Concerto for a Rainy Day

by _NAME_

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 6109

Individual raindrops fell like music notes in a grand symphony, and each passing second, music filled my head and my soul. A thousand melodies rushed through the air, each combining into one beautiful concerto of sound and atmosphere and emotion.

Individual raindrops fell like music notes in a grand symphony, each plain and dreary when alone, but when combined, they created something beautiful. With each passing second, music filled my head and my soul as the pouring rain fell all around me. Allegros flowed into andantinos and then shifted into solo pieces as rain pounded down on roofs or rushed down drainage pipes. A thousand melodies, all entwined with each other, rushed through the air, combining into one beautiful concerto of sound and atmosphere and emotion.

I let the rain pour over my body as I gazed up at the clouded skies. Memories of the sun and blue skies seemed like distant dreams, like fantasies brought on by the never-ending deluge.

~Inspired by Electric Light Orchestra's suite of the same name from their album 'Out of the Blue.'

Published 2013-10-11 18:10:03 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-11 18:10:03 UTC

Have You Ever Seen the Rain?

~Concerto for a Rainy Day~

Rcw99

Rain poured over my body as I strolled through the streets. I didn’t care about my coat or mane getting wet. I wore no hat or jacket, and the freezing rain bit into my skin with every passing second, but I gritted my teeth and pressed on down the road.

The hard cobblestone street underneath my hooves was slick and uneven and made walking difficult, but that didn’t stop the streets from being crowded with all sorts of other ponies. They passed by me, umbrellas covering up their precious clothes, trotting to parts unknown with heads held high and an air of superiority. They didn’t look at me.

I slowed to a halt on the corner, letting a passing taxi cab go by. I saw the driver’s eyes flick over me, but no other acknowledgement was given. He tilted the brim of his cap over his eyes and stared straight ahead. Through the tinted windows of his carriage, his passengers stared out into the drowned city and at its inhabitants.

There was a dip in the road on that corner where the rain was collecting in a puddle. Water flowed from up the street alongside the wall of a building and into the small indent.

I stared into that puddle and at the stallion staring out of it for what felt like an eternity. The stallion’s tired eyes, full of resigned sadness and pain, gazed back out at me, framed by his dark, matted-down mane. He looked every bit as depressed as the city and clouded sky above him.

When I blinked, he blinked as well.

When he sighed, I sighed with him.

The carriage passed by a few seconds later and I continued walking, leaving the puddle and my reflection behind. I wasn’t entirely sure where I was going, but I kept moving forward regardless. I wasn’t even sure how long I had been outside anymore.

I passed by a store that had posters in the window promoting their newest fashion line. A mare and a stallion were standing under the overhang and were peering into the window. The mare pointed to an outfit that one of the ponnequins was wearing and fluttered big, pleading eyes at the stallion. After some seconds of silent pleading, the stallion gave in and smiled at her and motioned for her to go inside. The mare squealed in delight and rushed in the door with the stallion following moments later, grumbling under his breath.

With a hoof, I brushed some of my water-laden mane out of my eyes and briefly wished that I had brought a jacket or umbrella of some sort as the deluge of rain began to seep into my bones. It was a harsh rain, and I was probably the only pony out that didn’t have a raincoat of some kind. Catching a cold was probably inevitable at this point.

My eyes lingered on the clothing store that the couple had disappeared into, but I saw the extravagant prices and gaudy outfits and continued walking. This wasn’t my part of town, no matter how many times I had travelled the streets before. I didn’t belong. I was a stranger wandering through a land I had no place in any longer. This was the upscale part of town, where all of the ponies were conceited and discussed things like politics or gossip over tea and scones. These sorts would never find themselves near my small apartment on the other side of town.

I sighed and stared up at the cloudy sky. It had been raining nonstop for days. The weather team gave some sort of official statement as to why so much rain was necessary, but I couldn’t remember what it was. As it was, the sun seemed like some distant memory, obscured by these clouds and this pouring rain that flooded the streets and engorged the river and made everypony’s week entirely miserable.

