Amore Obbligato

Chapters

Chapter 2: Dolcissimo
Chapter 3: Dissonante
Chapter 4: Bellicoso
Chapter 5: Fortissimo
Chapter 7: Ballabile
Chapter 8: Acciaccato
Chapter 9: Sospirando
Chapter 10: Morendo
Chapter 12: Pesante
Chapter 13: Repente
Chapter 14: Triste
Chapter 16: Rondo
Chapter 1: Intro
Chapter 6: Mano Sinistra
Chapter 11: Bridge
Chapter 15: A Battuta

Chapter 2: Dolcissimo

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 2: Dolcissimo

She just couldn't help herself. The music itself was already heartrendingly touching, but seeing that it was this mare making it just floored her. She moved with a grace rarely seen in earth ponies and possessed herself with an air of demure gravitas that put many pure-blooded nobles to shame. Coupled with her beauty, it made for an impressive impact on the stunned Twilight Sparkle. That's not to say that she had not ever seen a mare as beautiful, or graceful (indeed, she counted Celestia as superior in both), but this mare, this tutor was a cut above the herd.

Octavia was starting to get worried as the seconds stretched on as a gaping unicorn filly just silently stared at her. I had heard that she wasn't as snooty as most unicorn nobles; were the rumors wrong? Determined to succeed with or without her student's cooperation, she cleared her throat and said, “Milady? Is everything alright?”

This had the effect of snapping Twilight out of her impromptu reverie. She blinked a few times and tried to look her in the eye, but could not do so without a blush coming to her cheeks. “I- I- I'm sorry, Miss?”

“Octavia Melody, Milady,” she replied with a small curtsey. “I do hope that we will be able to get along. I have been looking forward to this for some time.” Twilight could only nod dumbly in response. Octavia was just relieved that their apparent class differences wouldn't prove to be an impediment. Gesturing to a chair opposite the one in which she had sat, she said, “Let us be seated so we might be about our business?”

Twilight nodded, but made no move toward the indicated seat. They stood there a moment longer like that until Octavia finally grew tired of wasting time and moved towards the filly. With a, “Pardon me, Milady,” she put a hand on her shoulder and guided Twilight to the chair. After closing the door, she resumed her own seat, leaning the cello against the wall behind her. “Now, then. A few questions first, Milady will help me determine just where to begin. Do you have any prior musical training or talent for music?”

Twilight shook her head, not trusting her mouth to not say something wholly inappropriate.

Naturally, this would not do for Octavia. “Milady, this would go a lot easier for both of us if you were to talk to me... with words.”

With a surprised squeak, Twilight said, “S- sorry. I- I'm just really s-n-nervous.” She took a deep breath and exhaled,using the motion her old foalsitter, Cadance had taught her. Serenity restored, she finally answered her question. “I'm afraid I have no prior experience playing an instrument, and my dance instructor was less than thrilled with my lack of rhythm.”

Octavia nodded. “Very well, then. I believe we may strike percussion instruments from the list, as it were. What instrument most intrigues you, Milady?”

“Twilight,” the filly said.

Octavia tilted her head in confusion. “Sorry?”

Twilight was staring at her hands which were clenched in her lap as she said in a slightly louder voice, “P- please call me T- Twilight. I- it would make this a little... easier, I think.”

Leaning back in her chair, Octavia gave a brief, small smile. “Very well then, Twilight. What instrument most interests you?”

The filly looked around the room, taking in all the various instruments. She considered the oboe before moving on to the harpsichord, then the guitar, the accordion, the Fancy horn. The sheer number of choices available overwhelmed the poor girl, and she spaced out after a moment, seeing nothing.

“Do you not see the one you like most here?”

Octavia's voice wrenched Twilight out of her stupor, and she looked at her new instructor with wide eyes. “Huh? No, it's just... er, a little overpowering trying to choose one. They're all really, um... great and all...”

Octavia smiled at how the filly's voice trailed off to a mumble at the end. She reminds me of myself before I discovered my talent. Reaching down, she pulled up the case that was sitting next to her chair and settled it on her lap. Opening the latches with a double SNAP, she said, “Well then, why don't we start with one of the more popular instruments, the trumpet?” The musician pulled out a beautifully polished trumpet and attached the mouthpiece with a little twist. After checking to see that the valves were in proper working order, she handed it over to the astonished filly.

Twilight gingerly took the trumpet, and was astounded by the weight. I didn't think it would be this heavy. Holding it awkwardly, she tried to remember how she had seen musicians hold it, but didn't think it was quite right. She looked up to her tutor in askance, but only saw an encouraging smile, quite reminiscent of Celestia's own patient expression. “Um... how do I... Do I just blow into it?”

“That is the general gist of it, but you have to hold your lips in a special way, like so,” Octavia replied, wetting her lips with her tongue, then pulling them back tight against her teeth in a straight line. “Then you can place it against your lips and blow. Your lips will vibrate a little, but that is natural, and even necessary to play properly. You can also adjust the pitch depending on how tightly you hold your lips together; the tighter, the higher the pitch.”

After wetting her lips and arranging them as she had seen, she delicately put the trumpet to her lips and blew, eliciting a weak little BLAT that reminded her of a kazoo she had owned once as a foal. She was determined to not give up so easily and blew again, this time with all her might. She held the note for as long as she could until she had to finally take a gasping breath.

“How does it feel?” the gray mare asked.

Twilight lowered the horn, rubbing at her lips. “To be honest, strange. Are my lips supposed to tingle like this?” It suddenly occurred to her how the wording of her question could be construed, and she blushed again.

Octavia nodded sagely. “Yes, one gets used to it after a while. Believe me, it gets worse after playing in a two hour concert; even with breaks. Try not to get discouraged by that, though. All instruments have their own little aches and pains associated with them.” To emphasize her point, she showed Twilight the callouses on her left hand, which even showed through her fine coat.

Twilight nodded and handed back the trumpet. “I see. Well, let's try another instrument. We can always come back to this later on if nothing else strikes my fancy.”

Nodding, Octavia took it back, then surprised the filly by putting it to her own lips and playing a quick, but bright tune that sent a thrill through Twilight's chest. “Any music teacher will tell you that the three P's of learning something is 'practice, practice, and practice', but a great music teacher will let you in on the fourth P, perseverance.” With that, she placed the trumpet against her lips again, but instead of playing, she opened a tiny valve as she blew, and a few drops of water came out. “You have to clear the spit valve after you play, or it could corrode it from the inside,” she said by way of explanation.

Naturally, Twilight felt a little squicked out about something on an instrument she had just played called a “spit valve”, but that quickly passed as she realized that Octavia had not cleaned the mouthpiece before playing. She felt a furious blush coming on and tried to hide it by asking about another instrument. “What about that one?” she asked, pointing in a random direction.

Octavia looked the way she was pointing, and quirked an eyebrow. “The accordion? Not exactly the most popular among nobles. It's really only here because I asked them to bring every type of instrument they could find, but let us give it a try, shall we?” She walked over to fetch the contraption, giving the filly a chance to recompose herself. Setting the accordion on her lap, she showed her where to place her hands. “This particular one is a smaller model called a squeezebox. The larger ones require the player to wear them on a strap around their torso. Now, you can play it both on the in-stroke as well as the out-stroke, and these keys here alter the pitch. Go ahead and give it a try.”

The piano-like keyboard on one side as well as the dozens of buttons on the other confused the poor filly, but she was committed to at least try it now. Pulling the ends apart, a horrible screeching like a tortured cat assaulted their senses. Twilight would have covered her ears had her hands not been fitted into the side straps. As it was, she gingerly set the instrument on the chair next to her, like it was about to attack. “I- I don't think that's the one for me.”

“That is probably for the best. I only have a passing knowledge of the accordion, so I would not be as able to help with that one,” Octavia replied.

Twilight looked around at all the choices available, and suddenly felt overwhelmed again. “What would be easiest for you to teach me?”

Smiling at the filly, Octavia shook her head. “This is not about what would be easiest on me, but about what would be best for you.” She looked around at the collection, and suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed herself. “That being said, why do we not let me pick the instruments for a while?” She scrutinized Twilight appraisingly for a moment, before saying, “Let me see your hands for a moment, please.”

Twilight held them out nervously, letting the older mare turn them over and peer closely at her fingers. She nearly jumped when Octavia asked, “Which hand do you favor?”

“M- my left,” came the reply.

“Hmm, a fellow southpaw, eh? Ah! Yes, I see now the writing callous on your middle finger.” Still holding a blushing Twilight's hands, she rose to her hooves, pulling her up as well. “Stand tall, now, please,” Octavia commanded, to which Twilight immediately did as she was told. Doing so put her eye line just under a rather impressive set of breasts, the sight of which made her swallow hard. The mare put a hand flat on top of Twilight's head, then brought it to her chest in a straight line, until it rested several inches below her collarbone. “Hmm. You are thirteen, correct?”

Twilight answered with a nod. “Well, you are not going to get much taller, possibly another hoof, more likely less than that,” Octavia mused to herself. In a louder voice, she added, “Well, I think we can eliminate the larger instruments. As it is, I think the cello would be about the absolute limit of what you could comfortably play. Ponies as tall as you are now have been known to play larger instruments, but have to deal with problems both on and off the stage.”

“Like what?” Twilight asked.

Octavia smiled down at her. “Could you imagine trying to lug that thing around in a case?” she asked, pointing to a double bass. “I know you have magic, but it is better to leave the larger instruments to the larger ponies.”

“My brother's really tall and strong!” came the indignant reply. “He's in The Princess' personal guard, even!”

Seeing that she had touched upon a sore subject, the gray mare tried to placate her student. “I am sure he is, but your brother is not the one learning to play an instrument. We must all know our limitations, Twilight.” This seemed to mollify her, so Octavia moved on before she could dwell on it for too long. “You have such lovely, delicate fingers, why do we not try something suited for them; say, the violin?”

Twilight's blush returned tenfold, but she nodded dumbly.

Octavia returned with a lovely violin, holding it out for her. “Take the neck in your left and rest the body on your shoulder, then rest your chin on the black piece- there.” She smiled as Twilight followed her instructions almost before they were even given. She then took the filly's right hand and placed the bow in it, noting how the fingers instinctively closed around it in almost the proper grip. She adjusted the fingers a little and said, “And, there. Now, just slide the bow across the strings, and try not to get discouraged by the sound. We are just trying to find the right instrument for you. I do not expect you to play Vivid Alder's Four Seasons on the very first try.”

Doing as she was instructed, Twilight pulled the bow down, producing a not completely awful sound for the first time. With delight, she ran the bow across the strings several times, even experimenting with holding down the strings randomly. A smile spread across her face, the first since she stepped into the room.

Letting her play for a few moments, Octavia appraised her student for a moment. A cute filly; so earnest, too. She will break some hearts in a few years. She shook her head slightly to clear it of that line of thought. She seems to be taking to it nicely. It appears as though we have a winner. Clapping her hands twice, she got Twilight's attention and said, “Very good, Twilight. How does that one feel?”

Twilight stopped playing, lowering the violin to her lap. She blushed and turned away a little as she said with a shy grin, “I- I like it.”

“Then let us begin with learning the fingering positions as well as the parts of your new instrument.” Octavia then happily spent the next few minutes showing her where to place her fingers for the appropriate note as well as the correct terms for the various parts of the violin. It is actually a bit of a relief that she chose this one. Not only is it more accepted among aristocracy, but I can better help her with it than almost anything else. She was more surprised at how quickly Twilight was absorbing the information, however. She only needed to tell her once what each position was before she could repeat it on command.

That done, she pulled a music stand over and placed some sheet music on it. “Now this is a simple arpeggio scale. It hits all the notes you are likely to play on any given piece of music. I have labeled all the notes for you, so you will know which is which. This is middle C; do you remember where that is on the violin?” she asked, pointing to a note in the middle of the measure.

Looking down at her left hand again, Twilight placed a finger on a string.

“Very good, Twilight. Very good.” She placed a hand on the filly's shoulder, unknowingly sending a thrill of excitement down Twilight's spine. “Now, see if you can play these scales for me, now that you know where that one is.”

Twilight glared at the sheet music with determination and brought the bow up to the strings once more. She unconsciously stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth as she concentrated on the notes and her finger placement. Drawing in a deep breath, she clumsily played first one note, then the next, followed by another. She kept going, quickly correcting herself a few times.

It wasn't anything close to what anyone might graciously call musical, but Octavia nodded her approval. However, the true test of perseverance was yet to come. She sat quietly while Twilight struggled through the simple scales for many minutes. She started to feel a bit antsy, and so picked up the cello once more and ran through the scales with her.

Twilight was surprised by the sudden accompaniment, and stopped playing to look at her tutor. Octavia simply nodded her way and held her bow at the ready. Twilight finally took the hint and started over from the beginning; this time, with the much deeper, resonant tones of a cello to help guide her through her travails.

For most of the rest of the hour, they played the same scales over and over again until Twilight felt a pricking of her fingers and pulled them away, almost dropping the violin in the process. Looking at them, she saw a reddish tinge that even showed through her lilac coat, and could even feel them throbbing.

Octavia peered at them and nodded. “It appears you were pressing down with your pads, rather than your fingertips. You only use the tips; anything other than that will just get in the way by pressing down on strings you don't want, and will cause you to blister faster. That also explains why you are not getting quite the right sound from it. Put the violin back in place and let me show you how to hold your hand once more.”

Twilight was surprised when the older mare stood behind her and gently positioned her fingers and arched her hand into the proper posture. She thrilled at the touch of her fingers, noting that even though they were rougher and more calloused than she was used to seeing on a filly, they still retained their elegant curves were surprisingly gentle. A tight, queasy feeling turned her stomach into a roiling cauldron of unease, leaving her slightly relieved that she was already sitting down, because she wasn't sure she could stand under the present conditions.

After making sure the filly's finger posture was correct, Octavia walked back to her chair, but was surprised when the grandfather clock in the corner chimed the hour. She clapped her hands together, gathering her student's attention. “Ah. It appears our lesson is done. We shall meet again after school in two days. In the meantime, I want you to practice your posture and fingering. You may practice the scales more if you want, but the important things are the posture and fingering, so I want you to take at least one hour out of the day, everyday, to dedicate to just that.”

Octavia gently took the violin from her and placed it on her own lap. Reaching into her school bag, the mare produced a brightly colored sticker on a sheet. She pulled the sticker free and with careful precision, placed it on the neck of the violin, under the strings. “There. That should help you remember your positions. Do not worry about the sticker glue, it will not mar the finish, and will likely wear off on its own by the time you have memorized all the positions.”

She took Twilight's left hand in her own and examined the fingertips again, causing the filly to blush. “You should be fine as long as you remember to use only the tips. Do not try to use magic to heal any blisters you develop, or you shall undo any callousing that develops. Unfortunately, this is just a pain that you will have to endure, but do not fear. The callouses will form quickly if you practice faithfully. Just be sure to not overdo it, understand?”

Twilight nodded, once more not trusting herself to speak to her.

The tutor rose to her hooves and shouldered her school bag and picked up her cello case. “Then I shall take my leave and let you get on with it. I shall see you on Windsday.” With a small bow, she let herself out of the room.

Twilight sat there in silence, contemplating the hand that had so recently been in the gentle grip a mare who was every bit as cultured as she appeared to be. A quiet knock startled her from her thoughts as a pegasus parlor maid entered. “Oh! I beg your pardon, Miss Twilight. I thought the room was empty. Have you decided on an instrument, or should I leave all these here for your next lesson?”

Twilight looked dumbly at the violin in her lap, having no idea when exactly it was returned to her. She clutched the instrument close to her chest and shook her head. “No, it's alright, Clean Sweep. I've chosen the violin.”

“Oh, my! The princess will be ever so pleased to hear that, Miss. She's quite fond of it, herself, you know,” the maid said as she starting putting the instruments away in their proper cases.

It suddenly occurred to the unicorn that she had never inquired just what Celestia played. I knew that The Princess has a marvelous singing voice, but which instrument was her favorite? She gave a mental shrug, deciding to ask her when she went to their usual afternoon tea. “I'm sure she will. Good day, Clean Sweep,” she said as she packed up the violin and left.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Comfortably ensconced within a plush chair in her favorite coffee shop, Octavia was lost in a book of sonnets by Shaky Spear. She was so deep into her own contentment, that she didn't even hear the approach of another mare, who took advantage of her inattentiveness by gently flicking one of her ears. She yelped in surprise and looked up to see Vinyl Scratch grinning down at her.

Before the outraged mare could say anything, Vinyl leaned down and planted her lips on Octavia's, her tongue easily sliding in to briefly wrestle with the surprised earth pony's. After a moment, the parted and Vinyl said, “Hey Babe. S'up?”

Octavia glared at Vinyl as the unicorn took a seat in an equally overstuffed, but mismatched chair next to her. “You are lucky I am in such a good mood, or I would have popped you for that,” she said as she rubbed her sore ear.

“Oh? So what put my filly in such a good mood as to be so magnanimous?” Vinyl asked, pulling her oversized sunglasses down to peer over them at her.

Placing a bookmark to save her space, Octavia put the book on the end table between them and sipped from her cup of coffee. “I just finished with my first tutoring session, if you must know, and it went quite well, I think.”

Vinyl leaned toward the earth pony, grabbing her coffee cup and stole a quick sip before Octavia could take it back and deliver an open-handed smack to the back of her head. Rubbing the new sore spot, the Deejay asked, “Was that today? So you taught some noble's brat how to rub his stick across some strings, huh? They pay any good?”

“Trust in you to make learning to play a real instrument sound both stupid and sexual. Brava,” she replied in a dry tone. Just to spite her, she finished off the coffee in a single draught, then placed the cup on the end table again.

“Aw, don't be like that, baby,” Vinyl said after a quick glance to make sure there was nothing left in the cup. “I only tease because I care. You need to lighten up; take that fiddle stick out of your fantastically plush butt now and then.” A smirk stole across her face, and the unicorn couldn't help her next line. “Why don't you let me pull it out for you? I'll even use my mouth on it like I did the other night.”

Octavia grimaced in disgust at the imagery conjured up by the unicorn. “Ugh. I do not know why I still let you kiss me after that. You must have drugged me or something.”

Resting her head on a cupped hand, Vinyl grinned at her. “As I recall, you didn't do much objecting at the time. You'd even liked it enough to moan so loud, my parents asked me to keep it down the next day.”

The blush that took control over Octavia's face was quite impressive, and extended down past her neck. She turned to check that they weren't overheard, and was even more embarrassed to find that everypony was carefully not looking her way, but every single pony there had an ear pointed in their direction. She sank low into the chair and threw a murderous glare at the unicorn. “This is the second coffee house you've humiliated me into never stepping hoof into ever again. I'll get you for this someday, Vinyl Scratch; mark my words.”

Vinyl's grin only grew in intensity.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Twilight walked into her studio apartment and collapsed on the sofa, carefully setting her new violin case down next to her. Slumping down in the seat, she sighed before calling out, “Spiiike! I'm hooome!”

The small dragon walked out of the kitchen wiping his claws on the bottom portion of a frilly apron with the words “Fire the Cook” written on it in a flame-like font. “Twi? How did your first lesson go? Does your tutor still have his hearing, or did he poke out his eardrums already?”

“Har-dee-har-har, Spike. I'm dying of laughter over here,” Twilight replied in a deadpan tone with a roll of her eyes. She sniffed the air and perked up a little. “Is that Au Gratin Casserole I smell?”

Spike hooked his thumbs under the straps of the apron and proudly thrust out his chest. “Yup! I think I got the right spice mix this time. Chef Flossy showed me what I was doing wrong.”

Instantly on her hooves, Twilight silently thanked him. Bless that cantankerous old sheep. Asking him to teach Spike to cook was the best move of my life. She sat down at the table to wait for Spike to serve dinner.

“So what was your lesson like?” Spike repeated as he worked in the kitchen once more.

“It was... nice,” she replied, silently noting how that seemed to be the first question both Spike and Celestia asked her. “Miss Melody seems to be a competent teacher, and certainly is possessed of more patience than Mister Foxtrot did, at least.”

Spike quirked an eyebrow as he served their plates, noting her pause. He looked at her face, attentive of the far away look in her eyes. With a shrug, he set their plates down, confident that if something were wrong, she would tell him. All worries were forgotten when she bit into the food he had prepared and moaned in delight. He wouldn't admit it to himself, let alone anyone else, but pleasing Twilight always made him feel like he had just found a copy of X-Mares #1 on sale for two bits.

Author's Note

Sorry about the dullness of this one. I wanted to get the mechanics of playing out of the way, so it shouldn't get too much in the way after this. For those of you interested, the little song Octavia plays is actually called Reiche Abblasen Fanfare, not the CBS Sunday Morning theme. :raritywink:

Chapter 3: Dissonante

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 3: Dissonante

If the Twilight Sparkle of just last week could see the Twilight Sparkle of now, she would have been horrified at what she would find. Though she was in math class, one of her favorite subjects, not one bit of attention was being paid to the teacher. Instead, it was all focused on the open notebook before her which was covered in doodles of hearts and musical notes, as well as various combinations of her name and Octavia's. The Twilight of today gave a goofy smile at her handiwork as she finished coloring in a treble clef with a purple pen.

I wonder what she thinks of me. She's so... classy. What would she say if I were to give her a gift? What sort of gift should I give? Is it even appropriate to give her one? It's not like she's an actual teacher, so there would no conflict of interest, and no school board to worry about. Plus, she's not that much older than me, so the squickiness wouldn't be as bad-

“Miss Sparkle? Can you solve this equation for us?” The teacher interrupted Twilight's internal musings by calling on her as he pointed to the chalkboard, chalk in hand.

Quickly sliding her notebook under the math textbook, she walked over to the board and easily solved a rather involved trigonometry problem, explaining her procedure as she went. When she had finished, she handed the chalk back to the teacher who said, “Very good. I'm glad to see that despite not paying attention, you are still able to do the work. In future however, I would prefer you still give me your full attention in class; it's not just respectful, it also will make sure you don't miss anything, understand?”

Not since she had been forced to stand before the class to introduce herself on her first day had Twilight been so mortified. Her whole face turned a bright red as the rest of the class snickered at her. She silently nodded and made her way back to her desk, where she found that her notebook was not in the exact same position she had left it. As she sat down, she looked to either side, but the desk to her right was empty, and the one on her left sat Honeyed Words, a filly that had fallen asleep in her arms. how did it get moved? I know how I left it, so- Her attention was drawn to the filly on her left whose eyes were now half open. Neither said a word, but a smirk crept onto the older filly's mouth that sent chills down her spine before the eyes closed again.

Honeyed Words seemed to have it out for Twilight from the beginning, but they had come to an understanding; that being so long as Twilight let her copy from her whenever she wanted, she made sure the abuse never escalated physically and stayed mostly just verbal. There had never been an adequately explained reason for being singled out as she was, and the one time she had tried to ask, Honey, as her friends called her, told her to work it out for herself. So it had gone for the past three years. Oh, there had been disciplinary meetings, but never once was Honeyed Words ever directly implicated; no, she was far too careful for that. She seemed to have a neverending stream of friends ready to throw themselves on whatever metaphorical grenade came her way, and she was extremely careful to never say anything that could be implied as threatening, especially with a filly as important as Twilight.

The light, happy feeling that Twilight had been feeling was replaced with a dread in her chest so tight, that it felt like at any moment she may implode. Sheknowssheknowssheknows! Shame mixed with fear spread out from her chest, draining her of the ability to do anything but stare at her textbook and wonder what new tortures would be coming her way. Twilight's prodigious imagination would surely have conjured up scenes of what was to come, but her brain was paralyzed with shock.

The bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of class, and before the teacher could even acknowledge it, Twilight was out the door and halfway down the hall, books and book bag clutched tightly to her chest as she ran. And run she did, far and hard; harder than she had ever run in gym class. She ran as if a pack of starving timber wolves her hot on her tail.

Finally, she could run no further and collapsed against a storefront, trying desperately to catch her breath. She slid down the rough brick façade scratched the expensive material of her school uniform, but Twilight didn't care, her rump settling on the cold concrete sidewalk. Stupidstupidstupid! I just confirmed it for her by running away! I should have just played it off, or threw away the paper; anything would have been better than running away! To punish herself, she banged her head against the brick wall against which she leaned, and winced from the pain. “Ow! Stupid! Why are you so stupid, Twilight?” she muttered to herself.

“Miss Sparkle?”

A kindly, old voice drew her attention up, where she saw Steel Nib, the owner of the stationary store she often frequented against which Twilight suddenly found herself.

“Are you alright? You look... upset,” the old pegasus mare asked, concern etched in her features.

Twilight stood and dusted off her skirt with one hand while the other struggled to hold on to her books. “Er, yes, Ma'am. I just-” She got no further, because her legs decided at that moment that they did not take kindly to all the sudden exertion, and were now demanding equal rest time. Luckily, she was still near the wall and was able to brace against it, but lost her books and bag in the bargain.

Steel Nib immediately was at her side, supporting her with a surprisingly firm grip on the unicorn's elbow. “Oh, dear! Come inside and rest for a moment. You look absolutely dreadful! No, no, I insist. Now come along, my dear.” With a strength that Twilight didn't think the old light blue mare possessed, she forced the filly into her store and sat her down on the stool behind the cash register.

“But my things-” Twilight began, but Steel Nib was already walking back outside to fetch her dropped belongings.

She walked back inside with agonizing slowness that made Twilight to help her, but the old mare waved her back to the stool. “Now, why don't you tell me what's troubling you? I may not be able to directly help, but we old ponies are stuffed to the brim with good advice, and are just aching to give it to any young pony who'll stop long enough to listen.”

Twilight somehow managed to look amused and pained at the same time. “I... I don't want to trouble you with my stupid mistakes, Mrs. Nib,” she said lamely.

Steel Nib laid a hand on Twilight's arm, patting her comfortingly. “My Dear, how do you think the elderly become so wise? We have made many of the same mistakes you young folk have, and what's more, we did it better.” She chuckled lightly at her own boastful joke.

With a weak smile, Twilight replied, “Well, unless you know how to time travel so I can warn myself not to do something, I don't think there's much either of us can do about it, Mrs. Nib.” She heaved a great sigh as she played with the hem of her skirt.

“Are you so sure,” Steel Nib asked. “Sometimes just talking about your problems make them seem smaller.”

Silence descended on the pair as Twilight considered just what to tell her. After a seeming eternity, she said, “I have a... a rival, I guess you could call her, at school. We have an understanding... well, not so much an understanding as an agreement.”

“What sort of agreement?” the old pegasus interrupted.

A pained look crossed Twilight's face as she shook her head. “It doesn't matter. What matters is that this agreement created a balance, albeit a precarious one, in how we deal with one another. Today, I let slip some information that could change that balance, and not in my favor.”

Steel Nib pulled out another stool and sat next to the troubled filly. “I take it, this rival of yours would not hesitate to use this information?” A slight nod was all she got in answer, so she continued on. “Does this information have the potential to hurt anypony?”

Twilight thought about it for a moment before replying, “I- I don't know. Maybe? I don't think physical harm could come of it, but...”

Steel Nib nodded. “I see. If harm could come of this knowledge being in her hands, physical or otherwise, I think you already know what to do, Dear.”

A great sigh escaped the filly as she stood and started carefully putting her books away into her bag properly. “I suppose I do. Thanks, Mrs. Nib. I've got to go, but I'll be back this Satyrday to see if the pen I ordered came in. Bye!”

As the filly raced off, Steel Nib, shook her head in amusement. “I hope it goes well for her. Telling someone you're being bullied is hard enough, but I can't even imagine what it would be like to have to tell the princess!”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

“Hey Octy, wait up!”

Octavia's eyes rolled upon hearing the much bemoaned nickname given to her by her marefriend. Instead of slowing down, she sped up her walk away from school to the point where it could almost be called a trot, forcing the unicorn to run in order to catch up. Needless to say, Vinyl was a bit put off by this. “Aw, come on, Octy, how many times do I need to apologize for yesterday?”

With a sniff, Octavia replied, “At least until I find a new coffee shop of equal or better atmosphere where I have not been embarrassed; perhaps for a bit after that as well, I have not yet decided.”

Vinyl finally caught up to her her arms around the earth pony's waist and rested her shin on the taller filly's shoulder. “Come on, baby. Let me make it up to you. I spent all my free time at last night's show asking around for a new snooty java house just for you. Problem is, that most of the kinds of ponies who go to see me perform aren't likely to go to places like that.”

“You have really been looking?” Octavia asked, genuinely surprised at the consideration she was showing.

Vinyl breathed in her marefriend's scent, relishing it and the warmth radiating from her. “Mmmhmm.”

Octavia smiled gently and blushed at the thought of Vinyl going through all that trouble, even if the whole situation wouldn't have been necessary in the first place had she shown a modicum of self-control. If she is willing to at least try, then I suppose I could ease up on her a little... “Very well. What did you have in mind to make it up to me?”

Straining to stand on the tips of her hooves so that she could better reach it, Vinyl nodded towards the alley nearby and whispered into her ear, “I was thinking we could go into that alley and fu-”

“Certainly not!” Octavia said, roughly removing Vinyl's grip from around her waist, causing the other mare to almost lose her balance. Turning to face her, she added, “What kind of mare do you take me for? I would not set one hoof into a filthy alleyway such as that, let alone to do what you suggest! I am not some common who-”

She was silenced mid-tirade by Vinyl surprising her with a forceful kiss. So taken aback was she, that she didn't notice the unicorn pushing her backwards until she met with the solid resistance of a wall. Suddenly made aware of their location, Octavia panicked and opened her eyes to find that they indeed were in the alleyway, only partially hidden from view by a dumpster filled to overflowing with cardboard refuse.

Vinyl's hands were as busy as they always were, one managing to work its way into her shirt and cupping an ample bosom, while the other was lightly dragging its nails up and down one thigh, a sensation that never failed to get a moan from the prim and proper filly. Try as she might, Octavia could not suppress the moan for long, causing Vinyl to smile and move on to kissing her neck with quick, forceful pecks and alternating them with little licks that let tiny tufts of her coat sticking up.

Octavia's own hands finally came alive, her right running through Vinyl's boyishly short cut mane, and the other running down her lover's back, coming to rest on her dock. She wound her left around and around the electric-blue tail, firmly gripping it when more than half of it was wrapped around her forearm. Roughly grabbing a handful of mane, she pulled the unicorn's head back so that their eyes could meet. “You little tease. How dare you get me all worked up in this feculent alley. I believe it is time you learned some manners.”

With that, she picked up Vinyl by her handholds until her hooves just dangled over the ground and rolled so that the unicorn was now the one pinned against the wall. The rough brick wall skinned her knuckles, but she didn't even notice. Instead, her attention was drawn to the slender expanse of neck before her, and she set to work kissing and nibbling at it, leaving it just was wet as hers, but with more numerous and noticeable bite marks.

Vinyl was helpless before the onslaught, choosing to fight back by wrapping her legs around Octavia's waist, allowing both hands free rein with the prodigious chest before her. Buttons were unbuttoned, and a bra strap unhooked, granting her unfettered access to one of the top ten sets of breasts in all of Canterlot High, top seven if one were to discount certain teachers. Octavia moaned into the deejay's collarbone as Vinyl mercilessly assaulted her nipples, twisting them as if they were knobs on her mixing board.

“Oh, no you do not,” Octavia whispered and released the tail in her left hand, instead reaching under the skirt and grabbed a handful of panties. Pulling back and away, she could feel the material strained until with a sudden, but slight lessening of tension combined with a muted gasp from the unicorn she knew that the undergarment was now sawing into the cleft of her sex. She pulled it first to one side, then the other as she ground her pelvis into the mare.

The deejay's eyes crossed as her clit and labia were rubbed raw by the cotton undergarment working against them. With a squeal, she orgasmed, soaking the stretched material. Her limp legs unwound themselves from her lover's waist, and she collapsed to her knees in front of her.

Octavia was far from done however, and pulled down her panties, stepping one leg out of them, leaving them to dangle on the other, and lifted her skirt. With a step forward, she put her hot marehood closer to Vinyl's blissed out face. The aroma of her moist folds immediately caught the unicorn's attention, and her mouth honed in as if they were magnetically attracted.

She tucked the hem of her skirt into the waist, allowing her to affectionately run her hands through Vinyl's short, sweaty mane. Pushing the ever-present sunglasses up, Octavia gazed into her ruby eyes as the talented tongue laved the moisture from her labia. With the tongue worming its way into her depths, the cellist gently played with Vinyl's ears, stroking them lovingly, bringing a blush to her face, and a sheen of sweat that made her think of the time they shared a bath and so much more once.

The gray mare was close now, and hooked one long, shapely leg over Vinyl's shoulder, grinding her pussy into the deejay's eager mouth. Vinyl reached up with one hand and grabbed the lush derrière, her fingers digging into the pliant, muscular flesh. Her free hand soon made itself busy by snaking down to her crotch to alleviate some of the remaining tension building up between her legs. She massaged the rump as she formed a tube with the tip of her tongue, using it like a miniature vagina for the engorged clitoris that had been constantly rubbing against her nose since she had begun her feast. A wicked idea took hold in her mind, and she wasted not time enacting it. Without any warning, one hand released Octavia's rump and with her middle finger extended, she eased it into her sphincter, sawing in and out in time with her tongue, which had switched to a spear-like shape and was moving in and out of her lover's sodden tunnel.

Octavia almost cried out in ecstasy, only stopping herself by biting down on her lower lip hard enough to draw a trickle of blood. Her hips roughly pushed into Vinyl's mouth even as she threw her head back in a near-soundless euphoric cry to the heavens. With her hands on her the unicorn's head and a leg hooked over a shoulder, the captive filly could only hold on as Octavia rode out her orgasm, and hope it ended soon enough to gain her freedom before she passed out from lack of oxygen.

It was almost a full two minutes before Octavia finally relinquished her captive, leaning heavily against the dumpster as she returned to her senses.

Vinyl alternated taking in deep breaths and licking her face clean of the earth pony's leavings. Finally satisfied that she would be getting nothing more from running her long tongue over her face, she leaned back against the wall and smirked up at Octavia, though with more than just a hint of exhaustion. “How d'you like that? Back alley sex is hotter than even I thought it would be,” she said tiredly.

The cellist glared down at her, but it was a half-hearted gesture with only a hint of annoyance behind it. “That is because it was with me. Had it been anypony else, it would not have been anywhere near as spectacular,” she rejoined.

Vinyl could tell that the filly was seeking approval from her. She was only that uppity when performing for snooty, upper class ponies or dealing with ponies she didn't like. Since she was neither, it wasn't hard to tell that her reply along with the slight crease between her eyebrows and note of askance in her voice meant that she was still unsure about sex. Not hard to see why she's so hung up about it; she's only just started, after all. “True. Those roadapples were sonic rainboom intense. We definitely need to do this again.”

“Pfft. As if that will ever happen,” Octavia replied. She pulled up her panties after righting them again and held out a hand for Vinyl. Pulling her upright, she added, “Though if you find someplace cleaner than this, I might not say no.”

Well, well, well. Looks like I awoke a beast, here. Vinyl dusted her skirt, letting fall back into place, but was surprised to see her panties slide down to her knees. Stepping out of them, she held them up to inspection. The elastic band was ripped at the seams in addition to being stretched to almost twice the length when they were new, and to top it all of, were sopping wet, reeking of Vinyl's juices. “Well, these are a write-off.” She held them under Octavia's nose, which wiggled appreciatively at the odor. “I'd ask you to go a little more gently in the future, but not if it meant missing out on orgasms like that.” With that, she casually tossed them in the dumpster and started walking out of the alley.

Octavia trotted to catch up to her and whispered, “You are not seriously going to walk around town like that, are you?”

She turned to the cellist and cupped a cheek in one hand, staring into her eyes, even though no one could tell behind her shades. “My dear Octy, if it turned you on, I would walk around Canterlot palace wearing only a smile and not feel ashamed.”

With her face turning a deep shade of red, Octavia turned and started walking down the street. “L- let's go. It's getting late.”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Celestia stood on the balcony overlooking the terrace garden below and smiled as she saw Twilight finally making her way to the parlor where she now waited. “It would appear that your job is still secure,” she said without turning around.

Still kneeling behind her, Plain Sight breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “Once again, I apologize, Your Highness. It's my job to anticipate her movements, but I was derelict in my duty today. It has been some time since her last great disaster, and I had become complacent. I beg your forgiveness and ask that any punishment you dole out fall upon only me and not my subordinates. I take full responsibility for today's debacle.”

“A commendable sentiment for any commander,” Celestia mused as she turned around to face her again. “However, as she appears to have returned to us safe and unharmed, I believe a simple fine from you and your team will serve as sufficient punishment. Does ten percent of your week's pay donated to the foal's hospital sound fair?”

Swallowing down a lump, the earth pony mare nodded. “Exceedingly, Your Highness. I swear both that it won't happen again, and I will get to the bottom of why it happened in the first place. If there is a problem, I will rectify it, post haste.”

Celesta smiled down at the still kneeling mare. “I know I may rely on you, Plain Sight. I would not have chosen you for the position if I didn't think so. You'd best be about it. She will be here any moment. The hallway distraction will only delay her so long.”

Rising to her hooves, Plain Sight bowed at the waist. “By your leave,” she said and strode out the servant's entrance after giving a final bow. As she walked out into the hallway connecting to the kitchens, she almost ran over Twinkleshine, the filly assigned to watch over Twilight in her classroom. She acknowledged her salute with one of her own. “Well, what do you have to report?”

Releasing the salute, Twinkleshine brushed a stray lock of pink mane from her eyes and said, “As usual, I think it was Honeyed Words again, but as far as I could tell, she didn't even say a word to her. She did take a peek at Miss Sparkle's notebook while she was called up to the chalkboard, but that was all I could see from my angle; I couldn't even tell what was written. I suppose she could have been trying to copy off her notes again, and saw something that embarrassed Miss Twilight, but without examining the notebook itself, speculation is all I can offer.”

Plain Sight sneered and grumbled angrily. “Light take that filly. If it weren't for her family being so well connected or how clever she's been at keeping her grubby mitts clean, I'd see her expelled for all she's done.” She started walking again, with Twinkleshine following close behind. Stopping, she turned to the filly and said, “I want you to find out just what happened. I don't care if you have to wring the information from Honey's scrawny, pretentious, little neck; I want to know how we can fix this.”

The younger unicorn saluted again and was about to carry out her orders when the earth pony stopped her. “By the way, good job on keeping Twilight in your sights. It couldn't have been easy keeping up with her. I know from personal experience just how fast she is when properly motivated.”

Twinkleshine smiled and saluted sharply again. Praise from Plain Sight was a rare thing, doubly so when given in regards to protecting the disaster-prone Twilight Sparkle.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Spike winced as Twilight hit what was probably the eighth sour note in the last twenty minutes. He would have went in with an offer of a pre-dinner snack in a lame attempt at getting her to take a break and give his ears a chance to recover, but knew it would be futile. Twilight had specifically ordered him to not bother her until dinner was ready, and would not stop her practice session for anything less. She was diligent about instructions from a teacher, if nothing else.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder about her strangely thoughtful expression when she had walked in, fresh from her after school tea with the princess. Something is definitely bothering her, he thought to himself as he added some oregano to the marinara sauce bubbling in the tall pot before him. Twi's not the type to bother others with her problems. Sometimes I just wish she would open up to me more. I hate seeing her like this.

Tasting the sauce with a little spoon hanging from his apron strings, he nodded with satisfaction. “Am I good, or am I good?” he asked the empty room. Turning off the burner, he called out, “Twi! Soup's on!”

There was an awful screech of tortured violin strings from the living room which prefaced Twilight's reply. “Coming, Spike!”

The filly in question walked in and using her magic, pulled down two plates from the cabinet, and began dishing out a serving of spaghetti for each of them. Spike grabbed the salt shaker filled with gem shards, asking, “Did something happen with the princess, Twi?”

The unicorn pulled up short at the question, and looked at her assistant/little brother in confusion. “No, why would you think that something happened with The Princess?”

Spike stopped to watch as she continued to set the table, but without looking at him. “Twi, something's obviously bothering you. If it wasn't the princess, the biggest pony in your life, then it must have been something at school.” He laid a claw over her hand, causing her to meet his gaze at last. “Twi, if nothing else, I'm here for you; always will be.”

A tremulous smile spread across her face. In a flash, she had picked up the baby dragon who was still only half her size in a hug that swept him off his feet. Her sudden show of affection surprised them both, but Twilight managed to say in a choked voice, “Thank you, Spike. This isn't something you can help with, but it's good to know that no matter what, I'll always have you in my corner.”

Author's Note

Hmmm... It seems I can't write a story without including some sort of conflict that I hadn't initially planned. Ah, well. At least I'm pretty sure I can take this somewhere, unlike that mess with Golden Bit (last time I dabble in politics). I'm also kinda surprised the sex arrived this soon. I wasn't planning on that to appear for some time. Ah, well (x2).

Chapter 4: Bellicoso

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 4: Bellicoso

It was entirely too lovely a day for such grimness as was about to occur. Twilight noted the animatedly chirping birds, the clear, blue sky, and the cheerful chatter of her fellow students as she made her way through the school grounds, hoping that she wouldn't need to have the confrontation today. However, she also knew that the sooner it happened, the sooner this cloud hanging over her would lift.

