Ivory

by Lithe Kamitatsy

Chapter Five

Octavia sat at the kitchen table, her eyes wide, a cup of coffee wafting white fumes before her face.

“I saw a world that has no law,” she said. “A world that has no… order. No rules. No concept of the word ‘enough.’”

“Yeah, so did Fred, and boy, did he drink deep from that cup,” Vinyl said with a chuckle. “Think he’s still at the bar? Or did he manage to make his way home?” she wondered aloud, sipping her cup of coffee, the words hanging a little heavier in the air than she expected.

“I talked to those mares,” she said flatly. “They said they’d help him to his apartment. He seemed… drunk.”

“He wasn’t drunk, Octy… he was sloshed,” Vinyl pointed out. “You can be drunk and still be at the very least a little coherent. Our boy Fred didn’t know which way was up by the time we left,” she said frankly.

“We should check his apartment,” said Octavia. “See if he’s alright, and help him with what I’m sure is a massive hangover.”

“If he’s even still conscious… but yeah, that’s a good idea Octy,” Vinyl said, finishing her coffee and stretching before standing up.

They left their apartment and headed towards his. To their surprise, the door was just opening as they arrived, and one of two mares from the night before emerged, one of them with a very messy mane.

“Oh,” said Octavia. “Excuse me, but is Frederic okay?” she asked.

“‘Frederic’? Who’s ‘Frederic’?” she asked, confused, tilting her head to the side as if to drive home the fact that she was confused.

“Stallion,” said Vinyl. “Plays the piano. Had a neat manecut, but can’t tell how old he is ‘cause it’s all white.”

“You were dancing with him?” asked Octavia. “Last night?”

“Ohhhh, him,” she said, snickering slightly. “Oh, he’s just fine,” she said in a sultry, thick voice. She lead them inside, up to a door. “See for yourself,” she said, pushing the door open. What awaited Vinyl and Octavia was something neither of them would forget. The other mare was laying in bed with him, a foreleg draped across his chest. What had really gotten the mares’ attention, was the lengthy mass slightly south that seemed to reach quite a distance up Frederic’s torso.

“No way…” Vinyl said, a small smile creeping across her face. “There’s no way that that’s his,” she said.

Octavia’s eyes were fixated on the object, small, nearly inaudible sounds escaping from her open mouth. Frederic stirred, his eyes slowly opening and taking in his surroundings.

“Ugh… my head…” he groaned, struggling to sit up. He finally made his way up, the covers shifting aside and revealing what was beneath. Vinyl and Octavia’s eyes widened, Vinyl giving a small wolf-whistle.

“Wow, I was wrong,” Vinyl said with a laugh.

“Coulda toldja,” said the mare.

Frederic blinked at the light. “Oh… morning…” he said. “Octavia. Vinyl.” He looked at the other two mares blankly. “I forget…” He looked at the expressions on the two mares’ faces and blinked. “What issit?” he asked. Then he looked down and just stared for a second. Then his eyes shot wide and he gasped, pulling the cover over.

“I gotta say Fred, if I wasn’t into mares, I’d be very interested,” Vinyl said. Octavia’s face was glowing a deep shade of red, unable to process what her eyes had just taken in. Vinyl looked over. “Hey, Octy, you gonna be okay there?”

“I… I… need a moment…” she stammered, making her way out the door. Frederic’s face flushed a deep red. Vinyl could see Frederic needed a little privacy, so she took control of the situation.

“Alright ladies, you’ve had your fun, or… were about to… either way, time to skedaddle,” Vinyl said, ushering them out. They tried to resist, but Vinyl got the better of them and forced them out with magic. Vinyl shut the door to his bedroom, sitting in the chair across from his bed. “So, have fun last night?”

“I… don’t remember,” said Frederic.

“Well, maybe that’s better for you in the long run. You didn’t really meet anypony aside from those floozies, and they’re not the type of fillies you take home to mom. You got pretty tossed there, bub. Still,” she said, smiling. “This does provide us some useful information.”

