As the wild applause continued, Spike felt his entire body swell with pride. His gaze shifted to try and see the entire crowd, which was still next to impossible seeing as the lights were still glaring in his face. He swiveled and hopped off of his bench and walked up to Octavia and Vinyl. The two wrapped the drake in a jumble of hooves and limbs as they hugged him tightly. He smiled looking up at the two until he heard something call from the crowd.
“ANOTHER!!!” Somepony shouted. Spike looked into the audience once more to find more and more ponies egging on for an encore. He blushed and looked at the two mares who simply smiled and gave him approving looks.
“Give em what they want Scale Head,” Vinyl said as loud as she could.
“Indeed. Another would be a good idea. Do you have any ideas?” Octavia asked. Spike thought for a moment before responding. A light went off in his head as he got an idea.
“I've got something in mind. Vinyl, you got any violin tracks?” Spike asked. The D.J thought for a second.
“Maybe. Whys that?” she asked curiously.
“Just follow my lead. Octavia, I need you to play something similar to what we played for that last one. Maybe a lower key,” he said looking to the gray mare next to him.
“I can handle that,” she said nodding. Spike smiled.
“Wait for my signal on your parts. I will point when I want you to come in,” he said hurrying back over to the piano. Vinyl shot Octavia a smirk and went back to her booth.
“ALL RIGHT!!!! YOU DEMANDED IT, SO HERE IT IS!!! SPIKE'S SECOND PARTER!!!” she screamed out. Spike thought for a second and went over to the booth and motioned for the mic. Vinyl smiled and lowered it down to him. He looked into the crowd and cleared his throat before speaking.
“H-hey everypony. Umm I hope you enjoyed that last one. And I really hope you enjoy this one. Umm we didn't get the chance to try it out before hand, so just let us know what you think,” he said rather nervously as he hurried back to his bench. The room soon grew quiet as he got situated at the keys once more. His claws hovering over as he waited for the right moment. He exhaled and let his fingers fall. The sounds that echoed through the lounge were light pressings of the higher range keys. His claws sliding along the higher range to the lower range in a constant rhythm. He let his left claw continue tickling the ivories as his right motioned for Vinyl to start the strings. The Violins were quick notes that seemed to go just as soon as they came, but still left enough of an impression for them to be remembered. Spike continued his rhythm as he signaled Octavia in. Her cello hitting the low register at just the right spot to add the underlying tone they needed. After a few more repetitions of the same rhythm, Spike let his fingers fly. His clawed fingers colliding against the ivory and ebony keys as he commanded the sounds he desired. In his mind, he saw visions of falling snow as he held an umbrella over his and a white mare's head. Smiling at the pleasant memory, he continued to strike the keys with both grace and skill. Making the piano sing loudly.
As he played the audience was left in wide eyed awe as the little dragon made the area feel so warm with melody. Celestia herself was not immune to the pleasant sounds he was making, and forced herself not to shed tears in her enjoyment. Luna, however, hid nothing as she let the tears roll down her face. The piano bring back memories of a dearly departed friend who loved her nights just as much as she loved the winter snow. A faint smile graced Twilight's lips as she felt so proud and so happy for her little brother. Rarity, much like Luna, did not hide the fact that she was crying over the beautiful melodies. Knowing full well, that this melody sounded as if it were made for her straight from the drake's tender heart. She felt a nudge that pulled her out of the melodic trance. Thunderlane looked her over as the song seemed to make it to its climax.
“Hey, you wanna get outta here? This really isn't what I had in mind when we were gonna see this show,” he said rather casually. Rarity looked at him like he had just turned into a hydra. How could he possibly say such a thing about such wonderful music. She prepared to berate him, but realized that what he said was just his opinion. Possibly he didn't care for this kind of music and it just wasn't for him. Rarity straightened herself out and nodded simply.
“I suppose we can leave early,” she said trying not to disturb anypony around them. Twilight turned to look for her friend, just as Rarity and Thunderlane departed the lounge. She hung her head and sighed. Returning her attention to the stage, she heard Spike start to ebb the melody back down, Signaling the end was fast approaching. He smiled looking at the keys as he hit them, his left claw extended and told vinyl to cut out gradually. Then Octavia. The last few notes were made by him and him alone. Playing the soft melody he had from the beginning until he struck the last note. Instead of a roar, there was wild stomping of approval. Spike smiled and hopped down and bowed. He raised his hand and directed the audible appreciation to the musical mares who helped greatly. He smiled and walked off the stage, where he soundly exhaled and started laughing hard. He was overly happy. Not only did his first song a succeed, but the impromptu encore was just as well received. He leaned against the nearest wall and sighed with a large grin on his face.
“That went well,” he said softly. His attention soon shifted as he saw Octavia trot into view. She smiled and at down next to him.
