Interspecies Relation(ship)s
Sea Swirl’s slender body disappeared beneath the water without a sound. Symphony watched her tail vanish before she sat down on the shoreline. They were back at the lake where they had first meant, after Symphony had insisted that returning was perfectly fine.
As she sat on the sand, the pony wondered how her life had come to such a point. She was supposed to be the talk of Canterlot now. She was supposed to be more famous than even Octavia. She had even dared to dream that the Royal Sisters would be coming to her, asking her to play at the Grand Galloping Gala, or even for a private party. She had had it all planned out so perfectly.
“So why am I nothing more than a glorified pack mule?” she grumbled as she dug her yellow hoof into the sand.
Sea Swirl had offered Symphony a job. She had said that, with Hearth’s Warming coming up in a month, she was going to be rather busy. Symphony had pointed out that she knew nothing of Sea Swirl’s jewelry craft and she was no diver either, so how could she possibly help? The answer, it seemed, was manual labor. Symphony was supposed to help Sea Swirl pull her carts to and from the lake at the bottom of Canterlot’s mountain.
Symphony was loath to accept the job. Even now, she was still upset with it. A high-class pony such as herself, reduced to pulling a cart. It was beyond embarrassing. It was humiliating, even more so because she was working for a Unicorn now. If she had not been in such dire straights, she would have flatly refused to be put in such a demeaning situation. But with her violin gone, she had no other way to support herself, and Sea Swirl offered to pay a ridiculously generous amount.
Plus, at least Symphony got to spend time with Sea Swirl. If she was going to be forced to work for a Unicorn, she could do much worse than the one currently swimming beneath the lake.
Symphony sighed and tilted her head back. Her crystal blue eyes follow the waterfall up the mountainside until she spied the cliff. It had only been a little over a month since she had stepped off that cliff, but it felt like it had been a year. As she stared up at it, she wondered why she hadn’t simply jumped off it again later. After all, it wasn’t like Sea Swirl would have been there to save her every single time. Eventually, Symphony would have succeeded.
Sea Swirl wouldn’t be happy though, she thought. She immediately blinked in surprise at the curious thought.
Memories of the night in the bed together rushed into Symphony’s mind. She had not told Sea Swirl the truth. She had been awake. She had been awake for a while. She had felt the Unicorn embrace her, and she had—
“No!” Symphony said as she shoved the memories as hard as she could from her mind. They had no place in her life, and they were simply better left buried and forgotten.
As Symphony stared up at the waterfall, she caught a flash of motion. She blinked and focused her eyes. There appeared to be two Pegasi racing down the waterfall, flying so close to it that they were skimming the fall’s edge.
“What are they doing?” Symphony wondered aloud as she watched the two ponies. She had never seen any Pegasi do something like this. And what had they done to their tails? They were so thin, not fluffed and flowing like normal. Perhaps it was a special technique to help them fly faster?
The trailing pony flared her wings and Symphony’s eyes widened in surprise. These weren’t ponies. They were griffons. Why were there griffons here?
The questions fled from Symphony’s mind as the lead griffon dove into the water like a bird. Sea Swirl was in the water. Was that griffon going after her? Was the other griffon going to come after Symphony?
Terrified, she looked over at the remaining creature. The griffon slowly floated down onto the shoreline a short distance away. She was clad in black armor and her head was covered in white feathers with spotted tips. She looked at Symphony and nodded once, but then returned her focus to the water.
Symphony was about to ask the griffon what was happening when the surface of the lake exploded. The second griffon shot out of the water with Sea Swirl in her talons! Symphony watched helplessly as the Unicorn was pulled higher and higher into the sky and then, to her horror, the griffon let her go!
Symphony nearly screamed, but the only thing that happened was that her mouth fell open in disbelief.
Sea Swirl spun in the air, not like a dancer, but like a top. She pulled her forelegs in close to her body as she rose like a firework. Droplets of water flew from her body and caught the sun in a dazzling display of color. As she reached the apex of her climb, she flared her body out and sent one final flash of water through the air, and then started to fall.
The Unicorn tucked her upper body forward so that she flipped into a perfect dive as she plunged. The griffon mirrored her dive perfectly, and Symphony watched as Sea Swirl put her hoof out and the griffon pulled her into an embrace. They began to spin together, falling toward the water like a drill, and Symphony felt a small amount of…something creep through her stomach as she watched the display.
Just before the couple crashed into the water, the griffon flared her wings and grabbed Sea Swirl’s forelegs. The two skimmed just above the surface of the lake as they flew toward Symphony on the shore, and Symphony couldn’t help but notice that a warm smile was gracing Sea Swirl’s lips.
