• Published 3rd Feb 2014
  • 5,378 Views, 406 Comments

Fiddling with Her Heart - Kevinltk



Octavia is one of the most renowned musicians in Equestria, and yet she feels something is missing in her music. A seemingly normal trip to Ponyville changes everything when she hears the sound of a fiddle coming from the apple orchards.

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Chapter 29: Taking that First Step

The city of Canterlot was in a flurry of activity. Amidst the reconstruction efforts and healing of injured ponies, the princesses announced that the royal wedding was going to be redone, and it would be even grander than before.

For many ponies, it would not only be celebrating the union of love of two highly regarded figures, it would also be celebrating their victory over the changelings.

For Octavia, it would be so much more.

Octavia and Fluttershy had reconvened with the rest of their music ensemble soon after the new wedding date was set. Some of the musicians were still nursing a few injuries, and since they deemed their previous performance as exemplary, they agreed to take it easy with just a few light practice sessions, so that they would be fully recovered for the reprise wedding.

The reduced schedule was a great boon to Octavia, giving her more free time to work on Applejack's surprise. She planned to present it on the wedding day and spent a good deal of her time preparing for the occasion. It was going to be a pivotal moment in her life, and what she had planned had to be perfect.

The remaining time was spent joining Fluttershy in helping out and meeting with their other friends. Unlike the preparations before the initial wedding, their times together were a lot more enjoyable. Twilight was back to her usual self, no longer burdened with uncovering malevolent plots, and the real Princess Cadance was a great deal more accommodating and pleasant to work with.

To Octavia’s surprise, Cadance had taken a great interest in her. While the princess normally handled herself with grace and poise, it seemed that when it came to love, she behaved more like an excitable, young mare barely out of fillyhood. After Octavia realized her love for Applejack and mentioned she had a plan to show her feelings to the mare, Cadance constantly prodded her until she finally divulged the plan. Fortunately, Cadance agreed to Octavia’s request to keep it a secret, as well as offering to help in any way she can.

As the second wedding drew closer, Octavia found herself brimming with anticipation over what would be her finest performance ever, but most of all, she was finally going to tell Applejack what lies in her heart.

The wedding could not come soon enough.


The day of the repeat wedding had arrived as the ceremonial hall was once again packed to full capacity with ponies.

Much of it was the same as what it had looked like the first time around with Octavia playing with Fluttershy and the other musicians while their friends stood along the steps leading up to the altar. Even the room itself looked the same, not showing a trace of any of the fights that took place in it. The main difference was the presence of Twilight, proudly standing next to her soon to be wed brother, discreetly making last second adjustments to the groom’s uniform.

A hush fell over the crowd when Octavia and her bandmates started playing the wedding march. The grand doors opened shortly after they started, admitting Cadance who followed the Cutie Mark Crusader Flower Girls as they led the princess down the hall with their scattered flower petals.

After Cadance made her way up to the altar, she shared a loving gaze with Shining Armor before they turned their attention back to Celestia.

“Mares and gentlecolts,” Celestia began when the music died down, “we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of the real Princess Mi Amore Cadenza—”

“Princess Cadance is fine,” Cadance quickly amended.

Celestia nodded in approval before continuing. “The union of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. The strength of their commitment is clear. The power of their love, undeniable. The two of them have showed that love can blossom from anywhere and that it can overcome any obstacle.”

Turning to Spike, Celestia asked, “May we have the rings please?”

Spike promptly stepped forward, holding up the pillow the rings were resting on. The rings were bathed in the golden glow of Celestia’s magic and floated over towards the couple.

“I now pronounce you mare and colt,” Celestia happily announced as the rings slipped through the horns of Cadance and Shining Armor.

The ceremony hall exploded with cheers and applause as the newlyweds shared a kiss. The deafening ovation grew even louder when they proceeded to the balcony outside where they were met by the sight of a horde of celebrating ponies, fully occupying the castle grounds and spilling out into the streets. Even from inside the ceremony hall located high above, the noise the crowd outside was making rang loud and clear.

After waving to the onlookers, Cadance and Shining Armor turned to each other again and went in for a deeper, longer kiss.

At Celestia’s signal, Rainbow Dash flew out of a window and started flying upwards. Her speed rapidly grew until an almost deafening explosion was heard, and an enormous ring that shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow radiated out of the prismatic pegasus. Rainbow Dash completed her famous Sonic Rainboom by drawing a rainbow arc that stretched over the entire city, painting a perfect picture for the joyous occasion.

The cheers seemed to have lasted forever, even continuing after the wedding ceremony had ended and most of the audience had left the room.

