//------------------------------// // A sense of sincerity & Peace through the Cello // Story: Octavia and the Alicorn's peace. // by FoxofRarity //------------------------------// Octavia and the Alicorn's Peace By. FoxofRarity Chapter. 12 Disclaimer- My Little Pony Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro and Lauren Faust. “I sense him.” Princess Celestia in the midst of Princess Cadance and Princess Luna admiring Griffie, feels her son going through extreme agony. “I will go to him, now that he’s had the time to get over his guilt.” The Princess of the Sun thinks to inform the other two of her intentions but figures if she does then it will mean in being accompanied by Luna when she simply wants this to be a mother and son moment for herself. “I’ll just go.” And go the Princess of the Sun does. “Hey where did Tia go?” Cadance asks. “To get some cake perhaps now it’s my turn to hold it, let go!” Luna tugs at Griffie. “No! It’s still my turn to hold it!” Cadance tugs back. “Let go!” Luna grunts. “You let go!” Cadance follows suit in this tug of war for the durable plush griffon. Shining Armor comes in to ask Cadance if she wants to join him in a nice stroll through the meadows of Ponyville but just as he walks in Cadance let’s go of Griffie, Luna’s arms flail around and smack Shining Armor square in the face. *GASP!* Both mares gasp in disbelief. “Oh boy.” *Thud* Shining Armor falls flat on his belly. “My fa-face.” “It’s was so your fault bye!” With Griffie in tow Luna teleports away. “Shiny are you alright!?” Cadance asks. Shining Armor couldn’t help but do an aggravated sigh before answering his dear wife. “Why is it when you two are together crazy stuff happens to me? First the hard glass over the pool trick which left me with a big bruise on my butt, then the chocolate milkshake that had a laxative making me spend hours in the bathroom, a trip wire in the middle of nowhere, water balloons falling on me, and so on so on. I knew I should have worn my armor today.” Cadance blushes in embarrassment. “I-I’m sorry Shining Armor.” The stallion waves it off. “Eh it’s okay my dear wife, how about we put this behind us and go for a nice walk together.” “Sure but do you want an icepack?” “An icepack will be nice my dear.” Shining Armor and Cadance head out the room for a nice walk. In the sky, Celestia finds her son sitting alone in a cloud. “There he is.” However, the Princess sees he has his eyes closed so he must be thinking about something so it’s best to let him think for a bit while more before she goes to him. Inside the core of Gold Sky’s galaxy, he’s in the beautiful meadows of the Griffon Republic watching over a joyous little griffon running about with happiness in her voice then she comes to him tugging at his arm asking him to join her in a small run through a field of wild flowers. So he joins the young griffon laughing with her until after what seems like hours she tires herself out and sits next to him rubbing her head against his chest telling him she loves him and he tells her he will never be far away with the words, my flesh and blood. But the Razor is the reason he’s far away. Unlike Silver Wind who always had control of the Razor inside of him, Gold Sky has no control over the Razor allowing that entity to have a mind of its own. Gold Sky opens his eyes thanks to thinking about Octavia and having a feeling of peace come over him like mother’s wing. “Mother.” He turns around to look at her. “Can I please join you?” “Please do my son.” Celestia stands on all fours to look down on her son so to bask him with her loving eyes and stroke him with her soft voice. “My son.” Gold Sky stands before absorbing her loves from her eyes and the soft strokes from her voice. “Mother.” Like the little griffon who lovingly rubbed her head against his chest he lovingly rubs his head against mother’s chest. “Even among mortals and family, I sometimes feel so alone and I don’t know if anyone will comfort me when I’m sad.” “Oh Gold Sky, you will feel alone, afraid, and uncertain about yourself, you will look down at the abyss but you will not blink. Deep down you’re the bravest stallion in the entire world, for even when you feel alone, afraid, and uncertain you move forward.” Suddenly she stops upon feeling Gold Sky has stopped rubbing his head against her chest. “Mother, please tell me the truth. Am I really worthy to be loved?” The teal eyes of the stallion look into the mother’s magenta eyes. Clearly as the light of day can his eyes tell the mother he wants an answer not some affectionate runaround. “Yes my son.” Though the words are few the voice used to say them means more than words. The voice means more than the very meaning of having an existence and purpose which to the stallion is all he needed to know allowing him to smile at least. “Thank you mother.” Oh it’s been so long she he felt the softness of mother’s coat and the comfort he always felt when mother talks to him in the soft guiding tone that’s between a whisper and a murmur which to most or maybe all mortals, the tone Celestia uses and Gold Sky loves is one always heard in dreams. “Now continuing where I left off my son.” Before continuing Celestia begins stroking her son’s face with her right hoof. “You are the bravest stallion I can ever know, y-you’re braver then the mythical Hellenics of legend, braver than I when I faced my own sister one thousand years ago, braver than anyone that I can think of and do you know why I say this, my son?” Gold Sky shakes his head. “Who else can charge forward into the mouth of death with absolutely no fear and come out with a story to tell, no one can do that my son, and I mean no one can be completely fearless against an army. Such bravery is almost nonexistent…my son, is brave. So brave that I know he will answer this question. Ahem, do you still miss the scents of your birthparents?” Celestia narrowed her question to the scents of Gold Sky’s birthparents for the stallion recognizes everyone by their scents. Gold Sky frowns while pressing his face into mother’s chest. “I miss the scent of mommy’s hair and the scent of daddy’s wings. I miss mommy’s loving nuzzle and I miss the warmth of daddy’s wing when he’ll wrap it around me, nevertheless, they’re in a better place thinking about me their only child.” *sniffle* “I miss their scents! Nothing hurts more than remembering their voices in my memories but can’t remember their scents so I can’t picture them whenever I close my eyes.” To Gold Sky a scent is more important than eye color, appearance, and voice. Everypony has their own unique scent because only one mare has the scent he knows as mommy and only one stallion has the scent he knows as daddy. “Their scents