The Rising Star

by I didnt change my name

A Late Birthday Party?

Chapter Two

A Late Birthday Party?

One by one, the crowd slowly begins to applaud. Not a loud applause like you would hear after a Wonderbolts performance, but a soft, polite one like you would hear after a Symphony Orchestra’s finale. Feeling Raindrop’s side no longer pressed against hers, Octavia turned around to see what her marefriend was up to, but by the time Octavia had turned around, Raindrops was already making her way back to her, holding the cello Octavia had seen from earlier, the handle of its case in between her teeth.

“Happy late birthday,” Raindrops said cheerfully, setting the cello down before Octavia. “I’m sorry you didn’t get your present on your actual birthday, but I wanted to give it to you myself.”

Octavia couldn’t say a single word as tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes for the second time this evening as she stared down at the cello.

“I know this cello can never replace the one that was in your family for generations, but it dates back to the time of Discord, or at least that’s what Princess Celestia said,” Raindrops continued, as she suppressed a tiny giggle as Octavia gave her a look of sheer disbelief.

"But how’d you afford it?” Octavia asked, unable to believe what she was hearing as Royal Crescent got up from the piano bench and disappeared into a backroom.

“I won it in a game of cards against the Princess!” Raindrops said excitedly, her eyes lighting up with a foalish glee. “The Princess even said there isn’t a single other cello like it in the whole of Equestria!”

“Then why is it not in a hard case!?!?” Octavia demanded, horrified that such an instrument would be in such a flimsy soft cello case. They may protect against dust and scratches, but that's it.

“Happy Birthday 'Tavi!” Royal Crescent exclaims a little too excitedly, making Octavia jump with a squeal as he placed a long present box on the bar counter. “Come on. Open it already!”

Giving the tan stallion a questioning look, Octavia began trying to unwrap her present. At first, she couldn’t seem to be able to tear the wrapping paper, but just as Octavia was about to give up, the faint noise of someone snickering caught her ear. Turning around to see who was laughing, Octavia spotted Royal Crescent laying on the ground holding his sides attempting not to break out into a fit of laughter. How immature, Octavia thought to herself while awaiting for Royal Crescent to get ahold of himself. After waiting a good five minutes, Octavia turned back to study the wrapping paper. Giving her head a small shake, she realized that the wrapping paper really wasn’t wrapping paper at all; instead the present was covered in a thin layer of colorful plastic instead of paper.

Octavia had to wait for Royal Crescent to get over himself before receiving a pair of scissors to cut through the “wrapping paper”. Thankfully, it was just a plain old cardboard box, not another one of Royal Crescent's supposed “practical” jokes. lifting the cardboard box, Octavia gasped in astonishment.

A beautiful, snowy white hard cello case stood glistening in the clubs dim lighting. A picture of the Equestrian flag was painted in the middle, above a bold-lettered warning sign: “Anyone but this cello's respected owner will be punished to the fullest extent of the law if they touch this cases contents without the owners sole permission!”.

“It’s made of titanium alloy, with an airtight seal, and it was the cello's display case in the Royal Sisters castle,” Royal Crescent stated simply, walking up next to Octavia while smiling to himself. “Should be able to protect your cello shaped firewood.”

Ignoring Royal Crescent's last remark, Octavia threw her arms around his neck to pull the stallion into a hug. She landed a quick peck on Royal Crescent’s cheek before letting him go. He blushed like the morning sun and his legs locked, causing him to lose his balance and fall onto the ground.

Octavia let a small giggle pass her lips as she looked down at the happy stallion.

“Did you kill him?” Raindrops asked, as she came up to her marefriend’s side.

“I hope not,” Octavia says, turning her attention back to the cello case as Raindrops poked Royal Crescent experimentally, causing him to begin giggling to himself.

“Yep, he’s alive.” Raindrops announced, taking a step back from the giggling stallion.

Rolling her eyes, Octavia popped open the latches to the cello cases door and peeked inside. The interior was covered in a luxurious black silk. Two cello bows were latched to the inside of the door, one a practice bow and the other for performances, along with a scroll of parchment. Taking it in her hooves, Octavia unfurled the scroll and began to read.

---

Dear Octavia M. Rostropovich,

I hope this fine instrument brings you a lifetime of joy. This particular cello was played by the first-chair cellist named Sterling Strings of the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra, back when it first started. Much like yourself, Miss Strings started out in a small, virtually unknown, string quartet. Eventually, she became my court cellist, until she got offered a chance to join the Equestrian Symphony Orchestra.

She made her way through the ranks of the Symphony Orchestra quickly, just like you yourself did, and quickly found herself sitting in the former first-chair cellist’s spot. Naturally, she made enemies among her fellow cellists during her rise to fame. But the game of publicity was by far a different game from what it is is today, making it impossible for them to overthrow her from her spot as the first-chair cellist.

I hope this quick overview of this instruments history has helped you better understand the significance of the instrument you now possess.

Sincerely, Princess Celestia

---

“Hey Tavi?” Raindrops asked softly, her gaze fixed upon the scroll in between Octavia’s hooves. "Mind if I read your letter?”

“Not at all,” Octavia said, hoofing over the scroll to her marefriend. “May I open your present?”

"I’d be worried if you didn’t,” Raindrops said, giving Octavia a playful nudge. “Ummm...”

