Ivory

by Lithe Kamitatsy

Chapter Six

Several songs by Neighrome Kern and Foal Porter later, both Frederic and Sweetie Belle were getting some nice applause. As the little fillies moved to play their games, Frederic took a step from the piano and stretched his legs. He’d earned a little break for the time being. He saw Octavia and Vinyl chatting by the punch bowl, and decided to join them for a bit.

“I gotta say Fred, I misjudged you,” Vinyl said with a small smile. “You’ve got some golden hooves, my friend.”

“Thank you Vinyl, I appreciate the compliment,” Frederic said, bowing his head. He then proceeded to pour himself a glass of punch and take a drink.

“You sure you should be drinking that?” asked Vinyl. “Isn’t it kinda for the foals?”

Frederic looked down at the glass, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face. “Oh.”

“Aaaaand you can’t put it back because you already started drinking it,” mused Vinyl. “Look, just finish it and get yourself an adult drink.”

“I feel maybe he should not drink, Vinyl. I mean, the poor fellow did have a hang-over this morning,” Octavia suggested. Frederic twitched internally at her remark, but chose not to react.

“I agree, frankly the idea of alcohol just… repulses me at the moment,” Frederic said, feeling a bit nauseated by the thought of alcohol.

“Yeah, yeah, I getcha,” Vinyl said, conceding. “Why not ask Rarity if there’s anything else, then?”

“That’s not a bad idea. I’ll be back, maybe get some water,” Frederic said, excusing himself. He made his way over to the other group of mares, who were all idly chatting together. He spotted Rarity among them, and approached her. “Excuse me, Rarity, do you have a moment?”

“Of course,” Rarity said, separating herself from her friends. “Is everything alright?” she asked.

“Yeah, everything’s fine, I was just curious if there was anything to drink aside from fruit punch and alcohol. My stomach’s a little upset at the moment,” Frederic said, deciding it would be better to keep the events of the night previous to himself.

“Would you like some water?” she asked.

“Yes, thank you,” said Frederic, nodding.

“Come with me, I’ll show you where the kitchen is,” Rarity said, taking the lead. As they cantered away from the party, she spoke up again. “I must say Frederic, your skill with the piano is simply astounding.”

He smiled. “Well, it’s a profession. I should return the compliment, if I may,” he said. “I’m very fond of the suit you made.”

“Oh stop, you’ll make me blush,” Rarity giggled.“Well, I suppose we can consider this an even trade?”

“I think so,” Frederic said. “Tell me, how did you realize that fashion was your calling?” he asked, curious.

As they walked, Rarity recounted the story of how she got her cutie mark, down to being dragged by her horn for what felt like miles towards the best quality gemstones for her costumes. “Though I’ve always loved fashion and dresses. I suppose I just always thought it a little exotic. Ponies don’t normally wear clothes, after all.”

“Well, if you continue to put out thread-work of this quality, I’m willing to stake a few bits that may change,” Frederic said with a smile. That got to Rarity, drawing out a bright pink blush from the mare.

“Flattery will get you everywhere, darling,” Rarity laughed. “Well, I told you how I got my cutie mark. What about yours? What made you seek music?” Frederic thought back to his childhood, remembering it fondly.

“Well, it all started when I was just a little colt. I remember that my grandfather had this beautiful, jet black grand piano—a Stallionway—in the family room of his house, and every time I visited, he would play for us. One day, when my parents had decided to leave me to stay with my grandparents, I decided to give it a try. I opened his sheet book, and tried to play the first thing I saw. Naturally I was pretty bad, but something kept bringing me back to keep trying to get it right. Before I knew it, I was breezing through his sheet music with little trouble, and one day they just appeared. It was then I knew that playing the piano is what I wanted to do with my life,” he reminisced.

“That’s a wonderful story, Frederic,” Rarity said. She then let out a small sigh. “I can’t help but wonder if Sweetie Belle will find her calling. She and her friends, well…”

“Mm?”

“Oh, they haven’t gotten their cutie marks. They’ve started a little club for it. They’re always trying new things to see if something sticks.”

“A club? To try and get their cutie marks?” Frederic asked.

“Yes, they call themselves ‘The Cutie Mark Crusaders’”, Rarity said, rolling her eyes.

“That’s… actually quite adorable,” Frederic said. “As for Sweetie Belle, I wouldn’t worry. I think I was actually a bit older than her before I realized that I loved the piano, so I figure she still has some time to work things out.”

“Thank you, Frederic, that puts me at ease. She’s my little sister, so I can’t help but worry sometimes,” Rarity said.

“I wish I could say I understood. I’m an only child, so I’ve never had that sort of experience personally,” Frederic mused.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to tread on an uncomfortable topic,” Rarity said.

“No, no, you didn’t say anything wrong. It’s not that it’s an uncomfortable topic, it’s simply that I don’t know what it’s like,” Frederic reasoned.

