Chapters "Well this is grand. Not only do I have a bag of sweets. I now own a snow cello." Treblen hummed
to himself as he made his way from the shop. But his happiness was short lived as his head began
to pound like an anvil. He began to stumble as the pain increased in tempo causing him to have
to brace himself against a wall.
"Should have known better then to play this thing." Treblen said to himself through gritted teeth.
It was taking all his concentration to keep his legs from buckling from the pain now shooting
throughout his body.
"Hey mister are you all right?"
"Huh?" Treblen lifted his head to find a gray pegasus standing next to him.
"You don't look so good."
"Its just a migraine." He said trying to keep himself standing. "I just haven't eat yet that's all."
He said as a forced smile came across his face.
"Are you sure your ok?" Her yellow eyes showing concern.
"Yeah I'll just eat one of my muffins and I'll be fine."
"You have muffins!" The mare shouted, a smile painted on her face.
"You know yelling doesn't help my head."
"Oh I'm sorry." She mumbled, her muzzle turning bright red.
"Its fine, here have one." He said as reached into one of his bags. "Do you like english muffins?"
"Blah." She stuck her tongue out.
"Ok, so no to the english muffins." Treblen said digging back into his bag. Another wave of pain
washed over him and Treblen as forced to sit down. "Here you look." He said as he tossed her
his bag. He took out a small bottle out of his other bag and uncorked it.
"What's that?" The mare asked looking up from his bag.
"You don't want to know." Treblen said as as drank its contents. It tasted like tar and burned like
fire as it washed down his throat. "Hayden can sure make a good potion." Treblen thought as
he coughed to clear his throat.
"Here you go mister." The pegasus said give him a toffy muffin.
He was about to thank her when a cyan pony yelled at them.
"Hey Derpy hurry up every pegasus has to be at the wings meeting."
"Oh sorry Dash." Derpy said as she handed back Treblen his bag. She flared her wings and
started to take off.
"Hey wait." He shouted at the mare. "Here take this as my thanks Derpy." He pulled out a small
parsel of muffins and tossed it to her.
"Really your giving me some of your muffin?" Derpy asked with a puzzled look on her face.
"Yeah and there's no english ones" He said with a smile.
"Hurry up Derpy" The cyan pegasus shouted again.
"I got to go, thanks for the muffins." She called back as she started to fly away.
"How about next time I'll treat you to some fresh ones." He yelled as he waved goodbye.
"Sure, that would be fun." She waved back as she flew out of his view.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So you had to take the potion?" Hayden asked as he gathered up the ingredients to make
another bottle.
"Yeah, you need to make them taste less awful." Treblen said as he pulled the cello from
its case.
"Its not suppose to taste pleasant, and it didn't help you drank before you took it." Hayden replied
glancing over his shoulder.
"Hey I said I was sorry about that and I also ate something so it shouldn't have effected it."
"That's not the point Treble, you know what can happen when you mix cider with this stuff."
"Yeah I know, how are your wings by the way?" Treblen asked trying to change the topic.
"There fine, don't change the subject." Hayden scolded.
Treblen just sighed. He never could win a argument against Hayden.
"Hey Treble you know Im not trying to be a jerk put you know I only do this cause I.."
"Don't finish that sentence please." Treblen said putting his hoof up.
"Sorry but you know its true." Hayden said going back to his potion."So how did you get the
cello Treb?
"Oh I was exploring Ponyville and I found this store an I saw it in the window, so I went in an
I bought it." Treblen said polishing the cellos neck. He didn't have the heart to tell Hayden he
got it for free.
"Oh really? How much did you pay for it then?" Hayden inquired.
"About fifty bits." Treblen shrugged.
"Now let me get this straight, you got a Stradivarius cello well worth a couple thousand bits for
only fifty?"
"Uh oh this won't end well for me." Treblen thought bracing himself for a tongue lashing.
"Sounds about right to me." Hayden hummed as he began to stir the brew.
Treble faltered. "Hayden believed that thin lie. Somethings up."
"By the way Treb I have something to show you after Im done making this." Hayden hummed,
mischief sparkled in his eyes.
"Hayden what have you been up to?" Treblen asked, nervousness filled his voice. Hayden had
a streak for having mad scientist impulses, which was why he lived on a mountain instead of
living in Ponyville.
"Oh relax I haven't made another golem Treb." He said with a laugh. "Although I do miss Hecter,
he was so full of pep." He pulled on his necklace to see the gold gear that once belong to his
mechanical friend.
"Anyway can I see that bottle cause the potion is done." Hayden said reaching back toward
Treblen.
"Oh yeah you kind of need that." Treblen said rubbing the back of his head as his face turned
a little red.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Here hold this." Hayden said passing Treblen his torch.
"Why did you put your workshop inside of the mountain?"
"One my workshop is in the old barracks, this is my Tinker Lab. Two remember what happen when
my clockwork dragon Percy got out." Hayden said defensively.
"Oh yeah. Did Hoofdale ever figure out that was you?" Treblen asked. That was the day Hayden
lost his beloved Hector.
"Am I in prison." Hayden chuckled as he punched in the combination to he steel door leading into
his lab.
"Why did you even make a dragon anyway?"
"Cause I could." Hayden said with a shrug.
There was a loud click as the final mechanism slid into place unlocking the foot thick double doors.
Treblen was still amazed when he was allowed in Hayden's Tinker Lab. Pipes lined the walls and
ceiling, catwalks lead to what seemed like endless space for all of Hayden's toys and work bench's
of things yet to come.
Hayden smiled as he flicked the heavy power switch turning the four massive steam generators
humming. "Its amazing what magic and metal can inspire." He said looking out over his shop floor.
"Why did you make it so you could fit an entire army in here and still have room?" Treble asked
staggered by the scale of the room.
"A colts got to have room to let his baby's flex there muscles." Hadyen said as they made there
way down the brass spiral staircase.
They reach the shop floor and where greeted by a soft crimson mare with a set of welders
goggles hanging loosely on her head, her sliver mane tied back into a ponytail.
"Welcome back Hayden." She said with a smile.
"Its nice to be back Petunia." Hayden said returning the smile.
"And I see you brought Treblen with you." Her emerald eyes falling upon him.
"Yes, by the way could you locate project five-two-eight-four for me please?"
"Processing.....item found in secture four, table twelve." She answered as her eyes shifted to
yellow as her memory place where the project was.
"Would you please fetch it for me?" Hayden asked polity.
"Right away sir." She said as two flaps opened on her back allowing two mechanical wings
to unfurl. She flapped once and she was in the air making her way to the projects location
"Man that still freaks me out." Treblen whispered when she had flown out of earshot.
"Your right those springs aren't releasing soon enough."
"WHAT! Your kidding me right. Two wings just came out of her back and then she flew off!"
"What? That's how I designed her." Hayden answered as he put a heavy leather apron on.
"But why did you have to give her wings!?"
"Cause propellers would have been to clunky." Hayden said as he pulled his goggles down
over his eyes.
"I don't get you sometimes." Treblen said as he face hoofed.
"Could you turn on the gas for me?" Hayden asked ignoring Treblen's last comment.
Treblen did as he was asked and walked over to the gas nozzle and turned it till Hayden had
a hot flame coming out of his torch.
"So what are you making?" Treblen shouted as he walked back over to Hayden.
"Some replacement feathers for Petunia. I'm making these ones out of a stronger alloy." He
said as he brought a hammer down on the metal feathers.
"How can you make those so accurate?" Treblen asked in awe has Hayden plunged it into
a trouf of water.
"Practice and skill." He said as he examined his handy work, it looked just like the real thing.
