concert.”

The gates buzz just before opening horizontally, both of you make your way inside toward the front door where the butler awaits you with an… enthusiastic smile on his face.

“I’m pretty sure that’s a fake smile if I ever saw one,” You whisper to Octavia whilst staring down the butler.

“Oh hush, just try to get along, at least he’s smiling, the last coltfriend I had he acted about the same way but didn’t smile, at least with you he is trying.” She says with a giggle.

“Oh fun, that’s going to be a different struggle altogether, forget about everything else that happened, the struggle is real.”

You both get inside and the butler takes the cellos to the living room, propping them up next to the couches. Making yourself comfortable on the couch while Octavia chooses the adjacent couch. The butler leaves for a moment to the study in the next room and brings a piece of paper and pencil, she begins to jot stuff down looking hard at work.

“So uh… What’cha doing?” Breaking the silence out of curiosity as to what is going on, as you cock your head sideways with a bewildered look.

“I’m writing down where the concert is, how it’s going to be run, and to tell you what seat you’re in. The butler has your ticket.” She replies. A phone rings behind you. “Can you get that for me?” She asks.
Motioning towards the phone you pick it up and stumble for words as to what to answer.

“Hi… er-no, Hello… Philharmonica residence?” You slap a hoof to your forehead. An unknown voice responds with a slight oddity to it. “Am I speaking to the head of the household?”

“Uh, no, Octavia’s busy right now, and I’m her coltfriend.”

“Oh this will make things more interesting then, tell her for me that the end of her performance will happen sooner than expected.” In a dark and grumble-y voice, he hangs up without so much as a chance to respond.

‘You start wondering who that could possibly be, curious as to what he meant. Did he mean the performance was cut in half? Or did he mean… Nooo, no that’s not possible. Does she have enemies?’

“Who was it dear?” She questions without looking up from the paper.

“I-I don’t think it best we go to the concert today.” You say with some hesitation.

“What do you mean…? Who was it on the phone?” She looks up from the paper, places down the pencil and stares straight into your eyes with a cocked eyebrow, now you’ve got her undivided attention.

“Some guy, he didn’t leave his name. He told me to tell you, ‘The end of her performance will happen sooner than expected’, and hung up.”

“So some random stranger makes an idle threat with no demand or leverage to sway me into not going and you get scared? I get threats like that on occasion due to my family’s past. We weren’t always this high and mighty, we had to start somewhere. Now then, I’m thinking-” Octavia gets interrupted midway by another phone ring, this time she gets up and makes her way to the phone post-haste. She picks up the phone with anger and raises her voice.

“Listen here you jerk-off I’m going to that concert whether or not you are, and I don’t really care for idle threats, they sicken me, now stop or I will have to notify the authorities!” Just before hanging up a mare voice sounds and Octavia immediately changes her tone, the conversation goes back and forth for some time.

“Yes I-I’m sorry and I understand, I’ll figure something out.” Octavia slowly hangs up the phone, lost in thought and starting to worry. He eyes dart back and forth trying to figure out what to do.

“Well who was it?” You pipe up, snapping her out of thought.

“That… was my partner, she uh… hurt one of her legs and won’t be able to make it tonight.” She says with grief. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now, the piece I practiced was for a duo.” Her eyes wander over to you and widen, she gasps and a smile begins to form on her face. “I have an idea, why don’t you be my partner tonight?” She pokes at you with a giggle.

“W-what? But I don’t even know the piece you’re playing.” You say pleading to her, not to make you embarrass yourself on stage.

“Yes I admit it may not be professional of me and you don’t exactly know the piece, however you’re always boasting about those playing skills of yours. So let us see some magic!” She says with a jolt in her step, moving to pick up her cello. Casting her silver aura around your instrument she floats it over to the couch and sets it right down next to you, unlocking the latches in the process.

“We shall be playing Bach's last overture. There is sheet music to your left on that stand, try your best to follow it. If you faint, well… You’re not as practiced as you claim.” She says with a smirk. Readying her bow and cello she begins the first set in order to show you how the music plays out.

You do the same and ready your cello, moving the piece to your left shoulder, bow on the right hoof and you begin to slowly ease yourself into the song, moving the bow back and forth repeatedly. The piece begins to pick up in speed and difficulty making you start to sweat, only messing up a few times in the process, the magic in the music begins taking a toll on your conscious. Starting to haze in-and-out your vision becoming blurry, all noise fading out to slurs of stretched out sounds. At last you can’t hold out any longer, massive globs of water falling from your face, scraping your neck on its way down, messing up your playing further by hitting the strings. Finally you pass out, fading to black.

The room slowly comes back into view as you blink your blurry-visioned eyes and wipe away the water from them. “Are you okay?” A voice can be heard to your immediate right, it doesn’t quite sound the same as Octavia’s.

