For a few minutes, Octavia and I sit down in silence, contemplating the past 15 minutes or so.
"So, that was a little productive," I finally say.
"Quite," Octavia says. "If anything, at least we're on slightly better terms with the Rainbooms. I'm certainly glad that they're respecting our boundaries about magic for now."
"Yeah, and I hope I don't have to wait long to tell Caramel and Soarin about our group and everything," I add.
"I'm sure you won't, darling," Octavia says.
"Supportive as always, dearie," I say with a smile.
Octavia raises an eyebrow.
"Dearie?" she asks.
"Yeah, well, you wanted me to come up with a nickname for you, so that's what I've thought of," I explain. "I heard it once in a show, and I figured why not? It's a name that not many guys call their girlfriends nowadays."
Octavia kept her eyebrows raised and says, "I suppose we can try to make it work for now, but I'll expect you to come up with something better if I get tired of it. Understand?"
"As you wish, dearie," I say.
"Good," She says, satisfied. "Anyway, I'd say we have about an hour and a half or so until you have to meet up with your friends, so what would you like to do? And don't say make out, I'm not in the mood today."
"Aw!" I said playfully whine. "But I can't remember the last time we did that."
"Oh, typical guy response," Octavia says with a scoff. "Always thinking about the physical moments of the relationship."
"Hey, I take offense to you always stereotyping us like that! You take that back!" I say jokingly.
"I'll take it back when it becomes less true," She says playfully.
"Oh fine," I say with a playful grumble before I get an idea. "How about this; I haven't heard you play your cello since before we started going out, so maybe you could play me a tune again? You did promise."
Octavia gasps with a big smile on her face.
"Rough Draft, that's a marvelous idea!" She says. "I did bring my cello over here to practice when I thought you would be gone after the meeting."
"Great," I say excitedly as she walks over and grabs her, said cello and bow. I stay seated on the benches while Octavia takes a stool and places it in front of me before she sits down, holding her cello facing me. She takes out her phone, opens her music app, and selects a track of background music. She smiles at me before she takes a deep breath, presses the play button, closes her eyes, and after a few notes of the song playing on her phone, she begins to play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMo553kIMZ4&feature=emb_logo
Immediately, I am astonished to watch her play with such passion. Her performance is as beautiful to listen to as when she played during her concert, but instead of just playing a music piece she's reading from a music book, she lets her emotions dig into the music, giving in to her passion as an artist like when we got together. It's mesmerizing to watch her be calm, collective, and in her musical world.
Suddenly, I get an idea for a new story. It's something Star Wars related, but more character-driven and less action-packed like most of my other fanfiction stories. The more I think about it, the more I want to write it. I take my backpack out and grab one of my notebooks and a pen. Octavia notices what I'm doing and stops playing.
"Darling, what are you doing?" she asks.
"Just keep going," I answer. "I want to try something while you play."
Octavia was confused at this but does what I ask. As she starts to play again, I let her music sink into my mind before I turn to my notebook. I close my eyes and take a deep breath like she does before I take the lid off my pen and begin to write.
*******************************************************************************************************
It's been six months since Jedi Master Rough Draft destroyed the tyranny of the Dark Lord Morphan-itas for good. The Sith haven't resurfaced from their devastating defeat, and so peace has finally returned the galaxy. Since then, Rough Draft has been staying at the Jedi temple on the verdant world of Tython. He decided to take this time to wander around the temple and explore the quiet wildlife living among the forests in this world. Indeed, this is a time of rest and solitude that he rarely gets between the wars he has fought against the darkness.
It was when he was returning from his daily walk that the Jedi Council summoned him. They recently discovered a Holocron, an artifact used by the Jedi to store valuable lessons and history in holographic form, that contains information about Ahch-To, the planet where the first Jedi temple was made. The Holocron said that in the remains of the temple, there potentially resides a mysterious force user called the Jedi Princess. They assigned Rough Draft to travel there and investigate.
Author's Note: Ahch-To is the planet where Luke Skywalker is hiding in The Force Awakens.
Rough Draft was excited to take this mission. It had been a long time since they sent him on an assignment that does not have to do with the fight against the Sith and instead an expedition to hopefully discover any history or knowledge that has been long lost from the Jedi.
Rough Draft got on his ship, set the coordinates to Ahch-To, and flew to the planet's location. Once he got out of hyperspace, he saw the planet filled with water, except for a few small spots of land. He double-checked the coordinates and flew over to a small island where the remains of the first Jedi Temple lies. He landed his ship, got out of it to smell the salty yet pleasant sea air around him, and walked up the long stairs that lead to the top of the island's mountain. He was beginning to tire during the long hike until, eventually, he found ancient stone ruins. He was amazed to see the remains of where the time of the Jedi first began.