"Hayden I have project five-two-eight-four, where should I set it?" Petunia asked as her hooves
touched the stone floor, clicking softly.
"Thank you Petunia just set on the table three." Hayden said putting the finishing touch's on the
last of her replacement feathers. "Now would you be so kind to sit here on this stool."
"Yes Hayden." Petunia said, as she sat down allowing her wings to fully extend to be worked on.
"This won't take but a minute." He said as his hooves seemed to blur as he removed the old
feathers and replaced them with the new ones.
"So whats in the box?" Treblen wondered as his eyes shifted form them to the box.
"Could you pass me that flat headed screwdriver Treb?" Hayden asked, focusing on the task at
hoof.
"Which one?"
"The wood handled one." Hayden replied removing his goggles from his head and loosing his
apron, it was always easy to fix her wings "That should be it Petunia." He said as he tightened
the three springs in her right wing. "Give them a test flap if you would please."
"That feels much better Hayden." She said flexing her newly feathered wings. "They feel much
lighter."
"Good, hopefully these won't break as easily." Hayden sighed, as he wiped the sweat from his
forehead. "They also compliment your coat much better then the old ones."
"Oh...thank you they really do." She mumbled as her cheeks began to turn red.
"Now back to what I brought you here for Treblen." He said as he made his way over to the
box sitting on the table." You know that every time you want to leave here you have to go down
that old trail right." Hayden said as he dug into the box throwing straw out of his way.
"Yeah I know, so you did..?"
"So I thought why walk when you can fly." He said pulling a set of wings out of the wooden box.
"These Treb are a set of pseudo mechanical wings." Hayden said with a proud look on his face.
Treblen just shook his head. "Hayden you and your ideas."
"Hey! Would you please try them first before you shove them off to the side." Hayden retorted
defensively.
"Oh fine. but Hayden I'm a earth pony I'm no pegasus." Treblen stated in hopes to talk some
sense into his friend.
"Ah but here's were magic comes into play."Hayden said motioning to the glowing spheres built
into the wings. "These will pick up your muscle signals and translate them into wing movement."
"Ok, so do they work?" Treblen wasn't a hundred percent sure they would.
"Just try them on will you." Hayden said as he undid the leather belts of the wings harness.
Treblen really didn't want to but Hayden had put a lot of time and effort into them and he didn't
what to hurt his long time friends feelings.
"OK fine, I'll try them but your going to have to help me put that thing on."
Five minutes later after a lot of awkward movements, swearing, and fits of the giggles Treblen had
the wings strapped to his back and was gingerly testing his movement.
"So how do I make these things flap?" Treblen asked, adjusting the harness so it would fit more
snug.
"Move your shoulder muscles like you would if you were going to take a step." Hayden answered
as he made some final tweaks to the wings.
"Ok, so like this." Treblen said as he moved his shoulders causing the wings to flex and then flap
a few times."
"Yeah like that." Hayden excitedly spoke. "Get yourself a good rythem and then take off." He said
as he did the action with his own wings.
"So like......WOW! Hey Hayden look I'm flying!" Treblen gleefully shouted as he flew around
Hayden's lab.
"See I told you they would work." Hayden shouted back as Petunia joined them in there flight.
"Wooo! Hayden why didn't you give me these earlier." Treblen shouted.
Hayden only sighed as his friend took off in a race with Petunia.
"Treblen I know these won't cure you of your curse, but anything I can do to make you forget
about it for a little while I will gladly do it." He said to himself as he shot after them.
"Mmmm whats that smell?" Treblen mumbled as he rose from his bed. "Uugh why am I still tired?"
He groaned pushing his hoofs against his back to crack it. Then he remembered last night.
"Oh yeah I raced Hayden and Petunia. I wonder if we can do that again?" He said rubbing the
sleep from his eyes.
"Treblen breakfast is up." Two voices called in unison which was followed by a mares laughter.
Treblen uneasily pushing himself from his bed, stumble his way into the restroom and quickly
fixed his maroon tinted mane. After one last look over he made his way out of his room and
trotted downstairs.
"Good morning Treblen." Hayden cheerfully called from the kitchen. "I hope your hungry cause
I made pancakes." He hummed as the smell floated into the room.
"Good morning Treblen" A voice called from behind him.
"Oh morning Petunia. Uh was that you I heard laughing?" He asked.
"No, that wasn't me." She said with a smile. "We have company this morning."
"Thank you Hayden for letting me use your restroom, my mane was tangled in knots." The mare said
as she made her way into the dining room.
"Your welcome Ditzy, anything for a friend." Hayden hummed as he flipped another pancake onto the
stove
"Oh hi." Ditzy smiled when she saw Treblen. "Thank you for the muffins you gave me yesterday." She
said giving a little bow.
"You two have met?" Petunia asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah I run into her when I bought my cello." Treblen answered, sitting down at the oak table.
"Yeah but he didn't look so good though." Ditzy said, as she followed suit and sat beside Petunia.
"Oh don't worry he always looks like that." Hayden lightly chuckled, as he walk into the room carrying
a silver plater stacked high with four different kinds of pancakes.
"Now who ordered what again?" He said with a smile as he handed out plates stacked with pancakes.
"As long as I get plain old pancakes I'm fine" Treblen thought to himself.
"Yes Treblen your cakes are plain old pancakes." Hayden replied to his friends expression.
"Could you pass me the syrup Hayden?"
"Sure Petunia, just don't drown those raspberry's."
Petunia seemed to ignore the last bit and proceed to deposit massive globs of syrup onto her pancakes.
"Do you want any syrup Ditzy dear?" Petunia asked, as she finished drowning her pancakes to Haydens
dismay.
"No I'm trying to watch my figure." She sighed sadly, she did enjoy maple syrup with chocolate chip
pancakes.
"Why? Its already perfect Ditzy." Hayden interjected.
" Y..you really think so?" Ditzy asked her face turning red.
"Well of course I do." Hayden said with a smile, his own muzzle showing a little red itself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Thanks for the yummy food." Ditzy said as she put her mail bags back on her back.
"Your welcome." Hayden smiled. "Come back again sometime." He said with a wave as Ditzy took off.
"Will do." She said saluting as she flew back to her mail route.
"Anyway shall we get on with today." Hayden said as he skipped off the stone deck back to the house.
"Well your in a good mood now." Treblen said as he tried to keep paced with his friend.
"That's cause it finally came!" Hayden said gleefully.
"What did?"
"The part I needed duh!"
"The part for what?"
Hayden stopped jumping up and down and looked at his friend, mischief gleamed in his eyes.
"I don't want to ruin the surprise." He said as a smile grew apon his face.
"Hayden every time you get that look your up to something." Treblen said nervously backing up.
"Treblen I will be tempting only something science and magic have yet to fully remember or
understand, but is something I have succeeded at three time before. To the lab Petunia we
must do SCIENCE!" Hayden shouted as he bounded his way to the stairs.
"In the name of Celestia I hope this ends well." Treblen said shaking his head.
"Don't worry Treblen I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Petunia said as she patted his
shoulder.
"Yeah keep him from doing that, I'll be in town till he calms down." He said as he made his way to
his room to get his wings.
"Oh and Treblen I added something to your wings, I hope you like." She said with a wink as she
turned and went after Hayden.
Treblen didn't see any difference in the wings when he was siting on the stone deck with them, but
when he had them on he saw what Petunia had done. Instead of being mechanical metal shining in
the morning sun, they were now the same gray hue as his coat.
"Oh cool now they look like every other pegasus wings." He said to himself as he took off for Ponyville.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Man this is amazing." Treblen thought as the wind rushed pass his face. "If flying really this fantastic
it makes me wonder why Hayden gave up being the captain of the Wonderbolt." He thought as he
increased his speed flying even faster.