Unfortunately, it would mean having to provoke Honeyed Words into action, which could prove dangerous for the much younger filly. The best way she knew to do that surreptitiously required her to talk with her teacher. To that end, she boldly marched over to the Teacher's Lounge and knocked on the door. It was answered by an old mare who instantly recognized the filly from when she was in her class. “Why, Miss Sparkle, what brings you here? Looking for another test to take?” she asked with a sly smile.

Twilight shook her head. “No Ma'am. I needed to talk to Mr. Cosine about seating.”

A middle-aged stallion appeared at the door and said, “Did someone call for me?”

With a nod, Twilight replied, “I did, Sir. I was thinking about what happened yesterday, and realized that I was daydreaming when I should have been concentrating, and I wanted to apologize. I was also wondering if it were possible to move my seat.”

Cosine scratched his head in confusion. “Why would you want to move your seat? Everypony wants to be near the window.”

“That's just it, Sir. The window has become too much of a distraction. I think that was why I was spacing out in your class yesterday.” Twilight held her breath. She had never deliberately lied to an adult before, let alone a teacher. She had always believed that teachers deserved the ultimate respect one could give, because it was through them that knowledge was easily gained, but now, here she was lying to one. She licked her lips as a bead of sweat trailed down her forehead and over the side of her face.

With a shrug, Cosine said, “Very well. I'll have you switch with Miss Heartstrings. That way, you'll be in the farthest seat from the window, and front row. Sound okay to you?”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “That would be great, Sir. I'm sure that will keep the distractions to a minimum.”

In truth, Twilight regretted losing her seat. Though it wasn't quite next to the window, it was close enough that a quick glance out of the corner of her eye would grant her a rather expansive look at a fair section of the sky. Still, if this got a certain monkey off her back, it would be a small price to pay. With another nod, she said, “Thank you, Sir. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again.”

She was turning to go, when Cosine said, “Are you alright, Miss Sparkle?”

Twilight turned to him again and asked, “Sir?”

“You ran out of the classroom yesterday before I could even dismiss the class, so I was wondering if I may have been too... public with your dressing down. Are you alright?”

As mortified as Twilight should have been about the overt nature of her admonishment, that embarrassment paled in comparison to what she felt after finding out that her personal bully had discovered her secret. Almost nothing could compete with the sick feeling that was even now, threatening to return. Fighting down the urge to run or vomit (or both at once), Twilight gave a sheepish smile and said, “I'm fine now, Sir. I... I suppose I needed that rebuke to remind me of what's important. I apologize again for disrespecting you.” She bowed and quickly trotted off to the library for her usual pre-school study session.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

As predicted, Honeyed Words was less that enthused about the sudden change in seating arrangements. When Lyra sat down in Twilight's usual seat, she thought at first that she was looking to make friends with her, despite making it absolutely clear that a pony from a nouveau riche family like hers was not welcome in her circle of friends, not matter her family's noble ranking. However, when the mint green unicorn did not initiate any conversation with her, and instead brought out her textbook in preparation for history class, she felt compelled to say something. “What do you think you're doing, sitting there?”

Lyra didn't bother to turn to her, but continued arranging her materials while saying, “Getting ready for class. My seat assignment was changed. If you don't like it, take it up with Mr. Cosine.”

A scathing retort almost made it past her lips, but she managed to hold her tongue. “And why would he do that?” she asked with false sweetness that would fool no one.

With a shrug, Lyra leaned back in her seat and looked out the window, pointedly not even glancing in the direction of the filly with whom she was conversing. “You'd have to ask him. It was at his request.”

She was about to reply when Twilight walked in and sat at Lyra's old seat. The younger filly also didn't look around at the other foals in the room, who all looked at her, then at Lyra, then Honeyed Words as if it were some sort of bizarre, three-way tennis match. Like Lyra, she only took out her own book and note-taking supplies, arranging them carefully on her desk.

Honeyed Words rose to walk her way, but the history teacher walked in just as the bell rang, preempting any possible pre-class confrontation. All throughout that class as well as the following one, she was unable to find the time nor opportunity to talk to Twilight alone. The younger filly never left her seat, even in between classes while waiting for the next teacher to arrive.

However, third period was magic class, which was being held in a lab room today, meaning that they would have to move. Twilight was the first out of the room, leaving behind Honeyed Words to struggle in gathering up her work materials. By the time she had finally caught up to her in the lab room, she found that the seating there had also been altered, with Lyra seated on Twilight's usual stool in front of the lab work station. Grumbling, she took her assigned seat. She would have said something to her as she passed her on the way in, but the magic teacher, Ms. Crucible was already there, in her ever-present stained lab coat, clapping her hands together. “Alright, everypony, get settled in, we have a most interesting practical for lab today! We're making that promised batch of arcanofigulate! Being such an involved process, this will be a double-lab class today, and you'll be able to pick them up tomorrow after school when they have had time to set and I've graded your work.”

The class gave a happy murmur of excitement. Many of them had been waiting for this lab since it was announced on the syllabus. Honeyed Words was of a different mind. She had been counting on Twilight “helping” her as per usual, but with the smartest of the class far removed from her work station, she would either have to rely on her own poor notes, or somehow coerce Lyra into aiding her.

Turning to her, she was shocked to see the mint green unicorn move to the very end of the table and stand up her textbook so that it hid most of her work. “What are you doing now? Get over here and help me, before something you will regret happens!” she viciously whispered.

In a casual tone loud enough for most of the class to hear, Lyra simply replied, “I wouldn't want anyone to think I was copying from you when your usual exemplary work is done, Honey. I'll just stay here to make sure that there is no doubt in anyone's mind, thank you.”

“Is there a problem back there?” the teacher called out.

Lyra just arched an eyebrow as she actually returned Honeyed Words' gaze for the first time all day. Swallowing her rage, Honeyed Words called back, “No, Ms. Crucible. Just... getting our areas set up.” Turning back to her table mate, she glared at her, but it was wasted as Lyra was already setting up her apparatus, getting it ready for the distillation process. Honeyed Words scrambled to keep up with her, almost dropping a glass filtering flask which was not clamped to its stand properly.

Having already given them all instructions on the procedure in a previous class, Ms. Crucible wandered among the students, making little grunts of satisfaction when she saw something going right, or a low tutting sound when a pony was making a minor mistake. She nodded as she passed Honeyed Words, but suddenly came to a stop and walked backwards until she was even with her table once more.

Honeyed Words tried to ignore her as she just stood there watching her work, but having the mare hovering over one's shoulder like that was, to put it nicely, disconcerting. Ms. Crucible was infamous for her love of the unusual and the unorthodox, and was known for occasionally berating a student or even a fellow teacher for letting procedure getting in the way of innovation. Still, her AP Magic class (really, more of an after school club, but all her best students attended) was easily the most sought after class in all of the school, and that was only held once a week after school. Finally unable to take the strain of her gaze any longer, she turned and said, “Yes?”

Ms. Crucible waved off her unasked question and just said, “Oh, don't mind me. I've just never seen anyone try to make arcanofigulate without ever turning on their burner. I wanted to see how you did it, and perhaps take some notes. I'm especially curious how you plan to rectify the terebinth oil, since it happens to requires a hotter flame than I know you can produce with magic alone, and for much longer than you could sustain, now that I think of it.”

Blushing furiously, Honeyed Words belatedly turned on her burner, carefully adjusting the flame until it was at the desired intensity. “I- I just hadn't gotten to it, yet. That's all.” Though the rest of the class knew better than to laugh at her, she still heard a few unidentifiable titters around her.

Ms. Crucible gave a little moue of disappointment. “Oh. I thought you had perhaps stumbled on some ancient, lost secret, or something. Carry on, then,” she said with a sigh of disappointment.

She walked away, continuing her patrol until she came up to Twilight and actually nudged the other student at her table, taking over the stool and sat with her head in her hands, watching the filly work with obvious fascination. It went on like that for many minutes until the mare could take it no more and asked, “So, why did you choose to rectify the terra figulina with aqua fortis instead of aqua regia?”

Without even taking her eyes from her delicate work, Twilight replied, “While regia is better for time constraints, fortis produces a more even and smooth distillation. This will allow for better mana retention as well as better mana distribution.” Unstoppering a second neck in a flask, she carefully added some more liquid, then sealed it up again. “Ideally, I'd want to use aqua vitae, but I really don't want to spend a week on this, especially for a batch this small.”

“And what is the phlogiston for?” Ms. Crucible asked, pointing towards a small ampoule containing a tiny amount of a reddish substance, the consistency of pudding.

Twilight fiddled with the knob on the burner, making miniscule adjustments until she was satisfied. Finally turning to the teacher, she replied, “I wanted to make Spike a special present, and he's been wanting me to find a way to enhance his fire breath, so I'm going to use this to make him a torque to wear around his neck. With the enchantments I plan to put into it, I estimate that he'll be able to reach about one thousand, eight hundred degrees, Melting.”

Ms. Crucible actually looked a little alarmed by this. “Why so hot? Is he looking to smelt iron?”

“Actually, yes,” Twilight answered with a smile. “The Princess took us on her diplomatic trip to Griffonia a couple of months ago, and one of the places they showed us on the tour was the foundry, which really seemed to grab Spike's interest. Naturally, The Princess and I want to encourage him broadening his horizons, so he's been taking lessons from the palace smithy. I was planning on waiting to make something like this until his hatchday, but this opportunity is too good to pass up.” She noticed the look of concern, and added, “Don't worry, though. He's supervised at all times, and I won't let him wear it unless he's working at the smithy itself.”

With a relieved smile, the mare stood and said, “Very good, then. I presume you'll want to spend your lunch here to monitor your experiment, since it will take longer than the allotted ninety minutes for a double class?”

Twilight nodded, and the teacher moved on with her patrol of the class, most of which had stopped to watch the exchange with interest. As much as Ms. Crucible tended to scare the rest of the students, she actually seemed to have the opposite effect on Twilight, drawing her out of her shell in an adversarial manner, demanding she defend her positions and work, which she happily did. Pushing up her glasses, she checked the time and nodded with satisfaction. Despite the lackluster performance of some of her students (Honeyed Words' poor performance especially so, given that she was often ranked second or third in the class for grades), this would prove to be an interesting lab.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Despite the double class as well as taking her lunch in the lab, Twilight was still five minutes late to class. She handed her pass to the teacher and quickly resumed her new seat near the door. This class passed much like the first half of the day had, with both Twilight and Lyra doing their level best to ignore Honeyed Words' glares. When the Equish teacher called on her to read from the textbook, it took Honeyed Words a moment to find where she thought the last pony had left off, and even then, she had to be corrected by the teacher, as she was on the wrong chapter.

Chemistry and math classes weren't much better for the filly, as in both cases, she depended entirely on cheating off of Twilight. Lyra, having music classes at that time, was unavailable for cheating, so Honeyed Words was left trying to decipher work for which she had never studied once. Needless to say, she was failing miserably. It was only by sheer luck that she was not called upon by the teachers, but she kept her head down regardless.

When the bell signaling the end of the final class for the day sounded, she was hardly surprised to see that Twilight was the first out the door. She slowly gathered her belongings,, planning just what she was going to do to that filly when she caught up to her. Someone sat in Lyra's new seat, and she looked up to see Tight Rein, a filly who had been in her clique since before they ever attended school. “So what do you plan to do about her?” the more athletic filly asked in a low whisper.

“I certainly can't let this little rebellion just pass by without redress, can I?” Honeyed Words said. Shaking her head, she added, “If I were to do that, the others might think that they were my equals or worse. No, we must nip this in the bud before these plebes start getting uppity.” Turning to her friend, the cold glare in her eyes sent a thrill down Tight Rein's spine that made her lick her lips in anticipation. Honeyed Words always felt... frisky when she looked like that. “Gather the girls. It seems we must plan for tomorrow morning. Afterward, you and I can have a little time to work out my frustrations.” Honeyed Words laid a hand on top of her friend's, giving it a painfully tight squeeze.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Twilight walked into what had been dubbed “the Music Room” and smiled to see that Octavia had apparently just gotten there herself. The older filly was still setting up the two music stands next to each other, a sight that caused her heart to race. Twilight had expected to be seated opposite her tutor, and the thought that they would almost be close enough to touch had her both wanting to jump for joy, and faint from nervousness. “G- good afternoon, Miss Melody. I hope this day finds you well,” she said with a small bow.

Octavia returned her bow. “Good afternoon, Twilight. One thing I meant to say last session was that if it makes it easier for you, you may just call me Octavia. I want this experience to be the best it can be for you, so do what makes you most comfortable. My pride can handle you calling me just Octavia, alright?” She smiled at Twilight's nod as she dragged two chairs closer together. “Now, why not come over here and show me how your practicing has been going since Moonday.”

Eager to show off that she had been diligent in her assigned homework, Twilight opened her instrument case on one of the chairs. Taking the violin out before stowing the case under her chair, she breathed in deeply before going through several arpeggio scales, not even looking at the fingering guide still stuck to the fingering board.

“Very good, Twilight. You only missed three notes,” Octavia said, nodding her approval. “Now, show me where the middle G is.”

Twilight did so, and found the next half-dozen notes the earth pony asked her to find. “Excellent. You are picking up the basics fairly fast, so why do we not move on to a simple song.” Octavia pulled out a sheet of paper and placed it on the music stand before her student.

Immediately upon seeing the song title in big, bold letters, Twilight groaned inwardly. Why did it have to be this one?

“Now, I know it can be embarrassing to learn on an old nursery song like this, but trust me, we all do it,” Octavia said, forestalling any complaints. “Now, come on. You just showed me where all the notes in this song are, you just have to put them in the correct order. Do not worry about sounding slow or stupid, we all go through that as well.”

With a resigned sigh, Twilight placed her fingers in the right places and began to play a song that she had hoped to never hear again since she had started school. To her credit, she did remarkably well for her first real song, but she misplayed a note, and that began a cascade of failed notes, sometimes several in a row until she set the violin in her lap. “Can we... can we find a different song to play? This one has... bad memories for me.”

Octavia looked at her curiously. “What is wrong with Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?”

Twilight sighed again and lifted the hem of her skirt on her side, revealing the cutie mark adorning her hip. “This is what's wrong. Because of my name and my cutie mark, I was teased pretty badly in kindergarten... and first grade. In fact, the first three or four years of elementary school was pretty merciless. I just... I'd rather learn on some other song, if you don't mind.”

The elder filly smartly rapped herself upside the head. “Of course. That was careless of me to not realize the connection. I hope you shall forgive me for this oversight, Twilight.”

“Oh, it's not like you had any reason to know, Mi- er, Octavia. Really, there's nothing for which you need to apologize!” Twilight quickly replied.

Laying a comforting hand on her shoulder, Octavia said, “Nevertheless, I have caused you distress, and such was not my intention. Let me just get you a different song from my bag.”

Bending over, she did not notice the blush that overtook Twilight's cheeks, which was back under control by the time she popped back up again with a new sheet of paper. “Let us try Au Clair de la Lune, shall we?”

With a grateful smile, Twilight turned her attention to the sheet music and practiced the fingering a moment before putting bow to strings.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

This is just weird.

The thought came unbidden to Spike, and refused to leave. He stared at his dining companion across the table and noted that she was once more wearing a goofy grin. While disconcerting to see on such a normally sober pony, it was at least not as frightening as when- Ooo... there it goes again. The little dragon shivered as the smile on Twilight's face slowly faded and was replaced by a grim look of determination after a brief stint as her more usual neutral expression. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew that it frightened him terribly. Clearing his throat, he casually asked, “So... anything new, today?”

Twilight jerked as if startled from some deep thought, which was actually true. These thought however, were not the sort that she wished to share with anyone, let alone the dragon that filled the role of her little brother. “Huh? Oh, um... no, nothing worth talking about, really.”

Spike simply shook his head as he returned to his dinner, his course of action now set. I guess the princess will be able to get at what's bothering her. I'll talk to her about it tomorrow. Decision made, he was able to keep the worry in his gut from spoiling his appetite.

Author's Note

This chappie was a bit of an odd duck, I know, but I didn't want to shoot my bolt the chapter after the conflict arose, so I decided to put it to simmer for a bit. Don't worry, it is building to a head. Just a quick heads-up, I'm going to be extra late with the next chapter, because I want to do a quick one-shot. Lots of sex and best pony will be involved, so be on the lookout for it.

Chapter 5: Fortissimo

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 5: Fortissimo

Spike nervously sat in the chair, lazily swinging his legs which did not even come close to touching the ground. He looked around at the opulent room once more, sighing with apprehension. He knew how valuable Celestia's time was, and how much others always want her advice or needed her approval for one thing or another, but other than Twilight's parents, he didn't know to whom else he could turn. Normally, he would have gone to them, but he knew that as much as she loved her parents, Twilight always took Celestia's word as divine writ.

His eye caught the guards standing at attention at the door to Celestia's private study, but neither of them acknowledged his presence. It always creeps me out a little, the way they never seem to notice the world around them until you do something you're not supposed to. Who would want a job like that? The sound of the Grandam clock in the corner was the only one to be heard in the small antechamber as the seconds ticked away and Spike twiddled his thumbs. Maybe I should have brought some homework to do while I waited? Nah. I don't want to turn into Twilight, or anything.

The little dragon's inner thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and Celestia's personal assistant, Ink Well, Poking her head out out. “Master Spike? The princess will see you now.”

Hopping off the chair, Spike walked into the office and was surprised to see the huge stack of papers sitting to one side of Celestia's desk, but was even more surprised to find the princess herself sitting on a divan next to the fireplace. He ran over to her where she welcomed him with open arms in a hug. Although he had bonded and imprinted on Twilight, Celestia always had a special place in his heart as one of his primary caregivers.

Even so, she was surprised at the ferocity of Spike's hug today, despite the fact that it had been less than a week since they had last seen each other. “Spike, is something wrong?”

Spike looked up and she was dismayed to see tears starting to gather there. “Princess, I think something's wrong with Twilight, but she won't tell me what it is. The past couple of days, she's had this really worried expression on her face, but every time I ask her about it, she just tells me that it's nothing and has me go do something else away from her. Last night when I asked again after dinner, she had me sort through her card catalog even though we had already done that like two weeks ago!”

Celestia pinched her chin between her thumb and forefinger in thought. “Odd. There's no big tests she should be studying for at this time. Perhaps these music lessons are adding too much strain on her?”

“Actually, the only time she's looked happy this week is when she's practicing or talking about music,” Spike replied.

“I see,” Celestia said with a small nod. “Very well, then. When Twilight comes to me for afternoon tea today, I shall talk to her about this. Odd that she was able to conceal whatever is troubling her from me. Perhaps I have not been giving either of you the attention you deserve, lately.” She smiled down at the baby dragon still gripping her in a desperate hug and petted his head spines down. “How would you like to take lunch with me today?”

Spike's grin sent a flutter of affection through the alicorn's chest. “I'd like that, princess.”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Leaning against the tree to catch her breath, Twinkleshine gasped and brushed a stray lock of pink mane from her eyes. Even though she had been expecting it, the sound of Plain Sight's voice from the other side of the tree startled her, as she was sure that she had arrived first. “What do you have to report?”

Twinkleshine jumped a little, and almost whirled around to face her, but her training kicked in and she just resumed her original position against the tree. “Something... big... is going... down today.” She gasped. Swallowing, she took another deep breath before resuming. “It involves Twilight as well as all of Honeyed Words' clique. I don't know if she'll be there herself, since Busy Bee claimed to have no idea either, no matter what... pressure I used on her.”

“This... pressure, it wasn't anything permanent, was it?” Plain Sight asked.

Shaking her head, Twinkleshine replied with a smile, “No, just a little arm-twisting. It's amazing how little pain these nobles can stand before they spill everything they know.”

Plain Sight nodded in agreement. “Did she say what was being planned and when?”

“It's why I ran all the way here from the other side of the High District,” the unicorn replied, gesturing with a hand at the area of Canterlot that the nobles had unofficially taken over. “They're planning on confronting Twilight before classes outside between the locker room and the equipment storage building. She wouldn't say what Honeyed Words had planned exactly, but I sincerely doubt it would be a tea party.”

With another nod, Plain Sight said, “Good work. Go to Coach Power Lift, and tell him what you learned, and to execute plan delta-three. You're both to await for my signal which is this,” She imitated the call of a thrush, and said, “Understood?”

Twinkleshine pushed off the tree, happy now that she knew Plain Sight was on top of things once more. “Perfectly. I'd better go find him now in case he's not in his office.”

With that, the unicorn filly took off, leaving Plain Sight to slowly make her way over to the expected confrontation spot. She was halfway across the grounds when a niggling little worry came over her, and she changed her mind. Instead of heading towards the equipment storage building, she found an unobtrusive spot to wait within sight of the front gates where Twilight always walked in every morning. Given how chaos seems to dog her every step, it might behoove me to keep her under as much direct surveillance as possible. Don't want another Clock Incident, after all.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

As she approached the front gate to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, Twilight swallowed hard, and tried her best to not appear nervous. I'm really starting to regret starting this chain of events. If it weren't for Honeyed Words discovering those Light blasted scribbles, I probably could have just let her coast along in my wake, and I would never have to see her again after graduation. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. No, that's not fair. It's my fault she even saw it in the first place. I should have been more careful with them and paid attention in class like I'm supposed to instead of doodling like a dummy. I swear to Celestia that even if this doesn't work out like I planned, I'll never goof off in class again, no matter how well I already know the material.

Walking past the gates unmolested proved to be a bit tougher than the approach. It was only because Twilight was on the lookout for trouble today that she avoided walking into a much larger filly, but the filly in question seemed to seek her out and bump into her, knocking her to the ground.

“Oops. Are you okay?” Tight Rein said very unconvincingly as she towered over Twilight. She bent over and grabbed the smaller unicorn's arm and pulled her to her hooves. From a distance, one could not tell that the action was anything other than a student helping another up, but the strength she put into the grip let Twilight know that there would be no escape. “Here, let me help you to the infirmary to make sure.”

Twilight gulped a little at the filly's choice of words, but the ominous sound of them was no doubt intentional. Her nerves went into overdrive when two more of Honeyed Words' friends showed up and flanked her as well. Though none of them were doing anything overtly hostile, the twisted smiles they wore did not bode well for anypony caught by them. Luckily for Twilight she had anticipated that the final confrontation would start like this, and was even counting on it. After all, she would not want to get into trouble by getting caught doing what she was sure she would soon be forced into doing. Just to keep up the façade though, she let the terror she was feeling at being caught show on her face; let them think it was because they had the upper hand at the moment.

Tight Rein's grip intensified until Twilight was certain that her wrist would be crushed as she pulled her not towards the front doors to the school, but around the side. “Come on, I know a shortcut through here.”

Twilight's hooves became tangled as she was pulled along, almost causing her to trip. One of the other girls- her name escaped the filly at the moment- bodily picked her up and set her on her hooves again, very roughly, almost shoving her forward. She pulled her arm back to give her a quick punch, but something small and very hard smacked into the back of the mystery filly's head, causing her to look around, but the yard was conspicuously empty, and looking down, all she saw was an acorn which she stepped on and ground under her hoof before running to catch up to Tight Rein, who had not stopped or even slowed down.

She caught up to the group just as they rounded the corner, well within sight of the equipment building. Another filly waiting there ran up to Tight Rein and asked, “Did Busy Bee ever show up at the gate?”

“No. Honey said that she'd deal with her personally if she chickened out, so I advise you to tend to your own knitting Silver Service, unless you want some of what Honey plans to give her,” Tight Rein replied. She smirked down at Twilight and added, “Mind you, what she's going to get is nothing compared to you, Egghead. Not even close.”

Even though things were going pretty much as Twilight had planned, she couldn't help but feel a smidgen of worry that she was in fact, over her head, both literally and figuratively. The group went into the small alley between the two buildings. Though class was set to start soon, both would surely be empty, so even though the high windows to the filly's locker room were open to allow for ventilation, there was a very low chance of anypony being in there to hear anything going on out here. Even the tree at the end of the alley blocked the early morning sun, making the normally innocuous space seem much more ominous than any place in a school had a right to be.

Several fillies were already waiting for her arrival, making for an even ten fillies, all looking at Twilight the way a dragon might look at a particular rare gem. Honeyed Words was there, looking rather smug, if a bit put out. Tight Rein shoved the smaller filly against the rough brick wall of the locker room so hard she bounced off a little, and the fillies gathered around Twilight, hemming her in quite effectively.

Honeyed Words nodded to one of the fillies, who concentrated and a bubble of energy formed around them, blocking out the sounds beyond its perimeter. That detail taken care of, she came forward and with one finger, poked Twilight's shoulder hard, pushing her against the wall again. “So, little miss princess' pet thinks she doesn't have to pay her dues? You think you're better than us; than me?”

Twilight remained silent, but set her jaw, and with careful subtlety, began gathering mana for a spell. She wasn't sure what spell she would need to cast just yet, but she had been preparing for this for the past two days, so she believed she was ready to counter whatever they might throw at her.

“Scared?” The older filly asked, a smirk taking over her expression once more. “You should be. My family is one of the oldest, most powerful of the noble houses around. Yours may be almost as old, but it is certainly not as powerful, and is nowhere near as rich.” Planting one hand on the wall over Twilight's shoulder, she leaned in menacingly and with a voice dripping with contempt and venom, she added, “I could buy your entire family with my weekly allowance, and have them all but shunned by the rest of the noble houses. The Great and Noble House of Twilight would be an even sadder shade of what it once was, and considering how far it has already fallen, that's saying something.”

Finally breaking her silence, Twilight mumbled something unintelligible.

Honeyed Words leaned a little closer and said, “What was that? You'll have to speak up; I don't speak mouse.”

Meeting her eyes with her own steely gaze, Twilight said in a soft, but unmistakable voice, “I said that there's more to nobility than a title and money, but then, I don't expect a spoiled little rich filly to understand that.”

Momentarily taken aback at the sudden resolve, Honeyed Words leaned back, then smiled again. “Congratulations, Sparkle; you've actually managed to dig yourself in deeper. I was going to have your punishment be just a friendly reminder of your place in the grand scheme of things, but in light of your truculence, I'm going to have to dial up the pain a little more.” She pushed off the wall and took a few steps back, letting a filly Twilight recognized as one of her more fierce tormentors, Hard Line, take her place. “Just like we practiced, Hard Line. Give me five minutes, then start with the first step of the agony spell, then slowly take it up to oh, say, level five. That should put some respect back in her, I think.”

Hard Line cracked her knuckles, and rolled her head, eliciting more cracks from her neck. “With pleasure. It's not often I get to go past level three. I'll be sure to thank you for that properly, runt,” she said to Twilight as she advanced on her.

With a laugh, Honeyed Words said, “I hope you'll remember the rules of engagement, Sparkle. You even try to implicate one of us, and we'll each have at least five others vouching that we were elsewhere at the time.”

“You're forgetting one thing, Honey,” Twilight said levelly. Her right hand partially hidden from view, slipped into a pocket within her skirt and gripped something.

Pausing in her retreat to the safety of a crowd far away from the scene, Honeyed Words turned around and asked, “And what is that, Sparkle?”

Twilight smiled as a finger of the hand in her pocket pierced a plastic bag, releasing a few small grains of its contents. “I may be the smartest in the class, but smarts is nothing without imagination, and imagination is the prime requisite for ingenuity!” With a sweeping arc, she quickly pulled her hand from her pocket and twirled it around in a circle as the small plastic bag she held spilled out a cloud of glittering powder, coating everypony in the alley, and blinding all but Twilight who was prepared and had closed her eyes. The unicorn's horn glowed with a magenta aura, easily shattering the soundproof bubble while simultaneously amplifying her voice. While the others were shouting about their blindness, Twilight drew in a deep breath and gave the loudest, most ear-piercing shriek for help of her life.

The narrow alley with a sound-baffling tree at one end acted like an amplifier, turning the already cacophonous yell into something deafening within in its confines. Unfortunately for Twilight, Hard Line already had her spell ready and targeted, meaning that she didn't need her eyes to hit her with it. When the spell hit, her yell turned into a wail of pain that under the amplification magic she had cast, rivaled an air raid siren. Even her own ears were ringing, but she didn't even notice due to the agony spell, which because of Hard Line's surprise, was actually the most powerful she had ever cast before. Twilight dropped to the ground and writhed around, mindless in her torment.

With a curse, Plain Sight dropped down from the tree, throwing down a glass vial that filled the alley with smoke, negating all magic it touched. She picked up the unconscious Twilight, cradling in her arms like an exceptionally large, limp doll. She ran to the end of the alley, almost running directly into a very large earth pony stallion and Twinkleshine. She paused long enough to say, “There's ten girls in there, including Honeyed Words. Detain them all and keep them under careful watch in your office. I need to get Twilight to the nurse right away. Twinkleshine, report to the principal and have her meet me there.” With that, she dashed off, leaving her subordinates to their work.

Twinkleshine ran off to complete her orders, While Coach Power Lift walked into the alley, where eight girls covered in glitter were trying to regain their hooves. Some were still rubbing at their eyes, and all of them were bleeding from their ears. Power Lift stomped on the ground, sending vibrations that all of them felt, causing them to turn their attention to him. Knowing that they would all be unable to hear him until they had seen the nurse to restore their hearing, he looked at them disapprovingly and gestured for them to line up against the wall, which they did, some helping those still blinded by the glitter. He looked around, but the expected number was short by two, most conspicuous in her absence being Honeyed Words.

Several Teachers came up then, with Crucible in the lead, her mane still askew from when she fell out of her chair at Twilight's bellow. “What happened here? Is everything alright?”

Power Lift gestured at the assembled fillies and said, “The guard caught them doing something they shouldn't and asked me to hold on to them. Unfortunately, two of them ran off in the confusion. Would you mind searching for them? They're likely covered in glitter like these are.” His back to the fillies, he silently mouthed the words, “Honeyed Words”.

Crucible nodded in understanding. She ran a finger down Hard Line's sleeve, gathering a bit of the glitter and sniffed it, causing her to give a violent sneeze. “No problem. Coated in Sovereign Glue from the smell of it. Looks like it was slightly weakened with a bit of Dispelling Dust, but if it's made by who I think it is, there should still be plenty of stickiness to it that it won't come off easily.” Her horn lit in a fiery aura, and she bent over at the waist, following a trail only she could see out the other end of the alley, Cosine following after her.

Turning to the rest of the teachers, he nodded to them. “Now, if one of you could help me herd these fine young ladies to my office, I think the rest of you can return to your classes.” Just as he finished, the bell signaling the start of the school day rang.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Twilight awoke, her bleary eyes taking in the mostly white surroundings, which contrasted with the odd flag waving above her. She blinked a few times, allowing her vision to clear, revealing Princess Celestia sitting in a chair next to her bed in the school infirmary. She tried to sit up, but had to lie back down as a wave of nausea overtook her senses, sending her head spinning. “P- Princess! What- where- huh?”

Celestia gently smiled down at her. “You gave us all quite a scare, My Faithful Student. I heard your voice clear all the way to the palace. Gave Spike a severe shock as well. He was ready to come blazing to your rescue, so I had to cast a sleep spell upon him in order to keep him out of trouble.” Her smile disappeared, and her face took on the serious look she wore whenever she dealt with a particularly disagreeable noble as she asked, “Is there something you want to talk about, Twilight Sparkle?”

Swallowing hard, Twilight never even considered telling her no or a lie. It all came tumbling out, starting with the first day of high school when Honeyed Words first gave her the option of helping her pass or facing the consequences, all the way up to this morning's events. She even told her of her burgeoning feelings for Octavia which precipitated the final confrontation with her bully. By the end of it, the filly was in tears, sore afraid that she would be dismissed as The Princess' personal student. “I'm sorry, Princess! I've wanted to tell you so many times now, but every time I worked up the courage, I would chicken out, because so much time had passed, or I thought I could handle it myself. I didn't want to burden you with something trivial like this; you've already got so much to do and worry about, I-”

Celestia silenced her with a finger on the filly's lips. “Twilight, I'm not going to stop teaching you over something like this, but you realize what must happen now, don't you?”

With a sad nod, Twilight replied, “I'm going to be punished. Go ahead, Princess; I deserve it.”

Sighing sadly, Celestia said, “For not coming to me or anypony in authority with this problem, and instead deciding to 'handle it yourself', your library, observatory and laboratory privileges are hereby revoked for no less than a month. You will not enter any such facility except for the purposes of completing school assignments, but not extra credit. Furthermore, all the books in your apartment are even now being boxed up and placed into storage until your punishment concludes, and your paper, ink, and quill allowance will be cut back to the bare minimum necessary to allow completion of your school assignments.”

The alicorn almost lost her composure at the sight of Twilight's overreaction to her punishment, but she still wasn't done. “Additionally, you will be performing at least two hours of community service of my choosing every weekday after school as well as six hours of the same every Sunday and Satyrday. When not at school, on assignment, or at your parents' house, you are to come directly to the palace and are banned from outdoor activities without my explicit permission.”

Twilight gaped like a landed fish, appalled at the severity of the discipline, but could not bring herself to object. She nodded, conceding her fate, but she had a question. “Um... Princess? What about... what about my music lessons?”

Putting a finger to her chin, Celestia mused, “Well, I suppose it is schooling, and we can't interfere with that. Very well, then. On the days of you music lessons, you are excused from community service. I presume there are no objections?” Twilight shook her head, and Celestia rose to her hooves with another sigh. “Then that concludes your disciplinary meeting. I'll expect to see you straight away after school today so that we might further discuss this and how could have been handled better.”

She turned to leave, but Twilight's voice stopped her. “Princess?” Celestia turned back to her, and the unicorn asked, “W- what's going to happen to Honeyed Words?”

Celestia folded her arms under her considerable bust as she considered. “Well, that really depends on how repentant she is for her actions. From what I've gathered, she's rather entrenched in her ways by now, and we still have to consider the length and extent of her actions. You're not the only one she terrorized, and from what I've seen, not the worst case.”

Twilight silently considered this for a moment, before asking, “You're not going to... banish her, are you?”

“No, Twilight. I will not banish her, though she will suffer some sort of punishment. We must all obey the laws, even those who make them. No one is above them. No one,” Celestia replied grimly. She offered her protégée a weak smile before walking out, leaving the filly to her thoughts.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

With a tired sigh, Twilight trudged through the palace gates, barely acknowledging the guards' salutes in an uncharacteristic display of depression. The two guards spared each other a knowing glance, but remained silent at their post. She plodded along through the palace until she came to The Princess' parlor where they always partook of after-school tea and shyly knocked. The Princess' musical voice called out, “Enter,” and the filly let herself in.

She was surprised by a living missile tackling her before she even got fully into the room. Looking down, she saw Spike burying his face in her stomach as he gave her the fiercest hug he had yet delivered. “Spike...”

He suddenly pushed away and gave her a light punch on the arm. “That's for not talking to me about this. I'm supposed to be your number one assistant, aren't I? Then treat me like one!” With that, he hugged her again. “I'm just glad you're okay, Twi.”

Confused at his bipolar display of emotions, Twilight stopped rubbing her sore arm and simply opted to hug him back, accepting the painful punch as her due. “I'm sorry, Spike. It won't happen again.”

A polite cough got her attention, and Twilight looked over towards Celestia's couch, only to be horrified that both her parents were there as well. Oh, boy. First, The Princess uses my full name, and now mom and dad are involved. This does not look good.

She was surprised once more when her mother and father both came forward and hugged both her and Spike at once. “You need to come home more often, Twily. Your father and I missed you so much,” Velvet said.

Twilight was embarrassed at the use of her parent's nickname for her, but was enjoying the feel of their affection too much to really object. “I'm sorry, mom, daddy. I... I didn't mean to disappoint or worry you or anything. I just...”

“Shh... It's alright, Twilight,” Night Light replied. “We're just glad you're safe and sound.”

They led her over to the couch where they sat her and Spike between them. The filly dried her eyes and looked over to Celestia, who was calmly sipping her tea. “I'm sorry again, Princess. I promise it won't happen again.” She hesitated as she broached the next subject, but she managed to squeeze the question out. “Um, if it's alright for me to ask, what's happened to Honeyed Words?”

Celestia set her cup down on the table and cleared her throat. “I'm sorry to say that she remained rather stubborn despite my repeated warnings that prevarications would not be tolerated. She has been asked to leave my school along with her friend, Tight Rein. As far as I know, their parents are sending them away to their home city of Neigh Orleans, where they will finish their schooling in a different private academy. I'm afraid you may have an enemy for life, My Faithful Student.”

Looking down at her lap where she twiddled her thumbs, Twilight said in a quiet voice, “I was afraid of that. I tried to use a method that would allow her to come clean with a minimum of trouble for anypony involved, but she can be quite... obstinate.”

Celestia nodded. “I noticed. All their other friends admitted to their wrongdoings, and will be suspended for two weeks during which time they will also be given two months of community service, but will be allowed to return after that. Naturally, they will be closely monitored from here on out, so I doubt you will have anything to worry about from them.”

Twilight gave a weak nod, shuddering at the thought of being banned from school for two whole weeks. Her banishment from her favorite work spaces was already bad enough; banning her from school would have been just unendurable.

“I hope all this will teach you to come to the proper authorities in future, Twily,” Night Light said, as he gently ruffled her mane.

Sheepishly smiling up at her father, Twilight replied, “Don't worry, daddy. I don't want to go through that again.”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Twilight collapsed face-down on her apartment couch, exhausted from such an eventful day. She had never felt so emotionally drained that it affected her physical energy before. “Ugh. Maybe I should just call in dead tomorrow?” she mused aloud.

“They'd never buy it,” Spike replied to her rhetorical question with dripping sarcasm and acerbic wit as he continued on to the kitchen to prepare some tea for them both. “They know that even if you died, your ghost would haunt the school just to get your diploma.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, but didn't rise to the bait. Her gaze landed on an empty bookshelf, and she cursed her own stupidity. A whole month without books? How am I ever going to survive? Already, I can feel ennui stealing in like a thief, turning my brain to mush. With a groan, she buried her face into the couch cushions so she wouldn't have to look at her naked shelves.

Author's Note

Sorry this one took so long to come out. Just a side note, I've got a new job, so updates may continue to be this far apart. I'll try to get them out faster, but you know how it is. Also, sorry there wasn't much romance in this one, but the conflict needed to be resolved... for now.

Chapter 7: Ballabile

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 7: Ballabile

Stifling another yawn, Twilight continued walking through the early morning fog, stopping occasionally to sip from her cup of hot cocoa, which while warming her up, was doing nothing to dispel the sleepiness that was tempting her to find the nearest bench to take a quick nap. It was so early, and the fog so thick, that she could barely see three trots in front of her, but she knew the way to the university library by heart, having gone there so many times for research, so she was in no danger of losing her way. The only concession she made to common sense was a simple light spell to keep her from tripping over anything or having others run into her in the deep fog.

“Unusual to have fog this thick at this altitude. I have to wonder what the weather team is thinking.” Her words were quickly and eerily swallowed up by the morning mist, and the unicorn felt a stab of unease before her rational mind reminded her that this was Canterlot, and it was highly unlikely that monsters were hiding in the fog, waiting to pounce. However, she couldn't help but feel a little vulnerable, and so started humming a Beet Oven song to herself to ease her unreasonable fear.

She was walking slowly so as to not trip, the clicking of her hooves against the sidewalk the only sound to be heard in the oddly quiet city... that is, until she heard a scuttling sound to her left. Freezing in place, she looked in that direction, but with fog this dense, it was impossible to make anything out. In a small voice, she tentatively called out, “H- hello? Is anypony there?”

Silence was the only reply.

Swallowing hard, the filly started moving again, this time trying hard to make out any shape from the mist. She only made it a few steps before she noticed that another pair of hooves were matching her own. Twilight stopped and looked around frantically, trying to find the source, but the same eerie gray mist met her piercing gaze. Hesitantly, she took another step, and the unmistakable sound of a second hoof echoed hers. Once more looking around, Twilight could not discern the location of the sound, but she knew that it wasn't an echo; it sounded like it came from a larger pony, one with metal shoes rather than the usual rubber sole shoes most ponies wore these days.

As she was about to take another step, the sound of those other hooves started up again, and though she could not tell the direction from which they came, she could tell that they were getting closer. In a blind panic now, Twilight started running, and though the sound of the other hooves never sped up, they continued getting louder and louder, and louder, until-

Twilight ran headfirst into an unmovable fleshy wall, causing her to bounce back and fall on her butt. Looking up, she was relieved to see Princess Celestia looming over her. She was so relieved that she failed to notice the stern look on her face. “Princess! I'm so glad to see you! I- I think someone's been following me, and I-”

“What do you think you're doing, Twilight?” Her harsh tone snapped Twilight's attention to her face, which was not pleased at all. In fact, it was very much the antithesis of pleased, with more than a little disappointment thrown in for good measure.

“I- I- Whuh... Princess?”

“Do you have any idea what you've done, Twilight? The consequences?” Celestia's expression did not let up, and instead actually turned into a scowl at the unicorn's continued stammering. With a wave of her arm, some of the fog dissipated to reveal gravestones next to the sidewalk; gravestones with the names of all her classmates written on them. “Well? Don't you have anything to say?”

Horror filled Twilight's chest as she read each of the names presented to her. She looked back up to Celestia and stammered, “I- but... P-Princess, I didn't... I-”

“Don't you think that they at least deserve an answer?” Celestia asked, pointing to two more gravestones bearing the names Twilight Velvet and Night Light.

Tears were now filling Twilight's eyes, but they could not cloud the sight of those gravestones one whit. She was so stricken, that the only sound she could make was a sick little groan in the back of her throat. Suddenly, the grass in front of the stones began to move, as if something was pushing up from below. Twilight tried to back away, but ran into Celestia. She looked up to ask her mentor for help, but could not say anything as the look of disgust on the alicorn's face froze her heart.

