//------------------------------// // The Lily Blooms // Story: Where My Heart Lives // by D4ftP0ny //------------------------------// The rest of Rarity’s last business day in Canterlot went by in agonizing, painful slowness. She knew that she couldn’t close up her shop before her last customers came to get their dresses at the earliest and, at the latest, she would have to stay open until 5 p.m. to give all of her customers ample time to pick up their purchases and both options left a very excited and very emotional unicorn with very little to do in the confines of a small shop. At first, Rarity had tried simply distracting herself by cleaning, but that particular idea only lasted the length of time it had taken her to find the remains of her dress sketchbook lying atop a stack of boxes. As soon as her eyes had settled onto the few blank pages that lay within her tome of creativity, her excited, nervous energy grabbed hold of her muse and, within minutes, she had been sketching furiously away, her eyes bright and her horn glowing. After all, she had the time – why not make herself a brand new beautiful dress to wear to Octavia’s concert that night? She had sketched and sketched, her pencil flying over the pages as she drew up dress after dress after dress and, by the time her next customer had arrived at a quarter to eleven, she found herself faced with a half dozen of the most beautiful dresses she had ever designed. Each one was original, beautiful, and unique in presentation and color, but after her customer had picked up her order, Rarity had returned to the sketches and, after almost an hour of poking, prodding, and scrutinizing, had decided that none of them would work for her. They were beautiful, to be sure, but she thought that ultimately they would be more beautiful on somepony who was not her. And so it had gone for the rest of the day – Rarity had drawn multitudes of dresses, certain that she would eventually find one that was perfect for that night if she simply continued on, but before she knew it, she had handed her very last customer her very last dress and waved goodbye to her final business day at a little after four p.m. She had flipped the sign on her door from “Open” to “Closed” as something very close to panic started to build in her chest because it had been at that moment when the truth of her situation had finally hit Rarity like a mishandled muffin cart: she had not come up with a single dress design that she had liked despite having worked the entire day towards that specific goal and she’d gotten so swept up in trying to find the absolute perfect design that she’d lost track of time. Now, it was far too late to begin work on something brand new and original and, in spite of the giddy excitement Rarity had felt, a tinge of queasiness had crept into the back of her throat as she’d locked the door of the Boutique and turned for Fleur’s home. No matter, she’d thought as she had turned down the street towards her destination. I’m certain there’s something for me to work with back in my luggage! Two and a half hours and ninety percent of her possessions later, it slowly dawned on Rarity that a horrible, impossible thing had happened to her. “I have absolutely NOTHING to wear!” she cried aloud as she tossed yet another of her myriad of dresses onto the ever-increasing pile in the corner of her room, the vibrant flash of her magic illuminating the other various piles of clothing that had sprung into being during Rarity’s quest to find something suitable to wear. The unicorn sighed in exasperation as she frowned at the completely unhelpful little black dress that she’d discarded. “All of these clothes packed and for what?” She aimed a kick at the haphazard mountain of garments, her hoof making a soft thump into its side. “I packed outfits for all occasions in all kinds of weather and I don’t have ANYTHING suitable for this concert!” She let out an angry growl that would have echoed in her room if not for the sound absorbing capabilities of an acre of unfolded laundry that filled the space. “Dumb clothes!” Her eyes darted to the clock that had been restored to her nightstand just before the rain had started four days ago and, after removing one of the many lacy delicates that had come to decorate the room from the clock’s face with her magic, Rarity’s eyes widened in panic. “Dear Celestia… Seven o’clock already! I-I have to start getting ready, but–” her head swam slightly as she turned away from the clock and cast her eyes back to the various hills and mountains of shirts, skirts, dresses, and drapery that had proven useless to her, “–I can’t just go without wearing something!” The thought that she could simply not go to the concert flitted across her mind, but as quickly as it appeared, Rarity squashed it. No, no I will NOT miss this! She told herself firmly as she stalked along the edge of her bed, her hooves sliding through one of the only clear spots left on her floor. I’m going to this concert even if– she paused in her pacing and winced –even if I have to go without an amazing, memorable outfit for the occasion. The very thought made Rarity’s skin crawl, but with a shiver and a soft growl, she shook her head and turned a determined gaze out her window towards the setting sun as it cast its warm red glow over the city and her piles of clothes. “This isn’t just for you, Rarity,” she reminded herself quietly. “Octavia wants you to be there, and even if–” she winced again “–and even if she doesn’t reciprocate your feelings in quite the same way as you’d hoped, you have to go.” She lifted a hoof and clenched it firmly before her. “I have to be there for her, no matter what!” She finished after a moment, her voice soft. She stood amid the garment catastrophe for several long seconds, her expression resolute as she stared off into the distance, but as the seconds rolled into minutes, her eyes began to dart to the clothes around her once more and, after half a dozen heartbeats, she let out a sharp sigh. “All right, ONE more look around!” she muttered frantically. “I mean, just because I WILL go without an outfit doesn’t mean I WANT to!” Rarity’s hoofsteps faded from the clop of hoof against wood to an almost silent step as she waded through the knee-deep sea of clothing around her towards her empty closet, her ears twitching in panic. “Maybe there’s something shoved into the back! Something that I packed and don’t remember, perhaps?” It was a stretch and she knew it – after all, she’d remembered every OTHER outfit that she packed, so why would there be one she’d forgotten – but deep inside, she knew that she would not be satisfied until she had checked every last nook and cranny in this room for a potential outfit. Her horn lit up brilliantly and shifted a mound of clothing at least as big as she was out of her way as she shoved her way into the empty closet, her magic illuminating the interior of the sizeable space more brightly than any light bulb could have. “Something… ANYTHING..!” The blue of her magic fell across the neatly painted walls and ceiling of the closet as Rarity cast her gaze frantically around the miniature room and, after a moment of frantic glances about the inside of the closet, her eyes widened in surprise and shock. “I… I don’t