Ponyville came into view and Treblen was slowing down when he saw a chance for some fun. There
sitting on a cloud fast asleep was the cyan blue mare, miss going to be Wonderbolt herself,
Rainbow Dash.
"Oh this is too perfect." He said to himself as he beat his wings hard to pick up speed as he climbed.
"But before I wake sleeping beauty I think a change of colors is necessary" He said as he touched the
chest plate of the wing harness.
There was a small hum as the gem warmed up and then Treblen felt magic shoot across his body.
His coat was change from stone grey to oil black as the color washed over his coat like ink. His mane
darkened till it was electric blue and white streaks in the shape of large lighting bolts snaked down it
and his tail copied his mane. His cutiemark was also change. What was before a base cleft was now
a sliver lighting bolt with a electric blue one inside it.
"Now its time for some fun." Treblen laughed as he dove at the sleeping Rainbow Dash.
His world streaked by faster and faster as he grew closer to his target. His eyes stung and his body
began to feel the force of a unfamiliar resistance. He had never done this before only watched but
that was about to change. His mind seemed to empty as the earth sped closer and closer, he felt as
if his life was ending but as if he was being reborn.
Then he felt his body jerk and he began to spin. He strained to turn his head but when he did horror
filled his eyes. Sparks shot from the tips of his wings he had overloaded them, they were going to fail.
He began to panic. He was moving too fast to stop in time, he was going to crash into the earth. Then
a memory flashed In his mind as time seem to slow down.
"Hayden what are those?"
"These Trebwen are crystals."
"What do they do Hayden."
He smiled at him." They make light shows." He said as he pushed hard against the sphere causing
it to release its energy all at once.
Treblen snapped back to reality, the earth ever closer as he began to beat his wings faster. The air
pressure increased, pushing harder and harder against him as he went still faster. Then at the last
moment he slammed his hooves into the crystals as he hit supersonic.
The electrical energy shot off him in five directions swirling as they were grabbed by the air and
were slammed back into itself creating a massive sonic boom shredding every cloud that was near,
along with the one that Rainbow dash was sleeping on causing her to fall and crash into
some pony's roof.
"WHO DID THAT!" She scream in anger.
"Cirrus Lightning you amateur!" He bellowed.
Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped. "But that's impossible he disappeared years and years ago." She
said in disbelief
"Yet who but myself can pull off the Lightning Lotus." He exclaimed pointing a hoof back to the
glowing mass of energy.
"But, but, but," Was all she was able to stammer. Cirrus's skills were that of legends. Every pegasus
knew of the tales of his abilities, they even made Spitfire and Soarin look like filly's.
He only sighed."You waste my time mare. Farewell." He said as he took off again.
"Hey wait!" She yelled as she began to chase after him. Dash didn't see that he was hiding in a
bush and not rocketing through the clouds.
"Wow that was fun." Treblen snickered as he undid his wings.
"But boy if Hayden finds out." He said with a laugh. "Anyway enough chaos, time to do stuff."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What is love, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no-more." Treblen hummed as he made his way to a
tea shop he had seen yesterday. He stepped inside and was hit by sharp sweet fragrances.
"Well I think found the right place." he said to himself as he held his nose.
The store was a nice little place the only thing wrong with it was the smell. It wasn't bad far from it.
It was just overpowering. There seemed be close to a thousand little wooden drawers all with
different tags on them telling you what kind of tea was in each covering the wall.
"Man is this stuff is making my head throb."
"So the regular Vinyl?" The mare behind counter asked a white unicorn in front of her.
"Yeah that will be fine." She said rubbing her head. "Boy my head is pounding."
"It would help if you didn't drink so much." The amber colored mare said as she scooped tea onto
a scale.
"Yeah that would probably would help." She said with a force smile.
"It normally does."
"Yeah but you'd never get to see me."
"Oh I think I could manage." The amber colored mare giggled.
"Anyway see you soon Gin." Vinyl said as she picked up her tea and began to leave.
"Boy is she always like that?" He asked the mare.
"About fifty percent of the time she's hung over." She said with a shrug. "So what brings you here
to my little shop." she said with a wink.
"Other then you, most likely some tea." Treblen said with a smile.
"Oh I like you." She said with a laugh. "So what are you looking for honey."
"Something with some orange and pomegranate in it."
"Ok do you want to have energy or to relax?" She asked as she wheeled a ladder over.
"Relaxing would be better he has to much energy as it is."
"Oh your buying this for some pony else?"
"Yeah a buddy of mine, he's a bit to bouncy as of lately."
"Ha ha that's a lot of pony's around here."She said as she pulled open several drawers. "Do you
want some zing in it for some kick?" She asked as she turned around.
"Sure, Hayden does like spicy food." Treblen said with a chuckle.
As soon as he said Hayden's name the mare seemed to almost fall off the ladder.
"You know Hayden Nimbus?" She asked with glee in her eyes.
"Yeah I've been staying with him for a little while."
"I envy you." She said going back to getting the tea ready.
"Really so your a fan too?"
"Of course I am, after he made all these cute little drawers for my shop." She said waving her
free hoof motioning his eyes to all the drawers. "And he only made me pay for a third of them."
"Yeah that sounds like something he would do."
"Is he always doing stuff like that?" she asked as she climbed down from the ladder.
"Most times, but something on this scale he only does it for a very few."
"Anyway here and tell Hayden Ginger said hi." She said as she handed him the bag of tea.
"I will, but how much is this going to cost?"
"Oh for a friend of Hayden its going to be free."
"Thank you, and I tell him to stop by and gives you a visit." Treblen said with a wink.
He looked back and saw Gingers face go all red at the thought of Hayden coming to visit her
store again.
"Well it looks like Hayden has plenty of fans." Treblen laughed as he made his way back to the
place he left his wings.
BOOOOM!!
"What the hay." Treblen said as his head shifted toward the mountain.
Smoke billowed off the one side of it, and from his view Treblen guested it was from Hayden's lab.
"Oh for Celestia's sake Hayden what did you do now." He mumbled angerly as he rushed to put his
wings on.
Treblen was flying as fast as he could as he shot toward the smoking moutain.
"What the hay did you do this time Hayden?" He said through gritted teeth. "I swear if he made
another dragon I'll ripe his bloody head off." He roared as a second explosion erupted from the
moutain.
As he neared the now gapping hole Treblen's heart sank. He didn't know what it was but the sight
of shimmering brass gave him a idea.
"That bucken moron! He did make another dragon."His anger was overflowing his restraint as he
flapped as quickly as he could to reach his now smoking home.
"Hayden where the heck are you!"
"Down here." Came a wheeze.
Treblen looked down over the deck and his anger drained at what he saw bellow him. There
pinned under a massive boulder was Hayden.
"Hi, Treblen." He coughed as blood dripped down the side of his muzzle.
"Oh Celestia!" Treblen screamed as he jumped down and began to clear some of the rubble.
"Hayden what happened?"
"I was...cough, cough...was working on a project when...cough, cough...a coolent pipe burst and
when I tried to...*cough* *cough*..stop it a couple of torch tanks exploded." He wheezed as more
blood keep coming from his muzzle.
"Hold on I'll get you out of here." Treblen said trying to move the rock off Haydens body.
"Treblen stop. You don't have the strength to move the..*cough* *cough*..rock."
"But you'll die if I don't." Treblen shouted as tears began to fall from his eyes.
"Here then..*cough* *cough*..take this." Hayden said as his free foreleg pulled his necklace loose.
"Reactivate Hector."