are no more.” “I know my son.” “Mother, thank you for coming and reminding me that I’ll never be alone for I have you.” Gold Sky reaches up to kiss mother’s cheek, sadly, due to Celestia’s height he’s just two inches away even after stretching his neck out. “I can’t reach mother.” “Don’t worry my son.” Celestia lowers her head, feeling her son’s loving kiss on her cheek. “Come Gold Sky; let’s go home to groom you so you can look nice for Octavia today.” For some odd reason Princess Celestia wishes she hadn’t encouraged more thoughts of the gray mare to flourish like a daffodil under her shining sun when she could encourage curiosity for Twilight Sparkle, nonetheless, there will always be time to encourage curiosity for Twilight Sparkle so for now to keep sadness at bay let him enjoy his time with Octavia but first confirm his little question that’s also an answer at the same time. “Mother, how did you know?” To Gold Sky this will always be a surprise rather than seeing it as a normal thing. “Wait, a mother always knows right?” “Muah!” Celestia kisses his forehead. “Right again my son, now come, come, come!” Both fly to Celestia’s balcony and without needing to be told Gold Sky trots to the big mirror and plops down awaiting whatever grooming mother has in store for him while wondering if that painful plucking of the eyebrows is in their somewhere. “Mother will you be plucking my eyebrows??” Might as well ask. “Uhhh no my son. Why will you ask that?” Ponders the white mare. “Well when I was in the Griffon Republic, I got a spa treatment because I wanted a back massage though the package said a facial treatment with waxing was including to which I thought a facial was a face massage and waxing was the name of the ointment they use. Boy I was wrong when they plucked out my first eye brow hair I jerked up that I accidently head butted the stylist giving me the waxing of which I found out it was an eyebrow waxing. Hehehehe, kind of funny no?” “It is, now please sit, spread out your wings, close your eyes, and relax my son.” Princess Celestia’s magic begin doing their incredible work on the stallion to make him look presentable for the gray mare. While Gold Sky feels like falling asleep to mother massaging his head with an ointment specialized to make his hair shine brightly in the sun and since his hair is dark brown a shade close to jet black it will shine brightly so instead of giving in to sleep he decided to telepathically search for Princess Luna. “Found her.” In Princess Luna’s room. “I wonder what I should eat today?” “Razor, Aunt Luna.” Gold Sky’s soft voice took the mare’s train of thought away from food. “What?” Though the input of the communication is telepathic the output from Luna is vocal. “Razor, Aunt Luna, in the dream you ahem, intruded in, I was the Razor.” “The Razor?” Luna searches every cluster of stars in her galaxy to see if she knows anything about such a thing. “Hmmm, I have never heard of such a thing my dear nephew can you please enlighten me about this thing which is named after a razor blade.” However, Princess Cadance stealthily listens just this one time to know this trait she too has never heard of. “The Razor is a monster inside of me whose purpose is to protect the ones I love with extreme prejudice or to simply wipe out anything with my virtuous skill in…the art of…” How can Gold Sky put this nicely. “Ending lives.” A little too blunt. Luna’s loses her appetite for the whole day plus night while Cadance swallows her saliva in a twinge of fear and ends listening in. “So why did your eyes resemble those of Nightmare Moon’s?” “To let anypony know the Razor is present and to serve as a principle of intimidation for whoever is going to receive its wrath.” Last question from the Princess of the Night. “The name, why the Razor?” “A blade feels nothing when it slits throats, stab hearts, slice open enemies, and flay enemies alive to hear them scream. So the name is given to that monster because once the Razor comes all forms of emotion and morals are gone. Allowing for a killer that cannot be stopped.” Luna nods even if she’s all alone in her room. “Thank my dear nephew.” Celestia passes the hair brush through the dark brown hair one last time before coming to end with a nuzzle. “There my son, you look very radiant like a sun flower in its peak.” Gold Sky stands to admire mother’s exquisite masterpiece she’s painted on him. “Thank you mother.” Last but not least Gold Sky dons his white cloak before heading out the door. “Ahem.” Celestia stops him. “Are you not forgetting something?” “Hmmmmmmm?” *Ting!* “Oh! Almost forgot!” Gold Sky runs up to the white mare giving her a nice kiss on the cheek and lovingly rubs her head with his. “I love you mother.” He departs out the door. “Have fun my son.” Celestia waves good bye while to trying to smile for the stallion. “Why couldn’t Octavia be a Unicorn or Pegasus instead of an Earth pony? She has so little to offer him.” *** “If I know Gold Sky good enough then he should be here right on time while father is waiting for me at the stage to see me practice.” Octavia throws a vanilla lemon drop into her mouth. “Yum, I can’t wait to see Gold Sky’s face when I tell him what I have in store for him. He’s going to love it!” Octavia feels warm feeling inside of her to do this nice thing for Gold Sky. “Ahh! There he is and two minutes early too. Whoa! His hair is very shiny.” Gold Sky while his thoughts can’t run about due to his admiration of the gray mare he instead feels the same warmth she felt the moment he lays his eyes on her. “Octavia!” He greets with a small bow of his head. “I’m Glad to see you today.” Octavia gives the stallion a joyful smile. “The feeling is mutual Gold Sky. “And cuts to the chase. “Gold Sky I decided we’re not going to have lunch at the Sugarcube Corner.” Hearing this, the stallion tilts his head in natural question about this change given he was already craving those cupcakes from a certain pink mare, nevertheless, he channels his disappointment into curiosity. “So what’s the surprise you have in store for me?” Finally Octavia is asked the question she’s been waiting for. “Well to see it we’ll have to teleport first to Canterlot.” Nothing hard. “All righty then.” Gold Sky gently lays a hoof on Octavia’s shoulder. “Here we go. Jump.” *poof* Upon reappearing Canterlot, Gold Sky follows the gray mare who for every twenty to thirty four paces will turn her head to give him a nice smile. “For some odd reason, I think father will take a great liking in Gold Sky perhaps maybe I should too.” Octavia sees the stallion is blushing every time she gazes upon him plus her keen ears can listen to his heart rate increase. Gold Sky on the other hand or hoof. “I