The Show Goes On

By Liquid Rainbows

Two glasses of wine, table 7... Done. Broccoli and artichoke casserole, table 15.... Done. Cannelloni and almonds, table 10... Done. Back to the kitchen. More orders. Don't forget to smile!

To most, the fancy titles of gourmet dishes would seem like mere gibberish on a piece of paper, but this was certainly not the case with Silver Tray. The pale blue stallion swept across the grand room with skillful precision and in an amazingly timely fashion. He served the orders without hesitation, but always made sure to be polite and look happy. Of course, that second part came naturally, since he was, quite genuinely, happy.

Over time, Silver had grown to love his work. It was something of a vocation, what with the silver platter that adorned his flank. Silver had been balancing things on his back ever since he'd learned to walk, and that had proven to be quite an asset. Canterlot, being the high class city that is was, had shown to be ripe with opportunity for the aspiring waiter, and none were better at the job than Silver Tray. At least, that's what nobles told him. Why else would he have so quickly worked his way through the ranks to where he was today? Where he was, of course, was the Grand Galloping Gala. Silver certainly hadn't been expecting it when he got invited to work at the royal palace on the night of the Gala, but there was truly no greater honor he could think of.

And so here he was, rushing back and forth from the tables to the kitchen inside the gloriously embroidered main hall of the palace. Decorative streamers draped gracefully over the walls, grand windows hung open, allowing cool air to blow in from the early night. Silver could see an ocean of stars glistening through the void of space. This place was beautiful; everything he could have ever imagined. The nobility was suitably stuck up, but Silver was used to that, and he knew just how to work around their pretentious exteriors. It just took years of practice!

Silver kept his mind occupied well enough with the sights and sounds. Restaurants were one thing, but this was something else. He had never had to wait on such a large crowd before in his life, and there seemed to be interesting ponies everywhere. Wonderbolts to the left, celebrities to the right, one of the Princesses straight ahead. Were those the elements of harmony? Table after table, tray after tray. A few greetings here and there. And like this, the night wore on.

Unfortunately for Silver, his excitement could only last for so long. He'd seen parties of this type before, on a smaller scale, but this one was only so much more interesting than the others. As a twenty one year old buck, his attention span for this sort of thing wore out a bit quickly. Even being raised in Canterlot, the limits of his appreciation for the finer things could only be stretched so far. When he did start to lose interest, he just made sure to continue his work with the utmost efficiency and skill, never faltering for a moment. Integrity was sort of his virtue. Even so, his mind was growing bored. He had initially been quite thrilled to be here, and in a way, he still was. But after awhile, work became...well, work. Nothing more than a rhythmic pattern, back and forth, of tasks that needed to get done. Still, this was the job of a lifetime, and he had to prove himself capable.

Seconds slowly ticked by, turning into minutes, and then into hours. Silver never stopped working, but just when he thought the rest of the night would drag on like this, he noticed a group of four ponies getting ready on stage at the back of the room. Classical musicians were not uncommon in the wealthier restaurants that Silver had worked in, but this was the Gala, which meant this ensemble must be the best of the best.

That's when he noticed her. Standing towards the front of the stage, up on her hind legs, was a disinterested looking mare holding a cello. She had a gray coat, a dark mane, striking purple eyes, and wore a fancy collar around her neck. She stood in a formal manner, but the hind leg stance nonetheless brought attention to the pleasant curvature of her body. Silver broke his concentration from work for only a split second, taking in the sight of the captivating mare, before quickly returning to work. He couldn’t help but steal glances over at the stage as the band got ready.

Silver was pleased to see that the tide of orders was slowing down some. That would give him more time to pay attention to the ponies up on stage. Especially her. That’s when Silver noticed a palace guard standing nearby. It was the same quiet, annoyed looking guard who had given him a tour of the palace a few days ago. What was his name? Midnight? That sounded right. Silver swept his black mane back and trotted over to him, not having any orders to carry out at the moment. Midnight raised a brow at his approach.

