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.

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( . .)
*(“)(“)

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.