pray I don’t stutter when I talk to her otherwise I will end up blossoming from an idiot and into an imbecile.” Deeper inside his core. “I feel something but I can’t pinpoint what it is. Hmmmm, of course, I wonder if I will feel any curiosity and if I do how will I know I’m experiencing curiosity if I never felt it before??” The stallion composes himself to continue this thought process without appearing to be in thought of which will stop the gray mare from giving him the nice gazes with her beautiful eyes. “I don’t think mother and Redheart can help me there, wisdom and laymen medical science can only go so far perhaps I should search for another source of help perhaps a mortal perspective can be useful.” Sounds a plan ready to be put to use when the opportunity presents itself. “Make it two mortal perspectives.” Suddenly. “You have nice eyes Octavia.” Even though Octavia has been told her eyes are far more beautiful than the near flawless eyes of Princess Luna she nonetheless, appreciates this nice compliment from Gold Sky so as a award she too will provide a nice compliment . “Why thank you Gold Sky and by the way your hair is very shiny. How did you get it to shine so brightly, are you using that TurtleDove shampoo?” Oddly, Octavia feels a bit jealous for seeing how Gold Sky’s hair shines brightly while hers does not despite many attempts to make it do so for many mares love to have their beautiful hair shine like the beauty of a bright star. “Really?” Gold Sky stops in his tracks to grab some of his hair with his hoof to see if it’s shiny as Octavia says it is. “Oh! She didn’t tell me it was shiny.” “Who, Rarity??” Octavia can only deduce Rarity is the one who’s behind this because really who else is good at hair styling? “No not Rarity Octavia, it was Princess Celestia.” Gold Sky caught his tongue in the nick of time otherwise, he will have ended up saying mother. “Wow…” Octavia was about to say something but she catches eye of the theater where she practices her music and performs at. “Here we are! You ready for your surprise Gold Sky?” “I’m ready as I’ll ever be Octavia.” Happily, both trot into the theater where an older stallion awaits to see his dear daughter practice while to his surprise he watches a stallion accompany his daughter and sits down in the front row. To Allegro Note’s astonishment he automatically associates this cloaked stallion as the one Octavia was talking about when she said that she accidently wake up in the same bed with him, already from the few seconds he had at looking at the stallion plus Octavia sly smirk on her face while she unpacks her cello he deduces the painted or pinto stallion is a decent fellow perhaps more than decent and the one he will allow to be close to his dear Octavia. “So this is Gold Sky and this smells of Octavia all over if she intended for me to meet him here.” Octavia is happy to see father smile at her when she looked at him before picking her bow and put it on the strings of her cello. Gold Sky gasps when he realizes what his surprise is! He immediately feels like the whole universe is smiling down upon from the Eye of Jupiter to the dense personality of a white dwarf everything is smiling down on him in happy harmony because he is going to be surrounded by the peaceful aria he’s heard in the fields outside Ponyville when he finally came home from his long journey. Oh the wooden harmonies of gentle ripples of light dancing around just erased his memories of the sins he committed long though it was temporary it nonetheless, gave the stallion much needed respite from his pain. And to show his sheer anticipation for Octavia’s musical serenity, perks his eats forward to hear every sound and by that he needs to hear every sound. Luckily Princess Celestia isn’t eavesdropping on him with her telepathy. “Let me move up.” Allegro Note quietly moves up a row of seats to have a better angle of the young stallion. Obviously, Octavia watches her father moving up to be near Gold Sky who is totally obliviously to Allegro’s intentions. “Oh father, I knew you will do this and Gold Sky just wants to listen to me practice, I can almost see his puppy eyes. How cute.” Just as Octavia places her bow on the strings an idea hits with the best gift she can give to Gold Sky. “Bach - Cello Suite No.1 i-Prelude is the best I can give him.” A piece immortalized by a great composer long ago will be played by musician who will reach the same immortality as that composer in no time. The angelic melodies are unleashed with the synchronized stokes of the bow creating a vision of Avalon in the eyes and mind of the stallion. “This is so beautiful…” He whispers out loud while his entire body loses itself to this euphoric ecstasy. “Did he say Octavia is beautiful??” Allegro Note couldn’t make out what the cloaked Unicorn said. “This is so beautiful…” Repeats the stallion to clarify what Allegro Note thought he heard. “Oh! Well he looks more enamored with her music than with her, I guess this is why she likes him.” Allegro Note sits back to enjoy the nice music. Octavia who generally always has her eyes closed while she plays opens one eye to take a peek on Gold Sky just to check if he’s rocking side to side, instead she sees his eyes wider than Sweetie Belle’s while his face looks like he’s seeing an Angel standing in front of him and is completely petrified but in a good way though. “I think this piece is waking him up from the dream he’s in and is awake in reality or asleep in it. Still at least it’s nice to see him so calm like that.” It pleases the gray mare very much to have this effect on him. Inside the core of Gold Sky’s galaxy he starts remembering things from his past years of development and his past years of his maturity. Every memory passing through his mind reminds him of the good he’s been through in life, from the soft stroking hoof of his birthmother, the hugs of his birthfather, the comforting wings of dear mother Celestia, the nice grooming he’ll receive from Ruby before getting some shuteye, the smile from Oliver the young Griffon he saved from being slaughtered by Fascist Griffons, being seen by Octavia’s beautiful eyes, and the most important memory of all is the little Griffon he’s been watching over for forty seven years place her head over his chest and listen to his heartbeat. Gold Sky can see every one of them smiling at him and he touches each one feeling them like they’re in front of him with bodies of true flesh though only two or maybe even three are still alive. Princess Celestia, Oliver perhaps, and the young Griffon he’s been watching over. Only them are alive while the rest have died before his eyes, nevertheless the pain he’s felt from their deaths have no effect on