Beat of the Heart

by Dr.Shisno

Chapter 2

Flare watched from the bed as the gray earth pony gathered her things. Though there was very little she had to recover, she moved very quickly to retrieve them. Hastily trying to brush her mane, she huffed in disapprove as it did not do as she wished.

“So,” Flare mused in the bed, “I take it breakfast is out of the question, Miss… you know, I never did get your name.”

She trotted up to Flare. “My name would be Octavia. If you would be so kind to give back my bowtie, I am late for my practice.”

The pegasus fell back into his pillow with a sigh of happiness. He pointed a hoof at her, “You know, I thought it was you. I never thought I would even get a chance to meet you, much less…” he smiled at the thought of it, “well, that. Now, if my memory would return and I wo-“

“Wait,” Octavia interrupted. “You know of me?”

“Of course!” The pegasus shot up in bed. “Hay, I even went to your concert last night!”

“My concert?” Her eyes did another look over of the pegasus still in bed, trying to see if he was joking or not. “You?”

“Um,” Flare rolled his eyes and proceeded to slide out of bed, “yeah, me.” Flare started walking toward the kitchen. “Though I must say, during the Allegro part of the second movement of Beethoofen’s string quartet in F, the violist was flat the whole time, probably too far back on the neck. Anyways, would you like some tea?” Flare glanced back just in time to see Octavia’s jaw drop. “What? Is my mane messed up? Do I have something stuck in my teeth?” The pegasus began to pick nervously at his teeth with his hoof.

Octavia quickly recovered her composure and moved toward Flare, placing her hoof on his, and moved it away from his mouth. “You are a curious little pegasus.” She sighed, formulating her thoughts. “Maybe I have judged you prematurely and I apologize for that.”

“Well, I think I can be perfectly honest here,” Flare mused. “You were a fairly stuck up mare last night.” He received a harsh glare from the gray mare. “Sorry, I thought we were being honest.”

“I suppose you’re right. I’ve been too engrossed with my own work as of recently. Speaking of which, how did you know about String’s problem? It’s a nervous twitch he has.”

“Being flat during the Allegro movement,” the pegasus said, rolling his eyes as he turned around, moving towards the kitchen, “or during the entire piece?”

Octavia did her best to hide her cringe from that shot at one of her colleagues. “He tends to have that problem a lot, at least as of recently. But you, how do you know all of this? About the music and everything. When I first saw you, I instantly judged you as the non-music type. The kind of stallion that finds music to be just a one-dimensional thing. No offense.”

Flare was quiet and ignored the statement for a while, determined to get the tea started. Silence filled the kitchen, save for the clicking of pottery and utensils.

“I, um, didn’t catch your name,” The mare spoke softly.

“Flare Chaser.” The pegasus didn’t turn his attention away from making the tea. It was a few more moments before he spoke again. “You can’t always judge music from the first few notes, but those notes do leave a lasting impression.” He nonchalantly poured the tea into a cup, stirring some sugar in lightly. “If you need to go, you can go. I didn’t really expect you to stay for tea, anyways.”

“If you say so, Flare.” She walked up beside him, trying to gauge his thoughts and feelings, but to no avail. “I don’t know if it means anything to you, but,” she kissed his cheek lightly, “it would mean a lot to me if you came to my concert tonight.”

The pegasus smiled wearily. “Now that would be lovely. If I can get my deliveries done, I’ll be there.”

“Good, because I want a raincheck on the tea, alright?”

“I think I can manage that.”

She turned, walking towards the door, saying, “Thank you, that’s all that I ask.” Flare heard the door creak open. “Oh, and before I forget, thank you. Last night was wonderful.” The pegasus smirked at the coy smile he heard in her voice. “Even if you can’t remember it.” The door shut lightly after that.

Flare mused about the kitchen, finishing making his tea just right. Sauntering over to the kitchen table, he sat down, hoping to have the smell of the tea convince his senses into waking up. Rubbing his hooves into his eyes, trying to wring the sleep out, did little to help either. Finally, he grabbed the cup of tea and took a swig. The pegasus’ eyes blinked a few time as they scan the room. Coming out of his daze, he placed a hoof firmly in the center of his face.