Pinkie had rushed off to prepare the castle grounds for the reception while Twilight left with Spike, and Celestia to further congratulate Cadance and Shining Armor, leaving Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack with Octavia.

“Oh my goodness, that was so beautiful,” Rarity gushed as she wiped a tear out of her eye with a handkerchief. “This wedding has been simply glorious. I can only hope I could have one just as magnificent one day.”

“Woo hoo!” Rainbow Dash cheered as she made a few loops in the air. “Did you see that Sonic Rainboom?! Seriously, that was my best one yet, and I did it while going against gravity. How cool is that?!”

“Yes, very cool,” Octavia agreed. “I heard about your trademark trick, but this was the first time I had the privilege to actually see it. Words do not do it justice.”

“Just another thing to add to my awesomeness,” boasted Rainbow.

“Yea, yea, you’re awesome. Moving on,” Applejack dryly stated with a chuckle before turning to Octavia and Fluttershy. “You two sounded great.”

“Oh, thank you,” Fluttershy replied, a light blush forming on her cheeks, “but I didn’t actually do much. I just told the birds what they had to do. Octavia and the others did more because they actually play instruments.”

“Nonsense, darling,” said Rarity. “You contributed just as much. You just happen to have a different method than the rest of them.”

“She’s right,” agreed Octavia. “I’ve seen how much time and care you put into directing your bird friends, so don’t take your accomplishment lightly.”

“Okay, if you say so,” Fluttershy complied. “Thank you.”

“Anyway, I should get going,” Octavia stated. “Knowing Pinkie, the reception is somehow almost all set up, and I need to get ready for my performance.”

“Ah can't wait. When is it?” asked Applejack.

“It’s actually going to be the first thing at the reception. I hope you’ll all enjoy what I have prepared.”

“Ah’m sure you’ll do great, sugarcube. We’ll be cheerin’ you on from the front row.”

“And after my performance, I will be free to spend the rest of the reception with you all,” Octavia pointed out.

“Lookin’ forward to it,” Applejack stated with a grin.

After exchanging farewells, Octavia carried her cello to a private dressing room reserved for her. Already inside was her cello case and the beautiful dress Rarity crafted for her performance.

Octavia set down her cello and changed into the dress. Taking a look at herself in a full length mirror, she could not help but marvel at Rarity’s design. The body of the dress was white, but the collar, sleeves, and hemline were made of a special lace that was the same shade of violet as her eyes and cutie mark. The white color created a pleasing contrast to her grey coat while the colored lace accentuated her eyes and cutie mark.

As she continued to inspect herself, she started to plan out the rest of the night in her head. Suddenly, she froze when the realization of what she was going to do within the next few hours hit her. In the days leading up to today, she could barely contain her excitement, but now that the fateful night was actually here, she could not help but feel her nerves creeping up.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

“C-come in,” Octavia prompted, hastily shoving aside her uneasiness.

The door opened, revealing Cadance still clad in her beautiful wedding dress.

“Oh hello, Princess,” Octavia greeted with a smile. “Congratulations on your marriage.”

Cadance giggled. “I’m sure I’ll be hearing that plenty of more times for a while, but nonetheless, thank you,” she said as she looked over Octavia. “I must say, you look absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Octavia replied before turning back to look at the mirror.

“Nervous?” Cadance asked as she occupied the space next to Octavia.

“No, I’m perfectly fine,” Octavia lied.

Cadance shook her head. “Don’t try to hide it from me. You look so stiff and tense, and don’t think I did not hear that crack in your voice behind the door.”

Octavia sighed. “Alright fine, you’re right. I actually just got a bout of cold hooves shortly before you came in.”

“About your performance or revealing your feelings to Applejack?”

Octavia took a moment before answering, “Yes.”

Cadance let out a chuckle. “Understandable, but regarding your performance, I am sure you will do splendidly. You and the others sounded wonderful during the ceremony, and I have heard of your stellar shows long before we met. There’s no need to doubt yourself.”

“True,” conceded Octavia, “but I never played at such an extravagant occasion as this before. Not only that, but this is going to be my first solo performance since I went on my hiatus. No matter the outcome, this is likely going to have a huge impact on my music career.”

“So you think that you’re going to fail?” Cadance asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well… no, not really.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about.” A smirk appeared on Cadance’s face. “Besides, didn’t you tell me Applejack helped you with your music?” She let out an extremely huge gasp and brought a hoof up to her horrified face. “Don’t tell me all that time with her meant nothing to you. How could you be so cruel?!”

Octavia could not help but laugh, feeling some of her tension dissipating. “Okay, okay, I get it. If I doubt my music abilities, I also doubt the things I have learned and experienced with Applejack.”