"Ok Hayden just hold on." He said as he took off into a sprint.
"I need to find Hector! I need to find Hector!" He kepted repeating to himself.
Then Treblen stopped running. Panic began to fill him. He didn't know were Hector was.
"Oh Celestia what am I going to do." He said as his head jerk from side to side trying to find a giant
chunk of brass that was Hector. "Where the heck do I locate that thing?"
"Name of project *beep*."
"Huh?"
"Name of project in need of locating *beep*."
Treblen turned his head and saw a green screen lit up.
"Hector." He said unsure what would happen.
"Processing....Processing.... item located." It dinged as the floor beneath him lit up. "Please follow
highlighted route for ease of locating said project."
"Hayden thank you for your tinkering." Treblen said out loud as he took off again following the light
before him.
Treblen ran for what could only have been a minute when he saw Hectors massive body come into
his view. It was kind of hard to miss a ten meter tall brass golem with shoulders as wide as to two
lumber carts and arms as thick as oak trees.
"Boy am I happy to see you." Treblen huffed as he run up the metal scaffolding that surrounded him.
After looping round twice he arrived at Hectors chest and he saw what he needed to do. There where
two heavy plates pulled back to reveal six gems place around a central cog with a depression in the
center.
"Well here goes nothing." He said as he pushed the gold gear into the depression and turning it to lock
it in.
At first there was only a faint ticking noise then Treblen heard a deep rubble as the plates closed and
the cog and gems started to rotate in counter directions of each other. Groans of motors and whistles
of steam could be heard as Hector began to activate.
"Come on Hector wake up you chunk of brass." Treblen said running up the scaffolding to get to
Hectors massive helm that was his head. He finally reached the top when Hectors eyes flickered into life.
"Treblen?" He said with a deep grumble as the rest of his body warmed up.
"Hector will talk later but right now we need to move." Treblen said as he climbed onto the golem and
gripping on to one of his massive shoulder plates.
"Whats wrong?" Hector questioned as his mighty arms pushed aside the scaffolding as if it was a grain
of sand.
"Its Hayden he's hurt and he needs your help."
"Where is he?" Hector said as his back arched as two turbines came out from his armored back.
"Straight ahead my friend." Treblen said as he point his hoof toward where the rocks were.
Hector let out a bellowing roar as the turbins kick into life lifting them as they rocketed off the floor
heading straight for where Hayden was pinned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Petunia was sitting next to Hayden holding his head when they heard a roar that made the whole
room resonate.
"Heh heh looks like Hectors awake." He said as the blood trickled from his muzzle.
"Yeah, it seems that way." Petunia said moving some of Hayden's mane out of his deep chocolate
eyes.
"How did I ever get a mare like you?" He said through heavy breaths.
"You built me remember." She said tears coming to her eyes.
Hayden wiped her tears away with his only free hoof. "Hey don't cry i'll be fine." He said with a smile.
"But what if not going to be ok Hayden? What if I loss you?"
"Time hasn't killed me yet so this is but a flesh wound." He said with a laboring chuckle.
"But, but, what if *murph*." She was stopped when he put his hoof to her quivering lips.
"There is no if; there is only what will and what won't." He said in a soft tone as his head began to
feel light.
"HAYDEN!"
"Hello Hector. Its good to see you again." Hayden said as the golem touched down in front of him.
"Move Petunia. Hector can you get that rock off him?" Treblen asked as he slide down from the golems
shoulder.
Hector only noded as his fingers gripped the boulder and lifting it as if it was but a pebble. But it might
have only been a pebble to Hector it still had been a boulder that had shattered Hayden's lower body
and much of his chest.
"Well it looks like I've broken some of my bones." Hayden said with a laugh as he cough up more blood.
"Treblen help me move him."
"Petunia don't I think it would be the best of ideas, we might cause more harm then good."
"He's right Petunia. I can't really feel my lower half." Hayden said as his sight began to blur.
"Do you have a stasis pod Hayden." Hector asked as he flexed his metal fingers as energy began
to build up on them.
"Yeah it's in sector two." Hayden mumbled as his consciousness faded.
"Lets move then." Hector rumbled as he picked up Hayden with the energy now envloping his
gauntleted hand.
Treblen jumped back on Hectors shoulder as the golem sprinted off as Petunia lead the way to
the stasis pod.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So how does this thing work Petunia?" Treblen asked as he watched as she hooked up Hayden's muzzle
to a oxygen mask.
"Well the liquid that will be filling this chamber is a special mix of healing herbs, minerals and some other
stuff. Hayden never fully explained it to me." She said with a sigh.
It was silent after that. No one spoke a word as Haydens body was placed into the magic field orb that was
the stasis chamber. Petunia flipped a switch and it began to fill with the glowing blue liquid. The chamber
only took a few seconds to fill, making a quiet swishing noise as it topped off the orb
"I just hopes this works."
"What do you mean you hope it works?" Treblen asked, anger began to coat his voice.
"Hayden never tested this thing but he said it would so I don't know Treblen if it will." Petunia said as
she adjusted some dials of the orbs computer.
"Are you telling me this thing could do nothing and he could die!" Treblen screamed.
"I DON'T KNOW OK!" Petunia retored, tears filling her eyes.
"THEN WHY THE HAY ARE WE PUTTING HIM IN THERE THEN!"
"BECAUSE NOTHING ELSE WILL WORK!" Petunia yelled as she completely broke down crying.
"Treblen just go I'll make sure this thing works." Hector whispered as he went over to comfort the
sobing mare.
Treblen was going to protest but he knew it wouldn't help his now floating friend. He just turned and
slowly trotted up the stairs and out of the lab. He made it to his room when he finally collapsed, he
had always feared he would lose his foalhood friend but never like this. The more he thought about it
the more it tore him apart inside to think of his life without his buddy.
"I can stay here right now." He sobed as he pulled himself up off his bed. He slide on his wings and
made for his bedroom when heard music began to play. He knew where it was coming from. He turned
to see the violin out of its case, his reflection staring back at him.
"I guess your right." He whispered to it as he rapped his hoof around its neck as he placed it back in
its case. "Tonight we shall play a concert just for him." He mumbled as he held the violin close as he
took off into the sunset heading for Ponyville.
The air felt heavy as he silently flew through the nights cold air a tear or two falling ever so often from
his eyes. "I need a stage." He said to himself as he neared the outskirts of the town. As he began to
land he saw what he was looking for.
In the center of the town he saw what he was looking for. "Town hall that will do." His hoove click softly
as he landed on the deck surounding the wooden building. He found the doors and pushed on them.
They swung open with a light creak.
"I guess noponys home." He sobed to himself as made his way to the stage. "Stop crying you moron
that won't solve anything." He said fight back more.
He slide off his wings as he stepped onto the wooden stage. "I need a place to set these." He mumbled
as he set his violin down on a stool. But after he looked for awhile he gave up and set them down behind
the red curtians that hung on either side of the stage.
He made his way back to the stool when he heard the rain tapping on the roof, thunder ecohing around
the room. "How fiting." He said softly as he placed the violin under his chin. The rain began to come
down harder as he readied to play. He pulled the bow across the shimmering strings as thunder
resonated around him. He smiled as he pulled the bow across again with thunder resonating again.
"If you what a part come on then." He mumbled. Then the rain stopped their plips and plops they
where replaced by the sound of piano keys being struck. The violin hummed deeply, then it began to
weep as his hooves danced across its neck. It sung of all the things the players had lost but it song the
loudest for Treblen. "Oh dream of dreams that's all I ever whated my life to be." The song sang out to him.