The griffon dropped Sea Swirl on the shore and then landed next to her. Sea Swirl instantly spun around and wrapped her forelegs around the griffon’s neck.
She must know her, Symphony thought. She wasn’t sure why the thought annoyed her, but as she watched the two embrace, her tail swished slowly across the ground.
“It’s so good to see you again!” Sea Swirl said as she hugged the black-headed griffon. “What are you doing in Canterlot? Official Inner Wing duties, I take it?”
“Nice to see you again, Sea Swirl,” the griffon replied. The two pulled out of their hug, but Symphony noticed that Sea Swirl kept her hooves on the griffon’s shoulders for a bit. “And yeah. I’m one of the King’s escorts, but we have some free time at the moment so…”
The griffon trailed off mid-sentence as she stared at Sea Swirl.
“Hmph,” Symphony grumbled to herself as she watched.
“And…what?” Sea Swirl asked, a playful tone entering her voice that only annoyed Symphony more. Why was Sea Swirl being so nice to this creature? “You came down to watch me swim again?”
Again? Symphony thought. What does that mean?
“N-No!” the griffon protested. “I-I promised to, uh…get one of your pearl necklaces for my friend here.” The griffon turned and waved to the other griffon.
“You’re Yukari’s friend?” Sea Swirl asked as she used her magic to wring some of the water out of her tail. Symphony found herself staring at the display, wondering if the Unicorn had always done it that slowly. “My name’s Sea Swirl. What’s yours?”
The griffon with the spotted feathers was practically prancing across the shoreline as she approached the group, and the smile on her beak was nothing short of malicious in Symphony’s opinion.
“Why hello, Sea Swirl,” the griffon said as she offered her talon, and Sea Swirl didn’t hesitate to shake it. “I’m Shana. A pleasure to meet you.”
“You’re in the Inner Wing too then?” Sea Swirl asked. “You’ve been keeping Yukari out of trouble, right?”
Symphony was surprised by how familiar Sea Swirl seemed to be with griffons and their ways, and apparently so was Shana, because the grin vanished from her face for a moment.
“Um…yeah. Yes, I’m Yukari’s wing mate on most missions. I’m…uh, surprised you’ve heard of it.”
“Are you kidding?” Sea Swirl asked, her voice sounding like an excited filly’s. “It was all Yukari would talk about when we were—er, when she used to visit.”
The grin returned to Shana’s beak instantly and Symphony had a growing suspicion that she knew what was really happening. The only question that remained was why she found the thought so annoying.
“Did she now?” Shana asked as she slowly looked between Sea Swirl and Yukari. “Because that’s supposed to be a secret. She basically committed treason by telling you about the organization.”
Symphony saw Sea Swirl’s shoulders stiffen.
“She’s teasing you, Sea Swirl,” Yukari replied, shooting a look at Shana. “It’s not different than the Royal Guard in Canterlot.”
Sea Swirl relaxed. “Whew…you got me there, Shana.”
“Yes, well, I suppose it’s common for a couple to share their dreams with each other…”
Symphony’s tail snapped against the ground.
“Shana!” Yukari yelled.
“What? No, we’re not a couple,” Sea Swirl laughed as she rubbed the back of her head.
She’s ignoring me! Symphony thought as the annoyance grew in her chest. What, am I too much of an embarrassment for her to introduce? Well, too bad!
“Excuse me?” Symphony said flatly, and all three heads turned to her.
Sea Swirl’s cheeks were bright red, and they only seemed to grow brighter when she saw Symphony. “Oh, hey, Symphony. This is Yukari. And her friend, Shana.”
“Charmed,” Symphony said as she glared at the two griffons. How dare Sea Swirl just try to brush her off like this? What, as soon as the Unicorn’s old flame flew back into town, she didn’t matter anymo—
Symphony physically jerked as the thought screeched to a halt in her mind. Why in Equestria did she think she mattered to Sea Swirl in the first place?
Stunned by the bizarre thought, Symphony said the first thing that popped into her mind to cover her stumble. “I was not aware that you date a…griffon.”
“Is that a problem, pony?” Shana asked.
Symphony recoiled from the griffon’s tone. “No. No, it’s not. I just thought…” What? What did I think? Symphony grew frustrated and narrowed her eyes. “Never mind.”
Sea Swirl looked at Symphony and the look in her raspberry eyes only served to annoy Symphony more. “Symphony, I—”
“Relax, Symphony,” Yukari said with a smile. “I’m not here to steal your marefriend. Honestly, Sea Swirl and I are just old friends.”
