Signals Crossing

by Madame Ponka

Rating: teen
Tags: Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Octavia, Romance, Slice of Life, DJ P0N-3, Lyra
Length: 5882

Two struggling musicians fall in love.

After going through some personal struggles, Octavia finds herself through a dark moment in her life. But when she becomes enchanted by a certain mare's performance, her life is changed forever.

Published 2017-03-26 06:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-09-10 21:40:15 UTC

Prologue - Downbeat

Signals Crossing

A story by Madame Ponka

Melody

I woke up late at night in a cold sweat. It must’ve been around one in the morning. The only sound I could hear was the rustling of the covers and my own whimpers. The darkness and silence enveloped me in a large canopy of somberness. As my thoughts came back to me, I got up from my bed, threw on my robe, and trotted to the kitchen.

A glass of water and a hay sandwich later, I was sitting on my couch going over the music I had been working on. I couldn’t go back to sleep no matter how hard I tried. I don’t know what had caused me to act like this. I had no nightmares or worries. Today was just like any other day. I got up, composed some music, played the cello for hours on end, got myself some hay fries and a salad for dinner, and went to bed feeling satisfied. What, then, was the matter with me?

I pushed this riddle away, brushing it off as just another symptom of my medication. My sleep schedule would be thrown off track, but it’s not like I had anything important in the coming weeks. I stared at the music I had been working on for the past few days. Horizon of the Sea was the working title. Nothing much aside from a simple nocturne. It was coming along well, for the most part. I must admit that despite what happened about half a year ago, it gave me a lot more time to work on my compositions.

It began to rain gently about three hours into my studies. I breathed deeply as I heard the relaxing pitter-patter on the roof. It helped to ease my anxiety on this strangest of nights, and it ignited a spark of inspiration inside of me. The rain was like an instrument in and of itself. It filled the room with a loud echo, vibrating in my mind. Within an hour, I had finished the first draft of Horizon of the Sea. Must be a new record for me.

I looked outside of my window, letting myself get lost in the darkness outside, occasionally spotting a sliver of rain falling from the heavens. I decided to grab my cello and play the entirety of my new piece. It was very short , lasting only about 2 minutes. As I moved the bow back and forth, every note echoed in my mind like fireworks. The combination of the slow elegy with the sound of the rain brought together seemed to create a haunting duet with an ordinary pony, and the slight tendrils of nature itself. The song needed some work, but I was satisfied with the results. I played it a couple more times before the warm embrace of sleep took over me.

~

Heartstrings

One day at a time. That’s how I get through it all. One boring, uninteresting, and dreary day at a time. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I get up and work at the local coffee shop for 8 hours. After that, I head to Ponyville Park and work on my music. Finally, I make my way home and read books (that most ponies would find so boring) for hours on end until I end up crashing from too many energy drinks. Occasionally I’ll decide to spice things up and I’ll get the opportunity to play for a small audience as part of a musical showcase during holidays and other special events. It’s been this way for the past four years. For somepony who plays a unique instrument, I’m basically the most boring pony you’ve ever met. I don’t exactly aspire to be anything great. I just want to be a simple mare who enjoys playing a lyre. Is that really too much to ask?

Today was going to be one of those days. I got to the coffee shop a bit earlier today, mainly because I wasn’t in the mood for breakfast. Blueberry waffles get a bit old after a while. The early morning fog drifted around Ponyville like a thin cloud of smoke. There was barely anypony out on the streets. I decided to take my sweet time trotting through town, taking in the strangely hypnotic atmosphere. The dew drops on the grass tickled my hooves as I strolled through town. I breathed in the sweet air and sighed. Another day, another bit, I suppose.

I arrived at the Cafe Luminico and opened the door. It was empty aside from a single pegasus mare behind the counter, one of my fellow baristas.

“You’re quite early, Lyra. Any particular reason why?”, she asked me.

“Oh, hey Borealis,” I said, giving a fake grin. “I, uh, wasn’t hungry for breakfast this morning.” I hung up my jacket, put on the blue apron, and stood behind the counter, waiting for the next poor soul to come in and suffer through our mediocre mochas.