“I'd say that was a success, wouldn't you?” she asked. Spike smiled and simply nodded.
“I feel so drained. How dose Vinyl do this all the time?” he asked. His voice still shaky as he talked. Octavia smiled and laughed lightly.
“You get use to it honestly. It comes with the territory of live performance,” she explained.
“I can see that, but I also feel so jazzed up too. Like I'm having a sugar rush,” he said. A goofy grin still all over his face. He smiled up at Octavia just as a white hoof wrapped around her neck.
“AWWW yeah!!! That was Awesome!!!!” Vinyl shouted. “I told the crowd the regular show would start in a few to give me a chance to recharge. But seriously Scale Head, That was way too cool,” Vinyl said as she let Octavia go. The three shared a big laugh as they road the high of a great performance.
“Well, I'd love to stay Vinyl, but I think I should head home. Twilight is probably waiting for me,” Spike said reluctantly. His statement was met with a sound hoof slap to the back.
“Are you nuts!? You're not goin' anywhere. You have to stay until the end of the night. No if ands or buts about it Scale Head. Besides, a night out would do ya some good,” Vinyl said with a smirk and a wink. Spike looked at the white mare like she was crazy, but then thought about it for a few.
“I guess it couldn't hurt. I mean, all I'd do as soon as I got home would probably clean or something,” he said stroking his chin. He felt a nudge on his shoulder as Octavia walked into view.
“Come on, we can watch Vinyl's set from the audience. Though I'm not entirely fond of Vinyl's usual shows, tonight I think I will make an exception,” the cellist said looking from the drake to the D.J. Vinyl smirked playfully and nodded.
“Alright. You two go get situated. I think I'm ready to tear it up,” she said looking to the stage. Spike and Octavia nodded and descended the stair way to the lounge floor. Looking out over the crowd, trying to find a good spot to sit down. One of the lounge goers looked over to the stage exit and spotted the two.
“HEY!!! IT'S SPIKE!!!!” she shouted pointing a hoof. Spike's initial reaction was to flee and hide behind the nearest object Fluttershy style, but with his new friend in Octavia standing by his side, he stayed put and smiled nervously. Eyes of everypony in the room shot over to the duo and applause rang through the building once more. Words of praise were said over and over as Spike and Octavia tried to find a seat. They soon were halted by one of the guards in the princess' envoy.
“Sir Spike, Lady Octavia, the princesses have requested you join them,” he said looking at the two with a rather modest smile. The two exchanged looks of confusion and then simply nodded. The guard taking them straight to Celestia and Luna. Spike inhaled deeply, trying to maintain an air of nervousness around Celestia. He knew he had to keep the fact that she was his mother, if only in parenting, secret to most if not all ponies in Equestria. He steeled his resolve and looked to Octavia once more, who was maintaining a sense of calm about her as well. He wondered what was going on behind those enchanting eyes of her's. He soundly, and mentally, slapped himself silly for even beginning to form romantic thoughts about her. Reason being he had just met her today, and they hit it off quite well.
“Announcing: Spike Sparkle and Octavia Melody,” the guard said once he had reached the princesses. Spike and Octavia bowed in the presence of their ruling sisters. This act was soundly cut short when a pair of midnight blue hooves shot out and scooped the drake into a warm and loving squeeze.
“That was most wonderful Spike,” Luna proclaimed nuzzling the dragon openly. Spike looked confused, embarrassed, and happy all at the same time. Not an easy feet for anypony, or dragon for that matter. He looked to Celestia, who simply gave him a wink and a warm smile.
“It was nothing your highness. I mean I owe a lot to Octavia. She was the one who got me to preform tonight,” he said gesturing to the gray mare who had remained silent. Her cheeks warmed at Spike's comment and she smiled nervously being put on the spot like that.
“I just gave him the some encouragement. That is all,” she said trying to be as modest as possible.
“No way. She did much more then encourage me. She helped me with the music, gave honest feedback, and helped to find Vinyl to cover the last parts we needed. If anything I say the one who did the most was her,” Spike praised. He smiled while doing so, honest in every word he spoke. The mare in question felt her cheeks set on fire as she tried not to show embarrassment. Celestia, however, noticed how the young mare was acting and smiled slyly to herself.
“I see. So this collaboration is in equal parts, your child,” the solar princess said. Octavia felt her hooves give out under her as her face seemed to now be a raging inferno. She tried to compose her, but the deep crimson blush on her muzzle was obvious for all to see. Except the small drake who was still facing the lunar and solar monarchs. Celestia giggled getting such a wonderful reaction from the mare.
“Y-y-you could say that,” Octavia finally said, most of the words seemed caught in her throat as she tried to speak. This just brought forth more giggles from Celestia.
“SPIKE!” a new voice called out. Spike looked over to see Twilight trotting over to the group.
