Under the twilight sky, the Canterlot Opera House was buzzing with activity as crowds of ponies filed into the esteemed theater. One of Canterlot’s most sought after musicians was performing tonight. Furthermore, her shows were few and far between, making them a rare treat for many.
The excited chatter and noises of the building audience rumbled through the air as ponies found their seats and eagerly awaited for the show to start, their clamor penetrating through the stage’s curtains where a lone pony resided.
Octavia stood behind the barrier with her cello and bow in her hooves. Even though the din was growing louder and louder, her face was blank as her eyes just stared straight ahead at the curtains in front of her. Other than the occasional sigh, she made no sound or movement, even when the audience had started to quiet down.
Only when the curtains started to ascend did Octavia raise her head a little, allowing her to stare at the horde of ponies watching her every move. Her expression remain unchanged as the crowd gave her a round of polite applause.
When the audience settled down, Octavia gave a barely perceivable curtsy, and without any warning or introduction, she raised her bow to her cello and immediately started playing.
Shortly after her performance began, her eyes closed. Everypony disappeared as she blocked out her surroundings until all that was left was her and her playing. Immersing herself in the music, she allowed her heart to guide her hooves.
A chilling melody flowed from Octavia to fill the theater. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed that a good deal of the audience were leaning forward in their seats, watching her with rapt attention. A few ponies had even gave a shiver. Despite the somber atmosphere her music was creating, she had captured their attention.
Not once did her eyes open, and there was barely a pause between each piece, all the way to the end. As abrupt as the beginning of her performance, Octavia finished the last song of the night by allowing the hoof holding her bow to slide off the cello’s strings and limply hang to her side. Finally opening her eyes, she saw that although a few ponies were giving her odd looks, the majority of the audience seemed pleased with her performance and started a rather enthusiastic round of applause.
Their ovation quickly died down when Octavia suddenly made her way off the stage, giving no more than a small bow before her departure. Leaving behind the confused murmurs, she headed straight for her dressing room, sparing no more than a word to any of the theater’s workers who greeted her.
As soon as she made it to her room, she let out a sigh and slowly commenced packing away her bow and cello. While taking the time to rearrange and clean the contents of the cello’s case, she paused as a surge of memories surged to the forefront of her mind. After staring at her cello case for a few moments, she quickly shook her head and sealed her case shut before slinging it onto her back.
She proceeded to make her way out of the dressing room and towards the opera house’s back door. Taking a peek outside, she saw no other ponies were around. Most of the audience were probably still exiting the theater from the opposite side, and the opera house’s employees were busy with the clean up and setting up for whatever show was going on tomorrow. With the coast clear, she slinked out of the building and into the streets of Canterlot.
Instead of heading straight home herself, Octavia walked away in a different direction. It was late and dark enough for her to traverse the city without meeting anypony. After a few minutes of trotting through the streets, she arrived at a familiar viewpoint that overlooked the land below.
With a sigh, she gently laid down her cello and went up to the barrier, folding her forehooves onto the stone surface and resting her head on them. With the stars and the moon cloaked behind the clouds, there was not much that could be seen in the dark night except for a certain town down below. Like many previous days, she had found herself drawn to this same spot, and every time her attention was fixed on nothing else but Ponyville.
She did not know exactly why she kept on coming back. It was where she had started the chain of events that led to the ruination of the best thing she ever had, and all it did was refresh the emptiness and pain that still lingered from that fateful day. Perhaps it was her way of clinging onto the memories she made, both the good and bad, or maybe it was a grim reminder of what happened when she allowed her emotions to get the better of her. Whatever the reason, it was a place for her to spend time alone with her thoughts.
Her mind pondered over many different things, the past, present, and future, but it would always eventually focus on one thing. She was so engrossed in her reflection that she had no idea how much time had passed nor when a light drizzle had started. Despite the inclement weather, she stayed put. She had endured worse conditions.
Her trance was broken when the rain suddenly stopped hitting her and the faint hum of unicorn magic. When she looked up, she did not see the sky, but instead an umbrella bathed in a pink glow. She turned around to see Fancy Pants and Fleur standing under their own umbrella held in Fancy Pants’s golden magic.
“We figured we would find you here,” Fancy Pants remarked.
“Come, let’s get you home,” bade Fleur. “The rain is only going to get worse, and it wouldn’t do for you to get sick.”
Octavia gave a slow nod and muttered a small thank you before picking up her cello and allowed herself to be led away.
On the way back to her place, Octavia remained silent as her listless gaze focused on the ground. Fancy Pants and Fleur walked in front of her, also keeping silent, but she noticed that they were taking turns to occasionally look back and check up on her. When they arrived at her place, Octavia opened the door and wordlessly welcomed her friends in.