“Who’s got the morning slot?” she asked, fixing her mane in the reflection of the coffee machines.

“Dawn Rush. Also known as Stallion-Who-Plays-the-Acoustic-Guitar Number 438,” I said rolling my eyes.

“Hey, if it’s any consolation, Whinnyhooves gave you permission to play your cute little lyre again later tonight. Wanna do it?”, she said, my ears perking up.

“Well, aren’t I just special,” I said.

“...Yeah, I’ll do it.”

I giggled out of excitement.

Borealis chuckled. “That’s my Lyra. You’d never pass up an opportunity to play your dinky little instrument.” She went to start up all the little brewing gadgets.

I was shaking with excitement at this news. I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I had barely even noticed the unicorn stallion at the counter. He cleared his throat and I jumped.

“O-Oh!” I said with a tinge of embarrassment. “W-Welcome to Cafe Luminico! What would you like to order…?”

~

Melody

I woke up around two in the afternoon. After taking my medication, feeding my cat Rondo, and reading a couple music history books, I finally gathered the courage to go outside. I slung my saddlebags over my back and trotted out the door.

The sun was already setting by the time I trotted into town. Its orange glow streaked across Ponyville like a warm embrace. Ponies were already heading inside their homes to perform their evening duties. I, however, decided to grab myself a couple scones at the Cafe Luminico. I never cared for their coffee, but oh sweet Celestia, their scones must come straight from the heavens.

I trotted through the double glass doors of the cafe and ordered my usual three scones and a glass of iced tea. I sat in one of the comfy chairs by the window while I ate my meal. The cafe was always packed at around this time. I looked over to the stage and saw they were getting ready for tonight’s performance. Judging from the wooden stool they had and the absence of her at the counter, I assumed it was that minty green unicorn with the lyre. I grabbed my music and began working on it. The lame jazz they always had playing over the speakers helped me focus a bit. Then, after a while, a lime green stallion trotted up to the microphone.

“Alright, alright! Now, I know we’ve all been waiting for a while now, but I think we’re finally ready. Fillies and gentlecolts, from this very town of Ponyville, the one and only—Lyra Heartstrings!”

The entire room erupted into applause as the minty green unicorn took the stage with a golden lyre in her hoof. She trotted up to the microphone and began to speak.

“Thank you, everypony. Now, you may know me as that one mare who serves you coffee every morning, but little does everypony know I play a mean lyre,” she said as the audience laughed. “Now, before I begin, I’d like to thank Cafe Luminico for allowing me to play here, my boss Whinnyhooves for running this fine establishment, and my fellow co-workers for making sure I don’t blow up the damn coffee grinders.” The audience laughed even harder. What a comedic genius, I thought sarcastically.

As she finished her comedy routine, she sat upon the stool, levitating the lyre close to her, and closed her eyes. The lights dimmed and the entire audience fell silent. After a long pause, she began to play her opening piece. Everypony became mesmerized from the first pluck of a string. Her first piece carried a slightly somber tone, riddled with multiple low and long notes. I watched from a distance with fascination. She played with genuine emotion, something I had rarely ever seen in a musician. With every pluck of a string, a spark of longing went off inside my mind. She seemed to move slightly with every note, tapping into her wondrous talent. It wasn’t a long piece, but it left an enormous impact on the entire audience.

Finally, with one final, long note, the song concluded. Everyone including me erupted into thunderous applause. She smiled as she took in the wonderful reception of her performance. After the applause died down, she began her second piece. It was a lot more lively than the last one. She strummed her lyre at a fast, yet delicate rate. The magic streaked across each string as it was plucked with expert precision. There was a tinge of excitement in the air as the extravagant march was played. Lyra had a cute smile on her face as she moved along with the music. I felt myself bob my head a little, and I couldn’t help but smile as the song continued. When the song suddenly concluded, the audience gave another enormous round of applause before she began her third and final piece.