“Yes?” Octavia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Where's Mister Giggles?’ Raindrops asked, pointing a hoof at the spot where Royal Crescent had been laying on the ground once upon a time.

“I... I really have no idea,” Octavia said, standing up as tall as she could, looking around for the strange stallion. "He was just here a sec-”

“Who wants cake?!” Royal Crescent asked loudly, rolling a cake worthy of Princess Celestia herself out from behind the performance stage. “Come one, come all, for there is plenty to go around.”

The crowd of ponies all began shifting towards where Royal Crescent was handing out small slices of cake while commenting on the cake itself.

While Octavia found the full grown stallion acting like a foal thoroughly entertaining, her marefriend did not. Instead, she looked at Royal Crescent as if he were breaking some sacred rule of the universe, which only furthered Octavia’s entertainment of the situation.

Leaving Raindrops to stare at the gleeful Royal Crescent like a deer if you shined a flashlight at it, Octavia trotted over to spot where the cello lay undisturbed. No matter how hard Octavia tried not to think about it, she kept wondering what was going through her marefriend’s mind when she decided to bring such a rare instrument all the way across Equestria in a soft cello case. Subduing a sigh, Octavia unzipped the case.

Gently lifting the cello out of its case, Octavia could feel the grain of the wood from which the instrument was made underneath the thin coating of varnish. Walking over to the hard case, Octavia gently place the cello into it. Securing the straps firmly, Octavia made sure to double check, and then triple check the straps to make sure none of them would come loose.

Stepping back, Octavia noticed a small amber emblem on the bottom right hoof corner of the cello. Looking closer, Octavia recognized the symbol as the symbol of the Solar Republic. Octavia had read books about the war between the Lunar Republic and the Solar Republic. If memory served her right, then there was nothing but a bunch of threats to wipe each other off the face of Equestria. Not what Octavia would call a war, but this cello must’ve been a part of the Solar Republic’s Orchestra or something for this instrument to have this symbol.

The symbol was created by melting the original varnish with alcohol or something, then slowly using an amber varnish to pain it onto the instrument. Octavia wouldn’t be surprised to find a similar symbol on the back of the cello as well. It was rare to find an original instrument with this symbol in a museum, while unheard of out of one. The Manehattan college of the Musical Arts had just purchased a violin with the same exact symbol for ten million bits for their museum.

Gently closing the cello’s case before anyone could see the instrument, Octavia let out a sigh wonderment. Daydreaming about what the cello would sound like when she will finally got the chance to pull a bow over the instrument’s strings, Octavia didn’t notice the piece of cake flying towards her until it made contact with the side of her head.

Touching the part of her head that had just been assaulted by a piece of cake, Octavia felt the cold, soft-serve ice cream against her warm hoof. Unsure whether to be angry or mildly entertained, Octavia looked up to see Raindrops glaring daggers at Royal Crescent. As a smile began to tug at the corner of her mouth, the foalish idea of throwing a piece of cake back at Royal Crescent popped into the back of Octavia’s mind.

Disregarding the idea, Octavia began to clean the cake off of the side of her head and out of her mane. This is not the place nor time to get revenge, best to get him when no one’s looking. Octavia thought to herself, but Raindrops apparently didn’t get the message. Just as Royal Crescent turned his back, Raindrop sent her piece of cake soaring through the air.

“Hey, Crescent!” Raindrop calls out, causing Crescent to catch the cake square in the face as he turned his head to answer her.

Octavia stifled a snicker as Royal Crescent took off his sunglasses, revealing his eyes. They were such a dark shade of brown they were almost black. The two stared at each other for a good long while before either one of them made a move. Slowly, Royal Crescent grabbed another piece of cake, without breaking eye contact between himself and Raindrop, who had picked up her plate to use as a shield.

“Come dearest,” Octavia yawned, before the two of them could cause any more trouble than they already had, as she put the cello case’s strap across her chest before carefully swinging it onto her back. “We’re leaving.”

Author's Note:

Also don't forget to leave and thumbs up and a favorite if you're enjoying the story so far.

Comments

[squalllockheart]

I didn't get hit by the cake....

[TEK101]

I can't put my thoughts in to words. I can't think of anything to say about this chapter. I hope for more soon.

[I didnt change my name]

1978233
?

[TEK101]

1979282 The chapter was ok, and I can't think of more to say.

[I didnt change my name]

1979913
that bad hu?

[TEK101]

1981127 It wasn't bad. I prefer more entertainment in stories, or more emotional character interaction. I at least enjoy a story if it has more humor in it. This chapter wasn't great to me, but it was still good.

[Inferno demon Dash]

Wow.....given a gift by the Goddess of the Sun herself, now THAT'S an honor.....I think I found a new ship....though I like all save for five ships really so....yeah And very, very orginal and of course very beautifully wirtten my dear friend, this is just.....amazing Thank the Gods for orginal writers and verty talented writers such as yourself

[I didnt change my name]

2132410>>2132498
I'll be writing this Stories new chapter this week and will hopefully have something to show for it by Monday (I'm going for a min of a rough draft)

Here's what I'm currently working on and want to get out this weekend

[TheWritingGuru]

1970333
I reread over this and find all sorts of new errors where I could make the writing flow better.
Ah well, never did like my writing anyways