Suddenly he heard a peculiar sound. It was some sort of music that he never heard before coming from inside one of the ruins. He searched for where the music was coming from, eventually coming across a chamber that has long lost its roof and grass and flowers have grown from the cracks on the floor. At the center of it, he saw a woman dressed in ancient Jedi clothing playing music with a stringed instrument. The woman had gray skin and long dark gray hair that was tied to a long braid. Her face looked calm and at peace as if the music gave her a sense of joy deep in The Force. He slowly walked over to her until hr accidentally stepped on a branch that snapped, causing the woman to turn around, startled. When she turns to Rough Draft, he saw the most beautiful purple eyes. For a moment, nothing was said until Rough Draft cleared his throat.
"My name is Rough Draft, Jedi Master of the order. Are you the Jedi Princess?" He asked calmly.
The gray-skinned woman let out a laugh as she laid her instrument on the grass and turned to face Rough Draft.
"Is that rumor still going on? The galaxy is full of silly superstitious people. Seems like even the Jedi have their own fairy tales," She said.
"So, you aren't a Jedi?" Rough Draft asked, confused.
The woman rolled her eyes and said, "I'm not a Jedi in the sense that I'm a part of your Jedi order. Nor do I possess the equipment that you think signifies that I am someone with the Force like your laser sword."
Rough Draft stood there, taken aback at her words.
"My lightsaber is a Jedi tool that's used only for defense," He claimed.
"So you say," She said unconvinced. "Yet I can sense the flesh that has been sliced from the blade it conjures and the pain and death you have caused to fight evil. You play a dangerous game against the darkness."
"But I do not enjoy it," Rough Draft defended. "I only fight to defend the galaxy from the real harm from evil forces like the Sith."
"And yet despite your desire to create peace, you give yourself into causing desolation, never knowing or even experiencing what you're fighting for," she says.
"That's not true. I know peace," Rough Draft claimed. "Whenever there isn't a threat, I enjoy nature walks in the forests on Tython, or visit soldiers and villagers I have befriended across the galaxy."
"That isn't peace, that is a respite," The woman countered. "What you claim is simply rest between storms. True peace is letting go of all the worries in the universe and giving into the deep things that truly matter."
Rough Draft was insulted at this gray-skinned woman's words.
"Are you saying that I should let people die just so that I can acquire what I want them to have?" he asks.
"Oh, not at all," The woman replied, which only confused Rough Draft more. "I apologize for the misunderstanding. What you do is indeed important. The dark side of The Force is a presence that must never be ignored or allowed to destroy. But to become devoted to the fight comes the price of never truly knowing what you're fighting for until you are too old to fight or you are killed in battle. It is a noble sacrifice, but it's a sacrifice nonetheless."
Rough Draft was amazed. He had never heard of someone speak to him like this in his life. It appeared that this woman knows more about the Force than even the wisest members of the Jedi council could know.
"But what about you?" He asked. "What are you doing in these ruins alone?"
"Oh, I'm never alone here," The woman said in a matter-of-factually tone. "I have all the life here that flows in the Force to keep me company."
Once more, Rough Draft was astounded.
"You're friends with the life that resides on this island?" He asked.
"Yes. I know it hardly appears that way, but some stories can be told through the small life that resides on this island." She explained. "You only need to reach deep into The Force and see how the rocks, the air, the ruins, even the grass, and flowers know about all that has transpired so many years ago back in the earliest of times of the Jedi. Stories of discovery, curiosity, enlightenment, thirst for knowledge, joy, prosperity, serenity, confusion, neglect, jealousy, competition, rebellion, discovery again, lust, hate, anger, aggression, betrayal, heartbreak, death, fire, tears, abandonment, desertion, ashes, birth of new life- all of these can be told through the life that spreads throughout this island and many others through this planet."
"So, you're a scholar of what happened here?" Rough Draft asked.
"That's one interpretation, I suppose," The Gray Woman said. "My friends here merely give me the story, and I express what they want to tell through my music. Their full stories will never be told, but it warms my heart that in some way their stories are told, even if they are the audience and I only play what emotions are felt through the Force."
"Is that what you were doing before I arrived?" Rough Draft asked.
"You mean before I caught you trying to sneak up on me," The Grey Woman said in an unamused voice. Rough Draft chuckled nervously before she spoke again. "Regardless, yes, I was playing a song about a story that hides behind this specific ruin."