“Would you like me to brew some tea for you?” Fleur asked.
“Yes, that would be nice if it’s not too much trouble for you,” Octavia replied.
“It’s no trouble at all,” Fleur said with a nod before going into the kitchen.
Octavia made her way to take a seat in the living room as Fancy Pants also excused himself. Now that her musing was pushed to the side and not fully occupying her attention, she realized that her fur had managed to get decently drenched, and her body gave a small shiver from the chill.
Her vision was suddenly obscured when a towel was dropped over her head. Parting the fabric from her face, she saw Fancy Pants shooting her with a small smirk. She retaliated with a flat look before proceeded to dry herself off and rub some warmth back into her body.
“How are you feeling?” Fancy Pants asked when she finished.
“Better, now that I am out of the rain and relatively dry,” Octavia answered, draping the tower around her back.
Fancy Pants shook his head. “While that’s good to hear, you know that’s not what I’m really asking about. This isn’t the first time Fleur and I found you out there, and from the looks of it, I’m pretty sure you would still be out there had we not intervened.”
“I…” Octavia sighed as her eyes drifted to the side. “You’re probably right. I always lose track of time. I know it’s a bad habit, but I can’t help it. I keep on having the urge to go back there, and when I do, my mind starts to wander, and I end up getting lost in my thoughts.”
“About her,” Fancy Pants added.
Octavia silently nodded.
“It’s been over two months, dear,” Fleur remarked as she strode into the room with a tray containing a trio of mugs filled with steaming tea. “Maybe it’s time to move on.”
“I’m not going to forget her, if that’s what you’re asking me to do,” Octavia quickly replied.
Fleur shook her head and levitated one of the cups towards Octavia. “Of course not. We’re merely just suggesting that you try and spend less time dwelling on it.”
Octavia sighed and grabbed the cup that was offered to her. After taking a sip of the hot tea, she felt a little better as the warmth chased away the last remnants of cold and put a bit of sustenance in her. Unfortunately, it did nothing to soothe the ache within her heart.
“Believe me, I have tried,” Octavia said, “but it’s… it’s just too hard. I just feel… wrong without her around. I still don’t understand how everything fell apart. We had spent so much time together and were so close to each other. I really did think that the two of us would have worked out.”
“You aren’t the only one who thought that,” Fleur said as she sat down next to Fancy Pants. “Even before you explained why you were thinking of moving to Ponyville, we saw how the two of you acted around each other and suspected your friendship would evolve into something bigger. It came as a big surprise to us when you eventually told us what happened between the two of you.”
“And I’m glad I decided to,” Octavia said, a very faint smile upon her face. “The both of you have been such a great help in consoling me and making sure I’m taking care of myself.”
“It is our pleasure, dear,” Fleur replied. “A broken heart is one of the most painful things that can happen to you, and you should not have to suffer through it alone. It’s similar to how I felt back when Fancy Pants had to return to Canterlot, and I stayed in Prance.”
“This is different. At least, you didn’t try to push each other away,” Octavia muttered.
Fancy Pants and Fleur silently stared at her. After a few moments, Octavia sighed. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me.”
“It’s alright, we know you’re still upset and not yourself,” said Fleur.
“That’s no excuse. You two have always been so nice to me. I cannot thank you two enough for being such wonderful friends.”
“Well, we have to do something in our free time,” Fancy Pants said with a chuckle, earning him a glare from Fleur. Clearing his throat he continued, “Anyway, speaking of friends, do you recall that Fleur and I visited Ponyville not too long ago?”
Octavia felt herself flinch ever so slightly. “To meet with Rarity, I presume?” she asked in an even tone.
Fancy Pants nodded. “She sends her regards to you, as well as the rest of your other friends. They’re glad that you have been keeping in contact with them through the occasional letter, although they were a bit miffed that you always danced around talking about Applejack. Even though you nor Applejack have told them what happened, I wouldn’t be surprised if they figured at least some of it out.”
“I think it would be best if I left that up to her. She sees them everyday, and it might cause them to look at her differently. When she’s ready, she should be the one who should explain it to them.” Octavia bit her lip. “Did… Did you get a chance to see her?”
“Well… um…” Fancy Pants sighed and shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. She supposedly was busy during our stay.”
“Oh,” Octavia muttered as her head hung down. “After all this time and she still doesn’t want to contact me. I… I guess she really is breaking things off with me.”
“Don’t say that,” said Fleur. “She’s probably feeling as confused as you are. We all seen how great the two of you were together. Even though you had a huge falling out, it doesn’t mean you won’t get back together again. Just give it some time.”
