I laid splayed out across the cushions of one of the seats within the Royal Coach as the train sped down the tracks, staring at the cards in my hands. The train chugged along, carrying us forward towards Canterlot at a steady pace.

With Hearth’s Warming Eve coming up, Twilight had explained that we would be staying at the palace in Canterlot for the holidays. Since Twilight’s parents lived in Canterlot, and Shining and Cadance—both of whom would be coming to visit—would be staying at the palace as well, it was supposedly the best place for us to stay.

Though the holidays were three days away, Twilight had insisted that we head to Canterlot early. She had said that she had something planned that required us to arrive a few days before everyone else.

I was perfectly fine with that, as I had nothing planned, just like always. Plus, it got me out of Ponyville for a while. Ever since the infected human attack, ponies seemed to whisper to one another whenever I was outside of the library, so I was perfectly fine with the vacation.

So Twilight, myself, and my guards were all heading to Canterlot for the surprise that Twilight had set up. We had left in the early morning, hoping to beat the morning rush, as well as the whispering crowd. It was now approaching noon, and we were almost to Canterlot.

Twilight had spent most of the trip reading, her book floating beside her head as she hummed quietly to herself. Ebony was reading as well, though she held her book in her hooves. Spike was passed out beside Twilight, snoring lightly as he napped.

Upon the train leaving the station, Primrose had immediately pulled her trusty deck of cards out of her pouch, and Avera and I had quickly joined her in a card game. We had spent most of the trip playing Old Maid, which I had taught them during our lockdown at the library. Primrose had taken an immense liking to it, and seemed to be extremely talented at getting rid of the old maid whenever she acquired it.

“I still don’t know why you can’t tell us why we’re going to Canterlot early,” Avera huffed as she held out her cards to me face down. Reaching out, I picked one of the cards near the middle of her hand. A quick glance showed me that it was an eight, which I did not have in my hand. Sliding the card into my own collection, I then offered my cards to Primrose.

“I told you, it’s a surprise,” Twilight said, not glancing up from her book. Primrose grabbed one of my cards—a Luna—before grimacing and slipping it into her hand. Fanning out her cards, she offered them to Avera.

“Does it have anything to do with the other princesses?” she asked as Avera picked a card.

“Nope,” Twilight replied as she turned a page.

“Does it have anything to do with Max being bitten by the infected human?” Avera asked as she held her cards out to me. Grabbing one, I smirked as I got a three, which I immediately paired with the one in my hand. Both Primrose and Avera groaned as I discarded the pair.

“Of course not,” Twilight snorted, rolling her eyes. “We’re trying to avoid that kind of attention, remember?”

“Why can’t you give us any hints?” Avera whined.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad,” Twilight said, eyes still on her book. “In fact, it’s going to be fun!”

“As long as it’s nothing stupid,” Primrose groused, rolling her eyes. With it being overcast weather today, she didn’t need to wear her tinted glasses, although she had them perched on top of her head just in case the cloud cover started to break up.

“It won’t be,” Twilight replied. “Besides, the surprise doesn’t involve you. It involves Max.”

I paused in my choosing of a card from Avera to give Twilight an incredulous look. Shaking my head, I huffed before turning my attention back to the card game. Pulling a card, I glanced at it before grimacing. I don’t need a two!

I held out my cards to Primrose, and she quickly nabbed the two that I had just acquired. Looking at it, she smile before tossing it and another two onto the seat beside her. Avera groaned.

~I hope it’s nothing bad~ I signed, placing my cards face down in my lap.

“Nope,” Twilight said with a smile. “You’ll like it, I promise. It’s a little something from me to you.”

~Still no hint?~ I asked, giving her a pleading look, pouting slightly. She smirked as she looked up from her book, silently shaking her head at me.

Picking up my cards again, I resumed playing, reaching out to grab one of Avera’s offered ones. Silence fell over the coach as we continued our game. Cards exchanged hands at a steady rate, paired ones being thrown to the side for later.

Soon enough, it was just me and Avera, Primrose having already discarded all her cards. I had one card left—a Celestia—while Avera had two. One was the card I needed, the other was the old maid.

As she held out her cards, one in each hoof, I glanced back and forth between the two. I was unable to tell by her expression which card was which, as she stared straight ahead, her expression blank.

I hesitated, my hand hovering over the right card before moving to the left. I wiggled my fingers, frowning softly, before plucking the left card out of her grasp. Flipping it quickly, I threw my hands into the air and hooted in triumph when I saw a Celestia staring back at me. Avera growled as she slammed her head on the cushion in front of her.

“Buck it,” Avera growled, her voice muffled.

“Look’s like you’re buying the drinks next time,” Primrose snickered as she began to gather the scattered cards.

As she shuffled the deck, I sat up and glanced out the window. The scenery flashed by as the train sped along, traveling through the shadow of the mountain of Canterlot.

Running a hand through my hair absentmindedly, I glanced down at the base of the mountain. The hole that was being dug out had expanded greatly since the last time I had laid eyes on it. Wooden planks and walkways crisscrossed the empty space, providing the guards and the digging humans with a means to quickly descend. The hole seemed to delve into the earth, being swallowed in darkness the deeper it went.

A thin trail of ponies, accompanied by minecarts, exited the shaft, each cart filled with rocks and dirt. The debris was carried off, dumped off to the side of the site in a massive pile. The entire site was roped off by a large fence.

