Raising Tempo

by Void Chicken

An Unseen Companion

Tempo Reprise wandered down the stairs. She glanced up to see Mom surrounded by her papers, her mane and tail frazzled. Mom was writing something while moving her work back and forth across the table.

With uncertain steps, Tempo walked up to Mom. "Mom?"

"Hm?" Mom's eyes stayed on her work. "I'm sorry, can it wait? I'm very busy right now."

Mom was always very busy.

"I was just wondering if I could go outside."

Without even a glance in her direction, Mom answered, "Yes, you can play outside. Don't wander too far."

"Okay, Mom." She paused. "I love you."

"Love you too, Tempo."

Tempo walked towards the door. When she reached it, she looked behind her. She didn't know why she hoped that Mom would be looking, but Tempo saw only her backside. Ears and tail low, Tempo went outside into the afternoon air.

Instead of playing, Tempo walked. She drifted wherever her hooves decided to take her, utterly oblivious of the other ponies in town. Mom was very busy, Rainbow was away at her Wonderbolts practice, and Tempo was alone.

While her body wandered, her mind focused. Rainbow had said that Tempo wasn't a bad pony. Mom had yelled at her. Tempo didn't understand. Snippets of the conversation that she shouldn't have heard replayed in her mind, over and over. Something was wrong, and she didn't know what.

Tempo looked up for the first time since she started walking. She was at the field, where Mom and Rainbow made her meet others of her age. Every day for more than a week she had met creatures that were supposed to be her friend. Every day she made friends with none of them. Friendship was exhausting.

Situating herself under a tall tree, Tempo sat down and set her back against its trunk. She had no idea what any of it meant, what to do anymore.

A burst of loud rustling from above startled Tempo out of her thoughts. She scrambled to her feet. Something fell out of the tree and landed on the dirt, just barely missing a large root. The satchel fell over, dumping its contents on the ground.

Cautiously, Tempo investigated the new items. There were jars of paint and several brushes, much larger than the ones she was used to working with.

Tempo looked up, but all she saw were branches so thick, she could barely make out the green leaves above them. She walked around the tree several times, looking for the source of the mystery package.

"Oh, no." A voice that sounded like it belonged to a colt came from the branches above. It was accompanied by a slight rustle.

"Um, hello?" Tempo called up.

Silence.

"Hi," came the eventual, yet quiet, answer.

After looking down at the satchel, Tempo asked, "Is this yours?"

More silence.

"Yeah."

Tempo took a few more steps around the tree, hoping to see whoever was talking. "Do you want it back?"

"Yeah."

"All right." Tempo meticulously placed each paint jar and brush back in the satchel, then closed the latch. She picked it up in her mouth, then considered the situation.

Tempo set it down again. "I don't think I can throw this very high and I can't lift anything with my magic yet." She paused. "Can you come down and get it?"

After a short while, he spoke in a soft voice, "Actually, you can keep it."

"But you wanted it back. It would be stealing if I took it. I think. Besides, I already have paint and the brushes are too big." She thought. "Are you stuck?"

More rustling. "No."

Tempo still couldn't see him in the branches. "Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Then come down here and get it."

The colt was quiet again. Tempo glanced to the side to make sure the world was still moving.

"You still there?" she called.

"Yeah."

Tempo wasn't sure what to say or do.

"Hang on," the colt said. "Um, can you not look?"

"What?"

"I'm coming down, but you can't look."

"Uh... okay." Tempo left the satchel next to the tree's trunk and walked a few steps away. She sat down and closed her eyes.

Above and behind her, she heard a series of rustles. "Are you looking?"

Eyes still closed, Tempo turned her head towards the voice. "You told me not to." She turned away again.

She heard wings flapping, followed by hooves touching down. A muted clinking signaled what she assumed was the colt picking up the satchel.

The world slowed to a stop, its sounds fading away to nothing. Tempo had the perfect chance to turn around, to see what this mystery colt looked like. In the frozen instant, she wondered how he might appear. Tempo could find out, turn back around, and he would never know. The colt would think she didn't know, and she would. It would be her secret, forever.