"I'd like to hear more of it," Rough Draft said. "It sounded beautiful, and I'd hate for it to be left incomplete because I interrupted you."
The Gray Woman raised her eyebrow suspiciously. "Are you sure you want to hear it? I want you to tell me if you're being polite."
Rough Draft walked over till he was a few feet in front of her, sat down criss-cross, and with a hand gesture said, "Please."
The Grey Woman kept her suspicious look for a moment, but eventually, she began to smile and said, "Very well." and picked up her musical instrument. "Close your eyes and try to dig deep into The Force. Let it tell you what it wants to say."
Rough Draft followed her instructions and waited a couple of seconds before she finally played. The Gray Woman's face grew sad as she played a blue tune with her string instrument. As she played, Rough Draft tried to sense what every living thing on the island is saying through the song. When she finished her song, Rough Draft opened his eyes to see the Gray Woman look at him with anticipation.
"What did you see while I was playing?" She asked.
Rough Draft thought hard before he gave his answer.
"Moonlight," He said. "Moonlight shining over the island while fire and smoke fills what's left of the temple. Ash covering much of the grass here, and there is no living being anywhere."
"Go on," The Gray Woman instructed.
"I sensed sadness, grief, suffering, death, yet the planet's moon continues to shine despite so much smoke filling the sky as if whatever was left here took it as a sign of hope. That somehow, the moonlight is telling them that light overcomes the darkness. I thought I felt a mixture of anguish and comfort."
"Good. Very good," The Gray Women said. "There was a time where those who could use the Force knew that there is more to gain from the life around us than simply knowing that they create the Force and make it grow. Anything from the grass, to the rock and even the ocean, have things to tell us. We only needed to reach out far enough to learn what they have to say."
"So I see, " Rough Draft replied.
But even as he said that, his mind was focused on the woman herself. It was clear to him that she had a deep love for the creative arts and desired to express it however she can. Her passion was as mesmerizing as her purple eyes that were deeper than any purple crystal on Dantooine or some of the flowers and large plants in the forests in Tython.
"Aw, Rough Draft!"
"AAAAHHHHHH!"
****************************************************************************************************************
I jump in alarm, dropping my notebook and pen in the process. Octavia is sitting right next to me on my left with her mouth covered, trying hard not to laugh.
"Goodness, I'm so sorry," She says. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"Yeah, that tends to happen when you sneak behind someone who's deep in their own world of writing," I reply as. "What are you doing sitting next to me? I thought you were playing your cello."
"I finished my song five minutes ago," Octavia explains. "I was going to play something else, but when I saw you so deep into your writing, I couldn't help but want to see what your story is."
"Well, that was kinda something that I didn't want you to see," I say nervously.
"Aw, you mean to tell me you were writing a story with me as one of your characters and planned to never show it to me?" She asks, pretending to be hurt.
"Uh, well, yeah," I answer bashfully. "Some guys might be shy about what they write about their girlfriend."
"Oh, now that is just silly," She counters before she says with a sly smile. "Besides, is that really what you think of my eyes or when I play?"
My blush grows, which answers Octavia's question for her. She giggles before she says, "Rough Draft, honestly, that's very sweet. I've never heard someone express what they think about me like that before."
"Now I know that's not true," I state. "You said yourself that you were popular with the guys back at Manhattan. There had to be some who said a few nice sweet things about you."
Octavia's appreciative smile turns into a frown, and I immediately regret what I said.
"I'm sorry. I -" I say before she interrupts me.
"It's alright. You didn't know," she says. "It's just that I try to forget about those boys who were courting me all the time back in Manehattan. It's like I said before, it was flattering at first, but it didn't take long to see how fake they were. How they tried to woo me with compliments like how well I play or how beautiful or charming I am when they were really trying to date me just for their status in the school. It especially hurt when it came to a guy who I had a crush on. He was the most popular guy in the school, so charming and attractive that I never thought he would want to go out with a girl like me. My family was of high class, but because Madrigal hadn't taught me how to play the cello yet at the time, I was nobody special in the eyes of all the students in my school. Next thing you know, I decided to try out for the school orchestra after Madrigal disowned me as his student, and as I said before, my passion for playing the cello was so highly praised that I was more respected among my fellow peers. Eventually, it caught his attention, and he started courting me. He wooed me the same way as other boys did in the past, saying I have sparkling violet eyes, mesmerizing face, play music like an angel, empty words like that. You'd think that I would reject him like the others, but this time it felt special to me because he said it. He of all people would take the time to notice me and say those things after a couple of years of just staring at him from a distance like a bumbling, shy schoolgirl. I didn't hesitate to take him out on his offer to things like dinner at really fancy restaurants, dances, or walks in Manehattan park in a moonlight."