~They’re still at it~ I mentioned offhandedly as our train slowly circled the site. Twilight glanced up, giving me a confused look before glancing out the window herself.

“Oh,” she said, leaning forward as well. “Wow, they really are still working on that. I would have thought that they would have been finished by now.”

“They ran into a mass of crystal veins. Stopped the digging humans dead. They have since managed to break through and are back on schedule,” Ebony said, not looking up from her book. “Whatever’s down there is still emitting random bursts of magic, and they believe that our diggers should be able to reach the source by spring.”

~How do you know that?~ I asked, tearing my gaze from the window to look over at her.

“I was part of the team that discovered the source,” Ebony answered, glancing up at me. “I sent the info to Princess Celestia and she allowed us to start digging. When I was reassigned to watch Discord, my friends still at the dig site kept me up to date. I still receive letters from them about once a week.”

“You were part of the team that first sensed it?” Twilight asked, giving her a surprised look. “How did you first pick up the frequency? What tests were you doing at the time that picked up the magical resonance?”

Ebony rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, smiling sheepishly.

“We were kinda using magic to… throw pieces of chocolate into our mouths without moving,” she admitted, blushing as she looked away. Twilight blinked several times, giving her an incredulous look.

“...You discovered it by accident?”

Ebony chuckled weakly, her ears splaying backwards.

“How we discovered it doesn’t matter,” she defended. “It may have been an accident, but in the end that didn’t matter. We compiled our findings, and sent them to both Celestia and the Archmage. Celestia acted on our findings quickly, with the Archmage taking over soon after.”

“Any idea what’s down there?” Primrose asked as she began to deal out cards again. I picked up my cards, fanning them out in order to see what I had. I grimaced inwardly when I saw that I had the old maid right off the bat.

“No idea,” Ebony said with a shrug. “All I know about it is that whatever it is, it’s got a massive amount of magic the likes of which I have never felt before.”

“Could it be potentially dangerous?” Avera asked, tilting her head back to look at Ebony. The unicorn just shook her head.

“We're not sure. It’s not organic; it’s artificial, much like a talisman or artifact.”

“So, no giant monster is going to burst out of the base of the mountain and kill us all?” Avera asked, holding her cards out to Primrose. The batpony took a card, and immediately threw down a pair onto the cushion beside her.

“Not that I’m aware of,” Ebony said, giving her a confused look.

“Good.”

Primrose held out her cards to me, and I grabbed one. Discarding the two threes I now had, I offered my cards to Avera. A small smile touched my face when I saw that she had grabbed the old maid. She gave me a quick glare before holding out her cards to Primrose.

As the three of us fell back into the swing of our game, Twilight returned to her book. Flipping open to her bookmark, she settled down on the cushion, leaning her shoulder against me as she did so. After a few seconds, I felt her tentatively place her wing against my back. I leaned back, nestling up against her as I pulled a card from Primrose’s hand.

I felt Twilight hum happily as the train continued to roll along, taking us nearer to our destination.

I gave off a low, impressed whistle as I stared up at the building before us. It was smaller than the other estates surrounding it, possibly the smallest one on the block, but that didn’t make it any less impressive.

Two stories tall, the building was designed so that it looked like it had been entirely made of carved marble. A large patio, covered by a second-story balcony, sat upfront, completely surrounded by green bushes, covered in white snow. A tiny fountain bubbled happily in the center of the small yard, a stone music note decorating it. Steam rose from the water, indicating that it was heated.

We were in, for lack of a better term, the rich part of Canterlot, making me even more confused as to what Twilight had planned for me. Only high-end nobles lived up here, and if it weren’t for the fact I know Twilight, I would have been getting rather nervous of her intent.

“Okay,” said Primrose, eyeing the fountain curiously. “Now I’m even more curious as to what you’re up to.”

“You’ll see~~~,” Twilight sang happily as she trotted towards the front door. As Twilight climbed the steps to the patio, my guards looked at me. Chewing on my bottom lip, I just shrugged.

~Let’s just see where this goes~ I signed before following after my owner.

By the time I caught back up with Twilight, she had already knocked on the front door and was patiently waiting for a response. My guards followed behind, scanning the area carefully. Their armor clinked together quietly as they ascended the stairs to stand behind me.

We had only been standing there for a few seconds before the sound of a dead bolt being pulled back came from the other side of the door. There was a brief pause before the door swung inward.

I blinked in surprise, my eyes widening when I saw the pony standing on the other side of the door. She was a grey earth pony, her coat brushed and fetlocks trimmed. Her mane, a darker shade of grey than her coat, was brushed back, cascading down around her shoulders. She had on a single article of clothing: a pink bow tie.

It’s the cello goddess from the Gala! I thought as I looked down at her.

She gazed out at us, a look of confusion crossing her face when her eyes landed on the three armored ponies behind me. The confusion left and a small smile touched her face when she caught sight of Twilight.

“Your majesty,” she said, giving a small bow.

“Please,” Twilight said, returning the smile, “just Twilight will be fine.”

“Certainly,” the mare replied, giving another bow before pushing the door open wider and motioning us in.

As I entered behind Twilight, I glanced around. The inside of the house wasn’t anything like the outside. While the outside of the estate had looked almost spartan and professional, the inside had a warm, homely feel to it. Instead of hardwood, cushy carpeting covered the floors, my toes practically sinking into the comfortable material as I slipped out of my sandals and placed them into my bags. A hint of cinnamon filled the air, wafting up from lit scented candles.

