//------------------------------// // Chapter Two- // Story: Reaper With An Angel // by MLPxMaestro //------------------------------// Reaper With An Angel: Chapter 2- That little hoof of Octy’s hit the doorbell, as she stretched as far as she possibly could from her mother’s back to reach it. “Good job little angel.” Melody nuzzled her. “I’m gwowing up mommy!” “You certainly are my little one, it may not be too long before you become a big girl!” she smiled towards her. “I’m gonna be a big girl, and be just wike you!” Octavia smiled back with her pointing that little hoof back at her mother’s face. Melody crossing her eyes slightly, as Octy’s hoof touched the tip of her mother’s muzzle. Soon after, the doors locks could be heard being unlocked one by one in a fairly quick fashion. The door soon then opened to the sight of Octavia’s favorite grandmother. “Gwanny!” Octavia jumped off of her mother, running straight into her grandmother’s embrace. “Well if it isn’t my favorite granddaughter, and you have gotten so big, just look at you!” Octave picked her up kissing her forehead. Overall, Octavia’s family wasn’t the most formal and refined family in Canterlot. When they were around each other for example, they knew they had that freedom to just be themselves for once in a while. Octavia’s family was still professional at being refined if they ever needed to be. They simply lay off of that stuff when they were around Octavia at her age, letting her be the ball of energy and curiosity she was. “I’m about to make some cookies in a little bit, but how about you go off and find pawpaw?” Octave set Octavia down to the wooden living room floor, and nudged her in the direction of the stairs down to his workshop in the basement. “Okay gwanny, I be back okay?” Octavia said just before she made her way down to meet grandpa, or “pawpaw” as she called him. “Okay deary!” she chuckled, but soon then shaped up immediately. Knowing her and her daughter had some privacy about her condition, she asked away. “So how are you feeling dear? You haven’t been feeling sick or anything have you? Have you ran a fever lately?” Octave asked concerned for her daughter. “Actually I’ve been feeling fine mother…it’s just that…” “Yes?” “I’m beginning to feel a bit scared now.” “Oh come now child, you have a wonderful and supportive family that will love you to the ends of the earth. You are my one and only daughter, my little melody.” She lightly hugged Melody. “Aw, thanks mother.” “Of course…now how much longer did the doctors say you had just a couple of days ago?” Octave asked that question, but she got no response from Melody. “Dear?” “Um…well…” “It’s okay darling…I’m here.” She lightly held her close. Octave still treated her daughter like she was the same little girl she used to be. “I…I have…” “Dear, your husband will be here anyways, so chances are he-” “T-two w-weeks…” Melody’s tone of voice changed. The seconds passing, she then began hearing sniffles coming from her daughter. “I…I don’t have much longer mother.” Melody began to cry. “Shhh…you remember that song I would sing to you every night before you went to bed when you were just a little thing?” “Yes mother, The Notes of Thy Heart.” Melody replied, now trying to clear herself up, and be strong like her mother wants her to be. “Exactly…you tell yourself those lyrics, and you will know that every second you have at this moment is a gift, and not for granted. Be happy for what you have left with your family dear, and that I will love you for all of eternity and eternity’s end.” Stated Octave. “Thank you mother, that means a lot.” “That’s my girl, you need to be strong for your daughter dear. Do not look like this in front of Octavia or it will upset her too. She loves you as much as you have loved her, that’s all she wants…your love.” “I know mother, that’s what I have been doing with her ever since she turned one honestly.” Melody answered with a slight chuckle under her breath. “But what if she asks why I am crying, if I am caught in front of her doing this? I may be strong mother, but I am certainly not-” she added, but with her mother interrupting her before she could finish. “You are not invincible, I know…nopony is in their life, nor shall they ever be for as long as they continue to exist. If Octavia catches you crying in front of her, just tell her it is for a good reason, and that it is for the better for it to happen.” Octave replied. “She is smart for her age, but she is smarter than she is portrayed as. She knows what crying means, and it bothers her to see her mommy she loves so much, appearing to be hurt. No matter what the circumstances may be, she is smarter than you think mother, you should