a small compitition

Bass sat in a coffee shop with his friends, Octavia and Vinyl.

'' I don't see why you don't join us, Bass. I assure you it will be worth your time.'' Octavia said after sipping her tea. ''You may even get to see sing for royalty.'' she smiled at this.

''Yea! besides who cares if those stuck up royals don't like you? OW!" Vinyl yelped as she was punched in the shoulder. ''Not cool Tavi, not cool.'' She said rubbing her shoulder.

''I'm not going, I can't stand being the laughing stock of Equestria....''He sighed," Why doesn't anypony like to listen to somepony sing bass?'' he questioned sipping his lemonade. ''It's not like my tune bucket doesn't have a bottom.''

''Hey, it sounded cool when you sang for my gig last week.'' Vinyl added. It was true, he felt happy when she asked him to put lyrics to her song. The roar of the crowd made him feel amazing.

''That is true, I enjoyed it very much. let me know if you need me to sing again, okay?'' Vinyl smiled and nodded.

Octavia looked at her friends and smiled. ''Don't you think Bass should at least try to go with us? Even if he doesn't sing, it would be nice for him to travel and see Canterlot.'' There she went again, trying to make him feel like he just had to go.

''I told you I don't want to go...I'm not comfortable being in a big city like Canterlot, plus I don't know what to sing...'' He said, sounding a little scared at the idea of a big city.

''Come on bro. I'm sure you'll love it. Might even find a nice mare or two.'' Vinyl chuckled at her joke.

''Very funny, Mrs. Melody.'' He said as he knew saying she was married to Octavia got on her nerves. Yes, they were together, but she and Octavia decided to just be lovers.

''Buck off Bass....'' Vinyl laughed, trying to hide her anger.

''Bass... you're going, You will be amazing. Now ,get packed ,our train leaves tomorrow morning.'' Octavia smiled as she saw his eyes widen. He's stuck now she thought.

''Ugh...well...if I'm going I better be prepared.'' He said as he got up. ''What time?'' He asked.

''Six o'clock in the morning.'' Octavia said as vinyl groaned. Octavia smiled as she knew he couldn't say ''no'' if she already paid for his ticket.

''See you then.'' He said as he left to go and pack at home.''How does she always take advantage of me like that? She knows I hate when people buy tickets to things for me....'' He sighed. Bass went to his small room in his small apartment. He got out his suit case and packed. A book, two pens, a sketch pad and three blue bow ties is all there was to pack. ''That should do it.'' He said as he sat at his old desk to look through songs.''It has to be just right, this is for royalty.'' He spent the next three hours looking through them.

The next morning Bass was at the train station with Octavia and Vinyl, waiting for the train.

''So,what did you choose to play?'' Bass asked vinyl.

''It's a concoction I made last week ,after the gig.'' She said happily as he asked the same to Octavia

Octavia grinned. ''I chose Behooven's fifth.'' She loved to play that song. to her, it will last over several more years of generations.

''A classic as always.'' Bass said, smiling to his friends.

''What about you?'' They both seemed to say in unison.

''It's a surprise.'' He grinned as the train pulled in. He found a compartment that was empty ,and sat across from Octavia and Vinyl. The entire way there Vinyl was trying to get Bass to tell her what song he was going to sing.

''Come on! Tell me!'' She said with a little agitation in her voice.

''Not going to happen ,Vinyl dear'' He said as he put down his book.

''Hope you two don't mind, but I think a nap is in order.'' Said the grey mare with a yawn. Bass nodded as Vinyl cuddled up to her mare friend. He laid his head on the bench,and drifted off to sleep.

-----------dream land---------

Bass stood on stage in front of the princess'. He had just sung the worst song in his career, and felt like the world around him was laughing. They were, the entire crowd was laughing! His song ,and voice had failed him. He ran out of the Royal Canterlot Concert Hall at full gallop. ''Never again!'' He yelled as he ran.

''Why!? Why did I choose that stupid song?!'' He could hear the voices of princess Celestia ,and Luna saying how bad it was. He felt tears stream down his face as a news paper hit him. He fell down. He got up, and started to cry again as he read the front page. '' Pony bass singer tanks at competition!'' He felt a pain in his leg, and after inspection found it was broken. Ponies started coming from nowhere. Yelling ,and laughing at him.

''look at the has been! He thinks he's good enough to be on our level!'' He heard Octavia say as she kissed vinyl.

--real world--

''AH!'' He shot up like a bullet. His two friends jumped in surprise.

''You ok bud?'' Vinyl said, as she walked over placing a hoof on his shoulder.

''Y-yea...I'm fine...just a bad dream.'' He mumbled.

''You were crying, and you streamed.'' Octavia said standing next to Vinyl.

''I said I'm fine, it's not that bad.'' He was a horrid liar.

''Go on, tell us your horrid dream'' said Vinyl.

Bass sighed ''fine...just, don't get mad at me...'' Octavia and Vinyl sat and listened ,as Bass told them of his dream.

''You two kissed...then I woke up screaming...''He said. Octavia was blushing ,and Vinyl raised an eyebrow.

''Well...you will do great Bass, I know it'' Octavia said breaking the silence. The trained stopped.

''We're here!'' Vinyl shouted in glee.

''Oh buck.'' He said as he saw how big the city was. This was going to be a very new thing for him. Lets hope he can handle the stress, and udder confusion that is yet to come.