“Good, I’m glad that matter is settled,” Cadance remarked, returning to a normal posture. “And I trust that you are going to confront Applejack afterwards?”

“Right, that…” Octavia bit her lip. “I will… hopefully… maybe…”

“It would be unfortunate if you didn’t. You spent a great deal of time planning for this moment. You might not find such a grand opportunity as this for a long time.”

Octavia sighed and her ears drooped. “I know, it’s just that I don’t know how if she will return my feelings. I have figured out what she means to me, but what do I mean to her? What if she says no?”

“What if she says yes?” Cadance asked in response.

Octavia groaned. “This would be a lot easier if I knew how she felt for me. Why is this so complicated?”

Cadance offered a comforting smile as she started straightening out Octavia’s dress. “Because the heart is a fickle thing. You are certainly not the first to be confused by it, nor are you going to be the last. Nopony can predict what her heart is going to tell her what to do. There are no guarantees in love, but there is one thing I know for sure. You’ll never know how she feels unless you tell her everything. You do want her, right?”

Octavia nodded. “That I am sure of.”

“Then talk to her. This is just another obstacle, and if you truly want to be with her, you have to overcome it. Otherwise, you will regret it for the rest of your life.”

Staring straight at the mirror, Octavia looked at herself, standing silently as Cadance continued making touchups to her appearance. The minutes dragged by as Cadance’s words of encouragement conflicted with her own trepidation of what would happen.

Why am I still so nervous? As crazy as I was, I practically charged into a horde of changelings for her, and yet the thought of telling her how I feel is stopping me in my tracks. Am I really that scared that she won’t feel the same way? Even if things don’t work out, we’ll still be friends, right? If she says yes, then that’s great, but if she says no, then things will just go back to the way things were. I have nothing to lose, and a lot to gain. I just have to take that final step.

Octavia took a deep breath and announced, “I’ll do it. I just have to find the right moment and then tell her everything.”

Cadance flashed a big smile. “That’s what I wanted to hear. I hope everything works out between the two of you.”

Octavia turned to the alicorn and smiled back. “I have to thank you so much for all that you have done for me, Princess Cadance. Without your encouragement, I don’t think I would be able to come this far. I am honored that you have dedicated so much of your time just to support me.”

“Please,” Cadance said with a giggle, “like I already said, we’re friends.” A mischievous grin appeared on her face. “Besides, I can’t resist helping ponies find love.”

Octavia chuckled. “Right, Princess of Love.”

“It does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Maybe once things have settled down, I can help Twilight find her own special somepony.”

“Oh dear,” Octavia said as she continued to laugh, “Well, I suppose she could stand to get her head out of the books a bit more.”

“Exactly,” Cadance agreed before stepping back. “It’s almost time for the reception. I have to get going, and it also means your performance is not too far away either. Are you ready?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

“I look forward to seeing what you have in store,” Cadance said as she made her way towards the door. “Good luck.”

After the princess left, Octavia grabbed her cello and placed herself back in front of the mirror. She took up her playing stance and stood silently, gazing at her reflection. After a moment, she took a deep breath and emerged from it with a small smile on her face.

“Show time.”


The sun had begun its descent by the time the reception started. Pinkie had fully decorated the entire castle grounds, creating a festive atmosphere. Despite her penchant for rather loud and rambunctious parties, she took extensive care in planning out all the activities and settings. There was something for every pony to enjoy.

As Octavia made her way to the erected stage with her cello, she noticed that music was being played from two sets of large speakers connected to a record music mixer near the stage. The music consisted of synthesized sounds and heavy beats, and while it was somewhat catchy, it was not exactly her taste. Passing by the speakers, the sounds of a pony, presumably the disk jockey, was heard from somewhere underneath the music equipment.

Octavia stepped up onto the stage and was promptly met by an eager applause. Looking out into the crowd, she saw a substantial amount of ponies had already gathered. She was pleased to see all of her friends, including Cadance and Shining Armor, were waiting for her in the front row.

“Hello, everypony,” Octavia addressed the crowd when they finished applauding. “It’s wonderful to be here to help commemorate the beautiful union of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.”

Another round of applause erupted as the newlyweds smiled and waved to everypony.

“In honor of this joyful occasion, I shall be playing a few pieces that I have selected,” Octavia continued when the ovation died down, “Now without further ado, I hope you all enjoy the show.”

Octavia brought up her bow to the cello’s strings and took a deep breath. She took one last moment to look at her friends, and her eyes locked onto Applejack. Seeing her friend’s smiling face, the last traces of her performance anxiety evaporated.
She slowly shut her eyes and started moving her bow across the cello’s strings. Her smile grew larger soon after her music began. It was thrilling to once again stand on stage to play for others, but this time, she also played for herself.