him right now. “All of you I love so much and will never forget.” The stallion embraces each one of them feeling peace to know they’re doing alright. Allegro Note didn’t hear what Gold Sky said while Octavia did hear convincing her, the magic of this musical piece is doing its work on the cloaked Unicorn making him say what he said. “Perfect.” Octavia finishes her little performance for Gold Sky by sealing it with a formal bow just for him which by the way is very kind of her. “What a perfect display of your ever flawless talent my dearest daughter.” Allegro Note comes up to hug his daughter given his time is limited and Octavia is still in the dark of his limited time. After giving father a kiss on his cheek she turns to the still petrified Gold Sky. “So what did you think Gold Sky?” She asks. Gold Sky says nothing at all. “Uh Gold Sky what did you think?” She asks again while waving a hoof in front of his face. “Hello? Are you there??” “I think he’s still processing your music my dear Octavia.” Allegro Note voices. Octavia decides to tap the cloaked Unicorn’s shoulder. “Hello, oh my!” *Thud!* Gold Sky falls from the chair he’s sitting on and hits the floor. “Ow…” At least the fall brought him back to his sense. “What did you day? I-I didn’t catch it.” “Hehe how cute.” Octavia dotes as she gets Gold Sky back up to his hooves and makes him blush for the twenty first or twentieth time. “I said what did you think?” Gold Sky’s ears twitch about in all directions in the a desperate time maker to find the right words he’ll say to Octavia while strangely enough he hasn’t completely noticed Allegro Note on the grounds the older stallion is the theater custodian. “I-I-I-I, how, how-how, h-how isssssh tsh, ish…” He’s stuttering therefore blossoming from an idiot and into an imbecile before the nice gray mare and custodian. “Ahem…ahem, how did you do that!” There, finally speaking in a perfect flow. “How did I play with such flawlessness?” Octavia expanded Gold Sky question a bit with hers. Gold Sky nods pretty quick popping his neck in the process. “Yes! How can you play with such flawlessness! I mean h-how can you create such beauty and be able to unleash it on the world without any form of difficulty!? I-I never heard such magnificence in my life…” The stallion shakes his head to clear it from static that may cause him to stutter. “You took me to peace Octavia!” Unbeknownst to the cloaked stallion tears start falling from his teal eyes unnerving the passivity over Octavia and Allegro Note. “You took me to the light I’ve been taken from and you cleared the black clouds allowing for it to shine down on me, oh, I wish I can understand your magnificence but I can’t even fathom the least of it. Octavia, I bend the knee to your grace.” Gold Sky kneels before Octavia for he feels he isn’t worthy of standing in front of a mare with such untold abilities. “I’m honored to be in your presence Octavia.” Gold Sky honors Octavia even more by taking hold of her hoof and kisses it. Octavia’s eyes widen to see Gold Sky kiss her hoof. “Is he actually kneeling before me!?” “Wow, not only is he decent he’s also humble too.” Allegro Note is getting more proof this cloaked stallion will be a perfect stallion for Octavia. “Well are you going to say something Octavia?” He asks. “Don’t make him staying kneeling before you forever.” The gray mare her head to regain sense from her momentary bewilderment. “At least I know how Princess Celestia feels whenever somepony kneels before her. Honored.” First clearing the throat will be nice. “Gold Sky thank you for showing me how sincere you are and I-I am very pleased to know my music woke you up of the dream that keeps you in reality and the dream world.” She thinks with these words the stallion will get up from his kneeling but he does not making her feel nonetheless, overwhelmed for this stallion unexplainable behavior. So here plan b. “You want to go eat some of Pinkie Pie’s cupcakes?” “WILL I!!” Instantly Gold Sky jumps to all fours and starts hopping up and down for the delicious suggestion for Pinkie Pie’s cupcakes. Allegro Note almost breaks out laughing. “Sweetheart you know to get to a stallion.” “What do you mean by that father?” Octavia asks while Gold Sky is hopping about. “You get a stallion through his stomach! Hahahahaha!” In the end Allegro Note ends breaking into laughter. “Huh?” Gold Sky stops hopping around when he hears the younger stallion laughing and by younger, Gold Sky is technically older than Allegro Note in age not in appearance. “Why is he laughing like he’s watching a Mil Brook film?” *Ting!* Octavia couldn’t believe she hasn’t introduced Gold Sky to father. “Oh! Yes, father, stop laughing. Uh father, stop laughing.” Octavia places her hoof on his right shoulder and shakes him a bit. “Father please focus back on me.” “Ok, ok, phew, ok, ok, let me take a deep breath. Ok I’m back.” Allegro Note stands by his daughter. Inside Octavia, she feels her body temperature rising a few degrees to introduce Father to Gold Sky, it’s like he’s her stallionfriend and she is his marefriend and she’s going to ask father if he can go on a date with her. Though, she doesn’t know why she wants to introduce Gold Sky to father, it just seems like the perfect thing to do given she feels something for him but cannot lay a definition on that feeling. “Gold Sky, I want you to meet my father and father I want you to meet Gold Sky.” “He’s your father?” “Yes.” Octavia answers. “Oh dear! When I first saw him I thought he was the theater custodian, sorry Mr. Allegro Note!” Gold Sky comes forward, extends his right hoof, and waits to shake Allegro’s hoof. Allegro Note shrugs his shoulders in a cool manner. “Hey we all make wrong assumptions from time to time, whoa!” He notices Gold Sky golden horseshoe. “Octavia you said, he knows Princess Celestia right?” “Yes father.” Allegro Note focuses back on Gold Sky. “Princess Celestia gave you those golden horseshoes didn’t she Gold Sky?” The cloaked Unicorn nods. “Incredible…” He touches them just to feel the elegance that’s only had by Princess Celestia. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you Gold Sky. My dear Octavia here has told me some things about you along with getting into great detail about you and her waking up in the same bed by accident.” Gold Sky’s ears drop to the simple mentioning of the little incident. “She told you that didn’t she?” He gives her a small glance to express his embarrassment to her and expects the father to start getting angry about the dishonor that has been brought upon the daughter by the incident. “Yes and I can’t help but now laugh about it when she told me you freaked out and I began imagining it.” In an unexpected turn of events Allegro Note is going to be is joking self. “I imagine you waking up and thought oh what a wonderful morning then when you saw Octavia you went all AAAHHHHH! Waking up Octavia allowing her to see you therefore it’s her turn to AAHHHHH as well, hahahaha! I-I mean it’s funny to imagine you went AAAHHHH then you went AAAAHHHH! Th-then Go-Gold Sky fell on his face and I bet he peed on the bed as well, hahahaha! Whew, whew, let me catch my breath for a minute!” Instead Allegro Note holds his breath to suppress the coughs that accompany his decorating health. “Now that I finally had my laughs, let’s all head over to the Sugarcube Corner so Gold Sky can have his cupcakes and we can talk, oh! By the way Gold Sky you can call me by my name, there’s no need for you to be so formal around me given you’re extremely humble and I admire that.” Containing his enthusiasm, Gold Sky nods in direct response to Allegro Note’s words. “All right, allow me to shorten our time to the Sugarcube Corner.” He places his hooves on both shoulders and says the word. “Jump.” *Poof* *** “Hmmmmm.” Rarity’s magic rotates one of the pink diamonds in her possession to study while she flips a page in book about every known gem in the earth. “Well, it says there are sometimes pink diamonds mined from the earth but the one in the book does compare to this one at all.” The white mare places a magnifying jewelry loupe over her right eye to examine three of the four Cs in diamonds. “It’s clarity is astounding even when they’re unpolished! Carats are off the chart” On a small scale Rarity sees the diamond weighs five pounds. “While the color does not have any sort of a grave effect to its clarity making it the more valuable. Hmmmm, I cannot come up with a rough estimate of their value in bits but from what Rainbow Dash told me, they are worth more than anything amount one can amass in a single lifetime and I have three so the wealth of these three diamonds are worth eighteen lifetimes. Still I find it extremely abstract that he’ll give me two just for a ruby.” Rarity removes the lens from her eye. “Though I hate to think this but given how my Spikey-Wikey loves to eat gems, I will have to hide these in a much more secure location and I still don’t know how Gold Sky got a hold of these diamonds?” Nevertheless, Rarity levitates the diamonds and places them into a steel container with a combination lock. *knock, knock* Rarity is alerted to somepony’s presence outside the door. “Something tells me it isn’t Spike.” So with that thought in mind she does not close the steel container for the time being. “Oh Twilight! How nice to see you today please come in.” The white mare gets out of Twilight’s way. “Is Spikey-Wikey with you?” “No he’s off doing some errands then plans to help Fluttershy with her animals.” Say the nice lavender mare. “So what have you been up to?” “I will think she will ask about my little date with Spike but I guess she’s comfortable with the prospect of that.” Rarity thinks to herself however, she won’t bring it up out of the caution it might trigger something peculiar in Twilight’s mind. “I’m just examining some unpolished diamonds that’ve been given to me and you want to check them out?” A reason why Rarity hasn’t locked the container thanks to her intuition. Twilight has never been one to have a curiosity for gems given how she can just scoop up some dirt and ding, ding, ding, there’s a gem lying before her but from noticing this different touch in Rarity’s voice about the diamonds she decide to give them to please her dear friend. “Sure why not.” So she trots over where Rarity points to which is a steel container. “Here they are.” Rarity’s levitates a diamond to Twilight’s field of view and ceases her magic when Twilight’s magic takes hold of it. “It’s beautiful is it not?” Twilight on the other hand or hoof feels her eyebrows go up when she looks at the pink unpolished diamond and feels it’s rather large mass. “Wow! I’ve never seen a diamond like this one before.” Truly Twilight is amazed. “Its purity is off the charts and its mass its unnatural for this gem given how heat and high pressure will shrink down a large piece of carbon into the diamonds we see on rings. Rarity contains her small smirk for isn’t every day that she witnesses Twilight amazement in things other than new books or Spike making another nice portrait of her. “Say I’m sure you read something about diamonds so can you tell me these diamonds are absolutely genuine? I will like a second opinion and given how you’re very intelligent, it’s proper to ask you for your second opinion.” Twilight shakes her head to get her attention from the diamond and to Rarity. “Well I’m more than sure this diamond is real Rarity, however, give me a few seconds to remember a spell that’ll allow me to see its molecular structure. Hold on.” The lavender Unicorn’s horn glows channeling a beam of magic into the diamond creating what appears to be a hologram displaying the molecular structure and more strangely, Twilight’s magic also displays two capital letters which are associated with a blood type. “According to the structure Rarity , the diamond is real as life itself however what I don’t understand is AB positive?” “AB positive, AB positive, AB positive??” Rarity repeats out loud to make her mind remember what those letters represent. “OH! AB positive is a blood type right?” “Yes, yes, it’s a blood type so I don’t understand why it registers here with the molecular structure of the diamond…perhaps I messed up somewhere but overall the diamond is real Rarity so congratulations.” Twilight gives the diamond back to Rarity. “I got two more.” The white mare levitates the other two making Twilight’s ears drop a bit. “Isn’t it great!” “You have three of th-those diamonds!? Where did you find these diamonds??” Ideally if Rarity has three of these diamonds then there has to be more out there creating the idea of using these diamonds as a little reward snack for Spike. Of course, Rarity being the nice host to her dear guest brings forth nice cup of tea for Twilight who happily takes the tea without a second hesitation. “Thank you Rarity, hmmm! Is this tea from the Griffon Republic?” “Mm-Mhm!” Rarity takes a sip of her cup of tea. “Truth be told Twilight I never found these diamonds, instead they were given to me.” “Who gave them to you Rarity?” Twilight asks. “Gold Sky.” Rarity seems to forget that Twilight has no absolute clue of the stallion she just named. Of course as Rarity didn’t suspect, Twilight’s ears adorably twitched about in all directions indicating to the white mare Twilight never heard that name in her entire book reading life. “Have I seen him before?” “I guess there hasn’t been any form of