Of course, that being said, my week would probably have been miserable regardless of the rain or the weather in general. The past few weeks had not been enjoyable.

I jerked to a halt for a moment and tried to let the sensation of the rain teeming down over me wash away those wretched thoughts before they took hold again. I stood there as the rain streamed down from the sky, but I began to feel that familiar twinge of sorrow grip my heart again. I began to feel so isolated, so lonesome, despite the commotion around me.

Vigorously shaking my head, I strode down the street again, trying to focus my thoughts on other things. I weaved through the crowds of ponies who were still inexplicably roving around the city in the less-than-desirable weather. One would think that they would stay indoors lest their expensive manecuts or fancy clothing get ruined. But they braved the weather, bundled up in bright designer raincoats and gripping frilly umbrellas that barely looked like they'd hold up to a particularly large raindrop. They clogged up the streets like the rain that overflowed the gutters.

In front of me, there was a covered wagon slowly trundling through the streets. Its back flap had blown in from the wind and the inside of the carriage was getting wet. The wood and tarp glistened in the passing lamplight, but the cart’s insides and cargo remained shrouded in darkness, and covered in water. I walked behind it for a while, until it slowed to a halt on the side of the road. As I continued around it, the stallion pulling the cart unhitched himself and pulled his coat tighter around his body, heading to the back of the carriage.

I rounded the next corner and saw an old pegasus stallion curled up against the side of the building. Next to him was a soaked-through cardboard sign that probably hadn’t been readable for days and a small mug containing a few bits. He shivered and tugged on the edges of the frayed scarf he was wearing, as if doing so would keep out the rain.

As I passed by him, his head lifted and he singled me out from the crowd. I could feel his eyes on me and I glanced at him, unsure what his intentions were. He smiled a toothless smile at me, but didn’t make any other move. I kept a wary eye on him as he laid his head back down and was swallowed up by the crowd of ponies who couldn’t care less about him.

Overhead, in a flurry of raindrops, a pegasus swooped down and landed in the street. A few nearby ponies muttered in disapproval at the pegasus’ sudden appearance, but did nothing more. The pegasus in question, a stallion, as I saw, hurried back through the crowd, in my direction. He had a thoroughly soaked saddlebag clutched to his chest and a pair of goggles strapped over his eyes. As he neared, I stepped to the side and let him pass, but couldn’t help notice the misery evident in his expression, even through his attempts to hide it.

As he passed, I wondered if my own sadness and pain was etched onto my face as his was.

I continued walking for a little while longer. The earlier crowd of ponies had thinned out considerably. Where before the streets were congested, the cobblestone saw nary a soul save for myself and three or four other ponies. I quite preferred the relative serenity to the commotion from earlier.

As I wandered through the city, my mind turned to the rain as it cascaded down from the sky and rushed down the streets. Water splashed against my hooves and fetlocks as I trudged through puddles and rivulets. In my mind, there was something almost magical about the gloom and wan of the rainy weather the city had been experiencing. To my ears, the rain was like a song that sprang from all around me.

Individual raindrops fell like music notes in a grand symphony, each plain and dreary when alone, but when combined, they created something beautiful. With each second, music filled my head and my soul as the pouring rain fell all around me. Allegros flowed into andantinos and then shifted into solo pieces as rain pounded down on roofs or rushed down drainage pipes. A thousand melodies, all entwined with each other, rushed through the air, combining into one beautiful concerto of sound and atmosphere and emotion.

And it was perfect.

A fence and trees loomed out of the mist ahead of me and a small, deserted park came into view. I knew the park well, or, at least I did. On any other day, it would be filled with the shrieking laughter of foals or the quiet conversations of couples out on a romantic picnic or simply ponies who wanted to relax for a while. It was a place where the normally highbrow, harried ponies of this side of town could unwind and forget about appearances and status, for a little while at least.