Celestia pushed her forwards, towards the gravestones and away from her body, the look of distaste clearly evident. “It's high time you faced the consequences for your actions, Twilight. I can no longer shield you from them.”

“B- b- but, Princess, I- EEEEK!” She shrieked as she felt a cold, slimy hand grab her ankle. Looking down, she saw the rotting corpse of her mother reaching up at her with her other hand, an expression of hungry desperation plain upon her decaying features. Worms and bugs crawled in and out of the holes in her flesh, and one eye hung loosely from the optic nerve. However, she was only a pony from the waist up; below that, she appeared to have a dried up and dead potted plant for her lower half.

“Twuuuuhhh-luuuhhh...” the corpse moaned. Using her arms, she dragged herself across the dewy grass and started up the filly's legs. “Yuuurrr... faaauuulll...

Unbalanced, Twilight fell back on her rump again and tried to crawl away, but her mother's remains were far too strong and heavy. A shuffling sound to her right got her attention and she turned to find the mostly headless corpse of Honeyed Words shambling towards her. The lower jaw and tongue were still attached in some sort of macabre sense of irony, allowing her to slur out all the insults she used to have for her in school. “Nuuurrr... Geeek... 'Raaaiiinnn... Eeegg-heeeaaa...”

“PRINCESS, HELP ME!” Twilight shouted as more and more zombies ambled out of the fog, each one a horrific vision of somepony she knew; all of them gruesomely wounded by her careless actions or out-of-control magic. She looked up to see Celestia's flesh bubble and char as it sloughed off her body as if being burned away.

Celestia leaned over and said, “Time you pay for your crimes, you foal!”

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*(“)(“)

Twilight awoke with a start as she hit the floor, her head cracking smartly against the carpet-covered flagstones. She tried to sit up and grab her head, but found her arms and legs restrained. It took a moment for the pain to pass enough to allow her vision to clear, letting her see that she was merely tangled up in her blanket, and not being held down by the putrefying hands of ponies she's known.

Her bedroom door opened, and Spike walked in, blearily rubbing his eyes. He took one look at her lying on the floor and said, “Again with the nightmares, Twi? Why don't you just go see the princess about them? Even if she doesn't have a spell to stop them, maybe talking to her about them will help.”

Rolling to her belly, Twilight was able to get to her hands and knees, freeing herself from the blanket. She sat back on her hooves and looked around at the pre-dawn lit room in order to avoid the poor dragon's tired and annoyed gaze. “I already told you, Spike. I'm sure the nightmares will stop eventually like they did in the past. I just have to... be patient. While I can consciously acknowledge that everything is fine, my subconscious just has to come around to that fact. In the meantime, I will not bother The Princess with something as minor as a silly little bad dream. I can endure this, and I will not have her looking at me like I'm still just a little filly who needs a story and a glass of warm milk to sleep at night.”

Spike grumbled and turned to leave, mumbling, “Yeah, and in the meantime, my sleep gets disturbed by your screams and flailing around in bed.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” Spike called exasperatedly out as he closed her door.

In fact, Twilight had heard him clearly, but felt too guilty about disturbing his rest to make an issue of it. With a tired sigh, she looked out the window to see that dawn was but a scant quarter-hour away. “Too early to get up, too late to go back to sleep. Great. I guess I can just take a nice, long hot shower; take my time getting ready.”

Heading over to the bathroom, Twilight almost bumped into the wall as she yawned so wide, her head almost split in two. She walked in to the smallest room and out of habit, picked up the checklist she had left there the night before, ticking off things as she did them. Toilet, brushing her teeth, weighing herself, measuring her height, casting a standardized spell to measure her arcane growth, all of it marked off of the list.

As she stepped into the shower, she thought about all the things she would have to do today, beginning with her second-to-last day of community service. I wonder what The Princess arranged for me? She said yesterday that it was something special, but would give me no other hints; just the address to the amphitheater. I hope it's not cleaning out all the toilets or something nasty... though I would deserve it.

She shampooed her mane and tail, carefully running her fingers through them to get out any tangles. Though she still had a leaden feeling in her chest whenever she thought about what she did, it wasn't as heavy today; which gave her hope that maybe she was finally starting to forgive herself. The worst part was the betrayal she was sure that Celestia felt at not being trusted to help with her problem, but that just made her resolve to never let it happen again. The very thought of The Princess not feeling like she could trust the unicorn was about the worst feeling Twilight could imagine.

Rinsing herself off, the filly stood under the spray of hot water, trying to think of a way to make up to Celestia for her misdeed, but the best she could come up with was an apology and making a new spell just for her, but The Princess had already told her that she would only accept up to three apologies per mistake, and she had maxed out that limit two minutes into her explanation of what happened in the infirmary. I guess that just leaves a new spell, then. Now, what kind of spell can I make that says “I'll never betray your trust again”?

She thought about it for a few minutes, until the water started turning chill, and she squeaked the faucet off. With a tired sigh, she wrung out the water from her mane and tail, before giving her whole body a vigorous shake to work out the excess water from her coat. “I can't wait until I'm as grown up as The Princess so I always know just the right things to do and say. At least then, I could minimize the mistakes made by me.”

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*(“)(“)

Octavia stood on the stage, clipboard in hand as she directed ponies with the proper stage setup. “No, Milquetoast, three trots to the right. The booth must be center stage on the dais; We are trying to showcase the fusion of both sounds, not set one above the other.”

“Octavia, I'm going to run through the lights in sequence to see which need changing,” came a female voice over the walkie-talkies the amphitheater operator had given her and several students.

Hopping down to walk out into the audience seating, she took the walkie-talkie off of her waistband and spoke into it. “Go ahead. Wait for my okay after each light like we practiced, Spotlight.”

“Understood. House lights, check.” Floodlights mounted on poles came to life along the sides of the outdoor audience bench seating and would have inundated them with light, had the morning not been well underway, making them moot for the moment.

Holding down the button and ignoring the brief hiss of static as she opened the channel, Octavia spoke into the walkie-talkie, “House lights, check. Move on to the stage flood lights.”

A voice clearing itself politely behind her caused the earth pony to turn just as Spotlight's voice came over the radio, “Flood A-1, check.”

Octavia quickly turned back to confirm the light was in working order before saying over the radio, “Flood A-1, check. Hold on the rest a moment.” She turned once more to the pony behind her and saw a strapping young stallion whose shirt could barely contain his muscles. “Yes, can I help you, sir?”

The stallion jerked a thumb over his shoulder in a gesture that threatened to shred the already stressed sleeves of his t-shirt. “The speaker towers are here, are you ready for them?”

Glancing back at the stage, Octavia groaned as she saw that her classmate Milquetoast has only managed to move the dais a few centitrots towards the center where it needed to be for the performance. With a groan, she replied, “Yes, just start setting up from the outside, in, if you could, while we get the dais and deejay booth in place, please.”

She didn't even bother to wait for his reply and instead started towards the stage again. Mounting the stage in a single leap despite the confining pencil skirt she wore, she walked up to Milquetoast and handed him the walkie-talkie. “Here. Go out into the audience and perform the light check. I shall handle the dais.” Suddenly remembering something, she pulled the radio back and spoke into it again. “Spotlight, if you could, stop making out with your coltfriend and send him out here to help with the stage setup like he was supposed to be doing.”

There was a pause, and then an out-of-breath Spotlight answered, “We weren't making out; honest!”

Octavia rolled her eyes and replied, “Just send him out here to do what he promised, or I shall tell Mr. Stage Left to not give him the extra credit in drama class he requested for this work.” She handed the radio back to her diminutive classmate and said, “Go ahead and do the light check, and next time, do not let them walk all over you like that; it is bad for the orchestra's image to let the volunteer help do that.”

While Milquetoast walked out to the stands, a burly pegasus almost-stallion joined her on the stage, looking very sheepish. “Sorry, Octavia. I kinda got... distracted.”

“Never let it be said that I do not make allowances for relationships, Callback, but there is a time and place for all things,” she replied. Gesturing toward the dais, she said, “Now let us get this into position so that they can set up the speakers. I want this done before my assistant arrives so I can coordinate with her.”

Callback put his hands on the heavy dais, and with Octavia's help, easily slid it across the stage. “Yeah, I can imagine the kind of 'coordinating' you want to do with her,” he said with a lecherous grin.

Octavia rolled her eyes. “Does everypony I know only think with their reproductive organs? For your information, you are wrong on two counts. First of all, I am not thinking of that kind of coordinating, and secondly, my assistant is not of whom you are thinking.”

The dais in place, they went over to the DJ booth and standing on either side of it, lifted and crab-walked it over to the dais and easily placed it on top. “Oh? So you and Vinyl broke up?”

Sighing, Octavia replied, “There you go again, thinking with the wrong head. Just because I wanted someone organized as an assistant, does not mean that Vinyl and I are no longer together, but more importantly, whom I see is no one's business but my own; even my mother knows this.”

With a grunt, they gently set the booth down, sending a quiet BOOM throughout the amphitheater. Callback held up his hands in a gesture of placation. “Okay, okay, I get it; mind my own beeswax.”

“Um, excuse me, I was told to report here for- Octavia?”

The young mare in question turned around to find Twilight standing before her, looking shocked. “Excellent timing, Twilight. I was getting desperate for intelligent conversation,” she said, throwing a grin and a wink at Callback, who smiled and shook his head in bemusement.

Twilight still hadn't gotten over her shock and stammered, “I didn't know I was being sent to help you.” The almost reverent way Twilight said, “you” caused Callback to cock an eyebrow, but he remained silent.

Octavia slid an arm around the filly's shoulders, guiding her backstage. “Once The Princess told me how good you are at technical matters, and knowing how organized you are, I knew I had to have your help for this production. How good are you at reading wiring layout diagrams for electrical equipment?”

Overwhelmed by the casualness of the situation, Twilight stammered, “Uh, um, I can read wiring diagrams if that's what you mean.”

They stepped around stage equipment as they navigated through the darkly-painted area behind the scenes. “Fantastic. These drawings should not be that complex since you will not be building them, just plugging in the appropriate wires into the necessary outlets and equipment. Fear not, the wires will be marked with the symbols needed, so it should make sense... I hope.”

Twilight was about to ask what she meant by that when the older filly gestured to three large, black and silver crates on wheels with luggage locks. “Here is the equipment you shall be setting up. The wires are in the big case, along with the diagram. Sort through those first before anything else; you shall likely need the time to do so. Do not start with the other boxes until the owner arrives.” She gave her a friendly slap on the back as she started off again. “I shall leave you to it, then. If you have a problem, come see me out onstage. Good luck!”

Before Twilight could utter another word, Octavia was gone, leaving the filly standing before the suddenly very ominous boxes. Swallowing hard and taking a deep breath, she cautiously approached the designated “wiring box” and with delicate care, flipped open the luggage latches. As expected, the lid opened as if under pressure, sending tangled, black wires everywhere, burying the poor unicorn. Twilight sat up and looked at the end plug of a wire, noting that it bore a tag with a pictogram of a steaming bowl of noodles. What have I gotten myself into?

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Vinyl strutted onto the scene, sipping from a steaming, disposable cup of double mocha espresso garnished with dark chocolate powder and crushed coffee beans, a similar cup of jasmine tea held in the other hand. Though her eyes were well hidden behind the oversized sunglasses, if one looked closely enough, they could detect the dark circles which surrounded those same eyes and slipped past the glasses. Those same ponies might be able to detect that her strut, while suitably full of swagger, was just a bit slower than what she usually strutted out in public. They might even note that she used the wing stairs to mount the stage, rather than simply leap up to it as she might also normally do.

However, there was no mistaking the happy smile on her face as she walked up to Octavia and slipped the cup of tea in her hand while grabbing a kiss from her. “How's it goin', Babe?”

Octavia licked her lips and grimaced. “How can you drink that... beverage? It is practically pure caffeine!”

“Hey, you want me up this early on a Satyrday, you better offer me mind-blowing sex or caffeine,” she retorted with a shrug. She looked around curiously before saying, “I see that the amphitheater is still standing, and there's no fires. I take it then, that the littlest felon is working out well?”

Octavia groaned and crossed her arms under her impressive breasts. “I really wish you would give her a chance before passing judgment on her. Twilight is a very well-behaved filly, and an excellent example of what a young lady should be, unlike some mares I could name, who spend all night partying and underage drinking.”

With a grin, Vinyl replied, “Remind me again, just who was slapped with community service?”

The cellist had no comeback for that one, and instead, decided to appeal to her in a way that she could understand.. “Just... do not call her names like that. As her tutor, it reflects poorly on me as well, and my reputation will suffer as a result.”

Vinyl held up her hands in defeat. “Alright, alright, I'll stop with the criminale nicknames.” As she lifted her cup to her lips to take another sip, she muttered, “Doesn't mean I'll stop with all the nicknames, though.” She looked around the stage again, taking note of the enormous tower speakers as tall as three ponies standing on one another's shoulders and nodded her approval. “Nnniiiccce... I wish I had these babies in the clubs I perform in. I bet when I drop the bass it'll sound like I'm dropping a bomb.”

“Yes, I believe these will be adequate to your needs,” Octavia agreed, taking in the monolithic structures.

“Adequate?” Vinyl replied, shocked. “My Dear, you are the undisputed master of the understatement. We are going to knock their fillings loose tonight.”

Octavia made a shooing gesture at her. “Yes, yes, very nice. Now go unpack your gear before I have Twilight do it for you. She has almost finished setting up the wiring and-”

At that moment, Twilight walked from backstage, covered in dust and grime and dropped out of sight under the deejay booth. “Speak of the nightmare. There is your assistant,” Octavia said. She gave the unicorn a gentle push and added, “Now, go play nice with her; I still have too much to do, and too little time in which to do it.”

Vinyl grinned at her as she walked backwards toward the booth. “Hey, it's me!”

“That is precisely what worries me,” the cellist said under her breath.

Walking around the booth on the dais, Vinyl was surprised when a young voice emerged from behind it. “Mind your step, please. I have these wires precisely laid out, and I am told that their owner is very particular about their layout.”

Vinyl hopped up on the dais and leaned over the booth, looking down at the filly upside down. “Would you perhaps say that she's a hard ass about it?”

Twilight looked up at the unicorn above her and shrugged. “I wouldn't for several reasons.”

“And those would be?”

Finally getting the wire stuffed under the rubber raceway and leaving enough slack to run up to the booth's work surface, Twilight looked up for the first time. “First of all, I don't know her; I only know that she is very particular about this aspect of her work, despite being an utter slob when it comes to storing the cables. Secondly, while I cannot condone how she treats her equipment in storage, I can sympathize with her desire for it to be treated in a particular manner, even, no especially by others. Thirdly, she has a system for this, which is something I can respect. Fourthly, when one is in charge, they have the right to be particular.”

To say that Vinyl was surprised would be a gross mischaracterization; more so that the surprise was a pleasant one. Her smile evolved into a grin and she offered a hand to the filly. “Name's Vinyl. I happen to be the utter slob who owns that equipment.”

Shaking the offered hand, Twilight replied, “Twilight Sparkle. I'll be assisting you and Octavia today and tomorrow.”

Still holding the hand, Vinyl hopped over the booth and helped the filly to her hooves. “I like your 'tude, kid. You don't back down, even after learning you just insulted the pony who can make your punishment worse. Come on, I'll show you how to work a turntable; maybe offset some of that snooty violin learning Octy's stuffed into your noggin.”

As she was dragged backstage, Twilight muttered under her breath, ”Octy?”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Twilight was fascinated. After helping to set up the equipment in the deejay booth and learning what the symbols on the wire tags meant, Vinyl showed her how she mixed and created her music on the fly. The smaller filly watched with rapt attention as a familiar song was twisted into something new and different. When the song was over, she asked, “Don't the artists get mad at you for changing their songs?”

Vinyl shrugged as she fiddled with the controls of her main mixing board. “Enh. Some do, but most are just happy to know that their song inspired somepony to do something fresh with it. Most understand that up and coming talent needs to start somewhere, and like they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Some though... Some never go through all this; never suffer for their art, have to scrape a living from working clubs, never blow out their hearing from standing next to speakers blaring out music at a hundred-twenty Doseybells for hours on end. Either that, or they forget.”

Her attention solely on the distortion knob with which she was playing, Twilight replied, “Maybe some are just scared of losing their success because somepony did something with their music that they never thought of, and became bigger than them. Scared of being forgotten.”

The deejay considered this for a moment. “You know, I think you may have a point. Success is a fickle thing, especially in the music industry. What's burning up the charts one day, can be cast aside faster than you can say, 'where's my fifteen minutes?'” She sighed and took the record from the turntable. “It's a musician's greatest fear; becoming old hat before you even have a chance to make a name for yourself. I can see how someone could be afraid of another pony capitalizing on their hard work and becoming more successful with it.” She then smiled and shifted emotional gears so fast, you could almost hear her mental clutch grinding. “But that's a concern for the future! You have to rule your fears-”

“Or they'll rule you,” Twilight finished for her. She smiled as she added, “Page twenty-one of Proverbs from a Platinum Princess.”

Vinyl returned her smile and ruffled her mane. “Alright, smartypants. You seem how I mix my kind of music, let's see what you can do with it.”

Selecting a disk from the milk crate of records, Twilight placed it on the turntable and fiddled with some distortion and preset knobs before setting down the needle. As she worked the soundboard, twisting this, turning that, and fiddling with the other, she came up with something that had the deejay nodding her head in approval. Just as the filly was really settling into her groove, Vinyl carefully and expertly pulled the needle away without scratching the record. “Not bad, Sport; not bad at all. But, I need to see the lighting director about the visual part of the show.”

Twilight's eyes shone with excitement. “May I come as well? I have some ideas based on what I saw of the song lineup. I'll need to see what equipment we have in order to make sure that they're even feasible, or if I'll have to cast some light spells and illusions.”

Vinyl clapped her hard on the back. “I knew I liked you for a good reason, kid. Let's go see a pony about some lights.”

As she lead the filly away, Octavia watched the two of them with a smile. I knew they would get along famously if she just gave her a chance. Though she was indeed very happy that they had become friendly with one another, if not friends, she still could not help but feel a stab of worry for her fillyfriend and her future- their future together.

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*(“)(“)

There was a definite tang of anxiety in the air as the musicians put the finishing touches on their clothes and a last bit of polish on their instruments. Stagehands bustled back and forth in such a hurry that they would have caused several collisions, had they not been so practiced at this organized chaos. Everyone deftly dodged each other as well as more static obstacles such as cords laying on the ground, the odd crate or unattended musical instrument. Light and sound ponies were performing their final checks while ushers patrolled the audience seating area, looking for any trash that may have blown into the open amphitheater since they had last performed this check an hour ago.

Through it all, Octavia stood on one of Vinyl's empty equipment crates, directing everyone and solving those minor crises which always seemed to arise at the last minute before the curtain rose. “No, Milquetoast, I do not care what she said, you will not stand beside her with a fan and bowl of peeled grapes throughout the performance! Now go tend to your instrument. If it is not properly tuned before curtain call, I will make sure that you and Prima Donna do not receive the extra credit for this performance!” Looking over to an out of the way spot where several ponies lounged and leered at several mares who were putting the final touches to their evening wear, She shouted, “You four!Go do your jobs! If you are done with those, then go help the ushers! MOVE!” Her roar sent the skivers running for the relative safety of the audience seating, but not before two of them tripped over each other in their haste.

“Octy!”

Looking down, the cellist saw Vinyl, who was dressed in her best club gear, which consisted of a black, felt jacket which under a blacklight, turned into a riot of colors and shapes that was simultaneously eye-catching and blinding, a black vinyl skirt, and a black tank top which contained a LED array which lit up in time with ambient music when turned on. All of this was accented with glowsticks and glow in the dark jewelry, and contrasted sharply with her stark white coat and electric blue mane and tail. By contrast, Octavia's red, sequined dress was a study in disparity to Vinyl's outrageous clothes, despite the scandalously long slit up one side that went so high, it was plain to anyone that if she was wearing panties, they would have to be a G-string. She glared down at the deejay from her perch and said, “What!”

Vinyl's horn lit up, and her sky blue magical aura surrounded the irate earth pony before taking her off of the crate and gently setting her down on the floor. “You're making everypony even more nervous than they already are with your barking orders like a diamond dog. Chill out while we all still have a nerve to jump on.”

Octavia pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “Vinyl, I just- I- We'll talk about that later. Are you ready for your part?”

Pulling out Twilight, who had been hiding behind her, Vinyl replied, “I am, thanks to this little genius. I don't know where you found her, but I'm keeping her. She's given me more ideas for my shows today than I've had in the last six months.” She hugged the filly from behind possessively, as if she would refuse to let her go home.

Octavia smiled and bent over at the waist to bring her eye level with the younger unicorn, unintentionally giving her a front row view of her generous cleavage. “I am glad to hear that. Thank you, Twilight. I knew I could rely on you to help make this show a success.” She leaned forward, and planted a friendly kiss on her cheek.

Twilight felt her whole body heat up as she blushed. She tried to say something clever, or at least something that wouldn't make her look like a fool, but all the came out was indistinct mumbling.

Straightening up again, Octavia said, “I am ecstatic that you two are bonding, but she does have a home already. You shall have to take it up with her parents if you wish to 'keep her', as it were. In the meantime, we have a show to put on, and Twilight needs to take her place in the control booth. The additions she has made to the visual aspect of the show will require her presence there.”

“Sheesh, Octy. Could you possibly sound any stuffier?” Vinyl asked, rolling her eyes. She looked down at Twilight who was still trapped in her embrace and said, “We know what we're doing, right, Twi?” Getting only another mumble in reply, she smiled at her. “See? Now get to your post, soldier! We're on in fifteen!”

Still blushing from the kiss as well as seeing Octavia in the stunning dress, Twilight wasted no time in running off to the control booth. Octavia arched an eyebrow at her fillyfriend. “You realize that if you have turned her away from learning the violin, I shall have some rather strong words for you.”

Vinyl looked down at her watch and said, “Well, would you look at the time! I better go do a final sound check. See yah!” She then turned tail and ran to get away from the cellist's deadly glare.

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( . .)
*(“)(“)

Fancy Pants looked out at the audience from his seat and smiled. “I say, father. It was worth donating to these concerts, just to see the looks of excitement on these children's faces.”

Nodding at his son, Posh Fabric replied, “Indeed. From what I've heard, this... disk jockey is quite popular amongst the clubs. If anypony can show these young folk that there's more to classical music than stuffy old ponies wearing smoking jackets discussing the finer points of a good golf swing, it is she.”

A flash of pink mane in the audience caught Fancy Pants' attention, and he couldn't help but stare at a lovely unicorn filly on the cusp of blooming into full marehood. Posh Fabric noticed this and leaned over to whisper into his ear, “Of course, if one can manage to make some connections, then any function could be said to be a success.” Nudging him with an elbow, he added, “Go on, son. I'll be here until the end of the concert.”

With a slight blush, Fancy Pants got up and walked over to the filly, who was sitting amongst her friends. Posh Fabric turned back to the stage. Ah, to be that young again...

Just then, the house lights dimmed, and the curtain opened to reveal the orchestra already in their seats, an unusual occurrence. The circumstance was even odder, as the stage was only dimly lit, affording only a silhouette view of the performers at best. Behind the orchestra stood the largest speakers anypony in the audience had ever seen, and in the middle stood the deejay booth, festooned with glowsticks which glowed their neon colors. Smoke filled the stage, and the assembled concertgoers grew silent in anticipation.

As the first beats of the music started up, laser beams of all colors sprouted from the booth and out into the audience, blinking on and off in time to the music, as if the music was plucked of the beams. By the time the string instruments started in, most of the gathering was on their hooves, loudly cheering.

The blacklights turned on, flooding the stage with eerie, ghost-like apparitions of ponies playing their instruments, all led by the deejay in the center, who worked her turntables like a mare possessed. The smoke moved out into the audience, dispersed enough to see through, but cohesive enough to become a screen onto which the lasers projected vague images of dancing ponies. The younger members of the crowd seemed to take this as a signal to dance, themselves.

Some of the adults in the audience were affronted by this display of youthful frivolity, but Posh seemed more pleased than ever. While he was smart enough to realize that he was far too old and out of shape to join them, he was both amused by their antics and pleased that he had helped to bring this small bit of joy to them.

By the end of the two hour concert, every pony present (the disapproving and haughty elite had long since abandoned the field) was exhausted, but more than pleased with the evening's events. While the crowd filed out of the amphitheater, the performers gathered backstage, sweaty, but all smiles.

Posh Walked up to Octavia and Vinyl and bowed to them both. “A splendid performance! I daresay that if you all are willing, I'd like to sponsor many more of these concerts in the future. What say you?”

Both fillies grinned wide, but Octavia was the only one to return the bow; Vinyl simply grabbed his hand and pumped it vigorously. “You got it, pal!” she happily exclaimed.

“What my friend here means to say, is that we would be more than happy to finish out the concert season,” Octavia said, bumping hips with the eager unicorn, causing her to drop the hand. “Once the new school year starts next year, we will both have graduated and moved on to higher education.”

Clapping his hands together excitedly, Posh replied, “Well then, I better make use of your services while I can. I'll have my major domo get in contact with you to hammer out the details. Until then, I bid you ladies good night.” He bowed to them once more before taking his leave.

Vinyl jumped atop a crate and shouted, “Did you all hear that? We're booked for the rest of the school year!” Cheers and whistles greeted her statement as she jumped down again and straight into Octavia's arms. The two kissed, ignoring the catcalls from the gathered ponies, still riding the high from an outstanding and successful performance.

Unseen by anyone else, a teary-eyed Twilight Sparkle ran from the backstage and out the amphitheater.

Author's Note

Sorry this one took so long. I'm still settling into my new job, and the scheduling is very tenuous. Hopefully, it will sort itself out soon.

Chapter 8: Acciaccato

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 8: Acciaccato

The garden in the palace courtyard was always peaceful, but at night, it took on an almost ethereal quality. With the noisome birds chirping replaced with the much quieter chirping of crickets, frogs and other night creatures, it was certainly more soothing on the ears. The cooling night air created a small bank of fog that slowly spread from the pond in the center after a long, warm day, which was lit from above by the ghostly moon as it slowly traced its path across the night sky.

Celestia gazed up at the heavenly body, the sharp pain in her chest, having long since turned into a dull ache whenever she thought about her sister trapped there, which averaged to around only a few dozen times a day, rather than constantly. She sat on the carved, stone bench, letting the chill mist collect on her coat, heedless of the effect it was having on her silk dress. Besides, the chill her physical form felt was as nothing compared to the chill she felt in her heart. A stray lock of her rainbow-hued mane crossed her field of vision, temporarily blocking her view of her sister's prison, and as she brushed it out of the way with a delicate hand, her preternaturally sharp hearing perked at the distinct PLOP sound of a small stone dropping into the pond on the opposite shore.

Who could that be? The guards and the gardeners both know better than to do that, so that only really leaves... Rising to her hooves, she gave a single flap of her enormous wings, and hopped over the twenty hoof wide pond, landing on the shore where the noise originated. She knew she shouldn't be, but the alicorn was surprised to find no one there. Looking down, she noticed a patch of grass that had been tamped down and clear of dew as if someone had been recently sitting there, and a small patch of bare earth where a stone might have once been. Raising her glance to the bushes, she noted one that was also devoid of dew. Looking directly at it, she calmly said, “Come on out, Twilight. I know you're there.”

A dirty, damp, and dejected unicorn filly slowly stood and walked out from behind the lilac bush, refusing to meet her gaze. “Sorry, Princess. I didn't mean to disturb you.”

Celestia kneeled, then sat on the grass, heedless of the rising damp soaking into her dress, and of the grass that was no doubt staining the white silk, and patted the ground next to her, where Twilight had recently been sitting. “Come sit with me, Twilight. Tell me what's wrong.”

Instead of doing as asked, Twilight looked away, towards the palace, where warmer rooms awaited. “I- i- it's alright, Princess. I've already disturbed you too much lately.”

“What disturbs me,” Celestia replied with a stern, but concerned voice, “is seeing my Faithful Student so disturbed. Come. I may not always be able to help, but I will always be here to listen to you. Sometimes, all you need is for somepony to hear about your problems in order to alleviate them,” she said, patting the ground beside her once more.

Twilight bit her lower lip, debating whether or not to do as asked. In the end, the internal struggle was pointless, as she had always, and would always continue to do as her mentor asked. Using her hands to hold her skirt tight against her rear, she sat down in the grass with her knees up and her arms resting on them. She still refused to even look in Celestia's direction, even when the monarch brushed at her mane so that she could have an unrestricted view of her profile. They sat there in silence for several minutes until Twilight shattered the peace by asking, “Have you ever been in lo- er... you know.?”

“Love may be a four-letter word, but I don't object to its use in my presence,” Celestia said, which brought a twitch of a smile to Twilight's face. After another moment of silence with no sign of a follow up, she asked, “I take it, something happened between you and a pony for whom you have strong feelings?”

With a shrug, Twilight answered, “I... I guess... It's not like I told her how I feel or anything, I just...” In a fit of frustration, the filly started banging her fists against her head with alarming force. “I'm so stupid! Of course she already has a fillyfriend! How could she not? She's so incredible, and I'm just a stupid, silly, little foal! What could she possibly see in me! Even her fillyfriend is an incredible musician!”

Celestia grabbed her wrists, but not before bruises had formed on Twilight's head and her palms cut up by her own nails. “Look at me, Twilight! LOOK AT ME!” She only used a small portion of the Royal Canterlot Voice, but it had the desired effect. “You are not silly, and you are certainly not stupid! You are a brilliant, sensitive filly, and it has been my pleasure and honor to be your mentor and friend.”

Twilight sagged into Celestia's embrace, crying into her chest. “Why couldn't it have been me? Why did it have to turn out this way? It hurts so much; why does it have to hurt so much, Celestia?”

The alicorn cuddled the tiny filly. “I wish I could take away the pain, Twilight, but this is just one of the dangers of love. When you leave yourself open to the joys, it also exposes your sensitive heart to pain as well.”

Twilight pushed herself away and ran a few steps before stopping. Without turning back, she wiped at her nose with her sleeve and quietly said, “If that's the price, then it's too high for me. I want nothing more to do with it.”

Before Celestia could stand, the filly had already ran inside the palace, leaving the monarch alone in the suddenly chillier night air. “Oh, Twilight.”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Spike knocked on the door before opening it. “Twi? Time to get up, or you'll be late for your last day of community service.”

An exhausted and disheveled Twilight sat up, still dressed in the dirty clothes she wore yesterday, and with her mane sticking up everywhere, making her look like she had just had a good, long fancy-kiss with a light socket. Her expression was even more tired than one would usually see after a late night study session, and the dried tracks on her face and red, puffy eyes left little doubt what had kept her up late. Stifling a yawn, she said, “I'm up, Spike.” The unicorn seriously considered playing sick, but that would just mean having to face The Princess again that much sooner. Still, I wonder what I'm going to do about O- Miss Octavia. I'm not entirely sure I can face her without bursting into tears, and that's the last thing she needs right now, a weepy foal getting underhoof mooning over her. I dunno, maybe I can get her to let me do something far away from her without making it seem like I hate her now.

Twilight trudged over to the bathroom, and almost gave a snort of laughter at the wreck that stared back at her from the mirror. Should I bother with a shower? I really don't feel like it, but... I suppose I'd better. Everything I do reflects on The Princess, and I don't want to bring her any more trouble than I already have. Besides, that rat's nest will be easier to tame wet than dry. That decided, she reluctantly brushed her teeth and got into the shower.

Showered and dressed, the filly quietly ate her breakfast with Spike, who was eying her curiously. I wonder what happened this time? She's already talked to The Princess about what Honeyed Words was doing, and got that sorted out. Maybe I should talk to The Princess again? Spike chewed thoughtfully on his breakfast, crushing the gems to a powder before swallowing. “So, how did the concert go last night? You just went to bed after getting home, and I'm curious.”

“Fine.”

Spike watched her push around her cold ceral with a spoon without actually eating any. “Fine, the concert went fine, or fine, you'll tell me, fine?”

“Went off without a hitch. Big success. Read the paper.”

Her mood was beginning to creep out the little dragon, but he persisted in trying to draw her out of her funk. “So, should I get the usual five copies for scrapbooks, and one to keep on file?”

With a ear-shattering clatter, Twilight slammed her spoon into the bowl of uneaten food and stood, her chair falling over backwards. “Do what you want. I'm going.”

The baby dragon flinched as she slammed the door shut, indicating her departure. He sat alone at the table, his stomach twisting into knots which turned the taste of his gems to ashes in his mouth. Tears streamed down his cheeks unbidden, watering down his half-full bowl of Ruby-Ohs.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

I shouldn't have shouted at him. He didn't deserve that. Twilight smartly rapped her knuckles against her head, the pain doing nothing to ease the ache in her chest. What is wrong with me? First The Princess, now Spike? Who's next, Mom? Dad? Shiny? She walked out of the palace, not even acknowledging the guards who saluted her, much to their surprise. Twilight was unfailingly polite to them, and this was a first, causing them to glance at each other without turning their heads.

She fairly stalked down the street, head down, and her mind in her own little world. The one time she looked up, she saw a couple sitting on a bench and being annoyingly twee, feeding one another sips from the same cup of steaming coffee. The sight brought out so many emotions within her, she immediately looked down at the sidewalk so that she would not do something she would later regret.

Spotting a can laying on the sidewalk, Twilight felt all the anger rushing up at once. Her horn lit up, sending a surge of magical energy into her leg muscles, and she kicked the can, sending it flying over a three-story building and out of sight. She was even more annoyed with herself over losing her temper when the tiny bit of violence did nothing to alleviate the bed feelings building up within her. With a grumble, she turned the corner and continued her trip to the amphitheater.

Unbeknownst to her, the can landed in an alley, knocking over a trashcan, startling a cat. Spooked, the cat ran out into the street, darting in front of a rickshaw carriage. The earth pony pulling the carriage, not wanting to run over the poor beast, tried to stop, but unfortunately, the cobblestone street was still slick with the early morning dew. As he slid, one of his hooves slipped into a gap between two stones, causing him to pivot and swing the carriage around. Sadly, the carriage was not made for these types of maneuvers, and tipped over onto its side, sliding the rest of the way down the street to the middle of the intersection.

Luckily, everypony else was able to stop, preventing a multi-vehicle pileup... until a large wagon being pulled by a team of four earth ponies entered the picture. These four were experts at their trade, and even on a bad day, were able to stop on a bit with an empty wagon and give change. With a full wagon, there might be less change, but they were still very good at their job. Regrettably, this was not the most ideal of days. Not only was the road slick, the intersection was on the down slope of a steep hill, and Bale Lift, one of the four ponies, wasn't feeling his best, only just now recovering from a bad bout of pneumonia well enough to return to work. Even worse, their wagon was not empty, but filled (overfilled, really) with almost seventy barrels of Equestria's finest molasses. To their credit, Bale Lift and his compatriots did a remarkable job, but inertia was just not on their side this day.

“Clear the way! Runaway wagon!” Barge Tote shouted from his position at the front of the wagon. He, along with his three coworkers, dug their hooves in, but knew that it would a be a futile attempt, even as they tried to save their cargo. Ponies leaped out of their path, dragging along those who were either too stunned or unable to run, leaving the abandoned carriage in the middle of the intersection. The four stevedores knew that there wouldn't be time to safely turn their wagon, but stubbornness held them from deserting their cargo until the last moment, when all four leapt free of their harnesses, allowing it to collide with the carriage, with predictable results.

The much heavier wagon smashed the rickshaw to splinters, but not without sustaining damage of its own. The front wheels collapsed under the weight of the overloaded cargo and the stress fractures sustained from the collision. Being only secured with ropes (and in insufficient numbers at that), the nearly seventy barrels slipped loose, causing a cascade of Equestria's finest molasses to roll down the street. Some smashed into other obstacles, coating it and anything (or anyone) nearby in sweet, sticky syrup. Regrettably, most of the barrels made it past the obstacles, only to fetch up against Madam Poppy's Popcorn Emporium and Professor Carver's Peanut Palace (the two, being longtime rivals in the snack food industry), smashing through their huge picture windows, just as Twilight was walking past.

Despite her funk, Twilight's bully alert spell (really, just a repurposed proximity alarm spell) warned her of the incoming danger, and as she turned, she threw up an instinctive shield spell, which smashed the barrel in front of her, coating the shield with the dark syrup, while leaving her with only a few drops to mar her clothes and coat.

The rest of the barrels smashed through the two shops like the proverbial bull in a porcelain shop. Thick oak staves splintered, kettles of popcorn erupted, and tubs of peanuts exploded under the assault, sending contents of all three everywhere, coating both customers inside the stores, and the many pedestrians without. One such individual affected was Twilight Sparkle, who, though she was able to protect herself from the front, had neglected to erect a full-body shield, and was thus covered from the rear in a molasses/popcorn/peanut mixture.

It was about then that the birds showed up.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

I don't believe it. I saw it with my own two eyes, and I still don't believe it. Despite having seen similar events in the past, Plain Sight was at a loss for words. It was all too fast for her to signal for help, but perhaps she could help mitigate some of the damage before it spread too far. She had her work cut out for her this time.

Ponies ran higgledy-piggledy through the streets, trying to avoid the flock of migrating swallows that had been on their way south for the winter which had stopped to rest in Canterlot as they did every autumn. The swallows were pleasantly surprised at the banquet laid out for them by the kind ponies, though they really wished that they had used a simpler distribution method than attaching the food to themselves, but then, who were they to complain? Free food, was free food, after all.

Plain Sight silently signaled to her subordinates to help calm the ponies while she tried to open a fire hydrant in order to wash off the molasses from them. Looking around, she spotted a carriage and kicked open the utility trunk. Inside, she found what she was looking for, and pulled out a star wrench. Walking back to the hydrant, she jammed it onto the nut with enough force to cold-weld them together. With a grunt, she turned the wrench, opening the hydrant, flooding the street with a geyser of water. Several ponies saw this, and eagerly ran to the torrent to wash off.

Unfortunately, this particular disaster wasn't quite through, as an enclosed wagon being hauled by a single pony turned down that same street with a downhill slope. In his defense, he did try to stop when he caught sight of the catastrophe, but the street, now being covered in molasses that was being washed away by the water from the hydrant, was far too slick, even for his regulation rubber shoes. When he tried to apply the brakes, he simply skidded sideways, crashing into a light pole, releasing his own precious cargo.

Headed to the zoo after being confined to quarantine for the requisite two weeks, cages of ring-tailed lemurs split open, allowing their occupants to run free. Having been forced to subsist for those two weeks on nothing but bland kibble and water, the lemurs immediately went for the peanuts and popcorn after the first whiff. Needless to say, the swallows weren't too happy about sharing their free meal, and made sure the lemurs knew that they were going to have to fight for every scrap.

Plain Sight looked down the street to see Twilight trying to help ponies, despite being dive-bombed by birds herself. Sadly, she was preoccupied helping an elderly mare to her hooves on the slippery sidewalk while defending them both from the swallows, and did not see the oncoming horde of hungry lemurs. The first one that leaped onto her leg caused her to let out a startled yelp. She looked down, and tried to shoo it away as it picked peanuts and popcorn off her sticky coat, so she was surprised again as the mare beside her screamed and hobbled away. Twilight looked up at her, then down the street and saw the troop of primates hopping her way just as they bowled her over, knocking her backwards into the popcorn emporium with a surprised yip.

With a groan, Plain Sight facepalmed. The paperwork today promised to be humongous.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

It was over two hours later when Twilight finally staggered through the amphitheater and up to Octavia, who was directing ponies again from the audience seating area. “Sorry I'm late,” she mumbled before collapsing onto the hard, cement bench.

Octavia turned, relief apparent on her face. “There you are! I was getting worried- Light! What happened to you?”

Twilight knew that she looked a fright. Her clothes were still damp in places and disheveled, her mane and tail looked more like a rat's nest than their usually carefully groomed selves, and she was obviously exhausted. She shook her head. “You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Suffice it to say that there was an accident on my way over, and I ended up trying to help clean it up. Nopony was hurt, though I'm sure the zoo will be upset that they're going to be short a lemur or two.”

Flabbergasted, Octavia stood there for a moment with her mouth hanging open. “I have no response to that,” she said after trying several times to process what she had said. With a shake of her head, she asked, “Are you alright? Do you need to rest for a bit?”

With a yawn and a dismissive wave of her hand, Twilight replied, “No, I'll be fine You need me, and I'm here. I'll manage. Do you want me to get started setting up the wiring again?” she asked as she stood up once more.

“Actually, I have something else that needs your attention,” the cellist said. “Vinyl and I noticed last night that there was a very slight hiss coming from one of the speakers. Since you know your way around a bolt meter and electronics, would you mind taking a look? You should find a box of equipment in the trap room under the stage.”

Nodding, Twilight ambled off. “Alright. I'm on it.”

“She looks like six kilotrots of bad road.”

Octavia turned to see Vinyl walking up to her. “The poor thing had a rough morning, from the sound of it.”

Vinyl smirked and rested a hand on her hip. “Is that why you gave her something easy and out of the way, or didn't ask where she disappeared to last night?”