know that yourself.” Said Melody. “Oh I most certainly do dear, she has shown me how smart she is when she has been over here to visit me before. She helped me one time even make some of my signature recipes better than they were just from her being curious. She has a passion dear, and it will be a good one, we just need to be patient.” After their conversation stayed silent for a few brief moments, they heard tiny hoofsteps making their way back up to the top of the basement stairs quickly. Octave and Melody perked up their ears when they heard Octavia yell back down to her grandpa at the bottom of the steps. “Come on pawpaw, wets go!” “I’m coming you little rascal, just give these old bones a bit of time okay? I’m not what I used to be youngling.” Octave’s husband, Quaver, had a bad case of arthritis due to the fact that he had been playing the Cello all of his life. So he had been slow due to that fact, though he didn’t like to show it very much in front of loved ones. Instead he tried to act like he was the same man he was thirty and forty years ago, but failed often in the process. So overall, he just acts slow in front of them now. “My-my…she loves her pawpaw doesn’t she…” Melody smiled a bit. “Oh good heavens yes, she wants him to do everything with her. Bless his heart though; he just isn’t the stallion he used to be back in the day. Oh how I miss those tunes that were played from him. He was the finest Cello player in Canterlot back in his prime.” Said Octave. “Oh I remember those days too when I was a little girl, he would play his Cello on rainy nights in front of the fireplace. Sipping his favorite tea as I sat there in front of him in awe of just how good my father really was. But rather my passion was more of my voice, rather than by instrument. But when I was little, how I wished I were as good as my father. I dreamed I played just like he would have in front of a sold out crowd in the Canterlot Concert Hall.” Melody stated with a smile, as she closed her eyes for a moment, just thinking about all the good times she had with her father. “Oh your father actually played his Cello just recently for the first time in over fifteen years dear. Though his poor hooves just bother him with his arthritis, he can hardly play it as good as he wishes he still did when he was young.” Octave replied with a warm smile. Thinking back to the once handsome, charming, and skillful husband he used to be. Octavia was then seen running around the kitchen corner, straight to granny Octave. “Gwanny, gwanny! Pawpaw’s gonna hewp us make cookies!” she said happily, running right into Octave’s legs in a hugging fashion. “Dag namit, I said no such thing you little whipper-snapper.” “Aw come on daddy, how about it this time?” Melody spoke up. “Well I certainly would like to, but I’m just not feelin it today sweetheart.” He replied to his daughter straight faced. “Father, you need to lighten up a bit, it’s Hearth’s Warming Eve tomorrow after all. There’s even going to be a play that day too. It’s supposed to be on the founding of Equestria, I hear it’s going to be good.” “Ooh, does that sound like fun my little dumpling? Said Octave, as she poked the side of Octavia’s small belly, causing her little body to squirm slightly in an adorable fashion. “Tee-hee…yes.” She began with a giggle and a big grin. “Now then…who’s going to help me make these cookies, hm?” Wondered Octave playfully towards her favorite one and only granddaughter. “I wanna hewp gwanny! Pwease?!” Octavia begged. “Well…I don’t know…would you like to lick the spoon when we’re done?” “Yes pwease!” the gray filly smiled big with pleasure. “Okay then, you two do that, and me and father will go out on a little stroll.” “Stroll? Now just what in Celestia’s name are we strolling out in cold weather like- ow!” Quaver was jabbed in his side with Melody’s hoof, since it had to deal with things Octavia shouldn’t be hearing about. “Oh right, of course…a stroll…let’s boogie then sweetie, you lead on.” “Thanks dad.” Melody kissed his cheek. “Eh, this old coot tries.” He replied, following a cough thereafter. “Dad, you’re not that old now.” “I’m old enough to be friends with Starswirl the bearded.” He replied once more with a sarcastic smile. Quaver and Melody then head out to the front porch to take a walk around the block a few times. As for little Octavia herself, she was jamming out with the cookie dough. Tickling, teasing, and laughs were shared, as her granny wanted this batch of cookies to be the best batch she had ever made, and for good reasons. “Gwanny…can I wick the spoon?” “What’s the magic word?” “Pweeeease!?!” “Good job for using your manners, so proud of you!” Octave smiled warmly.