Of course, there wasn’t a pony in sight as of now on account of the weather. In fact, as I approached, it appeared as if the entire grassy field had turned to mud and puddles. Leaves laid scattered across the ground, battered off branches by the pounding rain, leaving their trees barer than they should be for the time of year. A pair of playground swings swayed in a passing gust of wind and the small merry-go-round squeaked around in a circle.

Tentatively, I strode closer to the park and stood underneath the wrought iron archway that marked its entrance. After a moment, I took a step onto the grass, and shuddered as my hoof sunk into the soft muck the ground had become. The entirety of the park was flooded over, more or less a swamp.

I brushed my mane out of my eyes a second time and took another step into the park. A bench a few paces away caught my eye and I slogged towards it, silently hoping I wouldn’t get stuck in the mud.

Reaching the bench, I pulled my hooves from the ground and hoisted myself onto the seat. Whatever mud stuck on my hooves from my trek through the field was quickly washed away by the rain, only further adding to the mire below.

Finally off of my hooves, I began to feel just how tired I was beginning to get from my walk. I needed this small break if I were to make it back home at all. Letting loose a sigh, I leaned back and listened to the rhythm of the falling rain.

I closed my eyes a moment later, feeling relaxed enough to do so, but opened them almost immediately as my mind betrayed me again and began to drift to undesirable subjects unbidden. Scowling slightly, half in frustration and half in sadness, I instead focused my attention on the street across from me and the ponies that wandered it. It looked as if most of the ponies from earlier had moved over to this other street.

Discreetly, I observed the ponies as they went about their business. On the left, there was a mare dragging her foal, who was wrapped head to hoof in rain gear, out of one store and into the next, much to the foal’s dissatisfaction. A few buildings down from them, was a stallion in an expensive looking suit running down the street holding his briefcase above his head as protection against the rain. He passed by an elderly couple, who had smiles on their faces and a wing draped over the other, out for a stroll. Behind them was a young stallion balancing several large grocery bags on his back, obviously upset about his purchases getting wet. In front of him, there was a young unicorn stallion and pegasus mare with a blazing orange mane and the colorful raincoat I had given—

I felt my heart skip a beat and I turned my head away quickly, my breath catching in my throat. A mix of confusion and bitter resentment welled up in my chest as painful and recent memories swam to the forefront of my mind.

I had never once thought that I would see them of all ponies out on such a dreary day. In fact, if anything, I had gone out for my walk today with the express purpose of forgetting about them—of forgetting about her. The past few days cooped up in my home had been filled with a lot of regret and anger and grief.

I glanced up again and saw the tip of her tail vanish around the corner. I breathed a sigh of relief that I hadn’t known I was holding. I didn’t want to see them. I didn't want to see her. It was all much too soon. I went for a walk to clear my head, but now the thoughts I had wanted to push away had forced their way back and were filling me up, drowning me like the rain that was drowning the city. Water slid down my face and my snout, and I wasn’t sure if it was rain or tears.

Disheartened by the recent happenings, I tried to turn my attention back to the rain or the crowd or the buildings or the park or anything but the one thing my brain insisted on focusing on, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t. I found myself staring at the corner where her vibrant tail flicked around the edge of the building and out of my life once again.

In my mind’s eye, I could not stop replaying those last few seconds I had seen them before they disappeared, as they laughed at some unheard joke, bliss evident on both of their faces, despite the inclement weather. Her shining radiance stood out vividly against the colorless background of the surrounding buildings. I could still see that dazzling smile of hers as she gazed at him, and not at me.

I wondered when she had stopped smiling at me like that.

As I sat there in my pity, the rain’s melody turned dark and somber as thunder quietly grumbled in the distance, filling the concerto and sky with its deep bass. Wind whistled through the city like a mournful string section. The clouds seemed to grow even darker than they had been before and the air felt almost charged.

My eyes slid away from the corner and towards a large oak tree on the edge of the park. We had spent many a day under that tree, her and I. I could still hear her laughter ringing in my ears and the fragrant smell of her mane and that sweet smile on her lips as we relished each other’s presence.