“Okay, I was worried for a moment there,” Rarity said. Thank goodness, he doesn’t think I’m insensitive… she thought to herself.

The two continued to talk, completely forgetting what they had originally gone to the kitchen for in the first place.

---

“Pop music just isn’t what it used to be when we were growing up, Octy,” Vinyl said, shaking her head as she swirled her drink. “All the stuff they pump through the radio nowadays is just junk,” she said.

“Are you sure you should be saying that?” Octavia said, a little confused.

“Just ’cause you think my music’s junk doesn’t mean it is,” Vinyl defended.

“I didn’t say that…”

“Anyway, I mean, compare the Hoof Beats to Nicklebuck,” said Vinyl.

“I’d need a score to look at.”

“We’re talking music, not sports,” Vinyl said, confused. “Not sure what one has to do with the other... either way, I at least try to put some variety into what I put out, unlike that garbage from Single Path or Smiley Cypress. It’s all the same; you got maybe one basic music idea and it covers such a narrow range and it’s boring. And all the teeny-bopper foals these days just eat it up,” Vinyl said. “Puts good musicians like us outta business!” Octavia extended a hoof, putting it on Vinyl’s shoulder.

“You are absolutely right, Vinyl, and I will definitely remember this conversation next time you decide to ‘critique’ my music,” Octavia said, a subtle, dangerous look hiding behind her irises. Vinyl realized that she had officially lost the right to bad-mouth Octavia’s type of music.

“Hey, uh, you know, Frederic’s been gone a while! I wonder where he went?” Vinyl said, desperately trying to change the subject.

“Come to think of it, you’re right…” Octavia said, looking down the hall that Rarity and Frederic had taken together some time ago. “He said he was getting a drink, right?”

“Yeah, but how long does it take to get a drink of water?” asked Vinyl. “Hm. Maybe he had to go to the bathroom… Or maybe...” she said, a devilish smile creeping across her face.

“Vinyl, you know how I feel about that face…” Octavia said, taking a step back.

“Maybe Fred finally woke up to his stallionly instinct! Maybe he just swept Rarity right off her hooves!” Vinyl theorized.

“I think you’re thinking more about Frederic’s love-life than he is, Vinyl.”

“Well somepony has to! Besides, the sooner he lets you go, the sooner things get less awkward between you two, right?”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “Things are not awkward between us, Vinyl.”

“Whatever you say,” Vinyl said, brushing her comment aside. “I dunno about you, but I’m gonna go see what’s up!” she said, beginning to make her way down the hall.

“Vinyl, stop! Are you trying to get us thrown out?!” Octavia whispered forcefully. “You cannot just go through another pony’s home without their permission!”

“It’s a party, Octy, it’s practically open house! Except where the doors are closed,” Vinyl said. “Are you coming or not?” Octavia thought about it for a moment, feeling pressured.

“Oh, fine, but if we get kicked out, I blame you for it!” Octavia said, sticking close to Vinyl as she made her way down the hallway.

“You won’t get kicked out,” said Vinyl. “She’s a fan. You could take a bath in her house and she probably wouldn’t be too mad.”

“Pardon me if I don’t test that.”

“Dang…” Vinyl said, slightly disappointed. “I totally would’ve been up for some of that,” she said in a seductive tone, causing Octavia to turn a deep shade of red and leaving her speechless. They approached the kitchen, hearing voices from within. Instead of entering, they decided to stay just outside the door frame, electing to listen in instead of getting involved. Vinyl signaled to Octavia to remain quiet.

---

“...So then Harpo leans over, and Beauty Brass sneezes into her sousaphone, scaring the stallion half to death!” Frederic recalled. The two ponies shared a good laugh.

“Oh, that is too funny!” Rarity said,

Vinyl and Octavia approached the corner, hearing their conversation. Vinyl decided she’d make herself known. “Hope we’re not interrupting your drink,” she said, stepping into view. “It a big one?”

“Vinyl,” said Octavia, putting a hoof to her forehead.

“Oh!” said Rarity. “Frederic and I were just having a little chat. He was telling some stories about some of your rehearsals.”

“Speaking of rehearsals,” said Octavia, “we have to get ready for our performance soon.” She smiled at Rarity, explaining, “We’re with the orchestra for a production of Don Giovanneigh,” she reminded.

“Oh, I love that opera! Most Art’s work is simply phenomenal!” Rarity gushed. “I really do envy the two of you, being in the thick of it all,” she said.

“Well, there are going to be a few performances while the troupe is in Canterlot for a few days. They’re doing a national tour,” Octavia said.

“It’s touring?” asked Vinyl. “Want to spread the boredom around a bit more?”

“Yes, they are touring,” Octavia said. “Perhaps it would not be so 'boring' if we had company with us…?” she suggested, looking at Rarity and Frederic.