The third piece was a mix between the melancholy longing of the first, and the extravagant excitement of the second. It blended together almost perfectly, making the two songs come together as one. I felt exhilaration brew up inside me, along with a wondrous desire. I began to tear up as the piece moved along with a wondrous grace. The song concluded with a couple long, drawn-out notes that brought the entire three-act symphony to a chilling closure. The entire audience got up to their hooves and gave. one last applause. The cheers were almost deafening.

Heartstrings, eh? She sure lived up to her name.

Lyra cleared her throat. “Thank you so much, everypony. It, uh… it really means a lot. To me. Take care.” As she trotted down the stage and went to grab her things, I finished my scones and tea as fast as I could and trotted over to that gifted musician.

“Hey, um… I just heard you play and-”

“Octavia Melody? Famous cello player? Former member of the Canterlot Quartet?” she said. I felt myself tense up at the mention of the Quartet.

“Oh, um… yes, that’s me. The one and only. Um… I just wanted to say that you gave a wonderful performance, Miss Heartstrings.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh please. I’ve played better while hopped on cider.” The remark caught me off guard.

“H-Huh? B-But you were absolutely incredible. I’ve never seen anypony move an audience like that before!” I said with a shaky voice.

She packed her lyre into her saddlebags and put on her jacket. “Well, I thank you for the kind words, Octavia, but there’s… more to music than what an audience at a coffee shop thinks.” She paused for a second. “Want to go for a walk?”

I accepted her offer with some surprise. As we trotted outside the cafe into the chilly outdoor night, I reflected on her words. How could somepony who put so much emotion into her art that they could bring an audience to tears, just shrug it off as a mediocre performance at best?

“Were those original compositions? I’ve never heard them before.”

“Yep. They’re all me. And off to the depths of my music portfolio they go. Doubt I’ll ever play them again.”

“But… why? Those were some of the best songs I’ve ever heard on the lyre. How could you just cast them aside and ignore them?”

She sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s just… have you ever played your cute little heart out, and everypony loves it, but you just feel that there’s something off about it? Like it’s incomplete and wrong? That’s how I feel right now. That performance… it felt fake.”

“But the emotions you poured into it felt so real! I saw the way you play, and it was so moving and powerful.”

“Any poor schmuck can fake emotions. I’ve done this crap for years, and I still don’t feel satisfied.” She looked me dead in the eyes. “Listen, Octavia, I appreciate your kind compliments, but… you can create music. You can compose emotional pieces. You can bring an audience to their knees with your wonderful performances. But if the musician itself doesn’t feel satisfied, then what’s the point? I know that this is my special talent and all, but why do I feel so… unhappy doing it? It feels like this big chore, and I don’t get any satisfaction from it. You know what I mean?”

I nodded. “I… I see where you’re coming from. I’ve come away from a couple performances feeling like I played terribly.”

“Fame was never something I aspired to very much. I just want to be happy while I play my cute little lyre.”

“I understand. I, uh, used to be moderately famous. Member of the Canterlot Quartet and all that. You probably, uh… know what happened, since you follow the quartet.”

“Yes, I do. I, uh, hope you’re doing okay.”

“It’s been hard, but I’m getting there. I… I still think about her every night. It eats away at me and it just… tears me up. And I know that it wasn’t her. It was all me…” I began to get a little choked up. Celestia damnit. Of all the moments, it had to be this one.

It was then that she put a hoof around my shoulder. I felt my ears perk up as she pulled me into a hug. My breathing became sporadic as I melted into her embrace.

“Shhh. You’ll be okay. Just take a deep breath,” she whispered. I obeyed her commands and felt myself relax, looking up at the night sky as it shone brightly on us. There was no sound aside from my deep breaths as I forced myself to calm down. I was practically shaking as I felt her warm embrace. I never wanted this moment to end.

But alas, it did come to an end. She gently pulled herself away from me and looked into my eyes. The deep pools of hazel filled my vision as I came down from my moment of bliss.

“You’re trying to flirt with me, are you?” I said to her.

She blushed. “Uh, well…” I almost felt bad for asking. Her cheeks flushed with a brilliant red. “I was, uh… just comforting you…” I could tell she was lying, but I let it go. The poor mare was being embarrassed enough.