"Well, gee, now I kinda feel like a bum in comparison when it comes to dating you," I remark.
"You're doing fine, darling," Octavia says with a kind smile before she looks away sadly again. "Anyway, I felt like everything was perfect throughout the whole thing, but eventually, his intentions were revealed. I was heading home from rehearsal one day when I saw him talking with his friends in the halls. I excitedly decided to try to sneak behind to surprise him. But when I got close enough, I heard the truth. He was boasting about how he was just wooing me to acquire the perfect trophy wife. He wanted to use me to be nothing else than just an item to love only for her looks and her popularity as a soon-to-be infamous musician."
"Wow," I say. "I guess that's another thing we have in common; we both fell in love with someone who only wanted to use us for their popularity."
Octavia thinks about it for a moment before she chuckles.
"I never thought of that," She says with a smile before she frowns again and continues her story. "Anyway, as you can imagine, I was crushed. I never dreamed that even he would be so pig-headed and heartless. I wasted no time to come up from behind, tap him by the shoulder, and once he turned, I smacked him so hard in the face that he panicked about his 'beautiful face' being ruined. I screamed my heart out, telling him how I refused to be a part of his sick scheme before I left."
"Yeah, I imagine that would give him the message," I comment.
Octavia sighs and says, "If only that were true, darling."
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"He tried to win me back," she answers.
"Seriously?" I ask in disbelief.
"Seriously. Even after my outburst, he figured that he could charm me into coming back to his arms," Octavia says. "Time after time, I told him off, but he kept on trying as if he can easily trick me again to get what he wanted. Even when my parents and I were moving to Canterlot, he kept trying, thinking that eventually I'll come back to him."
There is nothing but silence. I sit next to Octavia, shocked by her story. It's hard to believe that there still are people like this guy who only want someone like Octavia because of their looks and/or popularity.
"So, if all those guys complimented you like that, then what makes me special?" I finally ask. "I'm kinda doing the same thing, but I'm doing it with fan fiction."
"But that's what makes you special to me, Rough Draft; you're different," She explains with a smile. "You express how you feel in your own way. All those other boys can think of is things like comparing me to the beauty of flowers or jewelry or some clichéd thing like that. But you, you're more expressive. I don't have the slightest idea what these crystals or plants in planets in outer space are, but it's stuff coming from something important to you. If you're using something you love to do to express how you feel about me, then that just makes me more happy that you're my boyfriend."
"You really feel that way just from writing Star Wars fan fiction of all things?" I say, surprised.
"Of course," She answers. "After all, you included me in your story and so made me a part of something that you love. It's very nerdy, but at the same time, it has more meaning to me then just flattering me or going to fancy places that those guys can easily afford because they belong to rich families. It's coming from your heart. Plus, you're showing that you can be artistic yourself. This wasn't another story of you fighting against some evil villain; you were using your imagination based on what you're feeling from my music. Even if it's still Star Wars, it proves that you can be more than just a fanfiction writer like you said you wanted to be on our first date."
I ponder at this and realize she's right. I do want to write more in-depth and more creative than my fanfiction. I didn't think I would be writing something like this any time soon, and yet here I am just from hearing Octavia playing her cello. It's not creating original worlds or anything like that yet, but it's a start.
"You know, nice guys like me aren't as rare as they are in Manehattan," I say humbly. "There's probably a few other guys who'd do something meaningful for a girl like you."
Octavia looks at me with an unconvinced smirk before she wraps her arms around me and lays her head on my shoulder.
"Perhaps, but I'm happy with who I'm with right now," She says quietly yet sweetly.
I smile before I look away, feeling my cheeks heating up. I hear Octavia giggles, and I look back at her as she was staring at me with a flirty smile.
"What?" I ask.
"You look so adorable when you blush," She answers.
I can feel my whole face turning red, which only makes her giggle more.
"S-s-stop that." I stutter bashfully. "That's not helping!"
"It wasn't supposed to, darling," Octavia said in a matter-of-factually tone. "Now, stop complaining and put your arms around me."
**********************************************************************************************************************
We decide to stay and talk a little more while holding each other until it's time for me to head off to meet Soarin and Caramel at the arcade. I walk her to her home, and we kissed each other at her front door like always before I head to the arcade with my two buddies waiting for me.
"There's the man," Soarin says. "Ready for me to kick your butt at the shooting games?"
"The day you start winning," I say back.
Soarin and Caramel laugh before Caramel pats me on the shoulder and shouts, "That's the Rough Draft we know!" as we walk in.