“Well, I’ll be going. I’d like to see what I’m up against before I play. Sometimes these conductors take a little too much liberty with the way they want their performances to go,” Frederic said. “And I’m playing harpsichord. It isn’t actually scored for harpsichord, but you know… continuo.”

“Uh, no, I don’t...” muttered Vinyl.

“Well, during the recitative sections they have very simple accompaniment. Not the flashiest music, but they have a continuo—usually harpsichord—rolling out a few notes,” Frederic explained, much to Vinyl’s apathy.

“I’d love to go, but I don’t have a ticket,” Rarity said.

“Not an issue, we have been given comps; one per pony. Perhaps we could get lunch beforehoof,” Octavia suggested.

“Oh, splendid! We’ll make a day of it,” Rarity said with glee, clapping her hooves together. Vinyl was mysteriously quiet, simply watching the exchange between the other three. Suddenly a voice called for Rarity from the main hall.

“I’m sorry, I think that’s my cue to return to the party, please excuse me!” Rarity said, leaving the room.

“I wonder if they have a piñata…” Vinyl wondered out loud. She then looked at Frederic, who was sporting an easy, almost uncharacteristic grin. “Hey, what’re you smiling at?”

“Smiling?” Frederic asked. “Was I smiling?”

“Yeah, like a goof,” Vinyl said with a small chuckle. “Dude, I think there’s something to this Rarity filly,” she said.

“What are you getting at, Vinyl?” Octavia asked, wheeling around to face her.

“I think we found you a maaaaare,” said Vinyl.

“You’re still on about that?” asked Frederic. “I had a conversation with a mare. It’s not unusual.”

“Oh, come on, Fred! Read between the lines,” Vinyl said. “I haven’t seen two ponies hit it off better than when Octy and I hit it off!”

“If by ‘hit it off’ you mean I couldn’t stand being near you, then you are correct,” Octavia said. “Well, Rarity definitely seems like a nice enough pony,” she said, giving it a bit of thought.

Frederic took a sip of his water, wearing a deadpan expression. “This isn’t going to end, is it?”

“Nope!” said Vinyl. “Well, once you get hitched. Don’t worry, that shouldn’t take too long.”

Frederic sighed. He’d have to just ignore it, then. He didn’t fancy the prospect of Vinyl and Octavia trying to play matchmaker over the next several months. Octavia playing matchmaker for him. Irony.

---

Rarity arrived at the diner at a calculatedly early time. Just ten minutes before the arranged meeting point. Not so early as to be awkward, but not so late as to appear a flake. The musicians had not arrived yet, however. The Chateau De Vert was a cozy little restaurant not far from Sugarcube Corner, renowned for its elegant cuisine, particularly from Prance. Rarity had just ordered a glass of tea to drink when Frederic arrived.

“Oh, hello, Frederic! Just in time,” Rarity said with a smile.

“I hope I’m not late,” said Frederic, sitting down. “I… don’t know where the others are.”

“Don’t worry, you’re not late at all. I daresay we’re a bit early truthfully,” Rarity mused.

“Frederic, thank you again for bringing me along with you to the opera. I hope I’m not being a bother,” she said.

Frederic couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, you’re not being a bother. Believe me, there is… well, I’d probably rather not go into that.”

“Well, I’m appreciative just the same,” Rarity said. “I simply love the opera- the music, the ambience,” she sighed dreamily. “I would go more often, if my friends didn’t have an aversion for such things.”

“Not fond of the singing?” asked Frederic.

“I wouldn’t say that…” said Rarity. “Pinkie Pie loves singing, and Rainbow Dash enjoys the occasional musical.”

“I would have figured at least Twilight to enjoy the opera,” Frederic said, a bit surprised.

“She’s more one for instrumental music, rather than vocal,” said Rarity, thoughtfully stirring her tea. The waiter for their table, saw Frederic, and approached.

“Good afternoon, monsieur. Can I get you something to drink?” the stallion asked.

“Oh, just a glass of water, please.”

“Trés bon, right away,” he said with a small bow, leaving them alone once more. There was a small period of silence between them as they waited for Octavia and Vinyl, Rarity deciding to speak up.

“So Frederic, how long have you known Octavia and Vinyl?” she asked, curious.

“Oh, I haven’t known Vinyl for that long,” said Frederic. “Only met her a few years ago. She’s not somepony I’d consider… close. She doesn’t really associate herself with my immediate social circle, save for Octavia, of course. In fact, I only really know her through Octavia. Octavia I’ve known longer, for…” His voice trailed off. “Since, well, our university years. We collaborated for her recital; she did a cello sonata and she needed a pianist, so that was where I stepped in.”

Rarity listened intently, unconsciously stirring her tea as she focused on what he was saying. “Well, it’s a good thing you two stayed friends out of university, no?”