BELIEVE it!” she breathed. The glow of her magic slowly expanded as she reached deeper into the closet and, as she stepped back into the cluttered space of her room, she brought with her the sole remaining contents of the luggage she’d brought from Ponyville: a broad, opaque dress bag with a hanger poking out the top, its contents causing the zippered bag to puff out on the sides. The unicorn turned away from the closet, her eyes wide and unblinking as she tried to take a step towards her bed. Her hoof stopped before she could get even halfway through her first step, however, and the moment was broken so abruptly that Rarity gave her head a small shake before sighing and making her way along the single winding path through the mountains of clothing to the side of her bed that remained clear. She levitated the bag along with her and, once she made it to her bedside, Rarity gave her horn a flick and brought the garment bag to rest atop her quilt reverently, her eyes bright with excitement. I don’t remember packing this, she thought as her magic released its hold on the entire bag and focused on the zipper that ran up the back of it. I suppose I brought enough clothing that it wouldn’t be a surprise if I’d forgotten packing something, but even so, it seems unlikely that I’d forget packing something this large. But whatever the reason or explanation may have been, Rarity wasn’t about to look a fortuitous dress in the hemline and her eyes widened as her magic pulled the zipper quickly about its track. The bag relaxed and, as soon as the zipper reached its end, the unicorn reached out and flipped the bag open with her hoof. As her eyes fell onto the contents of the mysterious bag, Rarity felt her heart swell with joy and her eyes widen in amazement. Inside the bag lay the dress she had worn to the Grand Galloping Gala two years ago as well as a note that had been carefully attached to the hanger by way of a tied string so that it would not damage the dress in any way. The unicorn let out laugh that was half joy and half disbelief as her eyes wandered the dress’s delicate pink folds and golden trim, her head spinning as she tried to wrap her mind around what had just happened. “I… but I KNOW that I didn’t pack this!” she gasped. “This doesn’t make any sense at all… not that I’m complaining, mind you, I’m just… quite surprised, that’s all!” she finished quickly and it was a testament to her shock that Rarity didn’t quite realize that she was speaking to nopony at all. “But who did this?” she wondered aloud again. “There’s no way that anypony could have known that I would need this.” She reached a hoof out and touched the gold tiara that had been lovingly and carefully secured to the hanger so that it would not fall into the bag and get potentially lost and, after a moment, she shifted the hoof to the note that hung next to the small crown. A gentle pull released one side of the string and allowed the folded piece of paper to come away undamaged and, after taking a deep breath, the unicorn unfolded its single flap and began to read the concise, flowing script within. Dear Rarity, We all decided that it would be a good idea to send this with you. It IS Canterlot, after all, and even though you’re there to do business, we agreed that all work and no play would make ANYPONY a dull pony – so we hope that having this with you will remind you to have a little bit of fun while you’re there! We’ll see you in a month! By the time that Rarity reached her friend’s signatures at the end of the note, tears had filled her eyes, blurring the names that she knew even without being able to read them: Twilight’s name, written in the same script as the rest of the note; Pinkie Pie’s sloppy, irrepressible scribble; Rainbow and Applejack’s simple two-letter signings; and finally, Fluttershy’s flowing, beautiful penmanship all adorned the bottom of the paper, and by the time she reached the end of the note it was all Rarity could do to hold back her sniffles. “Oh… you girls…” she whispered, her tears slowly filling her eyes until they spilled down her cheeks. She let out another small laugh and wiped her eyes before reading the note again, her smile growing as every word filled her with the strength and joy that her friends gave her. They wanted to make sure that I was taking care of myself and in doing so they helped me in a way that they never could have imagined. Rarity’s smile grew as she grasped the note in her magic and levitated it to her vanity, ensuring that it was placed carefully before turning back to the dress. Her heart swelled with the love that her friends had given her and, to her absolute astonishment, it chased away the dark clouds that had surrounded the beacon of her hope earlier that day like a burst of brilliant sunlight into a world of fog. She felt warmth spread out from her heart and fill her entire body and, after a moment, she scooped the dress off of her bed with her left leg. She pulled it close to her and hugging it for all she was worth and, as she did so, she could feel the hearts of her friends there with her. Twilight’s wisdom, Applejack’s persistence, Rainbow’s passion, Pinkie’s enthusiasm, and Fluttershy’s gentleness seemed to permeate the fabric of the dress she now held and, in that moment, she felt her heart ache not for the love of a mare, but for the faces of the friends she held close in her heart. “Thank you all,” she whispered into the dress. “I miss you, each and every one of you, and I can’t wait to see you all again…” She took a shuddering breath and lowered the garment back to the bed, her eyes full of determination and strength as she smiled at the clock. “But for tonight, I have to take this gift you’ve given me and make the most of it!” Her magic ignited and covered the dress as her smile became a grin. “And make the most of it I shall!” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The clock in the foyer was just chiming eight o’clock when Rarity hurried out of her room, the short train of her dress trailing behind her as she descended the stairs as quickly as she could without tripping and sending herself sprawling to the first floor. Her mane bounced perkily in its single binding near her shoulder as she hit the bottom of the steps and started for the door, her mind whirling with thoughts as her magic settled the golden tiara against her horn. I’m going to have to catch a taxi, she thought as she paused at the door, her hoof rising to touch the tiara and ensure that its ends were firmly entwined in her hair. Otherwise I’ll NEVER make it on time! She nodded and, satisfied that her crown wasn’t going anywhere, raised her hoof to the doorknob so that she could begin the final leg of her journey, but before she could so much as turn the brass knob, an inquisitive voice stopped her in her tracks. “Why in Equestria are you dressed like that, Rarity?” The voice belonged to Fleur. Rarity had been around her long enough now to recognize it, but the unicorn kept her eyes firmly fixed on the door as she spoke, her expression determined. “I’m going out to a concert, Fleur, and I’m afraid that I don’t have a lot of time to explain – it starts at 8:30 and I’m running the risk of being late as it is!” She gave her head a small shake. “I promise to tell you