//------------------------------//
// A Special Message 
// Story: Down Beat 
// by LightOfTriumph 
//------------------------------//

Is this thing on? Testing...

Okay, I think we're recording.

Hey, it's me. It's, well, you know who I am.

I'm making this to give you a little advice. If you need help and I'm not around, just come back to this tape to learn a little advice. I can give you two pieces of information. These will be good enough for any situation. You'll be fine if you just remember these two things.

First of all. Always pay attention to the down beat.

The first beat of every bar is always the most important one. It lets you know what you're in for. Weather it's happy or sad, fast or slow.

Second, never be afraid of making yourself look like a fool.

Always put yourself out there. You have nothing to be ashamed of. I never would have gotten together with Torch if I hadn't realized that.

I'll give you an example of both. I had just finished my Foals Choir practice. I was doing this for Cheerilee. Her music teacher walked out on her and she couldn't find anyone to take his place for the Choir. 

It had been a very long day, mostly due to a filly named Diamond Tiara.

I feel bad about saying this, but the filly is pure evil. She's rich beyond imagination, and she treats anyone who ISN'T like dirt. She had been bugging me about getting a solo in a recital for months. The problem was, she couldn't sing. That day she pulled me aside and made it very clear that if I didn't relent, she'd sue the school, and try to get Torch fired from her label. I was going to be forced to put on a bad performance. And I despised it.

I was down and out. The kids were filing out of the room, and to top off my depression, before leaving I had to stack the chairs, put away the sheet music, and make sure that no one had forgotten anything. Which means I couldn't get home and see her.

This is true now, and It'll still be true when you get here, Torch is the best part of my day. She always will be. As soon as I see her everything just gets better. The day gets a little brighter, and I can't help but smile.

She'd have been freaking out when I did get home, but still...

Rarity had been "helping" with the wedding arrangements. So I couldn't marry the mare I love until she stopped losing her mind.  We had already moved the date back three times. It was driving me up the wall.

Everypony had left save two of my students. Button Mash and Sweetie Belle.

"Gee," Button said to me. "You look down Mr. Tapper."

"I kind of am," I answered truthfully. 

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sweetie Belle asked.

I looked straight into her eyes. "Let me give you a solo." Her voice was the best in the group.

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "No way, I'll look stupid."

"C'mon Sweetie! You'll look stupid regardless!" Button received a smack upside the head from Sweetie Belle. "Ow! Okay, I desrved that."

"Never be afraid of looking stupid!" I told her. "If I did, I would never perform, and gotten together with Torch."

"Speaking of which," Sweetie Belle said slyly. "How is the future Mrs. Toe Tapper?"

"Still not Mrs. Toe Tapper," I said bitterly, "The arrangements are taking forever, and it..." I deflated. "It's really damn depressing. On a day like today, it really would feel so much better to say that I'm going to go home to my wife. This is all taking too long."

"Awwwww...." While Sweetie Belle was cooing, Button Mash was sticking his hoof in his mouth, his tongue hanging out.

"Thought of another way you could help me," I said to Sweetie. "Make your sister sane."

"I've been trying for eight years, I've made very little headway." she replied.

I laughed, "Alright, help me out by helping me clean up, the pair of you."

We had been cleaning for awhile, when Button asked me a question, "If you want to marry her so bad, why not just go to city hall and do it?"

"Rarity would pitch a fit!" Sweetie replied. She then turned to me, "You should totally do that."

"No," I said. "Trust me, I thought about it, but no. Torch deserves the perfect wedding. Everything she's ever wanted. I want to make her proud of me. I want to show I'm proud of her. No running to city hall. This should happen in front of the world. I'm not going to hide this away."

"You wouldn't though," Button reasoned. "That earring she'd wear would tell everypony you were married"

"Yeah," Sweetie said. "And what about you, what's YOUR perfect wedding?"

I thought about that for awhile. "Mine and hers. Any wedding where she's at the other end of the aisle."

"I'm sure she feels the same way about you." Sweetie was smiling.