“Well, yes,” said Frederic. Though I had hoped for something more… he thought to himself. Now now, Frederic, don’t go down that path again…

“Is something wrong?” asked Rarity, leaning inquisitively.

“Hm?” asked Frederic. “Oh, no, nothing’s wrong.”

“Are you sure? You can trust me, Frederic,” Rarity asked, narrowing her eyes at first, then smiling.

“R-really, it’s nothing,” said Frederic, laughing. “Just…”

“‘Just’...?” Rarity asked, prodding a little more to find out what Frederic was hiding. Frederic was about to speak when Octavia and Vinyl arrived.

Darn… He seemed ready to talk, Rarity thought, taking a sip from her tea. “Hello, girls!”

“Good afternoon,” Frederic said.

“Hey Fred, Rares,” Vinyl said, waving a hoof.

“Good afternoon Rarity, Frederic,” Octavia said, taking her seat across from Rarity, Vinyl taking the seat across from Frederic.

“Sorry we kept you waiting, Octy took forever to get her mane straight, though I think it’s cuter when it’s messy,” Vinyl snickered.

“Quiet, you! I have a performance later and I refuse to look like I just rolled out of bed!” Octavia chided with a huff.

“But we did just—” Vinyl would have completed her sentence had Octavia’s hoof not found itself in her mouth.

“Don’t,” Octavia warned, her face burning with a wild blush.

“Oh my,” Rarity said, averting her eyes and bringing a hoof to her mouth.

“Excuse me, waiter?” Frederic called out, trying to desperately avoid thinking about what Vinyl had implied by calling over their waiter to place orders.

“Ignore her,” said Octavia, her voice in a dangerously low monotone as she replaced her hoof at her side.

“Impossible Octy, and you know it!” Vinyl said, proud of herself. The waiter made his way over, taking out a notepad.

“Are the mademoiselles prepared to order?” the waiter asked, looking to Octavia and Vinyl.

“Uh, I’ll have the… uh…” Vinyl said, squinting at the menu, having a difficult time pronouncing what she was reading.

“Sound it out?” asked Frederic.

“Ugh, you know what? Forget it, I’ll just have the fries,” Vinyl said, giving up.

“Fries? Here? We can get those anywhere,” Octavia said.

“Well, this place is supposed to be like Prance, right? So the fries should be good!” Vinyl said, causing Octavia to shake her head. “What kind of sauces do you have?”

“Well, we have a delicious apple-butter sauce, or you can try our homemade recipe for either our Dijon or Grey Poupon mustard,” the waiter suggested.

“Ew! ‘Poop-on’?! Gross!” Vinyl said, disgusted, causing Frederic to choke on his water.

“Vinyl!” Octavia said forcefully. “I am so sorry, sir, she just misunderstood,” she pleaded, trying to save what little face she could.

“What?! He said it!” Vinyl accused, unsure of what exactly she had done wrong.

“Vinyl, it’s poupon, not… erm, that,” Rarity repeated, trying not to laugh at Vinyl’s faux pas.

“I’ll just have the apple butter sauce,” Vinyl said, wanting to end the conversation.

“And for you, mademoiselle?” the waiter said, turning to Octavia, seemingly unaffected by Vinyl’s horrible butchering of his native tongue.

Octavia took a deep breath and sighed. “I’ll have the arlequin du potager en aigre-doux,” she said, her pronunciation flawless.

“Show-off…” Vinyl said under her breath.

“An excellent choice,” the waiter said. “And you?” he said, turning to Rarity.

“I will have the seitan roulade with chestnut-champignon stuffing, that sounds divine,” she said.

“Magnifique! That is a personal favorite of mine, if I must say,” he said. “And for the monsieur?”

“I’ll just have a garden salad,” said Frederic. After some funny looks from the other mares, he shrugged. “Not the biggest appetite at the moment.”

“I suppose it’s fine as long as you don’t collapse at the harpsichord,” said Octavia.

“Very well! I’ll put your orders in right away, s’il vous plait!” he said, hurrying off.

“So, uh… how long is this opera thing we’re going to be at?” Vinyl asked, afraid of the answer.

“Not that long,” said Octavia, “just two and a half hours, plus intermission.”

“Two and a half hours!?” Vinyl groaned. “I thought this would be like, a movie or something!”

“Oh, come now Vinyl, I’m sure it won’t be that bad. We can keep each other company!” Rarity said.

“I guess that’s not so bad… wait, you like operas, so it’s not like I can even heckle it with you!” Vinyl sighed.

“Not without getting thrown out of the hall,” muttered Frederic.

“Vinyl, please, promise me you won’t cause a scene,” Octavia begged.

“No promises, Octy,” Vinyl said. Octavia then swallowed her pride, and leaned over.