“I have a splitting headache,” said Frederic, rubbing his head, “so pardon me if I don’t follow.”

“I can help with that,” Vinyl said. She stood up and moved into his bathroom, grabbing a little cup on his sink and filling it with cool water. She brought it to Fred and passed it over to him. When he began to drink, she used her magic to massage his temples to relieve a bit of the pressure. “I’ve been drunk more than a few times in my life, so this little trick is pretty useful. Drink more water throughout the day, too. The headache is actually caused because you’re dehydrated,” she said rather astutely, surprising Frederic a bit.

“Well,” said Frederic, taking a sip. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Vinyl responded. “You’re a good friend of Octy’s, so you’re a friend of mine too,” she said, nudging his shoulder with a hoof. “You just keep drinking,” said Vinyl. “I’ll go check up on Octavia. See how she’s coping with the trauma.” Frederic flushed a little. “Hey, relax, I’m just joking.”

Vinyl left Frederic to his water and went out to where Octavia was standing, taking deep breaths.

“Hey hun, you alright?” Vinyl asked.

“I’m fine,” said Octavia.

“No reason to be flustered,” said Vinyl. “I mean, you did have the talk with your parents when you were a foal, right?”

“Of course I did! I just didn’t expect to see Frederic’s…” Octavia said, frowning and blushing all at once.

“Look at you, you’re so cute when you’re flustered,” Vinyl cooed.

“Shut up! I’m not flustered! I am a full-grown mare, not a filly!” Octavia stated as firmly as her current state of mind would allow.

“I’m just saying, Octy,” said Vinyl, “it’s a perfectly natural part of a stallion’s existence. Anyway, he’s nursing his hangover and I think he’ll be fine, long as he keeps hydrated.”

“Well, that’s good at least. Rather, that’s better news, because those mares were fairly upset. They were grumbling about how they ‘didn’t even get any’, whatever that means…” Octavia said.

Vinyl sighed, shaking her head slightly. “That’s our Frederic…”

Frederic emerged from the bedroom, draped in a bathroom and carrying his cup of water. “Well,” he said. “Good morning. I, uh…” His eyes shifted. “I should probably take a shower.”

“Probably a good idea,” Vinyl said. “Your room reeks of booze and two-bit fillies, so yeah, go get yourself cleaned up,” she said.

“Are you… feeling alright?” Octavia asked.

“Well, I’m sure I will,” said Frederic, taking a sip. “So anyway,” he said, turning to Vinyl, “you said ‘useful information’?”

Octavia raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, yeah,” said Vinyl. “Well, I just figure…” She shrugged and smiled. “You almost managed to score a threesome. That’s progress, even if nothing happened.” Frederic stood in awkward silence. “So hey, shouldn’t be too hard from here.”

Octavia turned a bright shade of pink at the word “hard” and averted her eyes, staring at her hooves, to which Frederic did the same.

“Oh come on, am I really the only mature one of us here?” Vinyl said, exasperated. “Anywho, Octy and I have nothing important going on today, so I figure maybe we’ll take you around town. Maybe a pretty mare will catch your eye along the way,” she offered. “I mean, clubbing isn’t your thing. I can respect that. Show’s you’ve got what Octavia calls ‘class.’ And lots of mares like that. I think.” There was a pause. “You know, the awkward silence isn’t helping.”

It was at that point a cold feeling of panic seeped into Frederic’s mind. “Oh dear… I forgot I have an appointment in Ponyville today!” Frederic said, scrambling towards the bathroom to hit the shower.

Vinyl looked at Octavia. “So, all in all, I think this was a success.”

---

“Rainbow Dash, please help Applejack hang the banner over near the ceiling over there, the house needs to be perfect for when Sweetie returns!” Rarity ordered, busily working at organizing her things and putting them away for the surprise party.

