Beat of the Heart

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

Chapter 1

What a beautiful concert, Flare Chaser thought to himself as he trotted out of the concert hall into the moving nightlife of Manehattan. Glad I actually chose to do something with my night. It was a normal night: the cars, the lights, and the sounds; all just a normal evening. The cool breeze rustled his white fur and tossed his black and blue mane about, but his mind was far away. The pegasus smiled to himself, thinking about the wonderful sounds of the performance he was blessed to have heard. The highs, the lows, the slow, the fast, the melodic parts, all seamlessly flowing together note after note. The music, though never speaking, spoke to his soul.

And that pony on the cello... he continued to think. What a beautiful looking pony. He sighed to himself. At least I’ll have something nice to think about while I’m making deliveries on Monday.

He continued to drift in thought, recalling the intertwining of the music and that gray mare playing the cello. Octavia, if my memory serves me correctly. Flare continued to walk down the street, his head in the clouds, afraid that he might crash into someone or something if he took to the skies. Besides, the club he was going to was only a bit farther down the street.

“The Hornless Alicorn” was a popular spot on 23rd Street. It’s a small hub in Manehattan for all the up and coming talented ponies try to make their start. To say the least, entertainment was always good each night, and each night was different then the last. To say it was packed was an understatement. The line at the door was somewhere between twenty to thirty ponies long. Flare put on his best smile and walked to the front door’s bouncer.

“Hey, Boulder,” Flare started, giving the big earth stallion in front of him a brohoof, “still enjoying the good life out here?”

“You know it, Flare,” the Stallion responded. “Hey, thanks for bringing in that shipment of cider at the last moment. By the way, Big Boss Pony wanted a word with ya. Grab a drink or two while you’re at it.” Opening the door, he gestured Flare inside. “My treat.”

Flare gave Boulder a tap on the shoulder with his hoof. “I will try to enjoy myself then, thank you.” Much to the dismay of the other ponies in line, he trotted right in.

The club was bouncing; lights of many colors were flickering and moving. The air was filled with the drops and beats of the latest DJ flavor of the day. Flare merely shook his head when he recognized the beat, but not the pony. Too much like DJ-Pon3, Flare commented in his head. Kid needs to learn to make his own beats. Slowly, Flare made his way through the club to the bar, careful not to step on too many hooves.

Behind the bar was one blue unicorn, Regal Twist, or affectionately known as Big Boss Pony. She cared for her employees, just as long as you weren’t on her bad side. She worked her magic, fixing multiple drinks and serving them at the same time. It was no wonder how she got hundreds of bits in tips every night.

“Hey, Twisty!” Flare called out. “A cold cider if you’d be kind enough!”

The unicorn merely shook her head. “You better not be flying tonight! Not after the stunt you pulled the other night.” Her magic brought a mug to a tap which started to pour.

“Come on, Twist, you know me better than that!” He took the mug out of the air as it levitated before him. “And besides, walking is good for me.” He took a long sip of the cider. “Oh and my drinks are on Boulder tonight, he said so.”

“Is that so? Let me finish these last few orders and we can talk for a few minutes.”

Flare waved her off. “Take your time, I wanna enjoy my drink first.” He turned around, scanning the club. Scanning for anything that peaked his interest. The place was crowded, the body heat from the dance floor resonated, and the fresh beats from the new DJ changed the pace of the crowd of ponies. Soon, more ponies were jumping up from tables to join the growing herd of jumping and dancing ponies on the floor. This pony knows his stuff, Flare began to comment. It’s a completely different beat, an almost unpredictable drop. This po-. His thoughts interrupted by a tap on the shoulder.

“I caught a break,” Regal said, then gesturing for Flare to follow her. “Now come on, we need to talk for a few moments.”

Flare set his empty mug down and shrugged. “Suits me, right behind you.” The pegasus followed close behind the unicorn through the crowd and to a private booth. They both sat down opposite from each other. “So, what’s up Twist?”

“Well, to say the least, I’m pretty happy you got that shipment of cider in yesterday. It’s like you knew that a crowd would be showing up tonight.”

“What can I say?” Flare mused, leaning back in the booth. “I know the crowd.”

“And I’m glad you do,” Twist began, “but I can’t have you pulling off stunts like earlier this week!”

“That cart ran the intersection, and I had the right of way!” Flare rebutted. “He’s lucky it was just his dumb cabbages I nicked. I could’ve hit him and the cabbages, but I just flew myself and the cart over him, saving both my life and the shipment.”

“You think on your feet, kid,” The unicorn mused. “I want to be mad, but I’m too impressed. Tell ya what,” Twist leaned forward, “you get me that new batch of scotch cherries and you can consider this raise permanent.”

Flare toyed with the thought in his head, though his face didn’t show it. Maybe go get those tickets for Hay Day, the pegasus mused in thought. I mean, they are on their Equestrian Idiot Tour. Or maybe try and see that string quartet again. His thoughts drifted to the mare on the cello. “... This that secret stash that very few ponies know the location of, and even fewer are willing to tell about?”

“That would be the one,” Twist smiled.

“You mean the same batch of scotch cherries that is the talk of all Equestria? Used from only the best cherries from Cherry Hill Ranch at Dodge Junction? Cherries only personally selected by Ms. Jubilee for only 100% perfection? Cherries then aged to excellence, that create a taste like none other is Equestria?”

Twist laughed, “Yes, that would be it.”

“This same delicious concoction that creates a massive hangover like none other?”

“Yes,” the unicorn shook her head in amusement. “It still happens to be our best seller, and we’re running low. So I need you to run out and-.”

Flare raised a hoof, waited a moment, and then continued, “This same drink that I just so happen to have a few crates of back at my apartment?”

Twist shook her head in disbelief, slowly putting her hooves together and clapping. “You’ll never cease to amaze, will you, Flare? Just as long as you bring at least one of the crates in soon, you’ll be generously rewarded.”

The pegasus merely smiled, trying to hide his ego. “You know me, Ms. Twist. I always aim to please.”

“That you do,” Twist began to leave the booth. “Come on, I’ve got to get back to work. I’ll fix you up a Cherry Surprise with whatever scotch cherries I can find. I know it’s your favorite.”

The white stallion’s grin widened as he followed her back to the bar, “You know me all too well.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she shook her head from behind the bar. “I get the feeling that’s becoming a bad thing.” She fixed his drink and levitated it toward him. A frothy red concoction, nearly overflowing the tall slender mug it was served in. Flare took a quick swig. A blunt burning sensation beat against his throat, but left a calming cherry aftertaste. Just what the doctor ordered, he thought to himself.

“Now then,” Twist reassured. “Just get that crate in soon and we won’t have a problem. Get out there and enjoy yourself.”

Flare turned around and entered the crowd, his confidence brewing over like the mug he held. “Oh, you know I will,” he spoke to himself.

The crowd was moving to the beat of the music. The DJ not only making magic with the turntable, but also with the crowd. Moving like a controlled wave of water: up, down, all around. This DJ knows what the crowd likes. He’s gonna go far, Flare commented in the back of his head. Hay, this pony might one day be half as good as Pon3 herself. Navigating through the crowd, he spied a lone mare in the dark corner, sipping a drink. Flare’s confidence already through the roof, he took another long drink of his Cherry Surprise and decided it was worth a try.

The dark and secluded corner didn’t show off the gray mare’s features, and it didn’t help that most of her face was covered in her long dark mane. But Flare knew it to be a mare; no stallion in his right mind would drink wine here. It was hard for Flare not to keep the smile from becoming too wide as he approached her.

“Hey ther-“

“No,” The mare interrupted.

Flare was taken aback from this, but still determined as ever. “Um, I’m sorry miss, but I wasn’t quite finished asking if you wanted to dance.”

“The answer remains the same. No.”

Flare was puzzled but the look on his face did not show it. “What do you mean you don’t want dance?”

“Are all you stallions this dense?” The mare flashed him a stern look with her deep violet eyes. “I said I do not want to dance.”

“Miss,” Flare started in disbelief, “this DJ is on his game tonight, so why aren’t you dancing? It’s perfectly good music!”

“Please,” the mare shook her head. “That noise coming out of the speakers? That’s not music at all.”

Flare tried his best not to put his hoof to his face. “I don’t think you understand, these ponies work hard to get here on that stage. If you don’t like the music then why are you here?”