Just off of the entryway, a two-step landing led into an open living room. A large couch rested in the center of the room, facing a massive brick fireplace. There was a fire crackling merrily within, providing sufficient heat for the room. Large bay windows rested upon the far wall, providing a breathtaking view of the Equestrian countryside far below. Looking out the window, I was suddenly made aware of just how close to the edge of Canterlot city we were.

Soft classical music filled the room, emanating from a small record player resting on a nearby table.

As I looked around, I heard Twilight speak up beside me, “Good afternoon, Ms. Melody. Thank you for seeing us on such short notice.”

“Please, call me Octavia,” the mare said, placing a hoof on her chest and giving Twilight a warm smile. “Besides, it’s not every day that you get a letter from royalty asking for a private meeting. There was no possible way I could have said no.”

“Still, I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to see us.”

“Well, just between you and me,” Octavia said with a light giggle. “I’m not actually all that busy around the holidays. The conductor likes to give us the time off to spend it with family.”

“We aren’t intruding on anything, are we?” Twilight asked in alarm, her ears splaying backwards. “I didn’t want you to cancel any plans you had just to accommodate us.”

“Oh, no,” Octavia said, waving her hoof dismissively through the air. “There were no plans to interrupt anyways. My sister is currently in Manehattan, and I don’t really talk to my parents anymore. The only ponies here right now are me and my marefriend, and she’s currently asleep.”

“We won’t wake her, will we?” Twilight asked. This caused Octavia to laugh, her purple eyes dancing with mirth as she raised a hoof to cover her mouth.

“Forgive me for laughing,” she said when Twilight gave her a confused look, “but a train running through her room would not be enough to wake that mare. With how deeply she can sleep, if it weren’t for the fact she was breathing, I would mistake her for being dead.”

“Yeah,” Avera breathed, smirking up at me. “We know that feeling.” I gave her a small pout before nudging her with my foot, causing her to stumble slightly. Octavia glanced over at us, raising an eyebrow slightly before returning her attention back to Twilight.

“Well, Ms. Twilight, pleasantries are all good and such, but what brings you out here today? I’m afraid your letter was rather vague.”

“I have heard through the grapevine that you are one of the best cellists out there,” Twilight said, giving her a warm smile, “and I’ve recently found myself in need of your help.” The eyes of all three of my guards lit up, and they all exchanged knowing glances. I was still a little confused as to what was going on.

Octavia’s face lit up at Twilight’s words, and a small smirk slowly spread across her face.

“Oh my,” she said, a hoof going to mouth. “Could it be that Princess Twilight Sparkle wants to learn how to play the cello? I must say, I’m deeply honored that you’d choose me for such a task. I must ask though, what’s brought on the sudden longing?”

Twilight chuckled nervously, tapping her hooves together in front of her in an agitated manner. She glanced over at me, her ears folding back before returning her gaze back to the smirking Octavia.

“Well, you see—” she gulped, her wings twitching by her side “—I’m not actually here to learn how to play the cello.”

The smile left Octavia’s face and she gave Twilight an incredulous look. “Beg pardon?”

“The reason I contacted you wasn’t so that I could learn to play the cello,” Twilight said softly, not able to look the mare in the eyes.

“So why did you contact me?” Octavia asked, cocking her head to the side. Twilight just motioned towards me.

“I came because of him.” I gave Twilight a quick, confused look before returning my attention to Octavia as she glanced over at me.

She gave me a hard look, her purple eyes narrowing before she closed them completely. Giving a heavy sigh, she then hung her head, giving off a low groan.

“I see,” she muttered, keeping her eyes closed, her ears pressing against the back of her head. She seemed to deflate slightly, her tail drooping. The previous joy on her face seemed to disappear, replaced instead by a cold professionalism.

“Is that a problem?” Ebony asked, cocking an eyebrow at Octavia, who just shook her head, her eyes remaining closed.

“Of course not,” she said, her voice emotionless. “There's no problem at all. If you all would follow me.” Turning, she trotted towards a set of stairs leading up to the second floor. I glanced down at Twilight, who just gave me a bewildered look before hurrying after the retreating mare.

“I guess we should follow,” Ebony said, her tone uncertain as she moved forward. Avera nodded before making her own way towards the stairs.

I had taken only a couple of steps forward myself when I felt something hard bump into my leg. Glancing down, I found Primrose practically stuck to my leg.

~You okay?~ I asked, raising an eyebrow. Her ears were pressed tight against her head, and her tail was flicking back and forth in agitation. Her whole body was tense, and she was sticking so close to me that I was practically tripping over her. From behind her bandana I could hear her inhaling deeply, almost sniffing the air.

“I... I don't like this,” she muttered, her wings furling and unfurling by her sides. “I don't like this at all.”

~What's wrong?~ I paused, glancing around the room. Octavia and Twilight had just about reached the top of the stairs, and my other two guards were almost halfway up. Still enough time to make a break for it.

“The scent,” she growled, inhaling again. “The scent... I don't like it. It's too strong... too potent.”

I blinked in confusion, glancing over at the scented candles in confusion.

~You mean the cinnamon?~ Primrose’s wings unfurled again, her tail thrashing against my leg as she stuck close to me.

“...Y-yeah,” she muttered. “It's the cinnamon.”

