I like watching Octavia sleep. She did some work in the morning to look the way she does. She would shower, brush and straighten her mane, brush and floss her teeth, put on make-up, and pick the perfect outfit. When she was asleep, however, her mane was a mess, she had absolutely no make-up, and was perfect. This natural beauty could only be appreciated by the pony who loves them the most and couldn’t care less about how they looked. For Octavia, that pony was me.
Last night, when we were dancing in the living room, I decided that I was going to propose to Octavia. The when, where, and how were still fuzzy, but I think I could put together a plan and there was surely no way she could say “no”. For now, however, I’m just going to enjoy this.
It was a good ten minutes of almost silence. The only thing you could hear was Coco getting ready for work. A friend of hers recently opened a small boutique in Canterlot. While she did enjoy making dresses and was always happy to help a friend, she didn’t get the chance to work on what she wanted to.
“You’re going to be late,” Octavia said as she was waking up. She turned to me and kissed me. “Still love my morning breath?” she asked when our lips parted.
“Always,” I said with a smile. “And I’m the boss now, I can show up whenever I want.”
Octavia kissed me again and we got out of bed to get ready for the day. Octavia took her shower first while I brushed and flossed my teeth and when we finished we would switch. There were times where we would shower together, but we had to focus today. I have to meet with the heads of the other branches of the royal guard and Octavia has a dress rehearsal for an upcoming concert.
“I almost forgot, Golden,” Octavia said as I started to put on my uniform, “we’re having dinner with my parents tonight.”
“Why don’t we ever have dinner with my parents?” I said jokingly
“We did. Every day for twelve years.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“We can’t just have dinner with my parents?”
“I just want to know if it’s just a visit or if something special is happening.”
“It’s their anniversary and they invited us to come celebrate it with them.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a small restaurant where they had their first date. They’ve been going there every year.”
I smiled as I finished buttoning up my uniform. I need to ask her parents for their blessing, but that was more of a formality. Her parents always liked me since I first met Octavia and they even completely approved of our relationship when we told them about it. Getting their approval should be easy.
Octavia finished brushing her mane, got dressed, and I walked her to the theater where she was performing. Octavia’s manager, Signed Contract, was waiting for us outside the theater. She first contacted Octavia shortly after we returned from Applewood. Signed was extremely persistent, but Octavia was using the same manager her parents used when they toured. However, her old manager got sick which lead to his death. Without a manager, Octavia received offers on an hourly basis. Signed Contract was responsible for at least half of them, always making a new offer when she turned down the last. She eventually caved, and Signed Contract became her manager.
“Where were you?” Signed asked us. “She needs to practice, Golden. You can’t keep her home because your libido is out of check.” She did not like me as she saw me as a distraction more than a coltfriend.
“It was my fault,” Octavia said, “I wanted to sleep in and Golden tried to wake me up, but I wouldn’t budge. Besides, we’re not that late.”
“Octavia, you need to practice as much as possible. All three princesses are going to be at this performance as well as their guests. This is one of the most important concerts of your life.”
“I know, but-”
“But nothing. Octavia, if you don’t get this performance down perfectly, then you will never work in Equestria again. Go get dressed.”
Octavia kissed me on the cheek and walked into the theater. Signed rolled her eyes, but I’ve learned to brush it off as nothing. In fact, she started to take Vinyl’s place as the pony we love to annoy the most.
“Shouldn’t you get going?” She asked me. “The guests are arriving today and I’m sure they want to know that they’re safe.”
Oh right, the Saddle Arabian guests. Saddle Arabia is found south of the Badlands, which is an area relatively unknown area of Equestria. The Arabians first appeared when a group of them explored past the Badland about 500 years ago, finding the new formed settlement that would become Dodge Junction. Their leader met with Princess Celestia and she allowed them to remain independent from Equestria and they would come to their defense when needed.
“Nice to see you too Signed,” I said as I started to walk away.
She was right. I had to be there when they arrived to represent the guards and reinforce their safety. I also had to assign them personal guards but that was nothing more than picking a name out of a hat.
I arrived at the castle and headed to my office where I found Nightingale sleeping at my desk.
“Time to go home, buddy,” I said waking him up. “Busy night?”
“Just some punks who think they’re the shit,” He said after yawning. “I arrested some kid last night after I caught him trying to break into a café. I told him that I would let him go before I left, but you can deal with him. Later.”