She had carefully gone through a multitude of songs and chose several pieces that were inspired by love, but instead of just simply replaying what the composer had laid out, she took what she had learned from Applejack, deviating from what was written to implement her own variations and feelings into the music.

Each song she played was met with a resounding round of applause when it ended. Approaching the end of her performance, Octavia lifted her bow off the cello and looked back up at her audience. From the looks of it, a good deal of ponies had actually stopped to listen to her while she was busy playing.

“Thank you all for coming,” Octavia said to the larger crowd. “It has been a delight to stand up on this stage to perform for all of you. This next song will be my last one for the night, and I have composed it myself for this occasion. While it was made to celebrate this moment of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, it also has special meaning to me.”

Octavia shifted her attention to the front row to where all her friends were and saw that Cadance had a knowing smirk on her face and nodded at her.

“A few months ago, I went through a difficult time, but I was able to get through it because of a very good friend.” Octavia’s gaze focused right on Applejack who was now looking up at her with her mouth slightly agape. “She has been a great source of encouragement and inspiration for me, and I hope this song will show her how special she is to me.”

Octavia placed her bow back onto the cello’s strings and took a deep breath.

This was it. This was what she had been preparing for Applejack.

When she realized her love for Applejack, she quickly thought of the perfect way to show her feelings for Applejack. They had met because of music, and now they were going to be brought together by music.

Setting aside the mediocre song she had composed before the invasion, Octavia restarted from scratch. Drawing from her new feelings as a source of inspiration and motivation, she spent the majority of her practice time creating a new song that would show Applejack how big of an impact she had on her life.

The song started off slow and tremulous, but it slowly picked up as the music progressed. When it reached a certain point, Octavia departed from the usual classical style she was known for and changed to the kind of music she had heard and played with Applejack back at Sweet Apple Acres.

Looking out into the crowd, Octavia almost let out a chuckle. A number of ponies were gawking at her with wide eyes while the rest were watching her with rapt attention.

She smoothly transitioned back and forth between the genres, blending the two styles to create a fantastic melody. It was a display of how two vastly different things could be brought together and work together in perfect harmony. Never before had she felt so in touch with her music, putting all her heart into the performance.

When her song finally ended, she finished with a flourish, slightly panting from all the exertion she poured into the music. She was met with silence as everypony stared at her, but she did not have to wait long before Cadance enthusiastically started clapping. Her friends followed soon after, with the rest of the crowd joining in an applause that rumbled through the entire castle grounds and putting all her previously received ovations to shame.

However, Octavia barely noticed the din of all the other ponies as she and Applejack gazed at each other as if they were the only ponies there. The only pony's approval that mattered to her was not among the cheering crowd and was instead just staring up at her with widened eyes.

She held her breath as she awaited for any sign of Applejack's acknowledgement. To her delight, her beloved friend formed a smile on her face and nodded at her.

After taking a bow to the still applauding crowd, Octavia exited the stage and headed to her dressing room to drop off her cello before joining her friends at the reception.

“Hey there,” called a voice to her side.

Octavia turned her head, seeing the same speaker system she had saw before her performance. A white unicorn with a mane consisting of two shades of blue was now behind the soundboard, leaning on a forehoof that rested on the equipment. What was most notable about the unicorn was that she was wearing a set of violet-colored shades that completely encompassed her eyes.

“Name's DJ-PON3,” the unicorn introduced herself with a big smile. “Well, at least that's what everypony knows me on stage as. My actual name is Vinyl Scratch, but feel free to call me whatever floats your boat.”

“A pleasure to meet you. I’m Octavia Melody,” replied Octavia.

“That was a pretty sweet performance you did back there,” Vinyl complimented.

“Oh, why thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.”

“I gotta say, I sure wasn't expecting something like that. I heard about you before, and I thought you were just another one of those boring, prissy types.”

Octavia arched an eyebrow. “Uh, thank you?”

Vinyl’s smile dropped as she stared at her. “Uh, oops, my bad. What I meant was that you're different from the other musicians I heard. There’s just something about your music that really gets you moving. I especially digged that last song of yours. I never heard anything like that before.”

“That's very kind of you, but like I mentioned on stage, I have to give credit to my friend who has been a major influence.”

Vinyl shrugged. “Still, at least it means you’re willing to try other things which brings me to the other reason I wanted to talk to you. I got a bit of an offer for you.”

“Oh? And what might that be?”

Vinyl slowly swept her hoof over the music equipment. “If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a deejay.”

“Yes, I have, but I have to say that I don’t much about your profession. Forgive me if I sound rude, but don’t all deejays just play pre-recorded music?” Octavia asked.

