Introduction
Silver Strings galloped as fast as she could, trying to make it in time to the orchestra hall before she would be too late.
"How could I have overslept?!" she exclaimed to herself. "I'm never late, especially for something like this!"
Her hooves impacted hard with the concrete as she galloped towards the Concert Hall, hoping they would still let her play. She had worked so hard for this moment, her first orchestra concert, any other filly her age would dream of doing this.
Finally, the orchestra hall came into view, causing her to run faster, pushing herself not to be late. She ran through the door, quickly hurrying backstage, pulling her hair into its bow, and grabbed her violin off of her back, catching up to the other orchestra ponies, many had annoyed looks on their faces.
"There you are, Silver!" a mare said walking up to her, then guided her to her spot in the orchestra. "To have someone your age to perform with us, we expect better behavior."
"I know, but I-" Silver tried to say, but was stopped by the mare's hoof, and just hung her head slightly in shame. "I'm sorry ma’am, it won't happen again..."
"Better not..." the mare muttered walking away. Silver shook the thought out of her head, putting her focus onto her performance.
She took a deep breath as she sat her violin case down, opening it to reveal her instrument. She took it out of its case, carefully to ensure that no damage would be done. Her father would be furious if she did, since it was expensive and difficult to replace.
The audience's chatter started to die down, as the other instruments would start to warm up for a few minutes. Once they were ready, the curtains were pulled back, revealing the audience staring at the orchestra. Silver Strings gulped as she saw how many ponies were in the audience, becoming slightly nervous, but quickly calmed herself down and took a few deep breaths.
"Okay... just like we practiced..." she whispered to herself putting her bow into position as the conductor walked out onto the stage.
The conductor took a bow as the audience applauded, then took his position raising his baton into the air, ready to give out the signal for the orchestra to start playing.
---
Silver Strings moved herself slightly to help keep up with the others, refusing to make a mistake. She moved her bow quickly with the music, listening to it echo loudly throughout the hall, then muted by the sound repeatedly, moving her bow up and down with each final beat.
She swung her bow on the strings for the last note, the sound echoing, just like the other musicians. Silver panted softly to herself, staring back at her conductor turning to face the audience as their applause filled the hall, taking a bow.
---
After playing the last few songs and taking care of the other responsibilities, Silver Strings stretched out her legs, getting ready for the long walk home. Grabbing her violin, she put it back into its case then onto her back as she walked toward the door with a small smile on her face.
"Not bad for my first time." she thought to herself.
The warm sun sunk deep into her coat as she walked outside, allowing her to warm up from the chilly orchestra hall. Silver let out a soft sigh as she trotted down the path towards home, humming to herself slightly.
She stared up into the sky, watching the birds fly through the air, singing to one another, and listening to the other fillies playing together.
Silver turned her head, hearing somepony call out her name, waving their hoof.
"You wanna come play four squares with us?" a light gray filly pegasus asked.
"Sorry, Derpy, I need to hurry home. Maybe next time though." Silver said, waving over to her friend as she trotted by.
"Okay, see you later, Silver!" Derpy said waving to her friend.
After a few minutes, she saw her house come into view, slowing her pace slightly as she opened the door to go inside.
She opened it slowly, trying not to cause too much noise.
"Where have you been, young filly?" A voice said.
Silver jumped as the door shut behind her, startled by the voice. She turned over to find her father, staring at her through the shadows of the dimly light house. He let out a soft sigh.
"Silver, where were you this morning?" he asked.
Silver hung her head slightly, drawing circles on the floor with her hoof. "I... I had a performance..." Silver uttered. "I'm really sorry, I forgot to tell you, and I was in such a rush to get there-"
"Your mother would like to see you." her father interrupted. "She's upstairs."
Silver rushed upstairs to her mother's room, turning the door nob and walking in slowly, staring at the bed with the sheet over the side.
She stared at her mother, seeing her propped up by the pillows, her eyes silently pleading for her to play for her. Understanding Silver gently set her violin case down and pulled it open for the second time today and began to play as a soft piano filled the room. Putting her violin into position and shutting her eyes, waiting for her cue. She then started moving slightly side to side with the piano and her violin, making herself become one with her music and sung along as she played. She then stopped singing, allowing her violin to have its turn with the music's beauty, then continued singing along with the violin.
She opened her eyes slightly as she continued, staring at her mother, resting on her bed, watching the tears fall from her eyes, causing Silver's eyes to water slightly as well, but still played for her mother.
"Play..." her mother whispered. "Play with all your heart, Silver..."