We get our coins from the front desk and try out every game we see. Soarin does try to kick my butt at the shooter games to no avail, I play a Star Wars x-wing game a few times that is pretty fun, and poor Caramel spends most of his coins trying to hit the jackpot at one game, claiming, "I'm going to get it this time!" every time he loses.
Eventually, we take a break and order some pizza before we play more games. As we eat, however, Carmel decides to get on a touchy subject.
"So, I don't think we got around to asking, how are you feeling about telling Octavia the truth between you and Sunset Shimmer?" He asks.
"Hey yeah, are you okay that you told her about what happened with you and Sunset?" Soarin asks.
I think about it for a moment before I honestly answer, "You know, you'd think I wouldn't be, but I actually feel better. I guess at the end of the day, she's right that it wasn't right for me to hold that from her while she sees me be so cold towards Sunset Shimmer, and thankfully she understands why I'm cold to her. In fact, she wants us to work out a way for me to be less venomous toward Sunset Shimmer.
"Really? And you're going along with it?" Caramel questions.
"Well, I'm not completely on board, and just from trying to apologize to Sunset Shimmer after school today, Octavia knows that I'm not going to be comfortable to be in the same room as Sunset Shimmer overnight," I say. "But maybe I should at least try to stop being so angry towards her."
"That sounds uncharacteristically mature of you, Rough Draft," Soarin says with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not doing it just because Octavia wants you to?"
I ponder at his question before I answer, "Well, yeah, but I feel willing to at least try for Octavia because I've become more comfortable around her. I appreciate it when she tries to support me or help me grow, I mean, she's trying to help me be a better writer for crying out loud. I care about her a lot. I feel happy when I'm around her. I -"
I grow uneasy before I slowly say the words that I didn't think I would say.
"I think I might be falling in love with her."
There are no words from the three of us for a moment. Not a sound is made except for the people in the arcade surrounding us.
Finally, Caramel says, "Be very careful, Rough Draft. As much as I know how things have been between you two, that might not automatically make it love so soon."
"I have to agree," Soarin says. "I have known Rainbow Dash my whole time here at this school, and I really care about her a lot, but I think she and I would both agree that neither of us are at that point when I just got the nerve to ask her out. Heck, Sunset Shimmer was horrible to you, but at least she was smart enough to take the time to hang out with you for so long that it felt like you two were truly in love."
"Yeah, but just because that's the case with you and Rainbow Dash doesn't automatically mean that has to be the case for Octavia and me," I counter. "Not every couple experiences things at the same pace."
"We just want you to take things slowly," Caramel says. "We know how much you've grown to like her and, hey, the fact that she's been so kind to you and all sounds like she's quite a keeper. But we also know how much you're into things like love and how much you willingly let yourself into thinking something like that is happening to you as you did with Sunset Shimmer. I'm not saying this is the same thing. I'm just saying give yourself some time to make sure you know how you feel. Besides, even if you think you love her, she might not feel that way about you. It has been less than two weeks since you've known each other much less dated, and for all we know, she may just really like you. "
I let Caramel's words sink in. I want to think of a good comeback that proves that I genuinely know how I feel about Octavia, but I reluctantly admit maybe he's right. I'm still sure that I love her, but maybe I am viewing how things are going with our relationship too quickly, and now that I think about it, Octavia and I did agree that we should take things more slowly on our first full day as a couple.
With a sigh, I reluctantly say, "You're right, Caramel. I need to slow myself down. Octavia has meant so much to me in such a short time that maybe I am rushing into how I feel. Heck, I may be kinder and more sensitive than the guys she knew back at Manehattan, but other than that, I don't even know what I've done to deserve to with a girl like her, let alone reach that point where she loves me back."
Caramel and Soarin give me small but still concerned smiles.
"Now, don't be that down, man," Soarin says encouragingly. "We're not saying it won't happen. Heck, we wouldn't have tried to get you with a girl at Pinkie's party if we didn't want the two of you to fall in love. We just don't want your hopeless romantic side get the better of you again. But despite what we're saying, I, for one, think it's looking good that she might love you back eventually."
"You think so?" I asked, my spirits slightly lifted.
"Definitely,” Soarin says reassuringly. "It's obvious she cares about you a lot. Just give it some time, and she'll feel that way. You'll see."
I smile, feeling hopeful by his words. I'm still sure that what I feel about Octavia is love, but if it will take some time for her to feel the same, then I'll wait for her.
"Thanks, guys," I finally say. "I feel a little better, knowing that."
"Hey, no prob, bro," Soarin says. "Now, let's finish our pizza. There's still a whole bunch of games to play."