“Oh please,” Vinyl replied with a scoff. “It’s so much more than that. Sure, there are a couple of chumps who are content with doing just that, but the good ones know how to work the music and mix things up to really get you pumping. I’m one of the best around these parts, and on top of that, I’ve created some nice tunes of my own that everypony loves.”

“I see that modesty is another one of your strong suits,” Octavia dryly pointed out.

“It sure is,” Vinyl agreed with a smile. “Thanks for noticing.”

“I was being sarcastic.”

“Don’t care!” Vinyl proudly proclaimed.

Octavia resisted the urge to facehoof and settled on rolling her eyes. “Getting back on track, you still haven’t told me about your offer.”

“Oh right. So the thing is, since you seem pretty open minded, I was wondering if you wanted to try a collab with me one of these days.”

Octavia blinked a few times before responding. “Come again?”

“I’m always on the lookout to try new stuff. It keeps things exciting, and the crowd loves a lot of the stuff that comes out because of it. I’m sure that with both of our awesome talents, we can make something that would blow everypony away.”

“I don’t know…” Octavia slowly replied. She had listened to a few samples of the type of music deejays were known for some time ago to broaden her views in music, but all she remembered was a lot of loud noises. While Vinyl’s music did seem to be a bit more appealing than her previous experiences, it still treaded into unfamiliar territory for her.

“I’ll leave the offer open,” Vinyl added. “If you change your mind, look me up in Ponyville.”

Octavia gave a small start. “Ponyville? You live in Ponyville?”

Vinyl cocked her head. “Yea, got a problem with that?”

Octavia quickly shook her head. “Oh no, it’s just that I’ve actually been staying there for over a month, and I don’t recall hearing about you over there.”

“That’s probably because I was away for a while, covering for a friend in Manehatten. But yea, if you visit Ponyville often, then you should pay me a visit. I know it seems like a bit of an odd place for a big shot like me to stay at, but there’s a lot of hidden talent there. I know a few ponies who know their way around music, but just can’t handle the business and politics of the industry.”

Octavia nodded slowly. “I can understand that. It certainly can get stressful, not to mention how competitive it can be.”

“That’s why I like to work with other ponies,” Vinyl explained. “Ponyville is great and all, but there’s not much opportunity for ponies to show off their skills like the bigger cities. By creating songs with them, it gives them a chance to get their music heard and earn some extra bits.”

“That’s… that’s actually quite an ingenious process you have there,” Octavia replied. “I must say, you are quite the interesting pony, Vinyl.”

“Of course I am,” Vinyl affirmed with a smirk.

Octavia chuckled. “Anyway, I’ll make sure to think about your offer. You have certainly piqued my interest.”

“Cool. Well, I gotta prepare for the next performance. Hope to get the chance to work with you,” Vinyl said before returning to whatever preparations she was doing under her equipment.

Leaving the deejay, Octavia could not help but smile. Vinyl was yet another character from Ponyville that surprised her. She was really considering to take up Vinyl’s offer, but for now, she had a much more important matter to take care of.

Octavia barely spent any time in her room, quickly stowing away her cello and applying a few quick primps to her appearance before rushing back to the reception.

Looking around the castle grounds, she found her friends and Celestia had gathered near the middle, watching Cadance and Shining Armor share a slow dance with each other. Just as she joined the group, Luna also landed right next to them, probably returning from preparing the moon and stars to take over the fading twilight sky.

While her friends gave her a round of congratulations and compliments over her performance, Twilight nodded to Pinkie, who in turn promptly rushed over to Vinyl’s booth.

“Let’s get this party started!” Pinkie announced, pulling Vinyl out from underneath the equipment who had a record in her mouth.

An upbeat tune started blaring out of the speakers when Vinyl placed the record on the turntable, and Pinkie tossed a mic at Twilight who caught it in her magic and started singing along with the music.

Twilight was a natural, her voice carrying throughout the whole castle grounds, as she sang about blooming love. Octavia soon found herself dancing to the music along with her friends. Every pony around them could also be seen doing the same thing, having the time of their life. Even the princesses were bobbing their heads and swaying to the beat.

When there was a lull in Twilight’s song, Octavia and the rest of her friends dispersed to enjoy other aspects of the party.

Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders continued to dance together, laughing at each other as they performed various dance steps.

Pinkie rushed back and forth from gorging herself with sweets at the buffet table and partying along with Vinyl at the deejay stand.

Rarity met up with Fancy Pants and Fleur, and they were drawn into a pretty lively conversation. A light blush appeared on her face when Fancy Pants led her a short distance away to share a dance with her.

Rainbow Dash was hanging out with a few pegasi Octavia recognized as the ace flying team, The Wonderbolts, who were also Rainbow’s idols. She was visibly doing her best to suppress her excitement when one of the members of the Wonderbolts asked her for a dance.

