White mare and black piano.
The night was calm like any other, Luna had risen a beautiful half moon with a night full of stars. As I walked the roads of Canterlot, I noticed how many ponies of different classes were all heading to the same place, presumably the same as I. After a short walk, I stood in front of my destiny with a letter of my assistant, as I read it, ponies were coming it.
It said that every Saturday, at nine o'clock on the bar Golden Hoof, one mare comes and plays her black wood piano. Many ponies claim that she is the best piano player on Canterlot and a Maestro, a title only held by a small bunch of ponies in all of Equestria. Being another ponies as Hoofzart and Manetooven out there, something good had to been doing this so-called "Piano Mare". The fact that this player comes every Saturday at this simple and rustic bar is just unbelievable, so I had to see it by myself.
The Golden Hoof receive his customers with an oak wood entrance illuminated by oil candles, giving an impression of an old and classic bar that was so rare here in Canterlot. It's rather pleasant to see an air of classiness on the metropolis from time to time, to be honest.
I arrived an hour before the show. There were several posters with the name of "The one and Only Piano Mare" on the wall and the entrance, claiming that she plays every Saturday at the same hour. With a bit of uncertainty of what to expect, I make myself in and approached the bar, looking for anypony to take my order.
The bartender was on the far left of the bar counter, a nice and polished one if I had to say, and, with a single wave of my hoof, a middle-aged stallion unicorn approached me light and swift and took my order; Scotch on the rocks, shaken, not mixed. It was quite the service I must say. I've been in uncountable establishments before and that precision and speed at the service are always appreciated.
It was a very skilled worker, he enveloped my drink and prepared it in a very stylish way, a brown-grey aura took several cups and make them dance around him in the palm of his hoof, waving and spinning at a very fast phase. The brief show got me impressed while my drink was being served. I paid for the drink and give in a generous tip, the stallion waved his hoof at me and I tip my hat back at him.
With my drink on hoof, I looked for a table and took a seat a side of two mares. Both were expectant of the show as they told me that they come here every Saturday at the same hour.
Just for her.
The night maintained its course as ponies came and go, it was only thirty minutes before nine. Some of them were not interested in the Piano Mare, while others stood in place, ordering drinks and meals from time to time in order to make it through the long night.
The two mares on the table were chatting about who could be this mysterious mare. Since the disappearance of Octavia Melody, a bunch of new aspirants tried to fulfill the title that she left behind. But not a single pony stood even near of the mastery that Octavia held in her hooves. She was able to craft dozens of masterpieces, one after another anything that holds her name was a signal of pure greatness and quality. Her solos were unique, the orchestra was masterfully executed and all of her operas remains as part of Equestrian music history. She was truly a bright star that appears only once in a lifetime.
Many guesses and theories pointed that the mysterious Piano Mare is Octavia herself, claiming that she had a mental breakdown and left the world of music to only play for a bunch of spectators. Others said that this new prospect is some prodigy from distant lands and that she isn't even a pony. The craziest one told that she was a changeling lurking for information to take to their queen.
None of what I heard was appealing to me, they all seemed like a bunch of legends and fairy tales. But rumors are rumors after all.
Time passed by, it was getting late, but none of the presents seemed surprised of the long waiting time. The current public was now rather small of the original crowded bar that was a few hours ago. The previous festive environment was replaced by some silent chats here and there. All of the presents were there, just relaxing and waiting for the big show.
But then…
Something changed.
The lights dimmed.
Everypony went silent.
The chairs moving and a faith of whispers could be heard.
The door opened, outrageous to the occasion.
The hoofs on the wooden floor marked the intrusion of a new visitor. It wasn't needed the keenest of eyes to suspect that she was the so-called 'Piano Mare' that I was expecting to see for so long. The voices of a dozen of ponies around me confirmed that suspicious.
The unicorn mare was covered in a black and shiny dress that could make Luna's night sky feel envious, the gorgeous outfit was brighter as the stars in the darkest of nights. Her mane was cobalt blue with stripes of light shades running through it and her tail. Her eyes were bright magenta and reflected a sad but strong look. Her white coat was pale, yet, it made his outfit shine with an indescribable aura, both of a fine and strong lady. I would dare to say that she was the living image of Vinyl Scratch, but since she just keeps herself inside of her house since the disappearance of Octavia and broke all contact with the outside world, that couldn't be possible... Or is it? Besides, she was never the kind of mare that played classical instruments or wear ladylike outfits... Yet... The only words this critic could think of to describe her combination of colors is 'Magical'.
She walked in, like if it was her home, maybe because it was. All of the other ponies greet her like anypony would greet the business master, even the master himself. He and the mare exchanged a polite salute while he introduces her to a lustrous black piano with a jar over it that rested alone in the left corner of the bar.