Symphony’s crystal blue eyes shot to Sea Swirl. She found it impossible to speak because her throat had swollen shut. She felt like she had when she had first laid eyes on the ocean.
Sea Swirl, for her part, looked just as terrified, and for some reason that twisted something in Symphony’s chest just enough to hurt.
“She is not my marefriend,” she said finally. She saw Sea Swirl’s ears droop just a hair, and that only served to twist Symphony’s chest more.
“Uh, yeah, Yukari,” Sea Swirl said as she turned away from Symphony and back to the two griffons. “Symphony’s just a friend of mine. Like you. We’re not a couple.”
She…thinks of me as a friend? Symphony felt a smile come to her lips with the thought, but at the same time her chest twisted a little more. She pushed it aside and allowed the smile to spread. She had a friend.
“If you say so, Sea Swirl,” Yukari said as she looked at Sea Swirl and then shot a quick glance at Symphony, and the pony swore that the griffon smiled at her briefly.
“So about that necklace…?” Shana said once the silence had become too much for any of them.
Sea Swirl seemed to snap back to life at the griffon’s words. “Oh yeah!”
“Yukari promised to show me a really pretty one…as a present.”
The life seemed to fade out of Sea Swirl again and Symphony growled in her throat.
“Oh,” the Unicorn said. “I assume you want a pearl one, right? Those ones make the best…gifts.”
Symphony found the idea of Sea Swirl giving either of these griffons a pearl necklace repulsive. What business did they have wearing one of her pieces on their clunky armor? They wouldn’t appreciate it.
Not like I did either, Symphony immediately thought as she recalled that she had sold hers to pay her rent. It was strange. The thought had never bothered her before now.
“Sea Swirl, you don’t—” Yukari started, but Sea Swirl paid her no mind.
“I have one in my pack right now, actually,” she said as she walked over to her satchel. Symphony watched her go, and then turned to the two griffons. They were whispering to each other and seemed to be arguing about something.
“I doubt Sea Swirl will accept your money,” Symphony said. She kept looking at Yukari, studying the griffon’s dark feathers on her head. What had Sea Swirl seen in this creature? “She is too nice. Since you’re her friend, she’ll likely just give it to you…”
Like she did with me, she added silently.
“Jealous, Miss Glaring Eyes?” Shana asked, that malicious smile spreading across her face again.
“Hmph. O-Of course not!” Why would Symphony be jealous of Yukari? Just because she and Sea Swirl used to be close? So what? That was none of Symphony’s concern.
“Here you go, Yukari,” Sea Swirl said when she came back. She was levitating a stunning pearl necklace, and Symphony felt a dark anger growing in her stomach. Why was Sea Swirl going to waste such a lovely necklace on Yukari?
“How much?” Yukari whispered.
“Oh, consider it a gift,” Sea Swirl said. Symphony heard the Unicorn’s voice crack as she spoke the words. “You said you were giving it to Shana, and I couldn’t possibly take your bits for it.”
Symphony glared at Sea Swirl. She had been right, of course. Sea Swirl was going to refuse payment just because this griffon was a friend. How had she managed to survive in Canterlot so long with business sense like this?
“Sea Swirl, I can’t—”
“Actually, Sea Swirl,” Shana interrupted as she stepped between Sea Swirl and Yukari. She pulled a small pouch out from under her armor. “I said nothing about Yukari buying me one. I just said that she promised to show me one. I’ll be buying it, not her.”
Sea Swirl looked shocked as she looked back and forth between the two griffons. “But I thought…”
“What?” Shana asked, smiling. “You thought I was dating this featherbrain? Please. She couldn’t afford me. So how much?”
Symphony rolled her eyes, but part of her thanked Shana. She was happy that the Unicorn seemed to be back to her plucky self.
“Well, since you’re a friend of Yukari’s…how about fifty bits?” Sea Swirl asked.
Symphony sighed quietly.
“For something that nice?” Shana replied, shocked. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I can’t possibly give you that little.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Sea Swirl said. “I was actually collecting more when you two showed up. And Symphony and I are going to the ocean this weekend to get more from the sea. That’s where I find the really white ones. Right, Symphony?”
Symphony’s ears perked up as Sea Swirl turned to her. This was the first she had heard about returning to the ocean again, and thus she suspected Sea Swirl had just decided that on the spot, but the idea still excited her. The beach had been rather pleasant at night, and maybe they could share a bed again and—
“Yes,” Symphony said, shoving the thought from her mind. Why did she keep thinking about that? It wasn’t her, and it didn’t mean anything.