Sticking by Applejack’s side, Octavia followed her to where a couple of relatives from the Apple Family who helped with the catering were gathered. Applejack’s cousin, Apple Fritter, had brought her own fiddle, and with her urging, she got Applejack to play with her while Octavia, after explaining her previous disguise at the reunion, got to talk with some of the ponies she had previously met.

Octavia was happy to see all her friends were enjoying the reception and what was probably the highlights of their evenings. Keeping an eye on Applejack at all times, she waited for the right moment for her own highlight of the night.

“Hey, you two!” Pinkie bellowed when she suddenly appeared next to her. “Come on, the bride and groom are about to leave on their honeymoon, and we should be there to give them a big send off!”

Before Octavia and Applejack could say anything, they were almost literally dragged over to a street right outside the castle walls. The rest of their friends were already there with Cadance and Shining Armor about to get into an ornamented carriage hooked up to four members of the royal guard.

While Shining Armor and Twilight said their farewells to each other, Cadance turned her head towards Octavia, silently mouthing “Good luck” and giving a wink, before stepping inside the vehicle.

After hugging Twilight, Shining Armor joined his bride, and the carriage started moving. Shortly after, Cadance popped out of a window and tossed her a flower bouquet behind her.

The bouquet sailed through the air towards a group of eager mares who all moved to catch it.

It’s mine!” Rarity cried out, suddenly appearing in the center of the small crowd. With a frightening display of strength, the unicorn shoved every single mare out of her way and caught the bouquet.

Octavia and the others stared at Rarity with bulging eyes who was menacingly eyeing prize and letting out a quiet cackle. Her maniacal grin quickly dissipated when she looked up to see the irritated and angry glares of her opponents.

“Oh, my apologies,” Rarity quickly said while sheepishly laughing. “I don’t know what came over me. If we could just—Oh my goodness, look over there!”

The mares turned in the direction Rarity’s hoof was pointing at. Using the distraction, she tossed the bouquet to the side and blended into a nearby crowd.

Octavia barely had anytime to react when the coveted flowers flew towards her and caught it in her hooves. I'm guessing this is the universe's way of telling me to get on with it, she concluded as a blush appeared on her face.

Right before the angry mares turned around, she hid the bouquet behind her. The grumbling mares quickly left, allowing Rarity to safely rejoin the group.

“Now, this was a great wedding,” stated Twilight as they all watched the departing carriage.

“Oh yeah?” Spike said from on top of Pinkie’s head. “Just wait until you see what I have planned for the bachelor party!”

He was met with a chorus of light groans followed by laughter.

After passing the flowers she had inadvertently caught to a grateful, but sheepish Rarity, Octavia tapped Applejack on the shoulder and quietly asked, “Applejack, do you mind taking a walk with me?”

“Sure thing, sugarcube,” Applejack responded with a smile. “You got someplace in mind?”

Octavia nodded and led Applejack away from the festivities.

During their walk, they exchanged small talk, but Octavia's attention was not fully on the conversation, mentally preparing herself for what lied ahead.

A short time later, night had started descending just as they arrived at an overlook. Luna had worked hard to make the stars shimmer brilliantly along with a full moon, blanketing the land in a dim light. From the vantage point, they could see the rolling landscape down below them, including the little town of Ponyville.

Applejack let out a slow whistle as she rested her forehooves on the stone ledge erected around the area. “Gotta say, this is quite the view.”

“Indeed it is. I found this spot some time after I moved to Canterlot, and I come here from time to time just to unwind for a few minutes,” Octavia explained as she took a spot next to Applejack, mimicking her friend’s posture. “It’s funny, for many years, I have looked at Ponyville from up here countless times, but I never paid any attention to it. To think that there would be so much for me to discover there.”

Applejack smirked. “Ponyville really does grow on you if you give it a chance. Ah’m glad to call it home, and Ah’m glad you took a real likin’ to it.”

“It certainly helped that I got to meet some odd ponies who have made life much more interesting,” Octavia said, taking a quick glance at her friend. “Especially a certain farmer with an obsession for apples. We sure came a long way from that first night, haven’t we?”

“We sure did. Ah still remember you suddenly poppin’ out when Ah thought Ah was by myself in the middle of the orchard. At first, Ah thought you were some troublemaker, so imagine my surprise when you said you liked my music and then asked me to help you with your own. Ah never did anythin’ like that before, and Ah wasn’t exactly comfortable bringin’ somepony over to my secret spot, but you seemed so desperate. Ah had to at least give it a shot.”