all about it when I come back, but please, no questions now!” Rarity turned towards her left with the intent to tell her hostess that she had to quickly find a taxi but as her eyes left the door and found the other unicorn she felt her words die on her tongue. Fleur stood in the doorway of the first floor hall, her creamy white coat covered with a soft pink, tight-fitting dress with a low-cut neckline and a slit from her rear left hoof almost to her flank. Her tail draped elegantly over the rear of the garment and a single pink gem hung against her chest and, even in her hurried state, Rarity couldn’t help but stop and admire how absolutely chic and beautiful the other unicorn looked. The model pony gave her a winning smile and lifted her right front leg to pose for Rarity, allowing the long open sleeve of her dress to hang dramatically into mid-air. “Well? Do you like it?” Fleur placed her hoof back to the floor and executed a single, graceful turn as her head maid Rosette emerged from the hallway behind her. “It’s the first time I’ve worn it and I have to say that I’m very pleased with it.” “I… I do like it,” Rarity managed after a moment. The unicorn blinked furiously several times and forced herself to focus before giving her hostess a smile. “I think it looks marvelous on you, darling, but why are you dressed like that? Are you going somewhere, as well?” To Rarity’s surprise, Rosette was the one who spoke. “Actually, Miss Rarity, from what you said a moment ago, I believe you and the mistress may be going to the same event.” She lowered her head, pulled something out of the front pocket of her apron, and offered it to Fleur who took it with her magic and brought it to float in front of her even as she shook her head. Rarity’s eyes shifted from Fleur to the piece of paper held in her magical grip and, as soon as she saw the words upon the cover, her eyes widened. “That… that’s it!” exclaimed Rarity. She turned the rest of her body away from the door and hurried to Fleur, her clear crystal shoes clacking authoritatively as she stopped with her nose practically pressed against the floating ticket. “That’s the concert I’m going to!” Her panic suddenly lifted into her chest and became a bubble of excitement that threatened to lift her off her hooves and float her to the ceiling. “That means that you’re going, too? Oh thank Celestia! Does that mean you have a ride coming soon?” Fleur blinked in surprise. “The same concert, but… but that’s impossible – the tickets for this concert have been sold out for months!” The taller unicorn said, incredulity painting her words. “How could you have–” suddenly, Fleur’s eyes darted from Rarity to the ticket and, when her lavender eyes found their way back to Rarity, they held understanding instead of confusion. “Oh, I see,” said Fleur as a knowing smile spread across her lips until it became a grin. “And should I get in the habit of simply expecting to see you wherever the name Octavia Melody pops up?” she asked quietly. The very mention of Octavia’s name sent goosebumps down Rarity’s neck, but after a moment, she shrugged. “I… I’m not quite sure,” she admitted quietly. “We spoke today and she gave me a ticket to this concert, but…” She let out an exasperated sigh and looked at the clock, which now showed five minutes after eight o’clock. “But there’s no time to talk about this right now!” She turned back to Fleur and took a step towards her, her eyes wide. “Do you have a taxi coming or am I going to have to run the whole way there? Don’t think I won’t!” Fleur’s eyes widened for a heartbeat, but her look of surprise quickly melted into a smile and with a soft chuckle she nodded towards the door. “I believe he might have the answer to that.” Rarity blinked and turned back towards the door to see Fancy Pants standing just inside the threshold, his hoof still holding the door open as he watched the two mares with a small smile. “And the answer is that you shan’t have to run anywhere, Rarity,” he said with a wink and a nod through the open door to the taxi that sat outside. “Though I believe the ride to the Hall will give you ample time to fill us in on all of the details we’ve obviously missed.” His monocle glinted in the light as he chuckled. “Though, I daresay, that may take the entire ride there, from what I heard of it.” Rarity felt tears of relief well up in her eyes and, after a moment, she managed to give a weak chuckle. “Well, perhaps the driver can go slowly so you can hear the whole story in one go,” she managed to squeak. The stallion simply grinned at her and nodded towards the waiting wagon. “Well? Come on then, the both of you, into the cab so we can be off! We wouldn’t want to miss the opening of the concert, now would we?” Fleur stepped up next to Rarity and gave her a friendly nudge. “I have a feeling Rarity wouldn’t let us, even if we tried.” Rarity chuckled and shook her head, but instead of wasting more words, she hurried out the door and into the waiting cab, her heart pounding in her ears as she hopped over the side and took her seat near the driver’s side window. This is it, she thought as Fleur bid Rosette farewell and started towards the cart with Fancy. I’m not only going to see her play in a full concert, but I have the feeling that I’ll get the answer that I’m after tonight. Her eyes darted to the east where the moon was just barely raised over the horizon. Though, whether it is the answer I want or not, that’s another story all together. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Her explanation, as it turned out, went much faster than she’d first thought it would and she finished it in fairly short order. The rest of the ride to the Hall was spent in conversation with Fleur and Fancy Pants, who seemed ready and able to keep her mind occupied and her emotions cool for the duration of their trip. The designer was grateful for their concern and chatted amiably with them and, to her surprise, she learned along the way that Captain Cloudflair, the Pegasus that Octavia had spoken of who had continually botched Canterlot’s weather until he had been recently removed from his position, was to be reinstated the very next day. “But why in Equestria would they give him back his job?” Rarity asked in shock. “If he was so terribly bad at it, why would he be given a second chance?” “Because his second in command, Peregrine, was sabotaging his efforts,” Fancy said with a shake of his head. “Overloading the weather machines, redirecting jet streams, the old girl used every trick she’d learned in the Everfree to make Cloudflair look incompetent. The poor lad didn’t stand a chance of actually doing his job with that harpy doing her level best to get him demoted, or worse, so I hear.” On the other side of the cab, Fleur made a disgusted noise in her throat. “Some ponies are willing to do anything to get what they want. And how did they catch her, Fancy?” “As it turns out, one of Peregrine’s confidants went to Weather Patrol Command and confessed everything she knew. Peregrine was stripped of her rank and actually arrested, if you can believe that. Not many ponies get the hospitality of the Royal Guard these days, but she’ll be enjoying it for quite a while, so I hear.” The conversation meandered here and there as they