The Second Life

The wind was blowing. It was a nice breeze to feel against the side of my face. I looked at the horizon from the top of the bleachers looking into the football field. The sun was still in the sky, it was going to hide from my view within my view in ten minutes or less. Beside me, Twilight wicks her hair before she spoke.

"Wow. The sky look beautiful from here."

"Yah got that right sugarcube," AppleJack replied. "Ah never get to see the sunset from the farm. Trees always blockin' mah view."

Pinkie Pie, out of nowhere, popped up in front of us. "Why don't you just climb the trees in the farm? I do it all the time!"

"That would explain the branch in your hair," I responded.

"Where?!" Pinkie said twirling around like she was chasing her tail. "There we go!" she said when she pulled it out.

"Ugghhhh. This is sooooo boring!" Rainbow Dash said in a bitc---- annoyed tone. "Why are we even here? We should be at the park if we want to see the fireworks!" Rainbow nudged me. "How long until the fireworks?"

I glanced at my watch that was under my wrist. "In about hour and 45 minutes."

"Then lets go!!!" Rainbow announced to everybody, well, especially in my ear. The ringing in my ear wouldn't stop for about few minutes after that.

"Hold on Rainbow," Twilight said. "The sun is about to set right now."

"Forget this! I'm not losing my spot at the park." Rainbow complained. "I'm leaving."

"Alright, see you at the park," I said. Without a second to spare, Rainbow flew from the bleachers and soon out of sight. The ringing finally stopped. The rest of us stayed to watch the sun set. We watched the sky turn from the red-orange color to a red-magenta and the to the darkness of the sky without the moon's light to guide us through.

"Its too bad Rarity and Fluttershy couldn't join us," AJ said.

"Well, they had to help out at the booths during the firework show," Twilight replied. "We always have other days to watch the sunset."

"I suppose you're right."

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" Pinkie yelled as she jumped from the top row of bleachers to the bottom. There was a huge thump  when she landed on the floor in front of the first row of bleachers. After this long of being with Pinkie Pie, I wasn't going to question physics with her. "Lets go!" Everyone was getting up to walk to the park. I stayed sitting down for a bit longer.

"Aren't you coming Isaiah?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah." I replied lifting  up my violin case. "Just go on without me, I have to go back to the classroom first and get my music and help the others pack."

"Alright sugarcube, we'll say yah  at the park," AJ said. I swear, she uses sugarcube rather than our names because she forgets our names. I watched them walk down the bleachers and soon, like Rainbow Dash, out of sight. I scouted the area under the horizon a few blocks away and found the clock tower. I open my violin case to see if she is still in there. Sure enough, there she is. I put the case to my right side and take out the instrument and observed it. Black base with blue treble clefs on the instrument, my favorite colors. I pulled out the 20x scope and attached it on the railing on top of the instrument and loaded the clip into it. I finished the job by attaching an AAC silencer at the barrel. I pulled the bolt back and loaded the bullet from the clip to the barrel. I laid on the cold bleacher and pulled out the bi pod attached her and set it down. I peered into the scope to scout the same area. That's when I saw him, smoking a cigarette. I looked at my watch: 6:58.

I scouted the area around him to make sure there wasn't other people around him. Nope. Alone. Nothing with him but the cigarette in his mouth. I glanced at my watch: twelve seconds until it's 7. I watched his last moments as I counted down in my mind.

Five...

He took the cigarette out of his mouth.

Four...

He puffed out the last puff of smoke from his silver tongue (metaphorically).

Three...

He glanced at his watch.

Two...

He looked around the area to see if anyone is coming.

One...

He covered his ears... He knew the clock tower was about to say 7.

DING

DING

DING

DING

DING

DING

DING

Seven dings; seven o'clock. He was laying in a supine position on the floor by the third ding.

Done. Now I can go to the firework show. I took off all the attachments from my instrument, put it back in the case, and closed the case. I got up and started walking down the bleachers to the music room to put my instrument away.

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

I'm walking on the sidewalk to the back door of the music room and at the door, when I hear music coming from the music room. I listen closely to identify what type of music is being played and with what instrument.

A cello.

More likely Octavia. Well, it is Octavia, since she the only pony here that plays the cello. Then I hear a piano join in on the song. I'll take its Noteworthy in their as well. I listen for a while to hear how much they practiced on the new song. I glances at my watch to see I have only an hour and 30 minutes to get to the park (time sure does fly). I open the door and sure enough Octavia and Noteworthy are playing with Octavia in the middle of the room and Noteworthy facing her with the piano across from her. They both took a quick glance to see who opened the door and went back to playing, uninterrupted. I see something at the corner of my eye and see Royal Riff packing his instrument and some music near the storage area. I walked over to him to get my music.

"Back from flirting with those mares of yours?" Riff said loud enough for me to hear but not the others.

"Yeah and I have a date with one of them tomorrow," I replies sarcastically.

"Whoa, really? Which one? Better not be my Twilight," Riff said angrily.

"I was being sarcastic."

"Ah c'mon, don't make me get excited for nothing! When are you going to grow a pair and ask one of them on a date?"

"When you stop asking me about my social life and about them," I said opening my folder to get my music sheets for tonight.

"Well I want to know which one you're into. When are you going to tell me?"

I ignored him, hopefully he'll stop talking. Then again, that never worked and won't work any time soon.

"What's Twilight into? C'mon!" Riff said. "Just a hint? Please?"

"Well, she's not into guys that begs for his friend information on what she's into and not," I said.