Looking down at her clipboard which held her checklist, she shrugged, a gesture not commonly attributed to the prim and proper filly. “Partly. Her bodyguard informed me last night that she had to leave suddenly on some business with The Princess, so that was never really a mystery to me. You would have remembered that yourself, had you not chosen to over-indulge at the after party.”

“Well, somepony has to make up for little Miss Sobriety,” Vinyl replied, swinging a light punch at her fillyfriend's arm, but missing entirely, causing her to stumble. The violent move caused a stab of pain in her head, and held onto it, moaning. “Oog. Never again, Tequila. You're just not worth it the next day.”

Octavia smirked at the filly's self-inflicted pain. “You know very well that I partake; I just choose not to do so to the same extreme as you. One of us has to have the common sense in the relationship.”

The deejay wrapped her arms around Octavia's neck, drawing them both close. “Ooo... relationship. Was that an invitation to do the relations part of the word?”

Gently pushing her away, Octavia answered, “Honestly, you are as bad as any colt I have ever met. Now go finish setting up your booth or I shall assign Butterhooves the pleasure of doing it. Remember the last time he touched anything electronic?”

“Alright, alright, I'm going. No need to threaten my gear. It's never done anything to you,” Vinyl said with a smile as she backed away, returning to her work.

Octavia returned her attention to the checklist. “Now then, where were we?” As she worked, she couldn't help but wonder why Twilight had not even tried to meet her gaze this morning.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

“It seems like the concert is going even better than it was last night.” Spotlight said, looking over at her sullen companion.

Twilight gave a grunt and a nod, but otherwise kept her attention on the stage.

Undeterred, she plowed on, determined to see the filly smile like she did the night before. “Are those new illusions you're putting out there? The look pretty complex.”

Another grunt and nod.

They worked in silence a few more minutes before she asked, “So are you coming to the after party tonight? You were missed last time. Vinyl wanted to show off her new protégé, and got all depressed when you never showed.”

“Can't. Too much studying to do.”

Well, at least I got her to talk. “That's a shame. Still, you know that too much studying and not enjoying yourself just leads to over stressing yourself. You need to let down your mane; live a little. You don't want to burnout this early.” Spotlight glanced at the filly sideways, noting that she seemed angry all of a sudden.

“I'm fine. Thanks for your concern,” Twilight replied through clenched teeth.

Spotlight shrugged and returned her attention to the lighting board. Though the show was fairly simple as far as her own job went, she still needed to pay attention. I thought we had connected yesterday. Ah, well. Can't be friends with everyone, I guess.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Twilight stared at the violin resting in the open case on the chair cross the room. From her reclined position on her bed, she could see that it wasn't settled in the case properly, perhaps because of the tin of liniment she had stowed in the small compartment. I really should put it away properly before it collects dust or gets damaged. It is The Princess', after all.

Despite her determination to do just that, she remained laying on her bed, thinking about all the reasons why she should do it, but could not find the will to actually do it. The concert had gone even better than the previous night, but Twilight was just left feeling empty inside. Sure, there was a tinge of sadness, and even a little bit of resignation, but other than that, she really felt nothing of significance. Joy, anger, frustration, all of it was just... not there.

She turned over onto her side so she wouldn't have to look at the instrument any longer. I suppose I should just go to bed. I do have school tomorrow. A deep sigh let the empty room know what she thought about that idea. Silence filled the room, until she heard the doorbell to the apartment ring. The unicorn was glad she was already facing away from her bedroom door. Maybe if I feign sleep, whoever it was will go away?

She heard Spike answer the door, despite the lateness of the hour. Had the apartment not been situated within the palace walls, she would have some choice words for him answering it at all, let alone this late. Her bedroom door was sufficiently thick enough to mute the conversation was no doubt going on. Just judging by the length it had gone on already, she could tell that there would soon be another knock at her inner door. In preparation to rebuff any advances, Twilight reached behind her with her magic and pulled the blanket over her like she was asleep.

Sure enough, there came a timid knock at the door. “Twi? You awake?”

Spike's voice was obviously nervous, and the way he almost whispered the question made her think that he was perhaps hoping that she was asleep, so he wouldn't have to confront her again. A sharp pain in her heart grew like an icicle stabbing her vital organ at the thought of the poor dragon even thinking that she didn't want him around, but still, she remained silent.

The ruse did not work, however, as the door burst open, with a voice calling out, “You can't let her wallow around, Spike! You gotta be tough, like this!”

Twilight sat up, the angry expression on her face at the interruption fading as she finally saw the owner of the voice. “Cady? What are you doing here?”

Cadance flounced down on the edge of the bed, her smile lifting Twilight's spirits just a little. “How can I not be here, when my favorite filly needs the best foalsitter in the world?”

Author's Note

Don't be too hard on Twilight, folks. The teenage years plays havoc with one's emotions, causing one to often lash out in ways that one never means.

On a lighter note, how did you like my first attempt at actually writing a Noodle Incident? I was tempted to leave it at "Then the birds came", but I knew it wasn't enough. I racked my brains for a way to make it even more outrageous, when I thought, "Monkeys! They make everything funnier!" Then the image of a troop of lemurs hopping towards Twilight with the intent of feeding off the food stuck to her was just too funny to not include.

Chapter 9: Sospirando

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 9: Sospirando

Cadance was totally taken off-guard as Twilight tackled her in a hug, knocking them both off the bed. She eagerly returned the embrace, one hand gently petting the filly's mane as they lay on the floor. “Oh, my poor, poor filly. I knew I shouldn't have gone to a college so far from Canterlot. I never would have left you had I known that you would need me this badly. Forgive me?”

“I'm just so... confused, Cady. What's going on with me?” she sobbed into the alicorn's neck.

“It's called growing up, Twily,” she replied with a touch of melancholy. “Believe me, it happens to the best of us, too.” Sitting up, she set Twilight on the floor in front of her, and they sat cross-legged, facing each other. “Come on; tell me what's bothering my Ladybug.”

Twilight smiled a little at the nickname as she rubbed at the tear tracks on her cheeks. Sniffling, she said, “You remember about the music tutor I wrote you about?” Cadance nodded, and she explained the situation. The story was long and drawn out, with very little detail left out; those left unspoken being what Twilight daydreamed about Octavia, and what she did in the privacy of her room and shower. She told of how the earth pony impressed her with her skill at playing and teaching, how she got into trouble and exactly the reason for the final confrontation, Honeyed Words' punishment, her own punishment, the concert, meeting Vinyl Scratch, and finally, her discovery of their relationship. When she finished, Twilight was so emotionally exhausted, her shoulders slumped as if carrying the weight of the world.

Through it all, Cadance held her hands, tightening her grip when she felt them try to slip out so she might strike herself again, but Celestia had warned her about her new disturbing habit. “Sounds like you've had a rough couple of weeks. How are you feeling now?”

Taking a deep breath and releasing it as a sigh, she answered, “Confused. Angry. Hurt. Mostly just numb, though.” She looked into her old foalsitter's eyes, her face a mask of pain. “I just... I just want all the hurt to go away. Every time I think about her, I feel like crawling under a rock, or... doing something bad. I don't even know what I want anymore... other than to not be hurt anymore. What do I do, Cady? How do I stop feeling this way about her?”

Cadance scooted over until the two of them side-by-side, their bodies touching, and draped an arm over the distraught filly. “Your situation isn't all that unusual, Twily. I knew a filly who felt much like you do over a colt. Oh, she was so enamored with that colt; would do anything for him if he but crooked a finger.” She crooked a finger on her free hand as a demonstration in a “come here” gesture. She would spend all her allowance buying him little presents, spent all her time thinking about him, even gave him all the treats in her lunch should he ask for them. She was truly wrapped around his little finger, the poor thing.

“Then one day, she found him giving another colt a kiss. You would think the world was ending, the way she talked. She asked him why, and you know what he said?” Twilight shook her head and Cadance continued, “He said, 'I didn't know you liked me. I'm sorry, but I like colts more.' Needless to say, the filly was heartbroken, knowing that there was now no chance of becoming his fillyfriend. She felt like he had rejected her because she didn't deserve his love. From there, it was a downward spiral into misery and depression. For weeks afterward, she moped around the house, not speaking, barely eating, even skipped school.” The alicorn giggled at Twilight's gasp of horror. “One day, she woke up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She looked down at herself and saw what she had become.”

“Pathetic?” Twilight ventured after a moment of silence.

“Exactly,” Cadance agreed with a nod. “She realized that even without that colt, she was someone special, and being his fillyfriend would have only been one small aspect of that. She had much more to offer the world than just being a fillyfriend. Yes, it still hurt that he had chosen another over her, but there would be other colts, other chances at happiness. She need not- indeed, she would be doing herself and the world a disservice- were she to define herself by whom she loved; rather than how much she loved, starting with her own life, and spreading out from there.” Cadance hugged her tight again, eliciting a squeak from her. “That was also one of the happiest days of her life as that's when she got her cutie mark.”

Twilight looked up at her sadly. “She did?”

Letting go of the filly, she leaned away from her and lifted her skirt, displaying the cutie mark on her hip. “I sure did, Ladybug.”

“I thought you got your cutie mark for bringing ponies together,” Twilight asked.

Chuckling, Cadance pulled her into another sideways hug. “And how could I do that if I thought that I didn't deserve to be loved?”

Twilight looked down in thought for a moment before asking, “So, how does that relate to my... ooohhh...” There was another moment of silence before she instead asked, “What do I do, Cady? I... I still lo- love her.” Her voice caught in her throat as she stumbled over the word, and she felt a stab of pain in her heart at the thought of facing Octavia once more, though she knew it had to happen eventually.

Cadance pulled her in until she laid her head on the alicorn's chest. “Now comes the hard part; deciding what you're going to do. You can confront her with your feelings and see what she says, or you can hide your feelings and live with those unrequited feelings until the day you forget about them. As the closest thing you'll ever find to an expert on the subject, I can tell you right now that the latter has about as much chance of happening as gold spontaneously popping out of thin air; at least, not without a lot of time and separation; possibly having another take her place would help, but at this time, that seems extremely unlikely.”

“That's it? Confess, or bury my feelings? I was hoping for something a little more...”

“Helpful?” Cadance finished for her. She shook her head sadly. “Unfortunately, the heart is a very complex thing, and it's different for everypony. What works for one, would be anathema to another, or would only be partially helpful for a third. You, Twilight, are a pony of extremes. Everything is either black or white to you, with very little middle ground. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that any advice you're given has to be couched into either/or, or it will send you into a flurry of thoughts as you try to suss out just what it all boils down to. Rather than have you try to work it out on your own and possibly come to an erroneous conclusion, I thought I'd give you a little nudge in the right direction. You don't have to decide right this minute, but sometime before you see her again would be ideal.”

Twilight sighed in annoyance. “Great. That leaves just eighteen hours, forty-three minutes and twenty-two seconds to decide.”

Rolling her eyes, Cadance smiled at the filly's ability to nail it down to the second. “Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about the time. We're playing hooky tomorrow so we can get this all straightened out in time.”

Twilight recoiled in horror at the very concept presented to her so casually. “You- we can't! What will The Princess say? What if there's a pop quiz? What if there's an important announcement by the principal? What if they serve pizza for lunch?”

Cadance couldn't hold back a chuckle at the mention of Twilight's weakness for junk food. Having gone to the same school, she knew that the pizzas they served were more akin to sheets of cardboard slathered with melted cheese and tomato sauce, but they never failed to disappear faster then anything else at the cafeteria, especially when Twilight was there. “I already took the liberty of securing Auntie's permission for this... sabbatical, missing a pop quiz never flunked anyone, any announcement important enough for the principal to make to the school at large would include a flier to take home, which would be sent should you not be present to accept it, and you know as well as I do that any pizza you can find outside of the school is likely to be ten times as good as you'll find in it. Any other questions?”

“Only about a quintillion of them!” the filly rejoined.

“Those will just have to wait. For now, I think you owe a certain baby dragon an apology for this morning,” the alicorn said sternly.

Hanging her head dejectedly, Twilight nodded. “I know.” She called out, “Spike! Could you come here a moment?”

Not even a second passed until the dragon in question appeared at the door nervously. “You wanted something, Twi?”

She knew that his prompt appearance had more to do with his eavesdropping than her voice reaching wherever he was supposedly, but deigned to not mention it. “I- I wanted to apologize for this morning, and again when I came home. I was angry, but that was no excuse. I should never have taken it out on you. I'm sorry Spike. Forgive me?”

Spike ran up to her and threw his arms around her neck in a desperate hug. “I hope this means you're feeling better, now. And of course I forgive you, Twi. I don't understand what's going on, but I know it's pretty tough on you, if it turns your ordinary crabbiness into super-irradiated-mega-ultra-hyper crabbiness.”

Twilight returned the hug with a smile. “Dork,” she said.

“Nerd,” Spike replied.

“I think we can all agree that you're both geeks,” Cadance said, causing both of them to tackle her to the ground and start a tickle war.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Cadance awoke first, smiling down at the sight before her. Twilight had spooned up to her sometime during the night, holding Spike close to her own belly like some sort of stuffed animal; all three of them still dressed in their day clothes, now rumpled beyond all hope. Moving carefully so as to not disturb the softly snoring pair, she slipped out of the bed and with all the stealth of a church mouse, left on her pre-dawn errand.

As she walked through the halls with a sense of determination that a tax collector on the first of the month would envy, she thought back to the letter that had reached her by exhausted pegasus courier. Auntie, you have some 'splainin' to do.

Arriving at the door to Celestia's bedroom, she nodded at the guards posted there and said, “Cadance to see Pri-”

The stark-white stallion opened the door and stood aside. “The Princess has been expecting you, Milady.”

Arching an eyebrow at him, she slowly walked past him until she was inside the chamber and the door closed behind her with a soft CLICK. “Doing your 'mysterious precognition trick' won't save you this time, Auntie. There's an understandably very confused and scared filly under your care that may not have been so bad off had she not been punished for defending herself.”

A quiet sniffle drew the mare deeper into the room where she found Celestia sitting on the edge of her bed, a pile of used tissue at her hooves. The monarch wiped a handful of more tissue across her nose, drawing attention to the tear tracks on her face. Cadance had to resist the urge to go hug the crying mare who had been like a second mother to her, reminding herself of the sorry state in which she had found Twilight. Stopping in front of her, she stood there with her arms crossed over her chest and glared, despite wanting nothing more than to comfort her. “Alright, Auntie, what happened? How did things get this far out of your control? Was her bodyguard not doing her job or something? Whose butt do I have to kick this time?”

Drawing in a shuddering breath, Celestia shook her head, unable to voice her defense.

“We tried our best to protect her, even assembling the best bodyguard team we could train ourselves, but it just wasn't enough. Honeyed Words was just too circumspect, and too well-connected for The Princess to do more than give her a mild form of banishment.”

Cadance turned towards the balcony at the words, surprised to find Plain Sight leaning against the door frame, a grim look on her face, and wondered how long she had been there. The earth pony slammed a fist into the other side of the open door frame, splintering the wood and sending cracks racing through the glass. “ROADAPPLES! We were so close to getting something solid on her, too; I'm sure of it!” Seeing the look of bewilderment on the smaller alicorn's face, she walked forward, extending a hand. “Plain Sight, head buck-up and bodyguard to Twilight Sparkle.

Cadance gingerly took the offered hand and winced when a sharp, stabbing pain on one fingertip made her pull the hand back quickly. Looking down, she saw a splinter jutting from her digit and pulled it out.

Plain Sight smiled bitterly at her. “Sorry. Guess I shouldn't take it out on The Princess' things, but well...”

“Don't worry about it,” Cadance replied with a shake of her head. “Can you tell me about the situation and just why it blew up like it did?” Another sniffle from Celestia finally softened her heart and she sat down next to the much larger mare and took hold of her hand. Celestia gratefully squeezed it back, but offered no reply. The earth pony gave her a basic rundown of the events, and when she was finished, she asked, “So why the leniency on the bullies? Honeyed Words and Tight Rein especially needed something much harsher than mere expulsion and allowing their parents to send them to their hometown where they'll no doubt start up all over again.”

“Believe me, we know that, but unfortunately, the worst we could get her on was a single instance of bullying. The others she was using clammed up whenever we asked about her, even under threat of worse punishments.” Plain Sight sighed and pushed away from the door frame, walking over to a tea service with three cups and poured for each of them. “I'll say this much for her; she may be a bucking witch, but she does two things good: covering her tail, and intimidating others to do the same for her.”

Cadance frowned at this, a dangerous glare in her eyes. “And what about Twilight? Why was she punished, too?”

Plain Sight sighed sadly and passed them both a cup of tea. “That's the saddest part of this whole situation. Because of the damage Twilight caused when her magic spiked like it did, not to mention the glitterdust, the noble families almost to a mare are saying that she intentionally did it to harm her tormentors.”

“That's absurd! Who ever heard of using glitterdust to harm somepony?” Cadance shouted.

With a nod, Plain Sight agreed. “I know, but many of them are pretty ignorant of the workings of magic, and none them have ever forgotten what had happened when Twilight took her test to enter Celestia's school. Combine those two factors with a sycophantic loyalty to Honey's house, or a fear of them, or whatever blackmail they're holding over them, and you get almost a referendum to censure the victim. The only ones to speak out against it were Houses Twilight and Blueblood, along with a handful of allied minor nobles.” She took a sip of her tea, the warm drink bringing a sense of inner calm. “They're claiming the glitterdust was just a component to some devious spell she was getting ready to cast when she was caught by the teachers, who, upon seeing it was her, covered it up as best they could.”

Cadance looked like she had just tasted something foul. “Of all the... Ugh!” Her look of disgust softened a bit, but morphed into a mask of anger which she aimed at the bodyguard. “And what about you? What have you been doing to prevent a situation like from arising in the first place?”

Plain Sight's face tightened into a textbook example of rage before she schooled it into mere disdain. “What I have been doing was my job. Since I took on this charge, I have stopped no less than three hundred and twelve instances of bullying, deterred eighty-three attempted fights involving her, rooted out an even fifty noble plants intent on harming her in some way, and stopped seven assassination attempts. This is of course, aside from the three hundred eighteen accidents that seem to crop up around her, whether through her fault or not, including a hundred and sixty-two of which involving paparazzi, six international incidents,and a single instance of an invasion by rats of unusual size from the sewers. Where have you been for the past three years?” She yelled the last question, crushing the fine porcelain cup in her hand, sending shards and tea to the fine rug below.

“I was at college in Manehattan, thinking that she would be safe enough in her bodyguard's hands, but obviously, I-”

Celestia stopped the younger alicorn with a hand on her shoulder. “Enough,” she said, though her voice, raw with recent crying, hitched slightly as if she still hadn't quite regained full control of herself yet. “Enough. Cadance, we were doing everything in our power to stop her, but none of us could have predicted that Twilight would take the matter in her own hands, not that any of us blame her. I'm sure that she felt backed into a corner by Honeyed Words, and hemmed in by a system that works against anypony that doesn't have the political clout to back up their words. In that situation, anyone would have done what they could to retaliate.”

With a sigh, Celestia slumped onto her bed, defeated. “There are times when I truly regret giving up so much of the powers My Little Ponies have bestowed upon me to rule over them. Perhaps, if the environment were a little different, I would never have to be put in the position of punishing the innocent, but I haven't had the power of High Justice for centuries.”

“I don't understand. If you no longer have the power to mete out justice personally, then why were you the one to punish her?” Cadance asked in confusion.

The monarch blew her nose and said, “They gave me an ultimatum Either I punish her as in loco parentis, or they would. Although they had absolutely no proof against her for wrongdoing, having her take the stand to defend herself, would be heartbreaking. Worse, whether they prove her innocence or guilt, her name would have been dragged through the mud and forever tarnished. This incident would have followed her for the rest of her life. This way, her record of all wrongdoing short of a capital crime would be expunged when she came of age, being that she is currently a minor.”

Cadance chewed on her thumbnail, her brow furrowed in angry thought. “Roadapples. They've really covered all their bases, haven't they?”

“Almost all of them,” Plain Sight replied with a vicious smile. Holding up a finger, she said, “Two places where they slipped up. First: Princess Celestia managed to talk them into letting her decide her punishment. If they were going to enforce that in loco parentis schtick on her, she insisted that she choose the punishment. It was only this harsh because they needed to see that Twilight was suffering, even if it wasn't the way they wanted it.” She held up another finger and said, “Secondly, they've exposed their allegiances to us.”

Quirking an eyebrow, Cadance asked, “I thought we already knew which were working against Auntie and Twilight?”

Plain Sight rolled her eyes. “Come now, as a poli-sci/psyche double major you should know that sides are constantly in flux. In fact, it's really the only constant on this field of battle.”

“And identifying the enemy is the first step in countering them,” Cadance replied with a nod.

“Precisely, my Niece,” Celestia said, leaning into the smaller mare.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

“I really don't feel right about this,” Twilight groused as she kept trying to adjust her school tie, which was safely stowed back at her apartment, along with the rest of her school uniform. Instead, she was dressed in her best casual street clothes. Not for the first time was she glad she had sent Spike off with a fistful of bits to the toy store and a guard. He would have been bored out of his skull by all the clothing stores they had visited long ago.

Cadance walked next to her, dressed similarly, a shopping bag in her hand as they walked through the nearly empty mall. “Well, get used to it, kiddo. It's happening, and there's no stopping it now. Ooo! Now that's a nice skirt!” The alicorn walked over to the Heated Matter, admiring a sleek, black miniskirt on a ponyquin.

Twilight gaped at the little bit of nothing that not only sat very low on the hips, but also only just stopped at the point where the thigh meets the rump. “Youcan't be serious! That's not a skirt, it's a very wide belt!”

“And I'm getting one!” Cadance said with a feral grin and a saucy wiggle of her eyebrows as she walked into the goth store.

With a groan, Twilight followed her into the goth store a minute later, her face turning red. Cadance was already at the counter talking to a disinterested white unicorn mare with a black mane, far too much makeup on, and far too many piercings for her liking who was doing her best to look like she was too cool for the room. “So, do you have that skirt in the window in a size four?” she asked sweetly.

Sighing as if the weight of the world was just placed squarely on her shoulders, the mare put down her tattoo magazine and walked them over to a rack, pulling out a skirt. “Here. The dressing room is over there,” she said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder.

“Thank yyyooouuu!” Cadance sang as she bounced towards the darkest corner of the shop where the dressing room lurked.

The salesclerk gave the filly the once over and snapped her gum before returning to the register, while Twilight nervously browsed the more kitschy knick-knacks that seemed to collect in stores like these. She was examining the pleather collars, shaking her head at the many different styles of spikes and studs on them when Cadance stepped out of the dressing room again, sporting the tightest, tiniest skirt, she had ever seen a pony wear.

Twirling around, the alicorn asked, “What do you think? The tailhole is a bit tight, but I really like the way it lays.” Indeed, the skirt didn't so much as “lay” as it rippled across her rear with her movements in a manner more consistent with paint than the satin fabric from which it was composed. Every time she took a step, it seemed to threaten to slide up, revealing her panties to the world, and the waistband sat so low, that the top of those undergarments were plainly visible.

The mare behind the counter glanced over the top of her magazine, then slowly laid it on the counter and sashayed over to the pink alicorn and appeared to give her a critical eye. “It's good, but it needs the right top to go with it, not to mention the right panties. For the former, I would go with a white lace bustier and a black jacket...” She looked over at another rack and pulled out a black bolero jacket made of the same shiny material as the skirt and held it in front of her. “Yes, something like this works nicely. As for the panties, I would go with black lace if you don't mind the top showing, a G-string or commando if not. Also, stockings with a garter belt are a must.”

Cadance slipped on the jacket, twisting this way and that to test out the fit. “Ooo... I likey very much. I'll take 'em.” As the mare rung up the clothes, she leaned over the counter in a position the forced her boobs out into everyone's face, and coquettishly asked, “So, do you recommend any places here for the rest of your suggestions?”

Twilight's eyes went wide at the question as well as the fact that Cadance seemed to be flirting with the salesclerk, but her mouth dropped when the mare seemed to be reciprocating the gesture and leaned close to the alicorn, their noses almost touching. “I thought you and my brother were seeing each other,” the unicorn said with a dangerous tone to her voice.

The salesclerk put a finger to her chin. “A coltfriend?” she asked thoughtfully. After a moment, she inquired with a raised, curious eyebrow, “Is he cute?”

Cadance returned to her hooves, her fists on her cocked hips and threw her a wink. “A Royal Guard. Do you think anything less could have even a chance at all this?”

“You have way too high an opinion of yourself, Cadance,” the salesclerk replied, at which, the alicorn rolled her eyes.

Twilight looked between them, understanding dawning on her face. “Wait, you two know each other?”

With a sigh, Cadance said, “Twilight, meet Careless Whisper; a friend of mine from high school, and local blabbermouth.”

Looking at the mare again with a critical eye, Twilight squinted and focused on her eyes before gasping. “Wait, I remember you. You used to come over when Cady was foalsitting me after she put me to bed.”

“Told you she'd remember me, Cady,” Careless Whisper said, holding her hand out, palm up.

Cadance put a handful of coins in it and sighed. “Yeah, yeah, rub it in. Not like it's easy to forget a pony who voluntarily wears enough makeup for an entire circus' worth of clowns,” she said with a smirk.”

“I'll have you know that it's down to a mere carnival's worth of clowns, now,” she replied as she pocketed the money, sticking out her tongue and causing both mares to break out in a case of loud giggling.

Twilight rolled her eyes at their banter. “And you always wondered how I kept waking up with you two carrying on like this on the floor below my bedroom?”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

With a nervous gulp, Twilight approached the heavy, wooden doors leading to Celestia's private parlor. The guards standing at attention on either side of it politely kept their gazes locked on a spot hovering in front of their faces somewhere on just this side of infinity, allowing the filly to collect herself.

Having been called here to discuss her punishment, she was understandably nervous, but not overly concerned that additional punishments would follow. It had long been The Princess' way to have a discussion after a punishment was completed to “clear the board” as it were so that they might start anew with a fresh understanding and perspective. Twilight had even taken to call these meetings “after-punishment reports” or even debriefings. Normally, they would have had this talk directly after the punishment was concluded, but given how she had acted towards her mentor last, Twilight was silently dreading seeing her again.

She paced in front of the doors, partly to wait for the exact moment at which she was appointed, but also to gather her thoughts and just what she would say. Come on, Sparkle! This is The Princess we're talking about. She'd forgive you anything short of treason or calling her fat. But what is if she doesn't forgive me? Or worse, what if she gives me that “I'm very disappointed in you” look? Oh, Light, I don't think I could take that look again! I actually think my heart stopped, last time! An internal alarm told her that her appointed time had arrived, and she stopped her pacing. Get a grip, Sparkle! It's do or die time. No more time for contemplation.

With a nod towards the guard on the right, she stood before the door, allowing him to open it for her. She walked in and spotted Celestia sitting on their favorite couch, a steaming pot of tea on the low table before her. “You wished to see me, Princess?”

As the guard pulled the door closed, he could hear the alicorn reply, “Yes, Twilight. It seems that there are some misconceptions I must clear between the two of us...”

Author's Note

Okay. So, after some further contemplation and some rather pointed arguments from some of my readers, I've decided to heed their advice in regards to Twilight's punishment, and not only expand on why she was punished in story, but give it a little tweak so as to not make it seem like Celestia is some colossal bitch. It's easy to forget that not all the readers will come to the same conclusions why a character will act a certain way, and that they are not privy to all the information I, the writer have, so misconceptions are sure to crop up now and then. So, for those of you who argued for this, this one's for you.

Also, that scene with Celestia, Cadance, and Plain Sight was paraphrased from a scene idea from runewalker, so if you don't like it, blame him/her.
<_<

_>
::runs off to hide::

Chapter 10: Morendo

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 10: Morendo

Beltane 23, 996 AI

Day 72 since “the Decision”. What Cady said has proven to be true. Though the pain has weakened to a dull ache, I find that ache permeating every aspect of my life. I think that had I known how much this would hurt, I might have chosen differently. Alas, too much time has passed, and looking at her now, I cannot really fault my choice. They look so happy together, that I hate to think that I might have come between them. Of course, that's assuming that I even could have seriously been a contender for the heart of ~~the fairest pony in the land~~ ~~one of~~ HER.

They invited me to another party set for next week; naturally, I declined, not that they make it easy. Vinyl is so likable and energetic, it's hard to begrudge her any happiness, yet, here I am, brooding over the mare she loves, wishing I could be her, even if just for a day. I want to be the one who holds her hand, kisses those lips, drapes an affectionate arm over her, piulling hercloseaand

My apologies. My mind tends to drift whenever I think about Octavia, and I needed a moment to collect myself. You know what I mean. As I was saying, they invited me, and I almost caved when I saw the disappointment in Octavia's eyes. I felt like I had just kicked a puppy, but I just can't stand to see the two of them together. Either one alone, I can handle; Vinyl's almost like an older cousin, and Octavia... well, she's Octavia. Separate, they're both enjoyable company; they don't even talk about each other; well, not much, anyway. Get them together, however, and it's like they become glued at the hip. They almost never cease touching each other, are constantly giving one another secret looks that one can be sure communicates something deeper than what an outsider can glean, and good grief, the giggling! One wouldn't think a pony like Octavia capable of giggling like that, but put her with Vinyl, and she turns into another mare altogether. Usually.

So, yes. I turned them down, but only just. I suppose you're wondering about that little qualifier I put at the end there, aren't you? Well, it's nothing on which I can quite place my finger, but there's an... air about them, lately. They almost seem... anxious. Whenever I ask them if something is wrong, they just laugh and brush aside my concern, but I can feel it. It's like

“Twi, you have a visitor!”

Twilight rolled her eyes as she snapped the journal shut and sent it back to its hidden subspace compartment in her room. Rolling off the bed, she landed on her hooves and straightened her skirt before walking out into the the apartment's parlor, where she found probably, the last pony she expected to see there. “Vinyl? What brings you here?”

The deejay walked over and gave her a quick hug. “Hey there, Jailbird! You got a minute to go for a walk? I need to talk to you about something sorta important.”

Checking her internal chronometer spell, Twilight noted that she still had over an hour before her usual bedtime. Nodding, she replied, “Sure. Let's go to the garden; it's usually pretty deserted this time of night.” Turning to the little dragon, she said, “Spike, get ready for bed, and lock up. I'll take my key with me so you won't have to wait up if I'm gone for too long.”

Spike grumbled as he walked off, looking disappointed.

Gesturing towards the door, Twilight said, “Shall we?”

Vinyl shook her head in amusement. “It never ceases to amaze me that you have a dragon for a baby brother. I'm an only child, so I never got to experience that, let alone with one from another species.”

“He's just like any other little brother, really,” Twilight replied with a shrug as she closed the door. “He gets underhoof sometimes, and can annoy the Hay out of me, but I really wouldn't trade him for the world.”

They talked of inconsequential things as they walked past the guards and on towards the palace gardens, the chilly night air turning their breath into a smokey cloud before them. They walked out into the garden, their hooves crunching on the browned grass until they came upon a stone bench under an arbor, far from any door, affording them a measure of privacy. Vinyl, being the forward pony she was, broached the subject of her visit first. “I came here, hoping to convince you to show up at the party next Satyrday. It would really mean a lot to us, Octy especially. She's really taken a shine to you, you know. I think you remind her of herself, or something.”

Twilight sighed as she sat down next to her and looked out over the pond. “I was afraid that was the reason for the visit. Look, I appreciate-”

“We're leaving.”

Caught off guard by the non-sequitur, Twilight asked, “Pardon?”

Vinyl sighed and took off her sunglasses that she always wore despite how dark the night became. “You know that we're seniors, right? And you know what happens after that. This may be the last chance for us to get together as friends for a long time; maybe ever. I for one, know that I'll miss having our little criminale around, and I know Octy will miss having her first student around to go all gooey over. It's not even like there'll be a lot of others at the party; just a gathering of our closest friends, most of which you already know. We... we just want to hang out one last time before graduation next month and we move on to higher education, or work, or whatever.”

Twilight had watched her throughout her spiel, honestly surprised at the obvious emotion from the older filly. The deejay even looked younger than she normally acted, keeping her gaze down at the dormant grass and her voice full of sadness. “I... I had honestly not considered that we might not be in the same city. Octavia told me about her plans for Galliard, but it sorta didn't quite register, you know? It always felt far off. I always thought you'd just stick around, doing your club gigs here in Canterlot.”

Smirking, Vinyl looked over and raised an eyebrow at her. “Twilight, you know that the club scene here in Canterlot is dead on arrival. I'm lucky if I can snag two or three hours a week at the turntables, what with all the competition, and there's all of, what, four, five nightclubs in all of Canterlot? Talk about slim pickings.”

“I'm sorry. I hadn't thought of that. What are your plans, then?” Twilight asked, chagrined at her thoughtlessness.

Vinyl shrugged, turning her attention to the pond where fireflies had started to gather. “S'alright. I don't like to talk about it much anyways; trying to avoid thinking about all the cool ponies I'm leaving behind.” She sighed and scuffed at the grass with a hoof. “SSU has a cracking good music program; not anything like the school Octy's going to, but still top rate for what I want from it. As a nice bonus, being located in Manehattan, the nightclub to deejay ratio is much more favorable over there.”

“Star Swirl U? That's... pretty ambitious, especially for a self-admitted slacker like yourself,” Twilight commented with a smirk.

The white unicorn playfully ruffled Twilight's mane. “Careful with that sarcasm. It's a dangerous weapon in inexperienced hands.”

Twilight chuckled and gently pushed away the offending hand. She was silent a moment before asking, “Wha- what are you going to do with Octavia so far away?”

“Hmm...” Vinyl said, looking to the stars. “Not sure.” Looking down at her again, she smiled and playfully punched her shoulder. “Seriously though, you should come. If nothing else, then for your favorite tutor.”

With a roll of her eyes, Twilight replied, “Fine, I'll go, but the first sign of a prank, and I'm gone. Got it?”

Vinyl held up two fingers side by side and placed her other hand over her heart. “Scout's honor.”

“You were a Filly Scout? I find that hard to believe,” Twilight said with a smirk.

With an expression of blatantly false indignation, Vinyl replied, “I'll have you know that I was in the Filly Scouts... for an afternoon... before they booted me out for sewing the den mother's uniform... to a chair... while she was wearing it.”

Twilight groaned as she shook her head in her palms.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

It was at moments like this that Twilight saw what Octavia and Vinyl meant when they talked about being lost in one's muse. It didn't happen often to her, but they assured her that if she loved the music as much as it loved her, it would happen. The violin felt almost alive in her hands as she played, the music resonating with her whole body.

Her eyes were closed, so she didn't notice when her body began moving to the music, her meager dancing skills adding to the energy of the performance. Unknowingly, her horn glowed, creating brief images of swirling snow that moved with her that disappeared before touching the floor, and a rime of frost appeared on her, giving her the appearance of an ice sculpture come to life.

Octavia shivered as a chill breeze blew past her, almost causing her to miss a note, but she managed to keep her fingers on the piano's keyboard. She looked over towards Twilight and smiled at how much her student had lost herself to the music. While relatively simple as far as her part was concerned, the song was still at the upper end of the unicorn's talents currently; though she was certain that would change if she kept at it. She glanced over towards their audience, smiling at how enraptured the princess and Twilight's family were at her performance. Her father watched with obvious pride and her mother kept dabbing at her eyes to wipe away her tears of joy. The palace guard sitting next to them smiled as he watched her, the mischievous gleam in his eyes telling her that there would be some good-natured ribbing forthcoming towards a certain little sister.

But by far, the most surprising reaction was from Celestia, herself. A wistful little smile graced her lips, while a small tear traced its way down a cheek. She could tell she was listening, but it looked like her mind was a million miles away, perhaps thinking of somepony in the past. So moved at this unexpected reaction by her idol, Octavia did miss a note, but was thankfully, able to cover it up.

The song came to an end, and Twilight opened her eyes, wondering how she had gotten so far from her original position next to the piano. Her thoughts were interrupted by the loud clapping of her four-pony audience, so she bowed low at the waist. Before she could straighten up again, she was mobbed by her parents, who both had her firmly in a group hug that was as inescapable as it was comfortable. Shining sauntered over and ruffled her mane, the only part of her he could get at. “Way to go, Book Fort. You keep adding skills to your repertoire like this, and you'll finally catch up to me.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Pfft. Pony, please; I've already surpassed you in so many things. It's only a matter of time before I overtake you in what's left.”

“I'm very proud of you, Twilight,” Celestia said with a grin. “You have gained considerable proficiency within a scant, few months, and with an instrument with which many struggle to learn. I think that it's time that you finally learn how to construct your own spells. With a foundation in music like this combined with all you have already learned, I believe it won't be long before you are designing spells that ponies will be using for many generations to come.”

Night Light and Twilight Velvet shared a nervous glance, but said nothing to the princess. Instead, they looked to Octavia, who was putting her sheet music away and closing up the piano. “Thank you so much for all your hard work. If you ever need any help from either of us, please, don't hesitate to ask,” Velvet said, beaming at the young mare.

“Oh, it was a pleasure, Milady,” Octavia replied with a bow. “Twilight is very talented. Had she not shown a greater aptitude for magic, I would be lamenting her loss to the music world. It has been a joy to have her as my first pupil. I hope that all others I teach in future are as attentive and dedicated.”

Looking at his watch, Night Light said, “Oh! We'd better get going if we're going to make our reservations at the restaurant. Are you sure we cannot convince either of you to come with us, Princess? Octavia?”

Octavia gave a sad smile and shook her head. “I am afraid not, Milord. I have a previous commitment which would be inadvisable to miss.”

Celestia smiled down at the stallion. “I believe I shall avail myself of your kind offer, but I will join you momentarily. I have a small bit of business which requires my attention first.”

With a low bow, Velvet replied, “Then, by your leave, Your Highness,” before backing out, hustling her family along.

The monarch walked over to Octavia, a placid smile on her face. “I must say that I am impressed. I had considered using one of the many professional tutors here in Canterlot, but somepony convinced me to give her the benefit of a fresher perspective. I'm glad I heeded that advice, now.”

Octavia bowed low. “As I said previously, it was both a pleasure and an honor, Your Highness. I feel that there would be more teachers if students were more like Lady Sparkle.”

“Nevertheless, you performed admirably, Miss Melody,” Celestia replied, taking out an envelope sealed with a dollop of wax bearing the Royal Seal. “I can honestly say that you've earned this bonus; a glowing letter of recommendation for whatever school you wish to attend, as well as a Royal Marker refundable at any bank for a sum of two thousand bits.”

The cellist was overwhelmed, and almost refused to take the envelope. “Oh, Princess! That's far too generous! Just the letter is more than I could have ever hoped for!”

Celestia still held the envelope out, but quirked an eyebrow at her. “You wouldn't be so gauche as to refuse a gift freely given, would you?”

“Of course not, Princess!” Octavia hastily replied, bowing once more. “It's just that I didn't really do anything special. Any moderately talented pony could have done what I did.”

“You performed a service to the crown above and beyond what was expected, and I feel that your execution is only poorly compensated with this reward.” Celestia smiled at the top of her head, which was the only part of her she could see aside from her back as the earth pony held her bow. She took hold her her chin and pulled her upright once more, placing the envelope in her weak and shaking hand. “As for your last statement, speaking as a 'moderately talented pony', I know that I would not have gotten results half this efficacious had I done it myself.”

Octavia gaped like a landed fish. “But Your Highness, I have got a record of you performing at the Canterlot Philharmonic in twenty-three! Your skill on the harp was just incredible!”

Celestia caressed the smaller earth pony's cheek, causing her to blush, even as she leaned slightly into the soft, but firm hand. “You're very kind, but I have always been a mediocre player, at best. And while I could have taught her myself, I know that it is always better to have an expert in a field teach, than somepony who looks at it as more of a hobby.”

Octavia was struck speechless at the level of familiarity from her idol, to say nothing of her admitting to being less than the very image of perfection she projected. “I...”

“I hope I haven't disappointed you too badly, My Little Pony.” She kissed the cellist's forehead and patted her on the shoulder before leaving a stunned Octavia behind.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

The very next day found Twilight trying her best to mingle among Octavia and Vinyl's friends. It wasn't that they weren't friendly towards her, but for one reason or another, she just never really “clicked” with them. Of course, they were all civil towards her, and she them, but she had always considered them to be “their friends” rather than her own.

Case in point, Spotlight, the filly with whom Twilight was currently conversing at the kitchen counter in Vinyl's apartment. She was currently in the middle of telling Twilight and Callback about an incident that had occurred in school not two days ago. “So I says to Maple, I says-”

“Excuse me Spotlight, but I need to borrow Twilight for a bit, before she has to go back home” Vinyl said with a smile. She grabbed Twilight's arm and practically dragged her away from the pair and towards her bedroom.

Spotlight shrugged and decided to continue with her story to her coltfriend as if nothing had happened. “So I says to Maple, I says...”

Twilight breathed a huge sigh of relief as the bedroom door was closed. “Thank you for the rescue. I was sure that my brain was about to commit suicide by hanging itself from my spinal cord in another minute.” She looked around, finally noticing where they stood, and blushed. Right there was the bed that she was sure that they shared, and it was still messy, as if they had just awoken, or perhaps taken a short breather between rounds. “Erm, not to sound ungrateful at the rescue, but why did you feel the need to drag me in here of all places?”

Walking in from the balcony, Octavia replied, “I assure you, your chastity is safe, Twilight. There is just a serious matter we needed to discuss with you before... before.”