I looked over the case report. The kid’s name was Flash Sentry, a dark yellow pegasus with a blue mane. He’s barely out of high school and already in jail. Lucky for him, he didn’t break or steal anything. It was barely even a form of trespassing. I think Nightingale put him in there just to scare the daylights out of him. Captain Iron Side had apparently already tried that. He already had two other run-ins, once for stealing a record and once for trespassing. Maybe I could do something about him.
I walked to the holding cell and told the guard to give me some time with Flash. He gave me a weird look at first, but then realized that he couldn’t argue. Flash was sleeping on the bed in the cell.
“Wake up, kid!” I shouted. Flash immediately jumped out of the bed.
“Holy fuck, are you trying to give me a fucking heart attack?”
“Easily startled?”
“Are you here to let me out? That other guy said he’d let me out in the morning.”
“In a moment. What are you doing here?”
“Why do you give a fuck? I’m leaving soon anyway.”
“You’re in my cell and you tried breaking into my favorite café. Not only that, but I looked at your file and you’ve been in here a few times.”
“Big fucking deal.”
“You just graduated, and I’m going to guess you barely made it out of there. You have your life ahead of you and decide to spend it in here?”
“I get it. I’m a fuck up. What’s your point?”
“Just putting everything in front of you. We’ll get you out of here as soon as possible. I sent a guard to get your parents and you can leave when they straighten everything out.”
“Wait, what? Why do my parents have to be here? I’m 18. I’m an adult now.”
“This is your third time. Someone has to bail you out.”
“Then get one of my fucking friends or a teacher or anyone else. Just please not my parents.”
“Why not?”
“I told them I was spending the night at a friend’s house. They have no idea that I’ve even been arrested once. Just please don’t tell my mom.” There was a look of fear, desperation, and regret on his face. Not to sound cruel, but that was I was looking for.
“Look kid, your parents are not coming. I didn’t send a guard and I’m going to let you go. I wanted you to see how what you did is doing to your family. You see how desperate you were to make sure they didn’t find out? You can still make a change in your life. I’m not asking you to become a guard or a saint, just for you to straighten up and fly right. Can you do that for me?”
“I’ll try.”
“That’s not enough. You can try anything and fail and no one will say anything about it. Promise me that you will straighten up.”
“Fine, whatever. I promise I won’t get into trouble anymore. Can you let me go now?”
I got the keys from the guard’s desk and opened the cell. Walking Flash out of the castle, I warned him that this was his last chance and if I ever found him in my cell again, he’s not going to get off as easy. I walked back to my office to try and get some work done before the Saddle Arabia guests arrived. There was still two stacks of applicants for the other two branches and I also had to ask a favor of one of the castle’s personal workers.
My job had to come first, however, so I took the first stack to the military branch, which was led by Lieutenant Foxtrot. Lieutenant Foxtrot is the first mare to lead the branch. She was given the job last year for being a major part of stopping a war with the dragons during negotiation over the dragons’ hoarding. Since then, she has proven to be a great leader, focusing on preventing wars over fighting them.
“Captain Golden,” she said as I walked into her office, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Got some new applicants for you. Fifty ponies want in, but we can only train thirteen. I’ll be here if you need my help.”
“No I think I got it, I mean how hard could it really be to pick out a few ponies? You get back to your job.”
“Alright, but there was one more thing I wanted to ask you.”
“Shoot.”
“How would you want somepony to propose to you?”
“Thinking about popping the question to the cellist?”
“Yeah, but I want to make it perfect. So if you could, how would you plan your own proposal?”
“Golden, I have met your future wife twice now, and I think I know her. Trust me, I want something that Octavia would completely hate. What you need to do is make her feel like she is the only mare that matters and you need to do it in the fanciest way possible. Why don’t you ask her during the gala?”
“The gala isn’t for another few months.”
“Sometimes you have to wait. Do you even have a ring?”
“I was going to the castle’s personal jeweler to get one.”
“Just think about it. I’ll drop the files off on your desk before I leave. Later Captain.”
I always liked talking to Foxtrot as she was like a sane Vinyl. I still like talking to Vinyl, but she always likes to add in a joke when I need to talk about something serious. Foxtrot was always formal yet informal. She was a leader when she needed to be and a friend when the time called for it..
I looked at a clock and saw that I still had some time before the Saddle Arabian guests show up. So I had a choice, I could go ask the jeweler to make something for Octavia or give the applications to Head Detective Homes. Homes is a bit older and has been going over applications for years now. Picking new recruits should should be more or less of the same process as Foxtrot. Get in, get out.