It would make her a bad pony to the colt who had asked very nicely and also very quietly. She shook her head and the world started up again.

"You didn't look," he said behind her.

Ears back more out of annoyance than trying to listen, Tempo repeated herself, "You told me not to!" The world slowed slightly before resuming its usual pace.

"I didn't think—I mean, thank you." His hoofsteps moved near the tree.

"So can I look now?"

His walking stopped. Then a single, hesitant step. "Do you want to look?"

Tempo frowned. "Yeah. That's why I asked. I want to at least see you."

"Oh." He took more steps. "Well... I guess you can look."

Tempo stood up and turned around, keeping her eyes closed. "Are you sure?"

"No. But... you asked nicely, so you can look."

A pang of guilt stabbed through Tempo's stomach. If she had looked before, he would be saying the exact same thing.

The colt spoke up, "I said you can look."

Tempo peeked her left eye open. She saw the tree, with the face of a brown colt sticking out from behind it. Tempo opened her eyes fully. A short teal mane sat on top of his head, matching the shorter tail poking out the other side of the trunk.

A light brown spot sat on his face, just above his snout, as did light spots atop his ears. His yellow eyes met Tempo's rose ones.

"Um," Tempo said. "Hi. Thanks for letting me look?"

"You're..." He looked down then up at her again. "you're welcome."

"I'm Tempo Reprise, by the way." She took a step towards him.

He took a step backwards behind the tree so she could only see one of his eyes. A brown hind leg appeared on the other side. "That's a nice name. Hi, Tempo Reprise."

"So." Tempo intentionally looked to the side. In the edge of her vision, she could see him relax and inch out. "What's your name?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm..."

Tempo waited, then very intentionally looked away. "You're?"

"D-Dapple. Dapple Coat."

Tempo looked at him. "Dapple Coat? That's a nice name, too."

Dapple's head poked out farther. "You think so?"

She could see more light spots on his neck, in addition to the satchel hanging from it. "Oh! Do you paint?"

"Yeah!" Dapple's face brightened for the first time since they'd met. "Do you?"

"I paint my figurines," Tempo said, turning her cutie mark to face him. "I mean, I sculpt them first, then I paint them."

His eyes went to Tempo's flank for a second. "That's nice. I was just about to start a painting of some leaves when..." He looked up. "Oh, the canvas is still up there. I should go get it. Tempo, can you..."

"Hm? Oh yeah! Right! Okay." Tempo turned around, sat down, and closed her eyes.

She heard the flapping of wings, followed by the leaves rustling. A moment later, Dapple touched down again. Tempo heard a wooden frame get set down.

Turning her head, Tempo asked, "Can I look again now?"

Dapple's hooves shuffled on the grass. He took a deep breath. "Um. I think... Yeah... but only if you promise not to stare."

Opening her eyes, Tempo turned around. Ahead of her, Dapple stood with his side to her. Tempo could see that he was tall for a foal, lanky even, and covered in large light brown splotches. As much of his torso was light as it was dark. The splotches ran down both his forelegs and even onto his wings. She had never seen a pony colored like that before.

Tempo's mouth hung open as she stared.

She clamped her eyes shut and turned away. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Dapple shuffled his hooves again. "It's okay. I said you could look. I just... I don't like being looked at, that's all. I came out here because nopony else ever does. It's a good chance to paint plants and rocks without being seen. But you were nice to me and let me have my paint back, so I thought it would only be fair to let you look."

Slowly opening her eyes, Tempo kept her head turned away enough for Dapple to stay at the edge of her vision. "Mom makes suits and dresses. She can sew something so ponies don't have to look at you."

"That's really nice of you, but I really hate how clothing feels. Dad says it's some kind of condition."

"Oh. That's too bad." Tempo paused. "Well, thanks for letting me look. Even though I don't see what the big deal is. And for talking to me."

"Actually..." Dapple shifted his weight. "I live right over there." He motioned his wing to the lone house at the edge of town. "Do you want to hang out for a bit? I can show you some of my paintings. You can stare at those all you want."