interaction between them.” Rarity thinks to herself. “He’s a…” Yes she wants to say Alicorn but the stallion’s telepathic chains prevent her from doing so. “Unicorn, yes, he’s a Unicorn wearing a nice cloak I made for him, he has dark brown hair, teal eyes, and has a painted coat.” *Ting* Twilight’s photographic memory helps her remember the stallion that fits the precise description. “He! He gave you those pink unpolished diamonds! I-I-I mean did he even tell you how he got them or where he found them at least!?” Rarity begins rubbing the back of her head. “Well to be truthful Twilight, I wasn’t paying much attention to him; instead I and Rainbow Dash were paying attention to the diamond of which he gave me in exchange for a ruby.” Twilight’s jaw literally drops to hear of such a near stupid exchange; really it’s like Spike trading an autographed comic of Power Girl for a cheesy Golden age comic of Aqua Stallion instead of the more amazing Silver age Captain Equestria. “He gave you a diamond for a ruby!? Am I hearing this right? He gave you one of these incredible diamonds for a ruby then he broke your window to which he gave you two more to make up for that…ehhhhhhh, did he least tell you where he got the diamonds?” Twilight calms herself down a bit. Rarity shook her head. “He didn’t tell me where he got them but I don’t need to know where he got them. Any who my dear Twilight how can I be a service to you?” Originally Twilight came here to ask something of the white mare before getting completely occupied with the diamonds. “Oh yeah! Ahem, Rarity I wonder if you want to come with me to the spa for a nice massage and then head to Canterlot because I want you to try out that new restaurant that opened up last week.” “Why of course! It sounds like the upmost fun Twilight.” Rarity closes the steel container completely locking it and stores it somewhere in her room plus before she forgets also locks the gem chest just in case. On the way to the spa Twilight couldn’t help but look at Rarity with the widest of smiles as a breeze moves Rarity’s hair in the air. “Rarity it’s been awhile since we had some time for ourselves so I hope we enjoy ourselves.” “Me too Twilight.” Rarity is happy to spend to be spending time with Twilight today for the truth that has to be told Rarity felt like getting a massage today. So upon entering the spa Twilight is the first to speak to the blue Earth pony. “The Usual!” *Squee!* Rarity beams a hearty smile for Twilight, *** “Ho, ho, ho!” Gold Sky licks his chops to the sight of Pinkie Pie’s cupcakes being set before while Octavia sitting next to her father elbows him so he can see the funky expression on Gold Sky’s face. Octavia on the other hand or hoof asks her father if it’s been one week already to which he thinks for a few seconds before saying yes. “Yes to what?” Gold Sky asks out of curiosity. “To one cup of red wine.” Allegro Note fills in. “Once a week Octavia and I drink a cup of red wine because it can help with our cardiac health.” Pinkie pours the father and daughter the wine then hovers next to Gold Sky waiting for him to ask for some red wine. “Will you like some?” Octavia points to his cup prompting Pinkie to angle the bottle downward but Gold Sky covers his cup with his hoof. “I don’t partake.” “Oh will in that case bye.” Pinkie Pie hops away. A few seconds of silence came onto the trio not due to the lack of spoken interaction but due to the fact that the three of them are busy chowing down. Funny, Gold Sky is the first to take the initiative to speak while waiting for the obvious question of why he didn’t partake. “Octavia, how did you learn to play the cello so well?” The gray mare wipes her mouth first. “Well I was younger father here made me a cello and taught me how to play.” “Really!” Gold Sky turns to look at Allegro Note who for the time being seems to hold his head up high. “Yes really Gold Sky. Because father here makes violins, violas, and Stradivarius for a living then one day he decided to make something out of the ordinary for a change and begin creating the cello while as youngster back then wondered why he’s making such a big violin. Hehe!” Octavia giggles. “I thought he was making it for Princess Celestia given the size until on the day he finished he presented it to me as the gift he always wanted to give me.” Gold Sky holds up his cup of sarsaparilla for Allegro Note to congratulate him for creating such a fine instrument for such a fine mare. “How long did it take to make the cello?” “Four months.” Replies Allegro Note. Octavia nudges father with her shoulder before she continues on. “I for the will of my well my will took the a long time to gain the balance I need to hold the cello in the proper position so you can only imagine at how long it took for me to learn everything father taught me. Li-like father telling me the positions my left hoof must be in to perform the right notes, then the pressure I must carefully apply with my hoof to keep the right notes in harmony, but I can never forget is father standing behind him slowly guiding my right hoof with his hoof to a piece from Bach while his voice is soft yet loving as he teaches me to play.” Octavia ends with a smile for Gold Sky. “I’m glad your father taught you how to play the cello, you’re so blessed to be with ever talented father.” In midst of Gold Sky’s words Octavia and Allegro Note share the mutual thought of the stallion being secretly saddened by the fact his parents died at a young age and hears about a daughter learning an extraordinary talent through the guidance of a father. Both feel for Gold Sky though Octavia feels the most at how she laughed at him, nonetheless, a sip of wine is taken given how the somewhat stale yet leathery notes of the wine can create an unthought-of amount of courage to this little question. “Gold Sky, did you, uhm, I-I wonder if you can remember a moment you spent with your father…tha-that is if y-you don’t mind of course.” “I don’t partake.” His nose picked up the scent of wine approaching from behind and placed his hoof over his cup to prevent Pinkie from filling his cup without permission. “Okay.” Pinkie hops away. *sigh* Gold Sky can hear the voice of his father telling him life isn’t always going to be lived by the pathways of honor but despite this, having honor is what separates the weak ponies from the strong ponies. For the weak ponies are leeches and the strong ponies are wolves because once the leeches have their toll on the strong they will be seized and thrown in the fire. Quite the message a father will give to his young son but in the end it is a message that’s necessary for the father knows that every society will eventually collapse or will spilt with