The detective branch was on the other side of the castle, however, so I had to go to my office to get the files and the coffee that Shining apparently left on my desk, and then walk all the way to his office. The jeweler wasn’t that far away from his office anyway.
“Come in,” Homes said when I knocked on his door. “Captain Golden! Is it that magical time of the year?”
“Got the applications right here. You can hire ten.” I dropped the folders on his desk and started to walk out.
“Hold on there,” He said as I was about to leave. Damn. “I need some help this time. I’ll admit, I’ve gotten old and a little disconnected with Canterlot. I need a young stallion like you to pick out the good from the bad.”
I did the math in my head. I could go through about half the stack and still have time to greet the guests. I shrugged my shoulder and sat down next to Homes as we split the pile about 50/50. I really did not want to read these. Detectives are some of the most arrogant ponies in the Royal Guard, but they have the right to be, to an extent. Because of magic, some crimes are way harder to solve than they should be. When a detectives solves a difficult case, most ponies would agree that he’s won bragging right for at most two days. The problem is the word “difficult.” It’s a little vague and most of them will brag when they solved a case in less than an hour.
Because there were two ponies working on this, and there was a significantly less number of applicants, Homes and I finished in time for me to meet the guests. I handed him the four I picked out. I felt that these were the most clever and ingenious of them all. He put them in a pile with the six that he picked out. Homes thanked me before I left, saying that he should be able to cut one more. I checked a clock one more time. I had about five minutes before the guests arrive.
Thankfully, I was able to arrive at the landing area with minutes to spare. The three princesses were already waiting for them along with a few other members of Canterlot’s high society across from the princess. I stood next to Celestia, which was the only spot that would make the two lines symmetrical.
“Glad you made it,” Princess Celestia whispered to me.
“It’s my job, isn’t it?”
“More or less. Can you clear something up for me?”
“What?”
“I heard that you’re going to ask Octavia to marry you.”
“Really? Foxtrot cannot keep her mouth shut for that long?” I started to wonder how I was going to get her back, but I ended up ignoring it. “Yes, I am going to propose to Octavia. I have this big plan that might take a while.”
“Yeah, I’m not going to let you do this.”
“What?” I said a bit louder. “I’m a grown stallion, and I can do what I want. Why can’t I ask my marefriend to marry me?”
“Because it means you’re growing up. I already let you have a marefriend and let you move out. I’m not going to let my son get married until I’m ready to let go.” I smiled and blushed a little when I realized she was joking. “See me in the throne right after you show the guests their rooms. I have something I want to give you.”
The carriages started to land as the fanfare started to play. There were three dignitaries, a stallion, with a dark yellow coat and red mane, a mare, who was a shade lighter than Luna and black mane, and another, mare, with a light pink coat and a contrasting dark purple mane, who looked as if she was about seventeen or eighteen. I’ve never met anypony from Saddle Arabia, or ever seen them for that matter. I was amazed to see how different they were. They looked more slender and taller than the ponies in Equestria. Their faces were more pointed, which was both weird and beautiful in its own way.
“Princesses!” The colt said as he hugged Cadence. His name was King Crown Guard. His family started off as guards for the king and his family, protecting them at all cost. When the last king died, there were no sons or daughters to take his place, so they appointed the highest ranking member as king or queen. “It is a pleasure to see you again. I don’t know if you remember me, but we first met when you were just a little filly.”
“I remember,” Cadence said with a smile. She was thinking about the time he played with us during his last visit. He happened to have a meeting scheduled during that time, and the guards went on high alert and went looking for him.
“And you Princess Luna,” the mare, Queen Light Shield, said, “Saddle Arabia gladly welcomes the return of the Princess of the Night.” Unlike her husband, the queen was more former and ladylike. She showed her excitement with her eyes and a smile, rather than her husband’s exclamations.
“Thank you,” Luna said. “I have heard great tales your home and I’m curious to learn about your culture.”
“Princess Celestia,” the king said with the younger mare next to him, “allow me to introduce my daughter, Princess Desert Blossom.” Desert started to look away from Celestia and went out of her way to not make eye contact.
“Is everything alright, sweetie?” Princess Celestia asked as she got to her eye level.
“I’m sorry Princess, my daughter is a little shy.”
“I can assure you,” Celestia said to Desert, “there is nothing to be shy about. You’re among friends.” Desert smiled at Celesta and thanked her.
“Sir,” I said. The king turned to me, smiled, and hugged me. He was stronger than I remembered and his hug knocked the breath out of me.