But it had been a long time since then. It had been a long time since I had heard her laugh, and a longer time since her smiles were honest and innocent. The last time I had seen my ex-wife truly happy with me was at the end of our divorce hearing as she walked out of the court and into the embrace of the stallion she would marry a week later.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky suddenly, followed closely by a booming round of thunder. I tensed at the unexpected noise and shielded my head with my hoof as the rain poured down even harder than before.

My previous musings forgotten, I ran from the unprotected, open park and back into the relatively protected streets as the heavy droplets pelted my body. Lightning struck down into the ground, not a few strides away, illuminating the shadows of the city. I flinched violently at its close proximity, feeling the static lingering in the air, and darted under a building’s awning with some other ponies who had also taken shelter there.

A young filly, hardly older than two years, was crying at the top of her lungs, completely ignoring her parent’s attempts to soothe her. The mother rocked the filly side-to-side, quietly shushing her daughter, but the foal’s cries went on regardless. The father glanced at the two of them and closed his eyes and turned away, opting to look out over the street instead. The mare noticed his reaction and a small frown crossed her face.

A unicorn mare to my left retreated further under the awning and took off an expensive looking raincoat and dug through the pockets, looking for something. She floated a comb and mirror out of one of the many pockets with her magic and began brushing her hair, which had been tousled by the unexpected heavier rainfall.

Next to the mare, a middle-aged stallion was nervously drying off his glasses on his sopping tie, to no avail. After a couple of moments, he groaned and gave up, placing his glasses back on the bridge of his snout. He glanced down at the watch on his right foreleg and sighed for a second time, looking impatiently out into the rain.

The rain in question continued to rage in the streets. Droplets the size of small rocks fell to the ground with enough force to match hail. The previously crowded streets had been mostly abandoned, save for a few stragglers who still hadn’t found protection, but quickly did so.

The storm took on an angry tone as it continued to rage on, changing between lower and deeper pitches. The air was heavy and almost vicious as it tore through the city. The light-hearted concerto from earlier on had turned into something altogether different, terrifying and wild. I couldn’t help but shudder at the harsh music the weather was producing.

Another flash of lightning and its accompanying boom split the tempest. A large potted plant across the street toppled off its stand and shattered, spilling dirt all over the street, only for it to wash away immediately. A bottle clattered across the street, caught in the wind and smashed against a wall. The awning we were cowering under flapped violently and its metal supports groaned worryingly, but didn’t break.

Then, with no warning, a very frazzled looking pegasus plunged down from the sky and crashed in the middle of the street in a tangle of limbs and wings. The pegasus didn’t move right away, but then struggled to its hooves and raced towards the nearest shelter.

The pegasus barreled towards the awning I was under at full speed. The middle-aged stallion barely had time to move out of the way before the pegasus ran under the cover and collapsed against the wall, underneath a window. The pegasus, now revealed to be a she, clutched at her chest and took several, deep gasping breaths. The feathers of her wings, especially the left, stuck out at odd angles and a few even looked singed, most likely as a result of a close shave with some lightning. Numerous bruises from the rain began to make themselves evident through her coat.

The father of the screaming filly stared at the pegasus for a few moments before bending down and asking if she was alright. With obvious discomfort, the mare slowly nodded her head and let out a grunt of pain. The stallion probably would have done something more, but his wife caught his eye and scowled at him before he could say anything else. The stallion clenched his jaw and walked to the opposite side of the awning.

Things were relatively quiet for the next few minutes as we waited out the violent downpour. The filly’s cries had all but subsided and the only other sound beside the roaring rain was the pegasus mare’s labored breathing and the occasional annoyed grunt from the middle-aged stallion.

I peered inside the building we were standing in front of. It was a jewelry store. I could see a young stallion standing behind the counter lazily flicking through a magazine. He didn’t look to be particularly pleased to be working, judging by the look of exasperation on his face. A young mare was walking through the store, browsing the display cases, but didn’t seem to be buying anything.

