The Midnight Composer

Symphony No. 1 - The First Movement

The golden light of the east peered through the windows, shimmering off of the sleek coats of snow on the ground as if the ground was a glistening amber sea; the train, a tan hulled cruise liner slicing through its waters. Closer and closer it made its way towards the royal ivory castle in the distance to the southwest. As the train crossed a river, the nearly frozen water scattered in veiled splashes, yielding to the speed of the train.

Ubi leaned on the back of his seat, arm rested beneath his chin, ears drooping as he let the warming light wash over him, eyes wistfully closed. A slow rise of one eyelid gave him a glimpse of the passengers slowly thinning out as each one departed at his or her stop, leaving a half of the booths decked out with green translucent glass empty. He reach up a shaking paw, slowly pulling down a blind on his side as a soft sigh escaped from his jagged lips. He still wasn't used to the light of the sun, much more preferring the lesser light of the moon and stars after being underground for so long.

'Maybe this is a change I will learn to like.' He thought to himself as he sprawled out onto the lavish white cushions of his seat. The conductor had gone through each car, dimming the lamps as morning came, leaving only the luminescence of the dawn. It would only be a few hours now until the train arrived at the station. His jaws opened wide as he yawned, folding his arms behind his head and crossing his legs as he drifted into a late nap.

He had never stayed up this 'late' before, most diamond dogs would have been asleep by early twilight, waking up near mid afternoon. He often wondered why their sleep cycle was like that.

"It's because we're um... what's that fancy word the surfacers used? Nocturny? Something like that?" He recalled the old diamond dog's words, "Means we work at night, sleep during the day. We're more healthy under the moon than the sun."

It was the first time he had actually seen a sunrise, but even after seeing one for himself, he didn't understand why many of the books he had read made such a big deal about it. Indeed, it was very relaxing to witness, but it wasn't something that Ubi would call 'special'. He felt it lacked something, something vital that made it special.

He hummed a little tune that he heard in his head a long time ago, feeling himself drift off into sleep. A brisk wind blew in as the conductor left for the main car. As the air settled into casual blankets, Ubi felt his worries melt away.

A white wind blew across a cold ocean of snow, a small pup crying out for his mother desperately scanning out across sheets of cold-white.

"MAMA!" He cried out, clutching a cloak tight around him, buffeting his fur, chilling him to the bone. Falling to his knees, he wept, tears falling like broken crystals into the snow. It was only him, his tracks, and the shrieking wind. He crawled through the snow, clawing his way towards an unknown destination with only a whisper calling out to him. His large paws dropped to the snow, heavy with exhaustion, and his bays were lost to the blizzard. The numbing darkness washed over him, followed with a blaring whistle.

"MAMA!" He sat up with a sharp gasp, heaving stricken breaths. A quick glance of his surroundings confirmed that he was still on the train, the conductor stared at him with concern written on his face.

"You okay there, sonny? You were whimpering and howling in yer sleep." Ubi sighed in response.

"Bad dream," he whimpered. He wrapped his arms around his knees, secretly shedding a tear.

"Ah, don't worry, happens to all 'o us sooner or or later," He pulled out a cart. "Care for some co-" The conductor paused as Ubi gave him a sharp glare. "-coa?"

"Can't, makes diamond dogs sick," he growled.

"Ahem, never mind then." The conductor started ruffling through a lower tray on the cart. "Hmm, well if you can't have any cocoa then, Aha! How about some milk?" Ubi nodded in reply. "Alrighty then." A carton flip and a splash of white later, the conductor placed a ceramic mug of milk in front of Ubi. “Anything else I can getcha?”

“No thanks.” With a nod and a whistle, the conductor left for the next car. Ubi took the mug in paw and raised it up to his lips, taking a slow sip of of the creamy liquid. The dream still lingered in his mind as it brought tears to his eyes. He placed the mug down, leaning back onto the furnished cushions of the booth.

“Ubi? Is there something wrong?” He turned to see Octavia, rubbing her eyes in pink laced pajamas.

“Bad dream, that is all.” Octavia blinked, trotting over to sit down across from Ubi.

“Care to tell me about it?” Ubi shook his head in response. Octavia frowned. “Come now, my mother used to tell me that the best way to get over nightmares are to talk about them. So, out with it.” Ubi looked away, wrapping his scarf around his muzzle, the word 'mother' bring a pain to his heart. Octavia reached over the booth table and pulled down the scarf. “That bad, huh?” Ubi shut his eyes, nodding with a grief stricken 'yes'. Octavia sighed, resigned to let the matter go.

“I guess some nightmares are too bad to talk about.” She shied away, blushing. “I'm sorry for asking.” She got up and started to go back to her booth.

“WAIT!” A cry escaped from Ubi's lips before he clasped his large paws over them. Octavia turned around.

“Yes?” Ubi slowly lowered his paws, his words coming out in a whimpering tone.

“Could you... make more of that, what do you call it?”

“Music?” Octavia answered.

“Yes, music.”

“I'd love to.” With a glint in her eye, she pulled out her fabled ebony cello case, etched on the side of it was something that Ubi never noticed before, a faded engraving of a name: Aria, a hoof hid it away from sight as she undid the shining metal clasps that housed her prized possession: The Saddlevaari cello that produced such a wondrous tune the night before, and a wooden bow, warm to the touch.

Ubi got a closer look at the two pieces, both had telltale signs of tender care and use over the years: worn coats of polish, hoof prints across the glossed surfaces, and even a few nicks in the wood itself from accidents long forgiven. Octavia brandished her bow in a gray hoof. She drew in a much needed breath, exhaling in a rushed sigh. Her eyes closed as the bow drew a long saddened stroke across the strings.