“Right, got it,” said Rainbow Dash, “on the ceiling over there, as opposed to on the floor over here.”

Rarity shot Rainbow Dash a look that could have melted steel, causing both Dash and Applejack to wince.

“One thing Granny always taught me, Dash, is ‘if’n yer lookin’ fer sass, watch out or it’ll bite ya on the—”

“Applejack, focus!” Rarity barked. Applejack stopped mid-sentence, noticing she was about to lose her balance on the ladder.

“Thanks, Rarity,” Applejack said, regaining her posture and setting the banner back in place while Rainbow Dash nailed it to the wall. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Oh, wonderful!” said Rarity. “That must be Pinkie Pie here with the party wagon!”

Rainbow Dash watched as Rarity trotted off towards the front door. “She’s… really going all out on this, isn’t she?” she asked.

“You’d understand if you had a sister,” said Applejack.

“Maaaaaaybe,” said Rainbow Dash, narrowing her eyes with just the slightest skeptic squint.

Rarity opened the door and in burst Pinkie Pie with the remaining decorations.

“I’ve got suppliiiiiiiiies!” Pinkie sang in her typical shrill soprano voice. Rarity felt a slight ringing in her ears, but smiled nonetheless.

“So I see,” said Rarity, looking over the contents of the wagon. “So glad you could make it. You don’t know how much I appreciate your help.”

“I know, right?” asked Pinkie Pie. “Things would be soooo much easier if I could read minds!”

Rainbow Dash went to open her mouth, but Applejack stopped her dead in her tracks.

“Don’t even,” Applejack stated flatly. “I don’t need to remind y’all how messy that can a’worms got,” she said, Rainbow Dash nodding in agreement.

“Right… forgot about that…” Rainbow Dash said quietly, going back to her work.

“So anyway, I got the usual necessities…” said Pinkie Pie, pointing to the contents of the wagon. “Emergency bobbing apples, backup pin-the-tail-on-the-pony supplies, second pinata in case the first one is a little too offensive…”

“Why would the first one be offensive?” Rarity asked, somewhat confused.

“If you have a donkey guest it might make things a little awkward…” Pinkie whispered.

“Hmm.. I suppose I hadn’t thought of that… good thinking, Pinkie,” Rarity said, nodding. “Now where are Twilight and Fluttershy? They said they’d be here to set up the petting zoo!”

“I dunno,” said Pinkie with a big exaggerated shrug. “Maybe Angel broke his leg. Or maybe Spike broke his leg. Or maybe they broke each others’ legs.” She leaned in a little. “They don’t like each other that much…”

“Oh dear, I hope not!” Rarity gasped, the anxiety catching up with her. “Sweetie’s been such a good little filly lately and I really would like to reward her for it! She deserves this!”

“Rarity, relax,” said Applejack, coming up and giving her a pat on the back. “We’re not in any rush. Her birthday isn’t until the afternoon. I’m sure there aren’t any broken legs. They’re just running a little late.”

“Yes… when you’re right, you’re right Applejack,” Rarity said, taking a deep breath and composing herself. The poor mare looked a bit frazzled, having worked at a break-neck pace since the other fillies had come to pick Sweetie up for their weekly Crusader meeting.

“Just take a deep breath and calm down. Maybe have a cup of tea and let us handle the rest of the decorations.”

“I couldn’t let you all do the work! What kind of friend would I be—” Rarity was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Um… Rarity? Could you please open the door…?” a soft voice beckoned from the other side.

“Oh, splendid! That must be Fluttershy and Twilight!” Rarity said, perking up.

Rarity opened the door, and in walked Twilight with Fluttershy, leading a small assortment of different animals ranging from rabbits to squirrels to birds and pretty much any other woodland creature a pony could imagine.

“Fluttershy!” said Pinkie Pie. “Good thing Angel didn’t break his leg, huh?”