“I can’t give you any less than sixty-five for that necklace, Sea Swirl,” Shana said as she pulled out the bits. “And I still feel it’s worth three times that.”
“More than that,” Symphony said as she looked at the pearl necklace. It looked at least as valuable as the one Sea Swirl had given her. “Much more.”
“Not helping, Miss Glaring Eyes,” Shana grumbled.
Symphony watched with narrowed eyes as Sea Swirl slipped the necklace over Shana’s neck and then slid the bits into her satchel. “So how long are you going to be in Canterlot?” she asked as she stood next to Symphony. “Any chance you two could come over for dinner? Symphony is going to cook.”
Symphony recoiled inside. She had offered to cook a small meal for Sea Swirl tonight as a way of repaying her for everything. She had warned the Unicorn that she was not the greatest cook, but Sea Swirl had been delighted nonetheless, which had made Symphony happy.
The thought that these two griffons would be there sucked all the joy out of the idea.
“I’m sorry, Sea Swirl, but I don’t think we’ll be staying that long,” Yukari said, and Symphony’s spirits lifted. “In fact, we should probably start heading back to Canterlot now.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Sea Swirl said, much to Symphony’s annoyance. “Well, next time then.”
“Sure. It was nice meeting you, Symphony.”
“Take care, Miss Glaring Eyes,” Shana added as she rose into the sky. Symphony growled as she watched the creature take her leave. “Thank you for the gift, Sea Swirl.”
“Take care, Sea Swirl,” Yukari said as she, too, took off. “I’ll write you when I get back home. Maybe we can set up a some time for me to come visit.”
Please don’t. Symphony was surprised at how fast the thought jumped into her head.
“Sounds great!” Sea Swirl called as she waved her hoof. Symphony looked at her. Her face was beaming and her eyes brighter than Symphony had ever seen them. She was standing on the tips of her hooves as she waved, as if she was trying to reach out and touch the griffon one last time. She looked so happy.
So why was Symphony feeling a little down because of it? It wasn’t like Sea Swirl was leaving with her and thus Symphony would lose her only friend and source of income.
Why is she coming back? Symphony wondered as Yukari slowly flew back down to them after a moment.
“Um…something wrong?” Sea Swirl asked, but to Symphony’s surprise, the griffon looked straight at Symphony and not Sea Swirl.
“Symphony. Sea Swirl likes to be choked when you kiss her. Remember that.”
Symphony lacked the words to describe how she felt. All she knew was that her face hurt and that she was suddenly keenly aware of the fact that her cheeks were covered with fur. And she felt hot. Very hot. So hot that her mind plowed to a halt for several seconds before it remembered how to speak.
“What?!” she shouted, although the effort only made her cheeks itch more. “I would never!”
“You should,” Yukari said as a grin spread across her beak. “It leads to some very…intense experiences.”
“Yukari!” Sea Swirl yelled, and then she turned to Symphony, her eyes wide. “I do not! Symphony, she’s lying!”
As Symphony looked at the two raspberry shaded eyes, the panic in them told her that the Unicorn wasn’t being truthful.
“Oh really?” Yukari continued before Symphony’s mind had a chance to process the information. The griffon waved her tail in front of Sea Swirl’s face like a serpent while she grinned. “I seem to remember wrapping my tail around your throat and other things several times…”
“S-S-Shut up!” Sea Swril dove at the griffon, but Yukari was too fast. She leapt into the air and the Unicorn hit the sandy ground face first.
“Remember, Symphony. Choking. And I mean really choke her.” Yukari turned and left, and Symphony could only stare in shock as her words echoed in her head.
“YUKARI!” Sea Swirl screamed as she picked herself up. For half a moment, Symphony thought the Unicorn was going to launch a spell at the griffon, but then she seemed to remember that Symphony was right there and her anger was drowned by embarrassment.
Symphony stared at her employer, watching her red eyes dart around as her wet mane clung to her scalp. Her entire face was so red that it was almost a dark violet, and she kept licking her lips and flipping her ears. Several times she tried to speak, but only ended up kicking the ground in frustration.
On one kick, she dislodged some water from her mane and Symphony watched the droplet. It traced the curve of Sea Swirl’s jaw for a moment, and then it began to flow down her throat. About halfway, Symphony lost track of it and just stared at Sea Swirl’s throat.
She likes to be choked, she thought. A moment later, she blinked. Why would that griffon tell me that? She’s the one that…that did that stuff! And we’re not even dating!
“So…” Sea Swirl finally managed to squeak out. She swallowed and then continued. “That was Yukari.”
