My bowstring at the ready, I gave a nod and begin slowly, my hoof tapping in the tempo. I began the starting note, taking in a deep breath and letting the melody set in.

My colleague on the bass violin strummed his staccato beat beside me, quickly backing up my sub melody. It began on my lead, my hoof providing our starting tempo. Holding my cello tight, the notes bent and carried their strength through the lower melody. It felt amazing, breathtaking. But I couldn’t get carried away, not yet. I was risking my notes losing their smooth soft nature. The bright sun shone through the park, trickles of light catching my eye as the violinist next to me began his bright primary melody. It broke with vigour over the top of my soft melody, accompanying the silky undertone I had built. It really pushed through our lower support part, quickening the pace and actively catching the attention of the ponies walking nearby.

His quick, vibrant work took a backseat as I began my solo. Allowing the bass and the violin to take a step behind me I pushed my notes through, filling the area with my cello’s smooth and slow melody as the violin followed his repetitive notes on my back. Another breath in and we were lined up again. Not missing a single beat, the park was filled with a tense moment of silence.

Finally, the violin broke out again, piercing through the bass and I once more as the chorus filled the courtyard. Closing my eyes and tilting my head back, I felt the melody, our instruments working synchronously, raise the volume and engulf the passer-bys in the beautiful, slow symphony. The sound filled my chest, the three of us working our parts to blend and mesh together. Yet as quick as it began to take its full body, it was over, returning to a soft, quiet syncopation into the second verse.

This time, it was the bass to begin his version of the pre-chorus, a far slower and deeper melodic version of the quick and vibrant violin’s own. My deep, slow notes built up his strength as the violin worked next to us, backing and building at the same time. Now ponies were gathering, circling us, entranced by our performance. I couldn’t help but smile at the gathering crowd, their chests filled with air as they clung to their breaths in anticipation for us to finish our piece. Not a sound could be heard throughout the entire park as we held for that brief moment.

Then it struck again, the deep, rich violin singing its high pitched melody with our backing support at strength. Quickly diving in between the key melodic points in expertly timed syncopation, his notes plunged and soared, like a pegasus in the middle of flight. The warm rays of the sun came plunging down upon us through the tree we stood under, its beautiful autumn leaves fluttering around us as ponies swayed with our melody. The soft wind carried our chorus throughout the bright morning park as more ponies gathered to listen to the violin’s final high note. The bass and I slowly brought on a soothing decrescendo, the pegasus landing and our instruments finally laying to rest.

Smiling as brightly as the song, the ponies around us clapped and cheered, the regulars impressed as ever as they stood together in the front, already knowing when we would be in the park. As the warmth from the day filled my chest, we bowed and shook hooves, our hat in the centre of the circle filling with loose bits. Laughter and happy chatter filled our area of the park as everyone talked excitedly of our music. When ponies began thinning out and we were left with our now filled instrument cases, we picked up and made our way to our favourite coffee shop next to the park, laughing and chattering the whole way.

“That was one of our best sets yet! Have we even had a crowd that big there before? We are gonna have to do something truly special to finish off,” Bass Clef, the double bass player smiled as he sipped his coffee. For over a year, two other members of the Canterlot Symphony, Bass Clef and Sweet Melody, and I had been going to the park and performing in the morning once a week. It always filled me with joy to see ponies so happy to hear us. It was damn near therapeutic.

“What do you mean?” I asked, sipping my coffee and raising an eyebrow. Both of them looked at me as if it was totally obvious. Their expressions turned slightly solemn to my amazement.

“Octavian, you are moving up. How many orchestral players these days make it any further than the symphony?” This time it was Sweet Melody, giving me a sad smile. My confusion only deepened.

“Yeah? Thanks, but I don’t know what on earth you mean by ‘finish off.’ Like the song?” The two were being really cryptic, It was kind of frustrating.

“No. Octi, dude. We just don’t know what your plans are. You’re working with DJ freaking Pon-3. That’s working closely with him, tours, promotions. How many of these do you think we have left?” Sweet Melody put her hoof on mine, smiling at me. “We’re happy for you Octi, but we also know that you are gonna want to move on.”

If being singled out could get any worse, it would have. I near felt hurt that my friends thought I would leave them that suddenly. “Guys… really?” I got up and put a hoof around each of their shoulders, bringing them close. “You can’t get rid me that easily. And no matter where I go or how busy I get, there will be always time for you and… this.” I gestured around the coffee shop. Ever since we began our now consistent visits there following our unofficial performances, the ponies that regularly saw us came in too, chattering and laughing about the place. Today was no exception: ponies from nearby gathered here to be around us. “We do something here that no amount of fame could replicate, and best of all? I get to do it with you two.” I smiled, turning the gesture into a hug.