“What if I…” she then began to whisper into Vinyl’s ear, covering her mouth to keep the others from guessing what she was saying. Vinyl’s eyes widened at what she was hearing, a mischievous smile creasing her face.

“Even the…?” Vinyl started. Octavia did not answer, but cast a look in her direction.

“Oh, you have a deal!” Vinyl said.

Frederic went a deep red and buried himself in his water. Rarity blushed and cleared her throat. “E-excuse me a moment, I’m going to find the restroom…” she said, getting up and disappearing into the restaurant.

“It’s going well!” said Vinyl.

“You cannot be serious, Vinyl!” Frederic said, a bit agitated. “First you make a-a ‘poop’ joke at the table and now you’re talking bedroom things in front of her?” he protested, trying to disguise his discomfort by playing it off on Rarity.

“Relax Fred, it’s got nothing to do with you,” Vinyl said, fanning a hoof at him.

“Vinyl, please be more considerate of Frederic’s feelings,” Octavia said, both her expression and her tone serious. “Or I take back what I said,” she stated, narrowing her eyes.

“Fine, fine,” Vinyl said, acquiescing. “I’m sure things are fine, Fred. She was probably only embarrassed ‘cause—”

“The reason is irrelevant,” Octavia interjected. “The fact of the matter is, is that she is our guest and I would prefer not to scare her off,” she said.

“Yeah yeah, I get you, I’ll dial it back,” Vinyl said, raising her hooves in a ‘don’t zap me’ gesture.

Frederic took another drink of water and settled down, regaining his composure. “Thank you,” he said curtly.

“I’ll go check on her to see how she’s doing,” Octavia said, getting up and heading for the restroom.

---

Rarity splashed a bit of water on her face, cooling off. Goodness… those two are something else! she thought to herself. She pulled a small cloth from her purse and reapplied whatever makeup she needed to, making sure everything looked in order.

“Rarity?” a voice called. Rarity turned and saw Octavia enter the restroom behind her.

“Oh, hello,” she said.

“I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” Octavia said. “I was a little concerned Vinyl had scared you off, truthfully,” she murmured.

“Oh, no, it’s just a little… muggy out today,” said Rarity.

“I did notice that,” Octavia said. “I just hope my eyeshadow isn’t smudging, it took me a good ten minutes to apply it right,” she said, looking at herself in the mirror.

“You look lovely, darling,” Rarity said. “Though it seems you have a bit of a knot in your mane,” she pointed out.

“Another one? I brushed that area for what felt like an eternity,” Octavia sighed.

“Here, let me get that for you,” Rarity said. She summoned her magic and withdrew a brush from her bag, gently raking it through her mane as she used her hooves to gently undo the knot.

“Thank you Rarity, you’re very kind,” Octavia said, grateful.

“Think nothing of it, darling,” Rarity smiled. After a few moments of silence passed, Octavia spoke up.

“...What do you think of Frederic?” she asked.

---

Vinyl messily ate her fries as Frederic absently stabbed at his salad.

“I hate silverware…” muttered Frederic.

“Really?” asked Vinyl. “It’s never bothered me.”

“Not all of us have horns.”

“Oh yeah…”

Frederic sighed, setting his fork down. “Do you really think this is a good idea?”

Vinyl stopped eating for a moment to look at Frederic. “What do you mean?”

“Well… I mean, Rarity and I do connect on some things, and it does seem like we get along okay, but… I just…” he pondered for a moment. “I guess I’m a little afraid to get too close to her,” he said. He found it a bit ridiculous that he was opening up to the mare that stole the object of his affections away from him, but better her than anypony else.

“Hey, hey, don’t get down on yourself, things’ll be fine,” Vinyl assured. “Just take your time with this, don’t rush it,” she said. “After all, a wise mare said only fools rush in…”

“Is that a song?” asked Frederic.

“Yes,” Vinyl said. “So basically, you’re afraid of getting attached, is that it?”

Frederic thought about it for a moment. “Well… I suppose so. I mean, look what happened the last time I let that happen,” he said, a small hint of bitterness in his tone.

Vinyl sighed. “Look, I don’t really know what to tell you about that,” she said earnestly. “I’m not gonna say sorry, because I’m not sorry about how I feel for Octy. You can’t really help who you fall in love with,” she said.

“Ain’t that the truth…” Frederic said morosely, drinking a bit more of his water.

“Just give it time bud, you’ll see,” Vinyl said, nudging Frederic’s shoulder. “Things’ll work out in a way you won’t see coming, and the next thing you know, you’ll be happy, and even if you’re not, you still got me and Octy,” she said with a small smile. Frederic looked at her, a little touched by her gesture.

“Thank you, Vinyl… that means a lot,” Frederic responded.

“Hey, we’re friends, right? Any friend of Octy’s is a friend of mine,” Vinyl said with a wink.