“Prince Golden Shield!” He shouted after letting go of me.
“Actually, it’s Captain Golden Shield now.”
“We had heard about your promotion,” the queen said to me. “We would like to congratulate you by giving you a gift.” She snapped her fingers and a servant came forward with a blue, metal, gem-encrusted flower. “This flower is a symbol wisdom, something we believe is needed for a pony in your position.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll have Wardworth make sure it arrives at my office in one piece. I have been asked to show you to your rooms.”
I lead the guests through the halls like I did so many time before. As always, they wanted to stop and look over all the small details the architect put into the castle. It became mundane to me and most of the castle staff, but I wouldn’t take that experience away from anypony. It meant slightly slowing down, but I didn’t mind.
“This is your room, your highnesses,” I said as I opened the door. “You’ll find your luggage already in the dresser. If there is anything you need, I’ve instructed the guards to serve you or find somepony that can.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Prince Golden Shield,” the queen said. She bowed her head to me and I did the same.
“Princess Desert Blossom, I’ll take you to your room now.” She didn’t say anything back to me. She didn’t even look at me. I walked out of the room and she followed a few steps behind. It was interesting as she was the first pony that either didn’t care about the castle or took the time to see the details.
“You know you can trust me,” I said as we walked down the hall.
“I know,” she said softly. “It’s just that most ponies always see me as nothing more than a princess. Most ponies who said they were my friends, were lying to me because they were hoping I would give them money or invite them to some high-class party.”
“I know that feeling.”
“Really?”
“When I was in school, ponies always wanted to be my friend for no reason than to say they have a prince for a friend. Not only that, but mares would constantly flirt with me and would ask me out. They probably didn’t even like me. I’m almost positive they just wanted a shot at being a Princess.”
“So you do understand what it’s like to be me. Can I ask you something, Prince Golden Shield?”
“First, it’s Captain Golden Shield. Second, you can just call me Golden.”
“It is a sign of respect in our culture to call elders by their full title, using their highest rank in a case like yours. Anyway, do you have any friends? And I mean real friends.”
“Yeah, but only a few. I met most of them in the first grade and we’ve been best friends ever since. What about you, do you have any real friends?”
“Yes and no.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, there is this one colt that I’ve been friends with for a long time. He actually likes me for me. He doesn’t care that I’m a princess and he’s sweet and nice and smart and…he’s perfect.”
“You like him, don’t you?”
“It’s more than just liking him. I love him, but I don’t know if he sees me that way. And if he doesn’t, then I’m going to make everything awkward. I think it would be best to stay as friends.”
“You know, I felt the same way about my marefriend. She was one of the ponies I met in the first grade and we were best friends. For the longest time, I didn’t want to do anything to mess up our friendship, even though I loved her. When we did talk about we felt each other, I was learned that I had to take the risk. I’m glad that we did because we’ve never been happier.”
“But, what if he doesn’t feel the same way?”
“You can’t think that way. Trust me, if he’s the only pony at your school that treats you as a pony instead of a princess then he has to see something more than just a friend. At least talk to him.”
“Okay, I’ll try”
“Here’s your room. If you need anything, ask a guard and they will either help you or they will find somepony who can.”
“Thank you Prince Golden Shield.”
She smiled at me and walked into her room. It felt nice to help out some pony out, especially if you could do it twice in one day.
“Well she was quite the looker,” the drill in my ear said.
“Where you following us, Blueblood?”
“Prince Blueblood!”
“Yeah, I’m Captain of the Royal Guard now, I can call you whatever I want.”
“You will call me Prince Blueblood or else.”
“Or else what? You’re going to throw me in our fictitious dungeon? Now, what do you want?”
“Just making friends with a guest.”
“Blueblood, don’t do anything stupid.”
“When have I ever done anything stupid?”
“Forcing yourself on Angel, making her pick between you and me, mainly having anything to do mares. Just please remember that we are aligned with Saddle Arabia. If you make one mistake, you could single handedly blow it all up.”
“Don’t worry porter, I’ll play nice.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. I wanted to say and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid, which I’m sure was going to happen, but I had other things to do. It also helped that Princess Desert closed the door on him.
Shortly after the guests returned to Saddle Arabia, I got a letter from Desert. She said that she told her friend how she felt and truly opened up to him. She was afraid that she lost a friend when he at first didn’t respond, but then he kissed her. She thanked me and sent me another flower, this one meaning friendship and loyalty.
