Chapter: The Sound of Harmony
Bright stars blanketed the Equestrian night sky, casting darkness over the whole of ponyville and all it's surrounding areas.
But all was not lost, for there was a single sliver of light present. The moon, great overseer of princess Luna's night, shone brightly down upon a crowd made up of hundreds upon hundreds of ponies. But the moon princess was not the one receiving their praise for such a wonderful sight. No, instead, if one were to look, they would all be seen screaming in delight and raving uncontrollably
This screaming rang throughout the night, carried by the wind all through ponyville. But the blissfully unaware citizens of this fair town were all fast asleep, so they could not hear it.
No, the only one to hear this cacophonous noise was it's intended target, a shadowed figure hidden behind a pair of purple curtains drawn upon a grand stage. And she loved it. As the lights of the stage lit up, bathing the area in a wash of yellow, out stepped...
Vinyl Scratch tossed her mane back and forth, readying herself as she prepared to step out onto the stage. She could hear the passionate chants of her fans, her people.
She ruffled her wings and smiled. A smile that soon turned into a grin as she gave one final look into the hoof mirror she kept with her.
It soon disappeared however, as she set the mirror down, took off her sunglasses, and opened her eyes, revealing their deep crimson color.
Before stepping out onto the stage, she used her telekinesis to float a set of earphones onto her neck.
She stood up, turned towards the curtain, and flung it open with her magic, revealing her self to the world.
A serious expression adorned her features, even as she listened to the raving of the crowd. But when she got up to the mic stand at the front of the stage, that expression vanished, to be replaced by a grin once more.
She took a moment to savor the sound, closing her eyes and waiting until her arrival quieted the last of the onlookers. Then, with a deep inhale, she shouted,
"One heart! One mind! One sound!"
With that said, she waited for her words to sink in for all present. When they finally did, she was delighted to hear them return her chant.
This lasted for only a moment however, until it was gone, and she continued speaking.
"These words have been our motto ever since the first of us came together to join in the harmony of music."
Another loud cheer.
"And as I stand here on this stage today, I see that these words have never rung more true, than they do tonight. Right here. Right now."
This time, her words were met with patient silence.
"For the longest time, we have strived to spread the magic of sound all throughout Equestria, and even Equus itself. We have shared in each other's sounds and lived to gift others with the love of music that we all share."
This was met with agreement from all in the form of incoherent murmurs.
"And we have not done it alone! All of you have done your part to foster teamwork, love, and acceptance of others in all those around you. We now have hundreds, even thousands of brothers and sisters who have sworn to follow in our path toward the One True Sound."
A bout of applause from the crowd rose up into the air, but it was stopped with a single hoof stomp from Vinyl.
"But! We must remember that that journey cannot be achieved until all in Equestria have experienced our sound. Until all have learned to accept others for their sound, for who they are, as well. Each pony's sound is unique. It is what makes them who they are! It's the beating of their heart, the sound of their hoofsteps, the rhythm of their breathing, the very sound of life itself! But we cannot win this battle unless more of us rise up! Rise up to aid in the fight against discrimination!"
Another bout of applause.
"And it is with that in mind, that I have something to show you all. Or rather, someone."
A chorus of Ooh's and Aah's sounded from the crowd.
"She empathizes with our cause, and has saw fit to join us on our journey. She wants to lend us her strength, along with her talent, and show the world what they are missing. Introducing: Octavia!"
With that, a gray earth pony stepped out from behind the curtain and stood next to Vinyl, who smiled down at her when she saw that she was blushing, no doubt from all the attention. Oh , how shy she could be.
"There's nothing wrong." She whispered to the mare. "No one here will hurt you. We are all family here. Go on, say hi to your brothers and sisters."
Octavia looked up and smiled nervously, waving a hoof at the crowd, who cheered at her action.
Some stallion screamed, "Woohoo, Octavia!", causing her to blush and grin widely, a bundle of nerves even as she smiled her best smile for them all. She was also sweating, which only served to make it that much worse. Or did it? She didn't know. This was her first time in such a spotlight after all.
Seeing the mare's trembling forehooves, Vinyl continued to speak, drawing attention away from Octavia and onto her as she said,
"I am extremely proud to announce that, because of the talent she has shown, a talent you will all get a taste of soon enough, she will be joining us as none other than my own personal student from this day forth!"
Yet another round of cheers. Vinyl looked down at Octavia and smiled, asking, "So, what do you think? Feel like playing something for us?"
Octavia nodded, calming down as she was finally able to do something she was a little more comfortable with. "Yes!"
And so, with that, She pulled out her cello and began to play, losing herself in her music and forgetting about the crowd entirely.