"Hey, Midnight!" Silver exclaimed with a cheery smile, which was not at all reciprocated. "I, ah, kind of had a question."

"Oh really? And what might that be." Midnight replied with a tone of mock interest.

"Well...I...I was wondering if you know who she is." Silver responded, waving a hoof in the direction of the gray mare.

"Oh, her." Midnight said with a smirk. "That would be Octavia. She plays at the Gala pretty much every year. Why do you care?"

"I-er...um," Silver stammered with a blush. "N-no reason."

"Sure," Midnight grinned. "No reason." Silver looked down at his hooves, smiling despite himself. "Anyway, Silver, I'll be going now. I think I see Winter. It was nice knowing you." Midnight said flatly before trotting off towards a group of other guards. Silver didn't bother trying to decode what that meant, and instead brought his attention back to the stage. The other band members had just finished getting into place, and Octavia closed her eyes and flicked her mane to the side, bringing up the bow with her hoof.

In all reality, the music was something in the background, a steady rhythm over the chatter of the crowd, but to Silver, it was something more. He had drowned out all other noise as soon as Octavia brought her bow across the strings, a rich, deep note seeming to emit throughout the huge room. Before long, the other band members had joined in, creating a masterfully rendered playing of Minuet, a song Silver had heard many times before. The music seemed to flow like a river, pouring from the strings of the instrument and through his mind and body. He had heard this classic song time and time again, but never like this.

With time, Silver was able to move again, but in a trance-like state. He fulfilled orders mechanically, never taking his mind off the music. After Minuet came Adagio in G; another captivating piece that haunted Silver to the core. Song after song played, minutes rushing by like seconds. Even as the festivities died down, and some of the guests began to leave, they still played on. Finally, the performance correlated into its finale piece. Canon in D. To Silver, it was the most beautiful piece of classical music ever composed, and he had never heard it played so perfectly in his life. Each note reverberated through his heart and soul, each graceful drawing of the bow. He stood still the entire time, having ears only for the music, and eyes only for Octavia. The music seemed to echo through his head, even after the last note was played. Some of the nobles clapped politely. Silver wanted to jump up and down and cheer.

Octavia opened her eyes, turning to the other band members with an approving smile, before moving to place the cello on its stand. Silver was still busy picking his jaw up from off the floor. The band members placed their instruments away, and began melting into what was left of the crowd. After their performance, many attendants had started to leave, but there were still enough guests to mingle with. Silver really didn't like crowds that much anyways. He returned to the kitchen one last time to check for orders, where he found the head cook, Gourmet.

"Any orders?" Silver asked her, and she smiled at him.

"There's nothing much left, and I've already got the other waiters working on it. Why don't you take the rest of the night off, Silver." Silver grinned, giving her a thank you before turning and trotting out into the main room. He swept his turquoise eyes across the vast hall quickly, spotting Octavia standing nonchalantly beside a table of drinks. Silver started strolling up to her confidently. Come on, I can do this! He began slowing down as he drew closer, biting his lower lip. No, don't get nervous now, you're so close! Silver meekly trotted to where Octavia was standing and poured himself a drink of...whatever is was that was in these bottles. The gray mare was sipping on her own drink, gazing around the room with those amazing eyes. Here's my chance. Just say something!

"H-hey there." Silver said, trying to make his voice falter as little as possible. Octavia glanced over, looking directly at Silver for the first time. He froze instantly, which was at least a step up from shaking.

"Oh, hello." She replied. "Enjoying the party?"

"Y-yeah. It's everything I was expecting." For better or for worse.

"First time at the Gala?"

"Mhmm," Silver responded, before adding quietly. "If working here counts."

"You work here?"

"Yeah, I-I'm a waiter." Silver explained.

"Oh really?" Octavia gave a little chuckle.

"Believe me, I'm the best waiter in Equestria!"