I cast a quick glance up at the others, who were now all at the top of the stairs, giving us confused looks. Crouching down, I signed, ~We can leave if you'd like~ before scratching behind the batpony's ears.

“N-no, it's alright,” she said shakily, relaxing slightly under the attention my hand was giving her. “The smell’s just... getting to me.”

“Is everything alright?” Octavia called down to Primrose, her eyebrows raising.

“Everything's fine,” Primrose called back up, her voice returning to its usual strength. “Everything's just fine,” she said, softer than before, almost like she was trying to convince herself.

As I stood back up, she shook herself, her armor clinking together noisily. She looked up at me, her eyes hidden behind her shades, before moving towards the stairs. I frowned slightly as I watched her walk, my eyebrows furrowing. She was nervous about something, and that was in turn making me nervous as well.

Casting one last glance around the room, I followed quickly after her.

As Primrose and I reached the top of the stairs, Octavia gave us a quick look before turning and trotting off down the hall.

“Ms. Melody, please,” Twilight called out, fluttering down the hall after her. “What's the matter? Was it something I said? I apologize if I said something insulting or rude.” Octavia paused, glancing back over her shoulder at us. Her eyes landed on me, and she sighed before lowering her head.

“Nothing insulting, I assure you,” she said softly as she turned back around and continued walking.

“Then what...” Twilight began, but trailed off as Octavia gave another sigh.

“If you must know, it's the reason you're here that causes me grief.”

“I'm... sorry?” Twilight said, blinking in confusion. Octavia glanced over at her, frowning slightly.

“You aren't the first to come to me, asking that I teach your human how to play an instrument,” she said. “Many nobles have arrived on my doorstep, waving their bits in my face and commanding me to teach their human to play for them. They want their humans to serenade them while they eat, to impress their friends, or to make them seem better than the other noble's humans. Many think that, because of my abilities, I should be able to teach their human to play any instrument their owner's desire.”

“You've taught humans to play?” Ebony asked, surprised.

“Tried to,” Octavia replied tiredly. “I've tried to in the past, multiple times, and all that I've achieved is thirteen broken cellos, seven smashed violins, a bent trombone, and a smashed bass, brought down upon the owner's head.

“And of course, in not being able to train their humans, I have proven to the nobles that I am not as 'amazing as I claim to be'.” Octavia rolled her eyes, huffing heatedly in disgust. “I've tried to explain to them that I never claimed that I could train humans. I don't even know where that rumor got started.”

As we walked down the hall, Primrose walked close to me, behaving almost like a dog that knew she was somewhere she wasn't supposed to be. I looked around the hallway, trying to figure out what was making her so nervous. The smell of cinnamon had long since faded, and I couldn't see anything that would cause her to be nervous. We passed by several closed rooms, as well as a handful of paintings on the walls. I frowned when I realized that, unlike the floor below us, the second floor didn't appear to have any windows.

Stepping quickly, I nudged Avera with my foot. When she glanced back at me, I motioned to the walls before signing quietly, ~Windows?~

She blinked before glancing around at the walls herself, her ears perking up.

“Excuse me, Ms. Melody,” she called up, causing Octavia to pause in her conversation with Twilight. “Why are there no windows up here?”

“I was just starting to wonder that myself,” Ebony muttered.

“The second story contains both my studio, as well as my marefriend's,” Octavia explained. “There are no windows, so that we aren't able to tell the time by the passing of the sun. It helps us remain focused on any new pieces we are working on. No clocks are up here either.

“Plus,” she added with a soft chuckle. “My marefriend is a bit of a night owl. She works the nightshift over at one of the nightclubs here in Canterlot, so she tends to sleep during the day. Despite the fact she can sleep through anything, she still prefers the lack of sunlight when sleeping.

“Anyways,” she said, coming to stop outside of one of the closed doors at the far end of the hall. “Here we are.”

Twisting the door handle, she pushed the door open and entered. As we filed into the room, I glanced around. It was a medium-sized room, windowless, with dark hardwood flooring. Chairs and music stands scattered the floor. Several cellos rested in specially made stands along the far wall, each a different color of wood: dark wood, light wood, and burnt wood to name a few. There was even a black cello, polished to a wonderful sheen, resting in a rack.

“Do forgive the mess,” Octavia said as she stepped around the chairs. “I was composing last night, and haven't had a chance to clean up yet.”

As she picked up slightly, I glanced around the room, impressed. Some recording equipment rested off to the side, along with some noise-canceling barriers. There was a small closet along the far wall, the door to which was open. I could see multiple instruments resting inside: violins, basses, and cellos. I even noticed a harp among the instruments. The smell of rosin and paper filled my nose and I inhaled happily. There's that smell, I thought, remembering my time in the orchestra.

I glanced over at Twilight, whom I saw watching me out of the corner of her eye. As I looked at her, she glanced away quickly, a small blush touching her face. I smirked, shaking my head slightly.

~Did you do this for me so that I could play again~ I asked quietly as I walked up beside her, ~or so you could hear me play?~

“So you could play again,” she said, a small smile touching her muzzle. “I figured since you used to play, you might want to do so again. It's just a happy coincidence that I'll hear it.” I shook my head, chuckling softly. Reaching out a hand, I scratched behind her ear, earning a happy coo from her.

“Alright,” Octavia said, moving a set of chairs over and placing them in front of us. “Let's get this over with.” Turning to Twilight, she gave her a strained smile. “Now, I'm willing to try teaching a human again, since you've come all the way out here just for this. However, I just want you to be aware, this probably won't work. Don't be surprised if he just breaks the instrument instead of playing it.”