If he could see the mare, Flare would’ve guessed she rolled her eyes at him. “I like having a drink or two and letting this noise erase my thoughts. Which does not change the fact that it’s still not music, music that I will still not dance to. And besides what would you know about music?”

“May I?” Flare gestured to the seat across from the mare, to which she nodded, and he sat down. “Sure everyone has their opinions about what is or is not music, but that’s not the point. I don’t care if you make your beats electronically, rock out in a band, scream your little pony lungs out with your lyrics, or if you embrace the more classical style with a cello or piano. If you put the effort out to make music that speaks to other ponies’ souls, makes them think,” Flare raised his glass, “then you have my ear for a listen.”

She too raised her glass. “My my, you may not be the dense stallion as I thought you out to be.”

The pegasus chuckled, taking a long sip from his drink. “I surprise even myself sometimes.

* * *

Flare awoke with a start, his alarm blaring the music of Hay Day and their hit, “Equestrian Idiot”. Flare sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was in his bed in his sparsely furnished yet clean bedroom. The sun shone brightly through the window. He let the music play, letting the guitar, drums, bass and the stick-it-to-the-princess lyrics bring him to consciousness. His head ached, but it wasn’t something he wasn’t used to already. He took a deep breath, enjoying this calm, music-induced moment of peace.

Eventually he noticed a feeling of restriction about his neck. He brought a hoof up to find the source of this tightness. A bowtie, his senses told him. Now why in Equestria, he thought to himself, would I wearing a bowtie? I mean bowties are cool and all, bu-.

A soft, angelic voice and a stirring next to him interrupted his thoughts. “Would you please turn off that brutish noise?” Flare then felt the pony next to him lay a hoof on his body. “I woul-.” Which is when her eyes shot open and she too sat up in the bed, and eyed the pony next to her.

Flare did all he could to keep from laughing at the look of shock on the mare’s face. She looks so familiar... if I could only remember her name , Flare thought. Though the pegasus could do nothing to hide his now large grin. “Morning, Miss. I don’t suppose I could interest you in breakfast, could I?”

Chapter 2

Flare watched from the bed as the gray earth pony gathered her things. Though there was very little she had to recover, she moved very quickly to retrieve them. Hastily trying to brush her mane, she huffed in disapprove as it did not do as she wished.

“So,” Flare mused in the bed, “I take it breakfast is out of the question, Miss… you know, I never did get your name.”

She trotted up to Flare. “My name would be Octavia. If you would be so kind to give back my bowtie, I am late for my practice.”

The pegasus fell back into his pillow with a sigh of happiness. He pointed a hoof at her, “You know, I thought it was you. I never thought I would even get a chance to meet you, much less…” he smiled at the thought of it, “well, that. Now, if my memory would return and I wo-“

“Wait,” Octavia interrupted. “You know of me?”

“Of course!” The pegasus shot up in bed. “Hay, I even went to your concert last night!”

“My concert?” Her eyes did another look over of the pegasus still in bed, trying to see if he was joking or not. “You?”

“Um,” Flare rolled his eyes and proceeded to slide out of bed, “yeah, me.” Flare started walking toward the kitchen. “Though I must say, during the Allegro part of the second movement of Beethoofen’s string quartet in F, the violist was flat the whole time, probably too far back on the neck. Anyways, would you like some tea?” Flare glanced back just in time to see Octavia’s jaw drop. “What? Is my mane messed up? Do I have something stuck in my teeth?” The pegasus began to pick nervously at his teeth with his hoof.

Octavia quickly recovered her composure and moved toward Flare, placing her hoof on his, and moved it away from his mouth. “You are a curious little pegasus.” She sighed, formulating her thoughts. “Maybe I have judged you prematurely and I apologize for that.”

“Well, I think I can be perfectly honest here,” Flare mused. “You were a fairly stuck up mare last night.” He received a harsh glare from the gray mare. “Sorry, I thought we were being honest.”

“I suppose you’re right. I’ve been too engrossed with my own work as of recently. Speaking of which, how did you know about String’s problem? It’s a nervous twitch he has.”

“Being flat during the Allegro movement,” the pegasus said, rolling his eyes as he turned around, moving towards the kitchen, “or during the entire piece?”

Octavia did her best to hide her cringe from that shot at one of her colleagues. “He tends to have that problem a lot, at least as of recently. But you, how do you know all of this? About the music and everything. When I first saw you, I instantly judged you as the non-music type. The kind of stallion that finds music to be just a one-dimensional thing. No offense.”

Flare was quiet and ignored the statement for a while, determined to get the tea started. Silence filled the kitchen, save for the clicking of pottery and utensils.

“I, um, didn’t catch your name,” The mare spoke softly.

“Flare Chaser.” The pegasus didn’t turn his attention away from making the tea. It was a few more moments before he spoke again. “You can’t always judge music from the first few notes, but those notes do leave a lasting impression.” He nonchalantly poured the tea into a cup, stirring some sugar in lightly. “If you need to go, you can go. I didn’t really expect you to stay for tea, anyways.”

“If you say so, Flare.” She walked up beside him, trying to gauge his thoughts and feelings, but to no avail. “I don’t know if it means anything to you, but,” she kissed his cheek lightly, “it would mean a lot to me if you came to my concert tonight.”

The pegasus smiled wearily. “Now that would be lovely. If I can get my deliveries done, I’ll be there.”

“Good, because I want a raincheck on the tea, alright?”

“I think I can manage that.”

She turned, walking towards the door, saying, “Thank you, that’s all that I ask.” Flare heard the door creak open. “Oh, and before I forget, thank you. Last night was wonderful.” The pegasus smirked at the coy smile he heard in her voice. “Even if you can’t remember it.” The door shut lightly after that.

Flare mused about the kitchen, finishing making his tea just right. Sauntering over to the kitchen table, he sat down, hoping to have the smell of the tea convince his senses into waking up. Rubbing his hooves into his eyes, trying to wring the sleep out, did little to help either. Finally, he grabbed the cup of tea and took a swig. The pegasus’ eyes blinked a few time as they scan the room. Coming out of his daze, he placed a hoof firmly in the center of his face.

“What the buck just happened?”

* * *

It was about a little bit after noon when Flare stumbled through The Hornless Alicorn’s backdoor. Stumbled was the right word, for his head was still dizzy with pain from the wild, bleary night. The club was filled with only staff, cleaning up from last night’s extravaganza. Boulder was busy moving tables back into place and Twist was using her magic to clean multiple cups and mugs. The rest of the assorted staff were picking up chairs and mopping up the floor. All in all, there was about less than ten ponies cleaning up the club. Though they all lit up with joy when they saw the pegasus teeter on his four unsteady hooves.

“Well, well, well,” Twist was the first to speak up, “look who's here, it’s the stallion of the hour. Glad you could join us.” She couldn’t help but smirk. “I expect you had a wonderful night and that the Cherry Surprise is still kicking your flank?”

Flare braced himself on a chair and pointed a hoof in Twist’s general direction. “Indeed, you are right… to both your questions. Now will you please send a letter to Celestia to get the earth to stop spinning so fast?”

“Did you at least not hit any cabbage carts on the way over here?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny that accusation,” Flare smiled, clearly still half out of it. “Though the skies were quite clear today.”

Twist shook her head, dumbfounded by this pegasus’ feat. “Oh Celestia, have mercy.”

“I got the shipment here in one piece,” Flare shrugged. “What more do you want from me?”

Twist sighed, set her assortment of cups down, and exited from behind the bar. She approached the pegasus, still shaking her head. “How about not having one of my best employees splatter themselves all over the side of a building or halfway across Main Street?! Look, I’d appreciate it if you did what you could with the clean up, but other than that, you’re a mess and I want you to get some rest tonight.”

“But… but…” Flare protest, “But coach! I’m 110%, you gotta put me in!”

“Not today, Wonderbolt.” She joked, placing a hoof on his weary shoulder. “Look, just get some rest.” She turned away, going back to her duties back behind the bar. “By the way, when’s the last time you cleaned yourself? You could probably kill a minotaur with your stench.”

Flare was about to protest when he took a casual sniff of himself. “Huh, it’s not that bad,” He mumbled to himself. Shrugging, he picked up a broom and began to sweep up the area. Lost in thought, his mind drifted to Octavia. He couldn’t place it. Maybe it was because of how disastrous her mane looked this morning, making her seem normal. Why can’t I get with famous ponies like her every night? A casual thought ran through his head. Though, I wouldn’t mind at all if it were only her… He chuckled while he worked. I think I would be able to live with myself. Now if I could only rememb-.