I remembered that Celestia needed to talk to me, but I still had to go to the jeweler and I had to leave soon so I can get ready for Octavia’s parents’ anniversary. Getting a ring might be more important, but I can’t ignore a direct order from a princess.
“You wanted to see me Princess Celestia?” I said as I entered the throne room.
“Captain Golden, how did our guests enjoy the castle?”
“They enjoyed everything about it. What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Please follow me to my private chambers.”
Celestia led me to her room, which was conveniently connected to her throne room. Her room, which was shared with Luna, was kept clean. Luna was sleeping, but that was normal. Most of the time, unless there was something important, Luna would sleep through the day so she could watch Canterlot at night.
“You said you had something for me?” I said when the door behind me closed.
“Take this,” Celestia said. She gave me a ring with the words ‘I will love you forever’ engraved in it. There was a place that looked like it could hold a diamond, but it looked like the gem was taken out. “The farmer gave me this ring before he died. I’ve been holding onto it for years now. I want you to have it.”
“I can’t take this, mom. It’s one of the only things you have to remember the farmer.”
“It’s a symbol of love, Golden. If you really love Octavia like I believe you do, then I need you to give it to her. This was precious to me because it always reminded me of all the good times we shared. It’s my responsibility to share this with my son.” I looked it over once more and realized she was right.
“Thank you mom.”
“You’re welcome, Golden. Now go to the jeweler and pick out a gem.”
I smiled at Celestia and hugged. Finally I can go to the jeweler and actually start my plan for my proposal. I was lucky enough to make it to the jeweler before he left. The jeweler’s name is Gem Encrusted and he has been working for the castle for most of his life. He usually works with the castle tailor to make beautiful dresses for the castle’s residents. He is also known for working with top of the line clothes makers, even going as far as winning fashion week in Manehatten.
“Captain Golden,” he said, “what brings you here?”
“I need you to put a gem in this setting.” I handed over the ring and he started to examine it.
“‘I will love you forever.’ I take it this is not yours?”
“My mom gave it to me. She wants me to use it to propose to Octavia.”
“So, you’re finally going to ask the question. After 18 years of knowing each other, you two are going to tie the knot.”
“Yes, and I need it to be perfect. That’s why I need you to find the perfect gem for this setting. Can you do that for me?”
“Golden, I put Prim Hemline where she is today. Velvet Gown wouldn’t be on the cover of every fashion magazine if it wasn’t for my gem work. I think I can find you the perfect gem, but it’s going to take some time. When were you planning on asking?”
“I’d like to ask her as soon as possible, but asking her at the Grand Galloping Gala would be perfect.”
“I think can get something that she will love by the gala.”
“You are a miracle worker. How much do I owe you?”
“No charge.”
“Come on, Gem. I can’t let you just give it to me.”
“I’m not just doing this for you. I’m doing this for love. There is nothing more beautiful in this world than two ponies who found each other and want to live together. If you really want to pay me back, then promise me that you’ll stay with her. Marriage isn’t something that ponies should just get into. It’s a sacred bond a promise that you make to each other. Promise me that you will stay with her and I’ll do this for free.”
“You don’t have to worry about that, Gem. I love Octavia more than anything else in the world. If I had to, I would give up my position.”
“That’s what I like to hear. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Thanks Gem.”
I left with a smile as the first part of my plan was complete. I went back to my office to make sure everything was fine before I left. The princesses or the guests didn’t need anything, and Nightingale got here by the time I was ready to leave.
Octavia and I were going to meet her parents at their first date restaurant in about an hour. That gave me just the right amount of time to go to the apartment, change into a suit, and groom myself. When I did get home, Octavia was sitting on the couch reading a book and already dressed and ready to go. She was wearing a simple long black dress and a pair of matching gloves.
“You look fantastic,” I said as I walked through the door.
“You know, you say that so much it’s starting to lose all meaning.”
“Really?”
“No. You can say it to me every hour of every day, and I will still believe you.” She got off the couch to give me a hug and a kiss. “How was your day?” We moved our conversation to the bedroom so we can talk and I can still change.
“Besides the paperwork, fantastic. I hopefully set a kid on the right track and helped the Saddle Arabian princess. It’s actually a cute story.”
“What was it?”
“She has one friend in Saddle Arabia who doesn’t treat her like a princess and she is in love with him. I told her about us and how we got together.”
“That’s sweet.”
“I just hope that Blueblood doesn’t do anything to mess it up. He was creeping around her room when I left.”
“If she has any common sense then it wouldn’t be a problem.”
“What about you? How was your day?”