"A humble title, to be sure." She said with a small smile, before sighing and taking another sip of the drink.

"Something wrong?" Silver asked in concern.

"No, it's just...it takes a lot out of you to play on stage like that."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, that was the greatest playing I've ever heard. I really mean that." Silver replied with a grin. Octavia gave him a thankful smile, taking a sip of the drink. Silver tried a little sip, but immediately regretted it. Whatever this stuff was, it was strong. To strong for him, at least.

"So, may I ask your name?" Octavia asked, turning to Silver. Her cheeks were starting to turn a bit red.

"Silver."

"Silver. That's a nice name." She replied, making him blush. "I'm Octavia." The two of them stood together in silence for a moment. Not an awkward silence, but a thoughtful one.

"So, Octavia, how long have you been playing?"

"Oh, since I was a little filly. I came from a musical family, so I've been playing ever since I learned to hold a bow. My sister was always so good with the violin..." She replied, trailing off. Her eyes drifted over the crowd for a moment, before quickly shifting focus back to Silver with a smile. "How about you? Have you been carrying trays your whole life?"

"Yes, actually." Silver grinned. "My parents owned a restaurant here in town, still do, and always said I would make a great waiter one day. I guess they were right."

"Sounds like an exciting life." Octavia said flatly.

"Yeah, nothings more interesting than carting around dishes all day." Silver huffed, making Octavia giggle. The sound made Silver's heart flutter. Octavia took a swig of the drink, shuddering slightly for a moment. Silver was pretty sure that if he drank that much in one swallow, he would be dead in ten seconds flat. Octavia let out a deep breath, her cheeks growing even rosier. She shifted uncomfortably, glancing over at Silver.

"Is it just me, or is it really hot in here?" She asked. She looked right into Silver's eyes before glancing him up and down quickly, and smiled slightly. "Hey, you want to go for a walk?"

His mind was screaming at him to accept and he managed to squeak. "S-sure." Octavia set the drink down and beckoned for him to follow, the two of them trotting out of the palace and into the night...

The night air was pleasantly cool, sweeping through the quiet streets of nighttime Canterlot. After all his years here, Silver still couldn't get over the beauty of the city at night. The empty roads, the shining stars, the soft street lights, and the glowing moon. From the upper rings of the city, one could look off the balconies over the whole of Equestria.

Silver and Octavia walked for a long time, sometimes talking, and sometimes merely enjoying the moment in silence. Silver was merely following Octavia where she went, and eventually they passed a building that Silver found familiar. He stopped for a moment, looking at the restaurant. La Battaglia de Rosario. It was closed for the night.

"Something wrong?" Octavia asked, moving up beside him. He stood for a moment, before looking at her with a smile.

"It's nothing. I just...I used to work there. Feels like a long time ago. I'm only twenty one and already feeling nostalgic. Is that normal?"

"I know what you mean." Octavia replied with a sad smile. The two of them stared at the little restaurant for a moment longer, before turning away and continuing down the road. Silver couldn't explain why this life satisfied him. Most people would hate living a life were you simply served a bunch of snobby nobles, but Silver was content with it. Particularly in finding what small amount of fun could be had. Canterlot scared many young, fun loving ponies way with its prudishness, but inside, there was a sort of magic to the place. Before Silver could think any further, Octavia came to a halt in front of a large, fancy looking apartment building.

"Well," She said, turning to him. "I wasn't really sure where to walk, so...I guess I'm back home again. I suppose the others will have to bring me my cello. Whoops."

"Alright then, Octavia." Silver replied. Octavia turned and began trotting towards the doors of the apartment building, before stopping and facing him.

"You coming?" She asked, her lips curling into a smile.

"Wait, w-what? I-I, uh...I mean..." Silver stammered before Octavia cut him off.