“Twilight? What are you doin' here?” Spike asked, both surprised and confused to see the lavender unicorn present. “I thought you would still be at home,” he said looking at her.
“And miss out on watching you play? I haven't seen you do that since we went to Apploosa. Trust me, this was way better than then,” she said with a smile. Spike smiled and finally got himself free of Luna's grip. Walking over he started talking to Twilight about music in general. Octavia smiled softly to herself seeing the two happily converse. The lights dimmed once more as Vinyl made her way back onto the stage.
“YOU PONIES READY TO GET STARTED!?!?!?” she screamed at the top of her lungs. The roar of the crowd was so powerful it shook the building to its core. “Then lets spin this mix!!!” she shouted. Spike sat himself down next to Octavia, who gladly welcomed his company. As the show progressed, Princess Celestia found her attention lay more on the two musicians in front of her rather then the DJ on the stage. She watched as the dragon and mare converse about how their friend was doing and what samples she was using. Though it was not very pronounced, Spike had a very happy look on his face while seemingly just being around Octavia. The solar princess noted this and smiled.
~
“That's all for tonight Ponyville!!! Lets give Spike and Tavi one more round of applause for a great show!!!” Vinyl shouted at the end of her final set. The crowd roared and stomped as a spot light descended on the two in the crowd. Octavia giving a pleasant wave while Spike gave a nervous and slightly embarrassed wave.
“That's our show!!! Get home safe!!!” Vinyl shouted as she got of the stage. The stomping and cheers continued till the lights returned to their normal brightness. The royal guards, now positioned by the princesses once more, escorted the royal sisters as well as Octavia, Spike, and Twilight out of the lounge.
“That was indeed a wonderful show. My congratulations to you both, as well as your friend Vinyl,” Luna commented upon leaving the lounge. Celestia nodded her agreement.
“Indeed, who knew such a young dragon could work the keys so well. As well as an earth pony cellist and unicorn DJ,” Celestia added. Octavia and Spike blushed lightly at the comments.
“That was so much fun! We need to do this again another time,” Twilight chimed in. She looked down at the drake, who was finally starting to relax.
“Yeah, I definitely would play with Octavia and Vinyl again. That was a lot of fun,” Spike said looking back to the gray mare. She smiled brightly and nodded in agreement.
“Who knows, we may work again sometime. In fact, I think we should collaborate more. Do you want to meet up again rather soon?” Octavia asked. Spike's eyes widened and his smile brightened.
“That would be awesome!! Twilight, when will I have some free time?” Spike asked. Twilight giggled lightly at the fact that he was asking if her schedule would allow him free time.
“Spike, you just have to let me know when you're going out. If I need you, I will just send a letter to you,” Twilight said said happily. Spike looked at her in disbelieve.
“Seriously? No foolin'?” he asked. Twilight smiled and shook her head no, earning her a huge hug from the baby dragon. “Thanks Twilight! You're the best!” he said looking up at his sister. Twilight simply returned the hug and smiled.
“So I can assume you are free tomorrow afternoon for lunch?” Octavia asked. Spike turned quickly and nodded.
“Count me in!” he said with great excitement. And with that, the two began to separate, until a thought crossed Spike's mind. He ran up and hugged Octavia tightly and whispered. “Thank you for today,” he let her go and ran back to Twilight. Octavia blushed lightly watching them walk away from her. She smiled lightly.
“Thank you for a lovely day as well,” she said softly. She turned back to the lounge, heading for the rear entrance that she knew Vinyl would be leaving from. Sure enough, she watched the white unicorn make her way out.
“Oh yeah, that was too much fun,” Vinyl said as she slide her shades onto her forehead. She looked over to see Octavia waiting.
“I see you enjoyed yourself as well,” Octavia said with a smile. Vinyl flashed her a smirk and approached her.
“Hay yeah. You two really know how to rock out,” she said walking past. Octavia rolled her eyes and walked along side her.
“I wouldn't say that we 'rocked' but I do admit that we made rather pleasant music with him,” Octavia said, now keeping pace with Vinyl.
“Well whatever you call it, we have got to do it more often. The kids got some range on him with singing and playing. I bet he could sell a couple records easy,” Vinyl said looking to the sky. The smile on her face was so bright it threatened to turn the night into day. Octavia smiled at her roommate and let a few giggles go.
“You think so highly of him. You must really like him,” she teased playfully.
“Well what's not to like?” Vinyl asked bluntly. Octavia literally stopped in her tracks. Vinyl, who was oblivious to this fact, kept walking and talking. “Yeah, the dude is a total sweetheart. He's nice, fun, good sense of humor, and from what I've seen a good hard worker and dedicated. Plus that creativity of his for commin' up with that second song on the fly. I swear that kid is a massive catch. That mare who broke his heart was a total idiot to let him get away,” Vinyl said looking forward. She noticed the missing audio of Octavia walking next to her and stopped. Looking back, she saw Octavia looking at Vinyl curiously. A long pause ensued as they simply stared at each other. Octavia's face slightly hard to read for Vinyl, who just looked confused.