“Veronica…?” You mumbled groggily.

“I think you’re hearing things, I certainly don’t sound like her.” Octavia responded.

Your eyesight finally cleared itself and the ringing in your head dissipated, returning you to the world that was before it started spinning.

“Ugh, that piece is too tough for me it seems. I’m out of practice or that’s a high-level song.” You stand up and ready your cello once again. An idea pops into your head for a song that would wow that audience, just the other performer might be against it, as she is running the concert.

“What if we have a change in the lineup?”

“What do you mean?” She cocks an eyebrow and looks at you waiting for you to suggest something stupid.

“What if we played a song that is more modern, popular, and still difficult but playable. Something that I can do seeing as I’m out of practice. Fortunately we have a few hours, what do you say?”

“It may be the only way.” She replies with a slight giggle.

“Get your cello and let’s get to work, we have a house to bring down!”

Time passes as the both of you practice, it’s nearly time for the concert, the clock in the room slowly ticking down to showtime! Packing up, you both make way toward the door for the cab outside. Closing the front door behind the both of you and locking up, the cab awaits on the other side of the gate.

As you pull up to the massive concert hall, you take note of its magnificence. It looks as if the structure has been around for a long time, giant stone white pillars in a line guard the front entrance, two beams in crisscross formation are attached to the front of the pillars. Grey brick all around with a two-sided sloping roof. The entrance itself has a red-carpet extending down the large stone steps, with a set of doors allowing viewers into the hall in hordes.

Picking up the cellos after paying the driver, you both make way for the back entrance in the dark alleyway to the left of the hall. You see a big guard pony standing ever alert in the front of the back entrance with the door open and several fans in back trying to make their way past him with fake id’s or passes.

Walking up to the back entrance the guard pony looks at both of you with the cellos in tow and asks you to state your names.

“Octavia and guest, please let us through, we’re the entertainment.”

Two mares to the left start spazzing out from seeing Octavia up close, bellowing her name and saying cringey stuff like we love you, please sign my flank!

Rolling your eyes the entrance is open as the guard moves out of the way to let you pass. The inside is a small hallway leading toward the backstage area, simple as there is no need to ‘dress it up’.

Several ponies are skittering about backstage trying to set up the lights, sound, microphones and other tech equipment needed for the evening. Several other musicians also begin to quietly practice at their dressing stations, the room heavy with the sound of music. However smiling you nod that it’s all low-level music, no competition there. “Easy.” You mumble to yourself. Confidence swelling up inside you as this will be a walk in the park.

Octavia moves toward her own personal dressing room marked “Octavia”, not really subtle, but easy to find. Entering the small room you note how it’s only meant as a place to get prepared, not really do anything else. A mirror, chair, brush, simple amenities to make the wait go by quickly.

A purple coated mare with a headset and clipboard walks in unannounced asking if we’re both ready as the first act begins in 3 minutes. Seeing as the opening act consists of the both of you, it’s fair to assume that’s why she bursted in.

Octavia turns to you, with a look on her face that spells ‘let’s do this.’ You can only assume she completely feels confident we can do it. No worry on her face despite the change in the lineup? Interesting.

You nod in silence, she follows suit, and you both make toward the stage, the audience is quiet as you approach the curtains, small chattering here-and-there. Then the announcer comes on.

“Alright you lovely ponies we have quite a show for you tonight, are you ready to feel the emotional ride of music?”

The crowd gives a slight cheer ready for the performances of tonight. You peer around the curtain and look out towards the some hundreds of ponies lining the seats, completely sold out. Front row middle seats you see Veronica and her parents patiently awaiting the spectacle that is The Master Cellist.

“... The Master Cellist!” The announcer says to a crowd of clapping ponies.

You take a deep breath, shake your hooves, grab your cello and take to the stage. Octavia in front, two seats at the front of the stage. The crowd looks surprised, Veronica bouncing around probably excited that I’m on stage, her parents confused.

Taking your seats quietly, you ready your bows, look at each other and nod to signal the beginning of the magic of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx0xCI1jaUM

You started off with a slow thudding, slowly speeding up, quicker and quicker. Silently, Octavia begins to drag the bow across the strings, getting faster and faster, wilder with each stroke. You glance over and see a face of pure happiness and excitement. Almost battle-hardened and ready to take on the world. A smile of your own creases its way onto your disheveled mane from the hardcore playing of the instrument, the two of you thunderstruck and powerful as the stage illuminates the two of you, the world in a quiet peaceful bliss as nothing but the sound of you two playing takes to the concert hall.