“Um…” said Fluttershy. “I don’t—”

“Don’t ask,” muttered Rainbow Dash, cutting her off with with a held-up hoof. Fluttershy merely nodded, keeping her comment to herself.

“Just set up the zoo area over there, darling, I made space for them,” Rarity said.

“Thanks… are you okay? You look really worn out,” Twilight said, voicing her concern over the frazzled appearance Rarity had.

“Are you… sure you’re okay with having a bunch of animals in your house?” asked Rainbow Dash, looking at the critters as they marched single-file through the room. “It doesn’t seem like you.”

“Oh, nonsense, Rainbow Dash,” said Rarity. “That’s what hired help is for, and yes, Twilight, I’m fine if not a bit tired,” she said, giving a small smile. She then looked around the room and took account of everything that had been brought in for the party. “Excellent, everything seems to be moving smoothly… now all we need is that gentlecolt that said he’d play the piano and we’re right on track!”

“You hired a piano player?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“The term is ‘pianist’,” Rarity corrected, “and I didn’t necessarily hire him. He actually volunteered because I made a suit for him. He looked rather dashing in it, truthfully…” she said, trailing off.

“Ooookay,” said Rainbow Dash. Suddenly, a sly smile spread across her face. “Wait… is this the same stallion we were bugging you about the other day? The one at the party?” she asked.

Rarity flushed slightly, but raised her chin indignantly. “So what if it is? We are simply acquaintances, so please stop grasping at straws,” she stated firmly.

“You know you’re blushing… right?” Rainbow Dash said, eliciting a giggle from the other mares. Rarity’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, causing her to growl in frustration.

“Ooooh, why must you tease me so!?” Rarity said, exasperated.

“Hey, it’s nothing,” said Rainbow Dash. “Just make sure you tell us if he’s as boring as that hippy who talked on and on about soy.”

Rarity’s expression changed entirely.

“Let’s not talk about that,” Rarity said flatly. “All you need to be talking about is where Applejack needs your help! Go on!”

“Fine, fine,” said Rainbow Dash, turning. “Hey, Applejack, where do the balloons go?”

“Away from them baboons,” said Applejack. “I trust ‘em about as far I can throw ‘em…”

The two of them gave a look over at a menacing-looking gang of monkeys.

“Are you sure it was okay to bring them? I’m pretty sure Rarity would have a heart attack if anything went wrong with this party...” Twilight asked as she saw the exchange.

“Don’t worry Twilight, I’ll make sure they behave,” Fluttershy nodded demurely, casting a single harsh eye towards the baboons, immediately setting them straight.

Rarity took a deep breath and exhaled, watching the others do their tasks as assigned.

“I do hope he arrives on time…” Rarity said to herself.

***

“I’m hung-over,” said Frederic.

“Come on, you’re not hung-over,” said Vinyl.

“I’m hung-over and I’m supposed to be playing for a filly’s birthday party.”

“You were hung-over and the party’s just far enough away that you’ll be fine by the time it happens,” Vinyl reassured.

The three of them walked down the road. Frederic had a dead look in his eyes, occasionally slipping a hoof through his mane as though worried it either wasn’t neat or wasn’t there. “Can’t do that night before a gig,” he said. “What happens if my hooves get shaky?”

“Just as a quick reminder, you were the one who went hooves first into drinking last night,” said Vinyl. “Though you do seem like you’re a heck of a lot more fun under the influence,” she said with a small chuckle.

Frederic went silent for a moment. “I’ll take your word for that,” he muttered.

“Vinyl, please, I think he’s been antagonized enough,” Octavia said, coming to Frederic’s defense.

“Sorry, dahling,” said Vinyl in a faux-diva tone. “I’m sure this thing you’re doing today will be fine. You just brush off your five easy pieces and the foals will love it! If you’ve got the chops to play in front of hundreds of ponies at one time, you can handle a foal’s party.”

“I do have to admit, Frederic,” said Octavia, “this is hardly the most demanding of audiences.”