“Alright. Well, thanks Miss Heartstrings. It’s been a rough six months, and to just have somepony understand… It means the world to me,” I smiled at her.

Lyra smiled back at me. I could tell she was still embarrassed, but comforted at my kind words. It warmed my heart to see her grin. Under that uptight exterior of her’s, she was a total softie. As we continued walking, we both looked around us. The complete silence, aside from the gentle scrape of our hooves against the grass, added to the surreal atmosphere that encompassed our walk. The lights in the houses started to go out as another day drew to a close. The pale moonlight covered the land in a chilly embrace. I barely felt the cold, however. Just standing next to her was enough to warm up my soul. My heart was beating at a rapid rate. I never wanted it to end.

We didn’t talk for the rest of our walk. There was no need to. We just trotted to her home, staying close to each other. When we arrived to her home, I felt my heart sink a little, knowing our time was coming to an end. It was a small home on the outskirts of Ponyville, not too different from mine.

“Well, this is the place. Um… thanks again, Octavia. You’re alright, you know? I, uh, hope we can do this again sometime.”

Yeah. She was definitely flirting.

“I’d love to. You’re quite alright, too. Tomorrow, maybe?”

She nodded. “Of course. After work, of course. Um… T-Take care.” She rushed inside without a moment’s notice.

The trot home was a mix of emotions for me. On one hoof, I felt giddy and ecstatic at the opportunity to finally meet somepony who understood me and wanted to be with me, but on the other hoof, I’d go to bed without her wonderful voice and her warm embrace. I shivered on the way home, realizing that I should’ve brought a jacket.

When I got home, I sat my things on the table and went upstairs to my bedroom, then I flopped onto the bed and groaned. As I curled up under the sheets and blankets, I began to cry. It wasn’t a loud cry, nor was it an angry cry. I’m not even sure if they were tears of joy or sadness. It was just an influx of emotions entering me, and I had to find a way to let them out.

But I did know one thing.

I wouldn’t be alone anymore.

Author's Note

I'd like to thank my editor and boyfriend Michael for helping me through this. You mean the world to me. <3
I'd also like to thank all my friends, who've always been there to help.

The next part will likely be out during the summer, so stay tuned, and thanks for reading. ^.^

Chapter I - Duet

Heartstrings

Another day, another 3 bits an hour. Business was booming today, likely because of my “extravagant” performance last night. Everypony was clamoring to meet me and tell me how talented and wonderful I am. I simply faked a smile at them and responded with a thank you.

My heart jumped for joy as I saw her enter the cafe thirty minutes before my shift ended. She smiled as she trotted up to the counter and ordered a couple cinnamon rolls. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her as she sat at the table and worked on her music. I counted down the minutes with anticipation.

When my shift finally ended, I trotted over to her table and sat down beside her.

“Good evening, Lyra,” she smiled. Her voice always made my heart leap with joy.

“Heh… hello, Octavia. It’s, uh, great to see you again,” I said awkwardly.

Octavia giggled. “Same to you. It’s been such a wonderful day. Best I’ve been in a long time. Thanks again for… for being there last night. It means a lot to me. These past few months have been horrific, and it’s wonderful to get a touch of happiness.”

I smiled at her. “I’m glad to hear that. Today’s been… extremely boring, I must say. Like every other day, I suppose.”

She sighed. “I know that feeling. I’ve been experiencing it for the past few months. One day after the other—though I’m surprised you found today boring. Business seems to be booming.”

“Only means more orders to keep track of. If anything, it makes it even more stressful.” I took a sip of my coffee.

“I know what you mean. I used to work at a hayburger restaurant when I attended university. Let’s just say that I vastly prefer making music.” She chuckled.

I grinned again. “Same here. So, what have you been doing since you left the quartet?” She looked a tad bit uncomfortable when I mentioned the quartet. I almost felt bad for asking her.

“Oh, uh… just composing a couple songs in my free time. It’s made me feel a lot better recently.”

“My mother always said that music was the best medicine.”

Octavia smirked at me. “Did she really say that?”

“Not at all. Poor lass could never tell the difference between a bass and treble clef. The point still stands, though. Nothing like plucking a few strings to push the hard times away.”