"You always say that. Okay fine then, but at least tell me who you are into." I simply just continued with my packing. "Is it Applejack? C'mon, for a country girl, she has a nice figure, and also a blonde! Who can deny a blonde country girl?"

"I know for certain not you."

"Exactly! Did I mention she has a nice figure? Man with that flank, whoowee, I wouldn't mind waking up with that in the morning." I chuckled. "See! You know it too!"

"No, just the way you try to impersonate a country guy with that 'whoowee' you just did."

"What about Fluttershy?" he continued, "She's cute, a little shy, but nonetheless adorable with her voice and kindness. Although, the animals could be a problem."

"Maybe they know you just want to take care of them just to get to her."

"No!" I gave him a "really" stare. "Okay maybe." Just then the music finished and Riff continued with the conversation. "Pinkie, well, she's energetic, but I don't know how she'll do with romance. Rarity on the other hand, she's classy and seems to be into guys that act and dress fancy. I could do both and play for her. Now if only I could play with her dressed in red singing on the grand piano." It seems he in his own fantasy world.

"Thinking of your fantasies with other mares again?" Noteworthy said behind us.

Riff snapped back into reality. "Well, uh, maybe, uh, I er, was just asking Isaiah which mare he was into."

"And how the progress?" Octavia asked Riff.

"No progress today," I said. Everyone but Riff chuckled.

"Always fantasizing about mares you can't get." Noteworthy said. "Thats our Riff alright."

"But it is entertaining to see him try," I said. Everyone chuckled again but Riff, again.

"Wait until I succeed. Then we'll see who's the one laughing," Riff said.

"That's 'if' you succeed," Octavia replied. We chuckled again (without Riff chuckling of course).

"Whatever," Riff said.

I glanced at my watch. "C'mon, we have less than an hour and a half to set up at the park," I said. "Don't forget to bring the music sheets."

"Already packed," Noteworthy said. "That reminds me, I have to leave early to get the stage before anyone else does," he said grabbing his music folder.

"What about the piano?" Octavia asked.

"Its already over there. Some gentlemen took it over under Appregio's request."

"We'll see you over there then," I said. And with that, he walked out of the door with his saddlebag on his back. There was an awkward silence that fell on us like the sudden urge to sing the lyrics off a song in a chorus or something.

Breaking the silence, Octavia spoke, “Well, I presume that we should also get going, shall we?” She then walked toward the file of folders Riff and I were at. I turned to Riff to tell him to help me put the instruments into the carriage when I caught him checking out Octavia’s flank. Sigh... When will he spend less time checking out mares and more time on some serious matters like the next competition coming up in May?

I started pulling Riff to the other side of the room where the instruments were and said, “C’mon, help me with the instruments.” I can see Riff’s expression of disappointment the more distance there was between Riff and Octavia’s flank.

“Alright so what about Octavia?” Riff said to the point Octavia couldn't hear.

“What do you mean what about her?” I replied. “Her play style? Her synergy with the grou-”

“Her figure,” Riff interrupted. “I mean, she nice, most of the time…”

“Not towards you,” I say while lifting Octavia’s cello case and my violin case.

“Well I might have a chance with her,” Riff said confidently while walking to the door with our folders and his electric piano.

“What makes you say that?

“Well, we both are musicians and we both have a cutie mark that involves music.”

“That alone doesn't get you a mare, even to Octavia’s standards I say while we drop off the stuff in the carriage. Then we started walking back to the room for the cable ties to tie down the instruments.

“Well what makes you think you can get Octavia? You don’t even have the same cutie mark! Yours is just an ‘X’ and three ‘I’s!” We both arrive back into the music room.

“Well, then with that theory, you won’t be able to have a chance with Twilight or any of the mares.”

“Touche,” Riff replied. We both see Octavia still shuffling through some papers.

Why do I have a feeling Riff is checking her out again? I turn to look at his face. Yep, I clear my throat and Octavia looks at our direction. We have a system and clearing my throat in a certain pattern is Morse code for “Riff is checking out your flank again”. Riff quickly looks away. Octavia then sits down and Riff is more disappointed now.

“Alright so where are the cable ties?” Riff asks.

“Where they always been.” Which was right at his hooves.

“Oh.” We both go back to the carriage and tie down the instruments.

“Make sure to tie them down tightly and correctly this time,” I say to Riff. He replies with a grunt. Octavia comes out of the music room and look at the instruments in the carriage.

“Are they tied tightly this time?” Octavia says jokingly. And Riff replies with a grunt again.

“So I guess Octavia with sit in royalty for the first shift?” I say in as a rhetorical question.

“Aww, why her first?” Riff says complaining.

“Because I’m a ‘lady’ and ladies need to feel like in royalty,” Octavia says in accent Rarity talks in sometimes.

“C’mon Riff, stop complaining and man up,” I say while attaching the harness onto myself. Riff finally concedes and attaches onto himself his harness since the carriage comes with two harnesses. I glance on my watch. An hour and ten minutes. “If we hurry, we can make it to the park and set up with some spare time to check out the restaurant's menu for tonight.”

And with that we start pulling the carriage down the road to the park. But we only make it to about ten feet before something falls the side of the carriage. I look and see my violin case on the floor and Octavia hanging on her cello case and Riff’s piano for dear life. I swear he doesn't know how to tie cable ties. Octavia pulled in the instruments into the carriage and was about to get my case before Riff jumps ahead.

“Here, I’ll get,” Riff says before I get to react. “Let’s hope it didn't break,” he says while opening the case to reveal the instrument inside.