Three Keys

by Noble Theory

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Octavia, Adventure, DJ P0N-3
Length: 1881

When Octavia's musical endeavors cause her to become interested in completing a concerto of the great and eccentric Neighthoven. Events unfold that leave her holding onto the reigns of reality for dear life!

Octavia is a maestro of the musical art form and a brilliant composer. Her concertos and orchestral arrangements can be heard from where Celestia's sun sets to the place where Luna's Moon rises. However when her musical endeavors cause her to become interested in completing a concerto of the great and eccentric Neighthoven. Events take place that leave her holding onto the reigns of reality for dear life!

Published 2013-10-05 17:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-05 17:00:01 UTC

Chapter 1 : The Crystal Concert

Octavia took a deep breath as she peered out from behind the stage door that lead into the open air of the Crystal Concert Hall. A few butterflies began to make their presence known from within her diaphragm. Giving meaning to the words that a single flap of there wings could cause chaos on the other side of the world. Quickly she caught and caged them to the furthest reaches of her mind. This is it -she thought. As she gazed out to meet the plethora of faces before her. Her eyes stopping to fixate on ones of noble decent. Everypony is here Oh Celestia I hope this goes well!

Months had been spent rehearsing for this moment not to mention the years of work Octavia herself had spent creating the score. She had focused a considerable amount of time and energy into working out the melodic subtleties of individual harmonies that arose within the intervals of her music. Carefully pruning the half tones and full tones like a shepherd tends to her flock; Octavia reflected on all the past work, meticulously reviewing the score in her mind. She knew she had accounted for every unknown. Well every save one-"Oc-TA-vi-ah!!"-and here it was right on cue, she sighed.

"Oc-TA-vi-AH!?", again came the shrill cry that resonated throughout the backstage of the concert hall in a sing song like manner. Quickly Octavia shut the stage door before the cry could pierce the ears of the audience beyond.

"Oc-TA-vi-Vinyl keep you voice down!!", came the sharp reply as she turned to face her friend.

"Oh hey there you are Octavia!" her voice dropping a few decibels, "I was looking all over for you."

"Yes well here I am.", she answered in a short horse whisper of a voice.

"What are you doing here?", asked Vinyl.

"I was just-" Octavia started before being cutoff.

"-You are having stage fright aren't you?" Vinyl had an incessant way of being direct and to the point. A trait that Octavia found both endearing and infuriating at times. "Well aren't you?" Answered Vinyl to her blank stare.

Right now Octavia felt like Neighthoven's 5th symphony was reaching its crescendo within her brain.

"No Vinyl I am not having any stage freight I was just contemplating the varying harmonic intervals that are present within the score" She stated matter-of-factly. As the 5th began to diminuendo.

"Oh, well that's great because I was hoping you could help me out with mine" Vinyl said .

Octavia caught herself, "You!? You have stage freight?!" Vinyl's face said nothing. "I'm sorry but is this the same Vinyl Scratch that once did a flash-mob performance in front of her Royal Highness on her coronation day?.. While all of Equestria was watching? Not to mention the fact that you were lucky her Highness joined in. Otherwise you could have been jailed! What were you thinking anyway!?" Vinyl's face remained as hard as stone, Octavia continued to pontificate. *Sigh* "I mean of course every performer experiences a little stage freight its only logical in fact its completely scientific. The thought of performing in front of a large crowed triggers a fight or flight response within the sympathetic nervous system which then intern causes a calcium ionic exchange of electrons between the dendrites of the brain cells. Which then induces a.... " At this point Vinyls attention had long since been focused elsewhere. However she kept a keen ear peeled for when her friend would finally reach the conclusion she wanted her to, and come up for air.

The increasingly hyper rant from Octavia continued. " ....And that's why we rehearsed as many times as we did. Using the classical 4:2 method to build muscle memory so that in the end we wouldn't even have to think about notes since they would just come naturally and... uh Oh wait" Octavia paused and drooped her head. "You did it to me again didn't you?" She said sheepishly.

Vinyls long stoic face burst into laughter "Ha Ha!! Yep it works every time! I come to you with a 'problem' and it ends up solving your own!"

"You'd think I'd learn already wouldn't you?" said Octavia smiling weakly.

"But you never do" chuckled Vinyl, "Now come on we got a concert to perform!" she began to turn and trot away. Octavia now humbled by her friends form of Socratic questioning felt safe in reveling the full extent of her fears.

"Vinyl wait a moment please." Vinyl stopped. "It's true I do have a little stage fright but that's only part of the problem.The other part is... well, you know the idea" Octavia said.

Vinyl's face went white. "You have got to be joking" she said.

"Well if you're going to take it that way."

"No no" said Vinyl. "it's just that I can't believe you would doubt yourself that much. I mean you've worked on this for years."

"I know it's just that- "

"Nope not another word sister" said Vinyl.

"~But"

"Not another word the audience is going to love it!!"

*Sigh* "you're right" Octavia said.