The great and classic instrument was masterfully crafted. I clearly recognized it as one of the highest and finest pieces made by Tinker's Skies, one of the greatest piano craftmares. Her trademark, a star crossing a starry night was unmistakable.
The 'Piano Mare' slowly walked, received only nodes from her public that she return with a warm and gentle smile.
Every step she gave through the bar was heavily marked as the silence of the room stood. Not even murmurs were audible, only the sound of her hooves on the heavy wood, echoing through the room as she made her way to the black piano.
Not too long after, she took her seat in front of the silent instrument. It was only after the mare took her seat that all the ponies moved to a nearby table and take their seat. The silence built up to that moment broke as the chairs move across the bar for a chance to stood near the mare. After a brief moment, everypony rested still on their tables, waiting for the Piano Mare to begin her performance. Not even the bartender dared to make a single noise as from that moment onward, every order was taken just by a silence gesture the ponies rising their hooves up.
It was a strange moment where all of the presents knew what will come, except for me. I just raised my hoof and asked for another Scootch before the show started. The waitress mare came fast and steady as I made my petition with a single indication on the menu she brought.
The bartender looked at me and gave me a smile, prompting with silent words to pay attention and enjoy the show. It looked like he knew that it was my first time hearing her recital.
With the spectacle her entrance was, I decided to set my bar really high on this one. She is a myth between anypony in the music industry, known for many and believed by few. All my fellows thought that everypony was exaggerating and don't even bothered to try to verify if the rumors were true. If they are, I might have found the next pioneer of the stars right here.
But the mare just stay there, silent, watching the piano like if she was talking to it. All the ponies around started a small murmur as I hear how they asked what was happening. Apparently, this wasn't common as she usually just starts to play at the moment she took her throne in front of the black piano, but not this night.
The chatter became slowly louder and louder
until it abruptly stopped at a single sign.
She raised up her hooves in the air. And with a strong impact on the pure white marble keys, the piano started to sing.
And so. She began to play.
With every stroke on the pristine keys, a set of pure soundwaves was sent to my ears. That notes were clear as the coat of the mare who played them and wild as her mane. The piano moved from the silent night to the roaring thunder skies every few phases. The movement where lighting fast, even for a Maestro, every key pressed, every hoof lifted were all precise movements that I had only seen being so masterfully executed by another pony before;
Octavia Melody.
The crowd was moving their hooves at the sound of the music. With every altissimo, our ears flickered and every hair in our fur rose up in pure suspense. Every pianissimo left us breathless as we were waiting for her next note to follow it up. She went to a crescendo so fast and so loud that make every hair in my mane to shiver only for she to keep smashing those pristine keys with both passion and hate.
The melody began to slow down as the crowd slowly started to leave their chairs and stood up in what seemed like an interlude of this mare unbelievable recital.
"Sing us a song, you're the Piano Mare," cheered the crowd with their raised hooves.
I stood on my chair, just watching all this event develop in front of me. It was something quite mystical, the music has strong effects on us ponies, but her songs... Her songs were way beyond that. She was telling us a story about herself, she sends us her feelings, her insecurities, and doubts. All her rage and love were in those notes that she struck in our heads and hearts. Every one of her feelings was being whispered to us in a personal conversation, yet those words were audible by everypony around. Words; clear as the sky, loud as a thunder. Yet silky and gentle as a whisper. The lullaby of her piano set us in a travel of melancholy and joy.
Yet, not a single word was sung. Not a single note was pitchy. Only the piano was talking to us. Directly to our heart and minds.
She was there, moving her hooves like a possessed mare and waving her mane like if she was the wind herself. The piano roared like a wild beast as the bar smelled like his cursed den, full of sweat and alcohol. Everypony was waving their hooves at the Maestro sitting in front of us in that dark lustrous piano. Meanwhile, I was looking at everypony faces.
The bar’s owner was just smiling at the Piano Mare, she occasionally turned the smile back at the sight of all the ponies gathered around. Both knew that all that crowd was here just for her.
The bartender was sitting on the other side of the bar with his hoof on his chin while giving the mare a charmed gaze. He was totally in love with the mare, poor stallion, he put a curse on himself at the moment he places his eyes on her.
All the crowd was on their hooves, waving at the Piano Mare, every now and then somepony would walk to the side of the black piano and left a tip on the jar, receiving a nod from the mare without her moving his eyes from the now slightly marked keys.
Everypony was at the moment, like if life started and ended with her song. And for a glimpse of a moment so did I.
While the others were just hearing the mare and cheering her title, I watched her. Every fortissimo brought a tear down her cheek. Every slowdown in the rhythm was she losing herself in her music. All the notes were taking all his fury out of her and letting the crowd dispose of it.