"Just follow me." She said, before turning and trotting inside. Silver obeyed, speechlessly, following Octavia as she led him through the very well kept lobby, up a sizable flight of stairs, and down an embroidered hallway. This was certainly a high class apartment. The two of them reached a door and Octavia pulled the key from her collar, unlocking the door to her apartment room, and the two of them stepped inside. The apartment was mostly one very large, decorative room with a kitchenette, master bed, and a bathroom off to the side. Octavia trotted to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine.

"You want a glass?" She asked, glancing over at Silver, who was still rather dumbfounded by the entire situation.

"N-no thanks." He stuttered. Octavia trotted up beside and took a seat on the bed, gesturing for Silver to sit beside her. The two of them began talking idly, Silver growing less and less nervous over time, which soon led to deep conversation. Octavia talked about her life growing up in Canterlot, and Silver talked about his own, which led to discussion of classical music and the art of being a waiter. It was a long time until Silver noticed a picture frame on a shelf nearby, holding a picture of a younger looking Octavia, and older buck and mare, and another mare, slightly younger than Octavia, who looked quite similar to her sister. Octavia noticed Silver observing the image.

"My family portrait." She said solemnly.

"Your sister?" Silver asked, gesturing to the younger mare. Octavia nodded. "She looks a lot like you."

"Yeah," Octavia replied, bowing her head. "She...she did." Octavia made a choking sound before Silver noticed her shaking.

“Octavia?"

"I'm sorry, it's just..." Octavia looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "My sister...sh-she died three years ago. I-I miss her so much." Octavia began sobbing, and Silver wrapped his hooves around her.

"Don't be sorry, it's gonna be okay." Silver said in a comforting tone. He had never had siblings, but he could imagine how painful it must be to lose one. Octavia looked up into his eyes.

"N-no, it's not! I never spent enough time with her. M-my parents, they had always babied her, and I had been so jealous. A-and then she got sick, and I never had a chance to tell her I was sorry!" Octavia sputtered, weeping. Silver held her tightly with his hooves, gazing firmly into her eyes.

"You can't regret the past like this. I'm sure she would have forgiven you, but you can't think about how things could have gone differently. You should remember the good times you had together, and keep her in your heart. You can't heal if you can't move on." Octavia just looked at him for a long time, her eyes glowing like two pools of liquid amethyst, wiping the tears away and trying to collect herself.

"Th-thank you." Then, completely taking Silver by surprise, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, her cheeks blushing red. Despite his shock, Silver returned the kiss, feeling Octavia's tongue pressing into his mouth. After a few seconds, she broke away, breathing heavily, a strand of saliva connecting their mouths. Silver sat there blinking for a moment.

"Well, that was-" He began, before Octavia leaped on top of him, pressing his back against the bed, and embracing him in a kiss once again. Silver was quickly growing more confident, snogging Octavia and running his forehooves along her back and flank at the same time. He could feel the heat from her body; feel the sweat forming on her chest as he held her close. In a few more minutes, Octavia finally broke away, huffing, and rested her forehead against Silver's own.

"If it's okay, can I ask why?" Silver asked her softly.

"Alcohol, I'm assuming." She said with a chuckle. "And it’s just been...stressful, lately. Plus, I kind of like you." Octavia gave him another peck on the lips. Silver smiled at her, if a bit nervously. Octavia noticed the look on his face. "Just...relax." She whispered, moving down to kiss his neck...chest...stomach…sweet Celestia, was this really happening?

Silver looked down at her, seeing her eyes watching him just before she moved her head down towards his groin. Octavia flicked her tongue out, swirling it around the tip of his shaft as Silver jolted in sudden feeling. She began moving her tongue down, massaging the sensitive head of his member and the rest of his length, all the way to the base. Silver just clenched his teeth as waves of pleasure passed through him. Octavia brought her tongue back up, bathing every inch of his shaft, before reaching the top and taking the head into her mouth. Slowly, she let her head slide down his member, taking the entire length down her throat. Pulling away for a moment, she quickly caught her breath, then began bobbing her head up and down along his shaft. Silver groaned, intense pleasure coursing through his body. The temperature in the room seemed to be rising at an alarming rate. Octavia finally pulled her head away, panting, as she slowly rubbed a forehoof along his length. Her tongue was hanging out, still dripping wet, and sweat beaded her brow.