Disturbed at her reticence, Twilight leaned against a dresser covered in clothes both clean and dirty as well as paraphernalia ubiquitous to clubbers and musicians everywhere. “W- what is it?”

Vinyl looked weirdly nervous, even going so far as to scratch her head as if unsure of what to do with her hands. “Er, well, you- you see...”

“What she is trying to say is that the three of us are going to be separated for a long time when we graduate next month, and we are more than a bit worried about you,” Octavia said, surprised at her fillyfriend's uncharacteristic hesitation. “That incident with the bully lead us to believe that you will withdraw further into your shell, especially since you will no doubt be pursuing higher education, increasing the opportunities for further incidents like that.” She clasped Twilight's hand in both of her own. “That would be a shame were it to happen. The world would be a far sadder place without your smile, Twilight.”

Vinyl playfully punched the unicorn in the shoulder. “Yeah. Without us around to beat up the bullies for you, we're worried you won't even bother trying to make friends.”

Octavia gently squeezed the hand in her grasp. “Please, don't let that happen, Twilight. Even if you never make a connection with them, at least try to make some friends. They will help with the loneliness and will even watch out for... unpleasantness like that.”

Stunned, Twilight replied, “I- I- I'll try.” They talked for a bit longer after that about nothing really of consequence, Twilight wanting to say so much more, but lacking the courage and ability to articulate her feelings into actual words.

After she had left, Octavia and Vinyl remained in the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed, but facing different directions, neither one wanting to look the other in the eye. After a long moment of silence, Vinyl managed to croak out the question that had been weighing so heavily on her mind. “Are we really going to do this?”

Octavia was having difficulty getting past the lump in her throat, but finally was able to get out a weak, “Yes.” Swallowing hard, she repeated herself, this time more clearly. “Yes. You know as well as I do that a relationship over that sort of distance is all but impossible to hold together. We shall practically be on opposite sides of the continent, Vinyl. We shall be lucky if we could get together once or twice a year, and letters will take weeks to cross the distance. Add on to that the sort of focus we shall need to make the most of our educations so that money will not be wasted, and it is plain that our relationship will at best have to be put on hold, if not outright ended.” She chanced a glance over at her fillyfriend, but could not bear to look at her miserable expression for too long. “It... it is not like I like this any better than you.”

“I know.”

Silence reined for many minutes as Vinyl's hand blindly sought out Octavia's. The simple contact felt like a lifeline to the ponies who felt like they were adrift an ocean of their own misery. “I know,” Vinyl repeated much quieter, squeezing the gray hand in her grasp almost painfully tight. “Of all the things to come between us, I never imagined that this would be the one that ends it.”

“It's not-” Octavia checked herself at her own words, realizing that what she was about to say would have been an outright lie. “Nor did I,” she finished lamely. She sniffled and wiped at her nose with the sleeve of her free hand. “You were always saying how uptight I am. Look at this as an opportunity to find someone more your speed; somepony with whom you can party, and will not correct your atrocious grammar, or make you clean up your apartment.”

Vinyl offered her a weak smile that went unnoticed as still neither were looking at one another. “And you can finally find a pony who doesn't drive you up the wall with her sloppiness, or draw little dicks and boobs on your sheet music, or leave a leaky glowstick in your cello case.”

Octavia finally managed a genuine, if brief chuckle. “I never could get that mess out of there. It still glows in the dark.”

Finally able to face her again, Vinyl gazed at Octavia's profile until she turned to meet her gaze. “I'll never find another like you," she whispered, her voice full of conflicting emotions.

Octavia's free hand suddenly found itself cupping Vinyl's pale cheek, followed shortly after with her lips pressed tight against Vinyl's, their tongues wrestling one another with mad need. When they broke apart, they rested their foreheads together as tears silently spilled down their cheeks.

Author's Note

Sorry this one came so late. Work has been odd of late, giving me weird hours to which I'm still adjusting. I haven't abandoned writing, and if I ever do decide to stop, I'll be sure to let you all know. I hope you like this one, because the next chapter entails a time jump. How far, you ask? You'll have to wait and see.

Chapter 12: Pesante

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 12: Pesante

When performing mindless, mundane tasks, it was not hard to lose oneself in the moment. It was one of the attractions such activity held for Twilight. If she wanted to not think for a while, she could just re-sort the shelves (and in the process, try out a new, possibly more efficient system). Other times, she just wanted to let her hands go on autopilot, so her mind could wander. She had found that free form thought was often the best way to find new ways to look at a problem. However, there were times where such activity just let her mind dwell on something unpleasant, not matter how much she tried otherwise.

This was definitely a case of the latter. Everything she did reminded her of Octavia. The rhythm into which she fell as she replaced the books back on the shelf made her think of a metronome. She found herself humming a musical scale. When she realized that the book in her hand through which she had been leafing was a treatise on musical theory, the unicorn knew she had enough. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she set the book back down on the pile and her horn lit up. A similar glow surrounded the many stacks of books that she and Spike had been sorting and they all flew back into the spaces they had vacated less than a half hour prior, including the book in Spike's hand. “I- I'm sorry, Spike. I just can't do this right now.”

Spike regarded her with a worried expression. “Something wrong, Twilight? You've been acting... odd since yesterday.”

Twilight downed her cup of tea, noting that it did nothing to soothe her mind. She ruffled his head spines, a sad smile on her face. “Sorry again. It's just... it's not something that's easy for me to talk about, you know?”

Realization seemed to dawn on the dragon's face, and he suddenly looked nervous. “Ooohhh... Mare stuff. Say no more.”

With that, the baby dragon darted out of the room, making a lame excuse about sorting through his comic collection. Twilight smirked at his retreating form, feeling bad about letting him leave with the wrong idea, but relieved at not having to try to explain her feelings to him. After all, at the end of the day, not only was he still a child, he was male and a dragon, and worked on a different wavelength entirely.

“I think I'll go for a walk... On second thought, nevermind. Not really in the mood to run into anypony right now.” Twilight thought hard for a moment before deciding to do something she hardly ever did. Pulling on a jacket, she walked out of the library, not bothering to lock up in case Spike returned before she did. She only took a few steps before disappearing in a bright flash of light, reappearing in front of the tiny Ponyville movie theater. Laying down a handful of bits on the counter, she said, “One, please.”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Vinyl stepped off the train, breathing deeply the chill, foreign air. She looked around at the aganippe dressed in their funny clothes, scurrying about their way, going on with the business of their lives and oblivious to the newcomer unicorn and her problems. Releasing her deep breath in a sigh, she shouldered her backpack and zipped up her hoodie to ward off the cool afternoon air. She walked up to the ticket booth and said, “Excuse me, do you know where I can find the Galliard Conservatory?”

The old stallion behind the counter looked at her in confusion and said something in a language she didn't understand.

“I'm sorry, what?” she asked, leaning forward a little.

“He said that he doesn't speak Equish,” answered a mare behind her.

Vinyl turned to see a white Royal Guard leaning against a column. “I don't suppose you could tell me where to find it, could you?” she asked, just happy to see another unicorn.

The mare made no move aside from chewing on the toothpick hanging from the corner of her mouth. “I might.” She looked over the deejay with a critical eye, obviously not liking what she was seeing. After almost a minute of silence, she asked, “A bit late to register for class, innit?”

Not one to take attitude from anyone, let alone strangers, Vinyl crossed her arms under her breasts and cocked her hips to one side. “It would be, if that was why I was here. Are you going to make yourself useful, or are you too busy holding up the wall?”

With a grin, the mare pushed off from the wall and started for the train station's exit. “Well, come on, then. They have an early curfew for visitors and tourists; they hate their students to be disturbed, what with all the money paid to attend.”

Vinyl ran to catch up, then slowed to an easy canter beside her guide. She glanced at the strange architecture of the partially underground city, trying not to gawk like a green tourist, but seeing so many aganippe in one place was something new to her. Back in Canterlot, the only bat-winged ponies around were all in Princess Luna's personal guard, and there were absolutely none to be found in Ponyville. With her signature shades, she was able to let her eyes linger on them without fear of being rude, but still tried not to stare. Aganippe foals ran and flew through the streets just like any other ponies in any other city, but with a noticeable lack of diversity, and adults flew or walked about their business, paying no mind to the two land-bound unicorns.

The deejay was staring up at some stalactites which had been hollowed out to make them into homes when the guard asked, “So, which is it? Visitor or tourist?”

“Are you always this rude, or do you just not have a name?” Vinyl replied, not taking her eyes from the strange buildings.

The guard lightly slapped her forehead and grinned. “Silly me. I keep forgetting. Being one of only a handful of unicorns living in the city, I'm used to ponies instantly recognizing me. Name's Bardiche.” She held out her hand, which Vinyl took.

“Vinyl Scratch,” she said, shaking the hard, calloused hand. “I'm here visiting a friend in the college, Octavia Melody.”

Bardiche's eyes went wide. “You know Octavia? The Octavia Melody?”

“Well, she doesn't come in six-packs,” she replied, muttering under her breath, “More's the pity.”

“No offense,” Bardiche said cautiously, “but you don't strike me as the kind of pony to befriend someone like her.”

Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Why is it that whenever someone says, 'no offense,' offensive words are all that follows?” She pulled out her wallet which dangled from a chain and extracted her favorite picture from it. A much younger trio of Octavia, Twilight and herself smiled back at her. “Yeah, you could say that we've known each other for a while now.”

Bardiche looked down at the photo and gasped. “You know Lady Sparkle as well?”

The deejay quickly put the photo away, a light blush forming on her cheeks. “Whatever; I'm here for Octavia.” Though the visit has more to do with our little lawbreaker than just a plain social call.

They continued on in silence for a bit, Bardiche leading the way, a sullen Vinyl following behind. “Um, look. I'm sorry about earlier. My parents tried to teach me manners, but it never really took. I guess that's why I went into the military; I don't really get along well with civilians, and it's a bit easier to hide a gruff attitude in the corps, you know?” She put a finger to her chin in thought, adding, “Come to think of it, that may be why they shipped me all the way out here. Even my CO here is a bit of an odd duck.”

Vinyl nodded, then shrugged. “S'alright. I'm not going to win any awards in manners, myself. You said, 'The Octavia Melody' earlier. Does that mean you know about her?”

Bardiche gave a helpless gesture. “Kinda hard not to know about her in a music town like this. Rumor has it that she's being courted by the Duchess herself, as well as a sundry of other mares and stallions, not to mention other creatures as well. And then, of course, there's all the orchestras who-”

“Courting?” Vinyl asked, her throat suddenly going dry. “As in...”

With a chuckle, Bardiche replied, “Like I said, that's the rumor. I myself, don't put much stock in rumors, but it is a fun way to pass a long shift, listening to all the gossiping hens that pass through the train station. I suppose it started around her second year here, when the school played for the Duchess' yearly Grand Ball. All the nobles saw Her Grace staring at the stage during Octavia's solo piece, and it sorta took off from there. Doesn't help any that she receives about a dozen deliveries a day; mostly flower bouquets, but a coworker who sometimes drops by the school said that she once saw her receiving a rather large jewelry case; the kind that holds expensive necklaces.”

The bottom fell out of Vinyl's heart just then. A sharp, aching void opened up in her chest, and she just knew that it could never be filled again. I knew that she would eventually move on, but to actually hear about it...

They continued walking in silence, Bardiche sensing that she had unintentionally trod on dangerous ground. It wasn't too long before the school hove into view, and Vinyl couldn't help but think that it fit Octavia perfectly. The Gothic architecture harkened back to a socially sophisticated time where ponies wore too many layers of clothes, stood on too much ceremony, and were focused far too much on one's station. The tall spires almost touched the cavern's ceiling, as if they meant to tie the sky to the ground, and the leering gargoyles clinging to the exterior told any who saw them that this place was not to be taken lightly. It's like the building equivalent of Octy, she thought with a wry smile.

“Well, this is the place,” Bardiche said, stopping at the open gate. “I wish you luck. Trying to get in to see students is pretty tough, what with their schedule and all. Galliard takes education very seriously.”

Vinyl nodded and gave her a small smile. “Thanks. Listen, sorry about the 'tude earlier. I'm just going through some stuff right now. If you feel up to it later tonight, I'm going to be guest deejaying over at Club 404. You should come see it.” She pulled out a pair of comp tickets the club had sent her as enticement earlier in the week.

Bardiche gingerly took the tickets as if they were something fragile. “Whoa, you're deejaying at 404? That's a pretty exclusive club. I've only been in there once, and that was because the bouncer at the door was intimidated by me. Drinks were a pretty bit, too. You must really be something to get invited there.”

With a shrug, Vinyl replied, “Meh, I do alright.” Normally, she would have been really talking her talent up, but was too distracted by what she was going to say to Octavia to really think about it. As she turned away, she gave a half-hearted wave and walked through the open gate. “See you there. And bring a friend.”

Bardiche watched her walk up to the building, scratching the back of her head. “Odd mare.”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

With a flourish, Octavia plucked the last few notes of the piece she was practicing and set down the bow on a chair in the common room. She had just picked up a towel to wipe off the chin rest of the violin, when the phone rang. With a grumble, the walked over to it and set the instrument down and proceeded to wipe it down one handed while picking up the receiver on the fourth ring. “Si? Qui Octavia, dite pure,” she said.

“Octy, my girl! Would you be a dear and come down to the front office and let these stuffed shirts know that I'm not a terrorist here to kidnap you? They keep threatening to call the police... I think. I dunno, I don't speak their language, and their accent is just horri-”

“Vinyl?” the cellist practically yelled.

As the earth pony took several deep breaths, the deejay took the opportunity to head off her rant before it could get started. “Yeah, just come on down. I got some stuff to talk to you about. Chop, chop, now.” With that, the line went dead, leaving a shocked mare holding onto the phone receiver dumbly.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Vinyl was having a great time doing everything she could think of to annoy the mare behind the desk. As she sat on the corner of the furniture, picking her teeth with a business card she had taken from a stack, she hummed one of Octavia's favorite classical songs, purposely going out of tune and tapped a hoof against the desk in what could be construed as an attempt to keep time, but was about half a beat too slow. Just as the old agganippe was about to curse her out, Octavia walked in and went straight to her, ignoring her old friend who stood and held out her arms for a hug.

“” she said in fluid Itailion. Before any of them could say another word, Octavia had already dragged Vinyl out of the office.

It wasn't until they were halfway down the hall that Vinyl's protests finally got through to the enraged mare. “Octy, you're hurting my arm! Leggo!”

Rather than complying with her request, the stronger mare instead roughly shoved her against the wall, smothering all protests with a kiss. Despite not wanting to cheat on Watermelody, Vinyl couldn't help but return the kiss with equal fervor. This was something the both of them had been suppressing since the day Octavia moved away. It was several minutes before the deejay returned to her senses and gently, but firmly pushed her ex-fillyfriend away. “Octy, I'm sorry, but I can't.”

For her part, Octavia looked surprised, though more at her own actions, rather than Vinyl's protests. “Oh... You... you've...”

With a nod, Vinyl replied, “Yeah. She's a nice filly. No Octavia Melody, but she still deserves better than me cheating on her with my...”

“Your ex,” Octavia finished. “I understand.” Reluctantly, she slowly backed away from the unicorn, giving them both some much needed space. “So, what brings you all the way out here?”

Vinyl gently rapped Octavia on the head with her knuckles. “You, dummy. You said you'd call, but here it is almost three weeks later, and I haven't heard a peep from you. You didn't even give me a satisfactory answer about our outlaw.”

Octavia had the grace to look chagrinned. “Ah. I do apologize, but I... er...”

“Kinda blindsided you, huh?”

A moment of silence passed before she replied, “Yes.” The gray mare looked down at the floor, a storm of raw, conflicting emotions running the gamut through her. “I just...”

Vinyl drapped an arm over her shoulders and guided her out the door to sit on one of the park benches outside. “Yeah, I know how you feel Babe, believe me. The only reason I don't think she's snubbing me, is that she genuinely didn't see me at the turntable. Standing in the spotlight like she was, we know from personal experience how blinding the lights can be. Plus, it's been what, five, almost six years now? Even if she saw me, she might not have recognized me.”

The earth pony still couldn't meet her gaze directly, instead focusing her eyes on the twiddling thumbs in her lap. “I... there is something I need to tell you, Vinyl. You... you are not the only one to have seen her from afar. Last year, at the Grand Galloping Gala, Princess Celestia invited the school to send its best quartet, and I... I was among those sent. I too, saw her from the stage. She spent much of the gala by the Princess's side, but I had a clear view of her most of that time. She... she actually looked happy,” Octavia said quietly. She sat there silently for a moment, before continuing. “I do not think she noticed me either, so I hesitated to go up to her. You remember I told you about the disaster into which the evening turned, do you not?” She looked up long enough to see her friend's nod, then continued. “Well, when that pink mare all but stole my bow, I of course, had to go look for it, and by the time I had returned, Twilight was gone, along with half the guests, who had left in disgust.”

She heaved a sigh and slumped in the seat. She held up her calloused hands as if inspecting them for flaws. “My one chance to reconnect, and I blew it; all because I let some... random mare catch me offguard. I haven't even been back to Canterlot since that day, I was so ashamed.” He hands clenched into fists so tight, her knuckles turned white.

Vinyl gently placed her hands over her friend's, easing the fingers open. “Easy there, Octy. That wasn't your fault. From what I've heard of that year's gala, the ponies that started that brouhaha were banned from ever coming back by the nobles. If anything, they're the ones to blame for it.”

Octavia suddenly stood and began angrily pacing in front of the unicorn, slowly building a head of steam. “But I could have gone back! I should have gone back! Instead, I buried myself in my studies here, all but cutting all ties back in Canterlot, except for an occasional call to Mother, and because of what? A single bad experience? What kind of friend does that, I ask you!” By now, Octavia's anger had swelled to a fury which even showed on her normally placid face as she literally stomped along the dirt path. “I've just been using it as a sad excuse, I tell you! If I loved Twilight half as much as I say I do, I should never have let such a paltry experience keep me from reconnecting! Just thinking about it makes me so... so... RRRAAAGGGHHH!!!” Vinyl just barely got out of the way in time as the earth pony violently brought her hoof down on the wooden bench where she had just been sitting, stomping through the thick wooden seat with such savage ferocity, that the cacophonous CRACK echoed throughout the cavern like thunder.

Vinyl gaped at the mare from her place on the ground, glasses askew, revealing the shocked expression on her face. “Daaayuuummm, 'Tavi! Take it down a notch, filly!”

The gray mare fell onto the grass-like lichen that comprised the cavern's “greens” with an “Oof.” She stretched out her long legs and leaned back on her hands. “I believe I shall, as I seem to have injured my ankle.”

“Sprained it?” Vinyl asked.

“Most likely,” Octavia replied.

“Hurts?”

“Like the dickens.” There was a beat of silence before they both burst out laughing. Octavia wiped away a tear as she said, “Oh, dear. It has been too long since I laughed like that. One does not realize how much one missed the simple things in life until they are reintroduced to them.”

Vinyl chuckled at her. “You know, most ponies would just say, 'I forgot how good it feels to laugh.' You still haven't stopped using ten words where one will do?”

Giving her head a haughty tilt and a sniff, she replied, “Of course not. I cannot help it if most ponies just don't appreciate what a wondrous language, Equish truly is.”

Vinyl quirked an eyebrow at her incredulously. “What was it our Language Arts teacher back in high school used to say about Equish?” she asked.

“Mr. Flowing Script used to say a great many things about the language, but the one to which I think you are referring is, 'Equish is a cutpurse. It follows other languages down dark alleys, clubs them upside the head, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar,' you cynic,” she answered with a grin. She held out an arm and asked, “Little help?”

The unicorn stood, dusting off her clothes before grabbing the hand and struggling to pull her friend up to a semi-standing position, then pulled that same arm over her shoulders to support her. “I suppose we better get that looked at. Does this fancy shmancy school of yours have a nurse on duty, or do we need to go to the hospital?”

Again, the earth pony gave a haughty sniff. “I shall have you know that Galliard employs a doctor full time, specializing in orthopedics. Any music school worth its salt would do the same, given the nature of injuries likely to occur in our profession.”

Vinyl gave her a sideways grin, and said, “Really? SSU had a full time doctor, too. Ours was a specialist in communicable diseases, though. Specifically, venereal diseases.”

Octavia rolled her eyes, but still smiled. “I might have guessed.”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Octavia watched Vinyl “work the crowd” as she liked to call it. The earth pony likened it more to a form of mind control; or to be more accurate, mood control. The unicorn's facile skill at getting a crowd of ponies to act and react they way she wanted never ceased to amaze her. Even now, she managed the ponies' moods as if they were a row of ducklings following their mother. They all moved to her beat, even those who looked as if they would be a disaster on the dance floor.

Thinking that brought to mind the one time Octavia tried to teach Twilight a simple box step, which had ended up with bruises on her shins, and those took weeks to heal. A sad smile appeared, which she covered by taking a sip of the drink Vinyl had bought for her. The mystery drink brought a grimace to her face, causing her to shake her head violently, as if she were trying to clear her head. Thinking of her abused shins reminded her of her more recent injury, causing her to run her hand down her svelte leg until it encountered her still wrapped ankle. The doctor had told her that she was just a gnat's width from fracturing it, and ordered her to stay off it for a couple of days, even though he had used a rather powerful healing spell on it, and she intended to follow that order as closely as feasible, regardless of her own wishes.

From her spot on a chair behind the turntables, Octavia had a marvelous view of the crowd, which was happily eating out of Vinyl's hand. However, this could not compare to the view she had of Vinyl's backside as she worked. Her eyes kept returning to that skirt-clad, bouncing rump, those long, swaying legs, and her disheveled, swishing tail, beckoning her like a pony in the desert spotting an oasis. Why, oh why did I ever give her up? We didn't even try to make it work! The cellist sighed and looked away toward the crowd to distract her from her thoughts, fruitless, though it was. Who am I fooling? Even if we hadn't had physical distance as an excuse, something else would have cropped up. We may have a common bond through music, but we are just too different; want different things from life, want different things from each other.

She was startled from her thoughts by Vinyl collapsing in the chair beside her, still wiping the sweat from her face with a small towel. “Phew! This town really has some great feedback! I hardly had to direct them, and they just went for it!” The unicorn took a long pull from her bottle of chilled water and breathed an exaggerated sigh of delight when she took it away. “Woo!”

Octavia was thankful for the shadows in the darkened nook where their table was secreted, which hid her blush. Dear Celestia, how I've missed the sight and smell of her sweat! “I notice that you still cannot sit like a lady,” she said with a haughty sniff. “Or are you advertising for companionship tonight?” She nodded towards the other mare's legs, which were spread wide on the chair as if she were a stallion.

Vinyl leaned towards the earth pony, her eyes half-lidded seductively. “Why? You looking to answer the call?”

With a roll of her eyes, Octavia took the towel resting on the bistro table, and threw it over her friend's head. “Perhaps you need to take a cold shower? Or should I call your fillyfriend to talk you down? What was her name again?”

“Watermelody,” the unicorn replied, pulling the towel off. With a sly grin, she added, “You know, she had a major crush on you back in high school. She was just a freshy during our senior year, but she even joined the classical band instead of her first choice when she saw you. I bet it wouldn't take much convincing to get a little three-way if we asked ni-”

She was shut down as Octavia took the bottle from her hands, and squeezed it, spraying the unicorn's face with ice cold water. “Is your ardor sufficiently cooled now, or should I fetch another bottle?” she asked, her voice making the temperature of liquid helium seem warm in comparison.

Vinyl wiped her face with the towel again, looking sheepish. “I was just joking, Octy. Sheesh. Forgot how rabid you are about cheating.”

“Fidelity is no joking matter, Vinyl Scratch. You would do well to remember that.” The cellist glared at her for a moment before softening her expression. “I apologize. I should have known you were joking, but...”

Vinyl rested a hand on Octavia's arm. “Hey, you don't have to explain to me. I was there when you caught that jerk in the janitor closet with Little Miss I-Can't-Keep-My-Legs-Together-To-Save-My-Life.”

Octavia smirked at her. “As I recall, you were the one who forced me to stake out the closet during lunch to catch them.” She shook her head sadly. “Honestly, I do not know what I saw in Irresistible Charm.”

“Hey, she almost lured me into her bed, and I was aware of her reputation. I can't really blame you for wanting to date her,” Vinyl replied sympathetically. They sat in silence for a moment, before she said, “You know, we still haven't decided what we want to do about our little criminale. “

Arching an eyebrow at her, Octavia asked, “What do you have in mind?”

Vinyl leaned down and took another bottle of water out of the small cooler kept under the table for performers and drank deeply before wiping her mouth on her arm and smiled. “I say we pay her a visit. She'll have to notice us if we're on her doorstep like a couple of Celestia's Witnesses.”

“Oh, there is a pleasant connotation,” Octavia replied with a roll of her eyes.

Vinyl waved her off dismissively. “Fine, Filly Scouts selling cookies, if you prefer. The analogy doesn't matter. What counts is that she won't be able to help but notice us. What do you say?”

Octavia didn't even have to consider for very long before replying. “I would say that it is the height of rudeness to drop by somepony unannounced, even if you believe they would be happy to see you.”

Again, Vinyl waved off her concerns dismissively. “Oh, please. I'm sure she's so bored in Ponyville. Have you ever been there? It's what they were thinking of when they coined the term, 'one-cart town'. If it weren't for Pinkie Pie, I doubt that anything exciting would happen there.”

“Well, I do not know who this 'Pinkie Pie' pony is, but if you know her, then it is a fair bet that you met at a party, and is suitably uncouth like a certain pony I could name,” Octavia said after thinking a moment. “I suppose that it would not hurt to take some time off, perhaps a three or four day weekend. I would have to clear it with the school, of course, and I would like to stop and see mother before going to this... Ponyville, but yes, I believe I shall accompany you on this quest to reconnect with dear Twilight.

Vinyl's grin threatened to take in her whole head.

Author's Note

Wow. It's been a while, huh? I know I keep saying that I won't disappear without letting you know if I'm quitting, but time just keeps slipping through my fingers. Let me just reaffirm that I am still writing, and I am going to do my best to finish the stories I started here. I really love this community here, and how supportive it has been to me in the past. I truly consider you all my people.

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Chapter 13: Repente

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 13: Repente

As the train pulled into the station, Octavia tried unsuccessfully to hold back an enormous yawn. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she looked over at Vinyl, who was putting away a deck of cards and grinning wider than she could last remember such a feature gracing her face since the unicorn arrived at her school.

The conductor walked through the car, shouting, “Canterlot! Caaannnterlot station!”

The two mares silently gathered their baggage, a considerable feat for Octavia with her cello case, and swiftly exited the train amidst the crowd. “So, where to first?” Vinyl asked.

“I should like to see mother, first. It would be respectful, and I have missed her terribly,” the gray mare replied. “Then we may begin our search for Twilight.”

Vinyl nodded. “Great! Your mom always makes awesome pancakes, and I'm starved!”

Octavia glared at her, the bags and dark circles around her eyes making the glare all the more intense. “My mother is not your cook, nor is she just a pit stop on our trip. I do hope that you will treat her with the respect she deserves.”

“Octy, when have I ever mistreated Backstage?” Vinyl asked with a roll of her eyes. “She's like a second mom to me.” She looked over to the slightly mollified, yet still upset mare and sighed. Pulling her into a sideways hug, she added, “Cheer up. I'm sure she's doing fine. You left her that nice little bonus you got from the princess, right? That should have her sitting real pretty for a long time to come.”

“I do hope it was enough,” Octavia replied. “The bills were beginning to pile up when I left for Prancylvania, and Mother can be rather... opinionated when I try to lend a hand with the finances.”

Vinyl spared her friend a worried glance at the tone. She knew from personal experience that while Backstage did not earn as much as she did in her youth, she always refused when the unicorn tried to offer money to help defray the cost of feeding her whenever she stayed over as a filly. In the later years of high school, she couldn't help but notice whenever Octavia worried about her mother; her dour mood being all too infectious. She also couldn't help but notice that they were not headed in the right direction for their house. “Octy, where are we going?”

The gray mare gave her a weak smile. “It seems that while I was away, Mother found a new paramour. I do not know who it is, but Mother claims that they are very attentive, and I felt it better to not press for too many details. As long as she is happy, healthy, and not in any danger, I am quite satisfied. Apparently, things have been going so well for them, that she was asked to move in last year.”

“Good for her!” Vinyl said with a wide grin. “About time she moved on. I hated to think of her rattling alone in that tiny house, especially in a neighborhood that bad.”

“Mm. As am I.”

They continued in companionable silence, with Octavia only once referring to an address written down on a slip of paper, but the both of them becoming more and more confused as the time wore on. “Um, are you sure this is the right way?” Vinyl asked with growing trepidation.

“I... I do not know,” Octavia replied hesitantly. “Perhaps we should ask somepony for directions?” She spotted a unicorn policepony and walked over to him. “Pardon me, sir. Might I ask you for directions to this address?”

The unicorn glanced at the proffered slip and nodded. “Certainly, miss. You take that street there,” he indicated the street to their right, then followed it with several gestures as he gave directions, “follow it for four blocks, turn right, then straight on for another three. It should be on that block. If you see the Blueblood estate, you'll know you've gone too far.”

Octavia nodded. “Thank you, sir. Have a pleasant day.”

“You as well, miss,” he replied with a tilting of his cap.

Vinyl was silent until they were out of earshot of the stallion, whereupon she grabbed Octavia's sleeve. “Octy, that's the Noble District! Your mom has made it big!”

With a roll of her eyes, Octavia disentangled the unicorn's fingers and brushed the wrinkles from her sleeve. “Calm yourself, Vinyl. For all we know, Mother is seeing a live-in maid or gardener.”

“Even if she is, at least she's in a good neighborhood. No more worrying about her getting mugged walking home from work, right?”

Vinyl's cheer was difficult to deny, and Octavia smiled despite her reservations. “True, provided she is not still working at that horrid... establishment, anymore.”

“Yeah, “Vinyl agreed with a nod. “Rump Shakers may be a cute name for a club, but I wouldn't want my worst enemy to have to work there.”

They followed the policepony's directions in silence, noting how the neighborhood seemed to be getting cleaner and wealthier as they went. Most of their fellow pedestrians ignored Vinyl altogether, in favor of staring at Octavia in amazement. The gray mare, for her part, either did not recognize the attention, or was ignoring it entirely, much to Vinyl's amusement.

It wasn't long at all before they found themselves in front of a rather large estate in the richest neighborhood. The wrought-iron gate was joined in the middle by a stylized gold rose, but the house itself was hidden from view by a row of hedges at least eight hooves high that lined a path which curved out of view. Walking up to the intercom, Vinyl was stopped by a strong grip on her shoulder from Octavia, who glared at the unicorn. Vinyl backed away with her hands up in surrender. Clearing her throat, Octavia pressed the call button, then stood patiently and shifted the weight of her cello case strapped over her shoulder.

It was only a handful of seconds before a cultured male voice answered the buzz. “Heartstrings residence, how may I help you?”

“Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch to see Miss Backstage, please,” she answered, enunciating to allow her voice to clearly show her Canterlot accent.

“And your business with the lady?”

Octavia raised an eyebrow, but replied, “I have the honor of being her daughter.”

There was a moment's pause and the voice returned. “One moment while the car is brought around, Miss.”

Vinyl's eyes went wide and she silently mouthed to her friend, “The car?”

“I imagine that it is a bit of a walk from the front gates to the manor itself,” Octavia replied with a shrug. “The Heartstrings are one of the more prominent noble houses in Canterlot; well known for their philanthropy in the arts. One does not just donate one hundred fifty thousand bits to the Canterlot Philharmonic yearly without the means to back it up. Their estate is said to be one of the most grand in Canterlot.”

Further discussion was halted as a rickshaw pulled by an earth pony stallion with muscles that his tailored uniform could conceal in only the most general terms pulled around the corner and into view. With a deft maneuver that could only have come from lots of practice, he brought the vehicle around in a one hundred-eighty degree turn, only slowing to a stop once it was facing down the path he had come.

With a CLANK, the gate opened inward, the rose device splitting in two down a previously unnoticed seam. The stallion walked around and bowed deeply at the waist to the two mares. Straightening up, he held out his hands. “Your luggage, Ladies?”

Vinyl happily turned over possession of her wheeled suitcase, nodding with approval how its considerable weight did not even budge his hand. “Thanks, dude.”

Rolling her eyes at Vinyl, Octavia handed over her own suitcase, which he put into the same hand as Vinyls. “Please excuse my friend, Sir. She only appears to have been raised by timberwolves. Octavia Melody.”

She held out her hand, which was gently grasped by the stallion, and he bent over to brush his lips across it. “Just call me Butterscotch, Miss.” His name seemed to fit his light, golden-brown coat and slightly darker brown mane and tail. Letting her hand go, he quickly placed their baggage on the rack behind the passenger area before turning around for the cello. “Your instrument, Miss?”

Octavia unslung the case from her shoulder, noting approvingly how gingerly he treated it, before strapping it down along with the rest of the bags. Going to the hoofman's position, he helped each of them up into their seats, before returning to his usual spot between the poles and starting off again.

The path curved several times, even turning into a hedge tunnel near the end, where a curtain of flowering vines parted to allow the passengers their first unobstructed view of the manor itself. Vinyl gaped openly at the sheer opulence on display. Albino peacocks wandered through a garden of topiary which were stylized into ponies in various poses, some of which would have been quite risqué had they been rendered in stone or paint instead of privet bushes. The mansion itself was bigger than most apartment buildings in which she had lived, with generous use of marble trim and climbing vines which completely covered the body of the building.

Octavia ignored all of that however, having seen similar and much grander during her tutelage in Prancylvania. Instead, all her attention was focused on the mare who stood at the veranda, awaiting the cart. A smile spread on both their faces as details came into focus. Octavia noted that the pale rose colored earth pony seemed to be in better health than she had seen her in years, which eased some of the tension in her chest.

Before the rickshaw had even come to a complete stop, she was out and running up to her mother, who eagerly embraced her. “I've missed you so much, Massimina1.”

“I've missed you too, Gioietta mia2,” Backstage replied as she nuzzled into her daughter's mane, chuckling at her daughter's use of the slightly disrespectful nickname.

Octavia grinned as she tightened her grip. She pulled back to take her in more fully. “You look wonderful, Mother. Obviously, you have been doing something agreeable.”

Backstage smiled again and shrugged. “Retirement has a way of doing that, dear.”

Octavia's grin became positively beatific at the news. “Mother, that's wonderful! Are you sure that you're financially secure enough for-”

She was interrupted by Vinyl playfully chucking her on the shoulder from behind. “Honestly, Octy! She's living in a mansion, dressing well, looks healthier than she has in years, and you're worried if she can afford to retire.” She looked over to Backstage and stage whispered behind her hand, “She's just wondering if the money she left you was enough, the worrywart.”

The elder mare gave a small giggle as she took both mares by the hand and led them inside through the front entrance. “Oh, Gioietta, I never touched that money, except to put it into a trust for you. It's already accrued into a quite the tidy sum. You may have it whenever you decide to stop dithering and graduate.”

Octavia gave a frustrated sigh as she was led into a parlor and sat down on a couch next to Vinyl. “Mother! I gave you that money so would not have to scrimp in order to get by!”

“And I told you that I will not accept charity from my daughter,” Backstage replied as she sat down in a wingback chair opposite them. “That's not how being a parent works. You'll understand someday, when you're a mother.” She smiled and nodded at a maid who came in to set down a silver tray with a pot of tea and four cups.

Vinyl nodded as she looked at the opulence of the room, which did not fail to impress just how much money the owner had to their name. “So, how did you manage to land a bunk at a crib this swank? You boinking the lord of the house?” She pumped a finger through the hole made by her other forefinger and thumb before Octavia pinched her arm. “Ow!”

“Vinyl, this is my mother we're talking about. So help me, Celestia, if you don't dial it down, I'll dial it down for you.” Satisfied that her threat was properly conveyed to the newly wounded unicorn, she added, “Besides, Lord and Lady Heartstrings are happily married, with several children.”

Backstage chuckled again. “Oh, Octavia. No need to be so protective. Besides, she's right.” She smirked as her daughter's jaw dropped. “Close your mouth, dear; you're attracting flies.”

Octavia looked ready to faint and rage, all at once, but couldn't decide which to do first. Vinyl, however, beat her to the question. “Whoa- hoh! How'd you manage that? Better yet, how do you keep it from the missus if you're living here, too?”

“She doesn't.”

All heads turned to see a unicorn mare whose coat was an indigo so pale as to almost be white, wearing a pale pink dress and more jewelry than either of the visiting ponies owned. She sauntered over to Backstage and leaned over to give her a rather passionate kiss on the lips before settling down on the armrest of the chair. “Keep it from me, that is.” She looked down to see that Backstage was rather annoyed. “Oh, dear. You wanted to tell them yourself, didn't you?”

Backstage let out an annoyed sigh, but placed a hand on the mare's knee. “What's done, is done, Pelly.” She looked over at her daughter and said, “Octavia, both A Cappella and her husband, Dulcimer Heartstrings are my lovers.” Seeing that this was going over her head, she added, “I'm their mistress, Gioietta.”

“H- how?” the gray mare squeaked out.

Sighing again, she leaned back, her hand still resting on A Cappella's knee. “To make a long story short, they've been customers of mine at Rump Shakers for years- never together, of course. When they 'step out' as they like to call it, it's always in disguise so as to avoid scandal, and always without the other, so they had no idea that they had been frequenting the same gentlestallion's club, nor that they shared the same favorite dancer. About a year ago, it so happened that they came to the club on the same night and instantly recognized one another. I don't mind telling you that you could cut the tension with a knife when they both called me over for their usual lap dance and conversation. They stared at each other for a moment before breaking out into laughter. Then, in the sweetest gesture I've ever seen, they proposed that I be their live-in mistress.”

“She's leaving out a few thing that would make it easier to understand that we're not taking advantage of your dear mother, but that's the gist of it on her side without going into the personal and messier details,” A Cappella said, her hand resting on top of Backstage's. “Dully and I separately had actually been thinking of approaching her with the offer earlier. Neither of us liked to see her walk through that neighborhood, and would drive her home whenever we went to see her. After we had discovered our... mutual acquaintance, we felt the time was past due.”

Octavia looked bewildered as she brought a hand to her forehead. “I... I need a moment to process this.” With that, she stood and walked over to the grand window overlooking the garden, standing there with her back to the room.

“Oh, dear,” A Cappella said quietly, looking at the gray mare with concern.

Backstage patted her knee reassuringly. “It'll be fine, sweetheart. The same thing happened when I told her that I had go back to moonlighting as a dancer, because I wasn't making enough money at the bookstore.”

“Well, I'll say it for both of us; We're glad you're doing so much better for yourself, Backstage,” Vinyl said as she poured a cup of tea for herself and Octavia, loading hers with five sugar cubes, and adding just a few drops of honey to Octavia's. “Every other word out of her mouth was how much she was worried about you at school.”

A Cappella smiled at her. “Aw, that's so sweet. The very picture of the doting daughter.”

“So what were the other words out of her mouth?” Backstage asked slyly. “Something to do with getting back together with you, I presume?”

Vinyl smirked. “Then you would presume wrong, I'm afraid.” She gave a small chuckle at the surprise at the mare's surprised reaction. “I would say it was an even split between her music, and how much she missed me and Twi. Oh, and the offers she was getting from orchestras, but I suppose you could put that under her music, so whatevs.”

A Cappella arched an eyebrow at her. “I never thought much about her name until I saw the cello case out in the foyer. Do you mean to tell me that the Octavia Melody burning up the classical music scene and this Octavia are the same Octavia?”

“I am.” Octavia resumed her seat next to Vinyl, gratefully accepting the offered cup. The tension seemed to drain from her shoulders as she sipped it and replaced it on the table. “It is rather impolite to speak of someone in the same room as if they are not there, you know.”

“All sorted, Dear?” Backstage asked.

Octavia nodded and sipped her tea. “Yes, I believe so, Mother. I take it this arrangement is not public knowledge?”

Intertwining her fingers with Backstage's, A Cappella replied, “Well, I wouldn't go that far. While we aren't shouting it from the mountaintops, we don't exactly hide it, either. Both of us have been seen in public with your delightful mother, and yes, while the press has been... enthusiastic in their pursuit of a story, it's really a non-issue.”

“It's like a soap opera up here in Canterlot! I'd forgotten how interesting the gossip can be in this town. Dag, I've missed this place!” Vinyl crowed with a short bark of laughter.

Octavia rolled her eyes while the two other mares laughed.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Spike groaned quietly when he saw Twilight walk back into the reference room with yet another case of books. Apparently, his dismay wasn't voiced quietly enough, as Twilight said, “Come on, Spike. We have a lot of work to do, and we're really behind as it is without complaining.”

“Hey, it's not my fault we just had to straighten up the fiction section this morning,” the small dragon replied as he used a claw to open the new box. “If Rainbow hadn't come in looking for that Daring Doo side story novel that was rumored to exist, tearing apart that section even after we told her it was an urban legend, we'd already be done with this!”

Twilight shook her head sadly and tutted. “That filly needs to learn to trust me when I say that I know what's in this library.” She turned to Spike and waggled a finger at him. “But that doesn't forgive you from being rude to a customer, even if she is our friend, Spike. I'm very disappointed that you lost your cool that easily with her. What if she had been a pony looking for a book that she needed for research? We have few enough customers as it is, without you scaring them off by setting their tails on fire. And what if you had damaged any of the books?”