Frederic rolled his eyes. “I don’t think much of performers who are condescending to children.”

Vinyl squinted. “...I dunno what ‘condescend’ means, but that sounded offensive.”

“It means talking down to somepony,” Octavia explained.

“Oh,” Vinyl said thoughtfully. “Hey! I love foals!” she exclaimed, the statement finally registering in her head. “I also didn’t mean what I said in a bad way. I meant that you shouldn’t worry ‘cause you’ve got the skills to get the job done,” she said

“I’m sure that the foals will be delighted with whatever you play. Who knows? You may even inspire somepony.”

“Yeah, like me! I mean, heck, I stand behind my tables and ponies practically throw themselves at me,” Vinyl said haughtily.

“If by ‘throw themselves at you’, you really mean ‘try to run you out of town’, then I absolutely agree,” Octavia said.

“Well, I get a reaction, and that’s all that matters,” Vinyl said with a shrug. Vinyl then gave it some thought. “Wait… this is actually a golden opportunity for Fredboy!”

The two other ponies turned to look at her. “What do you mean?” Octavia asked.

“Think about it! There’s gonna be a bunch of foals there, right? Well, some of them are gonna be accompanied by parents for sure, so maybe you can make one of the single moms swoon over you with your golden hooves!” Vinyl explained.

Frederic raised an eyebrow. “Uhhhhhh, I’d rather focus on one thing at a time.”

“That’s your problem,” said Vinyl. “You get tunnel vision. You need to start looking for opportunities even when you’re not looking for them.”

“That sentence is literally self-contradictory,” muttered Frederic.

“You’re self-contradictory,” Vinyl shot back.

“Enough,” Octavia said, intervening before Vinyl had the opportunity to take it to another level. “For now, let Frederic focus on his performance at the party and afterward we can continue playing match-maker,” she said.

“Y’know, now that I think about it, I’m curious. Whose birthday are you playing for?” Vinyl asked.

“Her name’s Sweetie Belle, I believe,” said Frederic. “She’s the younger sister of Rarity, the proprietess of Carousel Boutique.”

Octavia froze at hearing the name “Rarity” escape Frederic’s mouth. “Rarity!?” she exclaimed. “Now I know why you are so nervous!” she said, frantically looking Frederic over and adjusting him to fix his appearance.

“Woah, woah, Octy, what bit you on the rump?” Vinyl asked, shocked at her marefriend’s sudden outburst.

“You do not understand how big this is, Vinyl. Rarity is a close friend of Twilight Sparkle, the apprentice of Princess Celestia herself, not to mention the Element of Generosity!” Octavia explained.

“Yes, I read the news,” said Frederic.

“Woah, that’s a pretty big gig if you ask me… wait a second, I remember her! She hired me for a set once. Nice mare, if a bit on the huffy side...” Vinyl said. She then thought in silence for a moment. “I wonder if any of the Elements are single…? Hoo boy, this is gonna be like a smorgasbord for you, Fred!”

“I’m not thinking about getting a date!”

“With what you’ve got under the hood, you’re not gonna have to!” Vinyl laughed.

“We don’t have to talk about that...” muttered Octavia, flushing slightly.

“No we do not…” said Frederic.

“Pfft,” said Vinyl. “You two are so…” She made a vague motion with her hoof.

“Modest?”

“Decent?”

“Sparing in personal details?”

“Prudish,” Vinyl said with a smirk.

Frederic sighed and rolled his eyes. He was too tired for a comeback.

Vinyl waited for the snappy remark, though it never came. She felt a slight sinking feeling after seeing the uncomfortable expression on Frederic’s face. “Hey… I’m sorry. Just trying to, you know, lighten the mood,” she said, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof.

“It’s fine,” said Frederic. “Just… blech. No drinking the night before a performance.”

“That blame falls on us for letting you,” Octavia said. “Regardless, what’s done is done. I’m certain you’ll perform as splendidly as you usually do Frederic,” she said with a smile.