''Move it ,or lose it slow poke!'' Vinyl yelled.

''Oh can it scratch, I'm coming.'' He said as he got his things, and fallowed his friends off the train.

Canterlot

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As Bass stepped off the train he felt as though he was very out of his element. Even though he was with his friends, he still couldn't shake his nervous nature of large cities. ''Hey! wait up!'' he said as he fallowed the grey ,and white mares. ''You two walk pretty fast.''

''You have to here, Bass.'' Octavia said bluntly. ''Unless you want to be stuck in a crowd.''

''Don't worry about her, she just has a system for this city.'' Vinyl added.

''I see...where are we going anyway?'' asked Bass, rather confused.

''To the hotel, it is near the concert hall.'' Softly replied Octavia.

''We should find some food for tonight.'' Added Vinyl as she trotted past a bakery with wafting scents aplenty.

Bass seemed to be off in his own world. Octavia learned to put up with this. So she lead him past all of the shops. She has a hard time keeping Vinyl in check though.

''Oh come on Tavi! Can't we go in for just a sec?'' Pleaded a needy Vinyl. Her eyes assumed the ''puppy dog'' look as she begged.

''I hate how easily you do that...fine, but only for afew minutes.'' Octavia barely had finished her sentence when she noticed Vinyl had dragged Bass inside.

''Why are we here?'' Bass was trying to figure out why Vinyl was in an antique instrument shop. Vinyl was rushing around looking at all the old violins and violas. Violas...he hadn't played one in so long. ''Umm...miss? would it be possible to see the red lacquered viola?'' He asked as the mare nodded and took it out for him.

''Do you play?'' She asked sweetly. In fact Bass loved to play, but being on hard times had forced his mother to sell his when he was still living with her. Bass nodded and tightened the strings a little. Then, the world seemed to melt away from him.As he played a smooth and sweet composition he learned years ago. His eyes opened after a short while to see a small crowd of several ponies, and his friends.

''Since when do you play?'' Asked Octavia. She had no idea Bass could do anything with an instrument.

''Well, I learned as a young colt till I mastered it.'' He said kindly, as he turned to the store mare. ''How much are you charging for this viola?'' He said calmly.

''Forty bits, but I'd take thirty five.'' Said the mare behind the counter. Bass nodded and fished out a forty bit note. After paying Bass put it in a case that the mare had said it came in.

''Where did you learn to play?'' Asked Octavia as they walked out and toward there hotel.''You seemed to be so out of it when you played. I think I understand what Vinyl tells me I'm like when I play.''

''Now you get it'' Vinyl smiled. She kissed Octavia sweetly, much to the surprise of the grey mare.

''We have separate beds right?'' Bass asked in a slightly sarcastic tone. Octavia and Vinyl just nodded ,and smirked.

As they walked Bass was thinking of when he first started to learn the viola.

''As for when I learned...well, I was a young colt when my uncle Gordy came to our home. He brought gifts for my mother and I.'' He said smiling at the fond memories of his beloved uncle. ''He always had a smile on his face, and a tune to whistle. Well, where was I? Oh yes! He had given my mother a new hat pin. When he gave me mine, I was hoping for a new toy apple cart. When I opened it , my heart jumped! My mother had always told me that one day she would teach me to play, so long as she could get her hooves on a violin. The rest as they say, is history...well, mom did sell my first viola to help with the rent. some snooty rich mare wanted it.'' he sighed at this. He wished he could track it down, and buy it back. '' My uncle made that viola for me, personally....''

''Your uncle is named 'Gordy'?'' Octavia said a little flabbergasted. ''As in THE Gordy!?'' she had heard of the legendary instrument maker, but never had a chance to get an instrument from him.

''Yes, he meant a lot to me, and was so proud when my cutie mark turned out to be a bass cleft.'' He said as his smile faltered a little.

''FOUND IT!'' Vinyl said ,as she trotted past them and into the hotel lobby.

''I'll tell you more later, ok?'' Bass said after the interruption.

''I'd love that, but why didn't you tell me he was your uncle?'' Octavia said a little confused.

''You never asked.'' He said smiling, and started whistling a tune his uncle had taught him as he held the door for Octavia.

''Hello, welcome to the Canterlot Fellowship Hotel, how may I help you?'' The blue mare asked in a kind tone.

''We have a reservation for four nights. It is under the name 'Octavia Melody'.'' Octavia smiled as the hotel mare's eyes widened with astonishment.

''Oh yes, right away Miss. Melody!'' The mare said as she got things all ready. ''Room 210, two queen beds. Here are your keys.'' She said giving them the keys. ''May I ask for an auto graph? From both you, and Miss. Scratch?''

''I don't see why not. Vinyl dear, do you mind?'' Octavia asked sweetly.

''Yea, sure. Anything for a fan'' Vinyl said as she ,and Octavia signed a page of an autograph book.

''Would you like his?'' Vinyl asked the receptionist.

''Well, who is he? Oh ,I'm sorry, who are you?'' She switched to talking to Bass.

''Bass Cleft, ma'am.'' He said with a smile. No one had ever asked for his autograph before.

''Never heard of you, sorry.'' She said putting the book away.

''It's ok.'' he said calmly as they all walked to there room. Bass seemed down, as he hung his head a little. He was reminded how low on the latter he was.Compared to Octavia ,and Vinyl at least.

Singing Bass

by jona gold

a small compitition

Canterlot