A small pocket watch near the window caught my attention. It was largely silver, with some gold trim, and there was a hole cut into the center of the watch’s face so that the clockwork underneath was revealed. I couldn’t see the price, but I could only assume that it would set me back quite a lot. There was once a time when I could have afforded it, but that ended with my marriage.

Lightning lit up the skies again, but judging by the time it took for thunder to reach our ears, it was further away than before. I looked back out at the streets, only to see that the storm has lessened up considerably. Hesitantly, I approached the edge of the awning and glanced up at the sky. The violent squall had passed by and the rain returned to a calmer state.

Soon enough, all of the other ponies taking shelter in buildings or under awnings took notice of the calmer rainstorm and stepped back out onto the streets and continued on their business. Within minutes, the street was filled with ponies once again.

The middle-aged stallion was the first to leave our safe haven. He straightened his tie and peered out at the rain, before checking his watch for what must have been the twentieth time and setting off on a brisk trot to wherever he needed to be.

Next, the unicorn mare cleared her throat rather loudly and opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but she didn’t. With a flick of her head, she threw her raincoat over her shoulders. She checked her mane one last time in her mirror before taking off without another glance at me or the others.

The couple and their filly left soon after. The mare and her filly began to depart, but stopped when she noticed her husband was saying something to the pegasus mare, who still hadn’t moved from her original spot against the wall. The mare shouted at her husband and stomped over and practically dragged him away. The stallion yelled at her in turn and shoved her off of him and walked down the street, without waiting for his wife and daughter to follow.

I glanced at the fallen pegasus, unsure if she needed any help. She had been staring at the couple and their foal as they walked away, but as they turned the corner, she began to struggle to her hooves. She winced and grabbed at her left wing, which was looking worse for wear of the two. There must have been something broken, or at least sprained.

I gave her a half-hearted smile and took a step forward, intending to help her, but she waved me off. She eventually made it to all fours and staggered inside the jewelry store, her wing lying limp by her side. I watched through the window as she limped over to the desk and got the attention of the clerk. They spoke for a moment and she gestured to her wing. The clerk frowned and begrudgingly got up and found her a seat and went into the back, presumably to contact a hospital.

Seeing that she was in safe hooves, I turned away from the window and wandered back out into the streets and the rain. The sky flashed another time as lightning struck down in the distance. An instant later, the faint rumble of thunder followed behind.

The worst of the storm had ended, but the rain had not yet completely subsided. Rivulets of water flowed around and through the cracks and dips in the cobblestone street. Each stone glistened, reflecting the bright, vibrant lights that shone from the misty windows of storefronts cheerfully advertising the latest vices. Rain streamed from the sky and its melody had subsided from the dark and fierce verses back to its peaceful beginnings.

I passed by a plain-looking, timeworn store that seemed to be selling hoofcrafted glass objects. I stopped and peered into the display window and a small collection of delicately crafted, beautiful circus animals greeted me. Behind those, on a stand, were some pendants and bracelets that looked as if a stiff breeze would shatter them. The inside of the shop was small but brightly decorated. An old stallion was leisurely sweeping up the floor.

I turned away as a gust of wind blew overhead, tousling my mane. I glanced at the sky to see a group of pegasi pass over me. I watched as the one of them shouted something at the others and they all swooped upwards and disappeared into the cloud layer. The weather patrol was beginning to clear up the storm.

Almost immediately, the rain began to slacken into a light drizzle. I heard a few murmurs of appreciation from the other ponies that were around me as the pegasi went about their job. A few of them also stopped to look at the pegasi.

I started walking again, hearing the last vestiges of the rain’s music begin to fade away. The concerto was moving into its coda, its end. A pegasus removed a cloud, allowing a golden ray of sunlight to beam down on the ground in front of me, giving the city its first glimpse of the sky in days. I could see a few pegasi flitting around the sky through the holes in the clouds.