drove and before Rarity knew it they were pulling up and stopping in front of the Canterlot Metropolitan Concert Hall. The unicorn turned her gaze out the window and the sheer sight of it caused her heart to skip a beat. The entire building was adorned with gently glowing magical lights, orbs of illumination that floated along the top edges of the entire structure as if it had been dabbed with the very stars from the heavens. It must have taken them HOURS to do all of those, she thought. Her eyes slowly dropped to the plaza in front of the large building and, through a small crowd of ponies still milling about, she could see a well-ordered line of ponies making their way inside. As Rarity’s eyes followed the line, she noticed that a banner had been hung on either side of the large entryway – a bright golden sun with a white background on the left and a gentle silver moon with a blue background on the right – and, even if she hadn’t read her ticket a thousand times this afternoon, she would have felt it a safe guess that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were in attendance tonight. It’s no wonder the tickets for this concert sold out months ago – anypony in Canterlot would give their left ear for a chance to be near them! The cab driver hurried around and held out his hoof for Rarity, prompting her to extend her own hoof and allow him to help her from the carriage. She stepped down in the most ladylike fashion she could muster and offered him a grateful smile before turning and taking her first steps towards the Hall. To her surprise, Rarity felt in complete control of herself. She had been so excited about being here when she had first received the ticket that she had been certain she wouldn’t be able to contain herself, but now that she was here she felt… underwhelmed. Not in a bad way, she admitted as Fleur and Fancy fell into step next to her, but honestly I thought that I’d be jittering out of my pony mind. She glanced at Fleur, who offered her a reassuring smile, then at Fancy Pants, who gave her a knowing nod, and finally, she took a deep breath and felt the weight of the dress on her back, the strength of her friends flowing into her from its very fabric, and not for the first time, she understood just how much stronger her friends near and far made her. Thank you, everyone, she thought silently as she turned her eyes back to the Hall before her. I promise you, I won’t let any of you down. Octavia’s face flashed behind her eyes, and a smile flitted onto Rarity’s lips. ANY of you. The three ponies made their way towards the doors of the Hall, but they didn’t even get halfway there before a voice rippled out of the crowd and caught Rarity’s attention. “Rarity! Yo, Rarity, over here!” Rarity frowned as her ears twitched and, as she turned towards the voice, a pony melted out of the crowd and made her way towards her. It was another white unicorn wearing a white dress with blue, black, and magenta trimmings and to Rarity’s absolute chagrin it took her a moment to recognize the other mare. When she did, however, she blinked and rubbed her eyes in exaggerated fashion before giving the other pony a smile. “Why, Vinyl Scratch, I hardly recognized you without those glasses of yours!” she said as the DJ pony approached. Vinyl gave her a wink with one brilliant magenta eye and shrugged nonchalantly as she stopped next to Rarity. “Hey, when the designer of your dress gives you a direct order, you listen.” She grinned and lifted her right front leg, showing off the ripped black stockings that she was wearing on her front legs. “Plus, I kinda added a little touch of my own anyway, so I figured it might be a good idea to hold to the whole glasses thing.” Rarity eyed the stockings critically and arched an eyebrow at her friend, her lips pursed. “And did I give you permission to wear those stockings?” she asked, her voice playfully tight. Vinyl rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose at Rarity, giving her jagged mane a shake as she did so. “It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission, Rares,” she said. “And besides, you couldn’t expect me to NOT add SOMETHING. This is Vinyl Scratch you’re talking about!” Rarity opened her mouth to banter playfully with her friend, but to her surprise, Fancy Pants was the one who spoke next, his eyes bright and his smile broad. “Vinyl Scratch?” he asked. “The young mare who broke up that hard cider ring owned by Big Tony?” Rarity felt her eyes widen as Vinyl’s grin grew, if that was possible. “The very same!” said Vinyl with a nod. “Yep, that was a pretty exciting week. Did they put it in the paper or something?” “I dare say they did, and that was quite a feat, young mare! Big Tony has been a blight upon our fair city for far too long and it’s a wonderful thing that he’s been taken care of, but to be brought down by a humble DJ–” suddenly Rarity’s hoof shot up, forestalling his words. “Wait… wait just a moment,” she interrupted, her eyes narrowing at Vinyl. “You… you actually did that?!” The other unicorn just shrugged and nodded. “Uh, yeah. Didn’t I tell you about it?” Rarity’s eye twitched for a moment, her hoof still held out in front of Fancy’s muzzle and it wasn’t until Fleur cleared her throat on her right side that Rarity managed to snap back to the real world. She gave her head a small shake and dropped her hoof back to the ground, her cheeks coloring ever so slightly. “Vinyl, I’m afraid I owe you an apology,” she said softly. “I… I didn’t exactly believe you when you told me that, I’m sorry.” She winced as she said it, certain that Vinyl would be upset with her for not believing something so important, but after a moment of silence, her friend simply chuckled. “Hey, it’s no big deal, Rarity! I told you that night that, if it hadn’t happened to me, I wouldn’t even have believed it, so I really can’t blame you for thinking I made it up!” She arched an eyebrow as she reached out and poked Rarity in the shoulder. “Maybe I’ll make you buy me a drink sometime soon to make up for it, eh?” Rarity’s smile returned, and she gave Vinyl a happy nod. “I think I’d like that.” The DJ pony grinned and opened her mouth again, no doubt to suggest somewhere expensive where Rarity could pay up, but before she could speak, a large stallion stepped out of the Hall’s front doors and cleared his throat loudly enough that it could be heard clearly over the myriad of conversations happening out front. “Excuse me, fillies and gentlecolts, but the concert is about to begin,” he announced. “Please enter the Hall, show your tickets, and take your seats!” His words sent a thrill racing down Rarity’s back and she could feel her heart thump once in her chest as Vinyl gave her a wink and started towards the doors with everypony else. This is it, she thought as she fell into step with Fleur and Fancy, her ears perking forward eagerly. Whatever Octavia wanted from me, it will happen at this concert… She reached up and touched her chest above her heart as she walked, a smile growing on her lips. …and for the first time in this whole month, I think I’m ready for her answer. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Fleur and Fancy Pants hadn’t been lying when they said that the concert had been sold out for months and the reality of that situation hit Rarity squarely as they passed from the entry hall into the concert hall itself – every seat that she saw before her was packed to capacity and, as the three friends checked their tickets, they discovered that they weren’t sitting anywhere near one another. Rarity felt a hint of her former trepidation creep back into her heart as Fleur and Fancy Pants bid her farewell and headed towards their seats, but as she turned and headed up the stairs towards her own seat, she gave her head a firm shake and forced it away, focusing instead on the bubbling excitement that she felt growing inside her. Don’t let this get in the way of enjoying the concert, Rarity, she chided herself as she climbed the stairs, the bauble in her mane bouncing against her chest as she did so. Just find your seat and everything will be fine. She paused outside one of the private booths several floors above the ground, checked her ticket, and realized with a start that the seat Octavia had given her was the same seat that she had sat in when she’d seen the rehearsal. Her eyes widened and, in spite of herself, a bright smile materialized on her lips. Yes… yes, this is a very good sign! She giggled softly and hurried forward, raising her hoof to brush the drapes away from what was no doubt a very crowded booth… …but to her surprise, she found the booth empty save for one single pony, a mare who was seated at the far right of the booth. Rarity blinked at the group of perhaps ten seats that sat empty before her and, before she could stop herself, she glanced out at the completely packed floor below her. This… this doesn’t seem quite right, she thought, but after a moment, she offered the other pony in the booth a nervous smile. “A-ah, excuse me,” she said softly as she shimmied her way forward, her ticket held out before her like a shield. “I-is this the right spot? I was certain that this balcony would be packed full…” The mare who shared the booth with her was a Pegasus and had a beautiful pale yellow coat complimented with a mane that was soft pastel green streaked with a vibrant sky blue. At Rarity’s inquiry, she arched an eyebrow at her over bright purple eyes and with a small smile she sat forward to examine Rarity’s ticket. As she did, however, something about her tickled the edges of Rarity’s mind and caused the unicorn to frown slightly. Have… have I met her? She wondered. I suppose it’s possible, though if I did, it wasn’t because I made her a dress. In a theater packed with some of the most well-dressed ponies in all of Canterlot, this mare wore nothing except for a light jacket that covered her torso and left her wings bare – jackets much like those that Rarity had seen Pegasi like the Wonderbolts wear. The designer managed to stifle a sniff at the mare’s choice of wardrobe and, after a moment, the Pegasus sat back and nodded. “You’re in the right booth,” she said, her voice soft, yet commanding. “That’s a bit of a surprise. I was under the impression that nopony sat up here besides me.” “Well, I hope you won’t mind company,” said Rarity hesitantly as she moved towards the front row of seats. “Just for tonight, at least..?” The Pegasus shrugged and, to Rarity’s relief, there was nothing aggressive or agitated about her movements. “I suppose one night won’t hurt,” she muttered with a small smile. Rarity returned it whole-heartedly and turned back towards the stage, her heart leaping into her chest at being in the same spot as the last time she’d been in the theater. The unicorn’s eyes roamed the crowd below, her hopes of spotting Fancy Pants or Fleur in the maelstrom of ponies quickly dashed as the lights in the interior space began to fade slowly away, encouraging everypony to take their seats. Oh well, it’s not like they could see me anyway, she told herself as she allowed her eyes to wander the rest of the theater. Her gaze followed the ground floor seating to the wall at the back of the room and then meandered upwards and, as she spotted the ponies sitting at the backmost balcony, she felt a smile burst onto her lips. There, seated in their regal glory, were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the alicorn rulers of Equestria and two ponies that Rarity had met on several occasions. Perhaps I’ll get a chance to say hello to them, she thought, but even as she thought it she knew it was silly. Don’t be a foal, Rarity – at an event like this, chances are good that you couldn’t even get close to the Princesses without some Royal Guard tackling you. Suddenly, the lights in the main room dimmed dramatically while the lights on the stage flared brightly and, with a jerk of her head, Rarity’s entire world refocused. The stage was set up exactly as it had been during their rehearsal and, after a moment, the quartet came onto the stage in exactly the same manner that they had during their practice. First came Frederick who went straight to his piano, his expression calm and collected; then came Harpo, his expression almost dreamy as he made his way in unhurried fashion to his harp; after him it was Beauty Brass, who bounced onto the stage wearing the dress that she had purchased from Rarity earlier that week. The designer smiled broadly and gave herself a mental pat on the back for such excellent work. After all, I had to design that dress to function with a tuba. I’d dare anypony else in Equestria to try such a thing! She smiled happily at her triumph, but just as suddenly as the smile had arrived, she felt her breath catch in her throat and her heart squeeze in her chest as Octavia appeared on stage. The folds of black and gray swirled behind her as she walked and the brilliant sash of violet cut perfectly into the heavy darkness of the rest of the garment. The dress looked perfect on her and, as Octavia made her way to her cello, Rarity couldn’t take her eyes off of her for even a moment. She was mesmerizing, enchanting, and gorgeous in ways that Rarity had never thought another pony could be and, even after their less than productive encounter earlier in the day, the unicorn could not deny the glowing, pulsing love that she still felt deep inside for the earth pony. As the earth pony reached her instrument and reared up onto her hind legs to grasp it properly, Rarity felt her chest squeeze so hard that she feared she may faint. She… she’s wearing it… she thought weakly as her head spun. She blinked just to ensure that she wasn’t hallucinating, but after blinking and even rubbing her eyes, the unicorn could not deny what she was seeing. Around Octavia’s delicate neck hung the necklace that Rarity had made for her, the brilliant amethyst glinting beautifully in the light of the stage. “Um… are you going to be okay?” The voice caught Rarity completely off guard and she turned towards it with a jerk and a gasp to find the Pegasus mare who shared the balcony with her sitting a few seats away, her brow knit with concern. The unicorn’s heart raced in her chest as she took several short, quick breaths and, after several seconds, she finally managed to reply. “Y-yes, I-I’m just fine,” she gasped as calmly as she could. “Why do you ask?” “I didn’t mean to scare you,” the other mare said with an apologetic smile, “but you were clutching your hooves together