“You really think that?” Octavia asked finally breaking the silence.
“Well yeah, I mean if he was of age, I'd totally date him,” Vinyl said cocking an eyebrow after speaking. Octavia continued to look perplexed by Vinyl's statement. “Umm Tavi? You ok?” Vinyl asked.
“Umm yes... I was just lost in thought,” she said looking away for a quick moment. She collected herself and trotted up to Vinyl and passed her. “It's just been a long day, let's get home,” she said making sure there was a good distance between the two. Vinyl watched Octavia curiously and followed after her. The D.J let her mind roam as they walked.
'Honestly, I'd be happy with both of em. The more the merrier' Vinyl thought to herself with a slight grin as her mind went to more inappropriate thoughts. The musical mares made it home soon and decided to call it a night. Vinyl headed off to her room and dropped almost immediately, which was pretty impressive for not touching a drop of alcohol that evening. Octavia on the other hoof simply sat in her room thinking.
”If he was of age, I'd totally date him,” Vinyl's words echoed in her mind. 'Yes that is true, he is but a baby dragon,' she thought. Climbing into her bed she pulled the blankets over her head. A light blush crept onto her muzzle as she began to drift to sleep. 'Even still, he would make a lovely drakefriend,' she mused as she fell into much needed rest.
~
Morning found it's way to Ponyville as easily as it normally did. Celestia's brilliant sunlight lay a golden glow over the small town, signaling the time for most, save the Apple Family, that it was time to get up. Through drawn curtains in the upper room of the Golden Oaks library, light filtered in and descended upon the sleeping dragon within. His eyelids scrunched shut as he felt the light seeping through them. Rolling over and pulling his blanket over his head, he groaned loudly trying to avoid the light.
“Come on mom, it's too early to wake up,” he grumbled under his breath. Reluctant to find any spot that would appease his need for more darkness to escape the solar rays, he finally sat up in his bed and rubbed his tired eyes. Giving his back and arms a good stretch, he climbed out of his bassinet and made his way to the door. He looked to his right to see his suit hanging from a hanger on a peg near Twilight's dresser. He smiled thinking back to the most exciting night of his young life. Playing on stage with Vinyl and Octavia was by far the best thing that could have happened. Opening the door and climbing down the stairs, he made his way to the kitchen. Twilight, who he assumed was still sleeping, was indeed up and from the look of it cooking. Spike peered over her shoulder as he entered the kitchen. The sound of his claws alerted the unicorn to his presence. Turning with a large grin on her face she addressed him.
“Good morning Super Star,” she said playfully. Spike smiled lightly, sleep still hung in his eyes as he tried rubbing it out once more.
“Mornin' Twi. What are you doin' up so early?” he asked curiously trying to look over her shoulder.
“Well, considering that you did something absolutely amazing yesterday, I went over to the Cakes this morning and asked them to make something just for you,” she said looking quite proud. Spike cocked an eyebrow.
“Ok, I'll bite, what Is it?” he asked feeling a tad bit skeptical. Smiling from ear to ear, Twilight stepped aside to reveal a cake. But not just any cake. It was a 3 layers high, covered in vanilla frosting with a chocolate drizzle through out. Adorning it from all sides in perfect symmetry, were gems, but not just any gems. These were all perfectly cut emeralds and amethysts. And on the top, as if it wasn't already mouth watering to the drake, was a sapphire center piece. Spike eyed the cake like a hungry demon ready to pounce. His mouth hung open as drool seeped from it. He was truly at a lose for words. He raised a claw and pressed it to his chest. His other claw extended towards the cake and he simply said one word as a single tear escaped from his eye. “Magnificent,” he said softly. He walked up to Twilight slowly and pressed his head into her chest. She was caught off guard for just a moment, but then her wrapped his arms around her. Muttering “thank you” over and over again. She smiled and wrapped her hooves around him and held him tightly.
“You earned it Spike, but I do have to confess, I used some of your gems,” Twilight said with a sheepish grin. Spike let her go immediately and ran to where he kept his gems in the closet in the kitchen. Sure enough, all of his amethyst and emerald gems as well as a sapphire were gone. Looking back at the cake, where the missing gems lay for all to see, he sighed and smiled.
“Honestly, that cake is just what those gems were for,” he said chuckling. Twilight breathed a sigh of relieve as she returned his smile. Spike reached into the closet and grabbed his favorite broom, pulling it out and heading to the main room of the library. Twilight, looking slightly befuddled at his actions couldn't help but ask.