Spike rolled his eyes as he took down a row of books to make room on the shelf. “Still doesn't excuse her implying that we were hiding the truth from her and wanting to hog the book to ourselves.”

The little dragon was surprised when he felt Twilight put her arms over his shoulders from behind and hug him. “I know it doesn't, Spike, and I'll have a talk with her about it later. Who knows? She may even come by to apologize to you. In the meantime, do you think you can keep a lid on your temper?”

Spike was starting to get concerned. Twilight hadn't been this... demonstrative of her feelings in years. True, she had been getting better about not hiding her feelings since coming to Ponyville, but before that, she had pretty much started closing herself off since she started college. But now, she had been downright bipolar, going from moody and sullen, to almost clingy, and he was starting to worry. Maybe I should write the princess about- His thoughts were cut off as he felt a familiar feeling welling up in his belly, signaling the arrival of a message from one of the princesses. With a belch that shocked Twilight into releasing him and falling on her rump, a gout of green flame shot out of his mouth, allowing a scroll rolled up in a red ribbon and golden wax seal to pop into existence.

Immediately, Twilight's magic surrounded the missive, as she got back to her hooves. She brought it closer to inspect it, noticing something different about the wax seal. “Hm? Why would Princess Luna be sending us a message, especially at this time of day?”

“Yeah, isn't she usually asleep until six?” Spike asked.

Twilight nodded and let the scroll fall into her hands and broke the seal. “Usually, but they sometimes have to wake her early if some state business just can't wait, or there's some emergency.”

“Well, that doesn't sound ominous or anything,” Spike replied.

Rather than answer, Twilight silently read the letter, her stern expression softening, but leaving behind the confusion. “Well, that's odd.”

Spike leaned around to look at the letter himself. “What is it?”

“It looks like it's just an invitation to tea tomorrow at the palace; just me and the Princess,” Twilight replied. Her horn lit up again, and her eyes shifted colors several times as she reexamined the letter as well as the ribbon and the wax seal. She “Hmm”ed to herself several times, then shook her head. “No magic, other than the residuals that you'd expect from a letter like this, no invisible ink or lemon juice, and as far as I can tell, no codes or ciphers. So why would Princess Luna send me an invitation for tea with Princess Celestia?”

“Especially since she would normally be asleep at this time?” Spike added. He looked up at Twilight and asked, “Do you want to send a reply, Twi?”

Twilight nodded, and her horn lit up to bring out a sheet of paper and quill and ink for her helper. “At the very least, I need to RSVP. Let's see...” she stood a moment in silent thought before she began dictating her response. “Dear, Princess Luna. I would be delighted to accept the invitation, of course, and look forward to a lovely afternoon tea. I hope this letter isn't disturbing your rest, and that perhaps we could visit for a short time as well. Don't worry about lodgings for me, as I'll either spend the night at my old tower, or at my parent's place, before returning the next day or so. With warmest regards, Twilight Sparkle.”

With that, Spike rolled up the scroll and took it to the window and opened it before breathing a gout of flame on the scroll. The parchment lit right away, becoming a green mist which wended it's way to Canterlot. “I suppose we should get ready. Am I going with you this time, or did you want me to stay behind and keep the library open?”

Twilight walked out into the lobby and sighed sadly. “You may as well come with me, Spike. I'm sad to say that nothing short of oxygen suddenly becoming a necessary as books is going to make this building important to the townsponies for the next couple of days.” She walked over to the front door and paused at the opening. “Besides, there's a few errands I'd like to conduct in Canterlot, and I'm sure that Mom and Dad would love to see their favorite dragon again.”

As Twilight left to alert the mayor, Spike ran upstairs, his grin wider than it had been in days, as visions of the gems Twilight's parents kept in stock just to spoil him when she wasn't looking danced before his eyes.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Plain Sight snatched the scroll as soon as it materialized and opened it to read. She smiled wide as she read, and shook her head. “That filly. Even in her most polite wording, she's still fishing for information. She'd make a grand diplomat if she tried.” The dappled mare looked over to a wobbly Luna, who sat at the edge of her bed, still mostly asleep.

“So she... acquiesced, then?” the diarch asked between yawns, her eyelids becoming heavier with every passing second.

“She did, Your Highness, though she's going to want to talk with you before returning home, I should think. Her curiosity is no mean thing.”

Luna nodded, her eyes finally losing the battle, closing for the foreseeable future. “That is... well... then...” In a second, she was asleep sitting up, a soft, delicate snore escaping with each breath.

Plain Sight eased the larger mare back into her bed, careful not to wake her, then pulled the covers up over her, and closing the small gap in the curtains she had opened so that they might see what they were doing. She was about to leave, when she considered for a moment. Nodding, she went over to the small desk next to one of the windows and pulled out a sheet of paper and jotted down a few ideas to keep Twilight from getting too suspicious about the lunar diarch, and left the note on the nightstand next to the slumbering mare. Work complete, she silently made her way out of the room, closing the door with a soft CLICK. She nodded to the guards standing at the doors, who returned the gesture with salutes.

With any luck, by this time tomorrow, Twily and Celestia will have ironed out their differences, making everyone's lives a little bit easier. Plain Sight's gait became a little bouncier at the thought. She was in such a good mood, she even decided to stop by the kitchens to see if she could scrounge up a little flan before checking on the condition of Twilight's tower, then returning to Ponyville.

Author's Note

Man, I wish I could get chapters out like I used to. I apologize for the lateness of the chapter, but now that a certain project I was doing for a friend is completed, that's one less obstacle for me, and maybe- just maybe, I can get these out more often than once every few months. Now, for the footnotes! I feel like Terry Pratchett! Thanks for helping with these two terms goes out to Toiwat. You rock, Dude(tte)!

Massimina: Massimia is an archaic word for a 32/4 note that is no longer used, while the "mina" suffix is often appended to a nickname to indicate a mother figure. In effect, Octavia is calling her mother old by using an outdated word, but doing so jokingly, by using the childish suffix for one's mother.

Gioietta mia: Literally, "My Little Joy".

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Chapter 14: Triste

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 14: Triste

Looking over her checklist for the third time that morning, Twilight took note of each of the things on the list. Zap apple jam for the Princesses? Check. New pictures for Mom and The Princess? Check. Extra spending money for myself and Spike? Check. Three days worth of clothes, plus something formal for both of us just in case? Check. Lost in the minutia of preparedness, Twilight felt her anxiety slipping away again. She became so relaxed, that she even began humming Handle's Water Music to herself, much to Spike's amusement.

For his own part, the dragon was washing their breakfast dishes so he wouldn't have to do so when they returned. Honestly, this had been the happiest he had seen her since they had returned from Shining's wedding. He had noted a slow, but steady decline in her demeanor when they first landed in front of the library and parted ways with their friends. Then, it had been noticeable, but she had managed to at least keep up a mostly cheerful front. A few day later however, she had returned from lunch with the gang in a funk that he hadn't seen from her since Discord broke her confidence a few months prior. It was then, that she had picked up her violin once more, and could be heard playing it, sometimes as often as once a day. While reviving her old music hobby seemed to take the edge off her foul humor, it did nothing to take away her melancholy.

But now, with the prospect of having tea with her mentor, the mare seemed more like her old self than ever. Why, she had even triple-checked her triple checklist like she used to do this morning. Spike was pulled from his silent musing as he noticed a flash of movement from outside the window. Leaning over, he saw two pegasi in royal livery pulling a chariot coming to a stop outside. Pulling the drain, he dried his hands on a dish towel and hopped off the small stool he used to reach the counter. “Twi! Our ride's here!”

“Okay, Spike. Come take your bag, and don't forget to lock up, okay?”

Spike dropped the towel to the floor, missing the counter entirely as he ran out into the lobby, Twilight having already walked out to greet their drivers.

The unicorn bowed to them, giving them a cheerful smile. “Good morning, sirs. Did you want a moment to catch your breath or have some refreshments?”

The two muscular stallions returned her bow, albeit more deeply. “Thank you, Milady, but we are quite well rested. Canterlot to Ponyville is practically a dawdle for a Royal Guard pegasus,” replied the pony bearing a sergeant's insignia.

“But, Reg, weren't you just saying on the way over, that you wished we could stop for a quick pint to lubricate the ol' wings?” the other stallion said, a look of confusion on his face.

Regimental Order's (Reg to his friends) white face turned pink and he glared at his compatriot with an unnaturally wide smile. “What I said was that we should stop for a pint after our shift is over, Clive,” he bit out through gritted teeth.

Clive (or Slow Proclivity as is written on his birth certificate) scratched his head as he loaded Twilight's bags on the back of the chariot. “'Ere, are you sure, Reg? I could 'ave sworn-”

“After. Our shift. CLIVE,” Reg said without moving his teeth, and an almost desperate look in his eyes.

Twilight cleared her throat, two glasses of cider held in her telekinetic grip. “I'm more than happy to oblige, gentlecolts, considering all you do for us. It may not be as strong as you'd find in a pub, and I'm afraid I'm fresh out of... er, 'crisps', but Sweet Apple Acres cider is some of the best you'll find this side of Valhalla.” She levitated the glasses over to them, Clive happily taking one, and the other taken with great reluctance by Reg.

With their charge watching eagerly, Clive saluted her with his glass and a “Ta,” the two clinked glasses, and downed them in one go. “Cor, that's not 'alf bad, that is! Cheers, Milady!” Clive exclaimed before returning to securing the luggage, adding Spike's who had just joined them.

Reg's blush had taken over his face, and was working its way down to his chest as he returned both glasses to Twilight with a bow. “Thank you, Milady. My compliments to the producers. That will definitely see us through the day.”

“Glad to be of service, Sergeant,” Twilight replied, sending the glasses to the kitchen sink with a flash of aportation. “And I'm sure Applejack will be tickled pink to hear such compliments from two down-to-earth ponies like yourselves.”

While the unicorn and dragon were climbing into the covered chariot, Reg walked to the back and smacked Clive on the back of the head. “Embarrass me like that in front of another toff, and I'll kick you right in the twig and berries, got that, yah daft plonker?” he whispered viciously.

Clive rubbed the back of his helmet, trying to assuage the pain in his head underneath. “I-” He got no further as Reg hit again, knocking his helmet over his eyes. Adjusting it, he saw the anger in his friend's eyes and began again, this time quieter. “Sorry, Reg. I was just so thirsty after hearing you suggest we go for a pint, I thought-”

“No, you didn't think, Clive,” Reg whispered back. “Never talk about things like that in front of the toffs; that's lesson one for this duty, remember? Do you want to go back to standing guard in the clouds? Did you like that, standing at attention for ten or twelve hour shifts, too afraid to even sneeze or yawn because you didn't know when the OD would be by to check up on you?” He nodded as Clive shook his head, satisfied that his point was made. “Too right, you don't, and neither do I. So keep your gob shut, and when the toff offers you refreshments, you politely turn them down, 'cause certain ones like Milady here, are just too kind to follow certain protocol, and others are just asking to land you in Her Highness's Pleasure for skiving off. Now, when they asks if you want refreshments, you say what?”

Clive's face became serious as he stared ahead. “No thank you, Ma'am.”

“Too right. Or you can let me answer for the both of us.” Reg tugged on the straps holding the luggage in place and nodded. “Now, keep your gob shut, and let's pull this wagon like we were assigned to do. Light knows we're going to have to hustle in order to make up for the time we lost with this nonsense. If we're lucky, this will all just be a memory we can tell our grand kids in our dotage.”

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( . .)
*(“)(“)

Stepping out of the chariot, Twilight nodded once more to the drivers, while an earth pony hoofmare unloaded her luggage. Looking over to the palace entrance on the landing pad, she was disappointed to find not Celestia, but her personal assistant waiting for her. She schooled her discontentment into a bland smile as she approached and nodded to her. “Miss Inkwell, it's good to see you again.”

Inkwell bowed and smiled. “Likewise, Milady. I trust the invitation didn't disrupt your schedule too much?”

Twilight's smile was much more genuine as she replied, “Nonsense. The Princess need but crook a finger, and I will hie to her side with all due alacrity. Incidentally, do you know why it was Princess Luna who issued the invitation, rather than you or herself?”

“Unfortunately, no, Milady. I, myself only received notification of this change to her schedule last night during my dinner. I had intended to ask her myself this morning, but unfortunately, the opportunity failed to crop up. The only thing I know for certain is that she wanted to discuss with you the events of your brother's wedding. As we speak, she is in the middle of holding court, which is why I am here to greet you, rather than she.” Inkwell was uncomfortable telling a half truth to one of the princess' most trusted confidants, but was relatively sure she could manage it without raising too many alarms with this one.

Just then, Spike ran up with the hoofmare carrying all their bags following close behind. “Twi, I'm gonna get our things set up in the tower, okay?”

The polite clearing of a throat caught their attention. “Unfortunately, Master Spike, we were unable to send any maids into the tower to clean on such short notice, so it is... unfit for habitation,” Inkwell said with more than a note of trepidation.

Twilight arched an eyebrow at her. “Do you mean to tell me that nopony has cleaned in there since...”

Inkwell nodded, her eyes downcast. “I am afraid so, Milady. We would have had maids in to clean, but given past experiences with your more delicate experiments, it was felt prudent to wait for either the Princess or yourself to make sure that any explosions or magical mishaps were kept to a minimum, and sadly, the princess has been far too busy to take care of this small matter.”

Twilight's shoulders slumped as she took in this information. “Drat. I was so looking forward to rummaging through my old personal book collection, too. Well, I'll try to make some time to open it up myself sometime before I leave again, so the place can be dusted now and then, at least.” She paused a moment as she checked her chronometer spell before looking down at her assistant, and saying, “Spike, why don't you show the hoofmare to our parents' place and get everything set up there? Mom should be home as this is a Dewsday, unless there was some emergency at the archives.”

With a fist pump, the dragon led the hoofmare through the door at a very brisk pace.

“Don't run, Spike! We're going to be here for a few days, so there's no rush!” Twilight called after him. She sighed and shook her head with a fond smile. “I hope Mom and Dad don't feed him too many gems; I don't want him to spoil his dinner.”

Inkwell led her through the palace to the Princess' tea room, and showed her through the door. “Court is scheduled to last another hour, but as you know, it tends to run a bit late. I'll try to get her here by three, however, so make yourself at home.”

Resting a hand on the back of a chair, Twilight turned to her with a nod. “Thank you, Miss Inkwell, I will.” When the aide had bowed and left, Twilight went to the window, and walked out onto the balcony. She breathed in the familiar scent of the blooming garden below, brought up to her by the constant winds which beset Mt. Canterlot. A smile formed on her face as she thought back to the many conversation she had with the Princess in this very room throughout the years. The peaceful contentment was marred by the thought that her mentor now wanted to talk about the catastrophe of a wedding last week.

I hope she's not too upset over what I said and did. Shaking her head, Twilight dismissed the thoughts, and decided to practice her violin to take her mind off of things. She conjured it, still in its case from her dimensional pocket, and with practiced ease, began to play. As she lost herself to the music, she started swaying and then flitting about the room, as if she were dancing with the music itself. With grace she could never achieve consciously, the unicorn effortlessly avoided every obstacle, even though her eyes were closed. When one piece was finished, she immediately segued into another seamlessly.

When she could take the ache in her fingers no more, she stopped and sank into the couch facing the fireplace. A light, polite clapping startled her from her reverie, and she was surprised to find Celestia sitting next to her, a proud smile directed at her. “Princess!”

“I'm happy to see that those lessons haven't gone to waste, Twilight. I had never heard someone go from Moo Ray's Rondeau to Busy's Les Toreadors before, let alone while dancing” Celestia said. She laid a hand on Twilight's which was still clutching the violin. She actually seemed a little unsure of herself as she asked, “How... how have you been? Since the wedding, I mean.”

For a moment, Twilight seriously considered actually lying to her mentor. She mentally berated herself, and had to fight off the urge to rap herself on the head sharply. “I... I guess you could say it's been a bit of a roller coaster these past few days for me, Princess.”

Celestia's heart ached, and she squeezed the unicorn's hand gently. “I'm sorry, Twilight.”

Of all the responses she could have received, this was not among those Twilight had expected. Confusion in her eyes, Twilight looked up to the alicorn. “Princess?”

Celestia looked out the open window at the clouds and sighed. “I am partly to blame for the fiasco at the wedding. I was too busy with court and becoming reacquainted with my sister to notice the changes in Cadance's behavior, and I brushed aside your concerns as if they were nothing. I should have realized that of all the ponies in the world, you would be the one to recognize something being off about her. I should have connected the threat Chrysalis posed to the fact that she was a shapechanger, to her unusual behavior, and taken the appropriate steps.” She looked down at the unicorn, tears blurring the vision of both mares. “I should never have dismissed your concerns so casually. I shouldn't have treated you like a whiny foal who thought her favorite ponies were being taken away from her. I... I should have trusted you more, and I don't even have the excuse of mind control or emotion manipulation to hide behind.”

Stunned, Twilight could only sit there for a moment in shock before launching herself at the larger alicorn. Her arms went around the mare, and her face buried itself in her ample chest. Celestia was taken aback at the reaction. She had expected condemnation from her favorite student, but this easy forgiveness was just perplexing, and actually made her feel even worse. She hesitantly laid a hand on the young mare's head, softly stroking her mane as tears fell from both their eyes.

“Oh, Twilight. I don't deserve this. Your trust in me is misplaced. I couldn't even fight off the threat once exposed-”

She cut herself off as Twilight began to shake her head, still buried in her bosom. Finally, the unicorn looked up, her eyes still brimming with tears. “You've told me yourself many times, Celestia. You may be many things, but infallible isn't one of them. You can only do the best you can with the information you possess at the time, with the tools you have at hand, and hope you don't make a royal mess of things. You were distracted by many things, and I... I didn't exactly present a lot of evidence that couldn't be dismissed as circumstantial or pure conjecture. I'm also angry with myself for how I acted. I appeared foalish and immature, because I was foalish and immature. I was feeling left out because my BBBFF nor my parents had bothered to inform me of the engagement, let alone the wedding until just a few days beforehand, and I didn't even know who he was marrying until I actually arrived in Canterlot. Worse still, it wasn't from any of them that I learned of it. Add to that, the fact that one of the only ponies not a blood relation that I considered family was treating me like a stranger, and everypony else, including my own friends seemed to be dismissing my concerns out of hand as jealousy, it would be a gross mischaracterization to say that I was a bit out of sorts.”

Twilight leaned her head against Celestia's chest again and closed her eyes, releasing a sigh as she relished in the comforting warmth coming from the diarch. “You're the smartest, wisest, strongest, most wonderful pony I know, so knowing that even you can make mistakes makes me realize that my mistakes aren't as bad as I make them out to be. Everyone makes them. What makes us better for having made those mistakes is owning up to them, accepting the consequences, and moving beyond them. We can't dwell on them, any more than we can just ignore them, but with the help of somepony you care about, the problem becomes half as difficult.” She tightened her hug, trying to will all her love into the mare through osmosis, not really wanting to let go for any reason until she understood that she didn't need to be forgiven, at least, not from her.

A tremulous smile crept onto Celestia's face. Such heartfelt kindness was rarely directed at her. Of course, her ponies adored her, followed her, even fought or died for her, but she always felt a certain amount of disconnect from them. Their feelings for her were always sort of... distant; detached, even. She wasn't sure when it started to happen, she had noticed a few centuries ago that emotionally, she had drifted away from her ponies- nay, her children, until anything she felt from them directly had become... muted. But now, it seemed that a pony had broken through the wall that had been erected without her notice. Twilight didn't just love her as her ruler; she didn't even just love her as her mentor. Twilight loved her. Celestia's heart felt like it was full to bursting. Her arms snaked around the unicorn still hugging her, pulling her into and even tighter embrace.

Twilight sighed in contentment as she snuggled into the larger mare.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Vinyl looked over her steaming cup of coffee and across the table at her dining partner in the café. The late afternoon light filtered through the window, shining on the melancholic face of Octavia. Despite the gloomy expression, the deejay thought that the way the light shone on her made her appear positively angelic; as if she had just laid down her trumpet after signaling the apocalypse, wishing that she had time for one more scone before the end.

The cellist was looking out the window, chin in hand, completely oblivious to her audience, as she listlessly stirred her own coffee. Everything about her was impeccable, of course. Her mane was neat and tidy, not a hair out of place; as opposed to Vinyl's, which almost always seemed to look as if she had just awakened. Her clothes were high society haute couture, neatly pressed and smelling faintly of spring rain somehow, versus Vinyl's mismatched black pleather skirt, blue and pink striped tank top which just smelled of cheap laundry detergent and old sweat, in addition to her signature shades and ever-present headphones which hung loosely around her neck. Even Octavia's ramrod straight posture was antithetical to the way Vinyl slouched in the bench seat and faintly nervous hoof tapping. All in all, one would be hard pressed to find a more mismatched pair than these two.

“Bit for your thoughts?”

Without turning her head, Octavia glanced over at Vinyl, then back out the window. A moment of silence stretched out between them as the earth pony gathered her thoughts. “Are we doing the right thing?” she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Vinyl just silently raised an eyebrow at the question. Without even looking back at her, Octavia knew what expression was on the unicorn's face. “Oh, do not give me that look. Twi was a busy girl when we knew her back in high school. Now that she has gotten older, she surely has taken on even more responsibility, leaving her less time for... old acquaintances.”

Vinyl sighed in frustration. This again? It's only what, the fifth time she's brought up this point? “Look, how do we know she won't be happy to see us again? The fact is, we won't know until we meet up again. Don't take the choice out of her hands just because you're getting cold hooves, Octy.” She took a sip of her coffee and added, “Besides, I'd hardly call us 'old acquaintances'. The high point of her high school career, sure, but 'old acquaintances'? You make us sound like business partners or coworkers, or something.”

The unicorn was surprised by the noncommittal grunt she got in lieu of an intelligible answer, but decided to not press the issue, as her friend seemed rather put out at the moment, and she had been witness to what happens when Octavia Melody becomes irritated. She took another drink of her coffee, and so she missed Octavia's eyes go wide. However, she could not miss the mare's hand slamming down on the table as her knee met it from underneath as she struggled to get up in a hurry. Vinyl almost choked on her drink, and was unable to react as the other mare finally extricated herself from the table and dashed outside as if her tail were on fire.

It took her almost a full minute to get her choking under control and run out to look for her friend, only to run right into her back, and get knocked on her rump. “The hay are you doing, Octy?” she yelled from her spot on the sidewalk.

Octavia was scanning the streets, using her height to its fullest advantage over the smaller unicorns and totally ignoring the unicorn, who was climbing back to her hooves.

Vinyl laid a hand on her shoulder and quietly said, “Octy?”

The earth pony looked back, frustration plain on her face. “I just saw her, Vinyl.” She looked again to the streets, filled with ponies; a sea of clashing colors. “Twilight's here.”

Author's Note

This is taking a while, isn't it? I do apologize for that, but between life and my muse being the duffer she is, new chappies keep getting pushed back. I haven't even written a sex scene since the early chapters of this story! How sad is that? Still, I refuse to just stick them in unless they make sense within the context of the story, so I'm afraid you'll just have to bear with me... and my muse. I really need to light a fire under her ass. Anywho, I hope you've stuck with me so far, and will continue to do so until the end.

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Chapter 16: Rondo

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 16: Rondo

Vinyl's pleasant dream about a certain Princess of the Night was ruined by the sudden intrusion of light, and a voice loudly proclaiming, “Up! We do not want to be late, Vinyl!”

Said unicorn opened one bleary eye to see the mare that always seemed to be the one to ruin her third favorite pastime with unreasonable expectations like being conscious before noon. She tried several times to speak before she finally loudly cleared her throat and said in a voice that sounded like someone opening a long forgotten tomb's stone door, “Octy, know that I love you very much, so don't take it too personally when I throw very large, heavy things at you for waking me at this insane hour.”

Octavia yanked the quilted down duvet off of the unicorn, exposing the mare, who was naked save for her panties, to the unforgiving light of day. She rolled her eyes at the familiar sight, but smiled. “Ten o'clock is hardly an insane hour at which to find oneself awake, you loafer. Beside which, you would not be suffering so, had you not taken Lady Heartstrings up on her offer to empty the entire bottle of vodka.”

Vinyl rolled over and glared at her. “The poor woman had never heard of Drunken Fruity Pebbles, Octy! How could I not?”

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Octavia sighed. “Well, regardless of your current state, you need to get up so you may get ready; or would you rather miss out on reconnecting with Twilight?”

“That's dirty pool, Octy,” Vinyl replied. “Using that poor filly to do your dirty work is just unethical.”

Octavia gave a sharp bark of laughter. “You are one to talk about unethical, with the way you lead on stallions, but never deliver.”

“Exactly!” Vinyl quietly shouted as she sat up and swung her legs to the opposite side of the bed to stand. “If anypony should know unethical, it's me! After all, it takes one to know one.” She raised her arms above her head and stretched, feeling her spine pop in several places as she twisted her back.

The gray mare rose to her hooves and walked towards the door, without looking back. “Go take a shower. You reek of alcohol and B.O.” She paused as she opened the door, halfway out. “And if you are not out in twenty minutes, I shall return to drag you out by your tail, and you shall have to suffer through walking through the city in wet clothes.”

Vinyl's response was a silent, but well aimed pillow thrown at her ex-fillyfriend, which only hit the door as it closed.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Twilight walked into the parlor and glared down at Spike, who was reclining on the couch, giggling at a comic in his hands. “Oh, Matterhorn. You're so uptight,” he said to the comic.

“Ahem!”

Twilight's loud throat-clearing startled the dragon into sitting up, though he didn't put the comic away. “T- Twilight! What are you still doing here? I thought you left for your appointment!”

The mare smirked at his stammered question. She walked over to him and stood, towering over the smallish dragon. “I was on my way out, when I remembered the tower. I would like you to get started on checking it out. I know I didn't leave any experiments running, so the worst danger you're likely to face is something in the fridge evolving into a dangerous species, but as it's been just over a year, I doubt you'll have to worry about that. I want you to go open the windows to air it out and start on dusting the books. I'll be by later to help you finish and categorize which ones we're taking back home with us.” She paused at his groan, but her smirk did not waver. “I know, I know, but it'll be a just a couple dozen books at most, and those will be going into my lab, not the library itself.”

Spike's gaze went back down to the comic in his lap, though he was too upset at the thought of the day's tasks before him to enjoy it anymore, not that he'd do something so rude as to read while Twilight was talking to him anyway. “Aw, tinder. I knew today was going too well for me.” He looked up at her, brows furrowed in a plea. “Can I at least get one of the maids to help me? The tower is so huge!”

“Spike, I am embarrassed to have that tower seen by them in that state! It reflects poorly on us, and besides, there's no sense in making more work for them than absolutely necessary. I know it's their job, but it shows that we respect them by not purposely leaving a huge mess for them to clean up!” She saw him flinch under her words, so softened her tone and sat down next to him. She pulled him into a quick sideways hug. “Look, I'm not expecting you to go right now, or do all the work yourself, but I would like you to at least be starting by noon, okay?” He nodded, albeit, reluctantly. “Tell you what, when I get to the palace, I'll get one of the maids to help out, and we can finish this task off today, and have all day tomorrow to play in Canterlot, okay?” Spike just sighed in response to the offer, but Twilight's smile widened. “That's the spirit!” she said as she patted him on the back. She rose to her hooves and walked to the door. “I'll bring some donuts when I come back, Spike.”

Spike's mood improved a little at the prospect of real Pony Joe donuts.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Taking another sip of her coffee, Twilight mumbled equations under her breath as she went over her old thesis on the connection between music and magic. The papers held in her magic were almost five years old, but due to the magic of her pocket dimension, they looked as if they hadn't aged a day. She was startled out of her musings by a rather loud voice for a coffee shop.

“I told you she'd be the one hiding behind a stack of papers!”

Twilight let the papers drop just enough to peer over them, and was glad she had not set them down entirely to reveal her jaw which had dropped in surprise. Before her stood two ponies she had not realized how much she had missed until just now. Vinyl was virtually unchanged, but then, she had seen her just a few weeks ago, but her familiar lopsided grin was welcomed, nonetheless. However, Twilight only really had eyes for Octavia. The mare looked even more elegant than she had last seen her during high school. True, she had seen her at the Gala not too long ago, but that was from across the ballroom, and only between greeting guests and conversing with The Princess. In high school, Octavia was as refined as a young mare could get, and her beauty was truly something to behold. Now, with the weight of eight years to mature, she had indeed aged like a fine wine, as the saying goes. Gone was the eighteen year old near-mare, to be replaced with this vision of grace and gentility. The white, denim skirt/peach button-up blouse combo was accented by a beige blazer and a soft, patterned scarf that set off her gray coat like it was designed specifically for her, and her mane was perfectly coiffed as usual, not a single hair out of place. She's gorgeous. She shook her head to chase away the thought and sent the papers back to her dimensional pocket, smiling as she rose to greet her oldest friends. “Octavia, Vinyl! It's so...” Despite her promise to not cry, tears came to her eyes, and she could not continue her planned greeting. She was surprised when Vinyl came around the table and practically grappled her into a hug.

“We've missed you, Short Stuff,” the white unicorn said as she pulled her in tighter, then stepped back, but not releasing the younger mare's shoulders from her grasp.

Twilight's smile was less melancholic as she stepped back as well from the crushing embrace. “I've missed you both, as well. I... I don't know where to even begin.”

Vinyl was gently pushed aside as Octavia came forward and pulled Twilight into an equally strong embrace. Both mares were silent as they held one another, just breathing each other in. As much as they would have liked to continue to stand just like that, they were both aware of the scene they were causing, and stepped back, albeit, reluctantly. Octavia never took her eyes off of the young mare's before her as she said, “You've grown so much! Vinyl and I are very proud to be your friends, Twilight.”

“Yeah, we've been following your adventures in the news since we graduated high school, you know,” Vinyl said as she took a seat.

Octavia nodded as she took one herself, between Twilight and Vinyl. “One could say that you do not even need to say anything to us in order to catch us up, but we would very much like to hear it in your own words.”

They were interrupted as a dark green earth pony mare with a brown mane and tail silently dropped off two more cups of coffee and a plate of cheese danishes for the newcomers. When she was gone, Twilight said, “I figured you would be along soon, so I took the liberty of ordering for you.” She looked at the lids, and switched them around. “Mocha cappuccino for the deejay, and Lady Gray with honey for Octavia. Still remember your favorites,” she said with a smile.

Octavia removed the lid and breathed in the steam from the tea with a smile. “While mine has not changed, I am afraid you shall have to excuse little Miss Uncouth over there as she adds entirely too much alcohol to hers.”

Indeed, Vinyl was pouring a small measure of whiskey into her cup from a hip flask. She looked up at them in confusion. “What? It's before noon, and I'm lucky to have gotten more than four hours of sleep last night.”

Twilight chuckled and shook her head. “The way you two act like an old, married couple always cracks me up. Are... are you two still...”

Both mares caught the nervousness behind the partially asked question, but it was Vinyl who replied first. “No, we broke up before going to different colleges.”

Shocked, Twilight almost shouted, “What? But you two were like, perfect for each other! How could you-”

Octavia laid a hand on hers, immediately getting her attention and cutting her off. “It is fine, Twilight. We just... we wanted different things from our relationship. It's... it is better this way; not that we have not reconsidered-”

“Or regretted,” Vinyl interjected.

Nodding, the gray mare agreed. “Or regretted it. Honestly, we would have driven each other crazy. I would have gone spare pushing her to better herself until she could not take it anymore, and then we both would have done something we would regret even more than splitting up.” She looked over to Vinyl with a fond smile, then returned her gaze to Twilight. “Vinyl and I make better best friends than we would each others' wives. That's just not in the cards for us.”

Twilight's heart was thudding in her chest like a jackhammer. She didn't know whether it was because of the stress of seeing the two ponies she called friend or if it was... No. I can't. I won't. They deserve better. She deserves better. Besides, what would she want with a scrawny, awkward thing like me? She shook these thoughts away and gave them a sad smile. “That's the saddest thing I've heard all week. There wouldn't happen to be any room in that best friend circle for a filly who let life get in the way of a past friendship, would there?”

“Well, it wasn't done in malice, so I think we can forgive and forget,” Octavia replied.

“Yeah, we coo,” Vinyl added. She leaned forward and asked, “So, what has our little Criminale been up to? We know you were at the Gala, and your brother's wedding-”

“And you were instrumental in the downfall of at least three major threats to Equestria,” Octavia interrupted. “But what have you been up to since high school?”

Vinyl nodded. “Yeah, we want deets, filly. Dish, dish!”

Twilight laughed heartily at them as she started talking about what had been going on in her life since they had last met.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Spike sighed as he took in the library before him. Granted, it wasn't even close to the size of the one back home in Ponyville, but after going over the lower apartment with a feather duster, he was just plain exhausted, and his dust covered pink apron proved it. And now he stood before a task that made that look like a dawdle. Not only did the bookcases have ten shelves a piece, but there were twelve of them, plus the upper tier which held another eight, and that wasn't even counting all the knick-knacks like trophies, awards, and scientific equipment scattered about the tower which needed to be dusted, some of which were so delicate that they had to be cleaned by hand. “I wish Twi would just summon an invisible servant to keep everything clean like other unicorn wizards.”

“I don't, because invisible servants still require constant supervision, lest they break something because they don't care about things like that.”

Spike dropped the feather duster and gave a short screech like a little filly in surprise. “Twi, I-” He stopped abruptly when he noticed that she wasn't alone. Standing behind her was Vinyl Scratch, Octavia Melody, and one of the Palace's maids pushing a cleaning cart.

“What rooms have you finished, Spike?” Twilight's tone was serious, but her expression was very mild, considering the state of her tower and the fact that she had not only brought the promised maid, but also guests.

The dragon went to attention and saluted like a soldier. “Bedrooms, kitchen and bathrooms dusted and straightened, Ma'am!”

Twilight folded her hand behind her back and walked around the dragon, taking note of the dust and grime on his clothes, and the open windows blowing in a fresh breeze to replace the stale air that had been trapped for over a year. She ran a finger along a shelf, noting with disgust just how much dust had accumulated. She rubbed fingers clean and walked back in front of the dragon and returned his salute. “Very good, soldier! Stand relieved, and report back in thirty minutes.” She held out a paper bag and a steaming cup.

Grinning, Spike snatched the bag of donuts and cup of hot chocolate, and ran out of the tower to eat on the grass, leaving behind four laughing mares.

Turning to the maid, Twilight gestured towards the already cleaned sections of the tower. “Why don't you get started on the rooms Spike went over, while I get started on this, okay?” The maid curtsied and turned to leave, but was stopped as Twilight added, “But stay out of the lab. I need to go over that myself first.” With another curtsy, the maid was gone, leaving the three friends behind. Twilight's horn lit up, conjuring a small spark of electricity, which moved among the shelves, collecting the dust, while her friends wandered around her private library.

Vinyl found herself standing before the largest hourglass she had ever seen. She smiled as she saw the curved glass distort everything on the other side. She was tempted to use a finger to make a smiley face in the dust, but decided that doing so in a unicorn's home would be ill-advised, but doing it in Twilight's home could be just suicidal, judging by the glowing runes inscribed on the frame.

Octavia perused the book titles as they became clear of dust, and was surprised at the number of tomes on music and musical theory. Obviously, music seemed to be a big part of her life, even now. With a smile, she pulled a familiar book that was in her own curriculum last year, and almost laughed out loud when she saw many of the same notations she had made, scrawled on a few pieces of loose leaf paper. True, there were many more mathematical equations, but many of the written notes were the same.

“So, does Spike know about that little trick of yours for dusting, or is it a unicorn secret?” Vinyl asked as she peered at an empty terrarium littered with a dried branch, mysterious debris, and sand. She was restraining herself from the temptation of touching by keeping her hands in her pockets.

With a small shrug, Twilight replied, “He knows. He also knows that if he could do that trick too, I would have no problem with him using it. But, I didn't really bring you two here to help with the cleaning, nor to talk about housekeeping tricks.”

“Especially since Vinyl absolutely neither the talent, nor the motivation to undertake such an endeavor,” Octavia butted in.

They both ignored the unicorn's raspberry she blew at them. With a polite cough, Twilight said, “I wanted to apologize again, and invite you both over to my place at Ponyville, if you have the time. I really have no excuse for neglecting you both, and I'd like you to meet my new friends there.”

Octavia walked over and gently took one of Twilight's hands in both of her own. “Twilight, we explained that we all share the blame for that.” She forestalled another protest from the younger, blushing mare by adding, “But we would both be happy to accept your invitation, right, Vinyl?”

Vinyl came over and roughly slapped Twilight on the back, causing her to stagger. “You bet your bippy we do!”

Unnoticed by all three mares, Twilight's spark flew out the window and exploded in a puff of dust.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Spike returned to find the library not only dusted, but practically gleaming. He shook his head in wonderment, still not entirely sure how she got books to gleam and sparkle, but then, it was a family name. He found Twilight alone, standing at the window, staring out with her hands clasped behind her back. The dragon could see her reflection in the glass, and was worried to see her chewing on her lip, a crease of consternation on her brow. He was about to turn around and sneak away, when she spoke.

“We'll be bringing home some guests, Spike.”

He guiltily stopped in his tracks and turned back to her. “Octavia and Vinyl, I'm guessing?”

Twilight's shoulders tensed at Octavia's name, but she quickly schooled herself back into her calm, but commanding pose. Still looking out the window, she replied, “Yes. They'll have our room. You and I will be sleeping on the lobby couches when we return home tomorrow night, and possibly the following night, depending on how long they wish to stay.”

It was times like this that made Spike regret living in a town so small, that the closest thing they had to a hotel was a bed and breakfast run by Matilda and Cranky, which was full when they had left a few days ago, and was in the middle of one of their busier seasons. He would have suggested they stay there, but knew that Twilight would not hear of it; not for two ponies this important to her. “Is...” He hesitated to bring up his concerns, but her expression was worrisome. Twilight silently turned her head to look at him, one eyebrow arched in a question. Swallowing hard, he forged ahead. “Is everything... alright?”

Twilight returned to her vigil, looking out over the palace's courtyard. She watched a gardener work on a topiary for a moment before replying. In a flat tone that convinced no one, she said, “Yes.”

“Er...” Spike was unsure of what to do, so he started to slowly back away. “I'll just, uh... go... over... here?” He got no response as he sidled down the stairs to the lower half of the library. Once he was out of sight, he quietly dashed out of the tower and quickly made his way to the palace itself. Luckily for him, Twilight's attention was no longer on anything before her eyes, including the small, purple dragon crossing the courtyard.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Celestia's smile was starting to creep out some of the nobles. It's not like they had never seen her smile before. Indeed, a smile of one sort or another was usually plastered to her face when she dealt with them, but this one was a smile that had rarely been seen in Canterlot for over a year, and the nobles had become unaccustomed to seeing it there once more. Of course, they all knew why it had shown up again, and just who put it there; not that they were pleased by knowing its source. Many of them bore an unreasonable dislike for the filly-turned-mare for the joy that she brought to their diarch that they never could. Jealousy was a most unreasonable beast.

Celestia knew that some of her ponies felt this way of course, and hoped that someday they would, if not understand, then at least get over it, but she wasn't about to hold her breath. She just couldn't help it. Every time Twilight found her way back to Canterlot, her heart lifted a little, even if she could not be with her. Just knowing she was close at hand was a balm to her soul. She had been smiling serenely at the court for close to a half hour now, and they were starting to get a bit antsy in their seats. None of them would dream of asking for a recess, as that was the Princess' prerogative, but she could tell that they were ready for some relief, as was she. As she was about to nod to the guard to announce a recess, her seneschal, Raven, stepped forward and stretched on her hooves to reach her ruler's ear in order to whisper into it, even though the alicorn was seated.

“Your Highness, Master Spike is here, wishing to see you about Lady Sparkle. He says it's not urgent, but he appeared rather agitated.”

She nodded and waited until her steward was a few steps away before announcing in a clear voice, “It seems some other important business has come up. We shall recess for one hour, and return thence.”

With a noise that echoed throughout the vast hall, the bailiff banged his staff against the floor three times. “Oyez, oyez, oyez. The court of the Sun is now in recess, to return in one hour hence.”

The alicorn followed her retainer out to a side chamber, where Spike was waiting for her nervously on the couch. Startled, he looked up as she walked in, and was about to jump off to go to her, when she held him back with a held up hand. “Would you be a dear and bring us some tea yourself, Raven? I have a feeling that this is something private.”

The white unicorn bowed as she left and quietly closed the door behind herself. Celestia walked over to the couch and sat down, putting a comforting hand on Spike's shoulder. “What ever's the matter, Spike? Whenever you look this troubled and come to see me about Twilight, it usually means something fairly bad.”

Spike began recounting to her about the past few days, when Twilight's melancholy had started, not even noticing the tray of tea appearing on the coffee table before them. In an absent manner, he watched as Celestia served them both a cup while he told her about the visit from Twilight's old friends this afternoon. When finished, her held the cup in both hands, letting the warmth seep into his palms, and inhaled the chamomile and honey steam that wafted past his nostrils, sitting in silence for a moment. He looked up into Celestia's eyes, a crease of worry furrowing his brow. “I'm just... It just seems like that time in high school, when she was almost done with her community service thing. She got real quiet and... distant? She was like a storm on the horizon. You can see it coming, but there's nothing you can do to avoid it. And, and she gets really... scary.”