“Yeah… I guess you could say that,” Frederic said with a small smile.

---

Rarity did not know how to respond. This was a question she had been asking herself since the night previous, and did not have an answer for it.

“Well, I… I think he’s a charming stallion. He’s kind, he’s approachable, he’s talented,” she said, listing his qualities.

“Do you like him?” Octavia asked, her questions becoming more pointed as time passed.

“Well I definitely don’t dislike him,” she answered. “He’s certainly polite.”

“Just… be gentle with him, okay? He’s a little… fragile right now,” Octavia said rather cryptically.

Rarity looked at her, a little confused. “I don’t quite understand…”

Octavia sighed. “I’m sorry Rarity, I… I suppose I’m just looking out for him,” she said honestly. “We have known each other for years and I’ve seen Frederic get into situations that don’t exactly work out in his best interests,” she said.

“What do you mean?” Rarity asked.

“Suffice to say, Frederic has had his heart broken a few times,” Octavia said. Myself being one… she thought.

It took a moment for it to click in Rarity’s head, her cheeks turning a bright pink. “Oh… I… oh…” she mumbled. It made sense to her now.“Does… does Frederic like me?” she asked, curious to know more. Something in the back of her mind demanded an answer.

“I can’t say for sure, and if you want a legitimate answer, you’ll have to ask him yourself,” Octavia said. “I won’t speak for him.”

“O-Of course, I apologize, I just got a bit ahead of myself,” Rarity said, feeling a little embarrassed.

“All I will say, is that if he does, it will take him time. He’s… healing,” Octavia said.

“I… see…” said Rarity. “Well, whomever broke Frederic’s heart truly didn’t deserve him,” she said, unknowingly causing a pang of discomfort in Octavia’s heart.

“Right… well, I’m glad to see you’re okay. I’m going to go back out to the table,” Octavia said.

“I appreciate your concern, Octavia. I’ll be out momentarily,” Rarity said. “I need a moment to gather my thoughts…”

“Alright,” said Octavia. “I’ll leave you to them. Oh, and… don’t mind Vinyl. She’s a bit much, even for me sometimes.”

“Oh, she’s a riot,” Rarity said with a smile. “A bit rough around the edges, but I think that adds to her charm. You two make a wonderful couple,” she said, eliciting a smile from Octavia.

“Thank you Rarity,” Octavia said.

“Think nothing of it, darling,” Rarity said with a wink.

---

The four ponies eventually made their way over to the Ponyville Grand Opera Hall, entering the building via the side entrance. Octavia and Vinyl stepped away to speak for a moment, leaving Frederic with Rarity.

“How do I look?” Frederic asked, asking Rarity’s opinion.

“Like a million bits,” Rarity said with confidence. “You do my stitching proud!”

“Believe me, I’m the one that’s happy,” Frederic said with a small smile.

“Break a leg, darling!” Rarity encouraged. She then left to find her seat, waving at Frederic. He returned the wave, turning to find Octavia.

---

“Are you certain I look okay?” Octavia asked, concerned that something somewhere was out of place.

“Relax, Octy, you look awesome,” Vinyl reassured.

“If you’re sure… I’m going to go find my seat among the orchestra,” Octavia said.
“Okay Octy, see you later,” Vinyl replied, sharing a quick kiss with Octavia, in full-view of a now paralyzed Frederic.

“Love you, Octy!” Vinyl said.

“I love you too,” Octavia responded.

The scene caused Frederic’s mind to grind to a catastrophic halt. The stallion felt his heart sink, in pieces, into the depths of his stomach. It felt as though the painful fissure ran down into the very pit of his being. He immediately stifled the urge to run as far away from where he stood with every last ounce of his might, rooting himself to the ground. He forced his mind to avert his thoughts from the image causing the painful torrent of burning heartache, hiding it behind a stone-faced expression. Octavia turned, seeing Frederic standing there, simply staring off into the distance.

“Oh, there you are Frederic. Are you ready to perform?”

“Yes,” he answered almost robotically. Octavia noticed the dramatic shift in his tone.

“Are you well, Frederic?” Octavia asked, concerned.

“Fine,” he said, turning and heading off without her.

---

After the rather moody overture, the strings took a more bouncy tone, as the curtain came up. A stallion paced back and forth across the stage in front of the set of a large house, looking nervously at it, as though at something the audience couldn’t see.

“Notte e giorno faticar…” sang the stallion, in boisterous bass. Magical supertitles appeared above, translating the Istallion for the audience. The stallion did not like being made to wait outside, the lowly servant he was, while his master went inside chasing after pretty ladies.