Symphony blinked several times, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of Sea Swirl’s neck. She wondered what it was like, and why Sea Swirl liked it. Wouldn’t she be too worried about breathing to enjoy the kiss? What if Symphony pressed too hard and hurt her? And what sort of intense experiences happened? Did it make Sea Swirl’s magic go out of control, or did something else happen?
And why in sweet Celestia’s good name am I wondering about ANY of this? Symphony thought bitterly. She was not a filly fooler! She was a proper Canterlot lady! Just because they had shared a bed one night and Sea Swirl had gotten a little comfy with her didn’t mean anything! Sea Swirl could enjoy all the females she wanted, but Symphony wouldn’t be one of them, of that she was certain.
Still, she continued to wonder about what exactly happened when Sea Swirl was choked.
“Heh heh.” Sea Swirl kicked the ground again and then stomped on it so hard that Symphony jumped. “Stupid griffon!” she yelled as she stomped on the sand again and again. “Urgh! I swear, next time I see her, she won’t be flying away! She’ll be carried away—if she’s lucky!”
Tears began to fill Sea Swirl’s eyes. Symphony wasn’t sure what surprised her more; the tears, or the fact that seeing them made her upset. She shook the feeling away and tried to think of something to say.
“Were you two close?” she asked finally, and immediately realized how stupid the question was. Of course they were close. Just seeing their water and air dance was enough to know that.
“Very,” Sea Swirl said as she stared at the ground. A single tear fell from her eyes and Symphony found herself wanting to wipe it away with her hoof.
She quickly smashed the notion. “May I ask what happened?”
“Differences in lifestyles, basically,” Sea Swirl said. She sniffed and looked up. “Symphony, I’m so, so, SO sorry about that! I do like mares, and, well, griffons, but I never thought of you like that!”
“Oh,” Symphony said flatly. Why did that bother her a little?
“No, that’s not what I meant!” Sea Swirl said quickly. “I mean, you’re pretty. Very pretty. Beautiful even!” Something warmed in Symphony’s chest at the words. “But you’ve made it very clear where the line is. And I’d never try and cross it, I promise! Please don’t take what Yukari said seriously! Please!”
Symphony tilted her head a little. “So…you do not like being choked?”
“Er…well…” Sea Swirl’s cheeks went red and her eyes darted down to the ground. “That’s…kind of private. Which is why I’m so ticked at that birdbrain right now!” She turned and looked up at the sky once more, and then back at Symphony. “Please don’t be mad.”
Symphony blinked. “It is fine, Sea Swirl. I am not upset at your friend’s…teasing.”
“Deliberate embarrassment is more like it,” Sea Swirl grumbled. She turned and looked at the small stash of gems and stones they had collected. It was not that much, perhaps less than half a cart, but apparently it was enough for the Unicorn. “Let’s head back to Canterlot before she decides to come back and taunt me even more.”
“Do you have enough though?” Symphony asked. The day was not even half over. If Sea Swirl said she was done, then Symphony would have nothing to do for the rest of the day save for going home and staring at her miserable apartment.
“I have plenty back at the house,” Sea Swirl said as she picked up her saddlebag and then started to hitch herself to the cart. “I can just—”
“That is my job,” Symphony cut in as she pushed Sea Swirl away from the cart. “I am not a charity case. I will work for my pay.”
“Right,” Sea Swirl said with a sheepish smile. “Well, I can just work on some orders back at the shop. Maybe even get a few done early and send them out for delivery.”
“I see,” Symphony said. She wanted to ask if there was anything she could do to help, but she didn’t want to seem desperate.
“You want to tag along?” Sea Swirl asked. “I could use the company. Not sure I should be by myself right now. You can help with the deliveries and even make lunch as I work, instead of dinner tonight. Sound good?”
Symphony nodded. “I…do not mind helping with your deliveries. But, as I warned you for dinner, I am not the best cook. Don’t expect anything grand, like I’m sure you’re used to.”
“Can you make hay sandwiches?”
“Yes.”
“Great. We’ll eat like queens then.”
* * *
Symphony stood in the middle of Sea Swirl’s impressive living room, unsure of what to do with herself. They had finished the sandwiches that she had made, which Sea Swirl had said were delicious several times, and now the Unicorn was humming to herself as she threaded some pearls and shuffled stones around on her work table.
Symphony had been inside Sea Swirl’s home before. She had woken up in the Unicorn’s bed the first time, and even then she had noticed the amount of clutter, but she had never imagined that Sea Swirl would be able to organize it all. Watching her work was breathtaking in its own way. She flowed from one task to the next, from plucking out the exact gem or stone she needed without looking, to making sure the clasp on a broach was set properly with her magic while her hooves moved around for tools or adjusted her magnifying glass.