“Flare!” It was Boulder bringing the pegasus out of his daydream. “How was last night? You’ve just got to te-.”

“Boulder!” Flare nearly hit the stallion with his broom. “I’m trying to remember as well! Wait… how’d you know?”

“You forget I’m the door pony, Flare.” The earth pony had a hard time not looking down on the pegasus. “I know who comes in and I know who leaves out with whom. Hay, you even thanked me for the drinks.”

“Oh my,” Flare’s eyes opened wide in shock, “I must’ve really been out of it.” The hung-over pegasus put a hoof to head, trying to rub the metaphorical cobwebs out. “What else happened?” I’m probably going to regret asking that.

“Well,” Boulder’s joy began to overflow at this point, “if you must know. You two were giggling something about music.”

“Sounds about right.”

“Also,” the earth pony’s smirk grew, “I never took you for the pink bow tie type of guy.”

“Eh,” Flare shrugged. “Bow ties are cool, what can I say? Anything else I should be aware of?”

“Well, you didn’t make a mule of yourself, if that’s what you’re asking. Though, you two were just about skipping down the sidewalk towards the general direction of your apartment. I about died of laughter.”

“Yeah.” Flare rolled his eyes. “Funny stuff right there.”

“So what happened between the two of you?”

“Boulder, if I knew that I would have a much larger smile on my face. Though she did invited me to her concert tonight.”

“Concert?” Boulder made a look of mock astonishment. “You picked up a show pony? My my, moving up in the world are we?”

“Just shut up and let me relish in my hangover, please?”

The stallion shrugged, starting to walk off. “Suit yourself; I’ll be over here if you want something done right.” Boulder stopped and gave Flare a sly grin. “I gotta say, though, if your acting skills wer-.”

“Boulder, hangover. Please,” The pegasus jabbed the broom in the stallion’s direction. “Shuuuuut up.”

* * *

Walking the busy streets alone, Flare made his way to the concert. After sobering up most of the day, he felt confident. His mane was still a bit wet from the recent shower, though the bowtie around his neck looked fresh and crisp. The smug grin on his face did nothing to distract the look in his eyes. His eyes nearly glazed over in thought. Images of one gray mare danced about in his head. The pegasus would’ve missed the theatre if he hadn’t run into the ticket line. After a quiet apology to the pony he bumped into, he slowly drifted to the end of the line. Flare’s thoughts drifted again to that of the mare. He sighed joyfully in his luck. Before he knew it, he was at the ticket booth.

“Ticket, please?” the colt behind the glass asked. Flare politely handed over the tickets to the cashier and waited. The colt looked at the ticket, then at a list. “Mister Chaser, it appears you’ve been upgraded.” He reached below the desk and grabbed an envelope then passed it to the pegasus. “Please enjoy the show.”

Flare took the envelope and gave it a puzzled look. “It appears I will,” he spoke, quite perplexed and began to walk towards the door. “Thank you.” The confused stallion walked through the doors and into the main lobby where he nearly ran into a butler pony. “Oh, I’m sorry, sir. I, um, didn’t quite see you there.” Flare managed to pull off an awkward smile.

“Mister Chaser?” the butler began eloquently. “I’ve been informed of your expected arrival and will bring you to your box seat.”

Box seat? The thought flew by at a thousand miles an hour in the pegasus’ brain. How’d I manage that?

“And Miss Octavia wishes that you join her after the show for a private drink or two.”

OH, well that answers all my questions at once.

“Now,” the stallion did a curt nod and turned around, “if you’ll follow me, the concert will be starting shortly.”

“Lead the way, sir.”

The butler nodded again, and made his way across the main lobby and up the stairs. Flare followed closely behind him, fearful of losing him. After moving along a long hallway, around a corner, and down a few doors down, the two ponies made it to their destination. The butler opened the door and gestured the pegasus inside. “Now, sir,” the host spoke, “there is water and a bottle of our finest wine. When the show ends I will come and get you. Now, Mister Flare, please enjoy the show.” With that, the butler bowed out, closing the door gently.

“What a swell fellow,” Flare commented. “Where can I get me one of them?” He shrugged and turned his attention to the open area in front of his box. His seat was a few floors up and was positioned just right to see every participant on the stage. “Full house,” he remarked has he reached his seat and the glass of wine. A sip of the wine was enough to stun him; it was damn near perfect! He smirked. She seems to have a taste for the more refined things in life. That train of thought caused him to pause for a second. So how do I fit in that equation? He was about to answer himself when the lights dimmed and the curtain began to open.

From his perch, he could clearly see his mare of choice and vise versa. He could see her smile slightly at him and he fought every instinct to wave. He contained himself and simply saluted her with his glass.

From the conductor’s baton tapping, he mentally prepared his mind. Watching the ponies on stage raise their bows and instruments in unison, he found himself caught in the grace of it all. The conductor’s setup with the baton matched Flare’s heartbeat. From there, the pegasus let himself drift away in the magic and beauty that flowed from the stage.

Chapter 3

“Mister Chaser?” A voice behind Flare pulled him out of his trance and back into reality. Flare glanced over his shoulder only to realize it was Octavia’s butler. “I didn’t want to disturb you, but the show has been over for some time now.”

Adjusting to the sudden, growing silence that surrounded him, all that was left was the murmur of the crowd slowing leaving. Shaking his head to rustle himself back into this reality, he asked, “How long were you standing there for?”

“Just a few a minutes sir.” The butler casually walked toward him, taking Flare's half-finished glass of wine away. “I came in just moments before the last number and it has only been a minute or two since they finished.”

The pegasus placed a hoof on his face and sigh. “Did I at least applaud at the end of the performance?” He groaned, hoping his entranced self might have done something right.

“Oh, of course you did, sir. I dare say that you on the verge of whistling and openly cheering the musicians on stage.”

“Wonderful…” Rolling his eyes and mumbling to himself, “At least I didn’t make a complete fool out of myself.”

“Sir, as much as I’d hate to intrude on your personal reflection, I don’t wish to keep Ms. Octavia waiting for too long, either. Now,” he turned towards the door, “if you would kindly follow me.”

Standing up from his chair, Flare shook his head a little bit in disbelief. “Lead the way, good sir. I’ll be right behind you.”

Leading Flare out the room and down the hallway, the pegasus was left to his own devices, back to thinking in his own head. Subconsciously following the stallion in front of him to the backstage and the private rooms, all he could see in his head was the past hour and a half of pure bliss on replay. Watching in awe at the ponies on the stage as they pulled the bows across their instrument’s strings, how they all acted as one entity, flowing easily like a quiet stream or, at times, dynamically like a rushing rapid. Hearing the viola compliment the violin, cello, or vise versa. Sure, the stallion thought, I live everyday with magic flowing around me, but this is a different kind of magic. It’s a magic that requires more than just ability, but a skill acquired by discipline and practice, which has always attracted me to any aspect of music. From the stories and funk of blues bands in south Manehattan to the electronic beats in clubs like The Hornless Alicorn. Each beat, each note has something to say. So sometimes all you have to do is listen.

Still in a daze, Flare ran into the butler’s backside. “OH, sorry, sir. My bad, just zoned out for a little bit.”

He merely gave the pegasus a disdainful glare while his monotone reply completed the look. “Oh good, I was worried you were having a ground breaking thought of some sort. Now then,” he gestured to the door behind him, “Ms. Octavia is in her private room, please try and act appropriately. I really hate cleaning up messes.” With that, the butler turned and left, leaving Flare alone in front of the door. Taking a deep breath, letting his insecurities go, Flare finally knocked on the door. The door flung open as an agitated mare glared him down.

“DO YOU MIND, STRINGS!? I’M KIN- Oh, sorry!” She started to apologize. “I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else. Hold on, hold on, let me try that again.” And before Flare could respond the door was closed on his face in an instant.

Looking around for some sort of answer, maybe a hidden audience laughing at the confused look on Flare’s face, but the only reaction he could manage was a very short curt “What?”