Celestia nodded and sipped from her cup. “I suppose I should talk to her, then. Perhaps over dinner-”

“No!” Spike's outburst caught the alicorn by surprise. He was chagrined by it, and apologized. “Sorry, it's just that... Nana Velvet's been looking forward to having dinner with her tonight; a family meal kinda thing.”

Again, Celestia nodded in understanding. “Of course. I wouldn't want to stand in the way of a mother bonding with her daughter and grandson over a good meal.” The alicorn knew the real reason why Spike was so abrupt, and was disappointed that the mare still hadn't gotten past this. She had tried on many occasions to try to smooth things over, both in person and through letters, but still the jealousy and feelings of inadequacy persisted. Even though Celestia insisted that Twilight only get Mothers' Day gifts for her true mother, Twilight still insisted on getting her something as well, calling her “all of ponydom's mother”. While the gesture was sweet, and Celestia cherished every gift and card from her, she would rather her stop, so as to not cause any unnecessary friction with Velvet. “Perhaps it would be better to call her here tomorrow before you leave again.”

“Yeah,” Spike said with a nod. With a sigh, he leaned into Celestia's side, relishing the comforting warmth radiating from her. “It would be nice to have breakfast with you again.” He stiffened for a moment as he remembered something. “Oh. But Twilight's friends are coming back to Ponyville with us on the train.”

Celestia petted the dragon's head fins and smiled down at him, though he couldn't see it. “Then perhaps they would like to join us? I could ask Luna to see if she would like to join as well. I'm sure that she could use the socializing, and she does miss Twilight as almost as much as I. Then, while you and Luna keep them busy, I can take Twilight aside for a quick talk.”

Spike buried his face into Celestia's side and wrapped his little arms around her, not even close to making it all the way around.

Author's Note

I hate doing this, but I'm going to have to put this story on hiatus again. My muse simply refuses to work on this, and insists on taunting me with ideas for other stories. For the most part, I'll be adding chapters to my Daria and Transformers fanfics over at AO3, though I may start a new pone story as well. Sorry, everyone.

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Chapter 1: Intro

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 1: Intro

Trotting through the halls of the prestigious Celestia's School of Gifted Unicorns, she couldn't help but feel a little out of place. The stares she garnered, while not exactly hostile, certainly did not make her feel welcome. Granted, you could count the number of earth ponies she had encountered thus far on one hand (and most of those were of the custodial variety), but that hardly excused the reception Octavia was receiving. Just ignore them. I am sure they shall change their tune once I post my flier. She knew that among the many things “upper class” unicorns liked to do, the thing that topped that list was to put on airs of being higher station than they actually were, and one of the best ways to do that was to host a party with live chamber music, or better still, learn to play a classical instrument.

Finally reaching the bulletin board, she searched the cork board, looking for a free space. Just out of curiosity, she read a few of the other notices, smirking at some of them and the odd things they brought to attention, such as advertisements for horn filing workshops and spell duels all competed with the usual things one would find on any bulletin board in a typical school. She shook her head and pulled a couple of pins, tacking her flier to the cork.

QUARTET FOR HIRE

Experienced high school string quartet (two violins, viola, cello) available for parties.
Demo tape available upon fee negotiation.
Also available for tutoring.

Interested parties should leave contact information with classical music teacher at Canterlot High.

Octavia gave a satisfied nod and walked away, confident that with the money she was about to earn, she could finally afford the entry fee to the distinguished music conservatory in distant Prancylvania. With a degree from a school like that, the Canterlot Philharmonic Orchestra would be begging her to play for them.

A few students gathered when she left to read her notice, but walked away disappointed when they read it. The hall cleared of traffic as the last few stragglers left for the day, leaving a lone filly free to go at her own pace without fear of being jostled or hurried along. She was much smaller than the average high school student, but that was only to be expected, being that she was the school's only thirteen year-old senior. Twilight silently sighed in relief at the end of another day without too much obfuscated bullying. Only two shoulder bumps (along with the expected dropping of her books) and three glares marred this otherwise superior day of learning.

The purple filly was in such a good mood, that she hummed a few bars of Bock's Minuet. She walked up to the bulletin board and tacked up a tiny, obscure little note declaring that tutoring lessons in magic and math were now available, and was just as quickly, on her way again.

From the shadows of a column, stepped a gray earth pony filly on the cusp of adulthood and trotted up to the board, silent as a cat. She took down the notice that Twilight had left and put it into her pocket. She was about to continue on her way, when she noticed the flier Octavia had left. Reading it to herself, she murmured, “Hm. She has shown an interest in music lately; probably because of the symphony the princess had taken her to last month.” After memorizing it, she adjusted her flatcap as she stepped through the doors, a new mission in mind after making sure Twilight reached the palace unmolested.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Twilight walked into the princess' parlor unannounced, as she had been given permission to do just that at any time the alicorn was present. The filly smiled beatifically at the monarch; she found it difficult to do otherwise when she was in Her presence. She noted the door on the opposite side closing with a quiet CLICK as she approached the reclining princess on a divan. “I- I didn't interrupt anything, did I, Princess?”

It was hard to not take notice of the fearful quaver in the filly's voice, but Celestia's soothing, melodic tone calmed her as usual. “Of course not, My Faithful Student. It was merely a servant wondering if our usual after-school tea was going to be canceled since you were so late.” Indeed, the still steaming pot of tea as well as a small plate of shortbread cookies and two cups occupied the table before the divan. Celestia patted the cushion next to her and smiled at Twilight.

Nervously taking the offered seat, the unicorn stammered an apology. “I- I- I'm sorry, Princess. I was delayed by an accident in the hallway. Three laundry carts had somehow crashed, creating a huge mess. I tried to help as fast as I could, but there was just so much laundry, and then it needed to be refolded, and-”

Celestia placed a finger on Twilight's lips, silencing her before she could really get rolling. “It's alright, Twilight. And what did I say about titles in private?”

“S- sorry, Pr- Celestia,” Twilight replied, stumbling over the name which she was unaccustomed to using without her title as well.

With a smile, Celestia gently tousled the unicorn's hair, careful to not put it into too much disarray. Lifting the plate with her magic, she offered them to Twilight, who sheepishly took one and nibbled on it. “Now, then. Before you tell me all about your day, I have an important announcement. I believe it is time to move on to the next phase of your culture education. To that end, I shall be hiring a music tutor for you.”

Twilight's eyes had gone wide with excitement when she had mentioned education, but fell a little when the education involved learning music. “Um...”

“Yes, Twilight?” Celestia asked, already knowing the objection that was coming.

Licking her parched lips, Twilight hesitantly ventured, “Not that I don't appreciate the trouble you through for me, and I want to learn as much as I can about everything, but...”

“Go on.”

“Well, it's just...” Twilight's hands fidgeted in her lap as she sought the words that eluded her. “Well, I'm not the most... musically inclined. I would hate to waste your money or the tutor's time when they might be able to teach students with... talent.”

Celestia silently considered this as she poured tea for the two of them, adding two lumps of sugar in both cups. After taking a sip, she said, “Twilight, did you ever hear the phrase, 'the magic of music'?”

Twilight nodded and immediately went into lecture mode. “I've often heard the phrase, and usually attributed it to the way music always seems to make ponies want to dance or sing along with it. Professor Bluegrass actually gave a lecture in which-”

“Have you ever considered that there might be actual magic in music?” Celestia interrupted.

As per usual, when presented with a new, possibly game-changing notion, the unicorn filly didn't even bother with an inner dialogue, unintentionally including her mentor in her thought process. “Well, I suppose the harmonic resonance of a spell's magical energy could be construed as music if one looks at it at just the right angle. Hmm. Now that you mention it, the mental pathways for some spells often resemble the Asymmetrical Rondo of ABACADAE, or even the Developmental Form's motifs. Interesting. I hadn't considered this before...” Her horn lit as she floated some paper and a pencil over from a bureau that Celestia always kept well stocked in case of Twilight's spontaneous inspiration. She began furiously writing down ideas and notations, stopping only when she felt Celestia rest a hand on her shoulder, pulling her from her reverie instantly.

Smiling gently down at her, Celestia said, “I'm a bit surprised that you hadn't already come to this conclusion on your own, but I suppose we all have our blind spots. Even Star Swirl was renowned for his rich baritone singing voice. This is the other reason I wanted you to learn a musical instrument, and if this works out well, a choral tutor later on.”

The mention of Twilight's second role model caused her to blush with embarrassment. “I thought it was just an apocryphal rumor meant to make him into even more of a legend than he was; kind of like how when Commander Hurricane was born, the hurricane that had been going on outside her home disappeared.”

“Oh, that happened, too,” Celestia said, smiling at the look of astonishment on her student's face. “However, it was because I had diverted it away from populated lands, not because she had somehow absorbed it's energy, as the legend goes.”

Twilight grinned at the monarch's careful delay of information, but the grin quickly faded. “Do... do you really think I can do it? My dance tutor said I had two left hooves, and a big part of music is rhythmic. I think he still has bruises on his shins, as a matter of fact.”

Celestia cupped Twilight's cheek in her palm, bringing their gazes into line. “Twilight, what does the cutie mark on your hip symbolize?”

Swallowing hard, the nervous filly replied, “M- magic?”

“And what have we just been discussing?”

Still caught by Celestia's pale magenta eyes, it took Twilight a moment to comprehend what she was saying. When the words finally sank in, her eyes widened. “This changes everything, Celestia! I have to work on a spell allowing me to better see the flow of magic within music!” She grabbed the sheet of paper again, kneeling down to use the low coffee table as a desk as she worked out new formulae. "Let's see. If I start with an Arc Thrower's Heightened Perception, and then tweak the visual spectrum to-”

Lost to her newest project, Twilight all but ignored Celestia, who was content to sit and watch the young genius warp and twist another unicorn's most prized work to suit her own purpose. Celestia knew that Arc Thrower would have been appalled at how the filly practically turned the careful equations over which he had sweated for years inside out, and made them dance to her tune as easily as if she were calling out the moves for a square dance. Her heart swelled with pride at how easily it all came to the child prodigy, and mentally congratulated herself once more for spotting the vast potential within her.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Walking up to the music room, Octavia straightened her school uniform before clearing her throat and knocking. The distinctly male voice of her classical music teacher answered from the other side, “Enter.”

Octavia walked in, quietly closing the door behind her. “You wished to see me, Professor Staccato?”

The old earth pony stallion sat on one of the many chairs next to another student who strangely enough, wasn't in uniform, but wearing street clothes. He rose as his star pupil came forward and offered her the chair he had just vacated. “Ah, Miss Melody. Do come in and have a seat. There's someone here interested in the flier you've been putting up all around town for the past few days.”

Octavia examined the gray filly before her with a critical eye, wondering if she could even afford her string quartet, much less whether or not she was throwing the kind of party appropriate for one. Aside from her gray, piebald coat, there was something decidedly odd about her. Still standing, she offered her hand to the stranger. “A pleasure, Miss?” she asked.

“Plain Sight,” replied the filly, who took her hand and gave a firm, but carefully measured handshake. “Likewise, I'm sure. I understand that you're available for tutoring.”

Staccato smiled and backed away. “I'll just leave you two to your negotiations, then. Good luck to you both.”

After he had left and closed the door behind himself, Plain Sight said, “Your teacher seems to think very highly of you, you know. Calls you his 'favorite prodigy'.”

“It would be the height of hubris to extoll my own virtues, but I would say that I am well above average in terms of musical talent,” Octavia replied as they both took their seats. “In what instrument are you interested? I can teach you any stringed instruments as well as some brass and woodwind. Anything else I imagine we could muddle through, but it would be less than ideal.”

Plain Sight smiled, but the expression never really reached her eyes. “I'm afraid you misunderstand. I'm not seeking a tutor for myself, but for my charge.”

Octavia arched an eyebrow at her. “Your 'charge'? Are you a noble's servant?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Plain Sight replied. She opened her denim jacket and pulled out a wallet. Opening it, she displayed a Royal Warrant token. The other mare's eyes widened, a natural reaction, as such things were not often seen by the populous unless a pony was in trouble. “Relax, you're not in trouble, but I needed to prove my authority, so that I can be sure that you realize how important this job could be. Do you still feel up to tutoring, knowing this?”

The musician looked out the window, watching the students loitering outside as they waited for classes to start. Two things kept repeating themselves as she watched. If I do this, it could only help my reputation, and make for a good extra credit on my applications. And think of the money! Royal Warrants are only issued to the princess' most trusted ponies, so she is likely here on her orders. The Royal Vault, while not bottomless, could certainly withstand any fee I could request. Whoa, girl. Get a hold of yourself. Get too greedy, and they shall just find somepony else to do it for cheaper. In any case, we still do not know for whom this offer is made. If it is the princess herself... I do not know if I could withstand that. She cleared her throat and asked, “May I ask for whom these lessons will be?”

Plain Sight grinned at her devilishly. “I can tell you right now that it's probably not for who you're thinking.” Her grin softened a little, becoming a little less shark-like when she noticed the other filly relax just a little. “The princess is already an accomplished musician, and likely has more experience at it than your entire orchestra combined, teacher included. No, it's not the princess, but it is the pony that's gotten closest to her in centuries, maybe even longer. Still interested?”

Right away, Octavia knew of whom they were speaking. There was only one pony in the world that was openly doted upon by the princess, and had been seen at her side at royal functions more often as of late. The cellist had not seen much of her in person, indeed, the public at large shared that condition, but everyone in Equestria knew of Twilight Sparkle, the magical prodigy that had caught Celestia's eye, and secured the most coveted position in all the land. The princess' protégée wielded a considerable amount of clout, if only due to her unique situation. This was definitely a feather in her cap that Octavia could not afford to pass up, especially if she managed to make a decent musician of the unicorn. Looking her guest in the eye, she replied, “I believe I have both the time, and the wherewithal to accept this position.”

Plain Sight clapped her hands together and rubbed them appreciatively. “Fantastic! Now about your fee. I believe that fifty bits per hour is standard, and is quite generous for a high school tutor, yes?” She smiled a bit at Octavia's wide eyed nod, then said, “However, the princess has authorized me to tell you that if your student's progress reaches a certain level of skill by the end of the year, a special bonus is to be given to you. A sort of ah, incentive for you. She will of course, have her own incentive to perform well, and is suitably motivated and excited to begin her lessons. Does this sound fair to you?”

To say that Octavia was flabbergasted would have been a vast understatement. Fifty bits? And a bonus? Her mind was all a whirl with all that she could afford with that much when she left for the conservatory. Why, that would cover a very large portion of the costs her scholarships didn't. She could even afford to eat real food almost everyday instead of having to subsist off of ramen and pizzas! Shaking her head, she nodded. “Er, yes, that sounds generous. Thank you.”

“Oh, don't thank me yet. Wait until you've actually started tutoring her. She can be a very... demanding pupil.” With that last ominous warning, Plain Sight stood and walked to the door. She had placed her hand on it, but paused and turned to face her again. “Two last things. One; report to the palace tomorrow at three-thirty pm, sharp. This is an instance where punctuality counts for a lot, and not just with the princess. And two; do not mention the word, 'tardy'. Your student has a... thing about that word.” The filly gave a visible shudder as she walked out the door, leaving Octavia, who now had all the coherent speech capability of a stunned brick.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Trotting at a brisk pace, Twilight quickly made her way through the streets of Canterlot. Despite her eagerness to get to her new tutor, she couldn't help but think of all the things that could go wrong. What if I have no musical talent? Will that hinder my studies in magic? What if The Princess decides to stop mentoring me if I fail? This last thought made her shudder in fear. There was truly nothing scarier to her than failing her idol, and there were almost no lengths to which she wouldn't go to avoid doing so.

So wrapped in her own thoughts was she, that she hadn't even noticed that she had arrived at the palace. As she made her way to her apartment, she briefly considered changing out of her school clothes, but after noting the time, decided to just drop off her books and have a quick visit with Spike before heading over to the room Celestia had set aside for the new lessons. She walked into the apartment and called out, “Spike, I'm home!”

A purple, scaled head poked out from the balcony above, and he smiled down at her. “Hey, Twi. Good day at school?”

Twilight smiled up at him, happy to see the first genuinely friendly face since she left the palace this morning. “So-so. I told you about the new tutor yesterday, right?”

“And the day before that, and the day before that. Honestly, Twi, I wouldn't have forgotten since you reminded me this morning, neither,” the dragon replied in an exasperated sigh as he walked down from the upstairs library.

“Either,” she automatically corrected. “We speak The Princess' Equish in this home.” Plopping her backpack on the coffee table, she pulled out a thin folder, and placed it down. “Here's today's lessons for you, Spike. Some algebra, history and general science.” She put a finger to her chin in thought, before digging out a few loose papers and added them to the folder. “Better put some Equish work in there, if you still can't tell either from neither.”

Spike groaned as he plopped down on a chair nearby. “Aw, come on, Twi; it was just a slip of the tongue. Besides, you're already giving me algebra. You know how much I hate math, and now you're adding Equish on top of all that?”

Twilight shook her head and sat on the couch facing the table to start sorting through the papers in the folder. “I'm sorry, but I will not have our language butchered like that. The Princess entrusted you into my care, and I take my role as your guardian and teacher very seriously.” She noticed him sulking on the chair, and gave his head spines a ruffle. “Cheer up, Spike. Once you pass the standard mathematics course test, I won't make you learn any more math, unless it's necessary for my research projects.”

The dragon took little comfort in this proclamation. “Yeah, I'll bet you intentionally pick projects that require me learning more math, too,” he muttered under his breath.

“What was that?” Twilight asked, despite hearing him clear as day.

Spike quickly clammed up, saying only, “Nothing!”

Twilight saw that he really was feeling down, and decided to ease up on him a little. “Alright, Spike. We'll leave the Equish lesson for its normally scheduled time, but be prepared for a lot of vocabulary work,” she said as she took the newest papers back out of the folder and returned them to her backpack.

Surprised at her sudden leniency, the little dragon sat up straight and smiled at her. “Thanks, Twi! Oh! By the way, the book you asked for from the archives came today while you were in school. I put it on your desk.”

“The one on music theory? Already?” the young scholar asked in surprise.

Spike shook his head. “No, the one on ancient Equestrian artifacts. Remember, you asked to be put on the waiting list for that one almost a year ago?”

Twilight shook her head in amusement. “Spike, six months is hardly a year,” she said sardonically.

“Close enough,” Spike grumbled as he hopped off the chair and made his way to the small kitchen.

Twilight slumped back on the couch, just relishing the comfort that came with sprawling out and lazing about for a moment before wading back into the fray that was academia. A sudden thought occurred to her, and she glanced over at the calendar, noting that today had been circled. “Ooo, that's right. I almost forgot about tonight,” she said to herself. In a louder voice, she called out towards the kitchen as she stood once more with a grunt. “I have to go to my lesson now, Spike. Could you clean up the big telescope? I don't want to miss the meteor shower that's supposed to happen tonight.”

Spike poked his head out of the kitchen. “I thought your lesson wasn't until four?”

“Yes, but I want to make a good first impression and show that I'm serious about this; being early is one of the best ways to do that,” she replied as she walked past him. She paused long enough to give him a quick hug before moving on, leaving a confused assistant in her wake.

Holding out the plate of celery and a glass of tomato juice. He looked down at the items with undisguised disgust. “Great. What am I supposed to do with this junk?”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Octavia nervously surveyed the room once again, taking in all the musical instruments. When she had requested them from Plain Sight upon arriving so that she might ascertain just which instrument would be Twilight's forte, she had expected some beat up second hand pieces, perhaps missing parts, and only a few of them. What she got instead, was a good sampling of the sorts of instruments one might find in any orchestra. What's more, they all appeared to be well used, but also lovingly cared for. A sudden thought that they might be Celestia's personal instruments was quickly and ruthlessly squashed. No way could she keep her mind on the job if such was the case.

To ease her nerves, she came up to the cello and sat down on the chair behind it. Taking up the bow, she gave the instrument a few experimental strokes, tuning it by ear as she went. Once it was perfect, she began playing a favorite piece of hers. She was well into the music, and so was understandably startled when the door opened and a young purple unicorn filly walked in. She was dressed in the uniform of a student of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and a very surprised look on her face.

She gently set aside the cello and stood tall. With a nod, she said, “Ah, Miss Sparkle. Welcome to the first of what I hope will be many lessons.”

Twilight just stood and stared in shock.

Author's Note

Thought I'd try a little something different with this one, and make the characters anthro. It's been a while since I last wrote a story centering around humanoids, and wanted to stretch those muscles again. I hope y'all don't mind. If nothing else, it should prove interesting writing about ponies with hands, trying to keep all the pronouns and idioms straight. Also, that cover art is a work in progress. The next few updates may take longer than a week to upload while I continue to work on it.

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Chapter 6: Mano Sinistra

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 6: Mano Sinistra

With a smart rap on Twilight's music stand with her new conductor's baton, Octavia stopped her student. “Alright, Twilight, let us try it again, this time at sixty beats per minute.”

Twilight stretched the cramping fingers of her left hand, trying to restore the feeling into the tips again. “Would it be alright if we take a break for a minute? My fingertips have gone numb again.”

Octavia turned back from the metronome she had been adjusting and stopped the pendulum from it's sideways TICK TOCK movements. “Again? I thought you said you were practicing. Your speed has certainly improved lately.”

“I have. In fact, aside from my homework, it's all I've been allowed to do these past two weeks,” Twilight replied. She blushed at her, partly in shame of admitting to her punishment again, but mostly because of to whom she was admitting this. “I think I might be hitting that wall of pain about which you were talking.”

Stepping around the music stand, Octavia took the blushing filly's hand, noting the claw-like position it had attained. “Oh, dear. This will not do at all.” She started massaging her hand, trying to get it to release its current unnatural shape. “I believe I shall speak with your guardian about this punishment of yours. It sounds awfully severe to me.”

Twilight was captivated by the strong, yet delicate hands which cradled hers, soothing its aches. Omigosh! Her hands are so warm! And strong! I bet she could crush walnuts in them, but she's so gentle with me. She was so caught up in the sensation of having her hand massaged by the beautiful mare, that the best she could manage was a weak, “No, it's alright, really. I... I sorta... earned it...”

Octavia stopped massaging the hand and just held it between her own and looked the filly in the eye. “Whatever it was you did Twilight, could not have been bad enough to warrant something this strong. I insist that it is no trouble, and shall brook no argument against it.” She smiled softly, sending a flutter through Twilight's chest. “It is what friends do.”

Never before had Twilight felt such soaring exhilaration and crushing despair all at once. To be called a friend by Octavia was akin to drowning in overly affectionate puppies and kittens; the feeling so bittersweet, it almost physically hurt. With a shake of her head, she cast off the gloomy thoughts, putting them into a compartment to deal with later. “It's okay, really. I only have three more days left, then I can get my books and privileges back. Of course, I won't stop practicing once they're back, but I'll at least have something else to occupy my mind when I get bored.” Her attention was drawn again to the hands clasping hers, and she subtly shifted it so that her fingers settled between the earth pony's and unconsciously started to intertwine their hands together.

Such bliss as holding the mare's hand was denied, as Octavia let go and grabbed Twilight's shoulders. “Nevertheless, I shall speak with your caretaker. Perhaps she will see sense, if for no other reason than for your health.” She turned around and fished around in her cello case for a moment before coming up with a small tin. “For now, I shall teach you a trick when your hands get too sore to play.” Opening the tin released the strong scent of camphor oil, and she dipped two fingers into a clear paste inside. She rubbed the paste on the palms of her hands before taking Twilight's hand again, rubbing the substance on it. “Well, truth be told, it is not so much a trick as it is good advice passed on from musician to musician. This is just a camphor ointment. It eases the pain, but be sure to not use it too often, and make sure to wash your hands before eating.”

If Twilight thought her hands were warm and strong before, it was nothing compared to now. The ointment had a heat all its own which complimented the mare's own natural body warmth quite well, and the slickness of it made the finger massage ten times better in her estimation. So dumbstruck by what was happening, she didn't even manage a squeak of protest when her left hand was dropped in favor of her right which got a similar treatment.

“Make sure to take care of your bowing hand as well. Many forget to treat that one, and pay for it later, sometimes in the middle of a concert or recital.” Octavia worked quickly, but efficiently, noting how the filly's fingers slowly came loose once more. Finished, she pulled a small hand towel from her case and wiped off her hands. “I recommend you always carry around a small jar of that and a hand towel in your case, even after you 'get over the wall'. Even I sometimes still get cramps in my hands, especially after a long concert.”

“My hands are a little numb, now,” Twilight noted.

Nodding, Octavia replied, “Yes, that is normal. You will not be able to play for about ten minutes when the feeling returns totally.” She sat down in the chair facing Twilight and poured them both a cup of tea from the tea service brought for them. “So, how is school? What grade are you in, seventh, eighth?”

Twilight took a sip of her tea before quietly saying, “Um, twelfth, actually.”

Octavia's eyes went wide, and she almost sputtered her tea, an unforgivably embarrassing act in a setting such as this. Coughing politely into her hand she said, “My apologies, did you say twelfth?” At Twilight's silent nod, she asked, “How... But you are so young!”

Slumping down in her seat over her tea, Twilight nervously looked around the room for a way out of this uncomfortable conversation that did not exist. “Um, I was... skipped ahead a few grades...”

“A few?” Octavia exclaimed. “I should say it was a bit more than a few! I have never even heard of a pony smart enough to be skipped ahead so many times! You must be rather brilliant, Twilight.” She smiled at the filly, hoping to take the edge off of her earlier statements with a compliment.

A thrill went through Twilight's chest at the praise, but held her giddiness in check. She had seen such amazement at her advancement quickly turn to sour resentment at having one so young be so much smarter than them. There was absolutely no way she was about to tell her tutor that she could have, even wanted to be advanced further, but was restrained by The Princess and her parents in favor of not making her too out of place by having her be the first ten-year old high school graduate in almost a century. She gave a noncommittal murmur and a shrug as she looked away out the window.

Sensing that she was treading on dangerous ground, Octavia said, “I apologize. If this is uncomfortable for you, we can discuss something else.”

Needing no further prompting, Twilight jumped at the opportunity to change the subject. “Um, so, what college are you going to attend?”

Octavia's face lit up like a Hearth's Warming tree as she looked off into the future that she imagined for herself. “Actually, I am aiming for the Galliard Music Conservatory in Prancylvania. With a master's degree in music from there, I can pretty much write my own ticket into whatever orchestra I choose. My music teacher, Mr. Staccato, said that my tutoring a student or two in a classical instrument may give my application just the right bit of dedication that a school like that is looking for in a student.” She turned to Twilight and said, “Mind you, I am glad to have taken up tutoring regardless. One could say that I have been bitten by the teaching bug. Of course, it helps to have such an attentive and dedicated student such as yourself.”

Twilight blushed and squirmed in her seat. “I- I think you're a great teacher too, Octavia,” she all but whispered.

“That is very sweet of you to say,” Octavia replied. “Now, what say we get back to our lesson, shall we?”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

A gentle knock on the door followed by a contralto voice calling out, “Yes?” was all the preamble needed for Plain Sight to enter to find Octavia waiting for her.

“Someone said you wanted to talk to me about Twilight?” she asked, getting straight to the point.

Octavia rose, all stiff and polite, but unable to help it since she was still in the “music room” where she taught Twilight. “Yes, thank you for your promptness. I shall get right to the point. Do you not think the punishment you have laid out for her to be a tad harsh?”

The dappled-gray pony smirked as she slowly walked up to the prim and proper musician until they were so close, their breasts almost touched. Even though she had to look up to meet Octavia's eyes, the larger mare still felt a bit of unexplained trepidation from her. “You seem to be laboring under some sort of misapprehension, Ms. Octavia.”

Swallowing hard despite not wanting to show any fear, she replied, “And what would that be, Ms. Plain Sight?”

Plain Sight stood on the very tips of her hooves, stretching to reach the ear above her. “I'm not the one in charge of her discipline,” she whispered.

After a moment of shock, Octavia asked, “Then who is if I may be so bold as to inquire?” The shark-like grin that Plain Sight gave in return did nothing to quell the nervousness that overtook the musician.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Octavia nearly jumped out of her skin when Vinyl pinched her arm and spilled her chamomile tea. “Don't do that!” she chided the deejay.

“Well, if you had responded one of the first ten times I called your name, I wouldn't have to do that. What's got you off in La-La land today?” Vinyl was sitting next to her and had apparently been nursing a large coffee for some time.

Looking around, Octavia finally realized that she was in her current favorite coffee shop, and had absolutely no idea how she had gotten there. Seated at a corner table, far away from the other customers who all seemed more inclined to hang around the counter, they were as alone as one could ever be in a coffeehouse. Nevertheless, Octavia was hesitant to tell her what had transpired that day. She hunched over across the table and whispered, “You have got to promise me you will not shout, nor draw attention to us when I tell you whom I met today.”

Vinyl leaned forward and whispered back, “Hate to break it to you, Sweet Stuff, but you leaning across to whisper at me draws way more attention than just talking all normal-like.” They looked around, but the apathetic crowd seemed far more interested in their own conversations and drinks than in the two musicians. Vinyl frowned, then shrugged. “At least, it would normally. Lay it on me.”

Octavia stopped chewing on her lower lip, but her excitement still shone in her eyes. Looking around once more to make sure no one was listening in, she whispered, “Do you remember that filly I am tutoring in violin? The one who recently got into trouble and was grounded? Well, I asked to talk to the one in charge of her punishment, and you'll never guess who it was!” In her excitement, she forgot to whisper and was almost talking in a normal tone of voice at the end.

Leaning back in her chair, Vinyl threw out the first wild guess that came to mind. “I dunno, the princess?”

Octavia's face slammed into the table so hard, it knocked over the napkin dispenser. Picking herself up, she asked in a vicious whisper, “How did you know?”

Vinyl's eyes went wide and she took off her signature sunglasses to stare at her fillyfriend in amazement. “Mother of Light, you're serious, aren't you?”

Giddy smile back in place, Octavia's hands clenched in front of her face as if to hold in the squeal she felt wanting to escape. She nodded, practically vibrating in place. “Oh Vinyl, she was so beautiful and so majestic! It was like talking to Jewels Seizer with the looks of Bawdry Lectern; back in her younger days, of course, not that she was not a looker when she passed away, but you know what I mean, and I'm babbling, aren't I?”

Still wide-eyed, Vinyl nodded. “Just a bit, but mostly you're gushing like a broken hydrant. I mean, I knew you were a fan of hers, but...”

“Oh, puh-lease, Vinyl. I am no mere fan, she is my idol. Everything I am or strive to be is but a pale imitation of her. If I could be but a tenth the pony she is, I could die a happy mare.” Suddenly conscious of how she was acting, Octavia mentally reined herself in and took a calming sip of her tea.

A sudden thought clicked in Vinyl's head and she asked in a voice full of dawning realization, “Wait, if she's the one in charge of your student's punishment, then who...” Octavia's manic grin made another appearance in answer to the unfinished question. Vinyl's hands shot out to grab her fillyfriend's free hand and pulled her close again. “Do you realize what this means? When word gets out who you're tutoring, you're going to have to turn down offers from nobles left and right for lessons! You're going to be rolling in bits!”

Octavia's smile vanished even faster than it appeared, and she snatched her hand away. “I will not betray my student's trust, nor her guardian's by using their names to garner more business, especially for something as base as mere money. If she chooses to disclose the name of her tutor, then it is her business, but I refuse to ride anypony's coattails.”

“Oh, come on, Octy. You can't tell me that the thought hasn't crossed your mind. I know how much you're going to be hurting for money in that fancy school you want to go to,” Vinyl replied, trying to mollify the mare's mercurial mood.

Rolling her eyes, Octavia gave a defeated nod. “Yes, money will be tight, what with mother's college fund only covering a small portion of the tuition and the rest by scholarships and loans, leaving very little for survival to be paid for by my own savings, and yes, that money would make things much easier for everyone, and yes, the thought did occur to me, but there are two things that allow me to turn down the idea. First of all, I am getting paid quite well for this job; as much as a fully accredited tutor for any noble. That will help enormously with school and living expenses. I even estimate that if I am frugal with my expenses, I will be able to leave mother a tidy little sum as a surprise for her when I go off. Secondly, I have my pride. As I said before, I refuse to ride anypony's coattails, but especially hers.”

Vinyl held up her hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. I was just trying to make sure you've thought it through.” Placing her sunglasses back on, she shifted gears and asked, “So, what's the kid like? Snooty? She must be a real Tartarus-raiser if she got slapped with community service. You never talk about her, so it's got me curious. I'm starting to wonder if I have some competition for you.”

“Well, I suppose it is alright to tell you, since you are likely to meet her this weekend,” the cellist replied, smiling at Vinyl's confused expression. “That was what I was getting to before you interrupted me with all that perfidious talk of name-dropping. I talked to... her guardian, and she agreed to send her to help with the school orchestra's concert this Satyrday as part of her community service.”

Vinyl lowered her glasses down the bridge of her nose and looked at Octavia over the rims. “Are you serious? She's not going to cause any trouble, is she? I mean, it may just be a charity show, but I don't want it ruined by some brat with a chip on her shoulder; I do have a rep to look after, you know.”

Taking a long sip from her tea, Octavia shook her head. “No need to worry. I talked with her ah, guardian, and she reassured me that my earlier assessment of her personality was accurate. She is a good filly, she just got into a spot of trouble with some bullies and handled it poorly. Were it not for the fact that somepony could have been hurt, she never would have been punished in the first place. Our show will be perfectly safe from her.”

Feeling less than convinced, Vinyl decided to not judge the filly before they'd even met and finished off her coffee. “Alright, but I reserve the right to punt her clear across Canterlot if she turns out to be a snobby brat. You know I can't stand ponies who think they're better than everyone else just because they have a title. It makes it harder for those of us who actually are better than everyone else,” she said with a wicked grin.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Twilight felt like she was walking on a cloud. She kept looking at her hand, as if unable to believe it was still there. If she concentrated, she could almost imagine the feel of that beautiful mare's fingers massaging her own with gentle care. A goofy smile spread across her face as she thought of the lovely mare's slim fingers working out all the tension, the silky feel of her coat as she worked, even the curious mélange of odors wafting from her; some odd combination of sunflower perfume, camphor oil, aloe, and her own unique sweat smell. All of it combined to form a bouquet that was intoxicating to the filly.

Sighing contentedly, she picked up her quill again and resumed her essay for history class. She had found that if she paced herself carefully, she could make her homework stretch throughout the day instead of finishing it all within a half hour of walking through her apartment door. She needed something to take her mind off of the creeping boredom which threatened to drive her insane. Unable to withstand the silence accented only by the ticking clocks, she had let them all wind down until they went still, instead, filling the quiet with violin practice. While it did fill the emptiness, and had the added benefit of improving her fingering, there was only so much practicing she could stand, not to mention the other side effects from which she was suffering.

Being prone to violent outbursts, Kaiser Platinus soon alienated the other landholders in Griffonia with his all-too common harangues and belittling of his supposed allies within the nation. He- Twilight rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn that threatened to split her head in two at the mouth. Setting down the quill once more, she looked out the window at the moon, judging the time by its position. “Two o'clock, already?” she asked the empty room. “I suppose I'd better get ready for bed. This will be the final weekend for my punishment, and The Princess said it was going to be something special.”

This was another habit she had gotten into since silencing the clocks. Talking aloud to herself seemed to fill some of the space, and despite Spike giving her weird looks, she found herself unable to stop. Stifling another yawn, she wandered over to the kitchen and pulled a spoon from a drawer and a jar from the pantry. She dipped the utensil into the jar and pulled out a heaping spoonful of peanut butter and began to nibble on it. Replacing the jar, she stood in front of the kitchen window and looked out over the sleeping town of Canterlot. Few were still up, mostly guards patrolling the streets and lamplighters on their rounds, making certain that the lamps were all still lit.

“I wonder if she's still up. She doesn't strike me as a night owl, but nor does she seem like a morning pony.” Unlatching the glass door leading to the balcony, she stepped out into the chilly night air and stared up at the stars. She knew it was just a trick of light; nothing more than minute particles of dust eclipsing them as they passed before her eyes, but Twilight couldn't help but think that two very close stars in the Aquila constellation seemed to be twinkling in counterpoint to one another. “I wonder if she's looking up at the stars right now. I bet that right at this exact moment, she looking up at those two stars and wondering if there's someone out there wishing they were as close to her as those two stars appear to be.” Finishing off the peanut butter, she gave the stars one last glance before heading inside. “Good night, Octavia.”

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

The silence of Vinyl's darkened apartment was broken by the muffled CLICK CLICK CLICK of hoofsteps making their way to the kitchen, and the dark was temporarily spoiled by the opening of the refrigerator. Octavia pulled out a jug of milk, giving it an experimental sniff before pouring some into a glass she had placed on the counter. After replacing the jug in the fridge, she boldly walked out onto the apartment's third story balcony despite wearing only a see-through negligee, and the late season's cold weather.

The mare took a long drink from the glass and sighed tiredly as she looked out over Canterlot. Worry creased her brow, and a sudden breeze sent a chill up her spine, causing her to wrap her free arm around her midsection in order to hold her flimsy nightgown closed. I should not have raised my voice at her, but she is wasting her potential. Is it really so bad to want to earn a lot of money doing what you love?

Octavia tried to shake off the gloomy thoughts with a physical shake of her head, but like clinging spiderwebs, they were more persistent than that. She heard the approach of another pony, but other than the flicker of an ear, she gave no indication that she was aware. She stiffened a little as feminine arms encircled her waist and a head nuzzled into her shoulder blade. “Are we really cool?” Vinyl asked into the gray coat.

There was a long moment of silence as Octavia tried to rein in her wild emotions. “What makes you think that we are not?” she asked in a carefully modulated tone, not turning to look at her.

“Because you only get up in the middle of the night like this when you're upset; usually at me,” Vinyl replied, feeling a tiny niggle of worry strangle her heart.

“I just-”

“Worry about me; I know,” the deejay finished for her. “But really, Babe, I got this. You move in a different music scene than I do. You don't hear the horror stories about the Top Record label. They're infamous for screwing over their talent while keeping them trapped with contracts requiring ridiculous terms. If I had signed that fat roadapple eater's contract, I wouldn't have lasted a year before I twisted someone's head off their neck.”

Resting her free hand on top of Vinyl's, Octavia half twisted to catch a glimpse of her and said, “But could you not have just signed for a four-month contract? Something- anything to get your hoof in the door? Not many record labels are signing professional deejays, you know. They would have made for a good leaping off point to a better label.”

Vinyl sighed and mentally shook her head at her fillyfriend's stubborn reluctance to let the matter go. “No, Babe. They really wouldn't. I don't expect you to know it, being in the rarefied air of classical music, but down in the musical slums of the clubs, there's a scent on the air. Something new is coming, and I intend to be at the forefront of it, but I can't do that tied to a sinking ship like Top Records.” She kissed the nearly naked shoulder and added, “Please trust me, Octy. I know what I'm doing. And if I do go down in flames, I won't even begrudge you an 'I told you so' when all is said and done. Deal?”

Octavia set her glass down on the balcony rail and turned around fully to embrace the smaller unicorn. “I would rather see you successful than be able to tell you that. I am not that much into schadenfreude.” They kissed then, ignoring the bitter flavor their tears added to it. They pulled apart and Octavia smiled sadly down at her. “Best get back to bed; we have an early start tomorrow and a lot to do. I shall rejoin you as soon as I finish my milk.”

Vinyl hugged her again, burying her face in the earth pony's large breasts. “I don't want this to be what comes between us, Babe.”

Gently petting the electric blue mane, Octavia smiled down at her. “It will not be; I promise.” Looking her her shoulder at the night sky, her eyes sought out and found one of the few constellations she knew by heart. With practiced eyes, she followed the imaginary lines until they came across the familiar two stars that always seemed to twinkle in tandem. “You have my word, Vinyl.”

Author's Note

This chapter title was a bit difficult to come to. Whereas the others have been fairly obvious so far, this one actually requires a little thought to see how it fits. There is the obvious reference at the beginning of the chappie, but it goes a little deeper than that this time.

But, enough poseur talk. I rather like all the mushy stuff in this chappie; it seems to be what I really excel at writing.

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Chapter 11: Bridge

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 11: Bridge

With a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head, Twilight gave a long-suffering and bemused smile to the table full of friends. Truly, she did love them, but there were times where she just could not quite connect with them for one reason or another. Well, that wasn't entirely true. She knew exactly why it was, but it always came into play differently every time. “No Rainbow, I've never kissed a colt outside of family, and certainly not in the manner you are suggesting.”

Dash grinned at her and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Really? 'Cause if I had a brother like yours, it would seriously tempt me to break the 'no siblings' rule.” She growled like a cat, but what surprised Twilight most was the almost unheard purr that came from Rarity.

“Ugh! Rainbow, that's my brother you're talking about! Are you seriously suggesting that if your sibling is hot enough, it's okay to break with certain taboos that were put into place for very good reasons? Besides, he's married now. I doubt Cadance would be willing to share him.” Twilight felt her stomach turn a little as an image flashed through her mind faster than she could quash it.

“So you admit he's hot?” Dash asked with a grin that would make a shark think twice about swimming anywhere near her and look elsewhere for safer waters.

Twilight's face turned a brilliant shade of red, then green, and she brought a hand up to her mouth as her cheeks puffed out. Rarity came to her rescue and laid a delicate hand on the librarian's arm. “Alright, Rainbow Dash, I think the poor dear has had enough. Why don't you stop before she loses that wonderful lunch we just shared, hmm?”

