Soren felt amazingly happy as this week came to a close. He spent the last six days with Octavia in Canterlot. She had a performance in the country's capital city and was given a small house to spend the week in. Since it was Canterlot, a 'small house' was quite pretty. It had a simply layout and furniture, overlooked part of the city, and had a guest bedroom, which is why Octavia invited Soren to tag along.
Throughout the week, the two practiced together and enjoyed the sights that Canterlot had to offer. It has been awhile since they have gotten to spend any lengthy time together. Soren was always dragged into some adventure without his consent before he could properly spend time with his sister. They were both glad this week has been very enjoyable and relaxing. After tomorrow, Soren would return to Ponyville, but Octavia would spend another week in Canterlot with her parents.
Outside of practicing for official performance, Octavia wanted to practice a personal performance with Soren. They would play this together at the end of the week, which was today. Octavia's last official performance for this trip was in the afternoon. Later tonight, her and Soren would perform together when the amphitheater was vacant.
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Soren woke up feeling pretty well-rested for a change; he needed to go on trips like these more often. So far every morning has been like this. He walked downstairs into the kitchen to make breakfast. He was greeted by the sight of a smiling Octavia enjoying tea and a croissant at the kitchen table. She had slight bed head and was dressed in morning wear while looking out of the window at the rising sun. It was quite a sight for Soren.
"I just realized that you always wake up early to see the sunrise," Soren commented softly to not startle her. Octavia simply nodded and sipped her tea.
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Octavia's afternoon performance went without a hitch. The crowd adored her ensemble, and Octavia was pleased they weren't too picky like many years ago. That was the reason she left Canterlot in the first place.
As her and Soren walked back to the house, she explained to him that she was going to try something a bit different during their performance. She felt experimentation was needed. Soren didn't object and was very interested in what she would do. Octavia explained that she would get ready and leave to make sure the amphitheater was empty. Soren would have to wait in his guest room until she left, then he would take a violin and met her there. He was a little curious why he had to wait for her to leave, but he knew it was part of her experimentation. Plus, she probably wanted to surprise him with something.
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This particular amphitheater in Canterlot is used for operas, play, orchestras, and ensembles. The enclosed space would create too much noise for Soren's band, thus he never suggested the venue. Closing the backdoor of the building, Soren walked through backstage towards the main room. With a violin strapped to his back, Soren entered the stage.
He immediately saw a determined-looking Octavia facing the empty seats, leaning against her cello with one hoof propped against the back of it and her bow in her mouth. He also noticed the unique style Octavia was wearing. Her hair had pink highlights, and she has pink eyeliner. Her clip-on bow had a gold collar instead of white, and she had a temporary tattoo of her cutie mark by one of her eyes.
Turning her head, Octavia relaxed when she saw Soren then nodded to him. He took his position to her rear left. Octavia readied herself and faced the empty crowd. She began to play in a decently fast tempo, building up slightly until her cello almost matched the deeper tones of the violin. Midway through the song, Soren noticed that Octavia's bow had something shiny all over it. He only noticed it now because as Tavi played swiftly, the glittering on her bow turned into sparks. The tip of Octavia's bow caught on fire. She obviously planned for this because she swiped her bow away from the cello, creating a curving fire stream. The fire was quickly put out as she finished the song.
Soren was beyond impressed, both at Octavia's outfit and her flaming bow. She smiled at Soren stunned reaction.
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Later that same day, almost at midnight, Soren couldn't sleep; he didn't know why. Finding nothing else to do, he trotted to Octavia's room, hoping she was still awake. He knocked on her door and was surprised by an immediate response for him to come in.
Soren opened the door and saw Octavia laying on her bed, dressed in a pink robe with her hair done nice. She was reading a book but ignored it when Soren entered. He couldn't help but notice how cute she looked.
"I couldn't sleep. I just wanted to pass the time till I felt tired."
"That's fine. I've been meaning to speak with you before you left tomorrow."
"What about?"
"I just wanted to say how much I enjoy our time together. You're one of the only ponies I truly enjoy being around." She blushed slightly and looked away with uncertainty. "You're kind, funny, carefree, and...quite handsome for someone who doesn't groom themselves."
"Octavia...do you like m—"
"I'm sorry. I just...you're technically adopted, and ponies have certain thought they can't avoid—"
"Tavi...it's fine, but...I can't say I feel the same, even if I wasn't already with Rainbow Dash. You're amazing to be around, but I don't know."
"That's quite alright. At least it wasn't utter rejection. I'm glad." Soren walked up to Octavia's bed. He smiled at her, which made her smile back while a little embarrassed. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"Don't worry about it, alright? I'll always be here for you. Whether you want me to still be your brother or a just a friend to flirt with, I won't abandon you." Soren began walking away.
"Are...are you being serious?" He stopped in the doorway of her room and looked back.
"Do I sound like I'm joking? Goodnight, Tavi." He left, leaving Octavia with a smile and something to think about it.
(End)