> All The Right Notes > by 404error > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 - Her > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soarin' was immediately woken up by the sound and vibrations of Spitfire. By the way she was yelling, he could tell she was a little mad. "Soarin'! Wake up!" He looked up at the annoyed pony with a glazed look in his eyes. He hated being forcefully woken up. "Wh-what do you want? Not sure if you noticed, but when a pony closes his eyes, he most likely asleep." "Well, for starters, you were, and are still late to practice today, and you ate all of the apples in the storage. You need to go into Ponyville and pick up 3 dozen apples from Sweet Apple Acres." Soarin' grunted. He didn't like going into town, people always swarmed him asking for autographs and whatnot. Sure, he had the occasional run-in with his friend Rainbow Dash, but that was about it. He rolled his eyes and agreed to do it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He glided into town, still tired from being woken up abruptly. He slowly landed by the library, and trotted towards the main square. Wow, this place is packed today. He thought. Why was it so busy on a Tuesday? With it being so packed, he was barely noticed by civilians, making him less tense. He walked towards the end of the square when he heard something: music. He enjoyed it, even though it was just a whisper. He followed the sound of the music to find it was in a typical Ponyville house. Soarin' sat outside for about 3 minutes, taking in the music, loving every minute of it. Oh, this is amazing! Who is making this beautiful music? He slowly perched his head up on a windowsill close by and peered inside the home, awestruck by what he saw. He saw a grey pony, that was holding a stringed instrument. He had no idea what it was, but he didn't care. All he cared about was the fantastic music being played from the instrument. He had his head there on the windowsill for about 10 minutes, when she finally noticed him there. She jumped, and squealed. "Oh I'm sorry ma'am. I was just listening to the music you were playing from your...." He drifted off, he still had no idea what it was. She gave a small giggle at the blue pony in her window. "It's a cello, and thank you for your compliment, um." "The name's Soarin'!" He said triumphantly. "And yours is?" "I'm Octavia. Pleased to meet you Soarin'. So you really enjoyed my playing?" She blushed. "I do! I'm not a big fan of that type of music, but man, that's really good." She giggled again, and he smiled at that, "Thank you. It's nice to know that somepony likes my music." He nodded and gave her a big grin. "Well, I gotta go get some apples for the crew." She looked confused when he said 'crew' "Uh, who's 'the crew'?" "The Wonderbolts. You know, best fliers in Equestria?" He felt a little cocky, but whatever. "Oh yeah, I didn't recognize you without your uniform on. Anyways, good bye Soarin'. I hope to see you again" And with that she gave him a smile that made his heart melt. He smiled back and headed off in the way of Sweet Apple Acres. He wasn't sure, but he sorta liked Octavia. Not because of her music, although that was a big factor, but because she was beautiful, and she seemed really sweet. All the way to Sweet Apple Acres, Soarin' thought of Octavia and her wonderful music. He was so in thought he didn't realize he bumped into the pony in charge of selling apples. "Whoa watch out there sugarcube. What in tha hay are yah doin' bumpin' into things?" "Oh, I'm sorry, I was just thinking." "It's quite alright. Now, what can ah do ya fer?" "I'd like 3 dozen apples please." "Whoa, quite a big order yah got there. Why do yah need 3 dozen apples?" "Just, some friends." "Alrighty then. Hey Big Mac! Ah need 3 dozen apples!" She yelled at her brother who was half across the farm. Soarin' waited about 5 minutes for the apples to appear. "Thank yah kindly Mac." "Eeyup." Said the large red colt, and he went away to finish with his chores for the day. "That'll be 10 bits." He put the bits on the stand and picked up the 2 bags of apples. They were a little heavy, but he didn't mind it. He thanked Applejack for the apples and she simply nodded. And with that, he was off to go back to Spitfire to give her the apples. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Oh it about time Soarin'! What took you so long?" Spitfire said with her full mouth. "Uh, nothing much, busy day in Ponyville." He kept Octavia from her. He's tell her soon, but all he wanted now was to see her again. "Well Spitfire, I'm going back into Ponyville for a bit. Gotta get some.... um.... hoof polish! Yeah, hoof polish." He was a terrible liar. "O-ok. Well, see you in a bit." She still had her mouth full. Spitfire had already eaten 4 apples, and Soarin' smiled at that. She was a good friend. He flew off towards the main square, hoping that Octavia would still be home. He was also hoping she was still playing her cello, so he could listen to her amazing music. After searching countless houses, he finally found Octavia's. He could tell because she was humming the same tune she was playing earlier. He knocked on the door and watched as the grey pony opened it and gave a little smile. "Ah, Soarin' was it? When I said I wanted to see you again, I didn't mean so soon. But, whatever. What do you need?" "Well, I was hoping that I could maybe take you out for dinner tonight. The weather patrol has it scheduled for a clear sky. So what do you say miss Octavia?" She chuckled, smiled then softly said, "Sure, I'd love to. You seem like a good colt Soarin'." He had a big grin on his face. "Shall we go m'lady?" She blushed at him trying to be formal. "Alright, just let me grab my bag." Soarin' waited at the front door feeling jittery. Sure, he's performed to thousands of people as a Wonderbolt, and he's hung out with Spitfire a lot of times, but he's never liked her as much as he likes Octavia. She arrived and they started heading towards a nearby restaurant. Being a Tuesday night, it wasn't that busy, so they got a table pretty quickly. They sat down at their table and ordered drinks. Octavia was the one to ask the first question. "So, Soarin', what's it like being a Wonderbolt? I bet you get a lot of people asking for autographs." He nodded. "Yeah, it's great, plus it's a lot of fun, doing tricks and whatnot with a bunch of friends." "That's pretty cool. I've been to one of your shows, and you guys looked fabulous." He chuckled and thanked her. "What about you Octavia? How long have you been playing the cello?" "Well, I've been playing for about 10 years now. I got my cutie mark when I took up the cello. From the first note I loved it. It just felt right..." She put a hoof on his, "...like tonight. It feels right." Now it was Soarin's turn to blush. He felt it too, his face felt like it was burning. He smiled though, he couldn't care if she noticed it. He liked her, a lot, and that proved that she liked him, a lot. They got their food, and ate it, telling each other stories and more about themselves between bites. They had a great time, laughing, and just enjoying their time together. Before they knew it, the restaurant was starting to close, so they got up and Soarin' took Octavia home. When they got there, they looked at each other and smiled. Octavia leaned in a kissed him on the cheek. "I had a really good time tonight Soarin'. You're a real good colt." He smiled. "So did I, it was a lot of fun. And thank you." They bid each other a good night and she closed the door. He smiled and sighed, then panicked realizing he didn't pick up and hoof polish. He just shrugged it off and headed home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When he got to his house, Spitfire was helping herself to food items in his kitchen, he just smirked and walked in. "Find what you're looking for?" Spitfire jumped. "Soarin'! You scared me!" She looked at him confused, "Where's the hoof polish?" "Oh, yeah. Well you see... um..." She cut him off. "Soar, no need to lie, I know you were out with that mare. I was a bit skeptical about the whole hoof polish thing so I sorta spied on you. You seemed like you had a good time with her." He felt relieved. "So what's her name?" "What? Oh, her name is Octavia, and she plays the cello. She's amazing at it, and she's really sweet." "Yeah, she looked that way. Well, I'm off to bed. G'night Soar!" "Night Spitfire." And with that he too went off to bed. He couldn't sleep for hours, he was thinking about her. "Good night Octavia." He whispered to himself, and he drifted off to sleep. > Chapter 2 - Love > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "....Now do a barell roll!" Spitfire yelled at her blue friend. They've been practicing all day, and he just wanted to see Octavia. It's been 3 weeks since their first date, and they've been happy ever since. Soarin' has improved with his flying skills, and Octavia has improved immensely in her cello playing. He'd go over to her house at night, and sit down and listen to her play. He loved it. He loved her, but was afraid to admit it. What if she didn't love him? What if she only liked him a lot? He's gotten close to telling her, but he chickened out, afraid of what she might say. But all of that was going to change tonight. He asked his friend Rainbow Dash to have the night to be clear of clouds. He was going to take her to a small hill outside of town and tell her he loves her. Spitfire has helped him with his confidence in the past couple days, pretending she was Octavia. He got a kick out of that. She really was a great friend. "Alright Soar, I think you've done enough today." Soarin' had a huge grin on his face. "Awesome, I'll be back later." And with that he was off to Ponyville. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Soarin' arrived at her house, Octavia was playing her cello in the living room. He knocked on the door, and she smiled, knowing who it was. "Hello Soarin'. How're you today?" She said in her usual calm voice. "I'm doing pretty good, just got done with practice." She chuckled, "I can see by the uniform." Soarin' looked down and realized that he didn't change out of his uniform. "Oh, uh, yeah." He gave a nervous laugh. "Won't you come in? I'm making a pot of tea right now." He nodded. He loved her house. It was filled with pictures of her childhood and famous cello players. They got to the kitchen, and he sat down, waiting for his cup of tea. She brought them their tea, and they talked for a bit. She also brought out some apples and they munched on that for a while. After talking in her house for about 2 hours, Soarin' had to get ready for that night. He was still pretty nervous, but excited. They said good bye and she gave him a kiss on the cheek, and he smiled at it. He truely loved her. He started flying towards his house when he noticed Rainbow Dash putting clouds in the sky. It was almost night time, and he was worried she forgot about what he asked. He flew over to her and calmly asked, “Hey Dash, what’s going on? I thought there was supposed to be a clear sky tonight?” She shook her head, “Sorry Soarin’, weather patrol changed their plans. Won’t be a clear sky until tomorrow night. Great. Just great. I was nervous enough, but now I have to wait a day. He complained in his mind. He didn’t want to make Rainbow Dash upset so he just went with it. He slowly flew towards his house, sad that he couldn’t tell Octavia how he really felt. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “What?! There was supposed to be a clear sky TONIGHT!” Spitfire yelled. She wasn’t in the relationship, but she helped Soarin’, and he was grateful for that. “Yeah, I know...” Soarin’ looked down. “I guess I have to wait.” “Ugh, fine. So where did you say you were taking her again?” “Come with me.” Soarin’ walked towards the door of his house and they headed off out of town. He took Spitfire to the hill he talked about, and it was perfect. She looked at him and said, “Octavia is a lucky mare to have you Soarin’.” He blushed. “Thanks Spit, I wanna make this a night we both won’t forget.” He looked up and saw that the weather patrol were finishing up the clouds. “Let’s get back home, it’s going to start raining soon” Spitfire nodded and they headed towards Soarin’s house. Soarin’ was still a little upset about the rain, but it gave him more time to make it even more perfect. Oh, I know, I’ll wake up early and pick up some flowers. But what kind of flowers does she like? I’ll just get some roses. He smiled as he crawled into bed. He lost all nervousness and was excited to tell that special grey mare that he loved her. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Uh, hi yes, I’d like a dozen roses please.” “Oh, and what for lad?” “Uh, family member. She’s a big fan of roses.” The storekeeper nodded and brought out a dozen roses in a flash. He paid for the roses, smiled, then thanked him for them. When he walked out of the store, the morning felt crisp, and fresh. The rain from the night did wonders for the day. He walked through the main square of Ponyville, wanting to visit Octavia, but went against it. He had to put the roses somewhere safe. Not many people were in Ponyville (or awake) so he decided to stroll around town. He had Wonderbolt practice in a couple of hours, and needed a time waster. He walked around taking his own tour of the town. He visted Sugarcube Corner, Carousel Boutique, and the town hall. This is a neat place, I can understand why Octavia would live here.[i/] After a while, he decided to head home and get ready for practice. He got a quick shower, and had some breakfast. He was ready to tell her that he loved her. Only.... 10 hours away. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A couple hours have passed, and practice was over. He got out of his suit, cooled off for a bit - it was a hot afternoon that day, and decided to see if Octavia was home. He stepped out of his door and flew off towards Ponyville. He was hoping she was home, so he could invite her to the hill that night. Sure enough, she was at home reading, while humming a tune. He knocked on the door, and she answered with a smile. “Hello Soarin’, how’re you?” She asked in that calm voice that Soarin’ absolutely loved. “I’m fine. So, question. You doing anything tonight?” “Uh, no not really? Why?” “I’ve got this place we can go to outside of town where we can be all alone. It’s pretty cool.” She blushed. A night all alone with Soarin’? “Um... o-ok. That sounds great.” She grinned at the thought. “Cool, I’ll pick you up around 8ish?” “That works. I’ll see you then.” He nodded and smiled. He started to get nervous again, but pushed it aside. Tonight he was going to tell her. He started to trot off towards the food cart across the square - he could smell the pies from a mile away, when he bumped into Rainbow Dash. It was obvious she was aware of Octavia. “So, Soar, who was that?” She asked with an evil grin on her face. “Oh, uh, Octavia? She’s just a friend...” He started to get nervous. “Uh huh, looked like you two were happy. Like EXTREMELY happy. Is she your.... Marefriend?!” “Uh, n-no. Why would I have a maref.....” He saw the disbelief in her face and just confessed, “Ok, yes. She and I have been going out for a couple of weeks now. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! This is so cool!!” He smiled. He expected that kind of reaction from her. “Well, I’m going to get one of those delicious apple pies and head home. Later Dash. “See ya Soarin’!” He got his fresh pie and enjoyed every bite of it. Those ponies at Sweet Apple Acres do a dang good job of these pies. And with that he was off to get ready for his date with Octavia. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Ok Soar, you ready for this?” He slowly nodded. “Alrighty, grab one of those roses and head out, it’s almost 8.” “Alright Spit, I’ll see you whenever.” She said good bye and he walked out of the door. He started to flap his wings and he flew towards her house. It took a good 5 minutes for him to work up the courage to knock on the door, and when he finally did it, he felt relieved. She opened the door, and they greeted each other with open arms. Octavia gave him a small kiss on the cheek, and they started walking towards the hill. Along the way they talked about random things, such as, family, friends, and whatnot. They arrived at the small hill and Octavia just gasped. “Oh... this is so romantic.” She looked at Soarin’ with a loving look in her eyes. “Thank you Soarin’. This is fantastic.” “That’s not the only thing.” She looked confused, “L-look Octavia, I know we’ve only been going out for a couple of weeks, b-but... I just....-” She cut him off with something he never thought would happen. They kissed for what seemed like forever, and when Octavia broke the kiss she looked at him and said very softly, “I know Soarin’... I love you too.” He blushed. His face was burning up, he thought he had a fever. They looked at each other and smiled. Octavia leaned in and they kissed again, feeling as right as the first one. The two sat on the hill for a long time before she started to get sleepy. He walked her back to her place and they stood on her doorstep just looking at each other. “I love you Soarin’.” “I love you too Octavia” They kissed one more time and she went inside. Soarin’ was smiling all the way through the main square. He flapped his wings and headed home. When he got back, Spitfire was still awake, eating more from his fridge, but this time she heard him walk in. She nearly tackled him. “So, how did it go?! Did you tell her?!” Spitfire was almost jumping at this point. “Yes, I told her... sorta.” “Sorta? What do you mean sorta!? It’s a yes or no question!” “Well, we kissed and-” He was cut off by a screaming Spitfire “You guys kissed?!?!” He nodded. “Yes, we kissed, then she told me she loved me.” “So everything went well. Good. Now go to bed, tomorrow we have a performance at the Grand Galloping Gala.” “Oh, is that tomorrow? So THAT’S why Ponyville has been packed lately. Alright, well night Spit.” “Night Soar.” He walked upstairs to his room and plopped down on his bed. The whole night raced through his head. He couldn’t believe any of it, especially kissing her. He slowly drifted off to sleep, mind still racing. As he fell asleep, a smile came on his face, thinking about Octavia. The mare he loved. > Chapter 3 - The Gala > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning was warm, but had a nice breeze to it. It also was very quiet, the square was empty, save a couple of ponies doing morning walk, and the skies were clear. Soarin’ woke up feeling his best. He had to, the Gala was that night and he needed to be refreshed for the performance. He walked downstairs and saw Spitfire, once again, helping herself to anything out of his fridge. He saw her pull out, milk, eggs, and what looked like sausage. She quickly glanced at him and jumped. “Wow, you sure are quiet walking down those stairs.” He chuckled. “Hah, uh, thank you? Anyways, what’s going on?” “Well, you need to eat something before practice today. We’re going over the routine that will be happening at the Gala tonight.” “Oh, go