Red, White and Orange

Chapter 4: A New Sound

Smokey's whole body trembled, his mouth hanging slightly open. Tears flowed from his eyes, when suddenly, he was touched by a hoof on his shoulder.

“Shh…it's okay, little colt,” said a warm male voice.

The hoof slowly changed to an aura surrounding his body, lifting him into the air, and setting him on the back of a white unicorn stallion with a blue and teal mane.

Smokey immediately wrapped his hooves around the unicorn’s neck, burying his face into his mane, his eyes still wet and flowing.

The white stallion carrying Smokey quickly walked him out of the room, closing the door so the doctors wouldn’t be distracted, and so Smokey couldn’t go in.

The colt, feeling light headed and weak, said “Who are you, sir?”

“I am Shining Armor. I'm assuming your name is Smokey?”

Smokey looked up, smiling. "Yes, that's my name,” he said, wiping his eyes.

He chuckled. “Gee, that's a pretty neat scarf. It looks nice on you. And I am very sorry for your loss. Is there anything you would like that would make you feel better?”

"I-I feel sleepy," he said in a tired, weak voice. His eyelids were closer together than they had been a minute ago, indicating how worn out he was from the stress of the event. "And I also want to go home," he said with a yawn.

"Well, where do you live? I would be glad to take you there, if you'd like."

"I don't know...My sissy would usually take me there if we ever went anywhere."

"What about your parents?"

"They went to the same place sissy is going. They left a couple years ago. That's what sissy told me, at least."

Shining looked at the colt sympathetically. He shouldn't have to live this way at his age, not old enough to deal with it, but not young enough to not know what's going on. An idea suddenly popped into his head. Adoption! But what would Cadence say? Next to losing his wife, there was nothing he feared more than upsetting her. They hadn't had kids of their own yet, and weren't sure if they knew how to raise a colt. This colt was past the diapers stage, and surprisingly smarter and more mature than an average colt his age. They'd always wanted a foal, but had never been sure if they could handle it for the first few years. But since Smokey was a few years old, he wouldn't be so much trouble. The idea suddenly seemed like it was all pros and no cons.

"Well...how would you like to live with me and my wife?" he put a hoof on Smokey's shoulder, smiling down at him.

Smokey lifted his head up, looking surprised, like he had witnessed a supernova. "Like...live with you?"

Shining nodded.

A smile spread across Smokey's face, the previous event already leaving his head. It felt like there was nothing wrong with the world. He nearly tackled Shining with a tight hug. Smokey was soft and warm, like a plush doll, and had a good grip. "Yes, yes, yes please, Shining sir!"

Shining caught him, surprised at his strength, nearly having the wind knocked out of him. "Oof!" he exclaimed, followed by a chuckle. "Yes, Mr. Smokey. With me and Princess Cadence."

Smokey gasped again. "And Princess Cadence? This is amazing! It almost makes me forget about..." He looked at the door, and sighed, knowing that it would be easier to let go now than it would be in the future. When he had discovered his parents death, he had been nearly devastated.

Shining took a step out of the hug Smokey had imprisoned him in. "Oh, I know, Smokey. It'll be hard for you, but my wife and I will try to keep you as happy as possible. So, what do you say? Shall we go, Smokes?"

He smiled, nodding his head quickly, and hopped onto Shining's back, free from the weakness he had been feeling before. He wrapped his hooves around Shining Armor's neck. "Thank you infinity, mister Prince Shining Armor, for letting me stay with you," he said, nuzzling his face into Shining's mane, feeling comfortable.

"You don't have to thank me for anything, Smokey. It's the least I could do for a colt in your situation. Say...how would you like a new daddy? And a new mommy? But you don't have to call us that if you don't want to. You could just think of us as a couple of friends you're living with."

"Oh, yes, please! I'll just call you mommy and daddy."

Shining chuckled. "Well, now you have one. Me, and Cadence," he said, smiling at Smokey.

The colt wasn't able to hold back his warm tears of joy as he laid his head on the back of Shining's mane. He sighed, relieved, as he closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep, the smile still frozen across his lips.

For the second morning in a row, he awoke in a different place than the previous night. He looked down at himself, covered in sweat, and tears from himself, and his dream. Soon after throwing the blanket off of him, he hopped off the couch, walking into the kitchen so see the Octavia with a daisy sandwich, taking delicate, mannerly bites. "Morning, Tavi."