“Oh, I know,” Twilight said with a smile. “Please, relax, Octavia. Despite what you might think, I didn't come here to have you train my human. I came to hear you two play.”

Octavia stared at Twilight, blinking in confusion.

“...I beg your pardon?”

As the two talked, I slipped away, towards the row of cellos. Running my hands over the smooth surfaces, I smiled softly. Gently picking up one of the middle ones—a nice dark-brown one—I gave the strings a quick pluck, smiling when I heard the crisp note. It was perfectly tuned, and ready for play. Grabbing the bow that was hanging beside it, I proceed to head back over to the mares.

“...But why are you here then?” Octavia asked as I approached. She was so focused on Twilight that she didn't see nor hear me sit down in one of the chairs. My guards were watching me, smiles on Ebony and Avera's faces. Primrose just gave a nervous flick of her ears, lifting her sunglasses to perch them upon her head.

“I told you,” Twilight said with a giggle. “I want to hear you play.”

“But your human...” Octavia said, her face scrunching up.

“I want to hear him play too,” Twilight said. “I was hoping to hear both of you play together.”

“But that would require me teaching him first!”

“Oh,” Twilight smirked, glancing over at me, “I think Max can take care of that himself.” Octavia opened her mouth to say something, but I took that exact moment to play a quick D-Major scale, running up and down the scale with perfect ease.

Glancing up, I saw Twilight giving me an amused look, while Octavia was standing there, mouth agape.

“But... t-that's impossible,” she muttered, slowly shaking her head in disbelief.

“I'm not sure about the other humans you've tried to train before,” Twilight giggled, “but Max here is unique.”

I gave Octavia a small smile before playing a G-Major scale, followed by a C-Major scale, warming my fingers up and getting used to the cello again after not having played the instrument in so long.

“How is this possible?” I heard Octavia ask as I ran through the scales.

“Max is different from other humans,” Twilight said.

“Being intelligent probably helps too,” Avera snarked, a large smirk on her face.

“Intelligent,” Octavia muttered, staring at me with a curious look on her face. “He can understand us?”

“Perfectly,” Twilight said happily, nodding her head.

“...And he can play the cello,” she muttered, more to herself than anything else. She tapped her chin, a thoughtful look on her face as her eyes narrowed slightly.

After several seconds, she asked, “Can you play more?”

A large smile slowly spread across my face, causing Octavia to take a step back, her ears splaying backwards. Putting my hand into position, I placed the bow upon the strings and began to play.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: I started out rusty at first. It had been a long time since I had last played the song, and a few bad notes earned me a couple of flinches from my listeners. However, as I continued to play, the memories returned and I found myself smiling as I fell back into my old groove. I hadn’t even realized how much I had missed playing the cello until this moment.

As the notes continued to flow from the strings at the ministration of the bow, the ponies slowly began to gather around me. Avera and Ebony were just watching curiously, amused smiles on their faces. Primrose looked like she was beginning to relax, a small smile on her face. Octavia was eyeing me with a critical look, a neutral expression on her face as she watched my movements closely. She almost reminded me of my old music teacher. Twilight was watching with a large smile on her face, her ear twitching in time with the music.

As the song came to an end, I lowered the bow, sighing happily. Twilight clapped her hooves together, giggling happily. “That was amazing!”

“Incredible,” Octavia said. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes: a human playing a cello. The way his fingers moved across the hoofboard with such ease, it was breathtaking.” Chewing on her bottom lip, she continued to stare at me for a few seconds before a smile broke out across her face.

“This is truly magnificent,” she cooed, her purple eyes sparkling. “Max, was it?” I nodded my head, tapping my fingers against the top of the cello. “Despite the rocky start, you played that piece beautifully. At least, I think you did. I’ve never heard that particular piece before.”

She tapped her hoof on the wood as she pursed her lips. Her eyes drifted over to the rack of cellos, and her ears slowly perked up. I cocked my head to the side as she trotted over and grabbed a cello of her own. Sitting down in the chair across from me, she plucked at the strings, checking to see if they were in tune.

Satisfied, she glanced up at me, a mischievous smirk on her face.

“How about a game I like to play with my students?” she asked. “One of us plays a part of a song, and the other tries to copy it. Kind of like what the ponies over in Appleloosa play—Dueling Banjo Strings—I believe, only more refined.”

I nodded my head, earning me a large smile from her. “Excellent! How about you start, and I’ll follow!” Scratching my neck, I mentally ran through the list of music I knew, trying to find an appropriate song. My eyes lit up as I decided on a song.

Placing the bow, I began to play, lightly dragging the bow hairs across the string. After a few seconds, I began to tap on the side of the cello as I continued to draw the bow slowly across the strings. Octavia watched me closely, her ears perked and trained on me.

Smiling softly, I stopped tapping and placed my hand on the neck of the cello, my fingers dancing across the vibrating strings as I played. Ears twitched as I pulled the bow harshly, causing quick bursts of sound to come from the instrument.

After I had been playing for a while, Octavia joined in, hesitantly playing out a couple of notes before gaining more confidence. Soon enough, we were both playing, each of us echoing what the other was playing. I would call, and Octavia would answer, only a few octaves lower.