“Yeah,” said Vinyl, patting him on the back. “Just relax, smile, and twinkle all over those keys.”

“I’m not sure that’s an appropriate wording…” said Frederic.

“You know what I meant.”

The three ponies hired a carriage, making their way to the Carousel Boutique. In the silence of their ride, Frederic’s mind had wandered onto other things, though one continued to plague him. The stallion found himself in a bit of an awkward position—the carriage they took was rather small and Vinyl had decided to “marespread” in her seat across from himself and Octavia.

Well, that’s unlady-like, he thought to himself.

Frederic found her seeming lack of self-awareness a little off-putting, and decided that looking in Vinyl’s direction was no longer on his list of things to keep himself occupied. This left Frederic very aware of the fact that he was in unsettlingly close proximity to the mare he pined for. The familiar scent of her lilac perfume gently wafted from her coat, filling his senses.

Focus, Frederic… you have a performance in a little while, you don’t have time to... he thought to himself, subtly shaking his head to clear his mind. He glanced over at Octavia, the mare gently outlined by the sun, the soft light giving her an almost ethereal glow. His heart began to race and his hooves began to grow clammy. Oh, come on! he thought, giving a small sigh.

“Something the matter, Frederic?” Octavia asked, shifting over to look at him.

“Um…” he said. “Just… uh… Nothing. Kind of claustrophobic.”

“Really?” asked Vinyl.

“Yes,” said Frederic. “It all happened when I was a foal and someone shoved me in the top of an upright.”

“How terrible! How long were you trapped in there for?” Octavia asked, having never heard Frederic make any mention of being claustrophobic. Her ear twitched, signalling her curiosity, a quirk of hers that Frederic found to be absolutely adorable. His heart skipped a beat, but outwardly he refused to express it.

“I-I don’t know,” said Frederic, stammering slightly. “There, uh, wasn’t a clock inside.”

“Geez, you should have told me, I’d have given you my seat,” Vinyl said. “Here, let’s switch.” The unicorn then got up and attempted to switch seats with Frederic.

“Um, Vinyl, I don’t think you should be standing while the carriage is in motion—” Octavia started. The carriage hit a bump in the road, and suddenly Vinyl found herself upside down where Frederic was sitting before, Frederic being forced to his side and practically on top of Octavia, their faces mere inches from each other. Frederic’s heart about beat itself out of his chest, his mind unable to comprehend whether it was luck or fate that he found himself so close to her.

“Owww…” Vinyl muttered, rubbing her head as she tried to straighten herself out. “I knew we should’ve gotten a carriage with a bigger booth...”

“Um… Frederic… if you could…” Octavia said, her voice barely above a whisper, her face a deep red from embarrassment.

“I…” Frederic blinked. “Oh, goodness! I’m so sorry!” Frederic said, bolting upright and sitting across from the mares.

“It—it’s alright, it wasn’t your fault,” Octavia reassured, recomposing herself.

“Did I miss something?” Vinyl asked, curious.

“Nope,” Octavia and Frederic answered in unison.

“If you say so…” Vinyl said, shrugging it off. The carriage then came to a stop.

“We have arrived at the Carousel Boutique!” the carriage driver said from outside. Frederic checked his watch to see what time it was.

Just in time… he thought, noticing the party was scheduled to begin in only a little while.

“Oh, great, we’re here! Let me get out first,” Octavia said, immediately heading for the carriage door. She exited the carriage and trotted a few paces away, taking a deep breath of the fresh air and clearing her head. Just what I needed… she thought. Frederic took note of Octavia’s reaction.

He shook his head and started dusting his shoulders off. Simple stuff. Go in, play piano for the little fillies, have some of that non-alcoholic fruit punch, and that’d be that. Vinyl approached Frederic, standing in front of him.

“You got this, Fred? You got your head in the game?” Vinyl asked, trying to get him focused.