It was half of a strong and fast phase when everything stopped.
The mare left down her hooves.
The crowd just suspire in suspension.
Even the bar master and the bartender were unknown to the situation, they both shared glances between them as the murmur began growing up.
I stood up and get close to the mare beside the piano.
I could hear a small sob while her hooves were still on the ground, unwilling to move even if they master ordered.
Only a faint of a whisper could be heard by this critic. Only one word was pronounced, yet, that single word carried more weight than any other one she could possibly say, a word I hope she had not pronounced, even if it was just a whisper, that word was powerful enough to make me shiver, even when that word was nothing more than a mere whisper in a crowded bar.
"Octavia..." she said.
Her hooves raised as fast as the songs she was playing not too long ago and with a mighty strike the piano screamed like an animal at the shriek of his master:
"Why did you left me!"
With the strong scream, the black piano resumed his song but in a more outrageous and full of hatred way.
"Why did you go!"
The mare keeps playing, louder and louder the piano screamed the feelings of her master. Key after key, note after note. The soft and smooth song was turned into a roaring and savage symphony of destruction.
It was beautiful and fearsome at the same time. A wave of shivers crept from my ears through my spine and all across my tail. All the hairs on my mane and coat were being assaulted with every note she sent across the room and reverberated in my mind. I just stood frozen in place, hypnotized by the tones of hatred and love that were created by this mare. With a simple gaze at my side, I was able to see the dumbstruck expressions on the master and the bartender, prompting me to think that everypony was in the same state as me.
She didn't stop her strife, no, her hooves were punishing the innocent instrument for just being there, as if it was the source of her pain and sorrow. She took her revenge on that black and lustrous piano like if she was hate incarnate. The pristine white keys were screaming at us for help, but nopony help them. That piano was being filled with pain...
And we all just keep watching it.
Note after note we stood in place, frozen in time at the mare's command, waiting for whatever she has to send to come for us like the prey we were to her. We accepted our sentence as we were being judged by her song, note after note we felt for it...
And with one loud and cracked voice, she dictated our sentence…
"Why did you leave me!" shrieked the white mare with her eyes bloodshot and her fur damped with tears.
The piano went fortissimo with every note.
"Why you didn't take me with you!"
The melody felt to his climax, the notes were fast, ferocious and loud as thunders. The mare began to strike the piano over and over again until...
After one last and thunderous note, her hooves dropped down as stone. The piano echoed through the silent room full of dumb folded ponies that just were interchanging gazes between us. There was only the sound of the sobbing mare...
"Why I didn't die too..."
Everypony just stay silent. Not a single soul dared to disturb the sound of silence that just take over the bar. The sobbing mare was the only melody allowed at the moment.
"Why did you have to die..."
Not a single word was spoken, not a whisper could be heard.
I got closer to the mare and rested a hoof on her side. She rested her head on my shoulder and began to cry as if there were only the two of us.
The world disappeared as the mare freed herself from the weight she was carrying for Celestia's know how much.
For almost half an hour, she cried.
All the ponies around remained in silence as time passed by. A silent gesture was traded between the presents as I saw all of them.
Then.
She raised her head, and gave me a smile that not only melt what was left of my heart, it melted hers too. A smile pure as the snow that falls over the Crystal Empire. It was warm as the sun and her eyes were the brightest magenta I have ever seen in my life.
She dried her tears with her arms after giving me a thankful nod. Then, she turned back and glanced at the expectant the crowd. They were clearly mortified for her well being. All the ponies around exchanged dumb folded gazes, and with a single nod, they all exclaimed.
"'Well, we're all in the mood for a melody!"
The Piano Mare look at every single one of them and left a single tear roll through her face before her crackled voice could send a reply.
"And you guys are feeling all right..." whispered the mare.
With that sentence, she took her throne and began to play once again.
The bar was full of life again. The ponies were cheering at the Piano Mare and she was cheering them back. Instead of the symphony of destruction that she played not so long before, a soft melody of pure joy and happiness filled the crowded bar and at the same time, the heart of everypony.
“La la la, di da da,” sung the mare, “La la, di da da da dum.”
And with just that simple words, for a moment, we all forget about everything else, there were only us and her song as we all began to live again.
"Sing us a song you're the Piano Mare. Sing us a song tonight," cheered everypony, myself included.
It was an unforgettable night...
As critics, we have the obligation to the community to show everypony the best talents out there. We judge, and we give them value based on what they can do.
But... Their value isn't in what they can do, but in what they have endured.
This night I have seen not only what I agree is the best Maestro in Equestria, but a great mare and friend.
I can only encourage everypony to go to the Golden Hoof at least one time while in Canterlot.
I'm eager to go to the Golden Hoof once again another Saturday, and see this Piano Mare full in all her splendor.