During a brief pause from Octavia, I quickly swapped out my bow for my fingers, plucking at the strings, my pizzicato causing the ponies to cock their heads to the side in confusion. I chuckled softly as I continued to pluck for a few more seconds before returning the bow to the strings.

Octavia and I played for a few more minutes before we both trailed off at the same time. The last notes seemed to hang in the air for a few, long seconds before the room became silent. Both of us just stared at each other, oblivious to the other ponies who were beginning to stomp their hooves in applause.

“While I’m not exactly used to that type of music,” Octavia said, a large smile on her face. “I must say it was quite a thrill to play.” Her eyes narrowed playfully and she licked her lips.

“Know any more?”

I chuckled as I placed the bow back onto the strings.

We continued to play for several hours, one song after another. Octavia seemed unable to get enough of anything I played. She was almost like a little kid in a candy shop, a large smile on her face as she watched me play.

There were several times that she had asked me to repeat a song, just so she could play it again. Once or twice she had stopped playing to grab some paper, writing down certain phrases or bars that caught her fancy.

She was able to pick up on the songs quickly, playing along with me only after hearing the main bars once. There were even moments where she could play parts she had never heard before. I just chalked that up to the music of harmony, much like when Twilight had sung parts from Phantom of the Opera.

“Come on,” Octavia pleaded, gazing up at me with soulful eyes. “One more song?” Sighing, I shook my head, chuckling softly.

Shifting in my chair to get myself into a more comfortable position, I held up one finger and nodded in agreement. Lowering my hand into position, I plucked at the rosin-covered strings as I began to play.

Once again, without ever having heard the song before, Octavia entered precisely when she needed to, her bow—which had several broken hairs now—pulling slowly, and with purpose, across the strings. Her hoof slid up and down the neck of her cello, the edge of her hoof pressing into the string much like my fingers would.

After a few seconds she slowly closed her eyes, her entire body swaying in time with her bow strokes. The smile slowly left her face as she played more, a look of calm soberness falling over her.

I continued to pluck my part along, tapping my bow on the string occasionally to get a better sound. Octavia put her entire bow into it, pulling from tip to frog and back again with professional procession.

A few tears trickled down her cheeks from her closed eyes as we neared the end of the song. The last note finally rang out, hanging precariously in the air for a few seconds before fading completely.

Lowering her bow, Octavia gave a low sigh before opening her eyes and smiling.

“Beautiful,” she murmured, her eyes slightly unfocused. “Simply beautiful.” She blinked a couple of times, glancing over at me as I chuckled. “You laugh, but that truly was a magnificent experience. It’s been too long since I last experienced something so unique.”

“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Twilight laughed, moving to stand beside me. She glanced up at me, nudging my arm with her wing. “You looked like you were having fun as well,” she smirked. I stuck my tongue out at her, but laughed nonetheless.

“Well, it wasn’t my preferred music genre,” Avera said, standing up and stretching, “but I’ll admit it. I’m impressed.”

“Indeed,” Ebony said, nodding her head twice. “You play very passionately.”

“That’s one word for it,” Octavia said, running a hoof through her mane, straightening it out. “I must say, despite how I came across in the beginning, I would not be opposed to you coming back for another visit.”

“Another visit?” Avera asked with a smirk. “But I thought you didn’t want to deal with humans.”

Octavia opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the sound of a door slamming shut down the hall. Glancing at the door in surprise, a small smile touched her muzzle.

“It would appear that Vinyl is up early today,” she said, shaking her head. “It must have been a slow night for her. She usually sleeps later than this, although, truth be told, I’m not sure what time it is exactly.”

“You sure we didn't wake her?” Twilight asked, worried. “The two of you playing was rather loud at some points.”

“I'm positive,” Octavia chuckled as the sound of hoofsteps came from the hallway. “I've screamed in her face before and failed to wake her. The sound of cellos from down the hall wouldn't have fazed her.”

As the hoofsteps grew in volume, Primrose tensed up beside me, her ears standing at attention. Her face paled as she inhaled deeply, her nostrils flaring. She moved to stand beside me, her wings twitching sporadically.

“What's your problem?” Avera asked, giving her a bemused look.

“N-nothing,” Primrose growled. “Just... just... nothing.”

“Sure doesn't look like nothing,” Avera said, raising an eyebrow. “You look like you’re about ready to bolt.”

“Just shut up,” Primrose snapped, glaring at her. Grabbing her bandana, she pulled it up, over her muzzle.

Avera blinked in surprise, but before she was able to respond, a voice came from the hallway.

“...Tavia?”

“In here, dear,” Octavia called out, glancing towards the door. Her eyes flicked over to our group and she added, “We have guests over.”

Soft muttering came from the hall, followed by the telltale sound of magic. A few seconds later, the door to the room swung open fully and a pony walked—or more like stumbled—in. My eyes widened in recognition as I saw that the pony was the unicorn mare who had saved me from Blueblood at the Gala.

Her short two-tone blue mane was a mess, strands sticking out at odd angles in one of the worst cases of bedhead I had ever seen. A pair of dark shades rested over her eyes, completely blocking them from view. Her earrings glinted as her ears flicked, and she gave off a loud, jaw-cracking yawn as she entered the room.

“Mornin' Tav',” she muttered, moving to lay her head on Octavia's shoulder. Primrose stiffened, her eyes never leaving the mare as she drew nearer.

Octavia giggled before leaning over and pecking the new mare on the cheek.