The mare sighed, lowering her head, looking slightly annoyed and muttered, "Already, Vinyl?" She quickly smiles, looking at the colt. "Ah, Smokey, is it? Good morning to you too," She said, setting down the sandwich, hopping out of her seat. "Pleased to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you too," He said, reaching his hoof out for her to shake.

She giggled. "Quite the gentlecolt, are we?" She gladly shook his hoof, and began to walk away.

"Wait!" He followed her, trotting by her side, looking up at her. "How come miss Vinyl was so... fast?"

Octavia sighed, closing her eyes, lowering her head, stopping where she stood, and thought, "She needs to stop with the LSD... It's not good for her health, or the health of others around her. I'll make sure to have a talk with her when she gets back home after her concert." She then began speaking aloud. "Well... she was just very stressed with her new album that she has to finish a few days ago, because she was procrastinating," her voice becoming a little more aggressive, as she stood straight.

"What does she play?"

Octavia wasn't sure if she could call it a real instrument. "The turntables," She said, preparing for him to ask what they were.

"Sounds weird... Do you play anything?"

"I play the cello. a classic instrument, instead of loud vibrant noises that'll turn you deaf, or just irritated in a mere number of seconds," She said, as her legs started up again, this time in a different direction towards her room. "Would you like to hear it?"

He raced to catch up with her. "Why not? It sounds very interesting."

Octavia opened the door to her room, revealing the cello on its stand in the corner with the bow placed in a holder beside it. Octavia let out a relaxed sigh. "There it is. My sweet freedom from Vinyls mischief," She said with a smile.

"Is the turntable Vinyls sweet freedom?"

"Y-yeah, that's it."

"Can you play something?"

"Gladly!" Octavia quickly trotted, taking the bow out of its holder, and the cello out of the stand, plopping herself on the bed, as she quickly placed the bow on the string. She started with a D scale, Smokey sitting on his haunches in front of her, with a greatly impressed smile on his face. Since he was already this excited for just a scale, she thought it would be interesting to see what he would do when she played an actual song. So that's what she did. immediately, she threw the bow back and forth across the strings, as the notes smoothly came out, connecting together to create a beautiful sound.

Smokeys eyes were wide open, as if they would soon pop out. He cracked a small smile that soon grew into a wide grin, the sultry music almost seducing him.

Octavias mind was bringing up all the notes, lengths, and bow strokes, as the hoof positions raced through her head.

The whole score was altogether around five minutes long.

A smile slowly made its was under Octavias nose as well, seeing Smokey clapping his hooves together, and the successful ending to the song she had been working so hard on. It was nice to see for her, that somepony enjoyed the piece. "How was that?"

"It was so pretty!" Smokey stood up, and hopped onto the bed that she was sitting on. "Can you teach me something, pleeeease?"

The smile stayed on Octavias face. "I'll try, Smokey."

The front door suddenly opened and closed, followed by a groan of tiredness, and boredom. "Tavi, I'm home!"

"Be there in a second, Vinyl!" Octavia placed the cello in its stand where she picked it up, placing the bow in its spot also. "I'll teach you a lesson later, okay Smokey?" She didn't give him a chance to respond before leaving the room, and quickly walking to Vinyl. She was very close to her when she spoke, talking sternly with a serious look on her face.

Vinyl placed a hoof on her own forehead, shaking slowly. "I know, Tavi, I know... It's just so hard to kick!"

"Well, try kicking harder. push yourself to end this habit, Vinyl. That colt is too sweet, and kind to be around this, and it is dangerous to have you around him, when you're an addict. Either stop, or leave, because I pay the rent for this home, and I will decide who stays and who wont."

"What about the kid?"

"What about him?"

"Well, I found him on the streets with a bloody nose. He isn't staying... is he? i mean, i don't mind if he does or not, I'm just saying, since neither of us know much about him at all, like where he came from, or even how old he is."

Octavia sighed, and turned towards her bedroom. "I will work this out later, but for now, I have a cello lesson to teach."

"Wait, wait, wait. You already got him hooked on that classical stuff?"

She turned her head slightly, looking over her shoulder. "He chose to get hooked on it, like you chose to get hooked on the beast. and he can make his own choice to get unhooked from it. Just like you should," She said, as she walked to her bedroom, closing the door behind her to teach Smokey his first lesson on music.