the strong being the only honorable ones while the weak being the dishonorable ones leech onto the strong. So the son, who with the father’s guidance becomes strong he will know what not to be and when the eventual collapse comes the strong son only needs to stand by and watch the dishonorable weak die off one by one because the honorable strong son tried in vain to help the weak becomes strong so when the weak start begging for help, he only needs to remind them of the chances he gave them now they must suffer for their choices for being leeches. It is inevitable and Gold Sky unsurprisingly waits for this to come upon this utopia called Equestria given how he lived in the Griffon Republic...more importantly he passed down the advice his father gave him to the little Griffon he’s been watching over. “My father has taught me that honor is the only way to live in this dishonorable world, even though yes, my honor will be exploited at times and will always be a possibility of unending hardship but it will allow me to stay strong against the dishonorably weak who always have the tendency to distort what’s is right and wrong.” Allegro Note who was going to ask something was beaten to the punch by his daughter making him see, he and Octavia must share the same thoughts without even knowing it. “Your father sounded like the stern but wise type of father if I’m not overstepping my bounds here.” Gold Sky shakes his head telling the gray mare she has not overstepped any bounds. “Wise yes, but stern? Oh no he was never stern at all, he was very loving, joyful, thoughtful, and yes as I said before, very wise. I can always know that if I need to find shelter from anything that frightens me then I know I can always find it under my father’s comforting wing, his wing protected me and his wisdom filled me with early teachings I needed.” He suddenly pauses for a few seconds to look down thinking what he should say next so he does not be taken over by sadness while as he thinks he passes his left hoof over his chin. However, Octavia and Allegro Note take Gold Sky’s pause as a moment to keep himself from crying about his memory about his father. “How can this stallion go through such heartbreak at an early age and yet be so decent today??” Allegro Note wonders only to remind himself his time with Octavia is going to be met with the same fate as Gold Sky’s father. “The one thing I desire is my father giving me the teachings to make me a more honorable stallion.” Gold Sky drinks the rest of his drink to mark an end of his little remembrance of Silver Wind. Suddenly without the slightest hint of letting intentions be known to the gray mare and the painted or pinto stallion, Allegro Note with a frozen daze on his face gets up from the table and leaves to go to the bathroom. “Father?” Octavia calls out to the stallion. “I’ll be right back sweetheart.” For the first time as in ever Allegro Note makes no eye contact with Octavia as he speaks. “Need to go.” “Uhhh…” Gold Sky unknowingly sounds off his indecision to use his telepathy on Allegro Note to figure out his out of the blue emotions. “Don’t worry!” Octavia touches his hoof with hers. “He sometimes gets the urge to go in most of unexpected circumstances.” The gray mare makes up something for her father’s escapade. “Oh well…” Gold Sky decides not to read Allegro Note’s mind. “Can you tell me how you came to play that piece so perfectly?” Gold Sky knows he doesn’t need to tell Octavia which piece he’s referring to. Octavia’s ears perk forward to Gold Sky’s unmeasurable curiosity for her music along with his unending eye contact of which she isn’t unnerved by. “Well, father introduced me to that Bach piece a few months after I showed him I’m starting to get the hang of my cello at an intermediate level. So he gave me that piece after he played it first so I can record it in my mind then as I play it I can know where I made my mistakes, replay the piece in my mind, sync it to my physical practice over and over again until I CEASE playing the piece in my mind and listen to the well-practiced perfection that comes after hard work.” “Wow…that’s amazing.” While in his mind he tells himself how beautiful Octavia’s eyes are. “I wish I had your mental yet tactile approach of memorization then physical interpretation through your flawless motion of your arms.” Octavia touches his hoof again causing him to blush through this physical contact. “I don’t know why I’m feeling this strange warm feeling inside of me? I-I-I-I mean why am I feeling weird if she j-ju-just touched my hoo-hoo-hoof??” Though even though the warm feeling is weird enough, the fact is he hears his mental voice stutter like he’s physically speaking makes this all the more unknown for his over two hundred year old mind to process. “I can hear his heartbeat speeding up again. Oh he’s so sweet.” Octavia tells herself. *** In the bathroom. Allegro Note, with a towel over his mouth suppresses his dreadful coughs he knows will frighten his dearest daughter forcing her to put aside her rising recognition and destroy whatever progress she’s made in her performances. “Gold Sky lost his mother and father and now-“ The stallion places the towel over his mouth to suppress his coughs. “Oh my Great Spirit! Why am I going to die…! Why am I going to die just when my dear Octavia is getting everything she deserves. Just like Gold Sky she is going to experience heartbreak when I leave her.” Allegro Note looks into the eyes of his reflection noticing their pink and with tears to give hearty proof to that. “I wish I can see my wife, ooooh who am I kidding, Octavia will be displeased for the fact I still love Harmonic Breeze despite betraying me and abandoning Octavia. Oh my dear daughter I’m all you have in this world. You love me, adore me, and think of me constantly and I love you with all my heart Octavia.” Allegro Note places his right hoof over his dying lungs. “I wish I can walk you down the aisle…” *Sniffle* Some tears run down his face. “Hug my grandchildren.” He falls to his rump silently weeping for the future he will not be a part of. “See my Octavia hug her husband as she smiles at him.” A long sigh escapes from his mouth prompting him to get up and wash his face to erase any signs of his weeping. “At least Redheart said I have enough time though not enough to be a part of what I’ll be missing. Still! I’ll be spending plenty of time with dearest daughter and maybe just maybe see something blossom between her and Gold Sky, heh, can’t believe I found a stallion I approve of in just the first encounter.” Allegro Note leaves the bathroom to rejoin Octavia and Gold Sky. “Father, you took quite a long time in their…uhh did you drink too much cranberry