She nodded. “Good way to put it,” she said, taking a bite of a donut. Sensing her discomfort, I pushed away the topic of the quartet.

“Gotta love my mother, though. She’s a photographer for the Canterlot Times, you know. Everything’s a frame to her. Have you met her before?”

“I think she took a few pictures of me when I did a performance a month ago. Were you there?”

“The one where you almost broke down playing that last song? Who could forget such a wonderful performance.” I smiled.

“Heh. Yeah, I always get emotional when playing that song…” She gingerly took another sip of her lemonade.

“You feeling alright? You seem a bit tense.”

She nodded, albeit a bit unsure. “Yeah. Just… tired is all. Had a long day.”

I could tell she was uneasy. She shuffled her hooves awkwardly and finished her dinner quickly. “Well, don’t let me keep you here. Go and rest if you need to.”

“No, no. I can hold out for a bit longer.”

“What made you so exhausted anyways? Must have taken a lot out of you.”

“A combination of me not getting enough sleep and working too much on my music. It’s quite tiresome, making music.”

“I know that feeling all too well, and I sometimes I think that it’s not even worth it.” Oh, there I go moping on about music again.

“How so?” She looked at me with a curious gaze. Celestia damn it. I shouldn’t have opened my dumb mouth.

“I mean, I’m rarely going to have a bigger audience than last night. And even when I get to play in front of them, it usually ends up a mess. Ponies may like it, but they’ll forget about it in a day’s time, and I’ll go back to making mediocre music.”

“Just because ponies may forget your music doesn’t mean it can’t have an impact.”

I scoffed at such an idea. “How ridiculous. What good is music if you’ll just end up being ignored by everypony else?”

Octavia decided to change the subject. “Let’s muse about the philosophy of music later. Want to trot home together?”

“Yeah, sure. Sounds nice.”

We both got up from our table and left the cafe, donning my jacket as we left. The sun was setting at this time, cloaking the land in an orange-red hue. Ponies were trotting home from their daily routines, and foals were heading into their homes at their mothers’ call. My mind reflected back to my fillyhood at this sight. Spending my summers with my friends and playing our silly little pretend games. Strumming my lyre like a foal picks at the flowers. Time seemed to go by so slow back then…

“How long have you lived in Ponyville? Sounds like you’ve been here for a while.” Her sudden question awakened me from my pondering.

“Oh, uh… a few years. I used to live in Canterlot for most of my fillyhood. I moved here after my university years due to financial reasons. Took a while to get used to this place. It was really damn boring here before Nightmare Moon returned and threw a hissy fit. After Princess Twilight came along of course, this place had some life injected into it. Although most of that’s due to tourism.”

“I see… were you friends with Princess Twilight?”

Did she really had to bring her up?

“I was. We still keep in touch, but we’ve grown closer apart from each other since she came here, along with most of my Canterlot friends.”

“Why’s that?” I bit my lip as I debated whether or not to tell the truth.

“I just want to give her a little space. She’s a full-blown princess. She needs to focus on her duties. As for my other friends, they live all the way in Canterlot, so keeping in touch can be a bit difficult. Plus they have their own lives that keep them busy.”

“That’s unfortunate. Have you made any other friends?”

“Mostly some co-workers. Ponyville’s a fine town, and there’s many wonderful ponies here, but I’m not the most extroverted of mares. Bon Bon’s a great friend, though. Have you met her?”

She smiled at me. “She makes some of the best chocolate in town, but I don’t know her personally.”

I smiled back. “Well, her name is Bon Bon for a reason. I’ll have to introduce her to you sometime. You’d get along well with her.”

She nodded. “I’d like that.”

“Great!” I racked my brain for other random subjects to bring up. “Uh, anyways, how’re your parents doing?”

“Yeah, they’re doing okay, I guess. Mum’s still doing those music recitals in Canterlot, and father’s still painting trees or whatever painters do.”

“Your mother’s also a musician?”

“Piano, specifically. The entire family’s kind of artistic, actually. Brother’s a writer, grandmum was an actress, aunt’s a stage director.”

