Lost Muse

by David Silver

13 - Day Dreaming

Day Dreamer ran a hoof gently alongside a mostly-empty easel. Color had started work on it, then abandoned it, like he had abandoned the house... "Where are you, Dude?"

Sadness was not an emotion he had to wrestle with often, but not having Color around was doing it to him. "I hope you're alright." He returned to the couch and flopped down on it.

He may have fallen asleep, or not. He wasn't sure, but someone was knocking on the door. He looked up through bleary eyes. "Yeah? Who is it?"

The door suddenly burst open. "Brother!" It was Derpy, smiling brightly. "I hope you do--Woah! Why's my brother looking so sad!" She landed in front of him with a concerned look. "Why the frown?"

Day Dreamer put his hooves to the sides of his mouth and pushed upwards in a fake smile. "What, me? Nah, I'm cool."

"Don't you lie to me, Brother." she crossed her arms. "I have a message."

"Not a letter?"

"Nope!" She shook her head quickly. "That's why it took longer to get here. I can't divert for not-packages or letters. Anyway! Your friend says he's alright in Canterlot and he's totally hunting that mare you were trying to find."

Day's funk vanished, a smile spreading on his face. "That sly dog! I didn't even give him a chance to see her letter and off he ran. Do you think he has a chance?"

She waggled her brows at him. "If he doesn't get her, I'm taking him, Bro. Then we'll get married and all live in one house together."

Day blinked softly. "You'd be alright with me staying with you if you were married?"

Derpy set a hoof on his shoulder. "We're siblings and love each other very much! And he already likes you a ton. Why would I kick you out? What kinda sister would I be?! Would you be mad that I'm chasing your best bud?"

"Nah." He shook his head placidly. "So long as you treat him nicely, that sounds cool to me." He bonked his head against hers, making her eyes spin lightly. "You're a great bro, Sis."

"Wait... Am I a sister or a brother? Am I both?" She tilted her head a little. "You're confusing me."

He gestured at himself, then Derpy. "We're bros, good bros, to each other. You are a sister."

"Ohhh!" She perked right up. "I get it now, I think." She hopped up to her hooves. "I better get going, Bro. So many deliveries to make!"

They shared a gentle wave, and Derpy was gone, a few feathers settling to the ground where she once was.

---

"I have hobbies." Libel softly coughed into a hoof. "I enjoy listening to music, classical compositions."

"On a phonograph?"

"I prefer live performances." She arched a brow at him. "And you?"

He waved it away. "I have a phonograph in my office. I usually prefer lively records to keep the mood going while I work."

She clenched her teeth a little. He was a worker. Was that bad? She was also a worker... But... "I mean for pleasure. The day's over, you're home and wish to unwind... A little music?"

He frowned a little thoughtfully.

---

The secret pony's eyes were on the couple, watching them talk quietly, their words lost to the noise of other eaters and other conversations. "She didn't seem excited for this arrangement."

Color's ears twitched over to his tablemate. "You talked to her about it?" With his magic, he was casually nibbling at his pasta dish, though most of his attention was where his eyes kept straying, watching Libel, so close, and yet so far away.

"Only in passing. She is a private mare." She leaned closer. "She has secrets she would prefer to not announce."

"Yeah..." He knew at least one of them, and perhaps some more if their foalhood antics counted. "I mean, really, who doesn't have a few?"

"I don't."

It took him a moment to process that, blinking softly. "You're a secret, hiding under those clothes..."

"True..." She wobbled a hoof. "I'm not afraid of you, mind. It is her reaction that I need to be cautious of. She needs to not see me, or it will get awkward for all parties involved. Now, you are aware of her family situation, I presume?"

He sagged a little. "Her mother is the queen of their house, and has high expectations. She's always told Libel what to do and how to do it. Has she gotten out from under that hoof?"

"I think she has." She tapped a gloved hoof against a wine glass with only a muffed little thump to show for it. "In part. Are you ready to be her friend, knowing that puts you in contact with the Words and all that can entail?"

Color sipped gently from the wine in a glass held in his magic. "Gladly. I mean, I'm..." It struck him then. "Oh."

"Precisely." She pointed a hoof at him. "You are nobody. Why would they be pleased about you being with Miss Word?"

He nibbled the edge of a hoof, frowning with obvious thought. "If she's happy around me, does it matter that much where I'm from? I'm not a vagrant or anything."

"That can be a relative term. What is it you do for a living, Mister Splash?"

"I'm an artist, like I mentioned. I draw and paint."

The mystery mare set her clothed snout on her gloved hooves. "Show me."

With his glowing horn, he drew out his drawing pad.

---

"You're given a week off. Finances are in order. What do you do?" She rolled a hoof as she described the theoretical.

"Oh no, I've been answering these. Your turn. What would you do, my dear?" He took a big bite of saucy linguine, smiling at her.

What would she do? "Vacation. Maybe to Las Pegasus. I'd buy a week pass, platinum. I don't want to stand in any lines. I'd take someone I can talk to with me." She had little interest in speaking to random other vacationers. "I hear it is an experience worth having. I already missed the chance to ride the--"

His snout wrinkled. "Isn't that more of an attraction for common ponies? Not like us."

Not like me, thought Libel silently. "Just the once. I wish I had gone earlier, for the roller coaster." She heard it was so intense even the Wonder Bolts had frequented it with joy. She wondered if they let pegasi spread their wings as they were tossed around... Pity it was gone.