Again the door opened, not quickly thankfully. Behind revealed a much calmer and far more composed mare. “OH, Flare!” She hugged the still confused pegasus. “I’ve been awaiting you for quite a bit. I really hope you enjoyed the show.” Octavia began to walk back into the room, leaving a confused stallion in the hallway once more. “Don’t just stand there. Please, come in!”

The dumbfounded stallion walks through the door and into the lightly furnished room. Looking around a bit, he began to talk when he heard the door click behind him. “Um, nice little set up you got here.” Doing a quick double-take between the mare now laying on the couch in front of him and the door, he asked, “So I take it that show wasn’t for me?”

The gray mare sighed, “No, I thought it was Strings again. I gave him the advice you told me the other night.” She left her position from the couch and trotted to the small fridge in the corner. Opening it and pulling out a bottle of wine, she poured herself a glass. “He didn’t really like it. Partly because I play cello and I have no idea what I am talking when it comes to violas. Obviously. Would you like a glass?”

“Oh, yeah, a glass would be lovely,” he managed to say, accepting the glass and taking a sip. “And you told him what I said, why?”

“Because, Flare,” she trotted back to couch, stretching out along its soft pads. “He was messing up a simple line with a simple problem that could be solved with a simple fix.”

“Yes, but the piece was beautiful,” Flare responds, pulling up a chair. “I don’t think there was a need to confront him.”

“Ah, but the reason the piece was so beautiful tonight was because I confronted him.” She took a sip, savoring its sweet, dry flavor. “And besides, it’s about making music. We work as a group, not as individuals. On the stage is not a time for personal feelings to get in the way of the finished product.”

“But learning together and using those personal preferences of each musician on their instrument is what makes a musical group, such as yourselves, that much better.”

“Flare, I wasn’t talking about personal preferences.” Octavia replied with a bit of annoyance. “Strings just doesn’t like it when I tell him what to do, nor did he like the fact that he found out I was using the private seating for you.”

Flare looked down at his glass, swirling its contents around for a few moments. “Soo, I take it I’m already on his hit-list?”

“I can’t say for certain if he already has a so called ‘hit-list’, but just be wary if he does come around.” The musician took another sip, smiling now. “I just think the stress of the evening is getting to him and my comment certainly didn’t help at all.”

“Well, that’s perfectly understandable,” Flare spoke with a sly smile. “I would be pretty mad too if someone came along and told me the way I’ve been doing things was wrong the whole time.”

She stared Flare down a moment before saying, “But it was your opinion. Your correct opinion, mind you.”

“Sure it was.” The pegasus shrugged, feigning a bit of innocence. “But I never said you should tell the guy.” He held up a hoof before she could respond. “Look, how about we drop the subject and talk about something else?”

“Hmm,” the mare thought to herself, contemplating while looking at her glass. “Well, I suppose you really haven’t told me a lot about yourself, seeing as our first meeting was a bit rushed. Which is why I wanted to talk right now. Just us. No distractions.”

“Well, that seems only appropriate.” Flare sipped on his glass, smiling at both his guest and the drink’s sweetness. “What do you want to start with? I mean I’m a delivery pony, bringing drinks to needy clients out of The Hornless Alicorn. I’m a pegasus with a weakness for good music. I enjoy most of the small things in life; long walks on the beach, seeing the sights of each city I visit, and maybe say hi to my folks every once in a while. You know, what every good, law-abiding pony ought to do.”

The gray mare chuckled, enjoying another taste of her wine. “You’re quite the character, Flare. Like I said earlier, I never expected you, a stallion I met in a tasteless club, to enjoy a wonderful glass of wine and a night of good music. So,” she paused leaning a bit forward, “how did you get into the lovely world of music?”

“To be perfectly honest, I can hardly play any instrument. Not even those awful recorders in elementary school. I was terrible mind you, the absolute worst in the class. I still don’t understand how my mother’s sanity stayed intact when I practiced.” Flare sighed upon remembering those memories. “I guess you could say it was my father. He had a nice old job down on the south end of Manehattan, just keeping this one place clean and running. He’d bring me in to listen to some of the blues musicians that would play their soul out on the stage maybe once a week. There would even be some nights where I would beg my dad to bring me because I knew P.P. King would be there.”

“P.P. King?” The mare leaned more forward, now intrigued. “You actually listened to him? Now you’ve got me even more surprised.”

“Yeah, it was quite the honor to be in the same room as him. Much more to even shake his hoof. He was quite the talent to grace these ears. But his stories, his emotions he laid out in his music, even though I couldn’t play worth anything, I could still appreciate the magic of music that these ponies made. It kinda became a side project of mine,” he paused, taking a drink. “Between deliveries and work at The Hornless Alicorn, I found time to take out of my day just to find some new type of music to listen to. Even if it didn’t quite appeal to me, I could still lend an ear to the player.” A small grin appeared again with a sip of his drink. “It was classical night this month. Anyways, what about you, my musically gifted mare?”

“If you must know…” she leaned back into the couch as Flare got ready for a story. “My mother thought a proper mare such as myself should learn one or two proper things. Especially since I grew up in one of the nicer communities in Fillydelphia. It seemed only right for my mother to make me learn how to play a cello, to be a refined pony. I guess she was right, because I found my talent.” She giggled a bit at the remembrance. “And I haven’t really dropped the bow since. It’s something I love to do, so why stop? So I decided to move out from my mother’s watch at Fillydelphia and come here. Had to call in a few favors to get a spot on this quartet, but here I am, nonetheless.”

The pegasus nodded. “I guess that explains your feelings towards the not-so-elegant, electronic beats of the clubs.”

“Personal disposition only plays a part of it. I also feel that the noise that is considered music is just so impersonal. When one makes beats with electronics and can play the same thing over and over again, with no change to the piece each time it’s played just seems wrong. Each time I play a piece of music, it’s different every time. I’m not a machine to make it perfect every single time.”

“Huh…” Flare thought aloud. He set his finished glass down and looked up with a sly grin on his face. “You ever been out dancing before? Or, as the cool ponies like to call it today,” Using his hooves to emphasis his next word, “Clubbing?”

“No, I cannot say I have been,” mimicking her hooves in the same way to emphasize, “Clubbing. It was much more civilized at Fillydelphia. There were dances and balls. The other night was merely an escape from Strings and his,” she rolling her eyes, “more subtle advances. I’m sure dinner at his flat would’ve turned out a bit differently.”

The pegasus laughed openly, “And you think our night together ended any differently? I don’t think it did, just saying.”

“Well,” the musician thought for a few seconds. “I suppose not, but to me it was different. You’re different. You’re a bit brash, and when you speak, you speak your mind. You seem to have some sort of moral code. And by Celestia, you know your music! If I have to deal with another flank-kisser like Strings, I may have to hurt somepony. My mother would have a good laugh if she saw me out on the streets with a some delivery pony, but I think she would also see what attracts me to you.” She left her place from the couch, setting her glass down. “So, yes, I think it’s a good night to try something new. You have any particular place in mind?”

“I wouldn’t want a home field advantage, but I know of other places. Though you might want to lose the tie, in my opinion.”

“Have we become a fashion expert now? What about your tie then, Flare? Wouldn’t you want take yours off as well?”

“Perhaps, but bowties are cool and I look good in one. Also, going clubbing with a bowtie? The irony itself is too great to pass up.” A slight ridiculing look from Octavia was enough to get him to back down. “Alright, we’ll both go tie-less, then.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Chapter 4

The two ponies made their way through the streets and the nightlife. It wasn’t the busiest night in Manehattan, but the sidewalks were still full of ponies making their way to one place or another. The streets were filled with carts carrying this or that, making their way to their destination. The ads floating above added to the ambience of the night. The musician and the delivery pony walked side by side, not quite hoof in hoof. One held a smile of what was going to happen, the other a smile of optimism though having no clue as to what might happen tonight. The pair came upon a club a few blocks away from the Hornless Alicorn, another popular site called The Griffin’s Beak. It housed one of the biggest, loudest speaker systems in Manehattan. The pair could hear the place even before the line was in view. Then they could see the line even before the club was in view, especially with it being half a block long.

“Flare?” Octavia’s optimism diminished upon sight of the line. “I don’t think we are going to be able to get in. At least, not any time tonight.”

The delivery pony’s smile grew, accepting the challenge. “Oh, believe me, we’re getting in. No matter what favors I have to call in tonight.” Flare defiantly marched to the front of the line, nearly dragging the Octavia with him. A small look of relief washed over him when he recognized who was bouncing tonight.