Symphony had suspected that Sea Swirl used her magic to make everything, but she saw now that she was wrong. The lavender pony used her hooves just as much, and that only made her feats more impressive. All the Unicorns that Symphony saw used their magic for every little thing, constantly rubbing it in her face that they were better than her.
But not her, she thought. Why? Why is she so different?
“And…done!” Sea Swirl said as she slid the last pearl in place. She lowered the necklace into a red jewelry box and floated it over to Symphony. “Here, this is the last one for today.”
Symphony took the box and stared at it for a moment. “You only have two deliveries?” she asked, a slight edge in her voice. She was already annoyed about the fact that she was working as a workhorse, but at least that was work. Sea Swirl could easily make these deliveries on her own. She didn’t need Symphony to carry two small boxes.
“Heh heh.” Sea Swirl cocked her head to the side and rubbed the back of her neck. “Actually…it’s really only one delivery. The customer just ordered two things.”
Symphony narrowed her eyes. “Why am I here then?”
“Oh…um…” Symphony instantly regretted the question when she saw Sea Swirl’s face. The Unicorn’s ears drooped and her eyes fell to the floor. She seemed to deflate a little as she bit her lip. “I guess you have a point. I just thought…never mind.” She looked up, her eyes closed and a smile on her face. “Never mind. You’re right. You probably have better things to do right now, and I can handle this myself.”
Symphony looked down at the box she was holding and then placed it in her saddlebag with the other one before Sea Swirl could snatch it back.
“No,” Symphony said, remembering the encounter on the beach. “I said I did not mind coming along, so I will.”
“Great!” the Unicorn replied, her ears perking up. “It won’t take long, I promise. This client lives in the upper area of Canterlot, so it won’t be too far of a walk. After that, we can…uh…”
Symphony blinked and waited.
“Nevermind,” Sea Swirl said quickly.
“Very well.” Symphony looked at the door. “Shall we go?”
The two ponies left Sea Swirl’s home, the Unicorn locking the door as they did, and began to make their way through Canterlot. They walked in silence, something that Symphony was completely fine with, but judging by the way her new boss kept looking at her, she felt that the Unicorn was trying to find a way to break the ice.
“I used to play the violin,” Symphony said, recalling the very first conversation she had ever had with Sea Swirl. “I…was quite good.”
The Unicorn’s raspberry eyes focused straight ahead. “Oh! Um…so, is that how you got your cutie mark then? The quiver?”
“Quaver,” Symphony corrected. “And yes. That question was a rather—” Symphony was about to say ‘stupid’, but she thought better of it “—silly question. How else would a pony get their cutie mark besides doing something they excel at?”
“Y-Yeah,” Sea Swirl replied. Her eyes darted to look at Symphony, shifted back to looking straight ahead, and then the Unicorn managed to turn her whole head and smile at Symphony. “That’s a good point!”
Sea Swirl fell silent, and Symphony narrowed her eyes slightly. The Unicorn was being unusually non-inquisitive now. She had thought that Sea Swirl would jump at a chance to know more about her.
“I played at the Canterlot Garden party that was held a few months ago.”
That caused Sea Swirl’s eyes to go wide. “You did?” she said as her familiar smile spread across her face for a second, then she cocked her head to the side and her eyes lost focus for a moment. “That’s right! You did! Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I didn’t remember that!”
Symphony’s eyes went wide. “You…were there?”
“Oh yeah,” Sea Swirl said with a wave of her hoof. “I usually get invited to all those fancy shindigs.”
“Shindigs?” Symphony asked, raising an eyebrow. More and more, Sea Swirl proved that she did not belong in Canterlot’s society.
“Yep. Ponies are always trying to butter me up by inviting me. Hope I’ll give them a discount on their order or something.”
And yet, despite of her clear lack of social graces, she was somehow at the top of the ladder. “I see,” Symphony growled.
“You were part of the band! Far left, next to Octavia!”
Symphony nearly tripped as her body froze. Somepony remembered her. Sea Swirl remembered her! A genuine smile pulled at her lips as an unfamiliar feeling swelled inside her.
“That…” she whispered as her cheeks started to hurt.
“Uh, Symphony? You okay?”
“Yes. Why?”
“You’re…kind of crying.”
Symphony instantly rubbed her eyes with her hoof. Sure enough, she felt the small droplets of water on her fur. She blinked furiously until the tears were gone.
