“Hey, thanks again for inviting me to this year’s Apple family reunion, AJ!”
“Aw shucks, it wouldn’t have been the same without you, Fiddlesticks!”
Fiddlesticks smiled warmly, shuffling on her hooves to make sure the fiddle case on her back stayed balanced. The surrounding buildings of the Ponyville train station offered decent protection from the wind. “Ha! Well, you know me. I never could resist the chance to pull out these strings, especially around the family!”
Applejack tilted her head curiously. “You know, ah still haven’t gotten the chance to see you at any of those concerts of yours back at Manehattan.”
"Pffft", Fiddlesticks laughed, waving a hoof dismissively. "You sure? Orchestra music ain't exactly the most exciting thing compared to what I play during our reunions."
"Oh, I know exactly how it goes, but I can enjoy a good classical show or two like any other pony, 'specially if it's by a fellow apple!" Applejack leaned in and lowered her voice to a mischievous whisper. "I better not catch ya letting that slip to Rarity, else she's gonna start dragging my flank over to Canterlot for one of them high up, fancy 'chamber parties' where you gotta dress all formal-like just to listen to anythin'. You can't even cheer either!"
"Haha, I know, I know." Fiddlesticks laughed, rolling her eyes playfully. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously and looked away. “But, you know how it is. Tickets are always selling out faster than your very own homemade cider at the start of cider season!”
Applejack chuckled softly. “Yeah, I suppose that’s just how things are out in the big city, huh? Everypony always up and at ‘em? You said the same thing last year too, business must really be blooming for you!” Her grin faltered ever so slightly, which Fiddlesticks picked up on.
“I know, I’m really sorry." Fiddlesticks shifted a little on her hooves. "As soon as I’m able to reserve a spot for you and your friends, I promise to send you tickets straight away!”
Applejack brightened a bit at this. "Aw, sugarcube, don't you worry about that, I've got the bits for that. But... I wouldn't say no to a letter once tickets begin selling, so they don't run out before I can grab at 'em again."
Fiddlesticks’ ears perked as the distant sound of a train horn filled the air. "Looks like my train's finally here, AJ. I’ll catch you again next year!”
Fiddlesticks carefully leaned in for a hug, making sure her fiddle case didn't fall from the motion. Applejack let out a brief laugh and returned the gesture, also nudging the case with her hoof to keep it centered on Fiddlesticks' back.
After a few seconds, they pulled apart, and Fiddlesticks gave one last wave before boarding the train.
As it pulled out of the station, she leaned against the window and looked out towards Applejack’s signature hat and orange coat. She smiled softly.
“You really are living out your dream, aren't you, AJ...”
Beep beep beep!
Fiddlesticks flailed around blindly with a foreleg to her right until she felt her alarm clock on her bedside table. Giving it a quick smack to shut it up, she groaned weakly and slowly pushed herself to a seated position. She slowly cracked her eyes open and was greeted with her familiar apartment with its familiar walls and familiar ceiling. She blinked blearily and pulled herself out of bed, wincing as a sharp pain rode along her forelegs.
Ack. I haven’t played that much in a while now. I mean, I'm glad to know I at least still have it in me, but wowie I'm definitely going to be feeling this for the next few days, aren’t I?
Noticing her alarm clock missing from her bedside table, she scanned the ground and bent to pick it up from where she'd accidentally knocked it onto the floor again. Upon placing it back, she squinted her eyes at the time.
Alright, still got plenty of time to get ready.
She stretched briefly, then trotted over to her apartment window and pulled it open just a crack. A cacophony of trotting and shouts, wheels and doors, flooded into her room.
She allowed a brief smile to grace her lips. It might not be the most pleasant noise to the average pony, but to her, it was reminiscent of the chaotic swirl of notes and screeches that would always accompany an orchestra warming up right before a symphony. Every pony, with their own instruments, trying to desperately to push their own melody over the sea of noise just so they could hear it themselves.
Eventually, her bliss was interrupted by the suffocating smell of the city, and she quickly shut the window and returned her apartment to its usual silence. She trotted over to the fridge and yanked it open. She tiredly scanned her inventory before pulling out a package of microwavable pancakes. Putting them in the microwave for a minute, she spared a glimpse back to a framed picture hanging on her wall.