“I cannot thank you enough that you did. Meeting you has pretty much turned my life around. Not only did you offer me your friendship, but you rekindled my passion for music.”

“And it shows. We didn’t get to really talk much with each other after your performance, but Ah want you to know that you really were great up on stage, especially that last piece you did. Shoot, when Ah heard it… Well, it was really… somethin’.”

“Oh my, something,” Octavia repeated in a dramatic tone, a playful grin flashing across her face. “I’m unworthy of such lofty praise.”

Applejack chuckled. “Okay, okay, that was a bit of a poor choice in words, but Ah really did like it a lot. Ah was pretty much speechless when Ah realized what you were doin’. That whole piece is about us, ain’t it?”

“That’s right,” Octavia affirmed with a nod. “That whole song was the result of all the great times we spent together. From the moment we met, you have showed me nothing but kindness and understanding. I wanted to do something special for you to thank you for all that you have done for me.”

“Aw shucks,” Applejack said as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “Ah dunno what to say, but thanks. Ah’m flattered you think so highly of me and did all that for me.”

“Applejack, really, you have changed me for the better. Before I met you, I had an unhealthy obsession to be the perfect musician, and all the stress was starting to wear me down. It was getting to the point where I was starting to doubt myself and my music. If you hadn’t taken me in, my situation would have likely deteriorate even further, and I dread to think what lied at the end of that road.”

“But it’s not like you haven’t done anythin’ for me either,” Applejack argued. “Besides helpin’ out at the farm, you’ve been really good to my family, especially Apple Bloom, and that means a whole lot to me. You also stuck by me and put up with my nonsense, such as my stubbornness with the family reunion.”

Applejack let out a sigh before she continued. “Most of all, you’re the only one who knows everythin’ about my parents and how it still affects me. While it’s still hard on me, and Ah still don’t want to tell others about it, havin’ you around does make it a bit easier.”

“Don’t worry, it will get better. You don’t have to endure it alone. I remember the promise I made on that night you told me everything. I promised that I would be there whenever you needed me. The bond we share is special, and I want to stay close by your side. In fact, that’s why I brought you out here. I have something to tell you,” Octavia stated before pausing a moment to take a breath.

“The thing is, Applejack, I…” Octavia struggled to finish her sentence, but found herself freezing up. Come on! Just two more words! Two more words that will change everything…

Applejack cocked her head. “You what?”

“I…” Octavia coughed and cleared her throat. “I… I have decided to move to Ponyville,” she uttered, cursing silently at herself.

Applejack’s eyes immediately shot wide open. “Wait, really?”

Suppressing the urge to groan, Octavia nodded. “I know I’ve been on the fence about what to do after the wedding for a while, but I do think this is what I want.”

“Well shoot, that’s great,” Applejack said as a big grin broke out on her face, only for it to quickly vanish. “Er, Ah’m glad that you want to come to Ponyville, but are you absolutely sure about this? Not that Ah’m against you or anythin’. In fact, Ah’m all for it. It’s just that Ah want what’s best for you, and Ah don’t want you end up regrettin’ it later on. You said it yourself that it would be difficult for you to keep on comin’ to Canterlot to perform, and Ah know bein’ up on stage to play your music for everypony is important to you.”

“That’s true, but I’m sure Fancy Pants knows a pony or two that can help me manage and schedule gigs for me. Even then, I am perfectly aware that I will be giving up a lot of performance time, but I’m completely fine with that. What is in Ponyville matters more to me.”

“You mean our friends and Ah?”

“Well… Yes and no,” Octavia slowly answered. “While our friends are definitely a factor, the main reason I want to move to Ponyville is because I…”

Once again, Octavia found herself unable to tell Applejack her feelings. “I… I…”

“You feelin’ okay, sugarcube?” Applejack asked with a concerned look.

“It’s just I…” Octavia uttered, making another attempt to confess her feelings. After a few moments of failing to do so, she instead let out a huge groan and planted her face into the overlook’s ledge.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” she heard Applejack say and felt a hoof rest on her shoulder. “You’ve seemed perfectly fine all day and then all of a sudden you started actin’ weird. Is somethin’ botherin’ you?”

Octavia sighed and looked back up at Applejack. “I was prepared to tell you something very important, but it’s proving to be very difficult.”

“Take your time, sugarcube. Ah can wait as long as you need,” Applejack replied with a smile.

Octavia nodded and took a moment to try and regroup her thoughts while Applejack patiently watched her.

Taking a deep breath, Octavia began, “Alright, let me try this again. What I want to tell you has actually been on my mind for quite a while. Applejack, what I’m trying to say is that I…” She shook her head when no sound came out of her mouth. “Okay, this isn’t working. I need to try something else. Do you still think about what I did during the changelings invasion?”