After this opening aria, he ran to the side, as a mare appeared, pursued by a stallion. A trio ensued, and this was about when Vinyl started getting a little confused. It was an impressive trio, for sure. Then a hulking bass stallion stepped out and challenged the second stallion (a baritone) to a sword fight. The bass (the second bass, that is, not the first one) got stabbed, sang a slow death song as the baritone confirmed in song that, yes, he was dying, before the scene ended.

Vinyl had to admit… the music was certainly flashy. She wasn’t sure she completely understood the plot. Was the baritone trying to rape the soprano? Or had that already happened? Or was that not what was happening? She looked to the side and saw an older pony next to her watching with a stone-faced expression. She looked past that pony to the next and saw a young stallion giddily giggling at the servant’s recitative.

Then she looked back at the stage and found that the scene had shifted to the soprano from earlier, this time with a tenor. They weren’t really singing anything particularly distinct, just… that recitative. Something something swearing vengeance…

That was about as far as Vinyl got. This part of the opera became the start of a large mental blank spot.

Though there was something Vinyl found a little odd about the recitative. Something seemed… off about the chords that the harpsichord was rolling…

---

Frederic felt sluggish. He felt as though every last ounce of energy had been sucked from him, leaving just a shell of a pony behind. It wasn’t until the pony behind him nudged him in the back that he came to life for a moment, the small burst of energy fading into oblivion a moment later. His mind continued to mercilessly replay what he had seen over and over, and every time it started over it felt as though the wound grew deeper and deeper.

That should have been me… a voice echoed from deep inside his mind.

I wasn’t good enough… another voice spoke.

Nonsense! She’s the one not good enough for you!

Why wasn’t I good enough…?

What does it matter!? She would have thrown you away regardless!

Frederic was at war within himself. His heart and his mind were battling it out like raging demons, reason trying to trump emotion, though neither truly coming ahead in the strife.

For the third time, he could hear the soprano making a false start.

“Frederic!” whispered Octavia, mostly mouthing to him. “What’s wrong?” She received no response. It appeared as though Frederic was entirely vacant, his eyes dull and empty as he stared blankly at the harpsichord.

---

“This singer sucks,” muttered Vinyl. “That other pony’s boring, too.”

“Oh dear…” Rarity murmured as the dissonance from the harpsichord began to throw off the rest of the accompanying instruments as well as the actors on stage.

“It sounds like it’s coming from the… Oh…” said Vinyl.

The curtain fell, before rising again on the baritone and the bass (the one that wasn’t dead). They had an argument about something. The bass was basically telling the baritone he was being a dick. This went on for a while until another soprano entered and sang a big aria.

It seemed that everything was going fine apart from those boring might-as-well-just-be-talking parts. Vinyl leaned back in her seat, found a comfortable position, and promptly fell asleep, not waking up until the bass started blasting high Es in an aria that went on for longer than Vinyl expected.

“Who- what?” Vinyl said rather loudly, eliciting a huge number of ponies around her shushing her violently.

The bass sang “mille e tre,” and the audience erupted with laughter, with the young stallion two seats away from Vinyl breaking into uncontrollable sniggers.

Then the bass held a high D and Vinyl checked her watch. Seven seconds. He held that note for seven seconds. About how majestic big women were.

All in all the aria was nearly six minutes long. After a short time, Frederic began to slip out of line yet again, causing another audible train-wreck on-stage. The orchestra barely managed to make it to intermission.

---

During the intermission, Vinyl asked “So… he slept with a thousand mares…”

“In Andalusia,” Rarity clarified. “The Don lives in Andalusia, so it makes sense that that would be the highest…”

“So more than a thousand,” said Vinyl.

"So, did you enjoy the play?" Rarity asked.

"Well, there was stuff I liked. I liked the part where he sang about getting everyone drunk,” she said. “I liked the part where everyone got confused and that Don guy got away.”

“I figured those would be your favorite parts,” Rarity giggled. “You slept through the rest of it,” she pointed out. “I just hope Frederic’s alright…”

---

“What the hell is your deal, man?” One angry pony asked. “You keep throwing us off!”

“You need to get it together,” another pony said angrily. “Who hired this guy?”

“I think I saw the mezzo about to cry…” said one pony.

“That’s because her character is in hysterics,” said another.

“Oh, yeah…”

“You keep screwing this up, and I’m gonna make sure you never get work in this opera house again!” one pony yelled. That was the last straw.

The hell with this, Frederic thought. He stood up, yanked off his bow-tie, and made for the exit.

“Yeah, get lost! Hack,” one pony called out after him, voice laden with vitriol.

“Frederic!” Octavia called out, chasing after him. She eventually caught up to him, grabbing him by his foreleg to stop him from leaving.

“Let me go, Octavia…” Frederic said, his voice dangerously calm.

“What is the matter with you? You have been out of sorts ever since we got here! All I want is-”

“Let me go!” Frederic roared, forcefully removing his foreleg from her grasp. Octavia was stunned. Frederic had never raised his voice before, let alone at her.