Silver's eyes grew heavier with tears as she continued on, giving her all on the end. She opened her eyes once the piano faded and walked up to her mother.
"Feeling better?" Silver whispered.
Silver saw a smile grow slightly onto her mother's face for an answer.
"Just because I'm like this, Silver, doesn't mean you can't bring me relief, it means you can give me something worth more."
"Please, get better, mommy..." Silver sniffed wiping her face. "Promise me you'll get better... that we'll perform together again...?" She whimpered slightly.
Her mother only let out soft breaths as she slept peacefully.
---
Silver Strings walked into her mother's room, bringing her some breakfast, opening the door slowly to ensure she would not make too much noise as she walked in.
"Mommy...?" Silver uttered as she opened the door. "I brought you some breakfast." Silver walked towards her mother's bed, expecting some sort of response, but heard nothing. "Mommy...?" Silver gulped, walking closer to her bed. She looked through the sheet, only to find the most horrifying thing she had ever seen in her life.
Silver dropped the tray of food, the impact with the ground making a loud crack from the dishes and a clang from the tray. She ran out of the room as if there was a fire, panting hard.
"Daddy!" she yelled, as she ran down the stairs to her father.
Her father turned at her call, a look of alarm on his face for her tone. Sliver thumped herself onto her father, clinging onto him with tears falling from her eyes. She looked up to her father, sobbing as the tears continued to stream down her face. Silver's father rushed as fast as he could upstairs and burst into his wife's room, rushing to her side.
She showed no signs of breathing, or life. Silver Strings peeked through the door.
"Mommy...?" she sobbed.
---
Silver Strings sat next to her father, tears falling from her eyes. She held onto him tightly, hoping for the best for her mother. Thoughts scattered through her mind, ones that she would try to keep out.
"Please be okay mommy..." Silver thought. "Please..."
A nurse then walked out of Silver's mother's bedroom, staring down at the floor with a grim look on her face. Silver and her father looked toward the nurse, eager to hear the news.
"Mommy's going to be okay, right? She promised me we would play again..." Silver asked, whimpering slightly. Her father held her close.
The nurse looked up at the two ponies, tears in her eyes, struggling to deliver the depressing news.
"I'm sorry, I did my best, but there was nothing else I can do..." she uttered.
Silver Strings let out a soft uneasy breath as her eyes were quickly filled with tears and whimpered more. She then rushed over into her mother's room, wishing to see her once more, refusing to believe the news were true.
Slowly approaching her mother's bed, she moved slowly, trying to prepare herself as best she could for the horror she was about to see, but she could not step forward once she saw her mother's face. Memories flashed into her mind of her with her mother, causing her tears to grow more.
"Mommy..." Silver whispered, her body shaking.
"Silver, we need you out of here please." Silver's father said calmly.
Silver then slowly started approaching her mother closer, ignoring her father. He then took hold of one of her hooves. Silver reached out her hoof towards the sheet still ignoring her father, and tried to pull it back to see her mother's face once more, but then noticed she was being pulled away. She fought against her father's grasp, bucking, kicking and screaming.
"Daddy, let me go!" she yelled. "Let me go! Let me go!" Silver reached out her hoof towards her mother's bed, watching it slowly grow farther away from her as she was pulled away. "Mommy!" she cried.
Silver's father managed to drag her out of the bedroom, but lost his grip for a moment. Silver rushed past her father, trying to run back into the room to her mother's side, but her father grabbed her hoof again, keeping a firm grip on it. Silver pulled with all her might, but could find no success. Finally, out of depression and fatigue, she finally gave up, allowing her father to pull her back and cradle her in his hooves. Silver sobbed letting out loud cries from her grieving heart as tears would fall from her face. Her father gently held her close to his chest and stroked her mane.
"MOMMY!!!" Silver sobbed.
---
After a week since Silver's mother's passing, Silver sat in front of her mother's grave, her coat wet from the rain, playing her violin slowly under the shade of a tree to prevent any water damage to her instrument.
The dark night was filled with darkness, it was quiet and calm, but echoed the cry of Silver's loss.
Silver Strings could not hold back her tears for the loss of her mother, so she wept as she played under the tree. She had been playing the same song for almost three hours, her father decided not to bother her since she threw a fit when he tried to stop her from going out because of the rain. He let his daughter grieve in her own way; music.
Silver suddenly stopped playing, dropping her bow to the ground, and slowly lowered her hooves to her sides, unable to play any longer.
Sobs was the only thing left audible in the rain, with occasional sniffs. Silver opened her eyes, staring at her mother's grave with watery eyes.
"I'm sorry mother, but I cannot play anymore..." Silver sniffed.