“What the buck just happened?”

* * *

It was about a little bit after noon when Flare stumbled through The Hornless Alicorn’s backdoor. Stumbled was the right word, for his head was still dizzy with pain from the wild, bleary night. The club was filled with only staff, cleaning up from last night’s extravaganza. Boulder was busy moving tables back into place and Twist was using her magic to clean multiple cups and mugs. The rest of the assorted staff were picking up chairs and mopping up the floor. All in all, there was about less than ten ponies cleaning up the club. Though they all lit up with joy when they saw the pegasus teeter on his four unsteady hooves.

“Well, well, well,” Twist was the first to speak up, “look who's here, it’s the stallion of the hour. Glad you could join us.” She couldn’t help but smirk. “I expect you had a wonderful night and that the Cherry Surprise is still kicking your flank?”

Flare braced himself on a chair and pointed a hoof in Twist’s general direction. “Indeed, you are right… to both your questions. Now will you please send a letter to Celestia to get the earth to stop spinning so fast?”

“Did you at least not hit any cabbage carts on the way over here?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny that accusation,” Flare smiled, clearly still half out of it. “Though the skies were quite clear today.”

Twist shook her head, dumbfounded by this pegasus’ feat. “Oh Celestia, have mercy.”

“I got the shipment here in one piece,” Flare shrugged. “What more do you want from me?”

Twist sighed, set her assortment of cups down, and exited from behind the bar. She approached the pegasus, still shaking her head. “How about not having one of my best employees splatter themselves all over the side of a building or halfway across Main Street?! Look, I’d appreciate it if you did what you could with the clean up, but other than that, you’re a mess and I want you to get some rest tonight.”

“But… but…” Flare protest, “But coach! I’m 110%, you gotta put me in!”

“Not today, Wonderbolt.” She joked, placing a hoof on his weary shoulder. “Look, just get some rest.” She turned away, going back to her duties back behind the bar. “By the way, when’s the last time you cleaned yourself? You could probably kill a minotaur with your stench.”

Flare was about to protest when he took a casual sniff of himself. “Huh, it’s not that bad,” He mumbled to himself. Shrugging, he picked up a broom and began to sweep up the area. Lost in thought, his mind drifted to Octavia. He couldn’t place it. Maybe it was because of how disastrous her mane looked this morning, making her seem normal. Why can’t I get with famous ponies like her every night? A casual thought ran through his head. Though, I wouldn’t mind at all if it were only her… He chuckled while he worked. I think I would be able to live with myself. Now if I could only rememb-.

“Flare!” It was Boulder bringing the pegasus out of his daydream. “How was last night? You’ve just got to te-.”

“Boulder!” Flare nearly hit the stallion with his broom. “I’m trying to remember as well! Wait… how’d you know?”

“You forget I’m the door pony, Flare.” The earth pony had a hard time not looking down on the pegasus. “I know who comes in and I know who leaves out with whom. Hay, you even thanked me for the drinks.”

“Oh my,” Flare’s eyes opened wide in shock, “I must’ve really been out of it.” The hung-over pegasus put a hoof to head, trying to rub the metaphorical cobwebs out. “What else happened?” I’m probably going to regret asking that.

“Well,” Boulder’s joy began to overflow at this point, “if you must know. You two were giggling something about music.”

“Sounds about right.”

“Also,” the earth pony’s smirk grew, “I never took you for the pink bow tie type of guy.”

“Eh,” Flare shrugged. “Bow ties are cool, what can I say? Anything else I should be aware of?”

“Well, you didn’t make a mule of yourself, if that’s what you’re asking. Though, you two were just about skipping down the sidewalk towards the general direction of your apartment. I about died of laughter.”

“Yeah.” Flare rolled his eyes. “Funny stuff right there.”

“So what happened between the two of you?”

“Boulder, if I knew that I would have a much larger smile on my face. Though she did invited me to her concert tonight.”