He became lost in the world of music, notes danced around him painting pictures of the past. The hall
began to sing with him replaying every note he created making him feel that he wasn't alone in the world,
that there were others that felt his pain. The rains tapping turned to the sound of a waterfall swirling by
him as he seemed to float in this world of emotion and song. His heart pour out as he and the violin
sung through the crescendo bring the world of sarrow to an end on a downward bridge.
"Looks like my playing didn't go unnoticed." He whispered as the sound of many ponys at the door could
be heard. "Well looks like its time to move." He said as he trotted over to behind the curtain an put back
on his wings.
Treblen had just slipped out of a upper story window when he heard the doors click open.
From Terblen's point of view there seemed to be about ten to twenty ponies now searching
the hall as he looked down at them through the window.
"Tavi are you sure you heard somepony in here?" The white unicorn asked as she looked
around on the stage.
"Yes Vinyl dear, I am quite certain that I heard somepony playing in here." The gray mare
answered as she joined the unicorn on the wooden stage.
"Well i'm not seeing them." The unicorn said going back to looking around the stage.
"Well that was fun but I still feel horrorable." Treblen said with a sigh as he took off, quickly
getting above the clouds so he wouldn't be spotted. "Now where to go next?" He wondered
to himself as he silentily soared over Ponyville. He just dipped below the clouds when his
stomach growled.
"Well looks like finding someplace to eat is a good idea." He said with a quiet laugh. "Oh where,
oh where, oh where to go." He humed as he scanned the town for a place to grab a bite.
Then a smell whafted into his nose. "Mmmm thats a good place." He said as he began to decend
to the outskerts of ponyville following the delicous smell.
Treblen silentily landed on top of a house, peeking over the roof peek to see were the smell was
coming from."Ahhh, The Lucky Clover. Sounds good enough to me." Treblen said to himself as
he quickly slide his wings off and placed them in his bags making sure they were hinden.
"Well lets go eat." He said as he bounded off the roof and made his way to the building.
As he grew closer to the door Treblen began to hear voices chating and relaxing gaelic music playing
in the background. "Well looks like it's a pub." He said to himself as he hopped up the well lit stairs to
reach the swinging double doors as they sat between two massive rough hued logs. As he pushed the
doors open he was greeted by the sweet oder of ale and home cooked food, along with a pleasent hum
of chating patrons.
Treblen took in the sight of the Lucky Clover pub as he stepped through the doors. The bottem floor
was one large room most of the space occupied by long sturdy oak tables with benchs running on
either side. Oil lamps were burning, casting a warm glow around the place as they hung from the wall
and as they sat on a couple of the tables. There was the distinct, homey scent of wood smoke in the
air coming from the large stone fireplace off to the side. But there was a wide open space in the back
middle for performers and dancing dispite all the tables, and there was even a stage for musicans
against the far wall of the room.
"Welcome stranger." A raspy voice called Treblens attention to the bar counter. "What can I help ye with?"
The grass green stallion asked as he dryed a beer mug.
"Well how about what ever that delicous smell is my good sir." Terblen said as he pulled himself up
a stool.
"Hey Lillie, one bowl of todays special." He shouted back behind him.
"Anything else I can get you?" The stallion asked turning back to Treblen.
"Well just a...."
CRASH! "YOU LIMY BUCK!" CRASH! "WELL BUCK YOU TOO YOU YELLOW.." CRASH!
"Sigh. Hold on I got take care of this." The stallion said as he jumped over the counter and charged
the now bloody colts.
Treblen just watched as the stallion slam one of the colts in the chest with a massive punch while
hoisting the other off his hooves. "Wow and I though that red colt that works at that apple orchard
was big." He thought to himself as the stallion choke slamed the colt he was holding into the
rosewood floorboards.
"I swear we need to get to somepony in here to act as security." A sliky voice said behind him
with a sigh.
"What? This kind of stuff happens a lot?" He asked as he spun around.
"Well no it's I just don't like seeing my father put himself in harms way thats all." The soft yellow
mare said with a sigh as her short pink mane fell in front of her eyes.
"I can under stand that." Treblen said with a shrug.
"But anyway here's your soup sir." She said as she set the bowl down on the counter making
a soft thud.
"Call me Treblen, uh Lillie was it. Sir makes me feel so old."
"How about Treby?" She asked giving him a wink.
"Oh I don't think your father would allow that." Treblen chuckled.
"What wouldn't I allow?" The green stallion asked as he trotted back over to the bar.
"Oh I was just asking your daughter if you would tell whats the recipe for this magnificent
stew sir."
"Ha ha ha, Your right I wouldn't tell, its a family secret." He said with a hardy laugh.
"Well it was worth a try." Treblen said with a grin.
"And it was a good one, but old Lucky Shamrock doesn't give up recipes that easily." He chuckled
as he wiped some blood out of his red scruffy beard. "So what was it you whated lad?"
"Well I was going to say a pint of mead but Lucky if you would, it would be an honor to buy you
a drink." Treblen said, he hadn't been expecting dinner and a show.
"Ha ha ha, lad I like you." Lucky chuckled as he poured him and Treblen a stine of mead.
Treblen lifted his mug and at first sipped the brew, testing its flavor. It was sweet tasting but
wasn't overpowering and it carried a earthy body as he took a long swig from his mug.
"Pretty good huh?" Lucky asked nudging Treblen.
"Don't know? Let me finish it first." Treblen said as he gluped the stine empty. "I would have to agree
with you sir." He said gleefully, setting his empty mug back onto the counter.
"Just brought it out of the cellar this morning." Lucky said with a smile as he took another swig from
his own mug.
"And let me guess this recipe you won't tell me either."
"You would be right lad, but I admire the persitance." Lucky said lightly jabing Treblen in the side.
"So lad what brings you to my pub?" Lucky inquired.
"Oh reason's and stuff." Treblen said waving his hoof. "Why do you ask?"
"Well lad, you don't seem like the pony who drowns his swore in ale." Lucky said as he placed his
mug onto the counter.
"Your right I'm not. I'm just here to eat something."
"Sorry I thought you were?"
"Apology accepted." Treblen said finishing off his stew. "By the way may I ask who was playing earlier?"
"Oh that was a record." Lucky said pointing to the stage. "There's a hidden stereo in the wall over
there." He mumbled as he trotted back behind the counter and refilled his and Treblen's stine's.
"What you don't have musicians play here?" Treblen asked catching his stine as Lucky slid it down
at him.
"No I normally have a troop in here, but their lead is sick so their not able to play."
"Are they here?"
"Ai. Over by the stage." Lucky said pointing to a back booth where two colts sat casually chating.
"Hold a minute, I'll be right back." Treblen said picking up his violin.
Treblen trotted over the table where the two were sitting. As he drew closer one jumped up to meet
him while the other just snorted in disapproval.
"Hi nice to meet you." The poplar maned colt said shaking Treblen's hoof.
"Like wise." Treblen replied with a smile.
"What do you want." The still sitting colt demanded.
Treblen didn't even answer him as he continued to talk with poplar maned colt. "Your the troop
Lucky was talking about?"
"Yeah, but right now where just a duo." He said with a sigh. "My brother Hymn is under the
weather and is resting upstairs."
"You stay here?"
"Well yeah its good employment and between you and me Luckys daughter is good reason to
stick around." He said with a grin as he whispered the last bit of his sentence.
"Yeah I would have to agree with you on that one...."
"Oh its Arco. Arco Crescendo at your service."
"Nice to meet you Arco." Treblen said shaking Arco's hoof. "Treblen Cleft at the ready." He said
giving a little bow.
"So what is it you wanted Treblen?" Arco asked as he pushed some of his mane out of his
ghostly gray eyes.