I heard retching noises from the corner of the room. "Sweet Celestia! Forget I said anything," said Button

"You know," I walked over and wrapped Button in a headlock and gave him a noogie. "One day, you're going to be sweet on a girl, and all of this is going to feel a little less Gag-Worthy."

"Hey!" Button protested. I let him go. "No way that's gonna happen to me!"

We had finished packing up the music room, Sweetie walked toward the door. "Button? Do you wanna walk me home? Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are already back, and it's a little... bright."

"Uh," Button stammered. "I mean, well, I guess, sure."

"Okay!" Sweetie said. "I'll be outside."

She left the room. I slowly shook my head. "You're right." I said to Button. "Never going to happen to you.'

Button blushed hard. "Shut up!" he ran out of the room.

I got a smile, remembered my day, and lost it. Then I got the ghost of it back again.

The day was over, I was about to go home. Finally I could see her. She's the only thing that could make a day this bad better.

I gathered up my stuff, and left for home.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

The last thing I needed to hear when I got home was: "We have to push it back another month."

My world shattered. Not today. Not after this holocaust of a day.

"Rarity's upset about the invitations now." she said. "Apparently the ribbons are the wrong color, which would screw up the whole- I don't care."

She wrapped her hooves around me. "I just don't care. I don't care about the invitations. I don't care about the seating. I just don't care anymore. This is driving me insane Tapper. Why is this so complicated?"

An idea began to form. "It isn't." I said, almost in a trance. I looked at her right in her magenta eyes. "What do you care about Torch. Tell me what needs to be at our wedding, and it'll be there."

She looked back up at me and smiled. "I just need you and a minister."

There it was. The down beat. The first beat of a new bar. The start of a whole new song.

Never be afraid of looking like an idiot. When you hear a new song coming up you sing as loud as you can, do you hear me? Even if you don't know the words, for Celestia's sake, sing along. Even if some people will take it a certain way, even if you look like a massive idiot doing it, never sit back.

Never be afraid of acting like an idiot. The best things in your life will happen when you act like one.

"I'm there." I said. "Let's get married."

She looked at me for a second. "Honey..." Torch said, seemingly worried. "I already said yes. Remember, about three months ago?"

"No, Torch," I held her shoulders. "Let's get married."

Her jaw dropped, "You mean...?"

"I can't wait another month," I said. "I just can't. It's been too long waiting for the wedding. It took me too long to ask you in the first place. It took me too long to even tell you I loved you. I don't want to waste anymore time. After the day I've had, I need to be able to say I'm your husband.'

She stared at me for a while, and then she kissed me. "Rarity's going to kill us!" she called from upstairs.

"Wait," I was confused. "What's upstairs?"

She brought down a suitcase. "We should start packing! Anything we need for a honeymoon slash Witness protection relocation."

I laughed. "I was afraid you were going to hate the idea."

She kissed me, for a lot longer this time. "It's the best idea you've ever had, and the sweetest thing that anyone has ever said to me."

I was so happy I could burst. "I love you, Torch."

"I love you, too," she snapped her head up, and headed for the door. "We'd better go, before Rarity tries to set fire to the house."

Two ponies left that night.

Three weeks later, a married couple would come back.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

That was probably the best moment of my life. Very few things are going to come close. I can think of two others.

That afternoon at the train station.

And when she walked in and told me. The day that you happened.

You're the first beat in a new bar. You're the beginning of a new chapter in my life. It's going to be a wonderful, horrifying time. But, Down Beat, you're the start.

You're when I start a new song. You're when I become a dad.

I want it made very clear, your mother and I love you. We haven't even met you yet and you're the most precious thing in the world to us.

If you ever feel lost or alone, if I'm not there to help you, just play this tape. Remember that we love you. Remember that you always have us, even if it doesn't sound like it.

And remember, pay attention, otherwise you'll miss the new song.

Now, how do I turn this of...

*THUD* Dammit.

I've got it. You are hopeless sometimes. Your father is flummoxed by a tape recorder, Down Beat. Be very afraid.

You don't need to be Beat. I've got your mom.

*CLICK*