over your chest so hard that I thought you might be getting sick or something. You okay now?” Rarity nodded eagerly and turned her eyes back to Octavia, who was conversing quietly with Frederick as Harpo fiddled with his harp. “Oh yes, I-I’m afraid I just got a little overwhelmed, that’s all.” To her surprise, she heard the Pegasus chuckle softly. “Came to see somepony on stage, did you?” “Yes,” Rarity slowly turned back towards the Pegasus, her own brow knit and her eyes narrow. “How did you know?” “That was the same look I had on my face when I first came here to listen to the Quartet,” the mare answered with a smile that tickled Rarity’s mind once more. The Pegasus shrugged and moved back to her seat at the far end of the balcony, her tail swishing gracefully behind her. “I hope you enjoy the show – the four of them are very talented.” Rarity’s eyes narrowed even further as the other mare sat and turned her gaze to the stage. This pony is very strange. Why is she up here all by herself? Rarity mused. And who is she here to see? The silence of the room was suddenly filled by the notes of Frederick’s piano and Rarity’s attention was drawn away from her unusual companion and back to the stage as the show began. As music rose from the stage and slowly filled the theater, she felt her heart surge in her chest because the notes that teased her ears were familiar ones. So they ARE playing their songs in the same order! She thought with a grin. Excellent! That means I’ll get to hear the rest of their songs after all! The unicorn sat forward and wrapped her forelegs around the railing at the front of the balcony, her eyes riveted to the stage and, for the first time in four days, she didn’t feel the least bit sad that she’d fallen asleep during that rehearsal because that meant that tonight she would be able to experience most of their music for the very first time. Her feeling of elation did nothing but grow as the song continued for, as amazing as Rarity had thought the quartet had been during practice, it was clear that they had truly been saving themselves for this performance. The currents of the song wove themselves together just as she remembered, but this time, she could hear them more clearly, more concisely as they both worked together and warred for supremacy over each other. It truly did give her images of the ocean and, once Octavia’s cello joined the musical scene, Rarity could picture the sea itself, its waves churning before the coming of a storm while its depths silently writhed in a beautiful and unstoppable dance that had been happening since time immemorial. The four ponies played on and on, their music weaving the tapestry of song broader and tighter as they did so and, as she listened, Rarity slowly became convinced that there must be other kinds of magic in the world that even Twilight may not understand. Too soon, the instruments slowly fell silent and, as soon as the last notes had died, the scene before Rarity’s eyes faded away, leaving only the silent Hall before her. The unicorn blinked slowly at the stage and, after a moment, she raised a hoof to her heart as she waited to see if anypony would start some applause. To her surprise, however, nopony did, though the performers on stage didn’t seem the least bit surprised by it. Instead, they simply continued with the next section of their performance which saw Octavia, Frederick, and Harpo relax at their instruments while Beauty Brass stepped up to the front of the stage. Rarity frowned at the perky blue and gold pony as she gave a short bow towards the audience before straightening with a smile and beginning a solo for the tuba. That’s odd, thought Rarity, her lips pursing in curiosity. I can’t remember there being such movements in any other symphony I’ve ever heard. Her eyes narrowed at the stage as Beauty’s robust brass notes rose into the hall, their tones so joyful and bright that the entire atmosphere of the room seemed to grow less dim from their presence. And she’s playing a solo, but why? The unicorn’s gaze swept the crowd once more, but it wasn’t until her eyes fell upon the Princesses that her eyes widened and she smiled broadly. Of COURSE – the Princesses! The ticket said it all, Rarity, you dunce – they’re auditioning for the privilege of playing the Gala so of COURSE they’re going to try and show off each of their elements individually! She giggled to herself as she turned her attention back to the stage, her ears perked forward and her tail swishing gleefully beneath her gown. And that means it’s only a matter of time until Octavia gets a solo. Beauty’s song ended on a jovial note and she gave a happy smile to the audience before bouncing once in place, a motion that made her tuba wobble comically and elicited a light laugh from the audience that was followed by a wave of gentle applause which Rarity joined wholeheartedly. The earth pony gave one final bow towards the Princesses before hurrying back to her spot on stage and the moment she was back in position Frederick’s piano began the next song. The rest of the concert was the most beautiful experience Rarity had ever had with music and for the rest of her life she would always use it as the benchmark for how good a performance was or was not. The Quartet may have been exclusively earth ponies, but their music was pure magic that wove a spell over the audience the likes of which any unicorn would be jealous of – songs of nature and hope, love and despair the Quartet played with equal skill and Rarity quickly lost track of the number of times tears came to her eyes at the perfect beauty of their music. After a few more songs, they allowed Harpo to have his solo and then, after a few more, Frederick followed and, from that moment on, the end of each song brought Rarity to the edge of her seat as she waited for Octavia’s turn. Finally, just when Rarity didn’t think she could wait any longer, Octavia carefully picked up her cello and moved it to the front of the stage, her expression cool and confident as she positioned herself away from the other members of her group. Rarity felt her heart swell in her chest until she thought it would burst and, in spite of her giddy excitement, she heard a nagging voice in the back of her head. Why are you still so excited to see her? The voice asked pointedly. She rebuffed you, you idiot. She didn’t take your hoof, so she doesn’t want to be with you! It was something that had bothered her the entire night, niggling at the back of her thoughts the whole performance: why was she so excited? Why did she even come here tonight? They were doubts – the doubts that Rarity had about this… this thing that she and Octavia had between them. Doubts about Octavia’s level of interest, doubts about her OWN level of interest, doubts about how deep the feelings went or whether or not they should be pursued in the first place, but even as she acknowledged the doubts, Rarity could feel her heart pressing down on them like a hot iron, squishing her doubts down farther and farther as it swelled. Because she’s conflicted, she thought back to the nagging voice in her head. She’s just as conflicted as I am, yet she made it clear that she was interested in the shop. Her smile grew as Octavia gave Frederick a nod. Because she