"Well I wanted to know if you would play a little tune with me?"
"No we won't so your wasting your time." The sitting colt interjected.
"Thorn shut the hay up he wasn't asking you." Arco replied.
"You will not talk to me like that to me you welp."
"Let me guess your from Canterlot arn't you?" Treblen said, mischief glinting in his eyes.
"You got a problem with that foal."
"No, but that does explain your attitude."
"And what do you mean by that?" Thorn questioned as his grip tightened around his mug.
"Oh nothing." Treblen said turning away from Thorn. "It just nopony else has their head
shoved that far up their arse."
Treblen shifted his head out of the way as a beer mug rocketed passed his skull. In a blink
he grabed hold of it and spun around as he threw it back at Thorn. There was a loud crack
as Thorn's mug slammed into his head knocking him to the floor.
"Oh so close, but sad to say you've been bested Thorn." Treblen said with a bow.
Arco looked from Treblen, to his unconscious band mate, and began to laugh. "Oh Celestia
this is good. I've been wanting to do that for years." He laughed, holding his sides.
"Glade I could help."
"Hold on I got to tell my brother this." He said as he bolted up to the stairs and shot up as a
walnut colored blur.
From where Treblen was standing he couldn't make out what Arco was saying but what he did
hear was somepony jump to their hooves and gallop out of a room, slaming the door behind
them. Treblen watched as a smoke silver maned unicorn slided down the railing and launch
himself at Treblen.
"Oh thank you." The unicorn said as he stopped just before Treblen. " I was hoping one day some
pony would knock Thorn for a loop."
"I thought you were sick?"
"Oh I was but I feel much better now." He said then cough. "Well I guess im a little bit sick."
"Hopefully not to sick to play I hope."
"I'm never to sick to play." Hymn said as he tied his hair back from his eyes. "Shall we get started?"
He asked as he made his way to the stage.
"So what will we be playing Treblen?" Arco asked as he sat behind his four wooden drums and
picked up his bagpipes.
"Well guessing by the venu I would say.... how about some Gaelic Storm?"
"Ooooo this is going to be fun. We might get to see Lucky dance." Hymn laughed as he tuned
his guitar.
"Now that would be a fun sight to see." Treblen said as he placed his violin under his chin.
"Ok colts, an one, an two, an one two three." Treblen hummed as Arco and Hymn began to play.
He had always whated to play like this, being part of a troop. Treblen slide his bow across the
violins strings causing many of the taverns patorns to look over at the three. Energy seemed to
flow from his body as he continued to play as many ponys began to clap and stomp their hooves
to the uplifting tune. He noticed none of this though as his hooves danced across the violin
making it sing and hum with every note. He felt sweat froming on his brow as they neared the
coda and with a swift movment they brought the tune to an end and were greeted by a thunderous
round of applause.
A New Chorus
Treblen stepped off the stage and collapsed in a booth, He had never before been having
this much fun, but had never been more wornout. Now that he was able to sit he glanced
up at the clock as he laid his head on his forelegs.
"Huh. Eleven thirty." He mumbled as he closed his eyes. "That would explain why I'm so
tired I guess, playing for roughly four hours straight and all." He yawned.
"Getting tired Treblen?" Arco asked as he sat down across from Treblen.
"No. I'm laying my head on my hooves with my eyes closed for no reason." Treblen groaned
as he sat up.
"Here, Drink some coffee." Arco replied as he passed Treblen a cup of black coffee.
"No." Treblen mumbled it pushing it away. "Sleep better then coffee." He mumbled.
"I'll give you a coffee cake." Arco said waving it in from of Treblen's face.
"Ha ha ok fine I will, but let me rest a little." Treblen sighed catching the cake as Arco got back up.
"Ok sleepy I'll let you have that much I guess." Arco said as he vanished into the now packed pub.
Treblen could only sigh as stretched his forelegs as he sat in the shadow of the booth slowly drinking
his coffee. He glanced around the pub and a smile crepted across his face. When he first came into
the Lucky Shamrock there was probably no more the ten patrons, but now that he looked around
there was close to seventy ponies, maybe more, inside and counting the ones out on the front deck
of the pub. It was quite nice to know that this was some of his doing.
"I wonder where Hymn is." He said to himself.
"Down here."
"What the.... Hymn what are you doing under the table?" Treblen asked as he peered down.
"Hiding." Hymn answered as quietly as he could.
"From who?"
"That pink party pony." He whispered.
"Who? Pinkie Pie?" Treblen asked as he shifted himself so he was sitting less awkwardly.
Hymn only nodded as he stifled a cough.
"Ok.....I don't know whether to believe you or what so im just going to head home ok." Treblen
said slowly getting out of the booth.
"Hey don't leave me here." Hymn whispered as he grabbed hold of Treblens tail.
"Hymn you have three seconds to let go of me. I'm very tired and I'm in no mood for this right now."
"I'm sorry Treb." Hymn said letting go of Treblen's maroon tail. "Its just that mare freaks me out."
He said with a shudder
"She's not even here so chill the buck out colt." Treblen said shaking his head.
"Are you sure?" Him asked as he slowly stuck his head out from under the table.
"Yeah I'm sure now get out from under there."
"Heh heh I guess I over reacted a little."
"Ya think?" Treblen replied as he slide on his saddle bags, making sure his violin was safe form
harm.
"Night Treble. See you tomorrow?" Hymn asked as he slide out from under the table.
"Of course, I don't know why you wouldn't."
"Cool see you then." Hymn called over the noise of the crowd.
Treblen made his way through the mass of pony's. Stepping over, sliding aside, and ducking when
he had to. "Boy this place is a obstacle course." Treblen thought as he ducked under a table. He
was just about to reach the door when he felt a hoof land on his shoulder and he was spun around.
"Hello Treblen." Thorn said sneering.
"Oh, hi Thorn. Find your way out of the dumpster did we." Treblen said with a small grin.
"Yeah I wonder who put me there."
"Don't look at me, I was playing."
"Yeah with my troop." Thorn shout, rage filling him.
"Oh really I would have never have guessed."
"You little buck." Thorn shout as he threw a punch at Treblen.
His hoof was only inches from Treblen's face when A frying pan slammed Thorn square in the
back of his head.
"Don't you touch my Treby you peck." Lillie protested, frying pan still in hoof.
"What are you going to do you floozy." Thorn shouted as he swung at Lillie hitting her in her chest
knocking her down.
"Poor choice of action mate." Treblen said as he moved to Lillie's side.
"Why you bucking..."
"THORN!"
"That's why mate." Treblen said as the pub fell silent.
Thorn looked around and found the patrons had stepped away, leaving a space open with Thorn
in the middle. Then the crowd parted with Lucky stepping through the gap, a war hammer lay on his
shoulder.
"Lucky I didn't.." Was all Thorn was able to squeak out as Lucky charged at him, mallet in position for
a devastating blow.
"Hold it Lucky." Treblen shouted as he blocked his path.
"Out of the way lad." Lucky ordered. "This scum has the nerve to harm my flower and I plan on making
his skull no better then a pile of green moss." He panted angerly.
"Lucky even though I would have to admit that would be entertaining I don't think that would solve
much."
"How so?" Lucky asked, hooves still tightly gripping the handle of the hammer.
"Well Lucky do you really think your pub would stand up with you in prison?" Treblen asked.
Lucky only sighed, he knew Treblen had a point.
"Fine, but do ye really expect me to let this waste of flesh go?"
"Far from it." Treblen grinned as he spun around kicking Thorn in the temple, knocking him out."I say
why don't we tie this pig up and toss him into the Everfree. Let the forest have some fun with him."