"How was that?" She asked with that gentle smile of hers.

"Amazing, to say the least." Silver replied, his mind still reeling. Octavia chuckled, slowly crawling her way back up his body. Soon, they were face to face again. Octavia gave him a tender, if sloppy, kiss on the lips. Without a word, she pressed her hips down, grinding against Silver's shaft. Silver was frozen for a moment, a surge of bliss pouring through him. He could feel Octavia's tender marehood growing wet, her softness caressing his length. Octavia smiled, watching Silver squirm. She herself could feel fluttery pleasure rising from her groin. After a few more moments, Octavia lifted herself up, placing the head of Silvers member into her.

Slowly, she let herself fall downwards, moaning loudly as she felt his length reaching deep inside her, and began bouncing up and down along his shaft. Octavia felt like she was in heaven, feeling his rod massage her inner walls tightly, stimulating the nerves she could never reach on her own. Silver got into the rhythm of her bouncing, matching her movements and thrusting up into her each time she came down. Octavia continued to move faster, moaning in delight as she felt Silver ramming deeper than ever. But she could only keep up the pace for so long, and started growing tired.

Silver, noticing this, swiftly sat up, wrapping his arms around her and spinning them both over. Octavia now lay on her back, her florescent purple eyes looking into his longingly. Wasting no more time, Silver began pounding into her. Octavia clenched onto him tighter, her eyes rolling back in their sockets as she became lost in a sea of bliss. Silver moaned, wrapping his arms around her back and holding her close. He could feel his chest against hers, feel her heart beating rapidly. His mind became clouded in euphoria, only able to focus on the gray mare beneath him, and the pleasure that tore through his body. Every movement, every thrust, brought more wonderful feelings. Finally, the two of them could feel a rising sensation, and together, they reached their climax.

Octavia squeezed tightly around his shaft, crying out as she felt an explosion of pleasure from her marehood. She could feel her wetness coating his length, but everything else was lost in the back of her mind. Silver could felt an intense shot of pure ecstasy cascade through his veins, coming to a head as he shot stream after stream of his thick seed into her body. Silver pulled out, shooting his last few strands onto her chest, before collapsing beside her, the two of them huffing in exhaustion. Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes, until finally the two of them could breath normally again, the passion slowly fading away. The temperature seemed to grow normal again. Octavia rolled onto her side, draping a hoof over Silver's chest.

"Is it just me," She asked with a smile. "Or is it really hot in here?"

"It's really hot in here." Silver replied with a chuckle. Octavia snuggled close to him.

"I haven't felt this relaxed in forever." She said to him softly.

"Well, I guess that sex is an effective form of stress relief." He replied, making Octavia giggle.

"Silver, I...d-do you think you'd want to see me again?" Silver looked at her in surprise. "I mean, I'd really like to."

"You're not just saying that because you're drunk, are you?"

"I am most certainly not!" Octavia refuted with mock indignation.

"Well then, I would love to." Silver whispered, leaning down and kissing her on the lips again. The two of them lay there together, Octavia closing her eyes and slowly falling asleep. Silver lay awake awhile longer, closing his eyes and thinking to himself. Is this a dream? I mean, when I wake up tomorrow, will she be here with me? He opened his and looked down at her quiet, peaceful form. Of course she will. Silver assured himself with a smile, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

The End

When wit, and wine, and friends have met
And laughter crowns the festive hour
In vain I struggle to forget
Still does my heart confess thy power

And fondly turn to thee!

But Octavia, do not strive to rob
My heart of all that soothes its pain
The mournful hope that every throb

Will make it break for thee!