"That's the spirit! Now come on are we going to go out there and drop da Bass or what!?"

"Indeed we shall." smiled Octavia.

Author's Note

My only hope is that this is not to obfuscatious.

Chapter 2 : Resonate Crystals

As the last beam of light from Celestia's sun disappeared behind the far off ice-capped mountains of the north. The glistening lights of the Crystal Hall whose radiant power stemmed from the magic of crystal fires began to dim. Signaling the end of pleasantries though out the hall. A hushed silence fell across the concert hall as everypony took to there seats and waited with heightened anticipation for the show to begin.

The hall itself was packed. A full house. The tickets for the premiere showing of "Resonate Crystals" conducted, performed and co-written by Equestrial renowned Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch. Had sold faster then any in recorded history. The sheer prospect of potential revenues from the event had caused the hall oversight comity to lift the " No cloud seating ban " which had been continually in effect since the inauguration of the open aired amphitheater.

The time had come. From back stage Octavia straitened her pink bow-tie and gave a hooves up sign to Vinyl. Here we go she thought. As she stepped out from behind the stage door to a cacophony of thunderous applause.

Octavia gasped. The sheer roar from the the sound of over 10,000 ponies clopping was enough to make the stage shake with the ferocity of a small earthquake! Carefully gathering her wits about her .Octavia continued steadfastly trowed the conductors stand while wondering what Vinyl thought of all this. She reached the stand (applause still roaring) and waited for Vinyl to take her place. When Vinyl had done so she signaled that she was ready. Both of them turned to face the audience and gave an elegant bow. When they finished bowing, they turned back to prepare for concert ahead.

Octavia grasped her baton and tapped it lightly on the conductors stand signaling the rise of the curtain. All eyes focused on the immense shroud shielding the orchestra from view as it slowly began to ascend reveling a spectacle of spectacular beauty from behind.

The audience grappled in disbelief, there eyes dazzled by the beautiful lights that seamed to dance and sparkle between the instruments of the orchestra bathing them in a ethereal glow. They were made from pure crystal!

A small cheer broke out over the breathtaking beauty of the spectacle that devolved into an outright applause from everypony.

Octavia's face beamed with joy. Vinyl was right she thought. What had she been so concerned about? Octavia straitened up and rose her front hooves high into the air. Signaling both the ceasing of applause and the ready-meant of the orchestra. The audience went silent and the orchestra took to its places. Down came her hooves cueing the ensemble to begin.

First the violins there soft yearning sound flowing from the stage in want of completeness. Then came the cellos answering there call with a soft low hum that resonated through out the hall. The clarinets caught wind of exchange and voiced there opinion in a quick succession of high pitched notes. This alerted the brass section and the trombones thundered there disapproval of the clarinets view point, but violins defended them with a volley of low marcato notes rapidly descending. The timpani now decided to join the fray. Following the lead of the violins it synced itself to there crescendos loudly voicing its approval. And so the ensemble continued. The violins would rise up and there opinions would be shot down. The trombones would loudly join the fray but there augments would be found full of hot air and so dissipate quickly. Crescendo, diminuendo, dissonance and resonance. Harmony and discord. Like the rise and fall of an oceans tide the music flowed from the stage. All controlled buy a single hoof stroke from Octavia.

In her right hoof was held the power of time. Marking out the tempo that the tide of the orchestra would fallow. While in her left was held the power of dictation. Controlling the over all harmonic phrases of the music. While commanding the entrance of individual instruments to the score.

Octavia was at the center of what seemed like a whirlwind, whose melodies spiraled all around her reacting dynamically to her every motion. She could sense the conclusion that the flow of music was leading up to. The crescendo that she and Vinyl had worked so hard on was close at hand. The music began to diminuendo in preparation for the coming climax. Her eyes locked with Vinyls. It was time, this was her cue. Vinyl silently acknowledged and began to manipulate the keys on her control table. Suddenly a bright shaft of light shot from the control table illuminating a large crystal behind the orchestra in a soft red glow. The crystal began to vibrate producing a low ethereal like note that seamed to resonate with the other crystal instruments on stage. Then a second beam of light shot from Vinyls table illuminating yet another crystal. Which produced a high note and radiated a light green. By this time the orchestra was ascending chromatically. Producing soft tones that complimented the sounds emanating from the crystals.

The stage had become a sensational display of unearthly colors accompanied by celestial melodies. Its aurora captivating all that marveled at its magnificent canvas.

Ascending orchestral scales had turned into a fury of tonal madness as every instrument sounded like the judgment of god was at hand! As the piece began its final crescendo it rose to its full might. Jumping two octaves and holding them for half a minute before tenaciously descending to a low D flat minor. Whose thundering tone reverberated through out entire the hall. Shattering crystals left and right!

Alla fine*. It was done. Octavia nearly collapsed from exhaustion. Behind her the audience was in an uproar. Cheers and shouts of "Bravo!!" "Bravo massimo!!" echoed far out across the frozen plains. And deep into Luna's still night.