“I guess…” Octavia mumbled. “I just wish that this wasn’t so hard on me. It’s difficult for me to really enjoy my music, and I spend a lot of time just thinking. I often wonder if I gave up too soon or what I could have done differently to change the outcome.”
“What’s done is done,” Fancy Pants stated. “You just have to do your best to keep on moving forward. You don’t have to do anything drastic like changing right away, but you can’t keep on living like this. It’s not good for your health, and well… there’s the matter of your career. Tell me, have you been keeping up with what the media has been saying about you?”
“No,” Octavia answered. “I just haven’t felt the need to.”
“I thought not. Well, in case you haven’t noticed, your stellar appearance at the royal wedding has garnered you a lot of attention. Not only that, but many critics have been praising your recent performances,” Fancy Pants explained.
“But?” Octavia queried.
“With so many eyes on you now, ponies have noticed your change in behavior,” Fancy Pants answered. “You have been turning down numerous offers and requests to perform and avoiding interactions with other ponies. The few ponies who have gotten the chance to speak with you comment that you are more withdrawn and cold. There are a few theories floating around trying to explain why you are acting so different, some of them being quite outrageous.” A small smile appeared on his face. “Although I did thoroughly enjoy that one article that said you were actually a changeling. That was amusing.”
Fleur rolled her eyes and jabbed her hoof into her husband’s side before continuing the conversation. “Point is, we know you’re going through a tough time, but we thought it would be best to warn you about the situation you’re in. Right now, your musical performances overshadow the negative press, but you are still in quite a precarious position. To put it simply, if you are not careful, your reputation could suffer and make things very difficult for you.”
“I see…” Octavia slowly said with a frown. “Thank you for the warning.”
“Don’t worry about it too much,” Fancy Pants advised. “As long as you don’t do anything rash, you should be fine.”
Octavia nodded as the three of them used the lapse in the conversation to drink their tea. She hardly drank any of hers, instead using the free time to assess her situation. She should have known that the change in her behavior was going to draw attention. While she was still able to perform on stage, she had become a bit of an introvert because of the breakup.
The real kicker was her music. Applejack’s teachings were ingrained in her mind. Her music was certainly better than before now, but whenever she played, it was both a stinging and comforting reminder of everything that had transpired.
I guess this is how Applejack feels whenever she is alone with her fiddle, Octavia mused. I wonder if she is at her secret spot, playing her fiddle right now?
“A bit for your thoughts?” Fancy Pants asked.
Octavia blinked and looked up at the stallion. “I’m sorry?”
“You have been silently eyeing your cup for the past few minutes. Either you have found a sudden fascination for your cup, or your mind had started to drift off again.”
Octavia sighed. “Yes, I was thinking again. About her. I just can’t get her out of my head. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“I understand that she asked you to stay in Canterlot, but perhaps you should go see her,” Fleur suggested.
Octavia bit her lip. “I… I don’t know. The last time I went after her resulted in our separation. I’m afraid of what will happen if I do try and see her. It could very much make things worse and destroy any hope of us getting back together. She could very well grow to resent me, and I don’t think I can take that.” She let out a groan and covered her face with a forehoof. “I don’t know what to do.”
“There, there” comforted Fancy Pants. “No need to get worked up. We don’t have to think about that now. I also think it would be best if you see her again, but it doesn’t have to be now. You can do it when you’re feeling better and feel that the both of you would be ready. Who knows, maybe an opportunity might come up later on.”
The sound of a hoof pounding on the door interrupted their conversation, causing Octavia and Fleur to gawk at Fancy Pants.
“I swear I did not plan that,” said Fancy Pants.
“Then who could that be at this hour?” Fleur asked as she turned to Octavia. “Were you expecting somepony?”
“No, I wasn’t. I’m just as surprised as you are,” Octavia replied as she got up.
“Allow me,” Fancy Pants offered, getting up as well. “You just relax. You had a rough night.”
Octavia blinked before nodding. “Oh, um… thank you. I guess I might be a bit of a mess at the moment.”
“It’s no—” Fancy Pants was interrupted by another round of pounding on the door, this time more rapid than the last. “My, my, somepony is a bit impatient.”
Octavia sat back down while Fancy Pants left the room to answer the door. Grabbing her cup again, she took a long sip of the still warm tea.
“Where is she!?” a new voice yelled.
Octavia coughed and sputtered on her drink at the shout. That… That voice… Could it be?
Quickly putting her drink aside, she rushed out of the room. She let out a gasp at what she saw. There, standing at her doorstep, was a pony that she thought she would not see for a long time.
“Rainbow Dash?”