“Okay okay! I’m gonna puke, you sappy piece of shit,” Bass Clef laughed, pulling out from the hug. “At least with this fame-to-be you can finally find a coltfriend, then you can stop projecting all that gross love onto me.”

“Funny, aren’t ya?” I smirked, sitting back down in my spot and wrapping my hooves around my coffee again.

“I’m not gonna lie though Octi, we are gonna fucking miss you in the symphony.” He looked down into his coffee, pensiveness written on his face. “Sweets and I. Not to mention your cellists.”

“Awww chin up, both of you. The cellists will be fine, they might even be a bit more coordinated now. We will still see each other heaps, even if it isn’t at work. Now will you two hurry up and go to whatever funeral you’re missing so you can stop acting like mopey horses?” I smiled, downing my coffee and quickly regretting it as the hot liquid burnt my throat. “Alright, let’s divide up these bits, give our tip and be out. Besides, we should really work on next week’s set,” I winked.

“So… you nervous about meeting the guy? DJ Pon-3, I mean,” Sweet Melody asked, throwing the left bow card onto the table, much to my extreme annoyance, and winning the hand. With Bass Clef gone and my apartment with some lifestyle radio channel, Mel and I decided to get the cards out and talk.

“I mean… I know I shouldn’t be, but I have no idea what the guy is like off-stage. I’ve heard celebrities are real assholes when the public isn’t around.” She threw down the queen of hearts, forcing me to play my king. Got her that time but, I was two hands down, so the best I could do is get even.

“Oh come on Octi, that’s a bit pessimistic of you. You’ll be fine! Just act like you do when you’re around us. Show him what you’re made of.” Showing me a sly smirk, Sweet slapped down the trump card, the jack of diamonds, slaughtering my final card. “And how bad at cards you are!” She really got her jollies off on that one, scoring her final points.

“Sweet Celestia, why do I play these games with you?” Hanging my head, I got up from the couch, angrily grabbing the long-since forgotten tea cups on the counter.

“Hey! No avoiding the subject,” I heard from the lounge room. I headed back into the living room and set them round the place for the rest of the ponies that were gonna arrive soon.

“Alright, I’ll go into this with a bit more optimism, but I am not expecting being besties for life or anything. That is for sure.” I slumped back into my seat. Picking up the hand that Melody had set up for me, I became a little more optimistic about this round.

“Good to hear, and… well, Octi, just…” She sighed, resting her cards in her lap.

“What is it? Sweets? You alright?” I asked, tilting my head.

“Yeah yeah, just… don’t forget us. We are still going to be friends and I will actually kill you if you get too big for your boots. In all seriousness though, we are friends forever, and this isn’t going to change that.” She rested her head against her hoof and looked up at me expectantly.

“Oh Celestia, Sweets. Honestly, with all the sincerity I can give, I’m not like that. I’m a tough cookie,” I lightly punched her arm, eliciting a small smile to break out over her face. “You don’t have to worry about me for a second, you’re stuck with me forever unfortunately. Whether you like it or not.”

Her smile got a little bigger and she sat up straight again, clearing her throat. “Good to hear. Now, no more sappy shit because I gotta quickly beat you before everypony else gets here.”

“Sven, I am seriously having second thoughts on this stupid fucking idea.” I wasn’t having any of this shit. This was the third song that Sven wanted me to mix with this guy. It started off as a single, then Sven begged me to do a second track, and now he wanted to push it to three after I’d just gotten the fifth song on the album produced. This whole thing was quickly getting out of hoof and whoever this stupid pretentious orchestra nerd was, he was taking my entire album from me.

“You wanted to drop that dance track anyway!” Sven was puffing and panting, desperately trying to keep up with me as I stormed around the studio hallway. I just wanted to get to my office to be able to let my anger fester, yet that stupid agent of mine persisted.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I want it replaced by another sappy orchestral ballad,” I yelled behind myself, trying desperately to make my hooves go faster without full blown running. I threw my purple-tinted glasses from my head onto my eyes and made an attempt for the exit.

“Do you not understand what we are trying to do here?” Sven stopped, obviously worn out. The poor guy. I was an asshole, I’ll admit it, but something clicked inside me. I honestly couldn’t tell what it was, but I realised how heated and childish I was being. Sure, I was a celebrity, but did I really need to act like one? I genuinely hadn’t seen my blind stupidity until then, and I have no idea why either. But I stood there, went back to Sven and picked him up off the floor. We kept walking down the studio hallway, the exit left behind.
“Okay Sven. I’m sorry, what are we doing here then?” I asked, trying to give my speech a bit of sincerity.

