The ballad of Octavia (Taya)
Just like other fillies, I was born the same colour as I am now. An off grey coat, And black hair. I did not like my appearance. I wanted to be a bright colour, just the colour of my eyes. They were the highlight of my appearance. Big and wide and a light purple, mixed in it was a sort of pinkish colour. It was as it my eyes could'nt decide, weather they wanted to be pink or purple. I loved them. I didint love them enough to be vain about them, but I did adore them very much.
The first time I saw a cello? It was at school. A nice gentelcolt came in and showed us some musical instruments. As soon as I lay my eyes on it, I fell in love with it. It was very shiny, big and had a resembelance of a violin.
At first I wanted to try the violin. I had a long relationship with that instrument. I smile remembering it. It looked very pretty to me. I thought that this might have been my destiny, to be a violin player. So, I asked the kind gentelcolt if i could use it. He let me hold it, and I was realy exited. He showed me the other part for it, it was small and gracefull-like.
He told me that he could not play the violin, but that it was played by moving the smaller stick over the strings of the bigger one. I asked him if i could borrow it, and he said that he would come back for it here in a week.
I was so exited, it seemed like the rest of the school day would never end. When it finnaly did, I raced home, exited to try out my new violin. My dad liked the idea, so we went out together and found a bookle to learn to use the violin.
I tried for two days to get it right, but it just kept squeaking and creaking. After the week was over, I gave the violin back to the gentelcolt, who took it greatfully and asked how i liked it.
“well, I tried a lot, but, I guess im just not meant to be a violin player.” I said.
“since you showed so much interest in musical instruments, then maybe you should try some other string instruments. Who knows, maybe that may even be your special talent.” i said, “ask your parents and maybe next day we coud go to my house next day, after school. I could show you all of my instruments.”
“oh, my gosh” i gushed. “that would be a dream come true!”
I asked my parents, and they met up with the guy, and agreed that it would be fine.
The next day i went over to his house, and we went to his instruments room.
It had lots of viollins, cellos, guitars, harps and double bass's.
I trotted over to all of them, holding them and trying them out. Eventually, I settled on the cello. It was just meant to be. The gentelcolt told me how to hold it, and he helped me to hold it hip, because it was pretty big and heavy. Untill the sun set, and the moon rose, he showed me how to play it.
I must admit, i learned pretty fast for a little filly that knew nothing about music. I felt great.
The next evening at dinner, me and my dad had a conversation.
“dad,” I started, “I think that my destiny is to be a cello player!”
“well, if you really love playing, then i think we should take it seriously. Next time you see him, you need to ask how much he is selling the filly cello for.” he said.
At first, I thought that he was joking. By the look on his face, he was serious. But he was serious. And i was happier than ever.
So, what happened next was pretty obvious. I asked the price, my dad asked a lower price, the gentelcolt asked a higher price that was lower than the first one, my dad agreed, next think I knew I was at his house, picking a filly cello with my dad.
Once I picked one, dad handed over the bits. I got to trot home with the cello strapped to my dads back, and I was so happy. That night, alone in my room I played. I poured my heart out into it, I played like never before. It was amazing, I must have playes for half an hour when it felt like one minute.
Suddendly, a knock came on the door, and my father came in.
I ghasped when i realized he had been listeneing.
“you know,” he said with a grin. “I never have heard you play up untill now. That was beautifull, Taya.”
I blushed. “I love playing cello. It fills my heart with joy.”
“also, i have to tell you something. Or, maybe show you somehting.”
He pointed to my flank. When his hoof touched it, i was shure i had gotten my cutie mark. Not looking at it, I raced to my closet, pulling out a full legth mirror that was my mother's. Positioning it so that i could stand on the bed and look at myself, I jumped up, closed my eyes and asked my dad ;
“is it pretty?”
“it is the most beautiful cutie mark I have ever seen.”
Not being able to resist anymore, I opened my eyes. I was shocked. The cutie mark stood out perfectly against my grey coat, it shone and boasted off my flank.
It was a music note the same colour as my eyes were. A treble clefe. It swirled gracefully, winding around my flank like it belonged there. I was stunned. I had not expected that my cutie mark would be a music note.
“we need to talk.” my dad said.
“oh, im sorry, dad, if you didint want me to be a musician.... I dont know how it happ-”
“oh, dear taya!” he cut in. “im not angry that you are a musician!” he waved his hooves, patting the spot next to him, a gesture that meant I should sit next to him.
I sat.
“we need to talk about... your mother.” he wavered against the words mother.
She died when she gave birth to me. I used to think that that was the reason of my dark colours, and my dad was horrified. He explained to me that it was'nt my fault.... things like that, and I felt better about it.
“she was a musician, too.”
I ghasped again. “she was?” i beamed with pride. “ what instrument did she play?”
“she was a violinist.” he gazed down at his hooves. “I thought that if you learned the violin, i would not feel so bad about her death. That you would remember her about me.”
I did remember that he was pretty unhappy when I could not play the small cello.
Time passed on.
When I got older, my passion for the cello did not decrease. It was my best and only friend. I played it when I was sad, when I was happy for someone....
The cello was there for me.
I did not play at a concert, because I had no intention of boasting. Therefore, none of my class had nay idea about my friend, I never brought her to school.
One day, there was a sad disiase going around, and my dad caught it. I stayed away from school on the days he felt worst; my school coud wait.
My dad was not getting any better.
One day when I did go to school though, I noticed a poster.
It was advertising about a musical competition, giving reward money of quite a lot.
I decided to enter it, the moany would be enough to pay for my dad's medical expenses, maybe enought to pay for my college.
The competition was a few months away, so I practiced next to my dad, while he slept or just sat there and listened.
Then, of course, came the fatefull day when he left me.
I was in rage, I almost smashed my best friend on the wall. Coming to my senses and realizing what I was doing, i stopped and kissed my cello. Leaving it in the corner, I ran to go visit my dad, at his new earthy home. The cemetery.
I prayed a couple times, rised, said goodbye and went home to make some dinner.
As much as I hated to say it, I was fine on my own. When my father was sick, he could not don anything but eat, sleep, and talk. He told me how to care for our puny garden, cook some things, and take care of the house. I was fine, without my dad. So for a while, I fared alone, in the house meant for three.
The competition came, and I was nervous, but ready.
There were lots of different instruments, each sounded differently to my ears.
When it was my time, I played my heat out. Now, I could have just said, that i never played better in my life, but that would be a lie. I did play better. The time I played, and my dad was listening intently. At the end of the song, my dad was gone.
As I trotted home from my competition, I thought about that. One single tear slid form my eye and fell onto the soft grass I was trotting on.
The day wore on, and so I decided to get some sleep.
The next day at school, I was recognized as Taya the cello player. This brought me great pleasure. I did love the cello. I did want to be called Taya the cello player.
Everyone who was watching the competition said that I did great, and the judges would have to be deaf to not give me the prize.
I was suprised, i was ussually the one who was just quiet in the corner, never being called on, or talked to. I cowered from the attention. I had to admit, I was kind of shy.
So, the next day at school, the results of the musical talent competition were announced.
I came in first.
I did not know how good the students were at musicals here, I was a little new. Maybe I should have.
Well, anyway. I used the money for school, and moving into ponyville. I loved it there, And I got a job at canterlot that i loved. Here at ponyville, I actually met the elements of Harmony!
But thats another Story.
THE END.