“What are you doing?” she asked looking him strangely. Spike turned and smiled.
“That cake is gonna be for tonight. Right now, I have to get my chores done before I can go meet up with Octavia,” he said waving at her. He started sweeping and went about his usual routine. First there was sweeping the floor, the primary sweep as he so deemed it. Then came managing the returns while Twilight checked the records of what book was out and which was freshly brought back. Spike used his sliding ladder to place books back into their proper slots and organized the shelf while he was at it. Next came dusting. Once again utilizing his ladder, he made his way around the library dusting off every last shelf. He wore a medical mask to prevent dust from getting into his mouth, though he would cough a few times depending on the section. Case in point, the complete history of everything collection, as he liked to call it, was always ALWAYS covered in dust. After dusting was done, it was time for the secondary sweep, if only to make sure he got all the dust off of the floor that had been knocked off the shelves. Finally came spraying down the windows, and flipping the “Closed” sign to “Open”. With that, the library was officially open. Spike admired his handy work and nodded to himself. Climbing back up the stairs, he went to the bathroom and decided to take care of his hygiene. After about a hour or so, the drake came out with shimmering scales and minty fresh breath. He went back down to see Twilight at her desk once more. She peered over at him and smiled.
“Oooooo someone's lookin' good. Got a hot date there stud?” she teased playfully. Spike's face turned red and his eyebrows lowered.
“Nooo! I'm just going to have lunch with Octavia is all. It's not a date,” he defended rather quickly.
“Well, are you going somewhere?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah,” Spike answered.
“Is it just gonna be the two of you?”
“Yeah,”
“Are you gonna do something?”
“Yeah,”
“Are you gonna make sure she gets home safe?”
“Yeah! So what!?” Spike asked now very irritated. Twilight smiled wickedly
“Then guess what? You're going on a date!!!” she shouted and ran up the stairs. The dragon was in hot pursuit as he ran after her.
“It's not like that!!” he shouted. Twilight continued laughing as she got behind her bedroom door and closed it with her magic. Spike struggled to get the door open, but it wouldn't budge. “Its not a d-d-d-d....”spike trailed off. His anger petered out as his eyes widened. “Oh my Celestia....I'M GOING ON A DATE!!!!!” he screamed. He slammed his back against the door and started to panic. “I've never been on a date! The most I’ve ever done with somepony else is go gem digging with Rarity!!! What do I do?! Do I bring her flowers!? Do I give her chocolates!!” he screamed in his panic. The door opened behind him and he fell into a pair of waiting hooves. Twilight laughed lightly as she clutched her brother tightly.
“Calm down Spike, I was only teasing. And as far as this date goes, just be yourself. I'm pretty sure this is just a social get together. Nothing more,” Twilight reassured. Spike looked up at her with confusion and panic still all over his face.
“You sure?” he asked meekly. Twilight nodded knowingly and gave him another quick squeeze.
“Now get out there. It's almost noon now,” she said pushing him a little. Spike smiled and headed out immediately. He had very little trouble getting to where he needed to be. Most of the ponies who had seen him preform the night before, stopped him on the streets to shake his claw and congratulate him on a great performance. He would blush and smile, and thank them for their praise as he made it to Octavia and Vinyl's place. Approaching the door he inhaled deeply and went for the door, only to be blasted back into the street by the force of sheer bass booming from the doorway. The house seemed to pulse as the bass continued to pound the air and assail any passerby's ear drums. Spike clamped his claws over his ear holes and tried desperately to get back to the door. Inching his way as his talons gripped the ground. Once again back at the door, he reached for it. As soon as the door opened a little, it flung open from the raw output of bass and flapped helplessly against the house. Spike crawled in, fighting the bass as hard as he could. He looked to the side of the inside doorway, where a pair of headphones hung with a sign over head that said “In case of Cleaning dishes use these”. He grabbed the headphones and shoved them over his head. Instantly the sound was canceled out. He still felt it, but there was nothing but silence now. He looked around, and saw Octavia sitting on the couch with a pair of headphones on as well, nonchalantly reading a magazine as if nothing was happening. Forcing himself to stand, Spike walked his way over to the cellist and waved to get her attention. Her eye caught sight of the purple claw and looked up. Smiling she motioned for Spike to press a button on the side of his headphones. He felt for a few seconds before finding what she must have made reference to. A quick ring shot through the audio device and a small red light turned on.
“Hello Spike, I didn't expect you to come by so soon,” Octavia greeted. Spike smiled lightly before looking around the house.
“What's going on here? I got to your door and all of a sudden I got smacked with the loudest bass on the planet. And how come I can't hear it with these headphones on? And for that matter, how can I hear you?” Spike asked. Octavia sighed and closed her magazine.