“You… you yelled at me…” Octavia said, almost on the verge of tears. Frederic felt guilt wrack his heart, but the pain of what he had witnessed was stronger.

“I… I’m sorry…” he said, exiting the building via the nearest door, galloping at full-tilt back to his apartment. What have I done?

The ponies still in the orchestra pit looked at the harpsichord. The trumpet player raised his hoof.

“Umm… I don’t really do a whole lot during the recit,” he said. “I could take over.”

“Done,” the coordinator said. “Anypony else got any changes they want to make? No? Then take your places,” he ordered. Octavia blankly reclaimed her chair. She played her part well despite the situation, though found it very difficult to read her sheet music through teary eyes.

---

The play came to an end, Vinyl and Rarity exited the building, chatting to one another about the play and other things. As the ponies cleared out, they waited near the entrance of the Opera Hall for Frederic and Octavia, completely unaware of what had occurred. Vinyl caught sight of Octavia, who was slowly trotting out.

“Hey Octy!” Vinyl called out, the two unicorns making their way over to her. When they got closer to her, Vinyl realized something was very wrong. Octavia’s face was completely stained, her mascara and eyeshadow having completely smeared from the crying.

“W-what happened!? Are you okay!?” Vinyl asked, extremely concerned.

“What happened, darling? Did it have to do with the…” Rarity looked for the delicate way of putting it. “The… issues, during the first act?” Rarity asked, mirroring Vinyl’s concern. She then noticed she was alone. “Where’s Frederic?”

Octavia tried to speak, but couldn’t muster the words. She simply buried her face in Vinyl’s neck, now openly sobbing. Vinyl tried her best to console Octavia, casting confused looks at Rarity, who was just as lost as she was. The three mares found a quiet place to themselves, allowing Octavia to exhaust herself before trying to speak to her. Once Octavia had sufficiently calmed down, she brokenly explained the situation. With the night having come to a very abrupt ending, the three mares parted ways, returning to their homes for the evening. Rarity found herself trying to rationalize what Octavia had told her, feeling that what she had heard did not match her mental image of Frederic.

What were you thinking, Frederic? Rarity wondered to herself as she entered the Boutique, locking the door behind her.

---

Frederic shut the door to his apartment, locking it behind him. I need a drink… he thought, quickly making his way over to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of scotch out of the cupboard, grabbed an empty glass, and poured until the glass was full, not bothering with ice. He immediately began to drink, the alcohol setting his throat ablaze as it went down. He gave a deep sigh, feeling the heat of the alcohol escape his mouth, replaced by cool air. That’s the stuff… he thought. He immediately began to feel the effects, as his stomach was largely empty. The half-eaten salad would do nothing to absorb the alcohol. Half a bottle of scotch later, Frederic found himself sitting on the floor near his piano, staring at the wall across from him.

“Well… isn’ that juuuust th’ sweetest?” he muttered, taking another drink. “No room fer good ol’ Freddie!” he said bitterly. The room had begun to spin slightly, all of his senses now dull- including the pain. “I jus’ think it’s th’ best that they loooooove each other!” he said, mockingly raising his hooves, almost tipping over due to his lack of balance. Sadly, even being drunk would not spare him from his thoughts.“Why does this hurt so much…?” he said, placing a hoof to his heart. He felt his eyes beginning to well up. “Why wasn’ I good enough?” he wondered out loud, the tears finally spilling over and running down his cheeks. “Did I do s-somethin’ to deserve this?” he coughed, wiping his face.

He then looked disdainfully at the piano."You…" he growled, stumbling over to the piano. He put the glass down, hit a chord. One of the notes was wrong. “No.” He tried to play something else. A sour note. “No.” Again. “No.” Again. “No.” Again. “No!”

He slammed the lid down. “Forget this!” he said. “Can’ practice like this!” he slurred, downing the rest of his drink, marching over to his record collection. “I’ll jus’ get a recording!” he hiccuped, ‘triumphantly’ holding up a record. “A recording won’ screw up!”

He clumsily trundled to the record player and put it on.

“C’mon, Mist’r Bitstein! Play me some stuff! Give me Bedridden Smetena…”

The room filled slowly, starting with a single flute, then strings, and soon that one record player drowned out the entire room in sound.

“Drown it out…” He said, pouring another drink and reclining in his chair. “Drown it all out… just....” he trailed off as he took another swig, tipping the full glass over a little too far, spilling it on himself. At this point, he was too far gone to care. He let gravity do its work, his foreleg falling to his side. The glass slipped out of his hoof, coming to rest on the floor near his recliner. The stallion allowed the soft embrace of his recliner to sweep him away into unconsciousness, tears still running down his cheeks.

Comments

[ShadowLDrago]

Poor Frederic...

[RadBunny]

6385232
......can't really say anything other than that.