gave me this ticket to see her play, which means she wants me near her… Octavia turned and gave Beauty a nod and the other mare smiled giddily from behind her tuba. …and she’s wearing the necklace I made for her, which means she… Rarity’s eyes widened as Octavia gave Harpo one last nod and, with a wink, the harp player made a gesture to somepony off stage. Frederick’s eyes widened and he waved a hoof sharply, but Harpo either didn’t see him or decided to ignore him completely and instead turned back to Octavia and pointed to her. “Thank you, Harpo.” Octavia said and the audience gasped as her voice filled the theater as if she were standing directly next to everypony in the room. Rarity blinked in surprise. That’s magic, she thought. An amplification spell… has that been on the whole time? On stage, Octavia smiled and gave her head a small shake. “To those of you wondering, and most of all to you, Your Highnesses, I would like to tell you that this spell has not been active during our performance; one of our stage hands is a unicorn and I have asked him to allow me a moment to address you all before I play the final piece of the evening.” The crowd murmured excitedly for several long moments before finally falling silent again, and out of the corner of her eye Rarity noticed the mare in the booth with her sit forward eagerly, her eyes wide and her smile soft. “Tonight I had planned on playing my most popular composition, Rhapsody of the Spring Dawn, to end our performance…” Her ears drooped against her mane and she gave her head a small shake. “But I am afraid that I will not be playing it.” At his piano Frederick looked like he was about to have a heart attack and, after a moment of open-mouthed staring, he made another hoof gesture towards Octavia and said something, though it was obvious that the amplification spell was not affecting him. The cellist must have heard him because she turned towards him sharply, her dress flowing about her like liquid night as she raised her bow and pointed it at him, her ears shooting back up aggressively. Her voice, which had started out so calm and collected, suddenly took on a fire of passion as she leveled a glare at the piano player. “No, Frederick, I will not stop. I will not be quiet and I will NOT play that song!” The audience gasped and, after a moment of silence, Frederick lowered his hoof, though his expression said that he would be berating Octavia for hours after the performance was done. If Octavia cared, however, she did not show it; instead she gave him a satisfied nod and turned back to the audience, the amethyst around her neck glinting proudly in the spotlight. “Tonight for you, fillies and gentlecolts,” she continued, her voice smooth, yet impassioned, “I will be playing a song that I have been composing for almost two years.” She took a deep breath and, even from her balcony, Rarity could see the nervous smile on her face. “It is not finished… well, not to my standards at any rate… but I must play it for you all tonight because…” Suddenly, her eyes rose up and found the balcony where Rarity sat, and the unicorn felt a brilliant thrill run through her from nose to tail as Octavia sighed. “…because a very wise mare once told me that to truly love something, you must see its flaws… and to express my love, I must play.” The earth pony flicked the bow once out next to her before bringing it to her instrument. “This is Il Mio Diamante.” Behind her Harpo gestured offstage with his hoof and the amplification spell dropped away from Octavia. Then, without further ado, she began to play. The song began slowly, her notes rising up to fill the now-silent theater as they had before, but this time they were soft and solemn and, even through her elation, Rarity could feel the complete and pervasive loneliness that lay within the currents of the music. It was as if Octavia had taken the currents of the first song they had performed and swirled them, casting them into a downward spiral that would carry a pony down, down, down into the darkness of the ocean depths. The unicorn could feel that loneliness wrapping around her, smothering the happier emotions that she had been feeling mere moments before and, in spite of the warmth of the theater, Rarity shivered. Oh Octavia… she thought. I never knew that a pony could be so sad! The slow, solemn cadence repeated itself several times, each one somehow sadder and lonelier than the last, until finally, just when Rarity didn’t think she could hold back her tears any longer, the music changed. Into the melancholy refrain came a subtle tweak of Octavia’s strings, a lilt of interest that lifted the melody out of the deep place it had come to rest in and allowed a brighter refrain to enter the song, but after a few quick repetitions, the bright, happy melody slowly faded away into the lonely melody from before, and this time, Rarity felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. It’s even sadder than before, she thought as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hoof. If she keeps this up, I’ll start sobbing. Again, the lonely melody wound its way through the audience, slithering about like a serpent of despair until after what seemed like an eternity the bright melody sprang back into being. Octavia’s left hoof plucking simultaneously at the strings of her cello as the lift rose higher and higher until the lonely melody disappeared completely and was replaced by a brand new melody, a higher, brighter, and happier one that harmonized perfectly with the interested lift from before, though the initial lift vanished from the whole quickly. Rarity felt a smile touch her lips at the happy notes, her heart singing in time with them as Octavia played. It’s as if she’s reaching right into our hearts and playing our emotions instead of notes, she thought in awe. I never would have thought that possible! Her ears twitched as the happy melody that had filled the theater for several minutes suddenly grew softer, less defined as Octavia’s hoof and bow slackened across the strings and, as they did so, the familiar, lonely melody from before slowly wormed its way back into the song. Rarity gasped as the deeper notes sent a chill through her, and after a few repeats, the happy melody simply stopped. Octavia paused on stage, her body glistening with sweat that glittered like a thousand diamonds as she waited one beat, two, three, before her bow began to move again and, this time, it was a very sad, resigned refrain, a revision of the happy melody from before, but somehow deep and shadowed now. The melancholy notes wound their way around twice before slowly morphing into the lonely melody from before, this time broader, more forceful, and stronger than it had ever been. Rarity felt her heart ache and this time she could not stop a sob from rising in her throat as the mare on stage played. Suddenly, the lonely theme was interrupted by a third lift of interest, but it was not soft and gentle as it had been before. This time, the lift was forceful and abrupt and the two melodies dueled back and forth across Octavia’s cello, warring for dominance in the musical theater. The lonely melody held the upper hoof for several long phrases, seemingly determined to snuff out the brighter, happier