“Yes,” said Frederic. “You know the trick to things like this is? Always have five easy pieces you can play whenever you come across a piano.”

“I use that trick myself. You never know when you’ll be called upon to perform,” Octavia added.

“Uhh, didn’t I mention that earlier?” asked Vinyl. “I always have five mixes ready in case I get called to action,” she said, puffing her chest out a bit. “It’s tough being such an awesome pony like me,” she said haughtily.

“Yes,” muttered Frederic under his breath. “Tough being around you.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” Frederic said, Octavia giggling slightly. The three ponies walked up to the front door of Carousel Boutique and Frederic knocked on the door. Suddenly, a loud crash and a scream was heard from behind it. The three of them took a step back, the door swinging open. Inside was chaos. The group of baboons had gotten out of control and were threatening to tear the place apart.

“Settle down! Rainbow didn’t mean to step on your tail!” Fluttershy begged, trying to reign in the monkeys, who screamed in rage.

“Um… did we come at a bad time?” Vinyl asked, unsure of what to make of the situation.

“Oh, thank the Princesses you’re here! Quickly, inside, inside before the baboons escape with the party favors!” Rarity ordered, ushering the three of them inside quickly.

“I’m giving you one more chance, please just settle down!” Fluttershy asked, to no avail. One baboon had jumped past Applejack, swiping her Stetson.

“Oh, no you don’t! Y’all get back here right this darn second!” Applejack yelled, charging after the baboon. Rainbow Dash was forced to restrain Applejack.

“It’s not worth it! Let Fluttershy handle it!” Rainbow Dash said, struggling to hold Applejack from wringing the baboon’s neck.

In the midst of this, Sweetie Belle stood there, wearing a half-bored, half-amused look on her face. Frederic gingerly made his way through the room, narrowly avoiding a flying object that might have collided with his head, and approached her.

“Hello,” he said. “You the birthday filly?”

“Yep,” said Sweetie Belle.

“It, uh… seems your party isn’t going as expected.”

“Oh, this is nothing,” said Sweetie Belle. “Stuff like this happens in this town every week.” Sweetie then realized who she was talking to. “Hey, you’re Rarity’s coltfriend!”

“‘Coltfriend’!?’ the eight mares said in unison as Fluttershy unleashed a Stare so powerful the heavens themselves would have shuddered in fear, freezing the baboons in place as if they had been struck by lightning. Frederic suddenly found himself in an awkward position.

“I’m just here to play piano to pay for my suit…” he said with a small gulp.

Rarity laughed. “Sweetie Belle, really, what have I told you about speaking before thinking about what you’re going to say?”

“You mean he’s not your coltfriend?” Sweetie asked.

“No, Sweetie. He’s just a friend—I only met him recently,” she said.

“Oh… well I think—”Sweetie Belle began, but Rarity stopped her dead in her tracks, shooing her away.

“Now now, don’t worry about me, go have fun with your friends!” Rarity said, trying to return a semblance of order to the party.

Sweetie Belle returned to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, the three of them shrugging. Rarity then approached Frederic. “I apologize for that, you know how she is,” she said with a sheepish smile.

“I get it, she’s a sweet kid,” Frederic said understandingly. Rarity then noticed that Frederic had brought company, one pony being a unicorn she recognized.

“I remember you, I hired you to play for me a while back!” Rarity said. “I’m sorry, I seem to have forgotten your name…”

Vinyl’s face lit up in a smile. “Heeeeey, good to see you! The name’s Vinyl,” she said.

“Oh, that’s right! How nice of you to come to Sweetie Belle’s party,” Rarity said with a gracious smile. She then noticed Octavia. “And you are?”

“Oh, I’m—”

“This is my marefriend, Octavia,” Vinyl said with an air of pride.

“Well, a pleasure to meet you, Octavia,” Rarity said. She then thought for a moment. “Wait a moment… Octavia? Octavia Philharmonica of the Canterlot Orchestral Society? My word, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you! I simply love your music!”