“In order; Vinyl is doing the dishes. She cleans them with 'wubs' as she calls her bass rifts. She claims that with the bass cranked to 11 she can clean the dishes on a microscopic level. These headphones have absolute noise cancel in them to allow me and any guests not to go deaf since Vinyl is use to such loud bass already. And there is a small microphone that filters out bass and catches only speech sense Vinyl just uses bass,” Octavia explained. Spike nodded, not fully understanding, but getting the general gist of what she meant.
“So, where did you want to go for lunch?” he asked. Octavia looked in the kitchen and then back at Spike.
“I was going to suggest we eat here, but considering the 'wub' factor, I suggest we go to the cafe,” she said with a smile. Spike nodded his agreement.
“Should we tell her that we are going?” Spike asked looking towards the kitchen where Vinyl was.
“She will join us later. I'll leave her a note letting her know where to find us,” Octavia said. She grabbed a pencil and rather quickly wrote out a note. With that done, the two left the home, after returning the headphones to their resting place. As the two walked towards the local cafe, Octavia found herself lost in thought. She kept sneaking glances at the drake next to her, who seemed slightly nervous about something or other. She decided not to bring it up, but rather strike up a conversation.
“So Spike, tell me a little about yourself,” she said out of the blue. Spike shook himself free of his own trance and looked up at her.
“Well, what do you wanna know?” he asked. She thought for a moment before answering.
“How long have you been playing the piano?” she asked finally thinking of something. Spike thought for a few moments.
“Huh, I started playing while we were in Canterlot, and that was 10 years after I hatched. I'm 17 now so... I wanna say 7 years of and on. I was 16 when we moved to Ponyville,” he said scratching his head trying to remember. Octavia looked down at him kinda funny.
“Wait, you're 17 years old?” she asked. Spike nodded.
“Yeah. For a dragon that's still considered a child, but in Pony years I'm pretty much an adult,” he said looking up at her. This information was must interesting to say the least for the earth pony mare. She remembered what the age of consent was for Equestrians, which was 16.
'He's legal' she thought to herself. Spike looked up at her. She looked back at him and stopped for a second as if lost in thought. Spike cocked an eyebrow and then snapped his claws in front of her to try and get her out of it.
“Umm Octavia? Ponyville to Octavia, can you hear me?” he asked. After the third snap, she shook herself out of it.
“Yes, sorry about that Spike. I was just thinking is all,” she said continuing to trot. Spike watched her walk, shrugged, and then followed after her. The two started talking about Canterlot and music for the most part. Spike favoring jazz melodies as well as some more classical music choices. Octavia smiled and returned the notion that classical music was an excellent form of he arts.
“Though I gotta say, dub trot is actually really cool too. I mean how they utilize different samples and sounds to make music,” Spike commented. Octavia sighed.
“As interesting as it is, however, I can't fully support the genre. It clashes too much for my liking,” the cellist admitted. Spike thought for a moment.
“Dub trot that you could like...” he trailed off. He had a certain look about his face in that one moment. Octavia recognized it immediately. It was that same look when he came up with the encore the previous night.
“Spike, what's going on inside that head of yours?” she asked curiously. Spike looked up at her.
“Just tryin' to figure out how something would sound,” he said still enthralled at the new sounds that echoed in his mind. Octavia smiled lightly.
'This will be interesting,' she commented watching his brainstorm in full swing. “Spike, I hate to pull you out of your thoughts, but we are at the cafe,” she said. The drake blinked a couple of times before looking up to see that she was correct. The two ventured in, and were instantly greeted by more ponies who had attended the show the previous night. Spike smiled nervously and looked to Octavia for some kind of help. Spike observed as she put on a professional air about herself and proceeded to thank everypony for their praise. Spike, not knowing what wizardry gave her such airs, simply followed after her as she sat at a corner table.
“How did you do that?” Spike asked, almost desperate for her teaching.
“It's rather simple. These ponies only want to show you how much they enjoyed your music. And once they have, they will go about their day as if nothing happened. You will just be a happy memory that they got to see you. All you can do, is thank them for their support,” Octavia said very zen like. Spike soaked in the quick lesson and nodded like a fool. This warranted a series of giggles from the gray mare, which forced the dragon's scales to redden. One of the servers arrived soon after Octavia's giggle fit ended. She ordered a light salad with a water lily garnish, while Spike simply ordered extra crispy hay fries.
“So what had you so deep in thought on the way over here?” Octavia asked. She placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hooves. Surprisingly eager to hear his answer. Spike looked at her and then at the table.
“Well, you had said that you didn't like the way dub trot is played. So I just started thinking of ways to make it more appealing to someone of your tastes. Like maybe on a bass loop, having piano playing with a voice track. I mean it doesn't have to be all bass all the time to be dub trot right?” he asked. Octavia looked at him more interested then before.