Hallowed curtains of sunlight glided through the raised shades of the train, painting the train car with a rich satin glow as Octavia began a drawn out piece. Unlike the warm, calming suite from the night before, this melody instead possessed a bittersweet nostalgia, every note holding deep and heavy longing for something left behind. A glint of white flashed in the dawn's early light across her eyelashes. Slowly and slowly, the sparkle beaded up and trickled down her muzzle in the form of a lonesome tear birthed by a memory from a star-crossed past. Her heart trembled as she played, each stroke of the bow seeming to shake the train to its very core with the prolonged vibrations of the silver gleaming strings. A few stray snowflakes grace the outer window of the train, melting on contact with the frosted glass. After the soft pitch of a few light strokes blends with the ambiance, the cello scales down a few notes, bringing a tragic touch to the chord. The adagio rises in pitch to a warm timbre arpeggio beckons from the instrument for another to join.

Suddenly, the tune lifts an entire octave as another instrument starts to play: a violin. The pitch shifts to a light adagio seeming to cry out to all the passengers that it wanted to see someone one, last time before the cello returned the melody once again to a tenor pitch. Ubi glanced around the car in  response to the new sound, finding a mare holding the violin in hoof. She was a white mare with a bold black mane. The homely touch of a piano soon chimed in, wrought from the ivory keys of a compact keyboard and the black hooves of a stallion with a silver mane.

The three ponies played harmoniously, each one complimenting the other perfectly in a contrite, lonely piece as the sun sailed the morning sea of purple and vermillion with a solemn touch of winter gray. The train continued its voyage towards Canterlot as the three pony ensemble played. Soon, the other ponies who stayed in for the trip awoke gently to the sound of music, one by one exiting their booths in curiosity and awe at the piece now rising to a luscious volume, touching the hearts of each and every pony whose ears were fortunate enough to grasp the glorious but mournful sound that echoed softly throughout the car.

Although no pony said a word, every pony started to douse the lamps completely and close each and every one of the shades, save for two, making a makeshift spotlight for the three ponies while dimming the entire car, making it a humble but memorable stage for the performers. Like stars shining in an artificial night, there was not a single dry eye in the car as tears welled up and shimmered in instinctive response to the trio's music. Octavia's cello drew a foreboding chord leading the tune into a slowed largo tempo. The piano lifts the tune back up again, now shifting it into a brighter, more hopeful air as if gently whispering to each and every pony willing to listen, “We all have loved ones that we miss, but fear not, sooner or later, we'll see them again, be patient, be silent, and always keep them in your heart.”

A light scale from the piano draws in the violin as the black colt's hooves dance to a spritely minuet across his small keyboard. The violin plays a light turn to accompany the refrain of the cello's velvet chorus. A high key brushes back and forth between two light piano chords as the train starts to slow to a gentle rocking stop. The piano, violin, and cello strike sorrowed, extended chords to draw the piece to a blanketed close.

The train was still for several seconds, until it was Ubi, tears streaking down his face, who stood and applauded first, starting a massive standing ovation throughout the entire train. Even the conductor stood to clap. After an entire minute of applause, the din slowed to a halt, and the conductor, trying his best to hide a whimpering face, called out to every pony on the train:

“End of the Line: Canterlot.” He exited the car bringing out a small pink handkerchief.

The passengers soon gathered their things and headed out of the train. Octavia and the two other performers packed up their instruments. Ubi slung his sack over his shoulder, and headed towards the trio. Octavia was the first to notice him approach.

“Yes?” Ubi wiped away the last of his tears and answered.

“Thank you for playing.” He bowed, as was customary for diamond dogs to do when something meriting great honor was done. “Can I ask who played with you?” This got the attention of the black colt and the white mare.

“Oh right! I forgot I haven't introduced you to the rest of the orchestra, how rude of me.” She chuckled shyly before starting, “The pianist of our section is Ebony Keys, Equestria renouned pianist and recipient of the annual Clopin award for 4 years running.” At this Ebony blushed.

“I'm not THAT well renowned,” he interrupted, leaning in towards Ubi, “She just likes to flatter me to see me blush.” The white mare chuckled. Octavia rolled her eyes with a smile.

“And our violinist for our section is Ivory Fiddler, first place violinist in the Annual Battle of the Bands of Manehattan...”

“Charmed.” Ivory held out her hoof. Ubi stared at it with a puzzled expression. Ivory cleared her throat awkwardly before drawing it back.

“...and second place winner of Appleoosa's Fetlock Fiddler Competition last year.” Ivory sighed at Octavia's side note.

“I still can't manage to beat my cousin, there's just this one section of her song that she does every year that I can't play for the life of me.”

“Who is your cousin?” Ubi asked.

“Fiddle Sticks of the-” She shuddered “-APPLE side of the family.” Octavia leaned in to whisper to Ubi.

“She's not very proud of the rather... 'uncouth' side of the family tree.”

“What is 'uncouth'?”

“Well, unrefined, ignoble, base.” A glare from Octave shot a glare at Ivory for her answer. Ubi cocked his head, wondering what that was all about.

“We should probably be going now.” Octavia hefted her cello case in hoof and started towards the car exit door. Ubi's mind raced to think of something else, hoping for the trio to stay a bit longer. An idea broke through at the last minute.

“WAIT!” The three turned simultaneously. It was now or never for Ubi.

“Could you three...” he folded his paws shyly, trying to find the right words, “Teach me how to make music like you do?”

Ubi's heart started to race, he could feel his paws starting to sweat. He started to think that it was the wrong thing to ask of them. After all, they did have the Midnight Masquerade to practice for. He half-expected for them to turn around with disapproving faces and reject him on the spot.

But Octavia turned around, a warm smile spreading across her face, the same gentle expression that Ubi saw this morning, and saying the three words that made Ubi's heart soar higher than any pegasus had ever flown.

“I'd love to...”