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// Chapter 4 The Concert 
// Story: Octavia x Rarity 
// by Ryan Hambrick 
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Chapter 4: The Concert
Octavia was nervous, more nervous than she remembered being since, well forever. She never got this way, not once in her life, especially not when she was about to go up on stage and perform a solo in the West Side Theatre, named such as it was on the west side of Canterlot. She shook as she opened her cello case, slowly taking it out in the backroom behind the stage. As she started to reach and grab her bow she jumped at a sound.
“Octavia, you are on in 10.” The director colt called out. She replied and thanked him for the warning. “Also, you apparently have a visitor, not sure when they’ll be here though.” He said which confused Octavia. She had never had visitors, and grew up orphaned on the streets so she knew no kin. Who in Equestria could possibly come to visit? She pondered the thought in her mind wondering more and more but finding no answers. As she began to tune the cello string by string, then note by note, making sure that everything functioned as it should so there would be no mishaps at the concert, she heard her door open.
“Miss Octavia, do you mind if I come in for just a moment?” An elegant voice rang through into the room. Octavia’s jaw slightly dropped, still facing away from the door as that voice drifted back into her ears. She remembered the voice, even though she had heard so many since then she remembered the ring to it, the airy almost ghost like charm in it. She quickly closed her mouth, took a deep breath to contain herself and accidently said with a somewhat authoritative voice.
“I don’t see how that could hurt.” She quickly realized what she had done, but was not sure how to fix it. It sounded as if she were still mad at Rarity for the last concert, even though she knew full well she wasn’t. She heard the white unicorn take a step back.
“No, please don’t go, I… I didn’t mean to come off as harsh, I was just-…. Just…..” she trailed off.
“Nervous?” Rarity asked, hoping that she wasn’t wrong and offended her again. “I know the feeling quite well.” She admitted looking down at the ground in front of her hooves. “It took a lot for me to come here tonight, I didn’t know if seeing you was a good idea, I though you may still dislike me for the last time we met.”
Octavia’s ears pricked up at this and she wondered if Rarity had been worried about this as long as she had and turned around to see the white unicorn in a lovely pink dress that reminded Octavia of her own eyes.
“Now that I think of it, I don’t recall ever getting your name.” Octavia commented thinking it was rather strange that Rarity had learned her name but never given her own.
“Oh Celestia, how could I have been so rude? My name is Rarity, Miss Octavia.” She bowed her head in a formal greeting that showed her respect and some grace. “I came to give you a gift before your performance.” Octavia looked at Rarity, wondering what gift she could have possibly brought.
“Well, now’s a better time than any, I don’t have very long before I have to perform.” Octavia explained to her.
“Oh of course, I made it especially so it wouldn’t hinder you in physical ability or the amount of time you have to work with.” She said, Octavia’s eyes growing bright at the thought of somepony making her something. “Here it is.” Rarity pulled out the dress carefully with her mouth and let it flow down to the floor softly, making sure there was nothing that would stain it. Octavia’s jaw dropped slightly once more, Rarity now able to see this smiled. “You do like it don’t you? I wasn’t sure seeing as you hardly ever wear that much for your concerts, no doubt so your playing is not hindered in any way…” Rarity trailed off while Octavia only looked at the dress in awe.
“It is beautiful, and you say you made it so it won’t interfere with my playing at all?” she asked, Rarity shaking her head happily knowing that this pleased her. “But I couldn’t have you tie this in such a short amount of time before the show.” She said in disarray. Rarity explained how she had managed to fix that problem as well, showing her the elastic bands that would stretch and fit to a ponies body without the need of knots and strings. 
Rarity went over to Octavia to help her put it on, however the grey pony slightly backed away from her.
“Um, wouldn’t it be easier to use your magic for this?” she asked Rarity. Rarity looked puzzled, almost forgetting the fact that she could use magic and realized how close she had gotten to Octavia in the short time she was trying to get the dress on. She lifted up the dress with her magic, slightly off at first for she hadn’t used magic for the past few days at all.
“I must apologize for that, Octavia, I hadn’t used my magic while I was making this dress, and I suppose I had just forgotten that magic even existed in those few days.” Rarity smiled at the silly statement. As Rarity smiled, Octavia began to smile back at her, happy in the understanding of what Rarity had done just for her. They began staring at one another now.
