//------------------------------// // Sweet Melody // Story: Love's many directions // by Lunasservant1985 //------------------------------// Even the fanciest of eateries in Canterlot had a bar attached to them. They where quiet places where the divine could let their hair down, where it no longer mattered what your social status was as long as your bits where good. I walked into the place five after the hour, and it wasn't quite what I thought it would be. While a far cry from the white linen and candle lit tables of the dining hall just through a set of oak doors at one end, the place was still pretty decent. The tables where all hardwood, a sea foam green carpet and lime green walls. Not too shabby but like I said not exactly putting on heirs or the Ritz. The bar sat at the farthest wall and took up most of it, even having a section leading to the stage where the "performance" was set to take place. Alcohol wasn't all THAT new to Equestria, its just that until we met them, all they had in terms of hard stuff was brewed cider, they didn't even know how to turn their precious barley and some hops into beer! sorry it's just that always was a bit of a shock to me. Anyway, all the booze at the bar was earth brewed import save for apple cider, (courtesy of every farm from here to appalooza) Budweiser, Busch, and the silver bullet Coors on tap and by the bottle, cheaper wines (no where near the fine stuff reserved for the other side of the door) you got your Yellow tail by the bottle or glass, as well as Sangria by the fruity pitcher, your Sutter Home mini bottles from California, and then there was the stuff you could really cruise on like Elton John's private jet before crashing like John Denver's. There's your prime Wild Turkey, your Fireball cinnamon whiskey, your Bacardi gold rum (flammable not recommended for flaming deserts) your Irish rose, your Grey goose and New Amsterdam in plain, peach apricot, and pineapple, and the choice of old blue eyes himself Frank Sinatra, Jack Daniels old no 7 Tennessee whiskey, in original, Gentlemen Jack, or in Sinatra select. (Rat pack approved, in spite of the fact that The Rat Pack having joined the all dead show a long time ago) "what's it going to be than?" An apple green stallion with a clashing brown mane asked me as I took my seat as close to the stage as possible. "I'm glad you asked me uhhh...Brew." I said reading the tag on his chest, "I've got an unsigned paycheck in my wallet next to two tens and two twenties, and I thought for a second they'd be going to the shop mart for next weeks food shopping list, but if I slip you my unsigned check and a nice big Twenty BIT coin, how bout you set me up with some Sinatra Select, some ice in a nice cold glass and a stein of beer for anyone that walks or trots even cause hell I don't discriminate, up to this bar? so if we understand each other Brew what do you say?" "Mister, I'd first have to ask if you've been drinking already to work up a deal like that, second Id have to ask to see your Bits your mouth seems to be cashing a check for to be sure your not talking trash in my bar." Like Clint Eastwood drawing his trusty 44, I took out my vinyl plastic wallet and took out my paycheck. Pay to the order of (unsigned) sum of 250 and no half bits (cents) bits, a big gold twenty bit coin along side it. "Problem?" "Not anymore, one bottle and beers on the house for my new best friend." I was his best friend as long as I kept the money flowing. I sat back and the dark brown choice booze slid down my throat, on the stage the last act before the recital got its reception, a blue mare with that classic nail plus ball, gag from cartoons on her flank bombed harder at stand-up than Dane Cook head-lining Gilbert Gottfried. "So I says to the animal control people, that's not the lady's cat with the flea infestation, that IS the old lady!" A few pity laughs and sympathy claps from the audience and she trotted away, from some place most likely through magic a booming voice proclaimed." "Now mares and gentle stallions, human and pony alike, for your your pleasure this night, our finale that's sure to blow you away, The Canterlot symphony orchestra with their new lead vocal cellist...Octavia Melody!" The curtain rose and first I didn't see much special in the "orchestra," band would have been more a fitting name given how small they seemed to me, then I saw...her. My first guess was she was Octavia Melody because of the cello she had at her side, the bow cradled in her hoof, her coat a dark grey but it had a sleek and majestic charm in spite of the color, it was complimented by her beautiful and well groomed charcoal black mane, it stood in a big pomp with strands freely flowing behind her down her shoulders and back, her mane suited her to perfection, the collar around her neck and spats on her hooves gave the mare a refined but humble feel to her and the icing on the cake that was, no IS Octavia Melody's beauty, her big, round and captivating purple eyes. They where like my soft brown ones had looked into pure gemstones of the finest jewelers in the world. As I looked at her, my heart stopped for a moment before fluttering like a canary set free, as my eyes swam inside my head. The first song they played was Ludwig Van (at least in my world he was) and his masterpiece Ode to joy. As Octavia strung the dulcet chords of her cello, she vocalized and sang every lyric in the ode in its native tongue. Her skill unsurpassed as she hit every note in sheer perfection, oh bliss bliss and joy. I got more and more lost in her singing and less and less into the alcoholic haze I had planned to send myself into that night. my glass sat growing warm, and all traces of the humans and ponies around me becoming as distant as the stars above. Finally the three act performance ended, after a round of Toccata and Fugue from J. Sebastian Bach they packed up their instruments and trotted away, I would have given anything to hear more but it was late, with a reciting of the saying about not having to go home but not allowed to stay at the bar, I headed out into the night. A Pegasus drawn taxi pulled up to me at the curb, a bit more costly than earth pony taxis, but faster. "Hey buddy? You need a lift home tonight?" The driver asked the door opening as if he expected me to say yes. "No thank you though, but I think I'll enjoy the walking" I said even though storm clouds where rolling in, the thunder heads roaring fiercely. In my bliss, my heart was light enough to float me all the way home as the drops pelted me square in my face.