“Good afternoon, Vinyl,” she said. “You're up early, aren’t you?”

“Couldn't sleep,” the mare, Vinyl, muttered sleepily, resting her cheek against Octavia's.

“And why's that? Don’t tell me that it because we were being too loud, because the day I wake you due to the noise level is the day I eat my cello.”

“Too hungry,” Vinyl murmured, turning her head and nipping at Octavia's neck playfully. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Primrose quiver slightly.

“Vinyl, please,” Octavia giggled, pushing the mare's head away from her neck with a hoof. “We have guests. Important guests too.” Vinyl raised her head, and I could tell she was blinking her eyes behind her shades, trying to get the sleep from her eyes.

Glancing over at us, a small smile touched her face. “Princess Sparkle. It's been too long. I think the last time I saw you was at your brother's wedding.”

“It was, Lady Scratch,” Twilight said with a nod. “Though, I do believe you’ve been in Ponyville several times for Pinkie’s parties. And I really wish you'd just call me Twilight.”

“And I wish you wouldn't call me 'Lady Scratch',” Vinyl said, a sour look on her face.

“But that's your title,” Twilight said with a smirk.

“You know damn well that I only accepted that title was because Luna was insistent,” Vinyl snorted. “Buck, I don't even show up to any of the Lunar Courts. Drives the rest of the nobles batty. I prefer my turntables to the backstabbing, anyways.” Scratching the back of her head, she yawned again, her jaw popping. As she recovered, she turned her head in my direction.

Upon seeing me, she froze.

“Aw, buck, Tavia,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I thought you said you weren't going to try and teach humans again. Remember what happened last time? It took us over fifteen minutes to get that bass off of the stupid mare’s head.”

“I know what I said, Vinyl, and I still stand by it,” Octavia said before smirking, “but this is a special circumstance.”

“What's so special about it?” Vinyl asked, turning to look at her. “I know he's a human to a princess, but I don't see how that makes him unique. I mean, I know he’s a looker, but still.”

As she looked away, I reached down into my bags and pulled out my notebook and a marker. Uncapping it, I quickly wrote out a message.

“He's different from other humans,” Octavia said, waving a hoof at me. Vinyl raised an eyebrow before glancing back at me as well.

“How so—“

I smiled at her, holding up my sign in the process. +Thanks for saving me from Blueblood+

“He's intelligent,” Octavia said with a smile. “Amazing, isn't it?”

Vinyl didn't reply. She just stood there, staring at me. The small smile that she had once had on her face was now gone, replaced by a neutral look. Her ears were perked up, and her hackles were raised slightly.

“An intelligent human,” she muttered. It wasn’t a question.

Even though I couldn't see her eyes, I had the distinct feeling that she was looking into my eyes; straight through them and into my soul. I shivered, growing uneasy under her stare. For the briefest of moments, I felt like I was a mouse beneath the eyes of a hawk.

And then, just like that, it was gone. Vinyl moved, walking towards me with slow, even steps. Primrose stiffened further as the mare began to circle, her hidden eyes studying me closely. The room was silent except for the clip clop of her hooves on the wooden floor.

After several circles, she suddenly moved to stand in front of me, her nose inches from mine. I could feel as she inhaled deeply, sniffing me, taking in my scent. Her nose twitched once before her face scrunched up and she snorted loudly.

Leaning back she gave me one last look before muttering under her breath, “...He’s got a good heart, unlike him...”

She snorted once more before shaking her head, turning, and trotting back towards Octavia. Twilight gave her a curious look as she walked past, but Vinyl ignored her.

“Well, have fun, Tavia!” she sang, instantly reverting back into her relaxed nature. She nipped at Octavia’s ear as she passed, causing it to flick. “I’m going to go get something to eat before I die of hunger.” With that, and a quick flick of her tail, she was out the room and down the hall in a flash.

Octavia stared at the open door, a bemused look on her face as she blinked owlishly.

“That was strange,” she said slowly, her brow furrowing. “I was expecting her to be more excited about that then she was. She tends to love strange stuff like this.” She motioned towards me with a hoof. “An intelligent human. What’s more strange than that?” She shot a quick glance at me. “No offense.”

I gave her a smile, causing her to shiver in response. “Quite.”

Setting her cello gently down onto the ground beside her chair, Octavia stood, groaning happily as she stretched.

“Well, that was certainly more fun than I’ve had in a while,” she said, straightening her bow tie. “However, I do believe I have kept you for longer than we originally planned. I do apologize for that. I don’t normally get so caught up in the music like that.”

“That’s quite alright,” Twilight said quickly, giving her a warm smile. “We had nothing else planned for today, so there’s nothing to apologize for. Especially seeing as you two played such wonderful music.”

“That may be so, but I still feel bad about taking up so much of your time,” Octavia said with a bow. “If Vinyl is already up, then that means that it’s getting late. We better get you going before it gets too dark out.”

“Alright then,” Twilight said, returning the bow. “Thank you, once more, for allowing us the use of your instruments, and your talent.” Glancing at me, she gave a small nod of her head towards the door. “Come along, Max.”

I kept a firm grip on the cello as I stood up, pushing my chair back. Walking to the racks, I gently placed the instrument back into the same space I had taken it from, loosening the bow before I placed it back on the hook.

Turning, I gave Octavia a quick bow and a smile before walking up beside Twilight.

