Two's Company, Three's a Crowd

by Lithe Kamitatsy

Chapter Ten

Octavia and Vinyl sat across from one another, simply looking out the windows as they rode in the carriage.

They watched several ponies as they passed them by, the carriage making its way out of Echelon Gardens and into the regular streets of Canterlot.

"Well? Was I right or was I right?" Vinyl said.

"...I suppose they were quite...different than what I expected." She admitted. "They were very nice, though."

"If by different you mean crazy." Vinyl corrected. "I mean sure, my mom is great, but my dad...you saw what it took to get him to apologize. He's a stubborn one- always has been, always will be."

Octavia thought about it for a moment. "What an interesting pair...they are so different. Much like ourselves, now that I think about it more."

"Well, I'm sure my mom could get any stallion she wanted, she just chose my dad because she was able to get past the snootiness and see he's not such a bad guy on the inside." Vinyl said.

"Do you know how they met, Vinyl? I would be interested to know, and a story would be able to pass the time."

"Actually, yeah. My mom told me the story of how they met when I was younger, but I remember it for the most part..."

Vinyl then began to tell the story of how Rolando, a fresh Canterlot University of Music and Art graduate met the mare of his dreams.

~FLASHBACK~

"Congratulations, my boy. You could not have made me prouder. Graduating magna cum laude as well as gaining the favor of the Princess...you do the Staccato name proud." An older stallion said, giving Rolando a pat on the back.

"Yes father...thank you for your praise." He said, giving a slight bow. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and saw a unicorn that he had had for a class on music theory. "Oh, that was one of my professors. Father, if it is alright, I would like to go thank them for their time and patience with me."

"If you must, son. We have a meeting with the Princess soon, so do not tarry."

"Of course, father. I will be back momentarily." He said, hurrying off to find his teacher. He moved swiftly and smoothly through the crowd, moving past other graduates and their families, eager to find the teacher. He was so focused on finding his teacher that he didn't notice somepony had stepped infront of him.

He bumped into the other pony rather hard, causing him to step back a bit.

"Oh, terribly sorry...I was not watching where I was going, but it would seem that neither were-" When he opened his eyes, he felt the air get sucked out of his lungs.

Standing before him was a unicorn mare so beautiful he could not comprehend whether she was real or perhaps he had run into a tree. Her royal blue mane was straightened and curled right at the ends, her ruby red eyes shining brightly, her cutie mark a rose that was in full-bloom.

"Oh dear, I am very sorry. Are you alright?" She asked, proving the former as true.

"I-I-I-I-" He stuttered, unable to get the right words out. She simply giggled. "It is quite alright. You were right in saying I was not looking where I was going. Again I am very sorry." She said.

"W-Well...it is no big deal...nopony was harmed, right?" Aside from the simple sentences that were escaping his mouth, his brain was full of nothing but static.

"Not at all." She then heard someone calling for her. "Well, I must go. Someone calls for me. Excellent performance on the violin, by the way. It was a moving piece."

Rolando felt his heart soar in ways he only felt when he was playing his violin. He had rarely felt this way before, but never because of another pony.

Once she had left, Rolando's good friend Easel, a Pegasus who was a painter, caught up to him. "Hey Roly. You alright? You're just standing there, staring off into space." Normally Rolando hated it when Easel called him that, but he was too focused on a certain mare to care.

"Who...who was that?" He asked, his voice soft.

"Who are you talking about, Roly?" Easel asked, confused.

"Her..." He said, pointing at her as she talked and laughed with other classmates.

"Her? I'm pretty stunned you don't know who she is. Her name is Marianna Rosada. She graduated top of her class in Floral Artistry. I've heard talk that she comes from a long line of flower arrangers that date back to around the time Celestia and Luna came to be the Princesses."

"Amazing..." He breathed, unable to take his eyes off her.

"Hey, Roly, you're kinda worrying me here- ohhhhh, I get it now." Easel said, a knowing smile stretching his face.

"You like her, don't you?" He chuckled.

Rolando finally snapped back to reality. "What? How could you draw such a conclusion from what I am saying? There is no possible way I can feel something like that towards a mare I met only moments ago." He protested.

"C'mon, Roly. You've got the whole "love-at-first-sight" thing going on here. Admit it, Roly. The lovebug done bit you good." He laughed.

"Bug? What bug? I was not bitten by a bug. I told you I ran into her, not that I was bitten by any bug. You are not making sense, Easel, and stop calling me Roly. You know how much I hate that."

Easel face-hoofed, and patted Rolando on the back. "Sure I'm not, Roly. Anyway, I've gotta go see my parents. Catch you later."

"Right, of course. Catch you later as well." He said, calling after his friend. "Hmm...I wonder if father knows of her family..." Rolando thought out loud as he watched her again.

Marianna could feel eyes on her, and turned around. She caught Rolando looking at her, whose heart jumped into his throat. She gave a smile and a wave.

Rolando felt like nothing else in the world existed. Her smile was more beautiful than he had ever seen on a mare, and the way her face lit up when she did he felt could outshine Celestia's sun. He blushed heavily, and waved in return, not knowing what else to do. He gave her a goofy smile, which made her laugh. The way her muzzle scrunched up when she did made his heart skip a beat.