The song starts to slow down, both of you begin to play lighter and fade to black, lights dimming and finally the whole stage alights a new and the crowd begins cheering, clapping, and whistling. Veronica in front clapping like the mad clapper. The audience begins to simmer down as you take your bows, and begin to pack up. You look toward the audience once more and see a pony in a black hoodie coming down the aisles, hoof in one pocket. You begin to recall the message left from earlier and your heart begins pounding, thinking to yourself ‘No, it can’t be true… Can it?’ You watch as he quickly pulls a silver object from the hoodie. Your eyes widen, a frightened look on your face, Octavia completely unaware of this, no pony paying attention to the hooded figure.

“He’s got a gun!!” You scream at the top of your lungs, hoof pointing toward the hooded figure.

He panics and takes it out quickly, Octavia whips around to see the hooded figure just in time. You make to jump in the way of the bullet, hoping to Celestia you make it in time.

*BANG*

You hit the ground hard, lightly banging your head on the wooden glossed floor of the stage, your eyes closed. Slowly opening them, you begin to feel around you, no blood, no hurting aside from your head. You quickly look in the direction of Octavia, panic written all over.

“I was too late…” You mutter to yourself. “I… It can’t… No!” You quickly rush over to where her body lay, blood all over the stage, a couple of guard ponies rush past and tackle the gunman down the ground, the pistol flying from his hoof unto the stage a few hooves away. The body lay limp, no sound, no movement, no life. Tears fall in streams down each side of your disheveled face. Ruckus can be heard and screams running for the exit, but nothing matters to you anymore. Anger swells up inside, an insatiable hate for the pony that did this, getting on your hooves you slowly move toward the pony in the hood.

“Why!” You belch, half sounding like a clogged french horn. “Why did you do this! She didn’t hurt anybody!” You feel your hoof kick something, looking down you see the very gun that murdered the one you loved. Everything begins to go hazy and red, picking up the gun, looking bewildered at the instrument that played the tune of death. As you ready the gun in his direction, the guard ponies unmask him.

“I came here to finish the job boy, not like you’d understand.” He said in a mocking laugh. “Do it.” He clearly didn’t care, no look of fear, as if he isn’t expecting you to pull the trigger. “Ha! You don’t have the guts to.” He says spitting on the ground.

“Son, put the gun down, this isn’t worth it!” A guard pony yells to you. Making his way to you slowly.

“Finish the job…? Fin-” Suddenly it dawned on you. “Y… You killed her parents…? YOU were the gunman from so long ago?!”

“That’s right boy, and now I can rest easy knowing I’ve finally gotten my revenge. Death will greet me with open arms.”

*BANG*

You pulled the trigger, the pony flops to the ground almost instantly, if the guards weren’t holding him up. You begin to fall over, gun hits the ground, the world fading to nothingness. Two guard ponies tackling you to the floor. Your eyes slowly close as the voice inside you screams out.

“Not Octavia, not now… Not now.!” You scream.

Your eyes slowly begin to open, a blurry image of an instrument, nay, several instruments.

“Wha…?” Lifting your head up from the counter you look around it’s a pretty generic shop: Basic flutes, trumpets, cello's, pretty much all orchestral instruments with the occasional few that were from different cultures.

“It was all a dream…?” You mumble to yourself. Letting out a large sigh. One hour until closing, and as the clock strikes one minute after seven the door opens and the small bell above the door rings, as a black-maned, gray mare walks in carrying what looks to be a cello case on her back.

Author's Note:

Finally done, errors? Contact me if you wanna fix those errors, I'm not doing that again... I suck at writing details, and I get distracted easily so I reeeeally just wanted to finish it.

Comments

[H3lios]

Wow, I've never seen a fic go from a perfect 10 to a perfect 0 so fast. In all honesty it would have been better if you left it unfinished than pulling a fuing Dallas. I'm sorry, I hate to be mean but there had to be a better option than that.

[Veridian Phantom]

6267761
You don't like that version of an ending, fair enough. Not like Next was the same premise, it was a fairly good movie. Thing is, there is no problem with the ending. Something tells me you expected it to end in a way that was fairy-tale like. But son, that ain't how the world works.

You are entitled to not liking the ending, its your choice. So far the ending has received good reviews from IRL peeps, the Ottawa Bronies group, and my mother who is a writer. She stated it's a fairly normal ending, it's reasonable to choose any ending you wish, as to what happens after is up to the imagination.

P.S. There are other options to an ending, but it's what i chose. You just happen to not like it. I shall leave the comment up, as it's feedback despite it being a personal one, not a professional one.

[Staying Sic]

6215835 without me ;-;

[Veridian Phantom]

6300885 huh?

[Staying Sic]

6304784 it's smokey

[Veridian Phantom]

6305435

ooooooh okay, sorry man, i just REALLY wanted to finish it, didn't even know you were still alive honestly xD

[Staying Sic]

6305952 no, I am lol. and its okey :3