Vinyl walked off, heading back behind the curtain. She spared a glance back behind her, and smiled at what she saw. There sat Octavia, on her little stool, playing her heart out on her cello, not the slightest bit worried about who was watching her or how many people there were. It was just her and the music. Like it should be.
Some time later, Octavia returned back behind the curtain, a huge smile on her face.
"So, how was it out there?" Vinyl asked without even looking up from her hoof mirror. The sudden voice startled Octavia and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Ahhhh!" After catching her breath, she finally spoke. "Oh, well, it was fun! There were so many people cheering for me!"
"And how did that make you feel?" Vinyl asked.
The sudden question surprised Octavia and she lost her train of thought. When it finally returned, she said, "Well...I suppose it felt...good."
"Not that, Octavia.I'm not just asking about how it felt to be praised for your performance. I'm asking how it felt to perform in general."
Octavia seemed to understand this a lot easier than before. "Oh! It felt wonderful. It was like I was floating higher and higher into the air with each note I played, becoming more and more at one with my music. The only thing I could hear was the sound of the melody in my ears."
"Good. You're starting to understand." Vinyl said, confusing the mare once again.
"Understand what, Princess?" Octavia asked.
"Don't you get it yet? That feeling is what i've been trying to teach the whole world to feel." Vinyl sat back in her chair and sighed heavily, a smile coming to her face. "To just sit back and enjoy one another's sound, their music, without the need for prejudice and the belittling of others because of their tastes. I want to make a world bound together by true, pure musical harmony. And I want you to help me make it."
Vinyl pointed a hoof at Octavia upon saying this, causing her to blush. "Y-y-you want me?"
Vinyl nodded. "That's right. Your performance out there proved to me that you were the only one who could help me."
Octavia looked away, embarrassed. "B-b-but, me...I..."
"Octy, do you know why ponies dance?" Vinyl suddenly asked, causing the gray mare to look at her in confusion yet again.
"Um...no, I don't...think so...why?"
"The answers very simple actually. It's because they can't help themselves."
"W-what do you mean, Princess?" Octavia asked.
"When a pony dances, it's not done out of thought. It's a reaction to a feeling of excitement brought about by the sound of the music in their ears. Something about it, whether it be the bass, the beat, the words, or even just the voice if it's a song, causes a pony's body to move on it's own. And if it doesn't do that, it incites a different feeling. Every fiber of their being, in that one moment, is telling them to move, or to feel, or to simply listen. It can't be stopped, because it's not a conscious feeling. Even when you decide to dance on your own, the decision is born not from your own mind, but from something in your subconscious, something instinctual. Something primal. Those moments when you think you don't like a song, but you listen to it anyway? Do you understand what i'm saying?"
Octavia simply looked at her. "U-Uhm..."
"It's because the music resonates with you in a different way. Everywhere has it's own style of music, and they all communicate different things in different ways with their music. It's not about how a pony feels about a song, but how it makes them feel. It's not about your skill with an instrument, or how well you can sing. Anypony with enough practice can play an instrument. No, that's not important. It's about the ponies whose hearts your music touches, Octy. That's what it means to be a musician. That's what it means to play music. And if your music has no core, no heart, it won't reach anyone."
Octavia was entranced, taking in every word from this wild maned alicorn in front of her. But she noticed that she had begun veering off topic. There was no doubt she had a point to her madness. Her only question was, what was it?
Vinyl seemed to notice this and apologized. "Ah! Forgive me. It seems i've lost my way in a forest of words. What i'm trying to say is, Music is about laying bare your wants and desires, your dreams and hopes, all in one song. It's a form of self expression. A story to tell the audience. But in order to tell that story, there has to be something you want. Something you want to show the audience every time you get up on stage. Whether it be your struggles in life, or your joyous experiences. you have to have something to tell them. A reason for picking up that cello. Right now, your music doesn't have that. It's too structured, too orderly. It doesn't speak of life experience or true joy. The only thing I hear from it, despite it's beautiful tones, is lonely nights spent perfecting an art that you have long since forgotten the purpose of."
"And what is music's true purpose, Princess?" Octavia asks, genuinely curious.
Vinyl turned her chair around and looked Octavia dead in the eyes. "I'm afraid that's for you to find out on your own. Find that reason, Octy. Find your drive. Find the true purpose of music. That is your lesson. Your mission. You understand?" She smiled.
Octavia finally understood. She had been so afraid of stepping onto that stage at first, but as soon as her beloved cello was in her hooves, she forgot all about it and just played her music. She was worried about what the crowd would think of her, all the way up until she started playing. And when she was done, it was like she was waking up from a dream. A dream where all her worries were nonexistent. Where she could play and not be judged. And now she had to spread that same feeling to the entire world. And she wouldn't be alone. But first, she had to find her reason for playing. Her motivation for joining them. Her drive. And she was ready to start looking.
"Yes!"