“Quite varied, I must say. Mother’s a photographer, as you know. Dad’s also a painter. I have a cousin who likes flowers.”

“Only child?”

I nodded. “Mom decided one was enough, I guess. I don’t mind it, though. It was quite calm when I was growing up.”

“Lucky you.”

At last we came to her house. The sun had already set, and night was falling over the town. I decided to hug her as I said goodbye. She was surprised, but she warmed up to it. I smiled at her and bid her farewell. As she walked inside, I turned and trotted away.

The entire town was engulfed in silence, something that gave me a serene feeling that night.

~

Melody

We continued meeting each other for the next couple days until the weekend finally arrived. We had decided to meet up at Bon Bon’s candy shop, much to Lyra’s eagerness. When I woke, I quickly got up, did my quick morning routine, and galloped out the door. I trotted through the streets of Ponyville and came across the recognizable little shop on the street corner with the large model chocolate truffle on top.

I went inside and was immediately greeted with the pungent smell of fresh chocolate and taffy. As it was quite early in the day, there weren’t many ponies savoring said sweets. I did, however, spot Lyra talking with a cream-colored mare with a blue and pink mane.

“Ah, there she is. C’mon over, Octavia!” I trotted over to her in response.

“Miss Melody, this is my good friend Bon Bon. Bon Bon, this is Octavia Melody. I met her a few days ago and we’ve become quite good friends within the past few days.”

I shook her hoof. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Bon Bon.”

“Likewise. I’m glad you could come and visit. Please, have a seat. It won’t get busy for a couple hours, so I have time to chat.”

Lyra took a seat at a nearby table. I sat next to her and Bon Bon sat across from us. A young pegasus waitress trotted over to our table with a notepad. “Welcome to Savory Street. We got all kinds of delectable and homemade confectioneries. Just name it and you’ll get it straight away.”

“The usual,” Bon Bon replied.

“Give me the best cherry sundae you can whip,” Lyra said.

“Um… I’d like a few chocolate strawberries and some blueberry custard.”

The mare wrote the orders down in her notepad. “Coming right up,” she said before bolting towards the kitchen.

Bon Bon chuckled. “Gotta love Scootaloo. Her first job and she’s a natural at it.”

“Glad to see that she’s still working hard. Business running well?” Lyra asked.

“For the most part. Budget gets a bit tight at times, but we manage.”

“Good. How’s the husband?”

“As wonderful as always. He’s a bit busy with his construction work, but he’s doing great. Oh, my apologies Octavia. Didn’t mean to ignore you or anything.”

My ears perked up. “O-Oh, no you’re fine.”

“Great! How long ago did you meet Lyra?”, she asked enthusiastically.

“A few days ago. She played at the cafe Monday night and I trotted home with her. I’ve talked with her every evening since.”

“I bet you two get along very well, what with you two so into music and all.”

I tried my hardest to not blush. “Uh, yeah… we’re getting along just fine.” Lyra nodded in agreement.

Scootaloo trotted back in with a tray of delicious desserts. My mouth was practically watering at the chocolate strawberries and blueberry custard. She passed the plate to me and replied with a simple thanks.
After passing out the desserts, she whipped back into the kitchen. I took a bite of my custard.

“Any good?”, Bon Bon asked as she munched on a dark chocolate cupcake.

“It’s marvelous!”, I exclaimed.

“I’m glad to hear that. The blueberry custard is a personal favorite of mine.”

“Thanks, Bon Bon.” I smiled.

“You’re quite welcome. And don’t worry about the bill. It’s on me today.” She grinned back.

“That’s awfully nice of you. I appreciate it.”

“So, how’s life been treating you lately?”

I tried my hardest not to roll my eyes. “Kicking my flank, but recently it’s getting a bit better.”

“Oh dear. I’m sorry to hear that, but it’s good that you’re getting better. Anything I can do to help?”

I mustered a weak smile. “No, you’re fine. This wonderful dessert is good enough.” I jumped a little as I felt Lyra pat me on the back. She looked a bit concerned at that.

“Sorry. Been a bit on edge for the past few weeks.”