Lucky scratched his ruby beard and smiled. "Lad I like your thinking, what does every pony else think?"
He asked the crowd which responded in thunderous approval.
Treblen just watched as several ponies bond and gagged Thorn, laughing all the while. The giggling
group then hoisted Thorn up and made there way to the Everfree, singing all the way. Treblen just
shook his head as picked up his stuff and pushed open the heavy doors. The night air was crisp and
cold as he took in a deep breath.
"Well I better get started on my way home." Treblen tiredly sighed as he stepped off the pubs deck.
"I wonder if I can see that bunch from here?" He said quietly to himself as he craned his neck to see.
He began to walk farther out in to the street after making his way nearly the center of the road and
seeing nothing Treblen shrugged and turned to go home.
"Well this is going to be a long walk home." Treblen thought to himself as he began to sleepily trot
down the street.
Treblen meandered down the street swaying a little, the night air not having the waking effect he
hopped it would have. He began to dose off as he rounded his way around Sugarcube Corner.
"Ugh. I need to get something to keep me awake long enough to get home. There's no way I'm going
to sleep on the streets or in an alley." He mumbled, trying to shake the sleepiness out of his head.
But as he came upon the Ponyville cafe sound of somepony sobbing made his ear's perk up. Treblen
began to trot a little faster as the sobs became louder. He was reaching the cafe when his drowsiness
got the better of him blurring his vision causing him to bump into something. Treblen laid there on his
flank rubbing his head.
"Ooooo. What did I run in to?" His spinning mind questioned.
Treblen's head was throbbing but he was awake now he thought as he rose from the ground and he saw
what or rather who he had ran into. Her smoke gray coat was moist around her soft eyes. Her ash black
mane lay a little disheavily due with the collisions.
"I'm sorry miss. Are you all right?" He asked as he helped her off the ground.
"I've been better." She sighed, Wiping a tear out of her eye.
"May I asked what's wrong?"
She looked at him for a moment and let out another sigh and sat down on one of the cafe's benches.
Treblen sat down next to her and quietly waited for her to begin speaking.
"It's just that...." She began slowly. " Me and my roommate haven't been on the greatest terms lately
and....we had a argument earlier.....I said some harsh words to her and now I'm regretting ever
saying anything."
"Did you apologize to her?"
"No. I'm.....afraid of what she'll say to me." She sobbed, tears coming to her puffy eyes.
"May I ask your name?"
".....It's Octavia."
"Well Octavia you should try apologizing to her." Treblen said as he looked off into the night.
"But what if she doesn't what to speak to me?"
"You won't know until you try."
"I can't, I don't..."
"Octavia." Treblen said sternly, getting her attention. "I don't know a lot about you but I don't
believe you carry yourself this lowly, would I be right?" He asked, treading carefully.
She shook her head slowly, looking back at him with soft violet eyes.
"So I don't believe dragging yourself through the mud is going to help you. Please go talk to
her. She's probably feeling the same way you are right now and is just as upset, she will want
to fix this as much as you do."
They sat there for a while in silence. Treblen felt himself starting to shuffle in his seat, maybe
he had said something wrong.
"But what if I can't?" She asked breaking the silence.
"Don't force yourself to talk to her, just tell her that your sorry."
She let out a sigh and turned her muzzle away from him, think about his words. "Thank you."
Octavia sighed softly.
"Your welcome." Treblen said with a smile. "But could we go inside? I bet you are most likely
as cold as I am." He said with a shudder.
Octavia giggled and nodded, It was rather cold out tonight.
They both rose from the bench and made there way into the Ponyville cafe. Treblen held the door
as Octavia stepped through and made her way to one of the tables. Treblen followed suit and sat
across from her, setting his saddle bags under his chair.
"Would you like anything to drink Octavia?" Treblen asked looking over toward the counter.
"Just some coffee." She answered as Treblen got back up and made his way to the cafe's counter.
"Well this is going well." He thought to himself as he ordered two coffees. "Maybe if we stay in here
a little longer her roommate will find us, not that I'm finding her a nuisance." He thought with a
mental shrug.
"Here's your coffee sir." The colt interjected breaking Treblen's train of thought.
"Thank you." Treblen said picking up the tray, noticing a few pastries in a basket.
"Octavia I don't mean to prod but may I ask what you and your roommate were arguing about?"
Treblen asked as he reached the table and handed Octavia her coffee.
"Well its was the usual argument we have I guess." She said with a sigh.
"Which is?"
"Huff. Well she's a DJ and make's "music" with noise's. I've been composing a new piece of
music and I left it out a little while ago. Today I found her messing around and found out
she took my work an added creeps or wub's or whatever and now she has a music deal because
of my sonata." She finished, her appearance was calm but her eyes burn with anger.
"What do you play Octavia?" Treblen asked quickly trying to change the subject.
"I compose for and play the cello." She answered taking a sip of her coffee. "Do you play
anything.... You know I have been very rude I haven't even asked you your name." Octavia
said, a little red coming across her muzzle.
"It's fine Octavia." Treblen said with a warm smile. "It's Treblen and I do play."
"May I ask what Treblen?"
"Mostly piano but I am a violinist ." He said calmly sweating bullets on the inside. He didn't
believe she would buy his story.
"Why am I cursed with this forsaken talent to play this violin?" Treble screamed as he
slammed his hooves against the oaken table. His sapphire eyes where red from the last
hour of crying.
"Don't worry about it Treble, we"ll find a way I'm sure." The sand colored colt said trying
to calm his friend.
"Face it Hayden I'll never be able to stop this suffering I feel every waking moment." Treblen
slammed his hoof again against the table in his friends home. His stone colored coat around
his hoof was beginning to turn red with blood from him hitting the table so many times.
"Will you stop that!" Hayden shouted at him. "Look there you go again hurting your self till
you bleed! Hold still while I patch you up." He said as he grabbed the first aid kit out of one
cabinets in his kitchen.
"I'm sorry Hayden but you know what I'm going through." Treblen sighed, putting out his
hoof as his friend rapped a cloth bandage around it to stop the bleeding.
"Yes I do but there's no reason to behave like this." Hayden said softly as he tied the
bandage close.
Treblen had know Hayden his whole life & he was the only one to understand his suffering.
He had been born with the gift to play the most moving music. But to him it was a curse,
always bring up bitter memories of his parents forcing him to play. They had made him
practice everyday when he was a foal, never a kind word coming from their mouths. He
had been lucky to have Hayden as a friend even though he was forbidden to by his parents.
He could fix anything and even though it wasn't his fortia, he could help ponies and animals
to. But try as they might, nothing was working.
"I just want to end this pain I feel." Treblen sobbed, as more tears began to come forth.
"Just give me more time ok. I will think of something." Hayden said as he helped his friend to
his hooves. "How about you go outside to get some fresh air for starters, then turn in for the
night?"
"Yeah that sounds good." He mumbled as Hayden helped him to the door.
It was a cold out but Treblen didn't care it would take his mind off his curse. He wandered over
to the edge of the stone deck and laid there staring up at the night sky. It reminding him when
he first began to play.
"No! Don't go there Treblen you'll only bring up horrible memories." He said as he shook his
head violently. But the thoughts wouldn't go away. Trying to pound there way into his head.
He grabbed his violin and began to play it was the only thing that cleared his head.
The tune was low hardly audible to any pony but it resonated strongly through his bones. He
didn't know what the tune was but he felt like it was in his very blood. It was a sweet tune one
of a long ago love that the violins first owner must have played everyday to his love. But as he
finished the final chord a wave of anger surged through him.