“Not as great as yours. Signed fired another violinist for ‘not playing on my level’.”
“That’s the third one and the concert is in less than a week.”
“I know, but she promised to find somepony new before the concert. And this pony will be able to ‘keep up with me’, whatever that means.”
“Well, they’re not the main attraction. So long as you’re perfect, and that’s like asking a bird to fly, everything will go great. How do I look?”
I was wearing a black suit with a white undershirt. There was a matching black tie, but it was loose. I always did this because Octavia liked to tighten it. She smiled at me and walked towards me to tighten my tie. She did and then pulled me into a kiss. I love it when she does that.
“I think you look like a strapping young stallion.”
We walked into the living room where Vinyl was listening to a record through a pair of headphones. She took off the headphones when she saw us so she could talk to us.
“Where are you two going?”
“My parents’ anniversary dinner. We’re going to be back late.”
“So, let me get this straight: you two are going to be gone for the night, Coco is visiting her parents, and I have the night off?”
“Looks like it,” I said.
“Finally! I get a night to myself. I don’t have to worry about waking up Coco and I don’t have to hear you two going like wild animals.”
“For the last time, Vinyl, we’re not that loud. And at least we try to keep the noise level down, unlike somepony,” Octavia said. She was referring to a string of one night stands. They were just drunken mistakes, but the last few colts she’s brought home have shared a special quality.
“Look, if I knew they were going to make those awful noises, I would have never slept with them. The point is, I get this place to myself. You two should go, like right now. Please.”
Octavia and I smiled and left Vinyl alone. Octavia and I walked through the city as the sun was setting. I was standing at the perfect angle so the last beam of light hit her perfectly. We arrived at the restaurant, a small, family owned place that has been around as long as I could remember.
“Mom, Dad,” Octavia said. She ran forward to give her parents a hug. “Happy anniversary.”
“Thank you, Octavia,” Mrs. Strings said.
“Mrs. Stings, Mr. Symphony, happy anniversary,” I said giving them a hug and handshake respectively.
“Thanks Golden,” Mr. Symphony said. “Or should I say Captain Golden?”
“Please, this is your night. Let’s not talk about my job.”
After a little more conversation, the four of us entered the restaurant. It wasn’t anything too fancy, but it was still nice. Octavia’s parents have been coming here for so long that they are on a first name basis with the owners, a sweet and loveable mare trying to keep her head above the water. To celebrate their anniversary, the owner decided to comp our meal.
“How did you two meet anyway?” I asked while we were waiting on our food.
“I first met Harmonic our first year of high school and I knew that she was the one for me. She, however, didn’t want a thing to do with me or my friends.”
“To be fair, your friends were snobs.”
“Only to strangers, dear. Anyway, I asked her out the moment I saw her and of course she said ‘no’. And then again the next day and the day after that. I sent her gifts, flowers, notes, anything you could think of just so she would say ‘yes’ to one date.”
“It didn’t stop for two whole years,” Mrs. Strings picked up, “but I didn’t want anything to do with him or his friends. Soprano finally asked me to junior prom and I said ‘yes’ because my date said he found someone ‘hotter’.”
“I’m sure he still regrets that decision, dear.”
“Soprano turned out to be the perfect gentleman. He showed me the time of my life and I decided to go on an actual date with him. He took me here and that’s when I fell in love with him. We started to play together and our manager, may he rest in peace, discovered us. We started to tour together when we got out of high school. A few years later, he surprised me with an on-stage proposal.”
“Wow,” I said. “That’s a beautiful story.”
“It’s your turn,” Mrs. Strings said, “how did you two get together?”
“Octavia told us a little, but we want to hear your side of the story.”
“And don’t worry, we know about you two sharing a bed when you were in high school.”
“It was the night before her concert and Octy couldn’t sleep. She said that she felt homesick and wanted something to remind her of Canterlot. She asked if she could sleep with me, and I said yes. Now, the night before is when I realized that I wanted more than just a friendship with your daughter, but I always felt something towards her. The next morning, we talked about it and we decided to start officially dating. After her concert, I took her to a late night picnic next to the Applewood sign and I shouted, from the top of that hill: ‘I love Octavia Melody.’”
Octavia’s parents were smiling and I think Mrs. Strings was on the verge of crying. Our food came shortly after. We continued to talk between bites. The owner came by every so often to ask about the food to make sure everything was perfect. I had to admit, this food could compete with Chef Celery Stalk. A dessert came shortly after, which was a small personal sundae made with homemade ice cream. It was perfect.