“Sorry,” she said as she put her hoof down.
“Dust or something?” Sea Swirl asked.
Symphony couldn’t tell if Sea Swirl was being nice, or if she was just that dumb, but either way she was grateful for the escape. “Yes.” She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and get her emotions under control. “I am…surprised you remember me.”
Sea Swirls cheeks went bright red and she looked at the ground. “Oh, well…you know…”
“I do not know,” Symphony pressed.
“It’s because of, um…” Sea Swirl’s face had gone even redder, to the point where her cheeks almost matched her eyes. “Do you really want me to say it?”
Symphony nodded, curious as to what was causing the Unicorn to act so strangely.
Sea Swirl took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and kept her face pointed toward the ground as she walked. “It’s because of what you were wearing! You and Octavia both looked so…!” Sea Swirl opened one eye and looked up at Symphony. “Pretty.”
Judging by the way Sea Swirl struggled to get that final word out, Symphony doubted that was the word she had originally meant. Still, the Earth pony couldn’t help but blush a little at the compliment.
“You like my bowtie?” she asked. She stretched her yellow neck a little to show of the white lace with the purple bowtie, suddenly glad that she had spent her few extra bits to buy a new one.
Sea Swirl nodded vigorously as she licked her lips. “Very much. It matches your hair and tail perfectly, and it makes you look so pristine. Plus, the way it squeezes your neck a little every time you breathe is just—” Sea Swirl slammed her mouth shut and her cheeks seemed to catch fire.
A new sensation came over Symphony as she stared at the blushing Unicorn. A smile spread across her face again, but this time it was different, dangerous. “So…that griffon was speaking the truth.”
“What? NO!” Sea Swirl shouted, but her reaction was all the proof Symphony needed. “I just mean that it’s nice seeing the outline of your neck pressing—argh!” Sea Swirl collapsed on the street and buried her head under her front hooves. “I’m just going to stop talking now.”
Symphony smiled at her trembling boss and allowed herself a quiet laugh. “Shall I leave you here then?” she asked. “You do not seem to be well. If you tell me where the client is, I can complete the delivery.”
“No,” Sea Swirl moaned beneath her hooves. “I’m coming. We’re almost there anyway.” She picked herself up, deliberately avoiding Symphony’s eyes, and started walking along the street again.
Symphony watched her for a moment, keeping an eye on her tail as it swished nervously behind her firm swimmer’s legs, and smiled to herself. She was used to the Unicorn stumbling her way through conversations with her. Most of the time she found it annoying, but it was rather charming when Symphony caused it on purpose. The way her tail flicked back and forth across her flank when she was flustered was—
Symphony blinked in surprise when Sea Swirl turned back to look at her. “I promise I’m not that bad,” the Unicorn said with a sheepish face.
“It is fine,” Symphony replied as she walked to catch up. What had she been doing just now, and why were her cheeks feeling warm?
The pair turned a corner together, Sea Swirl still stubbornly looking everywhere but at Symphony, and walked another half block in silence before the Unicorn stopped.
“We’re here,” she said as she pointed toward the house.
Symphony opened her mouth to say something, but when she saw the mansion before her, her voice caught in her throat. Her head darted to the left and then to the right. No! How could she have been so stupid? She had been enjoying Sea Swirl’s company so much that she hadn’t been paying attention to where they were going.
Should I run? she thought to herself. The idea was enticing, but she remembered that she was carrying Sea Swirl’s merchandise, so running was out of the question. She did not want the Unicorn calling the Guard on her.
“You coming?” Sea Swirl asked, yanking Symphony out of her thoughts. The Unicorn was already at the door, her hoof raised to knock.
“I…” Symphony carefully walked up to Sea Swirl, her mind a blazing white mess of panic as she drew closer to the door. Slowly, her mind still screaming at her to stop, she came up behind Sea Swirl and stopped.
“You okay?” Sea Swirl asked, cocking her head to the side. “You’re shaking.”
“I…”
“Symphony, seriously, if you’re not feeling well, we can—”
“Who’s there?” asked a terrifyingly familiar voice. The door swung open and Symphony’s mind ceased its manic panic and just howled inside her skull.
“Hello, Mr. Orchestral,” Sea Swirl said as she turned to face the pony at the door.
“Sea Swirl, my dear!” the brown Unicorn replied with his sickening posh accent. “Good to see you! Are you here with my wife’s order? The event is—”
The Unicorn stopped cold as his green eyes fell on Symphony.
“This is Symphony,” Sea Swirl said, gesturing toward her. “She kind of works with me now.”