juice??” Octavia asks. Allegro Note shakes his head as he sits down smiling so lovingly at his daughter then smiles kindly at Gold Sky. “Gold Sky if you don’t mind can you please tell me how your parents died?” Octavia’s face becomes worried and again touches Gold Sky’s hoof to ease him of any pain. “My parents died of the T8 Encephalic Virus.” The voice Gold Sky uses makes Allegro Note feel pain for his coming end and Octavia living without him. “T8 Encephalic virus?” Repeats the gray mare. “It’s a virus that’s transmitted by airborne particles and once it’s breathed in by a host the virus clings on to red blood cells and travels to the brain and once in the brain that’s when the end commences. Oh Great Spirit…” Gold Sky chokes up. “I was so young yet I remember it with every part of my spirit…” Suddenly the stallion composes himself. “The virus, once inside brain begins latching on to the neurons and infects the cell by corrupting the nucleus with its own DNA forcing and by force, I mean that neurons do not divide like normal cells but the virus corrupts the neuron into doing so and given how neurons travel fast the viruses uses the nerve cells to travel rapidly throughout the brain along it spread. Of course, given its ability to corrupt the nerve cells it also has a fast gestation period allowing for fast reproduction overwhelming the host’s immune system.” Octavia now reflects the same shade of curiosity Gold Sky had for her music. “What does the virus do to the brain?” “Well after the corrupted neuron produces viruses it dies and because neurons are the main form of communication between the body systems everything starts going haywire. Therefore, due to neurons being unable to transmit messages then the muscles can’t move as desired, the natural pacemaker won’t control the heart rate, the PH levels in the blood can drop creating a more acidic environment killing the red blood cells…however, this only happens for the lucky ones.” “What!” Both Allegro Note and Octavia screech at the same time. “What do you mean those are the lucky ones when everything you’re saying sounds horrible!” Elegant with the grace of simple shrug Gold Sky continues. “The T8 Encephalic virus isn’t like other viruses, no, this virus has a mind of its own for it can choose to either infect the neurons or infect the brain itself turning the once living brain tissue into black necrotic tissue.” “Necrotic?” Octavia does not know what that word even means and it sounds more like a noise ushered out of Gold Sky’s lips than a word per se. Now it’s Gold Sky’s turn to amaze Octavia with his knowledge. “Necrotic means dead tissue. Wherever there’s dead tissue in the brain then you will expect a direct path to the end…this is how my parents died slow, painful, for wherever there’s necrotic brains tissue there is a body system shutting down. The T8 Encephalic virus came upon Equestria like a surprise attack, killing many upon ponies. Sadly my parents happened to be in their number, as for me, I was exposed to the virus but never got infected telling me my immune system is unique like the virus itself.” *Long sigh* “Fortunately Nurse Redheart creating a vaccine against the virus but she was five months too late.” Gold Sky shakes his cup having Pinkie Pie refill his cup with sarsaparilla. “Any who thanks to Redheart none of you will ever have the opportunity to experience the T8 Encephalic virus.” Allegro Note with his ears can pick the saddened frequency that the stallion wishes to continue talking about his parents but can’t due to the reason Gold Sky will end up trekking into the agonizing sorrow making this little hearty get together sour for the three of them. “Gold Sky happily talked about his father now perhaps if I ask him he’ll be more than happy to talk about his mother.” *ting* “I’m more than sure Octavia will be made uncomfortable at the sheer mention of mother. Still, Octavia will be nice to just listen and smile despite being angered inside and going cold.” So for the sake of keeping this get together from going sour. “Gold Sky can you please tell us about your loving mother? I’m just very curious if you don’t mind.” Clearly as he predicted, Allegro feels Octavia squirm a bit in her seat. Gold Sky’s ears perk back up foreshadowing the reemergence of his typical happy touch in his voice. “Just like father where can I begin with mother!” A quiet yet unnoticeable groan is unheard by Gold Sky and Allegro Note yet Allegro Note knows she’s getting filled with dire darkness about any connection to mother. Octavia detests the word Mother. Octavia abhors the mention of the maternal figure. Octavia in the deepest crevice of her mind Hates her mother… and sadly what will give justification for Octavia’s hatred for Harmonic Breeze is Allegro Note’s cancer being present due to his heartbreak of Harmonic Breeze’s making his body become frail. But. Octavia for the sake of wanting to see Gold Sky happy smiles as he tells her about his mother encouraging him to continue while inside. “I hate Harmonic Breeze.” To be fair Octavia will not the stain the pure definition of mother by putting it in the same sentence with the name Harmonic Breeze. *** In the palace. “Tia?” Cadance with her telepathy can sense being a bit too lukewarm than usual. “What’s wrong??” The Princess of the Sun’s horn glows dropping a Sapphire representing Rarity, a fire Ruby representing Rainbow Dash, a small pink Tourmaline representing Fluttershy, and lastly the biggest gem which is an Amethyst represents Twilight Sparkle. “Uhh are you starting to collect gems Tia?” Cadance asks. Celestia shakes her head. “Each gem represents Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle.” “What about Applejack and Pinkie Pie?” A wave of the hoof tells Cadance everything that’s going to come. “Forget about them Cadance, the real question is why? Why am I allowing my son to develop emotions that will eventually evolve into love for an Earth Pony?” “Wha-what!!!?” Cadance can’t believe what she just thought she heard. “You heard me Cadance. My son deserves to be with a Unicorn or a Pegasus not an Earth pony, and if I have to play hoof into this then so be it.” The Princess of Love does not approve any of this. “So you’re going to micro-manage your son’s life even if it means by trying to control who he wants to fall in love with!?” Princess Celestia levitates the Amethyst in front of Cadance telling the cerise mare who Gold Sky deserves to be with. “Though it hurts me having to do this to him but it will be for his benefit for it is as it is said.” “And what in the bloody hell will that be Tia?” Cadance nearly growls. “A mother knows best.” --- My dearest Readers as always I thank you for your infinite patience.