After the dinner, Octavia’s parents invited us to their house for some coffee, which Octavia accepted in an instant. She loved her parents and would always take any chance she gets to spend time with them. I didn’t mind because I liked her parents too. There was something about them that made ponies gravitate towards them. There was a warmth in their smiles and always made you feel welcome. Well, there was that and I still have to ask for their blessing.
When we got to Octavia’s former home, Mr. Symphony asked to see me in his study. This couldn’t have gone better.
“Thank you for coming out tonight,” he said as the door closed.
“It was my pleasure, sir. I love spending time with Octy and her family.”
“Golden, I need you to be honest with me.”
“I mean it, sir. You’ve welcomed me into your home for years and I am grateful.”
“Not that. You have something on your mind and I want you to tell me because I have a feeling that it has something to do with my daughter.”
“What makes you say that, sir?”
“I’ve travelled around Equestria, meeting new ponies and picking up a few tricks. One thing I learned is when somepony is distracted by something eating away at them. So, that’s on your mind?”
“You know I love your daughter more than I love my job.”
“Of course.”
“I want to ask Octavia to marry me. I know how much you and Mrs. Strings mean to her, so it would mean the world to both of us if I could get your blessing.”
“No.”
“What?” I almost couldn’t believe he said ‘No’. I was waiting for him to crack a smile or start laughing, but it never came.
“I’m sorry Golden, but I can’t give you my blessing.”
“Why not, sir?”
“I don’t feel like you’re ready for marriage. You just got what is probably one of the hardest jobs in Equestria and you want to pile a wedding on top of that. Not only that, but Octavia has concerts. She can’t plan a wedding and play for millions of ponies at the same time. Her mane will turn gray.”
“But sir, I-”
“I said ‘no’ Golden. Maybe in a few more years, but not now.”
“Okay, sir. I will respect your wishes, but I will get your blessing and soon. My goal is to marry Octavia with your blessing, and if Captain Iron Side taught me anything, it’s never give up on your goals.”
“Good luck with that,”
“Boys,” Mrs. Strings’ muffled voice said, “the coffee is ready.”
The rest of the night was enjoyable. I didn’t bring the subject up again, although I did consider it. I knew I could get Mrs. Strings blessing easily. I didn’t want to start a fight or force an answer out of Mr. Symphony. It didn’t stop me, however. Every day, on my way to the apartment, I would stop by Octavia’s parent’s home. I would just simply ask Mr. Symphony for his blessing. I even asked him before and after Octavia’s concert, which was so good that the guests wanted Octavia to record a record for her. Signed saw this as a chance to make bags of money, so Octavia recorded her first record, making a special one just for the guests.
I did continued to ask Mr. Symphony for a while. Before I knew it, the gala was right around the corner. Gem was able to get me the ring, but I had to get that blessing soon if I wanted to propose at the gala. I went to the home to ask again, but there was no answer. It seemed odd, but maybe they went out to dinner.
After dinner that night, Vinyl, Coco, Octavia, and I wanted to watch a movie that was just released for sale. It was about a pony who wanted to put together a baseball team, but he wanted to do it in a way that no one has ever seen. In the middle of the movie, there was a knock on the door, which I answered.
“Nightingale,” I said as I opened the door, “what brings you here?” He looked like he was out of breath and concerned about something.
“I need to talk to Octavia about something extremely important. Please tell me she’s here.”
“Octy,” I said over my shoulder, “Nightingale needs to talk to you.”
Vinyl paused the movie. The three mares had a confused look on their faces, especially Octavia.
“What’s wrong?” Octavia asked as she approached the door.
“It’s your father. He got really sick and was admitted to the hospital. He said he wanted to see his daughter before his time.”
“My father is dying?” Octavia said. She looked like she was about to break down crying over this news. I put my arm around her and held her close as I too started to tear up. Although he didn’t give me his blessing, Soprano Symphony is still a great stallion. He’s a loving father and husband and was recently offered a job teaching music theory at Star Swirl Academy.
“He might not be. The doctors aren’t really sure what’s wrong with him, but he wants to see you just in case.”
“I have to go,” Octavia said through her tears.
“I’m going with you,” I said.
“I’m going too,” Vinyl said as she stood up from the couch. “Mr. Symphony has been like a second father to me.”
“I’m coming,” Coco said. “You need as much support as you can get.”
“I’m going to fly Octavia there, so she can have as much time as possible with her father.”