Shrugging, but unrepentant, Dash replied, “I'm just saying that there are times when certain boundaries should be pushed. AJ knows what I'm saying.”

All eyes were on the farm pony now as she calmly refuted her. “Ah dunno what y'all are talkin' bout, Dash.” A loud smack was heard emanating from below the table and Dash's eyes teared up as she bit her lip and whimpered in pain. “Ah'm plum sorry. Was that your leg Ah accidentally kicked? Lemme help you get back home, Sugar.” She walked over to the pegasus' chair and pulled it along with the athletic pony out. Pulling one of the pegasus' arms over her shoulders, Applejack stood, lifting the smaller pegasus clear off the ground and nodded to the rest of their friends. “We best get to moseyin'. Ah got plenty left to do at the farm, and Ah need to leave now if'n Ah'm gonna drop her off at her house.”

The rest of the table just stared at them and then looked to each other as they disappeared around the corner, out of sight of the outdoor cafe where they sat. Twilight slapped down a handful of bits on the table as she rose. “Well, I guess that's our cue to leave. I do have a new shipment of books coming in tomorrow and I need to make room on the shelves. As much as I enjoyed Shining's wedding, it really has put me behind on my schedule.”

“And I should be leaving as well if I am going to be on time with Angel's post-lunch dessert,” Fluttershy said quietly.

Pinkie stood as well, draining the last of her juice box before saying, I suppose I could get a head start on next year's party planning.”

“Pinkie, it's only Amoruary. Next year won't be for another ten months,” Twilight noted with an exasperated tone.

The pink mare slammed her hands down on the table, jostling the plates and silverware. “I know! I need to get planning! There's going to be three sweet sixteens that year; three!”

As she bounced off down the road, Rarity stood. “Twilight Darling, were you serious about what you said about kissing?”

Twilight carefully considered the mare before her, knowing that she was doing the same. She could easily tell that Rarity was fishing for information, not necessarily concerning the direct question. Careful not to show her suspicion, the librarian replied as she started walking back to the library, “Yes, Rarity, I was serious. No colts, no stallions, and nothing more than pecks on the cheek for family.”

“What a shame,” Rarity replied with a sad shake of her head. “You're such a beautiful mare, it's really quite a waste to have no special somepony.” Twilight only grunted as a reply, and they continued in silence until they came to the place where they would need to part ways for their separate homes/businesses. “Of course, stallions only make up less than a quarter of the population,” Rarity said with a sly grin as she turned towards her boutique.

The way Twilight paused and was stunned into silence was all the confirmation the seamstress needed, and she practically pranced back to her shop. Knowing she was beaten, Twilight slouched off towards her tree, her mood suddenly darker, though not because Rarity came away from the encounter on top. Her thoughts drifted once more into the past as she remembered a certain classy mare who taught her to appreciate music.

“Welcome back, Twilight,” Spike said as she walked in. He immediately noticed her dour mood and frowned internally. Oh, great. She's got that “experiment the sadness away” look again. And we just got the basement back in order from last time. Well, I just hope she stays away from interdimensional summons, this time. Those slimy tentacle beasts really make a mess. “You ready to sort through the reference section to make room for the new books, Twi?”

Shaking her head, Twilight replied, “You go ahead, Spike. I trust you to know what books this town is unlikely to need for the foreseeable future. Just make sure there's enough room; we have thirteen cases coming in. I have a new hypothesis I want to test in the basement. See that I'm not disturbed until dinner, okay?”

The unicorn made her way down the stairs, careful to lock the door as she went. Going over to her desk, she plopped down in the swivel chair, ruminating on many things, until she came across an old thought experiment that was a rejected thesis of her first master's degree. Hmm... It's been a while since I even thought of that. I wonder if...

Her horn glowed as she stood up, and a battered violin case popped into existence and landed gently, almost reverently on her clean desk. There was no need to blow the dust off of the case, as everything she owned was kept immaculately clean, unless it was an ongoing experiment or research. A flick of her thumbs undid the latches, and she almost reverently opened the lid.

A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she took in the sight of her almost forgotten violin. Celestia had made a gift of it when she finally graduated high school, a gesture that did not go unappreciated, since Twilight knew that the instrument was older than some noble families' lineages. Everything was just as she had left it almost a year ago when she had last played it. The aroma of the ointment-soaked rag filled her nostrils, triggering a landslide of emotions and memories, reminding her of just why she had laid the instrument to rest..

Tears blurred her vision a little as she gently picked up the violin and rested her chin on the plate. She closed her eyes as her hand found the bow and drew a few experimental notes from the unused strings. A few twists of the tuning pegs, and a deep breath later, the unicorn began to play. It was a short, bittersweet song, but held a lifetime's worth of pent up feelings and things left unsaid. The words returned to her, words she had thought forgotten, but she knew. Knew that they had never truly left, and that they never would. What the brain forgets, the heart remembers. Her voice was unsteady from disuse and she stumbled over some of the lyrics, but she sang regardless.

When she finished, it felt like an old wound had been reopened, but there was little pain. It was a well-scarred wound, that left her with just a dull ache in its place.

It was a long time before she re-emerged from the basement.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Vinyl paced in front of the club's payphone, chewing on her lower lip. Usually, the soothing sounds of house and techno helped her organize her thoughts, but tonight, all it did was aggravate her headache. It didn't help matters any that Turntable, the DJ currently rocking the house, liked to have the volume turned up to eleven.

“Sex on the Beach?”

The unicorn turned towards the voice to see Watermelody, a pink earth pony mare with a lime green mane and tail, and her current fillyfriend holding out a glass of red liquid topped with an orange slice. Vinyl snatched the glass away and took a long drink before pulling a disgusted face. “Blegh. You know how I feel about schnapps in general, let alone peach schnapps. But thanks, anyway.”

Watermelody smirked and leaned one shoulder against the wall as she crossed her arms under her breasts. “You must be thinking of calling her again if you've forgotten what goes into that drink. You always worry about what she'll say so bad, you forget simple stuff like how to breathe.”

Vinyl shot her a glare, but it was only half-hearted. It had long been a bone of contention between them that Vinyl was only with her because the younger mare bore a passing resemblance to a certain cellist, and the name only furthered that comparison. It was one that they had worked hard to get past, but both knew that they would never really last as a couple. They were both looking for something else in their lives, and would eventually part ways, but until then, Watermelody couldn't help but nettle the deejay over the oddness of their relationship. “I saw an old friend last week at a gig; one that I'm sure Octy would like to get in touch with, but...”

“But?”

“I dunno. She didn't seem to recognize me, and she left before I really got a chance to talk to her,” Vinyl replied with a shrug. She resumed pacing in front of the payphone, chewing on a thumbnail. “We were all pretty close in high school, but these days, she moves in different circles; like, very different circles.”

Taking a deep drink from her glass, Watermelody asked, “Why am I getting a Princess and the Pauper kind of vibe here?”

“Probably because you're smarter than you look,” Vinyl shot back with a wry smirk which disappeared quickly. “I'm talking about Twilight Sparkle.”

Watermelody put a thumb and finger to her chin in thought. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

Vinyl rolled her eyes, an act hidden by her shades. “Oh, you know, she's the unicorn who saved Equestria from eternal night, eternal chaos, and eternal domination by love-sucking bugs.” When she saw the blank look on her fillyfriend, she sighed and added, “The princess' personal student?”

The earth pony nearly dropped her drink in shock. “You're friends with her?”

“I don't know why you're so surprised. You've seen her in that picture I keep in my music room,” Vinyl said in exasperation.

“The one with you and Octavia with that little kid?” Watermelody asked, receiving a nod in return. “Wait, she's your friend from high school? She looks eleven in that picture, are you telling me she was in high school with you then?”

The deejay smiled, more at the memories, than at her confusion. “Yes and no. She was in high school then, but not mine. She went to Celestia's.” She walked over to the payphone and picked up the receiver. “In any case, I've made up my mind. Octy needs to know. If you like, I can tell you about her after I make my call, but right now, I need a little space, if you don't mind.” She made little shooing gestures with her free hand as she put a bit in the coin slot.

Watermelody smiled and shook her head as she left. “Yeah, yeah. You talk to your fillyfriend while I go see if I can get our table back.”

Vinyl gave the retreating back a melancholic look. She really deserves better than me. With a shake of her head, she banished all such thoughts as she tried to get into a happier mindset to talk to the only ex she ever regretted leaving.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

“Octavia, you have a phone call!”

Looking up from the composition she was rehearsing in her head, the gray mare replied, “Who is it, Pizzicato?”

The unicorn mare gave her a crooked smile and said, “Who do you think? Only one pony would call you at this late hour.”

Octavia glanced at the clock and was surprised to find that it was now almost ten. She rolled her eyes, but smiled regardless. She walked out into the hallway of the apartment building and took the receiver from her roommate, nodding her thanks to her. “Vinyl. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“H- hey, Octy. You busy? Got some time to talk?”

It was faint, but the cellist still caught the slight hesitation. “I have some time before I retire for the evening. What is wrong? You sound upset.”

Vinyl gave a snort of amusement. “Could never hide anything from you. I ran into an old friend of ours recently.”

The odd non-sequitur confused the earth pony. “You were so upset at meeting an old friend that you just had to call and tell me about it?”

“Well, met is a bit strong, I think. I just saw her from across a crowded dance floor as she sang a song at her brother's wedding. I didn't have a chance to actually talk with her afterwards.”

Octavia was beginning to get a little put out. “Vinyl, it is unlike you to be so evasive. What is wrong? Whom did you see?”

There was a long moment of silence from the mare, allowing Octavia to hear the club music playing in the background, before she finally replied. “Twilight.”

Octavia felt like she had just been punched in the gut. She sat down heavily on the chair next to the phone, her mind turning inward. Twilight. I... I... “H- how did she look?”

“Pretty good, considering she had just saved Equestria from the Great Cheeseleg Menace. Even managed to dress up real nice for the reception. Think she's had some sort of choral training, with how she belted out that song, too.”

A silence descended over the two ponies as they remembered the last time they had been with the then filly, and the sad circumstances of their parting. As usual, it was Vinyl who could no longer stand the sullen hush and asked, “So, are you going to call her now? If nothing else, congratulate her on her brother's... nup- noop-”

“Nuptials,” Octavia helpfully provided. She considered a moment before saying, “I don't think so. I'm sure she has far too much on her plate to reminisce over silly little filly memories and conversations.”

Vinyl silently winced at the mare's use of contractions, knowing that she only did that when very distracted or upset. She was unable to really determine which was the case over the phone. “Oh, come on, Octy. You know she's gotta be aching to get back in touch with us since she graduated college. I know I want to, but I lack the connections to even begin to start that. You at least, know some ponies. Hay, I bet you still have the number that one bodyguard gave you, just in case.”

“Cinque minuti finché lights out. Cinque minuti finché lights out.”

Octavia gave a mental sigh of relief at the announcement made over the building's intercom. “I apologize, Vinyl, but we have a concert tomorrow and they are about to turn off the lights for the evening. I need to go. I shall call you later in the week at a decent hour, when I get a free moment.”

“Alright, talk to you then.”

With that, she hung up the phone and began a slow walk towards her room. Should I have told her that I saw her at the Gala? No, what good would it have done? It would have just been another “spotted her from across a crowded room and could not reach her in time” story. As she dressed for bed, a nagging feeling of doubt crept in, accompanied by guilt, which always reared its ugly head whenever she held something back from Vinyl. She laid down in the bed just as all the lights in the room went dark, but she remained staring out the window at Pranceylvania showing off its lights like some glittering jewel. Her eyes slowly closed until she made a decision. Perhaps I should tell her. After all, I am sure that she would like to hear about her as much as I wou- did. She drifted off to sleep, dreaming about a purple unicorn who was always just out of reach.

(\ /)
( . .)
*(“)(“)

Shuffling the papers in her grasp to put them in the correct order, Celestia sighed and leaned back in her chair, wishing she could banish the feeling of failure that seemed to grip her heart like a vice. She set the stack down on her desk and scrubbed her face with her hands, trying to wash away the exhaustion that came from not sleeping for the past week. Even through the debilitating fatigue clouding her senses, the alicorn still sensed a familiar presence entering her private sanctum. “To what do I owe the pleasure tonight, Plain Sight?”

The dappled gray mare stepped out from the shadow of a large wardrobe, her face a mask of seriousness. “I've come to-”

“Denied.”

Nonplussed, Plain Sight turned her head curiously. “I'm sorry?”

Celestia opened her eyes, taking in the svelte guardian's well-toned form. “Your resignation. Denied. Rebuffed. Turned down. Rejected out of hand. Negated, spurned, and vetoed. In other words, I will not be entertaining the notion.”

Plain Sight shook her head with a wry grin. “Am I really that transparent?”

“Only to somepony who knows you,” Celestia replied. “That, and the fact that this isn't the first time you've tried to tender your resignation after Twilight had suffered some disaster of near apocalyptic proportions.”

Plain Sight walked forward and sat on the corner of the desk nonchalantly. She picked up a letter opener, and began toying with it, holding it with just her index fingers. “Well, since I seem to be on the clock for the foreseeable future, I don't feel like I'm intruding by inquiring after your health.”

Celestia sighed. “I'm fi-”

“And don't give me that 'I'm fine” malarkey, either,” Plain Sight said, daring to interrupt the monarch. “Anypony with eyes in their head could see that you're not doing well. So, out with it. You already know my secrets, and turnabout's fair play, so spill. For the good of Equestria.” She smirked at that last line, knowing that those magic words were often all that it took to get the alicorn to open up about her troubles.

Unable to meet her gaze, Celestia stared blankly at her desk and chewed on her lower lip. “I... I all but turned my back on her. She tried to warn us that something was off about Cadance, but I just dismissed her concerns as jealousy. I should have realized that having grown up with her, she knew her even better than I, but I brushed her aside like like I would a petulant foal. Worse, when the time came for me to protect her, I was beaten like a novice facing down a master.” She picked up a framed picture of Twilight with her Ponyville friends, her fingers tracing a line around the face of her precious student. “The embarrassment and fear at being beaten and fooled so easily is bad enough, but knowing that I hurt her like that...”

Plain Sight flipped the letter opener in the air and caught it by the tip of the dull blade. “If there is one thing that I know about Twilight, it's her unshakable confidence in you. You can quite literally do no wrong in her eyes, and even if you do, she will forgive you anything.” She slid off the desk and brushed the wrinkles out of her skirt. “What you two need, is to get together and talk about this. Perhaps over tea with those little raspberry jam cookies you both adore.”

Celestia seemed less than certain, and mumbled something that sounded noncommittal.

Shaking her head, Plain Sight left the mare alone with her thoughts so that she could catch the first train back to Ponyville. With a sly smile, she made a stop on her way out to have a quick word with Celestia's seneschal about her schedule.

Author's Note

First of all, let me apologize for how long this one took to get out. Work has been... an adjustment for me. No two weeks are the same, hours-wise, and when I come home, I just want to veg out in Skyrim for a bit. I have to force myself to to wake my muse just to write out a few paragraphs, and that's not good for the creative flow. Anyway, I hope that this meets with everyone's expectations that has been waiting for too damn long, and I'll do my best to get these chappies out faster in the future.

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Chapter 15: A Battuta

AMORE OBBLIGATO

Chapter 15: A Battuta

What am I even doing here?

…

Why come here of all places?

…

I have all of Canterlot at my fingertips, and I come here?

…

There must be something wrong with my head. Twilight shook her head, but continued to stare at the building with mixed emotions. This is ridiculous. It's just a building; a building that I've been in countless times before. Who cares if some of the most traumatic moments of my life occurred here, some of my happiest memories happened here as well. Surely, that counts for something. Still, her body refused to move, and her mind refused to come out of the mire of past memories, all bad.

A foal bumped into her from behind as he dashed towards the building, jarred her free of her self-imposed paralysis. She nodded to the colt, who gave her an apologetic nod, but didn't stop his headlong rush. She took a deep breath, and released it in a great sigh. She straightened her posture, squared her shoulders, and walked towards the building.

The inside had changed very little in the eight years since she had last set hoof in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. It was fairly empty, being a Satyrday afternoon, but there were still some faculty and staff roaming the halls. Twilight nodded to those who saw her, but didn't stop to chat, other than to give a quick greeting. She made her way up to the fourth floor, where the senior classes were held and stopped at the science lab.

Through the partially open door, she could hear the voice of one of her favorite teachers giving instructions. “Now, carefully inscribe the rune pattern I laid out for you on the chalkboard. Remember that it has to be deep, but not so deep that you shatter the gem.”

Twilight smiled and quietly knocked on the door as she peeked through. “Professor Crucible?”

The teacher turned to the door, and a wide smile broke out on her face. “As I live and breathe, Twilight!” She walked forward and embraced the smaller unicorn, then held her at arm's length to get a good look at her. “Look how much you've grown! Your head didn't even reach my chin when you graduated, and now you're... still a bit short!” She playfully patted her head, which was still just below eye level to her.

Twilight smirked and pushed her hand away. “And here I was, going to congratulate you on finally getting your PhD.”

“Would have had it yonks ago had I not gotten so into teaching,” Crucible replied, obviously unhurt by the comment. “What brings you back? Did you forget a project, and came back to make sure it doesn't swallow Canterlot?”

“Thankfully, no. Just came to see the Princess, my parents, and revisit my old stomping grounds.” Twilight looked around at the room full of students bent over their work, intently engraving runes onto gems as big around as the tip of a mechanical pencil eraser. Jeweler's loops were held in one eye, which they took out only to confer with the diagram on the chalkboard. She looked at the diagram and pointed toward it. “Auto-shield enchantment?”

Crucible nodded. “They're finally ready for it. Quickest group I've had since yours.”

Twilight grasped her chin with a thumb and forefinger, and walked over to the chalkboard. Crucible grinned, as she recognized the look in her former student's eyes. The younger mare slid the chalkboard sideways along the rails, revealing a clean board behind it, and picked up a new stick of chalk in her magic. Still in the same pose, she copied the rune pattern in quick, deft strokes, then began making calculations around it. The other students halted their work, and watched as this strange, new mare broke the sacred law, and wrote on Crucible's chalkboard, uninvited.

The calculations became more intensive and crowded, almost seeming to be excited to be revealed for the first time, until Twilight slid the first chalkboard further aside to reveal instructions for Moonday's classes, which were carelessly erased, causing the foals to gasp, and a few to duck under behind their stations for the coming explosion form their teacher. Crucible, however, just stood there, her grin becoming wider as she watched Twilight work, seemingly oblivious to the outside world.

There was a knock on the doorway as an old stallion walked in. “Cruce, did you hear- oh! I guess she beat me here.” He walked over to Crucible and examined the calculations that were now coming at a rapid pace. “I say! Is she actually trying to improve on Star Swirl's auto-shield enchantment?”

“More than trying, I'd say, Old Bean,” Crucible said as she bit her thumbnail. She was so giddy, that it was only with a supreme effort that she was able to stop herself from bouncing around the room in excitement.

The second board full, Twilight's magic moved the top board back to the left to get at the board beneath it and continue her calculations. Old Bean's horn lit up as he conjured a small bird. He looked over to the students nearest the window and said, “Chrome Veneer, open that window for me, please?” A well-muscled filly of about sixteen years nodded and opened the window next to her, allowing the bird to fly out. The animal split into seven before scattering in different directions, and Old Bean nodded his thanks to the filly.

The gathered ponies watched as Twilight finally filled up all the boards, even erasing Crucible's original diagram, not once changing her thoughtful pose. The only movement from her physically was the sharp swishing of her tail. Gradually, more ponies appeared at the door and were quietly waved into the room to watch in awe as the young mare worked her magic. The room was packed pretty tightly, with several more in the hallway, trying to peer into the room. The gathered crowd held their breath as the chalk slowed to a stop for a moment, then Twilight nodded, and went back to her original diagram. She never heard the quiet gasps as the transposed two major runes and slightly altered all the connecting runes, adding an additional sub-rune to the apex rune.

Setting down the nub of chalk on the rail, she regarded her work once more and nodded. “There. That's been bugging me for years.” She was startled by thunderous applause from her audience. She turned around in confusion.

Crucible stepped up and looked over her work. “Interesting. On the surface, I can see why you attached Uruz to Thurisaz, but won't that make it weaker when the enchantment is laid by a female?”

“That's why I left Isa to the left of it, and switched Pertho and Algiz, so that Pertho will stand in opposition on the circle, and Algiz can continue it's work next to Thurisaz,” Twilight explained. “With the other runes in their current position, the auto-shield enchantment will function as it did before, but the shield will be stronger and cost less energy as Pertho and Uruz-Thurisaz synergize.”

Crucible turned around to face the class and put an arm around Twilight's shoulders. “New lab, class! Finish your gems with the enchantments pattern I put up earlier. Then, I'll pass out new gems, so that we can try out Miss Sparkle's new chain. After that, We'll test both out in the yard!” She looked at all the adults as if noticing them for the first time, and angrily walked forward, waving her arms about. “All of you, shoo! If you're not my student, then get out! We have work to do!” The fiery teacher's reputation soon had the adults wandering off, some giving Twilight a thumbs up or a wave as they left. Twilight herself was about to leave when Crucible's hand on her shoulder stopped her. “Aren't you eager to see the results?”

Twilight's smile was as wide as the teacher's own.

(\ /)

( . .)

*(“)(“)

Sipping quietly from her cup of steaming tea, Twilight gave a sigh of satisfaction.

“Well, that was an interesting lab.”

Twilight nodded at Crucible's words. “I certainly wasn't expecting such a vigorous reaction to that one filly's gem. What was her name? Chrome Veneer?”

Crucible nodded and smiled as she picked another bit of burned leaf from her lab coat. “Yes, she's one of my strongest students- at least, from this crop, anyway. An interesting reaction to making Thurisaz smaller than Pertho, though. I wonder if her being female was a factor in the violence of the reaction, or if it was the fact that the bolt came from a colt?”

“Hmm... hard to say. We would need to run some tests to be sure,” Twilight replied. “Perhaps using the university's shielded room, if we could wrangle it.”

Taking another swallow of her tea, Crucible gave a noncommittal shrug. “Might have a bit of trouble, there. The waiting list for that room is longer than my arm.”

Twilight gave a thoughtful look out the window to Crucible's office. “If you like, you can have my scheduled time next month. I have three days per season reserved for me, but honestly, I didn't have anything major planned for the autumn, and I was just going to see if anypony at Uni wanted them. At least this way, it'll still be something I had a hand in, so to speak.”

“That's very generous of you, Twilight. Thank you. We'll be sure to make the most of it,” Crucible said. Setting down her cup, she selected a Fig Newt from a plate between them and nibbled on it. “So, have you heard anything about... her?”

Still looking out the window, Twilight replied, “If by her, you mean Honeyed Words practically running Neigh Orleans now, despite not being allowed to set hoof into Canterlot? Yeah, I heard. Hard to miss the whispers.”

Crucible shook her head. “No, not that.” She waited until Twilight's curious face turned her way before unleashing her bombshell. “Her parents are finally having another child.”

Twilight's confused expression stayed in place as she considered this information. When realization of the implications finally dawned on her, she couldn't help the small smile that found its way to her lips. “Oh, my. Do you mean...”

“There's going to be a new heir apparent for the right honorable Marquis,” Crucible said with a vindictive smirk. She had never liked what was revealed when it came out that Honeyed Words was essentially coasting along in Twilight's wake. “When it comes time to pass on the mantle of Marquis of Neigh Orleans, the name attached will not be hers.”

Twilight's light chuckle brought a full grin to Crucible's face. “Oh, my. I know I shouldn't take delight in the misfortune of others...”

“But this is one time where it's not only deserved, but self-inflicted,” the teacher finished for her. “Besides, if ever there was a pony who could be excused for a bit of schadenfreude in all this, it's you.”

“I guess Neigh Orleans will be getting a reprieve soon, as well.”

Crucible nodded. “Not for almost two decades, but at least there's a light at the end of the tunnel.”

A sudden thought occurred to Twilight and she paused before she asked, “What about... Tight Rein? Has she ever...”

Crucible shrugged. “As far as I can tell, she hasn't left Honeyed Words' side once. I'll say this for the filly, she's loyal. A shame it wasn't directed towards a more deserving pony.”

Twilight's expression turned melancholic as she stared into her still warm cup of tea. “I wish I had handled it differently. Had I known then, what I know now, I might have been able to prevent them from- ow!”

She was interrupted by Crucible gently bopping her on the head with her knuckles hard enough to smart, but not leave lasting damage. “Now that I have your attention again, allow me to give you two more lessons before you go. First-” she held up a finger as she counted off the lessons. “You are only responsible for your own actions. That scene in the movies where the villain holds up the trigger for a bomb, or is pointing a sword at a hostage, and telling the hero that he responsible for what happens? Total roadapples. Anypony doing that is just trying to shift the responsibility, and is either a coward or truly evil. Second,” a second finger joined the first, “You can't save everypony. Some would rather smack away a hand offered in good faith and suffer the consequences, than live with the knowledge that they needed to be saved. There comes a time when you just have to let them crash and burn in their own way.”

Twilight looked back out the window and sighed. “I'm not sure I can accept that last lesson,” she said sadly.

(\ /)

( . .)

*(“)(“)

It was well past sunset when a smiling Twilight finally walked past the perpetually open gates to the family manor. She hummed to herself as she walked up the (relatively) short path to the mansion itself, and walked in without knocking. Orderly Fashion, the family butler who happened to be walking past at that moment, bowed to her. “Young Miss Sparkle. Young Master Spike has arrived with your belongings, and they've been left in your room.”

“Thank you, Order,” Twilight replied fondly. She inhaled deeply and smiled. “It's good to be home again. I presume Spike and my parents are in the parlor, awaiting dinner?”

The elder stallion nodded, and produced a small whisk broom from a pocket to brush off some errant bits of singed grass from her shoulders. “You presume correctly, Young Miss. In honor of your unannounced arrival, Rose Hips has been in the kitchen since word of your arrival reached the Lady Velvet's ears, cooking both yours and Young Master Spike's favorite dishes. She will be imminently pleased to see you here to actually enjoy them.”

Twilight gently pushed away the whisk broom, and rolled her eyes. “Alright, Order, your point is well taken. Consider me chastised. I'll be sure to have Spike send a note when I know I'm coming over.”

“As you say, Miss,” Orderly Fashion replied with a small sniff, but relented his mild browbeating, and lead her to the parlor.

She was greeted enthusiastically by Velvet and Night Light (and a little less so from Spike, who quickly hid a fist sized ruby behind his back). “Mom! Daddy! I've missed you!” Twilight stepped forward and into the waiting arms of her parents.

“We've missed you, too, Twily,” Night Light said as his arms embraced both his daughter and his wife.

Velvet buried her face in her daughter's hair to hide her tears, but jerked back suddenly. “Twily, dear, why do you smell like burned grass?”

Twilight backed out of the embrace and looked away, a light blush forming on her cheeks. “Oh. I um, was walking past The School on my way home, and stopped in to say hello to a few teachers, but ended up getting roped into an experiment Prof. Crucible was running. I'll tell you about it over dinner.”

Orderly Fashion knocked on the door and opened it. “Dinner is served.”

Night Light gave a short bark of laughter. “Speaking of.” He ruffled Twilight's mane as he walked by to the dining room.

Velvet kissed her cheek as she passed, a bounce in her step. Spike was about to walk past, when Twilight grabbed the ruby from Spike's back pocket, much to his dismay. “You may have it back for dessert, but not until your plate is clean, mister.” She held it up, and noted the sizable chunk bitten out of it. “I think an extra helping of broccoli is in order, to make up for all these gems. Mom and Daddy don't know how many of these you've been eating, lately.”

“Aw, Twi...”

“Moderation in all things, Spike. Moderation,” she quoted as she walked into the dining room, pocketing the gem. She failed to notice Spike stuff a hand in one pocket and feel around for a small bag of white opals given to him by Night Light with Velvet's approval, and smile.

(\ /)

( . .)

*(“)(“)

Vinyl tried desperately to catch her breath. She looked up from her position, bent over double, hands on her knees, and tried to find Octavia. She needn't have bothered, as she had left a trail of affronted ponies in her wake, all talking about the gray mare who had rudely shoved past them without so much as an “excuse me”. They had both run out of politeness hours ago. Now, the lamplighters were making their rounds, lighting the streetlights with their magic, while ponies went about their business.

Vinyl spotted a small grocer that had a wooden tub filled with bottled water cooling in ice for sale, and pulled out a handful of bits to buy two. She smiled at the sight of Octavia walking back to her, disappointed eyes downcast. The normally prim mare was nearly unrecognizable. Her mane was in complete disarray, she had the top two buttons on her blouse undone, and her pink bow tie hung loosely from her neck. A sheen of sweat glistened in the evening glow of the streetlamps, causing Vinyl's heart to skip a beat. Dammit. Stop being so... you, Octy. She proffered one of the water bottles without a trace of the conflicted feelings in her head. “Here. You look like you need this more than I do.”

Octavia gratefully took the bottle and opened it. She drank... and drank... and drank, crushing the plastic bottle as she went, without taking a single breath, until the bottle was empty. Even then, she retained enough of her innate grace to not gasp loudly when the deformed bottle left her lips.

Vinyl stared at her throughout the whole scene, internally groaning at the awesome sight. When she finally took a breath, the unicorn took a few more swallows of water, then dumped almost half of the remaining bottle over her head, seeking to cool off. She half hoped that the other mare was watching her like she did, but when her vision cleared, she noticed that Octavia was back to staring blankly at the passersby while she bit her thumbnail in thought. “Look. Instead of just running off into the night on a wild goose chase, trying to catch a unicorn that knew how to teleport at twelve, why don't we think about the places she might be?”

Heaving a great sigh, Octavia nodded. “Agreed. Had I been thinking clearly from the start, we would have been doing just that.” She paced in front of the grocer, pausing to buy two more water bottles, and handing one to Vinyl, who had just finished her first. “We can eliminate her old school right away. Even if she were there, the gates are closed and locked by now, so we would not be admitted. Likewise, the libraries, though a few book stores may still be open.” She opened the bottle and took a few swallows, then continued her pacing. “No, there are only two places we might find her at this time of night in Canterlot: the palace, and her parents.”

“Do you know where her parents live?” Vinyl asked.

Octavia shook her head. “Neigh. She did not talk to us much about her parents, and I only gave her lessons at the palace or her private apartment.” She paused her pacing and stared into nothing once more. “I wonder...”

“What?”

The gray mare grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the street. “Come. I believe I have an idea that might work.”

“Octy...” Vinyl groaned as she was this time, physically pulled through the streets, instead of just being tethered along by her loyalty to her friends.

(\ /)

( . .)

*(“)(“)

Vinyl gazed around the enormous hallway as she sat on the cushioned bench, which no doubt cost more than she earned all last year. Her eyes fell upon a painting of the princesses dancing in elegant ball gowns, dripping in jewelry, and she wondered how much the artist was paid for that bit of paint splashed onto canvas. That's not really fair. Whoever did this had talent. I could almost swear that they're actually moving.

A blond unicorn stallion walked past her, making a point to turn up his nose as he passed. Vinyl rolled her eyes, but waved at him, which only made him turn his nose up higher. Not being able to see the ground, he tripped over a wrinkle in the rug running the length of the hall, but kept his hoofing. She poorly stifled a laugh, but managed to put on her most innocent look when he turned her way.

The stallion started making his way towards her, but stopped when Octavia appeared along with the guard who had escorted her to see the palace's seneschal. The mare stopped in front of her and held out her hand to help her tired friend stand. “Come along, Vinyl. I was able to secure us a quick meeting with The Princess, but we shall have to be quick about it. Her time is very valuable, you know.”

Turning, she finally noticed the stallion behind her. who apparently recognized her as well. “Oh! Good evening, Prince Blueblood,” she said with a bow of respect. “It is good to see you once more. I am afraid you will have to excuse us, though. We have an appointment with Princess Celestia, and it would not do to keep her waiting.”

Blueblood returned the bow, albeit not as deeply. “Of course, Dame Octavia. Another time, perhaps.” He didn't wait for a reply and walked off graciously.

As she walked briskly down the hall in her friend's wake, Vinyl asked, “You know that stuck up-”

“Show some respect, Vinyl,” Octavia said tersely. “That stallion is the son of the Duke of Canterlot, and has more political power here than any other single pony, save The Princesses. He could ruin us and all our families with but a single word murmured in the right ear. Besides, he is not actually that bad, once you get to know him as well as his boundaries and expectations.”

Vinyl shook her head in amusement. “I'll never know how you manage to get along with this set. But what was that about you being a dame? Since when were you knighted?”

Shaking her head, Octavia replied, “It is a long story, and not really one I can repeat. Let us just say that certain events happened in Prancylvania and leave it at that. Now, you remember your etiquette lessons when meeting royalty?”

Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, yes. Bow, do not approach more than three steps away unless invited, call her 'Your Highness' or add 'Princess' to her name.”

With a nod, Octavia said, “I suppose that will have to suffice for now. We really do not have time to go over all the niceties, so it would be best if you just let me do all the talking, or at least, as much as The Princess permits. Just remember to be respectful, and you shall do just fine.”

Vinyl mimed a talking mouth with her hand and rolled her eyes again. “Yes, Mom.”

“I am serious, Vinyl. If you-” She was interrupted by their arrival at Celestia's study, whereupon the guard knocked.

He opened the door and announced in a clear voice, “Dame Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch, Your Highness.” The two mares walked in to find Celestia, in her usual regal dress, rising from her desk and walking over to them.

Octavia bowed low at the waist, elbowing Vinyl in the gut to do the same, as she did so. “Your Highness. It is such a pleasure to see you in person once again.”

Vinyl grunted from the blow, and bent over, more from the violent action than any show of obeisance. “Oof. Er, Evening, Princess.”

Celestia smiled as she walked forward and lifted both ponies by the chin until they stood straight. “Dame Melody, I already told you to not stand on ceremony in privacy last year. It's just the three of us, so I must insist you cease the bowing,” she said as she took both of the earth pony's hands into her own.

“Er, yes, Your Highness.” A blush overtook Octavia's cheeks, but she bravely looked up to meet her diarch with her own shining eyes.

The alicorn turned to Vinyl, taking her hands as she did Octavia's, beaming a smile down at her as well. “And you must be Vinyl Scratch. Twilight told me a lot of you as well when she was still a senior in high school. Of course, I've heard more about you from Luna, who seems to a be your biggest fan. She saw your performance at Club 404 in Prancylvania the other day, and came back with yet another copy of your CD.”

“Well, thank you, I-”Vinyl stopped and her eyes went wide as the alicorn's words sunk in. “Wait, Luna? As in, Princess Luna? That Luna? She's a fan?”

Celestia released her hands and gestured to escort them over to a couch in front of the fireplace. “Oh my, yes. I've had to soundproof her room when she installed the six-hoof tall subwoofer for her sound system. We still received complaints from the apartment below hers, so we moved that pony to another, but I daresay that you are easily amongst her favorite deejays, if not her all-time favorite.”

While Vinyl was dumbstruck, Octavia took the initiative. “Princess, I asked to see you for more than a mere catch up session, I am afraid. My ulterior motive was to hopefully get into contact with Twilight again.”

The alicorn considered her words for a moment, then smiled gently. “Why, of course I'd be happy to help you renew your friendship with my Faithful Student, Octavia. I never understood how she could let such a strong relationship lapse in the first place. Even with the distance taken into account, there are still telephones and letters.” She leaned forward, and in a whisper that nopony could have missed had they been in the room, she added, “You know, she was quite enamored with you, as a filly.”

Octavia's entire face went red down to her shoulders as her eyes went wide. “P- P- Princess?”

Celestia rose and walked over to her desk to rummage through her drawers. “I presume that you wanted to get a message to her tonight, am I correct?” She paused her search to look up at the two shocked ponies on the couch, then resumed rifling through her desk to hide a grin. A few more seconds of searching and she pulled out a sheet of parchment. “Ah! Here we are.” She placed the parchment on the desk near the guest chairs and waved them over. “I'm afraid you'll have to use a quill and inkpot, as a pen won't work with this sort of message. It's actually one of the many projects Twilight's been working on for years, but to no avail, sadly. Is that alright with you? Are you familiar with a quill, or would you like to dictate, and I write it for you?”

This shocked Octavia out of her stupor. “Oh no, Princess! I could never dictate to you as if you were a common secretary! I- I'm actually quite adept at calligraphy, which uses a pen not that different from a quill.” She hesitantly took the quill from Celestia, who gave her that same gentle smile.

“I'll just give you two some privacy. When you've finished, I'll be at the balcony.” She rose and opened the tall Fancy doors behind the desk leading out to a small balcony covered in ivy.

Vinyl looked over to Octavia and viciously whispered, “Do you think she meant what we think she meant about Twi?”

Octavia did take her eyes off of the blank sheet of parchment, but chewed on her bottom lip. “Shush! I'm trying to gather my thoughts! This parchment must be special, so I don't want to waste any.” Her whispered reply was just as viciously delivered, and had the desired effect. After a moment, she began scratching away with the quill. The message itself didn't take long, with the earth pony's practiced skill. With a flourish, she signed the letter and sprinkled a bit sand on the ink from the small coffer next to the inkwell. She cleared her throat and called out, “Princess? My letter is finished.”

Celestia returned back into the room, closing the Fancy doors behind her. “Oh, good. You found the sand. I had forgotten to tell you where it was.” She rolled up the parchment without looking at the words, then wrapped a red ribbon around it, sealing it with a dollop of gold wax, and embossed it with her ring. She looked at the two ponies and winked. “Now watch carefully.” She mimed rolling up sleeves that did not exist on her dress. “Nothing up my sleeves. Now a wink,” she winked at them again, “a twitch,” she twitched her nose as if she were about to sneeze, “et voilà!” Her horn glowed with a golden light that also enveloped the scroll, which vanished with a POP! Vinyl clapped loudly, followed a moment later by Octavia, and Celestia bowed to her tiny audience. “Thank you, thank you. You're too kind.”

A clock on the fireplace mantle chimed nine o'clock, and Celestia looked downcast. “It would appear that I must bid you both good night before I turn into a pumpkin.”

Octavia took the hint and rose, dragging Vinyl up by the arm. “Thank you so much for this, Princess. I cannot tell you how much this means to me- to both of us.”

Celestia walked forward and cupped both their faces, which fit easily into her large hands. “Anything for my little ponies; especially if it benefits Twilight.” After the two had bid her goodnight and left, she walked back to the couch and sat down to look into the flames, seeing things that only the Princess of the Sun ever could; things which made her smile. Her vigil was shattered when Luna barged into the room, frantically searching.

“Where is she? A guard told me she was here!”

Smiling serenely, Celestia patted the couch next to her and waited until her sister sat down and took several calming breaths. “I'm afraid you just missed her, Lulu.”

“Oh, bother and bedamned!” the night mare shouted, pounding her fists into the couch seat. “Why didst thou not send for us? Thou knowest how we much we doth admire the Mistress of Spinning Disks!”

Celestia grinned as she pointed towards the mare's chest, which was unusually well covered lately. “One would think you had your fill of her since you got her to autograph your chest the other day.”

Luna batted away the hand, but looked dreamily into the distance. “Oh, would that we couldst have her do more than merely sign our chest!”

Turning her attention back to the fire with a smile, Celestia replied, “Well, dear sister, you may just get that chance.”

(\ /)

( . .)

*(“)(“)

Twilight reluctantly handed over the promised gem to Spike as she dug into her own dessert with gusto. Not many ponies cared for rum raisin ice cream, but between Orderly Fashion and Rose Hips, there was always a small box of it in the Twilight manor. She watched him bite into the ruby and chew with relish.

“You really should go easier on him, Twily, dear. Not a lot is known about the dietary requirements of dragons, so he should be allowed to follow his instincts in that regard,” Velvet said as she sipped from her cup of coffee.

“All the more reason to make sure his diet is varied, Mom,” Twilight replied. “Besides, Spike tends to get a little... round when he indulges too much in gems.”

Spike took offense to that and made it known. “Hey! I do- urp!” He struggled to say something- anything, when a gout of green flames erupted from his mouth, followed by a scroll.

Velvet glared at the offending parchment. And we were having such a lovely dinner with our daughter! Why does she have to butt in?

Twilight's magic quickly enveloped the scroll and floated it over to her. She broke the seal and unrolled it to read. Right away, her brow creased in confusion, which became surprise as she read.

Dear Twilight

I do not know if you remember me, but I was your violin tutor in high school, and considered you one of my very closest friends. I know we have not spoken for a rather long time, but Vinyl and I would very much like to renew our friendship with you. If you are amenable to this, please meet with us at the coffee house, Café Disaffecto on Lawndale street tomorrow at noon.

Your eternal friend,

Octavia Melody

Twilight quietly rolled up the letter and placed it into a pocket on the inside of her blazer.

“What is it, Twily? Do you have to go now?” Velvet's voice hid her anxiety well, but everyone at the table could still hear it.

Shaking her head, Twilight replied, “Nothing urgent, Mom. I'll have to go out for lunch tomorrow, that's all; though I may be late for dinner... again.”

Author's Note

Again, sorry about the long delay for these chappies. My muse, lazybones that she is, is dragging her heels on finishing this one. She keeps wanting to move on to other projects, mostly non-pony stories. If you ever get the urge to read some of those non-pony words, head over to my spot over on AO3, or failing that, the less user-friendly FFN (please use AO3, it's so much better, and my stories are starved for attention there ). Both should be on the links on my profile page.

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