The Little Things
By: Sniper125
Prologue
The bright lights of downtown Canterlot were especially bright at night. Their glow was capable of drowning out the lights of the stars that floated above the city's complex networks of streets and alleys. Some ponies may say that the lights ruined what was once a beautiful night sky. But you never agreed with them, the calming glow that radiated from from the neon signs created a more relaxing range of colors that was even more eye-catching. You thought the sky looked good this way in any town, but it was especially so in Canterlot and it had always been your dream to live and perform there with all of the big bands that made their claims to fame in its various clubs and theaters.
Fortunately for you, that dream has now become a reality... Kind of.
"Thank you for the donation!" You bow to a mare who smiles and drops a gold coin into a hat that sits on the ground at your feet, the sound of metal hitting fabric causes you to play the keys of your small, black flute with a little more enthusiasm.
The soft tone of your instrument combines nicely with the daytime scenery of Canterlot. Carriages slowly trot down the street in front of you while other ponies walk along the sidewalks. As you play, a small group begins to form around your initial listener. This makes you change your song on the fly to a more extravagant piece.
You horn glows brightly as the keys of your flute are pressed down at a rapid tempo with your magic. The some of the gathered ponies bob their heads to the song while others step up and drop more coins into the hat before moving on with their original schedules. You play on for a few more minutes before bowing to any remaining spectators. The audience claps lightly, a few colts whistle loudly as you smile and bow.
A few more coins are dropped in before the crowd disperses completely. You then proceed to pack up your flute while lifting up the hat to inspect your profits.
"Twenty bits! A few more performances like that and I can pay the bills in no time!"
Once everything is squared away, the flute case strapped to a belt around your midsection and the hat on your head; you proceed down the street towards home. You look around and admire the scenery as you pass a small playground. Little colts in fillies run around the various swings and slides. Everypony was having fun except for a small colt that caught your attention.
The colt was sitting near the entrance of the playground, his long, black mane covered his eyes as he watched the other ponies play with a slight frown. Unable to leave the little guy alone, you slowly trot up to him and sit down as well.
"Hey there, what's wrong? Why such a sad face?" The colt sniffs and looks up to you.
"I-I just moved here and I don't have any friends..." You nod your head understandingly.
"I know how you feel, I just moved here myself. It isn't much fun at first is it?" He shakes his head and buries his head into his forelegs and curls up into a tighter ball.
"But you know, it isn't that hard to make new friends. I'm sure that somepony here would love to play with you!"
"I wish I was as confident as you are..." The colt sighs but is cut off when you lift him to his feet.
"It's easy to be confident! What's your name kid?" You give him a friendly grin as the colt unfurls his wings. They were so small that you didn't notice that he was a pegasus before.
"D-Dashing Star, sir."
"Dashing Star huh? Wish I had a name like that!" You look over the park in search of some form of entertainment.
Your eyes scan back and forth until you notice a group of colts and fillies run past you as they chase a blue ball.
"Hold it!" The group stops and turns towards you, Dashing flinches when they look at him.
"What is it mister?" A bright red filly asks quizzically. Your smile widens as you remove your hat and sit back down in front of the group.
"Well you see kids, my friend here is new in town." You motion for Dashing to come forward.
"Really? Where are you from then?" A small spark of curiosity appears in the eyes of all the children.
"P-Ponyville..." Their eyes all widen along with their smiles.
"PONYVILLE?! You mean the hometown of the Elements of Harmony?!"
"Y-yes?" You laugh and stand up so that Dashing can take your spot as the center of attention.
"Have you ever met the Elements? What is it like out in the forests? Are Pinkie Pie's cupcakes really the best?" Questions bombarded your new friend who just smiled awkwardly while trying to sort out all of them until the pink filly you spoke to raised her hooves to silence the crowd. The filly then brought a hoof right in front of Dashing.
"I'm Scarlet Sky, what's your name?" Dashing hesitated for a moment before wrapping his hoof around the filly's.
"D-Dashing Star..." The filly closed her eyes as if making sure to remember the name.
"Nice to meet you Dashing Star! Do you want to play ball with us?"
"Really? S-Sure!" The group cheered and immediately began to chase the ball. Dashing was about to follow them but suddenly turned back towards you.