Tempo turned towards him, making a conscious effort to look away from his spots. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to see them."

---

The house's foyer was pretty big, in Tempo's opinion. Like the Boutique, it was two stories tall, but its ceiling was pretty high and even bigger sideways. A lot of it was made of wood. It looked fancy. She thought Mom would like it.

"Dad, I'm home!" Dapple called. There was no response. "He must be busy drawing," he explained.

With a few flaps, Dapple flew up to the balcony above. He landed, then looked back down. "Oh. My room's upstairs."

Tempo looked up at Dapple, then looked away from Dapple and at the stairs. "Coming," she said.

She climbed the stairs, noting the photographs on the walls. All of them were of buildings. One or two were fancy cloud structures. None of them looked familiar.

Tempo reached the top and did her best to follow Dapple without looking at him. He opened a door and walked in.

Following him, Tempo looked around. The bedroom was bigger than hers and her parents' combined. A series of oil paintings hung on the walls. There was one of a leaf, one of a plain suitcase, one empty jar, one close-up of a stream, and more. Some were better-painted than others, but they all impressed her.

Dapple set down the satchel and small canvas. He pointed out a painting of a wispy cloud hanging on the wall. "I painted this one last week. What do you think?" Every tiny bit of vapor was represented on the canvas.

She looked it over. "This is amazing! I've never seen a painting like this." Tempo hadn't seen many paintings in general. She turned to him. "How long did this take?"

He shrunk back from her gaze.

Tempo turned away and looked at the floor. "Sorry, sorry."

"Took me about three hours," Dapple's voice said.

She looked back at the painting on the wall. "Wow, it takes me all week to make something. Well, most of that's school. And homework." Looking around at the other paintings, Tempo asked, "How come these are all of little things?"

He took a few steps. "Well, I like to paint lots of little details. I think it's really fun. But... big things have a lot more details and that's kinda scary to think about having to do."

"That makes sense. Think you'll ever paint something bigger?"

"I've..." A hoof shuffled. "Actually, I've always wanted to try painting a pony. But Dad's too busy drawing all the time to hold a pose. And I don't like anypony else to look at me."

Tempo pondered. "You could paint yourself?"

"But then ponies would see me all the time! I can't let that happen!" He hesitated. "I could paint... what about you?"

"Me? Wouldn't I have to look at you?" She tilted her head, her eyes still on the walls.

"You looked already. Maybe... try looking at me again."

Tempo turned to see him. Dapple stood straight up, his wings half-extended and trembling.

As she watched, his wings fell and his legs buckled. She turned away. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Uh, if I have Dad put up a curtain I think I could do it. Maybe I can paint just part of you, then if it's okay I can try all of you." Tempo heard him stand up again.

"What about my face?"

"No, that's too many details to start with. It'll take too long." He paused. "I can paint just your eye."

"My eye?" Tempo blinked a few times. "Well, all right." She looked out the window. "But I should be getting home. Mom'll get worried if I'm away for too long."

"Oh. Yeah. Can you come back tomorrow, then?"

Tempo walked towards the door. "Tomorrow. I promise."

---

Entering the Boutique, Tempo saw Mom still with her rear to the door and her nose in her work.

"Mom?" she asked. "I'm back."

Without looking, Mom said, "Ah, yes. Did you have fun?"

"Uh-huh!" Tempo nodded. "I hung out with somepony for a while."

"You did?!" Mom turned around so quickly, the glasses fell off her face. "Who was it?" She shuffled some papers around and produced a large envelope in her magic. "Let me guess, it was that delightful little Opal filly. You know, the unicorn with that stylish mane. I knew you two just needed a little more time together."

Tempo shook her head. "Nope!"

Mom's eyes went to the envelope again. "Ah, then perhaps the orange earth filly..."

"Uh-uh!"

"Then whomever did you stay with?"

"His name's Dapple Coat."

Mom paused, then searched through her envelope before lowering it.

"Who?"

Comments

[Cross Lament]

Dapple's a spooky ghost!