“Does she now,” the Unicorn answered. It wasn’t so much a question, but a statement in that judgmental tone of his.
“Yes, sir,” Symphony said quietly, doing the best to keep the snarl out of her voice.
“Well,” the Unicorn said as he gave Symphony one final look before turning back to Sea Swirl, his expression once again that fake mask of Canterlot pleasantry. “Do come in. I’m sure my wife will be pleased with your work, like always.”
“I aim to please,” Sea Swirl answered as she followed the Unicorn into the house. She stopped once she crossed the threshold and turned back to look at Symphony. “Symphony? Are you coming?”
Symphony bit her lip so hard that she was afraid she would make it bleed. The only thing that stopped her from doing it was the picture of Mrs. Orchestral’s sneering face if she saw blood running down her yellow coat.
It was too late for Symphony to back out now. She looked at the Unicorn waiting for her and nodded. “I am.”
“Good,” Sea Swirl replied with a smile.
Symphony followed her inside, doing her best to keep her breathing steady and her face calm, despite the raging torrent of fear roaring in her body.
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Hmmm. I wonder how long until the next chapter.
Not that I'm much better right now... 
Who's the stallion? My guess is former maestro (conductor dude)... I would say ex, except the stallion mentioned a wife. The amount of hate is unusual for a father unless it's because he's a unicorn and she is not, causing the majority of the issues. Did I guess right? :P
Nice to see this one update. It's an interesting story, though with how things are progressing (which can happen in stories that grow a life of their own), I'm curious how the background gifts story fits (if it still fits). They seem to be getting closer and closer, or at least more aware of one another in a physical sense. Something that isn't readily noticeable in the pre-mentioned story.
EDIT: You know what? Re-reading the whole thing and seeing how much she reacted to parents being mentioned, I bet that IS her dad. ..... This is going to be VERY interesting. And yes, I don't want to potentially spoil anything if my guesses are good and solid, so meh
I guess that listing off every single character one after another wouldn't count as my one guess. Hm... well, it doesn't seem to be Octavia, which was my first thought before they opened the door. Name is related to music in some fashion. Would it be Symphony's father by chance? Until next time,
-Sphinx
7110464 Wish I got more comments like this. Detailed, thoughtful, and asking questions. And questions need answers!!
Next chapter should be out by the end of this month. I've got my mojo back, and need to make up for lost time. Plus, nearing the crux/crisis here, so I want to get to it.
I will leave your guesses alone, as you don't want to spoiled, but I can tell you that this story will fit in with The Background Gifts. There was a clue in this chapter--at the beginning, where it's revealed that Hearth's Warming is coming up and Sea Swirl needs help--but the better clues are in The Background Gifts. Sea Swirl has thought Symphony was attractive from the beginning, but she was shut down so hard that she just buried the thought. However, if you go back and read Vinyl's chapter and note the earrings when Sea Swirl touches them, Symphony's chapter, and Sea Swirl's ending chapter, combined with what Sea Swirl just got from another pair of ponies last chapter, all the pieces are there. The trick is going to be putting them together so it doesn't feel like a mess, but I think I'll pull it off.
7112805 Octavia is currently getting ready to go storm a castle to get Vinyl back, so she's out for sure (this is taking place during Bloodlines). As for your other guess, you'll find out by the end of the month if you're right.
7114284 No no, I want the answers, just didn't want to spoil it for others if I got it right.
I dunno, felt like in the Background gifts Symphony wasn't as attracted as she is starting to become in the last update. Maybe because it was so short. Though I didn't think much of the colors when she touched those special earrings. Have to go back and check. What did she just get? Kind of confused because of vague wording.
what other things from ponies?
Meh, probably will have to wait anyways for the update. :P guess I'll find out when it happens. Unless you do want to share. Flip of the coin for me either way.
Glad you liked the comment, I tend to overthink things and don't leave a lot of comments because they usually look like that when people aren't expecting it.
Come on Symphony! You can get her!
*Hysterical laughter at both mares' embarrassed faces!*
7114400 Sea Swirl ran into Beauty Brass and Fiddlesticks at the end of the last chapter. They gave her Symphony's violin, because Fiddlesticks was still carrying it around after 'My Night' and she was trying to find Symphony to return it, despite what happened.
7114443 Symphony may indeed have a new life goal...if she can manage to see straight after what she just learned.
7115307
I forgot... Can't believe I forgot. My mind kind of just automatically went to 'Symphony has instrument back and is normal' phase. Dunno why. I'll just sit here in the corner, waiting for the update while slowly piecing back my own stories and writing. Don't mind me. 