“Oh!” said Octavia. “It’s always a pleasure to meet a fan.”

“The pleasure is mine entirely, darling,” said Rarity. “I’d love to invite you to stay, if a slightly unruly filly’s birthday party isn’t too untowards your liking.”

“Not at all, Rarity, I’m just happy I was allowed to attend though I was uninvited,” Octavia said.

“Oh, yeah, thanks,” Vinyl said.

“Of course, of course, anypony willing to celebrate Sweetie Belle’s birthday is welcome in my home,” Rarity said with a bright smile. “Now Frederic, you’ll find the piano near the showroom’s window.”

“Excellent,” said Frederic. “Is there… anything in particular that Sweetie Belle likes?”

“Oh, she likes showtunes. So if you know any Foal Porter or Steven Songtime…”

“Well, Vinyl and I are going to mingle while you get set up, Frederic. Good luck,” Octavia said with a nod.

“Make yourselves at home,” said Rarity. Octavia and Vinyl departed together as Frederic approached the piano.

Foal Porter, he thought. There are benefits to working with musically illiterate theatre majors.

However, he decided to warm-up with something a bit more complicated to loosen up his hooves. Perhaps a little Fetlach to get the hooves in shape…

Frederic sat in front of the baby grand piano, raising the cover for the keys and sliding it into place. He took a deep breath, and centered himself. He lowered his hooves to the ivory keys, and began to play. His hooves began to gracefully sweep across the keys, the piece becoming gradually more complicated and technical, though Frederic easily passed through the piece with what appeared to be minimal effort. Frederic’s playing began to catch the attention of everypony around him, the other ponies stopping their conversations to listen to him play.

“Woah… you weren’t kidding, Octy. He can play,” Vinyl said, thoroughly impressed.

“I told you,” Octavia said, affirming what she already knew.

The other mares all stopped to listen to Frederic’s playing, almost mesmerized by his skill. The girls then began quietly commenting on his masterful playing, but a certain mare found herself in a different position. The only pony who had nothing to say was Rarity. Rarity found herself almost in another world, watching Frederic effortlessly maneuver his way around the keys. She had heard the piece before, but never played with such virtuosity. It almost felt as if the music were… alive. She also found herself looking at Frederic in a different light. She knew he was charming, polite, modest, and was a rather attractive looking fellow. What’s this I’m feeling? My heart’s racing! Rarity thought, catching herself staring at the stallion as he played, blushing hotly.

When the piece finally came to an end, he took a deep breath. Alright. That hangover doesn’t seem to be a problem, he thought. Then he realized that the silence was a little… pregnant. He turned and he saw several ponies standing around him, staring.

Or maybe it is.

Comments

[Commissar Derpy Hooves]

This is how i do my relationships.

[-Brutus]

My heart! Are you really back? I have to read the whole fanfic to remember where this was going; back to chapter 1!

[ShadowLDrago]

“I can help with that,” Vinyl said. She stood up and moved into his bathroom, grabbing a little cup on his sink and filling it with cool water. She brought it to Fred and passed it over to him. When he began to drink, she used her magic to massage his temples to relieve a bit of the pressure. “I’ve been drunk more than a few times in my life, so this little trick is pretty useful. Drink more water throughout the day, too. The headache is actually caused because you’re dehydrated,” she said rather astutely, surprising Frederic a bit.

Huh, did not know that.

“If you have a donkey guest it might make things a little awkward…” Pinkie whispered.

Clever girl. She DOES think of everything.

[Menelaus Redz]

Lithe, it pleases me immensely to see you updating this story. And then you posted that link to JS Bach... are you try to win my heart? Cause if so, you are doing a good job so far. but I feel the need that I aught to warn you, my wife will fight you over me.

In all seriousness, great chapter. I loved the interaction between the characters and the selection of the musical piece was spot on.

I'm looking forward to seeing more in the future.