“The pleasure was all mine,” Octavia smiled, inclining her head. “Thank you for this wonderful experience, and please, don’t be a stranger.”

Pushing the door open, Twilight led the way as we made our way down the hall, heading towards the front door. My guards followed behind me, their armor clinking and clanking softly as they moved. Ebony and Avera appeared at ease, but Primrose was a different story.

For whatever reason, she didn’t relax again until we were out of the house, through the gate and halfway down the street.

The fire crackled loudly behind the Archmage as he stared down at the chessboard set out before him. Tapping his hoof absentmindedly upon the table, he eyed the chess pieces with a small frown upon his muzzle. His blue eyes narrowed as his gaze landed on one piece in particular.

One particular piece that had been a thorn in his side since day one.

Growling softly, he picked up the white pawn, glaring at it as it hovered in front of his face. The human, its expression frozen in the white marble, stared at him with a blank look, its eyes unseeing.

Out of all the pieces that were currently on the board, this one alone was causing him the most grief. Even the white king wasn’t as troublesome as the godforsaken pawn.

With a flash of his magic, the white pawn was back beside the white bishop, a small alicorn with its wings spread wide. Leaning back in his chair, the Archmage closed his eyes and sighed.

With a grunt, he stood up and stretched, his tail flicking back and forth lazily.

“That is an issue for another time,” he muttered, eyeing the pawn with distaste as he walked out from behind his desk. Outside, in the distance, the clock tower chimed out the hour, informing the Archmage that it was nearing nightfall. Everyone at the Academy had most certainly already left for the evening, leaving him alone.

Outside, by the light of the setting sun, snow could be seen falling, starting to cover the city in a growing blanket of snow. At the rate it was falling, combined with the amount already on the ground, it would make getting home difficult for anyone still out and about at this time. Not that it mattered to the Archmage; he had taken to sleeping on the small cot in the side room.

Pulling the curtains closed, the Archmage also closed the fireplace screen. Double-checking that the door to his office was locked, he then turned his attention to a large, full-length mirror that stood in the corner of the room.

Staring at his reflection for several seconds, a small smirk crossed his face before his horn lit up, and the entire mirror was enclosed in a yellow light. Casting one last glance over his shoulder, the Archmage moved forward, and stepped into the mirror.

The reflective glass washed over his form like water as he pushed his way through. There was a brief tightness in his chest before he slipped through, the entire world seeming to rotate on him until he felt like he was upside down. There was a bright flash of white before he found himself standing in a dimly lit cavern.

Several unicorns gathered around an active fire pit glanced up as he appeared, eyeing him with blank stares before returning to their card game. Each one had a bandana somewhere on their body, a red piece of cloth with a black flame on it.

Snorting loudly, the Archmage walked past the group, not even glancing in their direction. They didn’t matter to him anyways; he had simply released them from prison. They were Darkflare’s responsibility now.

Walking deeper into the cave system, the Archmage passed by other groups of unicorns. Some were relaxing around other fire pits, crackling merrily away, while others were sleeping. The majority of them, however, were watching as the Archmage slowly made his way through their midst, stopping what they were doing to watch him walk by.

Reaching the far end of the cavern, he approached a large steel door that was embedded within the rock face. It was one of several, each one sturdy and unyielding.

Constructed near the doors was a large, wooden platform with lanterns hanging from several of the beams. Wooden stairs led from the platform up towards several passageways that led deeper into the cave system.

Eyeing the makeshift base, the Archmage raised a hoof and pounded upon the metal door. Once that was complete, he took a few steps back and waited.

He didn’t have to wait long before the sound of grinding gears reverberated through the door, and it swung open with a groan. There was a brief pause before a large, red unicorn exited, his black mane hanging in front of his ice-blue eyes.

Several large, blue feathers floated in his magical grasp, and he twirled one absentmindedly as he glared at the Archmage.

“Seriously?” the Archmage asked, staring up at the feathers with a displeased look. “I realize she’s your prisoner, but must you torment that mare so?”

“Oi, don’t even start with me,” Darkflare growled, bearing his teeth. “You abandoned us, left us in the dark, and then just pop up out of the blue and start giving me the what for? I don’t think so. Now, what do you want?”

“I find myself in need of your services again,” the Archmage said, his face still neutral.

“I ain’t some pup you can just summon when you need shit to get done,” Darkflare snorted. “What makes you think I’m gonna help you after you up and disappeared on us for a month?”

“It’s rather hard to remain in contact with you when I have Celestia breathing down my neck,” the Archmage said, a hint of anger soaking into his words. “She suspects me, but currently hasn't acquired enough proof to act. This is the first chance I’ve gotten to get away, what with her distracted by Hearth's Warming Eve preparations.”

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Darkflare snorted, his eyes narrowing. “What makes you think I’m even going to help you?”

“I’m willing to pay you—” Darkflare snorted, shaking his head “—double the usual price.” This caused the stallion to blink, his blue eyes widening slightly before a smirk touched his lips.

“I’m listening.”

The Archmage had to fight the grimace of disgust that threatened to flash across his face. Stupid pony. All he cares about is money. If it weren’t for the fact he knows how to get things done, I would have left him to rot in the dungeons.

Lighting up his horn, the Archmage lifted a large bag of bits into the air. Darkflare’s eyes immediately locked onto it, the hunger clearly visible.

Slowly waving the bag back and forth, the Archmage growled, “There’s someone I need you to retrieve from Manehattan.”