“Sticks!” The pegasus addressed the brown earth stallion at the head of the line. “Your brother didn’t tell me you were working here.”

Sticks chuckled a bit, nodding his head. “My brother doesn’t tell you a lot of things.” His eyes drifted Octavia. “Apparently, my brother doesn’t tell me certain things either. Who’s the mare?”

“Tavi,” the musician spoke up. “And Flare wanted to show me some of the local clubs, especially those that are, how do I say it… hopping?”

“Yeah, anyways!” Flare said, regaining control of the conversation. “Look, I’ve got a bottle of Cherry for you and a crate of it for your boss, Mr. Shades. I just need to get in.”

“How did you manage to pull that off?” Sticks sounded both surprised and impressed. “Last I heard, that stuff was sold out. How’d managed to get even a bottle of it?”

“Sometimes I even surprise myself. Now, can we pass? By the sounds of it, the next DJ is about to get up and if I read your schedule correctly, I believe one white unicorn might be making an appearance.”

“You just may be too smart for your own good sometimes, Flare.” The stallion moved out of the way for the pair to enter the club. “Just try not to have too much fun, alright? And I expect that bottle at my place tomorrow!”

“Oh, I won’t party too hard tonight. Thanks, Sticks!” Flare patted Stick’s shoulder and walked into the club with Octavia following shortly behind him. “Tavi, eh?” he spoke with a smile when the door closed behind him. “Where did that one come from?”

“Something my father liked to call me. He thought the name Octavia was too pompous for some situations. So I like to use it when I am out on the town. Helps me to not sound so uptight. You like it, do you?”

“You kidding?” Flare shouted, raising his voice to compensate for the increase of music now flooding their ears. “When can I start calling you by that?”

“Anytime you want,” the mare responded, raising her voice as well to be heard. “I would much prefer it if you did call me that here. So what’s the story with that white unicorn?”

Flare’s smile widened as the pair entered the main part of the club, lights flickering to the beat, colored spotlights moving in every direction possible, and ponies of every kind moving to the beat. “Oh, you know.” Motioning to the raised stage where a parade of lights surround the white, blue maned unicorn at the helm of the turntable. “Just an old friend.”

“You know her personally?” Her question came off as more of a surprise than anything as the two made their way through the crowd. “How, might I ask, do you know her?”

“Long story short,” the pegasus started, nearly yelling into Octavia’s ear. “I helped her get on that stage. Not in the sense of I started her career, but just that stage. To answer your question, I’ve known her for quite some time. Sort of a give and take relationship: she gets me clients from whom I get my drinks from; I get her easy venues to play at. Simple, no?”

“Yes, almost too simple.” The musician merely commented. The pair was beginning to sweat now, in the middle of the caucus of ponies on the floor. “And now what?”

“Now? Let the music take over!” The pegasus began to move to beat, moving with the crowd that was now all around them. “Let the moves flow. Don’t think, just dance.”

“But what about form or function? What about positions? How do you know what you are supposed to do?” Octavia began to question. “This doesn’t seem like dancing, it feels like a controlled mob.”

“That’s exactly what it is!” Flare remarked, moving around the confused mare. “The music is all that keeps us in line! It’s magical!”

“But this isn’t…” The mare’s tone turned into a slight complaining tone.

“Tavi.” The pegasus paused in front of Octavia, placing a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t think, just let the music take over.”

Octavia mumbled something to herself, but her comment was lost in the influx of sounds filling the air. Like watching a moving photograph, Flare watched in awe as Octavia moved almost in slow motion in the flashing lights. Her moves were not as graceful at first which brought a smile to the pegasus’ face. Her growing frustration on hitting the upbeat or being a second off the beat only made him laugh. After a bit, though, the movement became more natural, less of trying to be with the music, but moving with the flow of sound. A side step here, a flip of the hair, and then it grew into a trance. Slowly, the two of them became closer in placement and in-sync with each other’s movements.

The night moved on like this for a few hours, with beats both slower and faster appearing. Drops and sudden stops abounded from the turntable. Lights jumped over the crowd as the bass beats pounded away. The upper harmonics slid up and down the ranges, sometimes more hesitant than before. Yet with every beat, every drop, every harmonic screaming through the air, the two inched closer. Not intentionally in the forefronts their minds, but by some subconscious force. Before either knew it, their muzzles were mere fractions of an inch away. The bass escalating as fast as their hearts were beating, their breath as swift as the harmonics were flying, and by the time of the drop, their lips were locked. That position was held for sometime as the drop slowed the music significantly. The pair broke the embrace with a smile.

“Hey, Flare.” Octavia whispered the best she could in the music-filled environment. “My flat isn’t too far away from here, there’s something I’d like to try since you showed me your type of dancing.”

“Whatever you say, Tavi,” the pegasus responded. “I’m up for whatever you have in store for me.”

“Good.” Her smile shined through, but her look turned thoughtful for a moment. “Though you may need a drink.”

This caused Flare chuckle. “First time I’ve ever heard a mare tell me that I need a drink.”

“Well, tonight is a night of firsts, so I thought you might need one.”

* * *

The pair stumbled into the flat, laughing to themselves. Their sweat-covered bodies were supporting each other as the musician flipped on the lights, revealing a very modern, but modest, living space. A small kitchen was off to the side and was connected to the main area. Part of the space in the main area was clearly dedicated to music production and practice. It was cluttered with music sheets, many marked with notes for minor refinements. A few cellos of different origins occupied each corner, while a door on the opposite side of the kitchen clearly housed the bedroom. Works of art from different parts of Equestria graced the walls, though Van Goat seemed to predominate the setting.

“So,” Flare spoke in between laughs, “so, that’s when I told Boulder that the mare he was trying to go home with was actually a stallion!” The two laughed, but a stumble in their step sent them both to the floor in a heap. A momentary pause in their laughs ensued and both took a quick look at each other to assess the damages, but in the end their laughter doubled. “By the way, nice place you got here, Tavi,” the pegasus spoke while fighting off laughter. “Strange what a life in the entertainment industry can get you, eh?”

The laughter was contagious as Octavia pulled herself off the floor. “Money can’t buy everything, but it certainly does help with a lot.” She helped Flare onto his feet as well. “Well, now that you’re here, how about we dance my way?”

“Me?” Flare looked both surprised and mortified at the same time. “As in slow dancing? The kind of fancy dancing that I have never done in my life? Except for one time in secondary school.” He shuddered at that memory.

“Oh, it’s not that difficult.” The mare giggled as she walked into the main area and to the record player next to her cellos. After searching for a few moments, she found the record she was looking for and set it on the player. “Once you get the hang of it, at least.” A slow melodic piano began to fill the room, followed shortly by chimes playing counter-melody with the piano. A compliment of strings filled the background with a gentle rhythm.

“A waltz?” Flare questioned as he approached her from behind. “You want me to dance to a waltz? In our state?” He simply laughed. “Oh this is going to be good. Ok, so what do you want me to do?”

“If you would be so kind as to put a hoof here.” She gestured to one spot on her shoulder as she mimicked a placement of her hoof on his opposite shoulder, wrapping it lightly around his neck. “And remember, this isn’t secondary school.” She began to tease, “We don’t have to worry about teachers telling us to leave room for Celestia between us.”

“Naturally, of course,” the pegasus spoke with a bit of gusto. “Though I don’t know how well this will go.”

Octavia laughed. “Would you prefer if I lead? Because I would be more than willing to do so.”

“You think I’m going to let you lead? Oh no, if I’m going to crash and burn, I want to be leading the parade, just give me some simple instructions.”

Slowly the pair moved side to side, just moving in one place to the beat. “Depends on the type of waltz. Would you like a simple two or four step, maybe something a bit difficult like a hesitation waltz?”

A sly smile appeared on Flare’s face as the pair took a step to the side, then back. “Oh believe me, it will get a bit more interesting once I get the hang of it.”

“Just don’t take it too far, alright?” The mare rested her head on his shoulder. “I don’t feel like ending up on my flank once more tonight.”

“And I agree 100%, Tavi.” Adding a bit of swing to the movements. The pair stumbled a bit, but managed to laugh it off. “Though I get the feeling that it might just happen anyways.”

“I told you only one drink, but apparently being on great terms with the bartender sure does have its perks.”