notes, but ever so slowly, the bright notes expanded, growing louder and louder until their light chased the lonely theme away. Now, Rarity’s throat tightened in joy as the dark loneliness of the previous music faded away entirely and she could feel the tears on her cheeks as she surrendered to Octavia’s magic. My Octavia, is all of this what you’ve been feeling? She wondered. Now, Octavia threw her head to the side as the happy melody grew even louder, her bow flying across the strings of her cello as the music rose and filled every corner of the Hall, its glowing golden notes filling Rarity to the brim as several minor variations appear in the song: notes that made her think of excitement, nervousness, fear, and sadness all found their way into the finale of Octavia’s song, but even as they did so, another, more dominant melody grew beneath them – a theme that rose and became a harmony with the happy refrain, a theme that forced Rarity to stifle her sobs with a hoof as it rang deep in her very soul. It was a song of hope – a brilliantly glowing refrain of pure hope that intertwined with the happy melody from before and completed it, rising higher and higher until it touched the very stars above the Hall. The unicorn’s vision blurred as her tears ran unabated down her cheeks and, in that moment, the nagging voice in her head fell permanently silent. Because in that moment, she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt exactly what she wanted. The notes rose into a golden crescendo and, after holding it for several long seconds, Octavia withdrew her bow from her cello and cast the room into sudden and total silence, but the silence didn’t last long. After a few moments of stunned quiet, the audience erupted into applause so loud that it became a roar and most of the ponies rose to their hooves to clop their front hooves on the floor as loudly as they could. Octavia stood in stunned silence for a few moments, her eyes wide as she looked out over the cheering crowd, and it wasn’t until Beauty and Harpo appeared at her sides that she blinked and managed a bow with them. A stage pony hurried out and took her cello from her as she straightened and Frederick joined the other three, his face a confusing mix of disapproval and happiness. Octavia fell back to all fours and, after a shaky smile to Frederick, the Quartet all bowed together to the raucous applause of the audience. Rarity clapped from the balcony for all she was worth, her eyes still filled with tears. “Brava! Brava!” she yelled, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched the quartet take one final bow before hurrying off stage. I… that was… Rarity tried to put her thoughts into a cohesive order as she sat back into her chair, but even as she attempted to restore order to her heart, one thought rose above all others: I have to go to her. It struck with such urgency that the unicorn bolted out of her seat, her eyes wide. “I have to go to her!” she muttered aloud, and without hesitation, she turned and headed for the door. However, her path to the door was obstructed – the Pegasus mare she’d shared the booth with the entire evening stood framed in the doorway, her silhouette dark against the curtains. Rarity danced to and fro even as she offered the other pony a polite smile. “Um, excuse me, ma’am,” she said as politely as she could. “But I really must be going – I need to catch one of the performers before she leaves so if you wouldn’t mind–,” “Are you going to see Octavia?” the other mare asked quietly. Rarity stopped in mid step at the mention of Octavia and, after a moment, her eyes narrowed. “…and if I am?” she asked carefully. To her relief, the Pegasus chuckled lightly and shook her head. “I just wanted you to tell her something for me.” The mare met Rarity’s gaze once more, her brilliant purple eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “Tell her that Rhapsody of the Spring Dawn was overrated, anyway… she’ll know what it means.” And with that, the mare ducked through the curtains and disappeared. Rarity blinked after her in confusion, and after a moment’s hesitation, she leaped through the curtain after the other mare, but to her surprise, she was nowhere to be seen. The unicorn felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. “Easy, Rarity… easy girl… don’t lose sight of the prize, here!” she muttered. She straightened and gave her head a firm shake, her determined smile returning to her lips. “I have to go find Octavia!” Down through the Hall Rarity went, fording her way through the crowd of ponies who were all trying to exit the building as she tried to make her way deeper into it and it took her much longer than she would have liked to get to the stage area on the first floor. With a glance behind her to ensure that everypony else was focused on leaving the room, the unicorn turned to dart up the small flight of stairs that would lead to the backstage area, but as her hoof hit the bottom step, a pony cleared her throat at the top of the stairs, and with a jolt, Rarity looked up into the face of the very pony she had set out to find. Octavia stood at the top of the stairs, her eyes sparkling in the low light as she smiled shakily down at the unicorn. Rarity felt her breath catch in her throat as she froze in place, her eyes widening. “Octavia,” she whispered. “I… I was just coming to find you…” “And I you,” Octavia replied, her voice soft and full of tears. She sniffled and wiped a hoof across her eyes. “I wasn’t certain that you’d come, but… I had hoped…” The unicorn let out a choked laugh. “As if I’d miss this for anything in the world,” she took a step away from the backstage stairs, and as soon as the space was clear, Octavia hurried down the short flight to stand on the same level as Rarity. “And… and did you like it?” Octavia asked breathlessly, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she took short, shallow breaths. Rarity’s smile returned and, this time, she could feel warmth blossoming in her cheeks. “I loved it, darling.” She took a step forward so that the two mares were almost touching noses and, after a heartbeat’s hesitation, she raised her left hoof and caressed Octavia’s cheek gently. “I loved it… almost as much as I love you.” As soon as the words left her mouth Octavia gasped, and after a moment the mare squeezed her eyes shut tightly and leaned against Rarity’s touch eagerly, as if she hadn’t ever wanted anything more. “Rarity…” she whispered, “…I love you, too.” The unicorn’s eyes welled up with tears again and, in spite of herself, Rarity sobbed as she smiled. “Oh Octavia, I’ve wanted to tell you that for so long…” She sniffled then gave her head a brisk shake. “Why… why don’t we get out of here? Go somewhere that we can talk?” Octavia opened her beautiful eyes and gave Rarity a quavering smile. “I know a place we could go.” The concert hall slowly emptied of its occupants and, for most of the concert goers, the magic of that night would last perhaps the next day, another one after that if they were true music lovers, but Rarity knew that the magic of that night would stay with her forever, and as she and Octavia turned to leave, their bodies pressed against one another affectionately, she knew that a new adventure was just beginning.