A Lovely Melody

by ShadowBlaze (Behemoth)

Music & Love

Tuesday's chapter. Like Rusion said, I was having a "Lesson Zero" day.

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Music & Love

I relaxed under the cool shade of an oak tree, the rustle of leaves soothing my mind, which was at the moment speeding off in many, many directions. I hummed to myself as I anxiously awaited Octavia's arrival. The past few days had gone by so agonizingly slow. Of course that only happened when I was actually looking forward to something. The weather was slowly, but surely turning brighter, warmer, and what I liked best, greener.

I had come to the decision not to tell Vinyl Scratch about mine and Octavia's upcoming date. I figured she would somehow get the wrong idea into her head and I didn't feel like explaining my way out of one of those again. I felt like there was some other reason. Some other reason that my brain was rejecting before I even got a chance to see for myself what it was. Perhaps I was simply feeling that way because of the reason I was out here in the first place.

From the first moment I saw Octavia, there was . . . something I liked about her. Although not sure what it was exactly about her, I definitely liked her. Does she like me the same way? I stared up into the bright green leaves for what felt like hours, drowning in my own thoughts. Until the sound of hooves crunching leaves startled me from my pondering. I scrambled up to see who was approaching. Was it Octavia? My jaw dropped. Yes it was . . . but, that wasn't what was shocking. It was Octavia, but she was accompanied by none other than Vinyl Scratch. They seemed to be having a conversation. Chattering and smiling. Eyes wide, I dove behind the nearest tree. Wha-? Why were they-?

Octavia looked up from her conversation and her eyes darted around for a bit before impossibly resting on me. She smiled at me and I gave a weak one back.

"Oh there he is now!" I winced and stepped out from behind my shelter.

"Oh, hey Beats! What are you doing out here?" Scratch stepped forward.

"Well, I was just-"

"Beats, here invited me for a walk with him. Didn't you, Beats?" I looked down and kicked a hoof.

"Uh, yeah. I did." Scratch shifted uncomfortably as I glanced up.

"Oh, uh. I suppose I'd better leave you two to it then. It was nice meeting you Tavi," She smiled and nodded turning away only to be stopped by Octavia.

"You don't have to leave if you don't want. We'd love to have you on our walk!" I sighed and turned away. That ruled out the possibility that Octavia thought our walk was at all romantically associated. I caught Scratch looking at my expression and a look of pain came over her face.

"No, really. It's fine. I've got other . . . activities planned anyways," she gave a weak smile before turning and walking away slowly. I felt a pang of guilt and my heart ached. I wanted to go after her. To say something, anything, to keep her from being angry with me, but this was mine and Octavia's date and I was really looking forward to it. Octavia looked after Scratch only slightly detached.

"Will she be okay?" she questioned, clearly concerned. I nodded and I turned to the sprawling and gorgeous forest behind me.

"She's pretty tough. I think that she'll be fine." I give her a reassuring smile before we both start for the entrance to the Whitetail.

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We talked about all sorts of things. Many more things than just music which is what I originally promised. It started with music, then to Scratch, then to me and somehow we ended up back to music. Classical music. What Octavia did. It was actually rather . . . interesting. A change from the electronic music I was so accustomed to. And then our conversation turned on her. She shifted her gaze around a lot and I questioned whether or not to change the subject.

"I was part of a trio of string musicians back in Fillydelphia. We traveled all the way from Manehattan to Ponyville performing. But . . ." She turned away. "I . . . don't think I was good enough. They clearly didn't. I was, to put it frankly, kicked from the group and I haven't bothered or really cared enough to see them again." I stopped in my tracks, shocked.

"Octavia, your music is . . . one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard. I mean that. I love everything about your music. The one time I've heard it I felt so . . . so happy. It's my favorite thing about you. Although . . . there are many things I like about you," I murmur walking a bit closer to her. She nudges up against me a bit and breathes out deeply.

"Thank you so much, Beats. That really means a lot to me," The bright of the day began slowly fading over the horizon and all was quiet but the sound of our hooves trudging through the leaves.. "I like you a lot, too, Beats," I nearly stopped breathing. "When I'm around you I feel . . . warm inside. I feel like I'm home. Like I'm performing again. Like I'm . . . special." She nestles her muzzle into my mane. Things were moving so fast. Like music all around me. A blur that I didn't feel privileged to stop. I loved the feeling. I never wanted to lose the feeling. So I continued.

"You're one of the most special ponies I know. Special and unique and . . . and beautiful." She pulls out from my mane and looks deep into my eyes. I look deep into hers. This moment was so perfect and special to me. I wanted to stay frozen like this forever. Our gaze was locked onto each other. Into each other. I felt a familiar longing and we were slowly being drawn together. Closer.

"Beats, I-" The serene moment was broken by a clap of thunder and we jerked apart. I scratched the base of my neck and Octavia turned away, blushing. Rain began to fall heavily. "Oh, shoot. Now I'll get all wet." Octavia grumbled as we began walking again. I chuckled lightly. "You mean like this?" I stamped a hoof into a rather large puddle, soaking us both from our knees down. She glared at me angrily and I was just starting to wish I hadn't done it in the first place. "No, no. I mean like this!" She brought her two front hooves down into a large mud puddle and soaked my face and mane entirely. I laughed happily wiping the mud from my muzzle.

She galloped away. I galloped after her. I felt as if this were the way it were meant to be. Us together. Laughing. At that moment, I realized that I loved her. And I was beginning to think that she loved me too. It made my heart sing and my soul lift. It was like music.

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I gripped the quill tightly in my mouth as I doodled in my sketchbook. No, I wasn't particularly good at drawing. And it didn't matter to me. I loved doing it. I filled page after page. All of nearly the same thing. Hour after hour I doodled until I found myself dozing off. It was early in the morning. I could tell. Yawning, I haphazardly toss sketchbook and quill onto my already cluttered bed. And even as I slept, I doodled in my head. I doodled masterpiece after beautiful masterpiece all of one pony. My one special pony. My Octavia.

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Photo credit to Whitestar1802 and EndlessPrisms. ^^

Comments

[ShadowBlaze (Behemoth)]

"You mena like these?" Fixed! Thank you. Never would have spotted them