“No, no. You’re fine,” I giggled. “Just be careful. I get a bit startled easily.” The two nodded. I felt a bit embarrassed, but I tried to push that aside. “So, uh, how long have you two known each other?”

“Ever since Lyra moved to Ponyville years ago. She was very nervous at first, but she grew accustomed to the small town feel very quickly. Of course, Ponyville was a lot smaller back then.”

“I lived here for a while before I moved to Canterlot to kickstart my career with the quartet. I remember when it was just a tiny rural town right next to a deadly forest. Now it’s gotten quite the reputation in recent years, thanks to Princess Twilight, of course.”

“Sometimes you need a few world-threatening villains to spice things up around here. I remember when Discord came to town the first time. My mane and tail turned into cotton candy.”

I giggled. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

Bon Bon scoffed. “Not when it’s stale!” I only giggled harder. “I’ve had a fear of cotton candy ever since,” she joked.

“Ponyville always seems to be the center of attention these days” Lyra said, “especially ever since it’s moved away from its agricultural roots. Poor town’s grown a lot over the past nine years. Population must be… around 5,000, I believe? Was only a thousand before Luna returned,.”

“Damn… was it really that long ago? It’s amazing how fast time goes.”

“I remember ordering a fresh batch of apples from Sweet Apple Acres every week and visiting Twilight every now and then.”

“Gotta love this old town and how far it’s come,” I said. “What was once a cluster of huts is now a small yet bustling metropolis. Even after the Elements of Harmony moved on to bigger and better things, it still kept growing.”

“How was Canterlot the last time you were there?”, Bon Bon asked.

“Oh, same old stuff. Stuffy old rich ponies drinking crappy tea. Newer buildings, old habits, you could say. Frankly, I don’t mind coming here in a way. It’s a nice change of pace.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re doing alright. Feel free to come to me if you ever need help with anything. I know we just met, but I’d consider you a friend. You seem like a smart and talented young mare. Oh, I’d love to see you play, by the way, although we don’t exactly have a big stage like the cafe.”

I chuckled. “Thanks, Bon Bon.”

Well, I guess that makes two friends.

~

A week or so later, we trotted through the outskirts of town. We decided to shake things up and take a walk through the more secluded areas. Just me, Lyra, and the aroma of an autumn-time lake.

“So that’s the story of how terrible I am at playing the saxophone,” she explained to me.

I giggled. “Well, there goes my hopes of you serenading me with your lovely jazz talents.”

“Yeah, I’ll stick with my lyre, thank you very much.”

We decided to sit on a small hill by the lake. The sun was gently setting over the city of Ponyville. You could see the entirety of the town as it began to power down for the night. The violet sky blanketed our world, Luna’s wonderful moon starting to rise. We scooted closer to each other, basking in each other’s company.

“Never ceases to amaze me, the slow setting of the sun,” she said to me. “I used to watch it with my father all the time. He told me to always look towards the sunset in times of trouble. I don’t exactly know what that means, but I know he said it.”

I leaned in closer, her warmth making me feel safe and secure. She looked at me and smiled. I almost teared up right then and there. She stared into my eyes and brushed away a mane curl. My heart was beating frantically as she held me in her hooves.

At that moment, we were the only things that mattered to us.

We gazed into each other’s eyes again.

“Goddess, this is so damn pretentious,” she giggled. I blushed, snuggling up close to her.

“Well, now what?”, I asked. The sun had finally set and the warmth of the day gave way to the dark of the night.

“I dunno. I’ve never been a romantic kind of mare.” She blushed. “Let’s just savor the moment. We can worry about it later. Now’s the time to relax.”

I nodded in agreement. “Thanks, Lyra. I know we’ve only known each other for a short time, but it means so much to finally have somepony who understands. My life’s been a mess for the past few months, and you’ve helped me a lot over these past two weeks.” I tried to hold back the tears to no avail. “I… I love you, Lyra.”

Lyra gently pulled me into a hug, making me feel safe and loved. “I love you too, Octavia. Don’t ever leave me…”

“I won’t.”

It was the happiest night of my life.