“I see. And how would that make someone of my taste be more interested?” she asked. Spike picked up his fork and played with it a little as he explained.
“Well from what I know of it, dub trot just uses samples from other music to create intense noise that sometimes can be slightly hard to read. There seems to be no real rhyme or reason to it, but there is always a steady beat that is a constant. My thought is to try and not do anything fancy, but to maintain that beat, while adding more natural sounding music like from instruments instead of samples. Cause you have to admit, live music is much better than a record,” he answered. Octavia was more or less impressed by his answer. She found that she had a small smile on her face, and didn't really want to try and hide it.
“I see. Then that would be a dub trot I would listen to,” she said looking at the dragon. Spike felt his cheeks warm again and looked away. Those eyes of her's were so captivating he felt he might get lost in them, but then again, that might not be a bad thing. Just as their food arrived, the door to the cafe door opened. It registered with Spike, but didn't pay it much mind. It was the voice that came after is what got his attention. It was a certain laugh that he knew all to well. The dragon whipped his head towards the door. Octavia, thoroughly shocked by the action looked in the same direction. She saw a dark gray to black Pegasus walk in holding the door open for an alabaster white unicorn with royal purple mane. She had a certain elegance as she trotted in. That was also when Octavia noticed her cutie mark. 3 diamonds in a triangle pattern adorned her pure white flank.
“Spike, is that?” she asked. The dragon's face already told her everything she needed to know.
“Yeah, that's Rarity. And her coltfriend Thunderlane,” he said as low as he could. His eyes remained fixated on the two for a moment, but he forced his gaze to break and looked back at Octavia, who was watching him with saddened eyes. Spike immediately know what she was thinking. She was thinking that he was not over her, that he wishes it was him escorting her around and being there for her. And she was right. Spike couldn't let it go, not yet anyway. Spike sighed and looked to his plate.
“It's been a few months since I found out she was with Thunder. Guess I'm still a little broken up about it,” he said with a small grin.
“She was very important to you wasn't she?” Octavia asked gently. She placed a hoof on his claw, drawing his eyes to her own. His smile seemed genuine now.
“Yeah, but, I think I can move past it. I mean, she is friends with Twilight. Gonna see her eventually,” he said looking at Octavia. The two exchanged small smiles and went back to their meals. Rarity, who had been looking for a place to be seated, spotted an empty table near the back corner.
“There seems to be an empty table just over there,” she said extending a hoof towards the table. Thunderlane looked in that direction and smiled.
“Alright then, let's sit down then,” as they trotted over, Thunderlane got a good look at the inhabitants of the table just behind them in the corner. “Hey, isn't that the dragon who played last night?” he asked. Rarity's eyes nearly bugged out. She checked and saw the unmistakeable green spikes on the head of the baby dragon. She was not ready for this. Her eyes started to shift left and right trying to find another seat. As the two approached, Octavia noticed them. Her gaze hardened on the white mare in front of her as if she could kill her just by staring.
“Spike, they are coming towards us,” Octavia warned lightly. Spike coughed on his fries and didn't lift his head. He looked up at Octavia, who was darting her gaze back and forth between Spike and Rarity. He thought for a moment.
“Well, no time like the present,” he said exhaling noticeably. Octavia cocked her eyebrow wondering just what he meant by that. He breathed one last breath to calm his nerves and then turned in his chair. His eyes caught Rarity's and held her gaze for a few moments. The fashion mare looked even more nervous now, turning her head away to avoid his gaze. Her back hooves lifting off the ground as if to step back. “Rarity! Thunderlane! Come on over!” he called out. Rarity felt her face lift and look right at the dragon, who was smiling and waving them over. This action, his expression, everything about this situation felt wrong to her. Before she could do or think of, she saw Thunderlane move towards the table.
“Hey Thunderlane, haven't really seen you much since a couple months ago,” Spike said with a grin. “How's it going?” he asked. Octavia had her mouth agape as she watched Spike strike up a conversation with the stallion who took his mare.
“Things are good. Still on the weather team, help Rarity out at her shop from time to time modeling suits, ya know?” he said rather relaxed. Spike nodded and smiled.
“Heh, have you guys gone gem hunting yet?” he asked looking up at the Pegasus. Thunder simply shook his head no and raised his hoof.
“No claws to dig with, so I think that's your department,” he said adding a slight chuckle. Spike laughed at the statement.
“Yeah, I guess so. Oh yeah, I almost forgot,” Spike said looking over to Octavia. “This is Octavia. She's a good friend of mine who plays the cello,” he said introducing the musician. Octavia, who had fixed her face to not look so stunned, smiled softly and gave a slight nod.
“Nice to meet you,” she said looking at the stallion.