He looked at me almost as if I wasn’t myself. In all honesty I probably wasn’t, right then and there. “Exposure. Think about it, Canterlot is a tough crowd, a bunch of ponies with sticks in all the wrong places. Your music is, let’s be real here, below them.” He finished that sentence with a snort and a grimace. “So, we are giving them something they love and splicing it in with you.”

I was confused to say the least, because there was a lot more to it than just that. “Well okay, that’s good and all.” I slowed down and stood in the hallway, facing him. “But once this cute collaboration is all over, then what? It’s not like they will stay for long, I go back to my usual music and their snobby snouts turn the other direction again.”

Sven turned away from me, a smile forming on his face. Now, it was his turn to start walking away from me. “That’s the thing, Record. After this album, you aren’t going back, not in the way you think anyway.”

My mouth opened, I felt a pit in my stomach. The way he said that didn’t make me feel very easy. “And what do you mean by that, Gallop?” I chased after him, keeping pace with what looked like a very rejuvenated stallion.

“No more wildcard DJ-Pon3. We are mellowing you out, your appearance in the public and what the tabloids talk about. You’ve been a drug addicted, high-functioning alcoholic. diva in the public eye for long enough. Ponies are losing interest in it all. You’re gonna settle down, find a mare or something. We are gonna bring out Record Scratch, Two. Point. O.” Sven smirked, taking the lead into my office.

I stood in the hallway, dazed. Contemplating what that meant for me. I’d been in the game a long time, and whilst Sven tended to keep things simple for me, I could definitely pick up where he was going with me. I just didn’t know if I could change like that. It sounded like he could turn around and make everything change. My brain was already thinking about that dark lonely gap with nothing in it, and all I wanted to do was fill it. I didn’t care with what. Was Sven going get me a token marefriend? I damn well hoped not. I don’t think I could handle that.

“Gonna stand there like a stunned lizard all day?”

Shit. How long had I been standing there? I must have looked like I didn’t know how to take the news. I needed to act nonchalant about it, like it was no big deal. Just part of the job…

I shook my head. “Sorry Svenny, zoned out for a minute there, all good.” Trotting on into his office he gave me a look. I knew it well, he was scanning me, my emotions, he was freakishly good at it.

He stood there for a minute, next to his desk, I swear I could almost feel him probing into my mind. “I shouldn’t have told you as much as I did, so don’t get too excited. We should probably focus on this aspirin-inducing promotion first,” he sat down, rubbing his head as he did so. I took one on the other side, remaining as visually stoic as possible. I craved a solid drink over an aspirin, that was for sure.

I sat there, nodding my head and thinking about what I wanted to say next. “So when do I get the privilege of meeting Mister Virtuoso?” I took the glasses back from my eyes, and as I put my legs up onto his desk, he used his magic to quickly slip a small mat he had ready for my hooves on his clean desk.

Leaning forward, Sven tilted his head, quite well aware that what he was about to say, I wouldn’t like. “Well, before you two even start recording together, we need to get some promotional stuff out the way, we obviously aren’t announcing anything too big just yet, just some photos of you too together. We will get ponies speculating. But uhhh…”

I leaned forward, “What is it, Sven?” my stern tone and mild glare might have thrown anyone but him off.

“Well that’s the thing. We need to do some early promo stuff here. His official paperwork will be done by tomorrow so it’s looking like it will be... the day after tomorrow.” He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, ready for the outburst.

I didn’t disappoint often when it came to my outbursts. “God fucking dammit, Sven! Way to give me a heads up!” I shouted, removing my hooves from the table.

“Record! We need to get this through the pipeline fast! We need you two working together and doing this thing you may not of heard of. It’s called cooperating, and it needs to be done as soon as possible to meet the deadlines. The recording won’t be much long after. We will be planning the songs in literally four days! What did you expect?”

I sighed, bowing my head and rubbing my face with my hooves. “Fine, but I’m not touching this Celestia-damned building until I need to do this stupid promo photoshoot.” I threw the glasses back on my head, lifted myself from the seat and marched to the door.

“Eight A.M! Eight A.M, Record!” I heard behind me as a slammed the door shut and felt the vibrations through my body. I turned towards the door and felt for my bits.

I could really fucking do with a drink right now, I thought to myself as I huffed my way to the exit.

Author's Note

Another chapter not far behind! This hasn't been the most successful fics I've ever written, but that's alright! because I am freaking loving writing it. Now I wanna make this a little interesting my amazing readers. I planted a cute little card game in the fic and the gal or guy to guess this fantastical card game based on how they play gets a very special prize. Post your guess in the comments and the first to get it gets a special something as thanks for reading, it really does mean a lot to me!

-Milo