"Thanks for the help mister! I hope to see you again sometime!" You smile one last time before tipping your hat and heading on your way.
The time had past faster than you imagined, as the sky was gradually shifting shades from a magnificent blue to the calming orange that you remembered.
"I hope I'll have enough time for two performances tonight." You ponder up a new plan for your night as you walk. Before you know it, you wind up outside your apartment building; an old brick building that shows it age by being surrounded by the freshly renovated complexes that line your block. After one more breath of the fresh evening air, you head up the front steps and enter the building.
"Ah, look who's back!" You turn towards the sound of a friendly, old voice to see the landlady sitting behind a glass window overlooking the small entryway. She pushes a small pair of glasses up her slightly wrinkled face and smiles.
"Evening Mrs. Ginger, how's the husband?"
"Oh he's the same old grouch as usual, what about yourself?"
You pull out a small key ring and walk up to a row of mailboxes next to the window before replying.
"Pretty good, made a few ponies happy and some money on the side."
"It's too bad you haven't found a band to join yet. You really have the talent to make it big!" You laugh lightly and take a step up the the tall staircase in front of you.
"Well, I just have to keep trying! See you later Mrs. Ginger." The old mare waves from the window as you head up.
After climbing up several flights of stairs, your apartment is finally in view. A sigh escapes your lips as you turn your key in the lock and open the door. A bright blue aura surrounds the buckle of your belt as it unlatches itself and rises off your back on its own and floats gently towards a coat rack with your hat following it.
You gently kick the door shut with your hindleg and make your way to a small leather couch, instantly falling onto it at the first chance. The television sitting on the opposite side flickers to life to show you a series of commercials that you could really care less about.
"I can't being lying around here for too long. I need to eat, drink, and leave if I want to catch the night crowds." You stretch out on the couch and yawn, allowing your sore legs to get a small breathing.
A few more commercials later and you're up in the kitchen brewing a cup of coffee. The shine of neon lights up your apartment with an array of colors as you pour the coffee into a disposable cup and put a lid on top. Normally you preferred a little sugar to go with your drinks but to your supply had somehow run out to your displeasure. You levitate your belt and hat back to you while turning the TV off and opening your door.
"The Leaky Tap's supposed to be really popular tonight, I might as well start there..."
It was no wonder as to why Canterlot was considered a party town at night. You can here the loud thump of club music hitting your eardrums before you even come within a few blocks of the area. Even if the music wasn't so loud, it was apparent on where you were based on the sheer numbers of ponies make their way down the street as well.
You eventually stop on a corner just outside the small bar. Your flute case unhooks itself and opens to reveal the parts of your flute. The three pieces inside levitate and begin to assemble with accuracy honed by years of playing. Once everything is set, you sit the case down and leave it open in case any generous patron wished to donate. A few ponies glance at you and stop in wonder.
As you are about to begin playing, you notice a heavy beat coming from inside the building. The bass makes your body vibrate slightly with every thump, sending you into the same rhythm as you start to play. The assembled ponies chatter among themselves. A few mares begin to dance on the spot to the combinations of music. They seem like they hit their drink limit before even stepping into the building but you didn't mind, just more reason people to stop and listen after all.
The cast of onlookers gradually cycled through as the originals made their way inside just to be replaced by new ponies looking for some cheap entertainment. You played on and on until the club music stopped suddenly, along with your performance. A round of applause arose from the now good-sized crowd as you take off your hat and bow.
Your instrument raises to your lips again as you are about to play when suddenly... Your ears begin to feel as if they're vibrating. A joyous squeal erupts from a small filly in the back, attracting the crowd's attention along with your own. The filly raises a small hoof and points across the street towards the source of the sound. You try to look over the heads of your crowd, but a tall red stallion suddenly steps in your way. Like a massive wave, the entire group rushed across the street towards the mysterious tone. Not a soul remained to donate, so you might as well see what stole your business...
Author's Note
Being a former flutist, I found this story rather interesting to write as it led to me listening to the new forms of flutists that have popped up over the last few years. One man named Brandon Marceal caught my attention in particular. Here is a sample of the work that inspired me to write this tale!
https://soundcloud.com/soulrockinflute/unleash-the-flutes-1
Also, I was kind of imagining this song being played outside the small bar during this chapter.