"Hey, Marianna...I think that stallion over there likes you. He's been watching you for some time now." One of the other mares said to her.

"You think? Well...he is rather handsome, and his violin-playing is simply stellar..." She said, thinking about him. "I know his first name is Rolando, they said it at the ceremony, but does anypony have an idea what his last name is?"

"I think it's Staccato, if I'm not mistaken." One of the other mares said.

"Staccato? I know that name from somewhere. Papa might have mentioned it before...I believe his father and mine have collaborated in the past...what do you girls think? Should I go over and talk to him?" She asked, unsure.

"Well, I would say so...if he wasn't already gone."

Marianna wheeled around to look, and sure enough, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, horse-apples...he disappeared. Well, we still have to pick up our degrees, so perhaps I will bump into him again in a few days." She said, sounding a bit excited.

"You know, for some stallion you just met, you're kinda happy about seeing him again. You like him, don't you?!" One of the other mares teased.

"I think that is rushing it a bit...he is handsome, and he is talented...perhaps I will ask him out, unless he were able to muster up the courage and ask me out first, that is." She giggled.

~FLASH-FORWARD~

"...And that's the story." Vinyl said, taking a breath. She reached into one of the saddlebags her mother packed and retrieved a bottle of juice.

"All that story telling made me thirsty." She said, twisting the top off with her teeth and taking a drink.

"Would you mind if I had some?" Octavia asked. "Sure." Vinyl said, passing her the bottle. Octavia began to drink when Vinyl spoke.

"You know Octy, you and I are sharing a bottle of juice...that's like sharing an indirect kiss." Vinyl said, eager to see Octavia's reaction.

Octavia's eyes widened and her face flushed horribly. She swallowed the juice and set the bottle down. "You always find a way to ruin the moment. It is absolutely amazing."

"So I've been told." Vinyl chuckled, proud of herself for catching Octavia off guard.

"Well? What happened next?" Octavia asked, curious to hear where the story went next.

"What do you mean? You asked about how they met, and I told you." She said, confused.

"Well, would you mind telling me where it went from there? I am curious as to how their first date went." She said, very much interested.

Vinyl sighed. "...Alright. I'll tell you." Vinyl took another deep breath, and continued on with her story.

~FLASHBACK~

Several days later, Rolando was walking down one of the promenades towards the grand auditorium, where they would be giving the diplomas to their respective recipients. He rounded a corner, and sighed when he saw the line.

"It looks like I will be here for a while." He said to himself.

"Well, you never know. It may speed up." A voice said from behind him, causing him to freeze in place. He turned around and saw Marianna, his heart ready to burst out of his chest.

She is just as beautiful as I remember... "H-H-Hello..." He said rather shyly.

He is quite cute when he acts shy. She giggled slightly. "Hello Rolando."

His heart skipped a beat. "Y-You know my name?"

"Sure I do. I never knew our fathers worked together for Princess Celestia's birthday celebration a few years back." She said.

Rolando thought about it for a moment. "Ohh, of course! Your father was the one who created the spectacular arrangements of roses and sunflowers for the Princess. It was magnificent." He said.

Marianna blushed. "I was the one who picked out the sunflowers..." She said, trying to hide her blush behind her mane.

Rolando felt his knees go weak. How cute... He thought. "Well you have a wonderful eye for quality. Those sunflowers were enormous, and their color was so vivid. What I thought was simply amazing was how they all bloomed right as the Princess entered. It was breath-taking."

"You flatter me, Rolando." She said, waving a hoof at him. "It was simple. I wanted to pick the late bloomers that had more time to grow, as well as the ones that were right about to open, so I could time it with the Princess' entry." She explained.

"Nothing a little unicorn magic could not take care of. What I was impressed with, was your duet with your father. The music you two played was captivating. It was light, airy, and perfect for the mood of a birthday. I caught the Princess humming the melody a few times, and I am certain that that is no easy feat."

Rolando could not help but grin from ear to ear, a deep blush painting a red strip under his eyes. "It was nothing. It was a piece my father and I had practiced for some time, intended as a gift to the Princess. We played to the best of our abilities to please her, and I am happy to know that I did."

"Although I am sure it would not have been quite as enjoyable if you were not there." They both said to one another in unison, causing each other to blush.

Rolando then cleared his throat. Now or never, Rolando...this is your chance... "Um...Marianna...I was wondering..." He started, more nervous than his first private performance for the Princess. "W-Would you be willing to accompany me to dinner sometime soon?"

Marianna blushed hotly, smiling. "Rolando, are you asking me out on a date?" She said, playing with him a bit before giving her answer.

"Um...I would suppose so, yes." He said, his heart racing.

"Well...I am rather busy. My parent's business is extremely important and as the inheritor of the business, I really should be present so I can learn the trade..." She said, enjoying every moment of toying with him.

She is going to say no...she is about to turn me down...Oh Celestia help me... He thought, fearing the worst.