“Octavia you have 5 until places!” the director pony said, snapping both of them out of their trance. 
“I’ll be sitting in the front row.” Rarity smiled as she looked at how well the dress complimented Octavia.
“After the show, would you possibly want to go get a drink with me? I know the best bar in all of Canterlot.” Octavia smiled as Rarity smiled back once more.
“That would be absolutely lovely.” Rarity’s smiles were now seemingly plastered on her face. “Break a hoof out there.” She winked as she left the room to allow Octavia to prepare the rest of her things before she went out on stage. Rarity found her seat very easily as it was marked with the royal seal, left there for her by Princess Celestia. She sat and waited for the show to start and thought of how happy Octavia looked when she had the dress on.
Octavia hurried and cleaned her cello, making sure there was no rosin dust that had fallen on while she had practiced the last few days. Joy ran through her heart and soul that Rarity did not hate her, and even in fact had forgiven her over the petty squabble. She looked at herself in the dressing room mirror and could help but notice how wonderful the dress looked on her, even finding Rarity had left a place specifically for her bow tie. She smiled at herself in the mirror, but more so through the mirror, through the dress, at Rarity. She picked up her cello with confidence now, not in the least bit uncertain about her abilities to perform as she knew she could. She walked onto the stage, taking her place in the middle behind closed curtains. She readied her cello and bow for the moment the red silk was drawn to the sides of the stage and the lights went up.
After they cued the lights, Octavia hit a heavy low note, having it ring out in the entire theatre sending chills up every pony’s spine. Her eyes closed as she down at her cello playing. Ponies in the audience questioned at the lovely dress, and Rarity could hear the envy of many ponies ‘Where could I get such a lovely dress?’ or ‘She must pay her tailor a fortune now.’ Although some were more joking than others. Octavia seemed to not mind the murmurs in the crowed at all, and continued to play. The tempo of the music had picked up substantially and the grey pony was now moving so quickly some wondered how she even knew what she was doing. Rarity admired the pure talent that Octavia had, as well as all of the hard work that must have been put into practicing for such a large event. But the truth was, Octavia had never played this piece, nor had she ever seen it written down on paper. She was playing purely from her heart and soul, sending it through the medium which was her cello.
The concert consisted of more classical pieces that Octavia gave slight bits of flare to as she played. Rarity heard in the audience critics who were discussing out loud.
“I’ve never heard Octavia improvise like this before.”
“Especially not at a concert.” They began to say “Although, it’s quite a nice thing hearing something that we all know, but having newer melodies to it here and there.” The critic smiled as he wrote down a witty statement that he had just come up with.
“I agree entirely, I wonder what set her off to do something so amazing though.”
“Don’t we all, but she won’t talk to the press, we’ll just have to make something up I suppose.” The critic smiled and nudged the other one with a wink.” 
Rarity enjoyed the performance, from the beginning to the end, sitting on the very edge of her seat all the way through. The passion and emotions that rolled through the theatre reached as far back as the 3rd level box seats that were 150 seats behind Rarity. She didn’t notice all of the other ponies showing the same emotions that she felt so far back as her eyes remained fixated on the one thing that she had come to see, Octavia performing. It had been some time since Rarity had been to a concert, and she had forgotten how long they were, normally. But along with every other pony in the audience, when the curtains closed, they begged for more, not wanting the emotional rollercoaster to end just yet. 
No matter how much each pony in the crowed fussed and whined, the fact was that the curtains had already been drawn, and the last song preformed. Many ponies found that it was more than enough to satisfy them, but still craved more, others had thought that it was more than they had ever paid for a concert that Octavia was playing. Rarity, didn't really notice a difference because it was the first time she had ever heard the amazing Earth Pony's performance. Needless to say, Rarity was the first in the crowed to stand and applaud the performance when it had concluded.
Rarity walked back to the back room, one of the bouncers nodding to her as he let her pass. She went in to the hallway with the door to Octavia's room. She was nervous, and so many things were flying around her head, if Octavia liked performing in the dress, if she had done a good enough job to appease herself, and even what they would be drinking. What mattered now of course was that she congratulate Octavia on her stunning performance, and get ready to go have a drink or two with, what she believe was a new friend. As she approached the door, hooves could be heard passing back and forth in the room.