Octavia didn’t argue because she wanted to see her father. She climbed on Nightingale’s back and I reassured her that everything was going to be fine. After making sure that she was secure, Nightingale took off, flying faster than we were able to run. The three of us remaining ran to the hospital as fast as we could.
When we did get to the hospital and Mr. Symphony’s room, he was lying in the bed, hooked up to machines and looking weak. He was petting Octavia’s head, while she rested it next to her sobbing. It was muffled, but you could hear Octavia say “Don’t die daddy. You can’t die.” I took a seat next to Octavia and again put my arms around her.
“Sweetie,” he said to Octavia, “I need to talk to Golden in private. Go make sure your mother is okay.”
“Okay. I love you daddy.” Octavia said as she slowly raised her head. I helped her stand up and Coco and Vinyl helped her walk out of the room.
“I’m sorry to see you like this, sir,” I said when the girls left.
“Enough with the ‘sir’ crap,” he said. “You’ve been a part of my family for years now. Call me dad.” He started to cough and some sort of mucus came out of his mouth, which I helped clean up. “Ask me one more time.”
“What?”
“Ask me for my blessing one more time.”
“Can I have your blessing to marry your daughter?”
“Yes,” he said with a smile.
“I know I’m looking a gift horse in the mouth, but why the sudden change of heart?”
“I don’t know if I’m going to make it out of here, Golden.”
“Don’t think like that si…dad.”
“It’s true. The damn doctors don’t even know what I have. Anyway, if I do die, then I’ll leave a massive hole in Octavia’s heart. I need you to fill it. My daughter loves you more than any other pony, so I need you to take my spot. You’re one of the only ponies in this world that can make her smile. And if I do make it out of here, then I want to see my daughter’s wedding. Can you do that for me?”
“Of course. I promise you, when you make it out of here, you won’t regret it.”
“Good, now send Vinyl in. I want to talk to my second daughter.”
I left the room and found the girls in the waiting room, Octavia and her mother leaning on each other crying. Vinyl and Coco were trying to comfort them in any way they could. I told Vinyl that Mr. Symphony wanted to see her. I took her place and started to comfort Octavia. I wish there was something more I could have done. Then I saw it.
“Doctor!” I yelled as I ran out the door. Lucky, they stopped right in front of Mr. Symphony’s room.
“Ah, Golden,” The doctor said. “Let me introduce my father. He’s also a doctor.”
“Doctor, thank god you’re here. I need you to do me a favor.”
“There something strange about this one,” The Doctor’s father said.
“He’s fine, dad. What do you need?”
“In that room is Soprano Symphony. He is very sick and the other doctors don’t know what’s wrong with him. I know that if anypony can figure it out, it’s you. Please Doctor, I can pay you whatever you want.”
The Doctor and his father looked at each other and smiled.
“Golden, you know I love a good challenge.”
“And if one doctor can figure it out,” The Doctor’s father said, “then two doctors should be able to figure it out faster.”
I watched The Doctors through a window. They introduced themselves and started to run some simple, noninvasive test on him. Through the door, you could hear the two stallions tossing out ideas and then shooting them down. This went on for about five minutes, before they figured it out. Then they both looked at each other and said some scientific name for an illness. They ran one more test to confirm their suspension. They again smiled at each other and then The Doctor wrote something down on a piece of paper.
“Nurse!” The Doctor said as he poked his head out of the door. He gave the paper to the first nurse that walked by. “I need you to start this pony on this STAT. His life may depend on it.”
“You figured it out?” I asked.
“He’s going to be just fine. I’m not going to bore you with the science mumbo jumbo, so I’ll give you the simplified version. He has a rare genetic disease that would have destroyed every muscle in his body. We’re going to give him some medicine that should stop it for a while, but he’s going to have to take pills for the rest of his life.”
“Wait, it’s a genetic disease? Does that mean it can happen to Octavia?”
“No, for two reasons. One: It’s a recessive gene, meaning that both of her parents need to have it. We could test her mother to be sure, but it’s unnecessary. This disease seems to only affect males for some unknown reason. So there is a zero percent chance of her being affected by it.”
“Thank you so much, Doctor. Whatever you want, I’ll pay.”
“There’s no need for that, Golden. Just let me break the news to the family.”
The Doctor and I walked out the waiting room where Octavia and her mom’s crying started to die down. The Doctor got down to their eye level and told them what happened. The mares started to cry harder, but they were tears of joy. I had everything I needed to ask Octavia the question, but the gala is coming up. Everything will be perfect if I just wait.