Tubthumper look scandalized. "I wouldn't want to... do that... I... thought you were a refined mare." His eyes wandered over her quickly. "You... have the appearance, but... maybe I should have seen the signs."

Libel blinked softly, wait... Was he...?

He rose to his hooves. "I'm afraid this simply won't work out. Waiter! Send the bill to my estate."

She was left quite suddenly alone. She had been dumped by a pony and she was unsure how to feel about that. The sting of a tear reminded her that she had feelings that were not waiting for her vote on the matter.

---

The mystery pony's eyes darted over and locked in Libel's direction, her entire form stiffening. Color snapped to look in the same direction. There was Libel, sitting alone, her face buried in her hooves.

He moved to stand, only to feel magic pushing him back down.

"Stay," ordered the mare across from him, a glow in the cloth that wrapped around her head. "She will want to see no one she recognizes. Stop looking at her and pretend the meal is the most fascinating th--" She trailed off as he broke free of her grip and hurried towards her. "Or not..."

He hurried along, skirting past tables and around waiters. "Excuse me, excuse me..."

She looked up, blinking. That was a voice she knew. "Color?"

He came to an awkward halt, getting a better look at how pretty she was at the moment. She was dressed so well, even if tears had caused her makeup to run a little. "O-oh... Libel, I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry about?!" She hopped up to her hooves, scowling at him.

He took a half-step back. "Um... I just..."

"You just what?!" She shoved him with a thrust hoof, following it up with a buffet from a wing across the face. "You here to rub it in?" She struck him with her other wing, a low growl in her face. "What are you even doing here!" She pounced on him, driving him to the ground and beating upon him with her well-adorned hooves.

He flailed at her, trying to ward her attacks away. "Libel, stop it! I... It's alright! It's okay."

"It's not alright!" she shouted at him, but hooves came down on her shoulders and pulled her back. It was one of the workers of the place. Another was pulling Color to his hooves.

Soon they were both tossed out for the peace of the other eaters, landing on their haunches beside one another. Color suddenly laughed.

"Are you laughing at me?" she hissed.

"I'm laughing at us. I haven't been marehandled like that since I was a colt." He stood up with a smile despite the developing black eye, flesh swelling painfully. "Do you feel better, Libel? I mean..."

"Shut up, Splashy." She stood up as well and snorted softly. "Answer me and be honest."

"That's a popular request." He smiled awkwardly. "I'll do my best, promise."

She put a hoof to her head even as she poked him with a wing. Her eyes wandered, watching each person go by. "What do you want?"

"Um, you?" Her face contorted. "Not like that! I want my friend back."

"I'm not the mare you used to play with, Splashy."

He smiled a little. "And I'm not the colt you pushed around, even if you still swing a mean kick."

She colored at that. Being physical with someone was not something she was supposed to do. It wasn't something... "Shouldn't you be more... angry?" She tapped a decorated hoof lightly. "Your face looks terrible."

"It was the price paid for a chance to talk... I'd pay it again."

"You were always a suckup." She gently biffed him with a wing on his shoulder. "Follow me, eyes forward, and keep answering." She began to lead the way away from the failed date, wending through the streets and dark alleys.

Unseen by both, a third form slipped out and pursued them quietly at a distance.

"Someone donated that piece."

"Hmm?"

She glanced back at him. "The one in the palace. Someone gave it. It wasn't you, or we wouldn't be talking... Who did it, and why?"

He colored faintly. "I was... very surprised when I heard. A unicorn came by when I was having a yard sale. He saw the picture, had to have it... He decided it would make Celestia happy and, uh... Where is it? Did you see it?"

She rolled her eyes. "You never saw it where it ended up?" Of course, he was not an upper crust pony. They wouldn't have let him in there. "It's right in one of her atriums, a prize display..."

He sighed happily. "Oh wow... I guess she liked it."

"How much did you charge for it?"

He laughed a little bittersweet laugh. "Maybe not enough, or maybe I should have been paying, to have my art in a place like that..."

"A number."

He quoted how many bits. It was not a lot.

She turned on him. "You're underselling. It should have been a crime. That pony basically stole from you."

He blinked, not expecting that response. "Huh?"

She reached out and booped him right on the snout with a jeweled hoof. "Stupid Splash, head in the clouds. Let us Pegasi handle that."

He looked stunned a moment before a slow smile spread on his face.

Author's Note:

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Comments

[TuxOKC]

They have not outgrown the passions of foal hood. Libel still has her punching bag!

I will be a little disappointed if the don't end up in Los Pegasus doing what ponies do in Los Pegasus!

[Emtu]

ponyhandled

I always preferred "marehandled", since that's an easy way to ponify words and phrases with "man" in them, and it doesn't change the syllable count. (It also helps that ponies have a matriarchal society.)

[David Silver]

9291135
Tweaked.

[badninja]

9291100

What happens in Los Pegasus stays in Los Pegasus.

Now I think that this is what she needs a good friend so she can let her mane down a bit and live a little bit.

[RadicalDishonesty]

She was left quite suddenly alone. She had been dumped by a pony and she was unsure how to feel about that. The sting of a tear reminded her that she had feelings that were not waiting for her vote on the matter.

Well that was... abrupt.

And whomever dragged Color out leaves him to face the music alone. Whatta jerk. At least the music wasn't all that harsh, all things considered.

[David Silver]

9295253
They said to not do that.