A Symphony for a Friend

by The User of Names

Rating: teen
Tags: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
Length: 1105

When Beauty Brass is introduced to Octavia's cousin, Fiddlesticks, a fast friendship is formed. But, as with many things, something begins to change in their relationship.

Two mares, living their lives day by day in a cold, lonely world.

Two mares, searching for something without realising it.

Two mares, falling in love.

Cover art by alexmichanikos.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-03-05 03:13:48 UTC

Chapter 1

Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.

- James A. Baldwin

--- --- ---

Sunlight streamed through the blinds in the dark room, a testament to the dawn of a new day. The thin ribbons of gold pierced the dark, giving an almost etherial effect to the plain room they inhabited. Some might say that the alteration they made to the living space was artistic, maybe even beautiful.

This effect was lost on the blue mare lying in the bed.

In fact, the reaction that she had towards the beams of light was quite adverse. After rolling about for a good minute or two to avoid the offending sensation, she eventually turned to face the window in question.

"Damn window, waking me up..." she muttered, before turning back over and attempting to fall back to sleep.

After yet another minute, the mare decided that sleep was not a viable option and instead decided to check the alarm clock sitting next to the bed on a small table.

The clock read 9:43 AM.

The mare's eyes widened suddenly.

"Oh." she gulped, before leaping out of the bed, heart starting to race.

Opening the door and skidding down the neat carpeted hallway, the cyan mare leapt through another door and into a bathroom.

She jumped into the shower, and promptly fumbled around with the dials on the wall to adjust the water temperature.

"Ah! Too hot!" she exclaimed before being doused in scaldingly hot water, leaping back out at a spry pace.

The mare then gingerly poked her hoof back towards the shower, before gritting her teeth and spinning the handle around as to change the temperature to a reasonable one.

This time the water became a pleasantly warm sensation, and the mare jumped back in the shower.

The apartment that the mare resided in is a modest abode, with adequate furnishings but nothing too pretentious or expensive. The aesthetic was rustic and homely, something which is largely uncommon for an inner-city apartment.

After completing her cleaning and tending to her ruffled mane and tail, the turquoise mare began to briskly trot out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. She opened a small container, then a drawer and finally the fridge to produce a teabag, a mug and a carton of milk respectively, before filling a kettle up with water and setting it to boil. She then spun around and stood up on her hindlegs, balancing for long enough to reach a large box on the top shelf inside of the pantry. Pulling the box down and placing it on the bench, she opened it up and produced a bag of bread. Throwing two slices into a toaster, she finally pulled up a stool and slumped down to catch her breath.

She then reached over to a nearby table covered in possessions and began to analyse them and toss them into a saddlebag on the other side of the room- a water bottle, a wallet, an ID card (with Beauty Brass – Resident Sousaphoninst printed on the front) and finally a pre-prepared sandwich out of the fridge.

Over the rustling sounds and items flying across the room, a shrill whistling noise grew louder until finally silencing. Beauty stood up and deftly picked up the kettle, placing the teabag into the mug and then

Suddenly, the toast popped through the opening in the top of the toaster.

Deftly catching the pieces of toast with one hoof, Brass pulled out a plate and placed the two neatly side by side. She then retrieved a jar of raspberry jam and began to spread it over the plain toast.

After covering the two slices with a similar amount of jam, she grabbed the mug and placed it next to the plate while also pulling up her stool next to the tabletop.

With a pleased sigh, Beauty Brass picked up the cup of tea and began to drink it at a leisurely pace, as it is customary to do.

She then glanced over at a clock on the wall; the hands read 9:55.

She swallowed a whole mouthful of the hot tea, the burning sensation on the inside of her mouth making her instantly regret it. Realising that she didn’t have enough time to finish, she took one more sip before quickly biting into the toast. Munching down bit after bite, not even enjoying the flavour of the jam, she finished one and a half pieces before deciding that it was enough and picking up the saddlebags. She then rushed into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and bolted out the door of the apartment.

Running down the hallway, Brass glanced to her right. Another door labelled ‘Floor 2’ led to a set of stairs, which she promptly rushed down.

Arriving at the bottom, she took a moment to catch her breath before briskly trotting out of the small lobby and onto the street.

Glancing both ways, she spotted the street that she always took in downtown Canterlot and the familiar building a few blocks away.

She arrived at her destination at 10:04 AM, 4 minutes after her scheduled time.

The building in question was a humble little establishment, made of bricks and looking as if it had been there for an exceptionally long time- not to say it was run down, more well-lived in. A lone adornment accented the facade, one depicting a caricature of a coffee cup and a partially lit ‘Java’s’’ sign.

Beauty Brass pushed open the old doors to view the interior. Inside was the usual hustle and bustle of a coffee shop in the morning, with dozens of ponies drinking from their paper cups and meandering about.

Beauty turned her attention away from the numerous ponies inhabiting the building and to an old, worn booth in the corner of the establishment. Sitting there was a seemingly out of place grey earth pony whom Beauty was very familiar with, and another shape that she couldn’t quite make out from the lighting at the current distance.

Huh, Octavia doesn’t normally bring other ponies to our morning meets… she mused to herself, before discarding the thought and moving towards her welcoming friend.

Arriving at the corner, the classy grey mare beckoned Beauty to join her. Sitting next to her was another pony, whom Brass had never seen before yet somehow was vaguely familiar to her. Her coat was a dusty beige, her mane and tail a regal blue. She also wore a tattered red scarf, lime patchwork