Applejack’s smile disappeared as she sighed and rested her chin on her forehooves. “Of course Ah do. You risked your life for me and got hurt in the process. Frankly, Ah still get chills when Ah spend too much time dwellin’ on it.”

“And I’m deeply sorry for what I put you through,” Octavia quickly apologized, “but I finally figured out why I did that.”

Applejack immediately perked up. “Really? What is it?”

“Well, during our talk in the hospital, I became aware of one possibility explaining what drove me to such lengths. However, I wanted to be completely sure of it before telling you. Fortunately, on that same day, I was able to get a chance to talk to Princess Cadance while you were watching over the fillies, and she helped me confirm my suspicion.”

“Then why did you wait until now to tell me?”

“Because it's something very important to me, and I wanted it done right. That song I wrote for the both of us was part of it. I planned everything out for this very moment, but now that we’re finally here…” Octavia’s gaze drifted down. “I can’t help but feel afraid.”

“Hey, it’s alright.” Applejack assured. “Ah’m here for you. What are you afraid of?”

Octavia sighed and answered softly, “You.”

Applejack’s whole body jolted backwards. “M-me? How could you be afraid of me?” she asked, hurt evident in her voice.

“Because what I have to say could very well change our entire friendship, and I’m scared of what you’ll say,” Octavia confessed, refusing to look at Applejack.

Applejack moved in closer and used a hoof to gently raise Octavia’s chin so that they were looking directly into each other’s eyes. “Look, Ah don’t really get what’s goin’ on, but don’t forget that we’re friends. Even if things take a turn for the bad, Ah’m sure that in the end, we’ll work it out.”

Listening to Applejack’s words and looking into her emerald eyes, Octavia felt her resolve slowly push away the fear that she felt. She’s right. Once again, I let my worries get the best of me. I’m not being fair to Applejack by stringing her along like this. She needs to know the truth. No more backing down.

Octavia nodded. “You’re right. I need to believe that what bond we have will survive no matter what happens to us. I’m sorry for all the dramatics, but I’m ready to talk.”

“Attagirl, that’s more like it. So, what’s the big news?”

“Well, like I said before, it has to do with when I tried to save you from the changelings. The reason I put myself in danger for you was because I listened to my heart instead of my head. Nothing else mattered to me except to see you safe.” Octavia grasped one of her friend’s forehooves with both of her’s. “Applejack, in the few months we have been together, I have seen you at your best and worst times, but I never stopped seeing how amazing you are. I really do care for you. That’s what drove me to risk my life for you, and I would gladly do it again. Applejack… I love you.”

What followed her confession was silence as Octavia felt a surge of relief flood through her when she finally got her proclamation out. However, her respite did not last long when she noticed that Applejack had not made any reaction or response to her confession except to stare at her with widened eyes. She stood quietly with Applejack’s hooves still in her own as time passed, and with each passing moment, Octavia grew more and more uneasy.

“Um, Applejack, are you alright?” Octavia asked when she could not bear the silence anymore.

“You… You actually love me?” was all Applejack muttered.

Octavia nodded. “With all my heart.”

“A-Ah see…” Applejack replied. After a moment, she quietly asked, “S-so you movin’ to Ponyville… is that also because you love me?”

“It is. You are more important to me than anything else, even my music.”

“Ah see…” Applejack said again.

Once again, silence prevailed as Octavia waited for Applejack to say anything. After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke up. “Listen, Applejack, I know this is a lot to take in, but do you think we could maybe at least give the both of us a try?”

Applejack looked down at the ground and slowly retracted her hoof from Octavia’s. With a heavy sigh, she weakly replied, “Ah… Ah don’t think this is goin’ to work between us.”

Octavia felt her heart stop. “W-what? W-why?”

“It’s because…” Applejack’s eyes started to tear up. “Because…” She let out a whimper as her breathing became more frantic.

“Applejack…” Octavia pleaded, her own eyes tearing up as well.

“Ah gotta go!” Applejack shouted.

Before Octavia could react, Applejack pulled herself away from her and ran away.

It took a moment for Octavia to process what had just happened before she yelled, “Applejack, wait!” and ran after her. To her dismay, Applejack had too much of a head start and quickly lost her among the streets of Canterlot.

Octavia sank to her haunches, making no effort to stop herself from crying. She had knew that there was a distinct possibility that something like this could happen, but no amount of preparation could have eased the agony she was feeling.

Amidst her sobs, she heard something, and even though it could have been the wind or her mind playing tricks on her, it shook her to the core.

Ah’m so sorry…

Author's Note:

And here we are, going into the last part of the story. Too bad I'm not telling you how long the last part is. :pinkiecrazy: