• Published 6th Nov 2012
  • 5,041 Views, 53 Comments

The Dancer - Yip

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X - Coda

Maestro Octavia of Ponyville

Figured that a journal would be in due order... I’ve never done this before, but I felt that I needed to write this all down.

I met Staccato today. It was far from a hostile meeting, though; after twenty long years, all feelings of contempt, if there even were any at this point, were gone. He had just retired from the solo career he formed a little while after our group’s breakupbut he came to apologize and praise me for my professionalism during all of the, uh, “talks” that we had before the final concert. Quite a memory he has based on how much he apologized for, but it's certainly nice seeing him humble himself in front of someone else, let alone me.

He told me the rest of his story of the Dancer that had ended far before mine. I’m starting to think that if I hadn’t been in the group, his memory of the dancer wouldn’t have resurfaced and the band would’ve stayed together forever. But really, didn’t things turn out fine already? I look at what has happened and the effect the whole situation put on us all. Heck, thanks to Gazer, I even became a Maestro! Even Staccato felt proud when he heard that newshe had become one only a decade after the breakup, whereas my title took fifteen. Not that it really matters, although I guess we both still have an ounce of competitiveness in us. Joke's on him, though, since I'm a fair bit more than five years younger than him. Checkmate, Staccy.

Formalities and non-formalities aside, it was a fun time to meet him again.

I think, though, that it’s time to put all of this to rest. Equestria’s premier dress designer and CEO of Fashionista—well, I guess if anyone reads this that'd be obscure—Rarity had bought the land from the previous owner of the music hall's land only a year after I returned to Ponyville, and by some fortunate chance, was also a major music fan (or just extremely generous). With her incredible donation and Mr. Gazer's and Vinyl’s help, the new theatre took little time to be built. I daresay that the moment when all four of us came and opened the theatre to the public... it became the proudest moment of my life. Star even tried to convince me to return to the group, to which I politely declinedthey don’t really play anymore, though, but over the last twenty years together, they formed a pretty successful rock group. I hear they even played in the Crystal Empire a few times, at least ever since Princess Sparkle saved them from King Sombra. I barely even remember thatI’m getting too old for this!

Even though Vinyl was such an outgoing personality in contrast to my quiet life in Alto & Allegrezza Memorial Hall, we finally decided to just stick together. We still live together to this day—neither of us found anyone else that could stand us, I guess. No husbands for us.

Octavia laughed.

And so, I kept playing. For the last two decades, I kept trying to bring back the Dancer. I saw Alto a few times, but he was always upsetAllegrezza had never shown up to see him again. I even kept the splinter on my bow during all that time... could it be because I played in front of an audience? It's puzzling that everything worked out fine in Manehattan all of those years ago. Ghosts are a funny thing, I suppose.

But Staccato’s visit did have a lasting effect. He reminded me of the Dancer, and something that I had been meaning to do during the time I’ve spent here in Ponyville. Just one more thing I have to do before I’m done with Cross and Arrowmy cello and bow, who’ve been the biggest constants in my life all this time.

Playing my true coda.

Maestro Octavia

Octavia stared at the journal lying in front of her. Satisfied, she left it on her desk and moved out of her office, and into the auditorium she had grown accustomed to over the last two decades.

This was her coda.

As though they already knew they would play their final tune, Cross and Arrow lay leaning against a wall near the theatre’s stage. Slowly, she picked both up, then promptly sighed. It wasn't going to be an easy goodbye, but it would be worth it.

Octavia moved towards the stage for the last time in her years of music, of beauty, and of wonder that filled her night after night; her mind flashed to the first time she had seen Allegrezza, when she played the cello for the first time, and when she met Vinyl. She let the thoughts stew in her mind for several moments before her bow rose.

She felt their presence—his was the only chance she had to do this. Just as she had done the first night the Dancer had come to her, Octavia closed her eyes, entering a new world devoid of sight, smell and touch. Only sound remained inside her music, just like before.

She played. She felt the cello's vibrations for the first few seconds, but then, only bliss. The music was hers and hers alone, even if only for a little while longer.

Octavia opened her eyes. A familiar stallion formed in front of her for the first time in a few years—etched on his face, yet again, was pain. He looked to Octavia, silently, as though expecting an answer to cure his disappointment. He has not aged, Octavia thought. But he was here, and that was amazing.

Octavia took a quick look at Arrow; the splinter from the last theatre, decayed and soft to the touch, laid on Arrow’s tip with a sticky resin that had been replaced again and again over time. The splinter was, once again, hanging only by a thread—but this time, it meant something different.

Octavia walked over to Alto. He did not disappear.

She plucked the splinter from her bow and placed it down in front of him. Still, he did not disappear. He could only stare back blankly, never blinking.

She took a step back—she knew. Her bow rose for the final time, and a long, soft note was played in a single stroke. The cello and bow were then laid down on the theatre’s stage, and Octavia walked down the side steps and towards the aisle leading out of the theatre. Every step she could hear her heart thump and her legs shake, not wanting to leave the theatre but knowing it had to be done. She did not turn until she was within a few feet of the Alto and Allegrezza Memorial Hall’s double doors. What she saw behind her made her smile, made her feel closure.

Allegrezza had appeared right above the splinter, happy for the first time in many, many years at the sight she saw—a smiling Alto with his hoof extended. Octavia felt their happiness warm the entire theatre, and she shed a single tear—but this was their moment, not hers. She battled any more tears that attempted to come out, turned and stepped out of the theatre. She looked up at the entrance, and looked at the sign she had hung below it: “Closed For Good”. Instead of being upset, though, her happiness remained. Twenty long years for this, she could stomach taking a couple more seconds to close the place up before crying.

As Octavia took the silver key dangling from the sign, trembling all the while, she could not help but allow more tears to flow over the door’s lock—No, she insisted to herself, but to no avail. It took all of her strength to push the key into the lock and fight her longing for the dancer. As she did so, her memories of being obsessed with Allegrezza came to mind—more tears flowed. Before she did anything more, though, she allowed herself a peek at the dancers by only slightly edging the door open—what she saw stopped the tears for good. The door was promptly shut.

As her key turned and the lock shut tight, the theatre was made inaccessible for any new visitors. Not a single pony ever entered or exited from the double doors again, keeping the memories, concerts and good times that were had over the years locked away forever. Two spirits, however, were still inside, dancing together for eternity.

The two lovers were reunited at last.

~|D|~

Comments ( 7 )

"... dancing together for eternity." Perfect.

Closure.

What a fitting ending to this. I can't tell you how glad I am that you finally finished this story, and how glad I am to see that you haven't lost your writing touch.

Wonderful. Truly.

It's been a long time in making (lol pun that mirrors our own timeline as well), but it all was worth it.

And the ending was truly fitting - a perfect dot behind a lovely story :twilightsmile:

Yip

6868264 6869278 6871050 Really glad you guys liked the finale so much. Even if the story itself and my writing quality/speed aren't up to standards or whatever, I really think I hit off the ending. Endings have always been my strong suit

Yip

6920664 It was. Whiplash made a huge impact on me when I saw it, although I tried my best to make it more of an inspiration instead of an homage or direct rip-off.

Finally finished it. What a good story.

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