“Thunderlane, nice to meet you too,” he said offering her a hoof to shake. The two shook and Thunderlane looked back at the still slightly frozen Rarity. “Hey Rare, come say hi,” he said pulling her out of her trance. Rarity shook her head and then flicked her mane back into position.
“Spike. It's been far too long,” she said looking at the drake. She had a guilty look in her eye as if she had done something wrong. She expected him to lash out, she thought the dragon would berate her for breaking his heart, but still it didn't come. What she got was a pleasant smile and friendly attitude.
“I know. It's been way too long. How's the boutique?” he asked. Rarity, still trying to make sense of this, smiled and answered him.
“Things are just fine Spike. Business has picked up quite a bit. More and more stallions are requesting suits, so that has been an interesting task,” she said looking at the dragon. Spike smiled and looked at her and then Thunderlane.
“Well, it looks like you got a decent enough model to show off what you can do,” he said. As he continued to talk with Rarity about how her business was going, Octavia noticed something rather subtle. Spike was still clutching a piece of silverware. His claw trembling as he held it. She looked at the face he was making, a forced grin and social mood. He was forcing himself to complement her, to make it seem like everything was ok. His mind had made up it's mind, but his heart was still wounded no matter how brave a face he made.
“So, do you always play such boring music?” Thunderlane asked. Spike looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a rather confused look.
“What's that now?” he asked. Thunderlane shrugged.
“You played at the Ponyville lounge last night. The first song was ok I guess, but that second one was way too slow paced for what I expected to see,” Thunderlane said looking at the drake. Spike's expression shifted almost dramaticly. He felt the muscles under his scales start to tighten as his grip increased on the spoon he held. He got his facial expression under control quickly, trying his best to not punch the stallion in his face. However, what Thunderlane said next nearly cost him a limb or too. “Honestly, it was way too boring and just sounded like old people music,” he said. A loud crash shot through the building, drawing the attention of everypony to the corner table. A plate was shattered and a spoon was imbedded into the table. Octavia stared wide eyed at the pieces of glass plate now embedded in Spike's scales. His fist still clutching the spoon tightly as if impaling it on the table wasn't good enough. Though this display of anger was very blunt, Spike maintained a smiling face before he spoke.
“So you were at the show last night?” he asked. Thunderlane nodded before answering.
“Yeah, we cut out in the middle of your encore,” he confirmed. Spike's gaze shifted to Rarity.
“Oh, so you both were there. And you didn't like my playing much so you left?” he asked. His eyes fixated on Rarity, who felt like his gaze was exerting a massive pressure.
“It is true that we left in the middle, but-” she started.
“Ok, I got ya. Sorry you didn't like the music all that much. To be fair, you missed an awesome set by DJ Pon-3,” Spike said looking back to Thunderlane.
“Yeah, l figured as much,” Thunder said with a sigh. Octavia, who had remained silent, attempted to place a hoof on Spike's claw. Wanting to calm the dragon down.
“Spike, I think I'm just about done. So shall we pay and-” she started only to have Spike speak up again.
“Well, I am sorry my boring music wasn't to your liking Thunderlane. I'm sure you and Rarity feel the same. Just a boring piece from a boring little dragon, right?” he asked. His gaze shifted back to Rarity, who at this point just kept her down. Not bothering trying to defend the fact that she absolutely adored his playing last night. A thick silence hung over the four. Octavia dared not to speak as she watched Spike's claw tremble violently. She opened her mouth to speak again, but another crash shot through the room. This time from the door. Running at full blast came Vinyl. Her eyes scanning the room for any sign of the two she needed.
“Spike!! Tavi!! Where are you guys?!?” she shouted. A nearby pony simply pointed to the back corner. Vinyl looked in that direction and sprinted over. “Guys!! We gotta go now!!” she shouted. Her lite her horn up and picked Spike up and put him on her back.
“What's the rush?” Spike asked looking at Vinyl.
“Explain later! We got a train to catch now!” she shouted. “Move your flank Tavi!!” she shouted hauling out the cafe. Octavia followed after, but stopped just as she reached Thunderlane. She raised her hoof and brought it across his muzzle in one swift stroke. His face recoiled from the sudden impact, catching himself and Rarity off guard.
“To call the music a musician makes boring to their face, is a grave insult,” Octavia said in a low growl. She shot a look at Rarity, who flinched. Octavia simply shook her head and ran after Vinyl and Spike. Thunderlane rubbed his muzzle and watched Octavia run out.
“Geez, what a bitch,” he said rubbing where she made contact. Rarity remained quite.
“I think I lost my appetite. Can we just go home...please?” she asked softly. Thunderlane looked down at her.
“What's wrong with you?” he asked her slightly irritated at the constant sting on his face. Rarity simply lowered her head.
“You wouldn't understand,” she said simply. She slowly began to trot to the door, with Thunder right behind her.