Background Pony

XIV - The Curse of the Ninth

 Dear journal,

Is this my journey and my journey alone? When I defeat this curse, will I be the only pony to have achieved salvation? Has it only been a practical lie to have viewed this entire debacle as a lonely exercise all along?

I realize now, more than ever, that the sum of my experiences, the total encompassing of my hopes and dreams, are not only defined by suffering and learning, but by the souls before me, by ponies who may not have had it within themselves to become free from her insatiable dominance. Nevertheless, these souls have lent me the keys to freedom that they otherwise could have used for themselves.

Perhaps that is the biggest lesson I have learned so far; I am not half the heroine as I am the damsel to be rescued from this crazy predicament. Up until now, I assumed that all of the ponies I had to thank for guiding me along this journey were completely unreachable. However—as the fickle winds of fate have so taught me—I can reach further than ever before. I can reach so far that not even she has a chance of stopping me.

And now, I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps she's not there only to stop me; she's there to help me...

An eerie silence hovered above the small meeting room, with the four ponies frozen at their respective seats around the table, blinking in contemplation at the question that had been asked. As the candlelight of the ceiling lamp flickered above, they exchanged cold glances, as if challenging each other to speak. Finally, with a defeated sigh, one of them leaned forward.

"Well, 'tis a good question," Octavia said. She adjusted her bowtie and rested her smokey gray forelimbs atop the oak table. "Does music indeed hold a divine power? I have always assumed so, though I must declare such an assumption to be purely subjective. I would not know about the experience of each and every pony in this room, but for my part, music has been a means by which I have shared the consciousness of all who would give audience to me. I find music to be a bridge for souls, as t'were."

"I agree with you, Miss Octavia," said Melodia Braids. The young pegasus sat at the other end of the table, running a nervous hoof through the emerald locks of her mane. She bit her lip and fidgeted before speaking, "Uhm... I shudder to think what kind of a pony I would be if I never even went to music school in the first place. It's—like—I've been able to take apart my spirit and put it back together delicately while sharing it with everypony. I don't think there's a finer form of expression."

"I'm rather particular to dancin' myself," said a stallion opposite to her.

Melodia squinted across the table at him. "So music is your second favorite gift, Mr. Bard?"

"Heck, no!" Mr. Bard spat. "I'm just sayin' that I don't subscribe too much to that there 'bridge for souls' mumbo jumbo. Ya fancy the notion of gettin' to know other ponies? Find yer place in a square dance and go to town!" The bearded earth pony had his chair leaning against the wall of the room. In it, he slouched and balanced a guitar across two folded lower limbs while strumming a lazy tune with his hooves. "If y'all ask me, music's job is to help us get more friendly with nature. There's a heapin' lot of wilderness out there, and it's a cryin' shame to keep all our singin' locked up in record stores and sound booths when the Cosmic Momma herself gave us all the stages we've ever needed!"

Octavia nodded. "Well, you're onto something, Jumpin' Ray Bard—"

"Land's sakes, pretty filly!" Mr. Bard kicked himself upright and fiddled with the brim of his cowboy hat. "Just call me 'Mr. Bard' like Missy Green-Hair over there! Only former members of my band get permission to call me 'J.R. Bard' proper!"

"My deepest apologies, Mr. Bard, sir," Octavia said with a slight smile. "I only meant to point out the fact that you mentioned the Cosmic Matriarch, albeit in your own colorful manner."