If the rain was a beautiful symphony, nothing was grander than that moment, that crescendo, when the sun broke through the clouds and shone light and warmth down on the world below. Rays of sunlight emanated down as the pegasi began to clear out the clouds faster, revealing large swatches of bright blue sky beyond. The final swell before everything came to a close.

Up above, the silhouettes of pegasi zipped around from cloud to cloud, clearing the sky of its oppressive weather. Piece by piece, section by section, the storm clouds were cleared and the rain disappeared entirely. One final raindrop landed on the bridge of my snout and then the sky was clear, save for its blue color and the bright sun, both of which had never been more stunning.

As I continued strolling, I watched as the other ponies who had braved the storm began to break free of their own coverings, pulling off thoroughly soaked jackets and closing up umbrellas and whispering amongst themselves about how glad they were the rain finally had let up. Smiles spread across their faces and postures visibly straightened as everypony’s mood improved with the weather, as if the disappearance of the rain had lifted some sort of spell.

The sun shone down, warming and drying the gloomy and drowned streets. Its warmth felt good against my damp coat and even I found myself humming under my breath as the city threw off its oppressive covering. I welcomed the sunny day with open hooves, even if it brought the end of the symphony with it.

Walking towards me was a young couple, leaning against each other. The mare had a closed and soaking wet umbrella in her magical grip and the stallion was wearing a set of galoshes. They both appeared relieved that the rain had stopped, if their expressions and the way they practically skipped through the streets said anything. It was like the entire world was suddenly opened up to them, where previously the rain had kept them trapped.

In fact, I could only assume that all across the city, ponies were coming back to life, quietly, and not-so-quietly, thankful that the rain had abated, silently applauding the end of the masterful symphony that had graced the city. It had been a beautiful piece of music, even if I was the only one to pay it any attention.

Truth be told, I was slightly disappointed that the concerto had ended, but I understood that it needed to conclude. It had been happening for days, and even the greatest symphony has to come to an end. Everything came to an end eventually.

I took a left at the next corner and found myself at a bridge that spanned the river that ran through town. It was a simple stone structure, intended only for hoof traffic, but large enough to allow small to medium sized boats to pass underneath. It connected the two halves of the city, the richer, upscale district I had been walking in and the more modest, middleclass section. There was larger bridge upriver, where heavier traffic could cross over.

I approached the bridge, gently pushing my way through a crowd of ponies enjoying their rediscovered sunlight. I drew to a halt at the middle of the bridge and looked out over the water. The river was engorged and overflowing from the lengthy rainfall. It lapped over the edges of the retaining walls and flooded several of the sidewalks that ran along its side.

I reared back on my hindlegs and rested my forehooves on the bridge railing. I gazed down at the water as it streamed underneath me. A few broken tree branches and other assorted debris washed in by the rain floated by, caught in the current.

Behind me, a barge sounded its horn as it approached the bridge. After a few moments, it drifted into view with what appeared to be several cargo crates strapped onto the deck. Two stallions were reclining against the outside wall of the control room. One of them saw me watching them and tipped his hat in greeting.

I raised a hoof in response, but the stallion had already turned his attention back to his coworker. I set my hoof back down and let out a resigned sigh. As I watched, the boat made its way downriver, growing smaller and smaller as it left. After a while, I couldn’t see it any longer.

As I stood there, I began to lose myself in the serenity of the city and the river and the scenery. Time passed by and ponies passed by, but I paid neither any mind. For once, my mind found something pleasant to focus on and I was content to let it.

Yet, soon enough, or possibly not, the midday sun slowly but surely, began its descent towards the edge of the horizon. Night was beginning to encroach on the day. The afternoon had slipped me by without my even realizing it.

It was then that I was awakened from my daze by the foghorn of a second boat as it approached the bridge. It blew its horn a second time and as it grew closer, I could see the grizzled, tired-looking captain steering in the cabin.

I blinked and stretched out my limbs, wincing slightly as my joints cracked and popped. I let loose a small yawn as the boat silently glided under the bridge. I leaned forward slightly, but not too far to fall off the railing, and watched as it passed.