“Concert?” Boulder made a look of mock astonishment. “You picked up a show pony? My my, moving up in the world are we?”

“Just shut up and let me relish in my hangover, please?”

The stallion shrugged, starting to walk off. “Suit yourself; I’ll be over here if you want something done right.” Boulder stopped and gave Flare a sly grin. “I gotta say, though, if your acting skills wer-.”

“Boulder, hangover. Please,” The pegasus jabbed the broom in the stallion’s direction. “Shuuuuut up.”

* * *

Walking the busy streets alone, Flare made his way to the concert. After sobering up most of the day, he felt confident. His mane was still a bit wet from the recent shower, though the bowtie around his neck looked fresh and crisp. The smug grin on his face did nothing to distract the look in his eyes. His eyes nearly glazed over in thought. Images of one gray mare danced about in his head. The pegasus would’ve missed the theatre if he hadn’t run into the ticket line. After a quiet apology to the pony he bumped into, he slowly drifted to the end of the line. Flare’s thoughts drifted again to that of the mare. He sighed joyfully in his luck. Before he knew it, he was at the ticket booth.

“Ticket, please?” the colt behind the glass asked. Flare politely handed over the tickets to the cashier and waited. The colt looked at the ticket, then at a list. “Mister Chaser, it appears you’ve been upgraded.” He reached below the desk and grabbed an envelope then passed it to the pegasus. “Please enjoy the show.”

Flare took the envelope and gave it a puzzled look. “It appears I will,” he spoke, quite perplexed and began to walk towards the door. “Thank you.” The confused stallion walked through the doors and into the main lobby where he nearly ran into a butler pony. “Oh, I’m sorry, sir. I, um, didn’t quite see you there.” Flare managed to pull off an awkward smile.

“Mister Chaser?” the butler began eloquently. “I’ve been informed of your expected arrival and will bring you to your box seat.”

Box seat? The thought flew by at a thousand miles an hour in the pegasus’ brain. How’d I manage that?

“And Miss Octavia wishes that you join her after the show for a private drink or two.”

OH, well that answers all my questions at once.

“Now,” the stallion did a curt nod and turned around, “if you’ll follow me, the concert will be starting shortly.”

“Lead the way, sir.”

The butler nodded again, and made his way across the main lobby and up the stairs. Flare followed closely behind him, fearful of losing him. After moving along a long hallway, around a corner, and down a few doors down, the two ponies made it to their destination. The butler opened the door and gestured the pegasus inside. “Now, sir,” the host spoke, “there is water and a bottle of our finest wine. When the show ends I will come and get you. Now, Mister Flare, please enjoy the show.” With that, the butler bowed out, closing the door gently.

“What a swell fellow,” Flare commented. “Where can I get me one of them?” He shrugged and turned his attention to the open area in front of his box. His seat was a few floors up and was positioned just right to see every participant on the stage. “Full house,” he remarked has he reached his seat and the glass of wine. A sip of the wine was enough to stun him; it was damn near perfect! He smirked. She seems to have a taste for the more refined things in life. That train of thought caused him to pause for a second. So how do I fit in that equation? He was about to answer himself when the lights dimmed and the curtain began to open.

From his perch, he could clearly see his mare of choice and vise versa. He could see her smile slightly at him and he fought every instinct to wave. He contained himself and simply saluted her with his glass.

From the conductor’s baton tapping, he mentally prepared his mind. Watching the ponies on stage raise their bows and instruments in unison, he found himself caught in the grace of it all. The conductor’s setup with the baton matched Flare’s heartbeat. From there, the pegasus let himself drift away in the magic and beauty that flowed from the stage.

Comments

[11Bolts]

Okay, so he's a wonderbolt, and a music guru... that guy will get all the mares

[Dr.Shisno]

455449 "wonderfbolt"
just a joke

[zetaroxos]

A-mazing im loving this.

[Dj pon-3]

0 thumbs down! Nice going! PS I love the story

[Dr.Shisno]

540963 0 thumbs down.. can't explain that. Thank you!