“Hey, now,” the pegasus interjected, adding a slow spin in their step. “I wasn’t the only one enjoying the drink selection.”

She giggled and playfully hit him. “I thought it would only be polite if I shared in the festivities.”

“Through jumping on the bar and dancing?” A stumble in their step to the right. “Quite un-lady like, don’t you think? I’m happy Mr. Shades will let me back in the building.”

Again she hit him, though nearly missed. “I thought you said you weren’t going to bring that up anymore!”

“Who said that? I’m pretty sure I didn’t.” The music started to slow down, nearing its end. A small crescendo accented by the piano playing up the keys ended the song all together. “Well, I guess that’s that.” The pair stopped in the middle of the room, but didn’t break the connection that the two held. “So, what do you say, one more?”

“It wouldn’t hurt, right?”

* * *

The sun breaking through the window awakened the sleepy pegasus. Cracking his eyes open, he took in the scenery. An eloquently decorated room, accented with dark hardwood furniture. He sighed, vaguely remembering where he was. Rubbing his hoof into face seemed to be routine action by now. The pegasus mumbled some sort of vague statement about not drinking that much again when he became aware of a soft, warm body against his side and two purple eyes staring straight at him.

“Good morning, Flare.” The musician greeted him softy, a smile appearing on her face. “I do hope you slept well.”

The pegasus returned her soft smile with his own, but ended up laughing. “We really need to stop meeting like this.”

She giggled, rubbing circles with a hoof into his chest. “You make that sound like a bad thing.” She tapped her hoof softly before rolling off the bed. “Suits is making us tea right now.” A confused look played across Flare’s face. “My butler. Suits, is my butler.”

“Oh, sorry, gotcha. I fully understand now.” He rolled out of bed himself, stretching a bit after he landed. “Charming fellow, glad he’s here.” Looking back at the bed, sheets and pillows were thrown this way or that. The pegasus laughed. “I really hope he doesn’t mind the mess.”

Chapter 5

The pair walked out of the bedroom, both wearing small smiles upon their faces. The first rays of the morning sun peeked through the windows, illuminating the lavish space. The smell of breakfast being cooked emanated from the kitchen area.

The butler, Suits, paused from his work to greet the pair. “Good Morning, Ms. Octavia, I have the pa- oh and good morning to you too, Mr. Chaser. The paper is on the table if you care to read it. I think the headlines today are quite interesting.”

“Hmm,” the Pegasus mused, picking up the paper and reading the headlines aloud, “Changing of Hats. It certainly seems Canterlot is busy today.”

“What is it about?” Octavia queried, peering over the pegasus’ shoulder.

“Eh, something about the new captain of the guard.” Flare shrugged “Apparently it’s the brother of the Element of Magic. I swear, it’s probably some royalty string pulling.”

“I don’t know.” The mare was suspicious and read a bit more. “He seems to have potential, also the last Captain wasn’t the most pleasant. There appear to be glaring shortcomings in his last year of service.”

“Didn’t seem like such bad guy when I met him.” Flare thought for a second, “Though it was only for a minute. Oh well, no use worrying about it. I don’t plan on making a run to Canterlot any time soon.”

Suits rolled his eyes, “For a moment there, I thought you weren’t well read. Glad to see you are, in fact, smarter than you look.”

“Suits,” Octavia interjected before Flare had a moment to react. “One shouldn’t judge the music by its first notes. I apologize about Suits, he’s been with my family for quite some time now. He’s a bit more outspoken than other butlers, but his input is usually well need, sometimes...”

“I am simply making a judgment call,” the butler continued. “I’m sure your mother wouldn’t have… positive remarks about this one.”

“You haven’t mentioned what my father would’ve said, Suits.” Octavia smiled lightly.

“Because I know your father would’ve taken Mr. Chaser drinking and treated the working pony as a son the first chance he got.” Suits sighed, “I’ll continue with breakfast.”

“That would be quite excellent, thank you.” She smiled, “Tea for two please, and please don’t burn the haycakes.”

The butler muttered an affirmative of some sort and resumed his work.

“Seems like you still hold the reigns,” Flare spoke, stifling a laugh. “I mean no offense, Sir. My own mother disapproves of me sometimes.”

That brought a small bout of chuckles from the butler, “I wouldn’t have doubted that for a second.”

The Pegasus chuckled too, “Glad I have your vote of confidence,” turning his attention to Octavia he asked, “So what are your plans?”

“The quartet has a three night concert series in Hoofington soon, so I must leave for that… later today. So I am afraid we will not have much time together tonight, unfortunately.” Suits brought two cups of tea and set it in front of the pair. Both ponies acknowledged the action, and continued the conversation.

“Ah, I see,” Flare thought for a second, taking a sip of his tea, “A mare’s got to work, right? Perfectly understandable, I probably have to shove my face into work today anyway, Mrs. Twist probably needs me to make a few deliveries today. That, and I have a few promises to keep.”

“You mean the Cherry Surprise you promised to Mr. Shades and Sticks, right?” The musician questioned.

“Hey,” the Pegasus shrugged. “When a pony makes a promise, it’s usually good to keep them. It’s good for business.”

Octavia smiled as she took a sip of her tea, “That’s a good practice to keep up with.”

The Pegasus returned the smile, “I aim to please.”

The butler placing the freshly cooked breakfast in front of the two interrupted the mare’s answer. The couple ate the fresh cooked haycakes and sipped on the tea quietly. Flare continued to flip through the newspaper, observing the changes to his city. Whether it was a something about the mayor or some accident on 5th avenue, there was always something worth reading.

“Oh lookie here,” the Pegasus muttered, a bit surprised. “They have a review of your show from last night.”

There was a pause, “Well don’t keep us waiting,” the musician spoke finishing a bit of her haycake. “I’m sure we’d like to hear that. Who wrote the review?”

“Um,” the Pegasus glanced around the page, “it says some unicorn named Jazz was there. Hmm.” Flare looked closer at the page, reading the excerpt carefully. “I was upmost impressed at last night’s performance. Every instrument complemented each other far better than they ever have in the past. But even so, I could almost feel the tension between the musicians, not by any means music wise, but tension between the musicians themselves. It didn’t take away from the performance at all, but the quartet needs to learn not to show themselves too much through their work. All things considered, still a top-notch performance: five out of five.”

Octavia sat there for a few moments, contemplating all that was said, “I guess we’ll have to simply work on this for the upcoming shows in Hoofington. But, glad that it was all positive in regards to the music.”

“Indeed,” Flare mused. “I couldn’t have said it any better. You did a wonderful job last night.”

The mare offered a coy look, holding the tea in front of her lips, “Are you talking about before or after the show?”

Flare just laughed, “Yes, because that’s the only answer that will not get me into trouble.”

“Good stallion,” Octavia giggled.

* * *

“I’ll be sure to send a letter when I get there,” the musician spoke. The two were at the train station. Suits was standing behind them with a bit of the musician’s luggage and was waiting on the mare to board the train. “And it’s only a week, so you hopefully won’t get too lonely in that time.” She smiled.

Flare returned the smile, “Oh, I’m sure I’ll have my head in the clouds too often to think about you.” He had to keep himself from laughing at her clearly jokingly disappointed look, “Well, too much.”

“That’s what I thought.” Octavia spoke, adding a playful jab to punctuate her sentence. “Don’t get into too much trouble, alright?”

“I’ll see what I can do, but no promises.” he replied, giving Octavia a kiss. “See you in a week, have fun!” Flare watched the musician and the butler board the train, “Knock ‘em dead!” He yelled after them.

The mare smiled and waved as she finally boarded. The train began to accelerate to leave and Flare just watched it go, finally left alone on the platform. He sighed a bit, looked at the train down the tracks for a few more moments, and then moved on.

Upon leaving the station and taking a deep breath, Flare took to the skies. The Pegasus relished in the sky, the wind striking his face, the speed he achieved, the serenity of being free as he floated through the air. The clear skies cleared his head as he made his way through the city. His smile grew, as he closed his eyes in the bliss of flight.

He would’ve made great time to the Hornless Alicorn too, if he were flying to the North side of Manehattan, but the apparent love-struck and naïve Pegasus didn’t notice it till he was nearly out of the city. He sighed, shaking his head at his foolishness. Turning around, he made great time, minding the other pegasi that were taking advantage of the beautiful day in the city. The sky was clear, a cool breeze spread through the city, and the sun reflected off the buildings. It seemed everypony and their mother were out today.

The pegasus’ four hooves barely touched the ground as he entered the club. It was brightly lit, compared to its nighttime lighting. A few ponies were cleaning up the place. Regal Twist was at the bar, but not behind it. The unicorn was tending to some paperwork; a large cup of coffee sat next to her. She turned to see who had entered. A tired smile appeared on her face, seeing Flare floating gently through the air.

“We could’ve used you last night,” Regal spoke out, her voice raspy and cracked, “but I can see you used your night off to your advantage.” The unicorn took a sip from her coffee, the bags under the unicorn’s eyes showed the overwork on her poor body. “Glad to see you in though,” she groaned getting off her seat at the bar. “There are 3 places on the eastside, on along riverside, and then last one in the inner city that need a batch of catered drinks. You think you can handle that?” She looked at the daydreaming Pegasus, still managing to float an inch off the ground.

“HEY, FLARE! MESSAGE TO LOVERCOLT!” she lightly slapped the pegasus’ face with her hoof, trying to draw out some sort of reaction. “You getting this?”

Flare shook himself clear of his daze, “Yeah, boss, three east, one river, and one inner city. No issues here. Catered drinks, just bottles of wine for these high class people, right?”

“Yes, that would be correct. You’re probably going to need about ten bottles a stop, but because of their selection, you’re gonna have to make a few trips. Simple enough, right?”

The Pegasus snapped out of his daze again, regaining his composure once again, “Yes, ma’am, I can do that.”

Regal sighed a bit, “I should be happy that you’re at least listening. Hey Boulder!” she called out over Flare’s shoulder. The earth pony was busy sweeping up a few things. He stopped and acknowledged the unicorn’s call. “Go get lovercolt here the delivery pony get up, would you?”

Boulder chuckled a bit before heading off to a back room.

“And please do me a favor, Flare. Try not to have your head in the clouds while you’re out running drinks. I prefer to have the products not end up on the streets.” Boulder walked up and placed a hat and saddlebag next to the unicorn. “Thanks, Boulder. And get this pegasus’ cart ready, please. I’d rather not have him make too many trips.”

“You got it, Ma’am. I’ll make sure he’s working hard and not having too much time to think about that mare.” He gave a half-smile, half-chuckle to Flare as he returned to the backroom.

“Flare, you sure you can handle this?” Regal’s raspy voice asked. “Or do I need to call in the B-team, because I really don’t want to call in the B-team.”

The Pegasus laughed, “No, I think I have this handled, ma’am. No need to call in the amateurs.”

Regal shared in the laughter, but it turned into a coughing fit, “Good, because I don’t have a B-team. You’re it. You’re the reason why we’re still here.” She attempted to stifle a laugh but couldn’t hold it and let it out. “Nope, couldn’t keep a straight face.”

“Thanks for the confidence, ma’am. I’ll be sure to deliver the absolute best possible service today, because of your confidence in me.”

“Now there’s no need to be a smart flank about it.” The unicorn shooed him away with a hoof. “Get moving, you’ve got deadlines to meet.”

He scoffed, picking up the hat and flipping the saddlebag onto his back. “I’ll see what I can do.” With that, Flare moved to the backroom to where Boulder was putting the first and second deliveries in the cart. He was about finished when he noticed Flare walking in.

“So, lovercolt,” Boulder spoke with smile as he loaded the last of the boxes onto the cart. “How’d last night go for ya? By the way you float through the air, I’d say pretty good.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. You’re a riot, Boulder.” Flare finished the final preparations on the cart before finally tying himself in. “And yes, I did have a wonderful night.”

“Same broad from the other night?” Boulder chuckled. “Kinda figured you two would hit it off. I take it she’s a goer. You know: wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more.”

“Boulder, just open the door,” Flare rolled his eyes, nearly laughing at his friend’s antics. “I really need to get these done.”

The stallion walked over to the wall and hit a switch, opening an entrance right into the back alley of the Hornless Alicorn. “You still haven’t answered my question yet, Flare.” Boulder followed Flare into the alley. The Pegasus ignored him for a moment, quickly performing some pre-flight stretches. “So?”

Turning to his friend with the biggest smile on his face, Flare didn’t say a word. He extended his wings for flight. He tipped his hat in salute to the Boulder, “I guess you’ll never know.” With those words he was off into the sky.

Chapter 6

The pegasus laid his head on the table before him, trying to relax. His muscles ached, refusing to respond. Even the effort of trying to take a sip of tea from the cup in front of him was taxing. He wished for the world to swallow him up and ease his pain, but this was not to be. His apartment was silent, save for the sound of his breathing. The hustle and bustle of the city on the other side of his apartment walls did not touch the aching pegasus.

After letting the time pass him by, Flare finally concluded to get on his hooves and check in at work. He knew there weren’t any deliveries for him to make that day, as it was his day off, but his lack of objective would inevitably prove to be his undoing. Seeing as Octavia was arriving tomorrow, he might make it something special. Throwing a saddlebag on his back and closing the door behind him, Flare made his way out of the apartment complex, pushing past the pain.

He chose not to fly, on account of his wings hurting, and the need to stretch his legs. The city moved in complete contrast to his slow movements, while the sounds of the activity only worsened his headache. The occasional pony bumped into him, some offering the occasional courtesy of an apology, but it didn’t matter too much to him. The fresh air and movement did little to bring up his mood.

His pace slow-going, it took longer than usual to arrive at The Hornless Alicorn. Being midday, there were few ponies in the place, which suited Flare just fine. Finding a nice spot on a stool, he let his head rest on the bartop, having a sigh escape his lips. The pegasus was more or less content in his position, trying to melt into the furniture.

“I’ve seen that look before,” Flare shifted his head to see Twist behind the bar, shooting him a concerned look. “What’s eating you this time?”

“Nothing,” Flare huffed. “Just tired. You surprised me with the laundry list of deliveries the past few days.”

The bar pony shrugged. “You should know better, you been working the same job for the past few years now. A difficult past few days isn’t enough to knock even you down.”

“It’s really nothing,” Flare rolled his eyes. “Just tired and sore.”

“Then what the hay are you doing here? It’s your day off.” Twist raised an eyebrow at Flare. “I’d expect you of all ponies to use it to your fullest.” She placed a glass of water in front of the pegasus. “Something up?”

Flare took a sip from the cup. “If I lie to you, will you leave me alone?”

The unicorn sighed, “Well, if it helps to keep you moving about here, there is a delivery to be made. Nothing big, but they want some of our top stock.”

A sigh left Flare as he sat up, “I guess that’ll d-,” the last part of his sentence was cut off by a backhoof sending Flare’s head back onto the bar. The pegasus groaned, looking up at his assailant. Twist flipped her mane, before giving Flare a more serious look.

“Look, I don’t know what your problem is, Flare. Do yourself a favor and help yourself. If you’re having mare problems, I feel bad for you, but do-,”

“It’s not mare problems.” Flare wiped at a bit blood coming out his nose. “Besides, Tavi isn’t in town. Off doing some concerts in Hoofington. I’m just tired and sore, really.” He examined the blood on his hoof, “And Celestia, was that really necessary?”

“Sorry, got a bit carried away.” The unicorn shook her hoof, trying to shake off some pain. “Been wanting to do that for a while, though.”

“Glad to satisfy your needs,” Flare said sarcastically, rubbing the sore spot on his face, trying to ease pain. “Where’s the delivery at?”

“Southside, I believe.” Twist went under the bar, rummaging through some papers. She popped back into sight with a small stack of notes. It took a few moments, but she finally found the right document. “Yup, Southside, your side of town. Should be easy to find, here’s the address.” She levitated the note over to him.

Flare looked over the note for a few moments before shrugging. “I’ll find it eventually. Shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Twist smiled, “There’s the Flare I know. And thankfully, due to the small delivery, you don’t need to take the cart, leaving only your body and the drinks to damage on this journey.”

“Hey now,” Flare jabbed a hoof at Twist’s direction. “That only happened once, and you know it.”

“Pssh, whatever.” She scoffed at him. “Just go get your saddlebag and hat so you can get this job done.”

Flare got off the stool, waving his boss off with a mock salute. “Whatever you say, ma’am. I’ll be back in time for first call.”

Twist watched him go, shaking her head. “Crazy kid,” she mumbled under her breath before returning back to work.

* * *

The pegasus flew aimlessly around in the sky, his delivery done, the day back to being his. He even managed to make it back to The Hornless Alicorn before first call, much to the dismay of Regal Twist. Downing a drink, he headed off into the city in hopes of finding things for making a special night for Octavia. He thoughts bounced around how to impress the high-class mare. He knew when her train arrived, which was to be late in the evening. Ideas of a simple dinner crossed his mind, simple setting emphasized. Maybe even a nice bottle of wine, if he could find one. His smile grew a bit, feeling the sun on his back as he flew, wishing all his days could be this easy. The fresh air in his lungs and beneath his wings, he drifted back down to the ground.

Touching down in the Southside of the city, he let his hooves guide him to the fresh markets. The pegasus mused that he didn’t have to time to get the ingredients tomorrow; he’d get them today. It was late midday, so the market wasn’t as packed as it could be, but there were a decent amount of ponies milling about the area, buying and selling fresh produce and vegetables. He shifted his saddlebag awkwardly trying to navigate the small crowds. The ideas in Flare’s head of dinner were limited, however, for his cooking skills barely went past boiling water.

Maybe a light snack, he thought, eying a few haycakes. Something healthy like a salad, his gaze drifting to lettuce. He kept drifting through the market, hoping to have something catch his eye. There has to be something. To look classy and refined, something our last few encounters have been missing. Flare sighed, I’m just not the classy and refined pony, it seems.

For an hour, the pegasus milled about the market before pausing in front of one stall. He eyed the produce, oranges, with a bit of curiosity; he even held and closer inspected the fruits. Flare’s actions went on for about a few seconds before the vendor questioned his motives.

“Good afternoon, sir,” The vendor started. “Anything I can help you with?”

Flare’s gaze didn’t shift from the orange he held in his hoof, “Dunno, sir. Just looking around right now.”

“You sure?” The vendor raised an eyebrow. “You looked a bit lost, so I thought I would ask.”

The vendor’s question made Flare smile. “In more ways than one, you have no idea. But, I’m just looking for something to make a nice quick snack.”

“Well, you sure came to right place! Oranges make a nice treat, packed with lots of vitamins. No big mess, they even come pre-sliced by nature.”

“Huh,” Flare examined the orange closer. “What can I do with it? I mean, I just don’t want plain oranges.”

“It can spice up plain ol’ lettuce leaves with a nice vinaigrette. Tell you what,” The vendor ducked behind his stall, coming up a few moments later, handing a Flare a piece of paper. “That’s all you need for that salad. Healthy, quick, and easy.”

The pegasus looked over the short list of ingredients, contemplating his small list of options before sighing and handing over a few bits. “Fine, you win.”

The vendor pocketed the bits, before handing over a bag of pump ripe oranges. “Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. Knock her dead.” He added a wink to accent the end of the sentence. A raised eyebrow was all Flare had for a response, before depositing the oranges in his saddlebag. He waved the vendor a silent goodbye, leaving the vicinity of the orange stall. He eyed the ingredient list as he walked. “Might as well, not like I have any other ideas.”

* * *

Flare settled into his normal position that day: laying his head on the table, feeling tired. He had finished his errands, finding all the ingredients he needed for the salad, all with relative ease. He did find a spot of trouble though, trying to locate a nice bottle of wine. All the nice vendors of fine wine were on the north side of the city, in the “nicer” communities of Manehattan. The delivery pony caught more than a few unsatisfactory stares walking into some of the stores. Some of the wine curators even laughed at him for bringing up an expensive bottle of wine. Yet all laughing stopped when the bag of bits was brought out. After bringing everything home, he had a small bite to eat before heading out into the growing nightlife.

Which brought the pegasus to where he was now. Sitting with his head down on a table, enjoying the light atmosphere around him. He was in the Muddy Hooves, the best blues bar in the Southside of Manehattan. The smoky dark atmosphere was just what Flare was looking for. After ordering a drink, the pegasus found a dark corner booth, and he allowed himself to be swallowed up by it. His closed his eyes, letting the live band sooth and calm him. Memories of his past resurfaced and he let past events dance about his head. The music and the memories rolled into one, as a smile slowly spread across Flare’s lips. The swing of twelve/eight pattern, the twang of the guitar, and preaching lyrics helped the pegasus’s eye droop.

Had it not been for the tap on the pegasus’s shoulder, Flare would’ve drifted off to sleep. Opening an eye to the disturber of his peace, it was a big black sought stallion stood there, eyeing the sleepy Flare with suspicion.

“Can I help you?” Flare sighed.

“You Flare Chaser?” The stallion’s deep voice held presence, though barely spoken above the band on stage.

“Who wants to know?”

“It’s him, ma’am,” he nodded to a figure behind him, whom Flare couldn’t make out in the pony in the dim lighting.

“Thanks, Coal Train,” a mare voice came from behind the stallion. Another sigh from the pegasus as he recognized the voice instantly. “Take some extra bits, enjoy the rest of your night.” The stallion nodded and left, leaving to let the white unicorn mare slide into the booth across the table from Flare, “You’re a hard pony to find, you know that?”

“Sorry, next time I’ll leave a map,” Flare merely mumbled. “My side of town isn’t that bad, Scratch. Bodyguard and the hoodie? Paranoid much?”

The unicorn slid the hood off her head, letting her unkempt blue mane fall out. “You can’t be too careful these days.” She grabbed Flare’s untouched drink, taking a long drink from it. “What’s got you hiding in this dump?”

“Listening to some music,” Flare groaned, lifting his head off the table.

The unicorn took another long sip from the drink, her gaze drifting to Blues Band on stage. “Listening to those geezers? Music?” Her look returned to Flare, “You’re one weird bucking pony.”

“Whatever you say, Scratch,” Flare rolled his eyes. “What do you want, ‘cause I know you sure wouldn’t come here just to talk to me and listen to old geezers play noise in this dump.”

“Oh fine, it’s always business with you anyway.” Scratch finished the drink before setting the empty cup on the table. “I need a favor.”

Flare rolled his eyes, “Again, my first question. What do you want?”

“I need a night,” She leaned in closer. “Besides, you still owe me. Big time.”

“Scratch, I-I can’t,” Flare’s voice stutters. “I can’t do that.”

“Why?” It was her time to roll her eyes. “That didn’t stop you last time I asked, or the time before that, or the time before that.”

“Look, I just can’t this time.” The pegasus struggled a bit, but finally found that honesty was the best way through this situation. “I found somepony and it just wouldn’t be right.”

“Ah, sure. I see how it is.” Scratch leaned back in her seat. “Well, I’ll tell you how it’s going to be. There’s this batch of Applejack Daniels that hasn’t seen the light of day in forever. No one knows about it, but I can get you it. Simple as that. One. Night. Besides, you owe me way more than one night for those Scotch Cherries.”

Flare’s gaze shifted around the club: to the bar, to the club goers, and finally to the band on stage. Their swing and twang were hypnotic, the lyrics just as entrancing. A frown replaced his long past smile. His thoughts mused about his chances at becoming a Blues musician.

* * *

Flare lay there in bed alone, not in particular care for how long, letting his music alarm play. It was Ponywood Undead, something Flare had not listened to since his punkish colt years. The song playing wasn’t one of their better-known songs, but “Circles” found a nice place this morning for Flare. Slow, ponderous even, song sang of begging of help and the loss of self. Around listening to the song a third time he stumbled out of bed, the eventual need to get to work surpassed the need to mope about.
A note taped on his fridge stopped his daily routine in the kitchen. A sigh left the pegasus’s lips, but he figured it would be a good idea to read it

Hey Flaretail,
Thanks for last night; we’re somewhat even for now. If you could pencil me in for a “surprise” appearance at The Hornless Alicorn tonight, that would be even better. Expect that Applejack Daniels to be in soon.
Hope you don’t mind that I borrowed your oranges for breakfast. Gotta stay healthy, you know?
See you soon
XO
Scratchy

The pegasus stared at the note for a few more seconds before tearing it off his fridge, crumpling it up, and tossing it aside. He took a few more deep breaths, slowly slumping to the floor, letting his head hang in defeat. The tears fell as he took another breath, trying to regain some composure.

“Bucking mares.”