The waves left by the boat’s wake crashed harmlessly into the sides of a channel marker that indicated the lane of travel for ships. Perched on top of the piling was a small bird and its nest. It sat there, its head swiveling around as birds do and then it squawked and took to the skies, quickly disappearing into the distance.

With the bird’s sudden departure, I looked to my right and saw a young unicorn mare also gazing out over the vista. She had a bright orange scarf wrapped around her neck that fluttered slightly in the breeze. Her mane and coat were damp, presumably from the rain, but still vibrant nonetheless. A small pair of glasses was perched on the bridge of her snout.

She must have felt me looking at her, because she glanced up abruptly and spotted me. She froze for a split second, as if unsure what to do, and then gave me a tiny smile. I grinned back at her, the barest hints of a blush finding its way to my cheeks.

As she stared at me, I found myself enthralled by her eyes. There was a luminosity to them that I hadn’t seen before in anypony else, even my ex-wife. I wasn’t sure how I felt, so I continued to stare at her, a smile still plastered on my face.

But then, the moment was broken as she brushed a strand of hair off of her forehead and turned her attention back towards the view. I could’ve sworn I saw a faint blush emerge on her face as she turned away. I watched her for a few more seconds, wondering if she was going to look back, but she didn’t. I averted my gaze back to the river, my ears drooping slightly.

As the sun began its descent, a few clouds drifted across the sky, acting almost as reminders of the storm that had smothered the city. I examined those clouds, searching for some discernible shape to them, but they just looked like clouds.

It was then I realized just how silent it was. Besides the soft murmurings of the ponies walking on the bridge behind me, the city was unnaturally quiet. No pouring rain beat out a steady rhythm on the pavement, no thunder crashed overhead, no storm roared through the streets. The music and noise that had previously filled my ears and mind for such a long time had all but vanished and was replaced by a stillness that seemed to permeate everything.

But, as I sat there, it struck me that, for all my captivation with the rain and its melodious splendor, I never took the time to listen to the silence of the city and all it encompassed. Underneath that calm, that peacefulness, there was something else, something that I couldn’t quite place, but was beautiful even so.

The rain, the sky, the silence, the music, the city, the ponies, this day, were all beautiful in their own right.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at where the mare was standing, but didn’t see her. I turned my head to look fully and she was nowhere to be found. In fact, the bridge was altogether deserted aside from one or two ponies heading to places unknown and a small cart filled with barrels that barely squeezed through the narrow bridge.

With a small sigh, I looked back over the river. The water was calm by now and almost perfectly reflected the surrounding buildings and the sky. I stared at my own reflection and he stared back up at me.

He wasn’t too terrible looking, to be honest. I thought back to earlier that day when my reflection in that puddle seemed as if he had been through battle. Of course, that being said, my earlier appearance was more a mirror image of how I felt inside. But now, as the weather had turned for the better, my emotions had drastically improved compared to the afternoon.

When I had set out for my walk in the pouring rain, I could feel all my problems and painful memories of my ex-wife weighing down on me, but now, as I sat here in the sunlight, I almost felt happy. I wasn’t’ certain if my mood had changed along with the weather, but I honestly didn’t care.

My reflection had a content smile spread across his lips, and I could only assume that I did as well.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, drawing in that cool, evening air. The sun hung lazily in the sky, but not low enough to create its dazzling orange sunset. A couple of pegasi flew across the sky, twirling about as they stretched their wings, and the earth ponies and unicorns were probably doing something comparable on the ground.

The city was alive again, and so was its inhabitants, and, dare I say, I as well. The rain had ended and with it, my walk and brooding introspection. But the end of the rain, the end of the concerto, had also brought with it blue skies and better times for all, myself included. I was truly happy for the first time in recent memory.

With a final glance at the sky, and a small chuckle, I got down off of the railing and walked back home, a slight bounce in my step.

~FIN~

Author's Note