"Accursed thing why do you torture me so!" Trblen shouted in anger, as he raised the violin
above his head. He was going to smash it and put a end to its horrible existence but as its
edge neared the ground he blotted to a stop. He gazed into the black wood of its body and
heard the melody from long ago begin to play in his head.
"Why won't you let me move on?" Tears began to fall from his eyes. "Please I want to forget
this bloody thing and all of its memories it holds." He sighed, setting the violin in its case and
then staring down the cliff face. He had thought about it, just to throw himself over the edge
and dying on the rocks below.
"This would end my suffering but just can't make myself take those final steps."
Then the tune began to play again, loud and strong it resonated insid his head. He gave up
on fighting it and allowed the melody to take him back in time when he was a foal. He was
sitting on his grandma's coach waiting her to bring him his birthday gift.
"What you get me! What you get me! What you get me!" He said jumping up and down as she
walked into the room with a box on her back.
"Now hold on or you'll hurt yourself." She said holding him by the shoulders so he would stop.
"Ok but what you get me?" His eyes never leaving the box.
"Aw this is something your grandfather was give by his father and was the same for his father."
She removed the box from her back and placed it before him. "Be very careful not to break it
ok, its over a thousand years old." She said with a smile as she unlaunched the golden locks of
the box and opened it.
What lay inside it was a beautiful violin. Its body was ebony, dark as the night sky. The neck
was pure white, its dark strings standing out strongly against it. Its bow matched it counter part
perfectly the only thing setting it apart was the gold clasp holding the bow strings.
"Ooooh pretty."
"This was played by your, well, I don't know how many greats it would be?" She said rubbing her
chin. "But I think it was at the time before the Everfree was turned into a living nightmare." She
said with a sigh.
"Can I play it grandma?" Treblen asked with wonderment in his eyes.
"You can try dear but I think you'll need a few lessons before it sounds like it should."
Treblen carefully lifted the instrument out of its case and looked it over. He had no idea how to
hold it or play it but he found himself placing it under his chin and pulling the bow across its
black strings. At first it made no noise but a feeling came over him and a melody began to take
over his arms. He pushed and pulled the bow across it strings creating a song he didn't know
but felt it made up his very being that it was woven into his very soul. The violin shut the world
out around him taking him to a place where there was only feelings as his hooves danced across
its strings. When the tune ended on a low chord he opened his eyes. His grandmas jaw was
resting on the floor and all the windows were full of birds and stray cat.
"Treblen how did you?...."
"Did I do good grandma?" He asked as smile grew upon his face.
Tears where falling from his eyes as he looked down at the violins case.
"Why couldn't it have just stay like that?" He said through a sob.
"Hey Treblen! Come on inside you can't sleep out there you'll catch a cold."
"Huh? Sorry Hayden I didn't know I had nodded off." He said raising to his hooves.
"Don't forget your violin Treblen."
"I wish I could." He mumbled to himself as he picked up its case.
o~o~O~O~o~o
"I'm going to be in town for most of the day Treblen." Hayden said as he threw his saddle bags
on his back.
"Why?"
"I have to fix the town clock tower because you know some pony tried to do a sonic rainboom
and crashed into it breaking the mechanism."
"I wonder who that could have been." Treblen said rolling his eyes. He had only been staying
with Hayden for a couple of weeks now but he pretty much knew the daily goings on in Ponyville.
"I swear if that pegasus breaks anything else I'm going to clip her wings and tie lead around
her waist."
"But hey you know she's going to be in the wonderbolts." Treblen sarcastically snickered.
"Yeah right when they stop looking for talent and only focus on speed." Hayden said with a
huff.
"Anyway have fun." Treblen waved to Hayden as he got to the door. He paused for a moment.
"Hey you want to come with?" Hayden asked turning around to face Treble.
"Hhmm?"
"You want to come to town with me?"
Treblen sat there for a moment. "He had been couped up for awhile now maybe it would be
good to get out and about."
"Sure why not." He said hopping up from his chair. "Just hold on let me get a few things." He
ran up stairs and grabbed his bag. He was shutting the door when he saw the case. He stood
there staring at it. "NO! I'm not taking that with me." He said closing the door to his room.
o~o~O~O~o~o
"So you'll be at the town clock tower all day?"
"Yeah so you'll know where to look if you need anything." Hayden huffed. He normally loved
fixing things but not the same thing for the third time in a week. "Anyway here's some bits go
have some fun." Hayden didn't know if bringing Treblen with him would help but at least it
would get his mind off his curse for awhile.
"So when I hear the bell toll you'll be done?"
"Yeah or I've gotten fed up and hit it with a hammer."
They chuckled at this and went their separate ways.
Treblen walked through Ponyville the whole day just exploring every back alley and store
he could find.
"This towns really different from Canterlot." He said to himself as he walked out of a sweets
shop, his bags filled with all different types of pastries. "Its nice not to be surrounded by
snooty pony's everywhere you turn."
He was trotting past another row of stores when he glimpsed something that made him stop
in his tracks. In the window of one of the shops was a snow white cello.
Treblen was drawn to it. He could hear its song begin to play in his head when a hoof
pulled it from the window.
He sighed and turned to leave when some pony placed it back in the window. But when he
went up to the window it was pulled back inside.
"What the hay?" With a puzzled look Treblen walked over to the door and pressed his ear
to it.
"Sorry miss, five-hundred bits is the lowest I can go on the cello." A colts voice protested.
"Don't be ridiculous. Three-hundred bits and that's all I'll pay." A mares voice retorted.
"One that's far too low and two after that pathetic performance I'm not sure I want to sell it
to you."
"It not my fault that you've kepted it in such poor playing condition."
"Yes its always the instrument and never the pony pulling the bow." The colt said with a
sarcastic whim.
The shop door kicked open before he had a chance to move, smacking Treblen in the face.
When his head stopped spinning Treblen found himself sitting in the dirt, stars swirling
around his head.
"Fine then you greedy old foal! You won't have me buying anything from you in the future."
The mare said with a huff.
"Typical Canterlot hussy. What's everything handed to them because their heads so far
up there a......Hey kid are you all right?"
"That depends. Are there really four of you?" Treblen stumbled as he tried to stand up
"Why don't you come in and sit down kid?" The colt said as he helped Treblen in to the
shop.
The store walls were cover from top to bottom in everything from shovels, to saddlebags,
to the cello which he now sat by.
"Here, this will help your head." The colt said, tossing him a canteen.
After taking a swig Treblen's focus shifted back to the cello of snow.
"So was three hundred bits really that low for this thing?" Treblen motioned toward
the cello.
"No not really. It was just after her performance I didn't think she deserved it."
"That bad huh?" He said taking another swig of cider.
"Yeah which was odd. I heard her play at the Gala but it seems that..."
Treblen was now interested in the cello. He put down the canteen and picked up
the bow.
"May I?" Treblen asked as he stood up.
"Go right ahead."
Treblen stood up the cello and placed its bow upon its strings. It made a little hum
and them he heard it. It was a low but powerful melody. It song of rich forest and
mist covered hills. "Green Sleeves." He whispered under his breath. The cello sung
deep and low as he pulled the bow to and fro, the whole shop seeming to vibrate
with the tune. When he played its final high note he opened his eyes and let the
air out of his lungs.
"So five-hundred bits was it?" Treblen asked as he set the cello down so he could
relax his arms.
"Kid...."
Treblen turned around to find the colts eyes filled with tears.
"Take it." He said as he grabbed the case from behind the counter.
"Really?" Treblen face covered in confusion.
"Kid I have never heard a instrument sing like that before. Please come back to my
store anytime you what to." The colt said as he handed Treblen the cello.
"Will do sir." Treblen said giving the colt a mock salute.