It depicted the entire Apple family from the previous year’s reunion, the day before the return of Princess Luna. There were not as many present as in this year's, but it was still more than enough to make that day quite the fond memory. As usual, she found herself near the back of the group, her precious fiddle in hoof. Her face donned a satisfied smile, as if she had it all and nothing could stop her.
Her eyes trailed along the photo to Applejack’s wildly grinning face, front and center, and she let out a tired sigh. She never enjoyed lying to family, and it hurt a lot more now having to do it straight to the Element of Honesty’s face. To look into those wide, curious green eyes and say, yes, I’m doing what I love, don’t you worry a single bit about me.
The ding from the microwave broke her from her stupor, and she trotted over to carefully pull out the plate of pancakes with her hooves. It was bland and boring, but it was sustenance nonetheless. Within a few minutes, they were all heartily scarfed down, along with a quick glass of milk.
Rushing over to her closet near her bed, Fiddlesticks pulled out her uniform and hastily began putting it on. Wrestling a bit with her tie, she checked herself in the mirror and, just for a moment, as she did everyday, she saw herself standing proudly upon the stage of the concert hall.
Hundreds of wide, eager eyes would gaze up at her as her bow danced across her fiddle, releasing a symphony of sound for all to hear. With each graceful stroke of hair across the strings, the air would fill with an exciting melody, the echoes of the hall around her creating a harmony that resonates warmly within her heart. And once she finished, they would all stamp their hooves loudly in thunderous applause, and tears would well up in her eyes as she looked upon them. She would bask in the spotlight as she bowed, turning around to face her fellow orchestra members and-
Her clock bell rang. Eight on the dot. She gasped and faced the mirror once more, fumbling to fasten the last few buttons of her uniform.
Shoot! I really overdid it this time! If there aren't too many carriages out and about right now, I should still make it in roughly, mmmmm... five minutes or so!
With one final look over in the mirror, she galloped out the door, nearly tripping haphazardly over her fiddle case sitting in the entry way.
Panting heavily, Fiddlesticks slowed to a halt in front of the Manehattan Concert Hall. The Manehattan Fillyharmonic Orchestra was to perform a new collection of concertos today, many of which had been practiced to the ground for weeks, and she knew she was needed. She could already hear the orchestra tuning their instruments inside, a few already getting in some last-minute practice of the repertoire. She closed her eyes and could feel her fiddle in her hooves, guiding her bow to the right strings, to the right rhythm, to the right notes. A small smile crept upon her face from the very thought.
“Hello? Equestria to Fiddlesticks? You there?”
Her daydream was shattered by the cream-coated earth pony in front of her.
“Oh! I’m soooo, so so so sorry, Sharp Note, I just, um, got caught up in my thoughts and all.”
Sharp Note looked her over quickly and raised an eyebrow. “Forgetting something?”
Fiddlesticks blinked. “Oh?”
His eyes flickered down briefly.
She looked down at her uniform. “Oh!” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her name tag, pinning it to the right side of her vest and taking a second to straighten it.
“Much better. Come on now, ponies are beginning to line up. You know the procedure.”
Fiddlesticks nodded hastily. “Yes, sir, I’m on it!”
Breaking into a gallop, she bolted through the concert building’s doors. As her manager already made clear, a long line of ponies stood patiently waiting to enter the concert hall.
No one looks peeved, whew. Hope none of them were waiting too long and are just too polite to let it show.
Finally, she reached the doors and took a brief moment to catch her breath. The stallion at the front of the line eyed her curiously, but said nothing. She looked up at the grand doors leading into the hall and weakly smiled.
One day… one day…
After a few seconds, Fiddlesticks cleared her throat, put on a wider, more polite grin, and turned her attention to the line of ponies facing her.
“Hello and good morning, everypony. My name is Fiddlesticks and I’ll be checking your tickets for today's concert. We're delighted to have you all here for this morning's performance, consisting of four pieces perfectly selected to fit the autumn season. Make sure to pick up a planner upon entering, and follow one of our many usher ponies to your assigned seating. Remember, no flash photography is allowed, and formal etiquette is expected for this event. Thank you for coming, and I hope you all enjoy the music tonight!”
Author's Note
Prompt: Wasted Dreams
Original Speedwrite: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L7igaJ1S6KNJ2Rw_ckyE4Vyh6cBts6u7b1fF39ZSI9A/edit?usp=sharing
Tied for 3rd!
Time: 75 minutes total writing time (60 for writing, 15 for editing)