"Relax, Rolando, I am only playing with you. Of course I will accompany you to dinner." She smiled.

Rolando felt relief wash over him in ways he thought impossible. "Excellent." He said. They turned around, and realized they were next in line. They quickly retrieved their diplomas. She used her unicorn magic to bring over a small piece of parchment and a pen, and quickly wrote down her address.

"Pick me up Friday evening at dusk at this address. I will be waiting for you." To Rolando's surprise and ultimate shock, Marianna quickly leaned in and nuzzled him slightly, winking as she left.

"...S-Sure...of course..." He mumbled, completely breathless.

He turned and dashed off, thanking Celestia a million times over for his success.

Comments

[Oatz]

awww, so cuuUUUUte awesome writing as always.

[PeaceColt112]

Reporting in! As good as always!

[ooooo13]

How many times must I say "D'awww"..
Great story, can't wait for more

[gaston]

Well written, and some nice back story for Vinyl's parents.

for awsome!

[Discorded Q]

It would've been cool if it was like:
~FFLLLLLAAAAAAASSSHHHHBAAAACCCCCKKKKK~
But that's just me.

This story es muy excelente. Me gusta.

[Discorded Q]

Oh yeah and:
2.bp.blogspot.com/-9uhiaDssTSs/Tf-9LBwSP-I/AAAAAAAAAOU/UY_GEhcF-6k/s1600/brilliant-thumb-500x375.jpg

[yusha]

you made me smile

[Discorded Q]

27597 Who? Me?

[NeverKnown]

Dawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
27595 the hell?

FANTASTIC

[Fox-Sama]

Not bad, Wish there was more Octavia and Vinyl and less flash backs, don't get me wrong it was impressive what you gave so much thought into OC's, so be proud on that!

Keep up the good work

[PrinceLexmarkThePrinted]

I am impressed. So this conservative idiot does have a heart.

Very nice as usual!

[Lithe Kamitatsy]

27678
I gotta find a way to pass the time on their way to Ponyville, so why not a bit of story telling?

[FanOfMostEverything]

D'awwww...

Wonderfully written as always. Though one does have to wonder how Vinyl turned into... well, Vinyl.

[Eviltomby]

ah filler, a part of the writing wonderful process. some say it's pointless, i think it's fantastic. it gives reason to what could be solved with a time skip, but those just seem lazy. as always, fantastic writing.

[Magical Trevor]

*Squee* Now, it's for stuff like THIS that Trevor reads shipping! It was most excellent! Trevor eagerly awaits to see if she tells about how the date went in the next chapter! (Though now one wonders how Tavi's parents are going to react...)

~ Magical Trevor, Minstrel of Equestria

[DR_SHRUBBERY]

on a scale of 1 to 10, you get a 50 for writing

[windtitan]

Woohoo! Backstory for the win!

I'm ok with taking a break from the main story for a few chapters. It helps flesh out the other ponies in the story, and it sets a nice, steady pace. I'm sure things will get more hectic later on.

[GraffyHooves]

haha this was genius. perfect way to pass the time without there just being a huge gap. keep it up can't wait for more.

[Jolttix]

I can't belive i'm the first to make this joke. It's like inshipping! Shipping within shipping! Well done sir!

[iFiredone]

27856 i wouldnt say that maybe a 20 at least

[Zero]

I feel like I'm cheating on coffee for enjoying this so much ^_^
The story is brilliant so far, keep up the good work :)
Interested to see how there stop in ponyville goes.

[Crooked Djinn]

Quite brilliant.

[Jacky2734]

No offense to your choice of cover art but it doesn't really fit for you excellent fic. After all, expecting mothers really shouldn't be drinking.

[Dee Bee Doo-wop Cooper]

28043
Could be more about the conception than the pregnancy though. (shrugs)

[Joker2014]

This flashback just got 20% cooler in 10 seconds flat
so i said OATMEAL ARE YOU CRAZY

[Princess Lulu]

"Graduating magna cum laude"

[Awesome Sauce]

howmuchdoesbracescost.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/rainbowmouth.jpg

I've been like that for the whole story so far...AND THARS STIL MOAR TWO CUM

[8loodyrain]

DAWWWWWWWWWW

that waz like the cuties little story ever,dud

[Ecthelion_Yuda]

To quote the comic genius of LittleKuriboh:
encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTU_M5ADpGj_7CNi6xPk_wAFQVeJ-V1rKg1qMcGAUb1kqWTRfWl7g

[gezzerwerp]

Fabulously adorable

[Thegodhand]

"Well, would you mind telling me where it went from there? I am curious as to how their first date went." She said, very much interested.

Vinyl sighed. "...Alright. I'll tell you... but we'll have to go deeper"

[NightmareKnight]

-sniff- -sniff- Whats that I smell? Oh, it's.... FIIIIIIILLEEEEER!!! dun dun duuuuuuun!

[Brony2]

gosh darn it!!

i hate fillers liek this, even when they are written amazingly

[ShadowLDrago]

Hehe, this is still loads of fun.

[Dustchu]

Flipping awesome, these chapters are short but I love em all the same! :D

Nicely done you awesome person you~