ahead and make you something, I’m going into town. I’ll be back later.” “Going to see Octavia?” He chuckled again. “No, it’s too early for her to be up, plus she’s playing at the Gala tonight, so I’ll be taking her up there.” “Alright, be sure to be up there around 7 tonight to get set up. Practice starts at 10.” He nodded as he walked out the door, heading towards Ponyville. He took his time, just gliding towards middle of town. At this time, ponies were either, still asleep, or getting things ready for the gala: dresses, suits etc. and Soarin’ was kinda glad it was empty. He wasn’t in the mood to wait 10 minutes to walk a couple of feet to get something to eat. He landed in the middle of the square, and headed towards Sweet Apple Acres. His stomach growled even more the closer he got to the farm. I really hope they have their pies out. I’m in the mood for one. He thought, and sure enough, they had fresh baked pies being loaded onto a cart. He walked over and kindly asked the orange pony loading the pies onto the cart, “Um, may I buy one of these pies?” “Dontcha think it’s ah little too early fer pie?” She looked at him, he had a frown on his face, and with a smile said, “Sure thing sugarcube. That’ll be 3 bits.” He put the bits down and looked at the pie with a very excited look. He grabbed the pie and walked back to the square. He figured with it being so quiet and empty, he could sit at a bench and peacefully eat his pie. Soarin’ got to a bench and set his pie down next to him. He looked up at the sky, noticing that the skies were clear of clouds and pegusi. He started eating his pie when he saw somepony step out of her house. She stretched and looked over at him. She smiled, and he smiled back. She trotted over to him and sat next to him, still looking at him. She put her hoof on his and they kissed. “Good Morning Soarin’. Didn’t expect you to be awake so early.” “Mornin’ Via,” She gave a shy grin at the nickname he gave her. “I have Wonderbolt practice in a couple of hours and needed to do something to pass the time.” “Well, you could come over, and we could have one of our 2 hour long talks that seem to happen all the time.” She was right. Soarin’ visited her nearly every day. “I’d like that. Just, let me finish my pie. This is delicious.” She giggled. Soarin’ finished his pie and they walked over to Octavia’s house. He could smell the tea being made in the kitchen. He loved her tea. It always made him feel better. They walked into the kitchen as the tea was just finishing. She poured him a cup, and herself and they sat down. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A couple hours passed and Soarin’ just realized the time. It was almost 11. “Oh no! I’m late for practice!” He yelled. Soarin’ quickly got up, gave Octavia a kiss and headed off to practice. He flew so fast he almost lost control when he got to practice. Spitfire was furious with him, “Soarin’, you’re late. AGAIN! What were you doing?!” “Uh, um, I was with...” He was cut off “Oh save it. You seem more occupied with her than us. Need I remind you that the gala is TONIGHT?” He shook his head. “Look Spit, I’m sorry, I lost track of time. Let’s just go over the routine.” She paused for a couple of minutes then said, “No. If you’re going to spend most of your time with her, then you’ll miss the performance tonight.” He looked at her, and scoffed. “Fine. I’ll still be showing up to the gala with her.” “How, you aren’t performing with us.” “I was able to get a ticket for Octavia, until I learned she was playing, so I kept it, just in case.” “Whatever. Just go away, we’re busy.” He then started to fly back to Octavia’s house. He was angry. Why can’t she just be happy with us. She was the one to urged me to do anything. Thinking this made him angrier. He needed to cool down, and fast. He reached Octavia’s house and banged on the door. She opened up the door to see Soarin’ like she’s never seen him before. “Soarin’? What’s wrong love?” “Spitfire’s furious at me for being late to practice. I’m not performing tonight because of it.” “Oh...” She felt partially at fault for making him late. “I’m so sorry.” “It’s not your fault. It’s mine for losing track of time. Can I stay here until the gala? I’ll still be attending, but not performing.” “Sure, come on in. I was getting ready to practice for the gala. I can’t wait for you to hear it.” Soarin’ sat down in the living room and waited for Octavia to return with her cello. He was still mad at Spitfire, but he deserved it. At least to him, it wasn’t time wasted. It was with her. She came in with her cello and started to play. He was immediately captivated by it. "Wow, this is beautiful." She saw the pleasure in his face and she smiled. When she was finished with her song she shyly asked, “So, did you like it?” “Like it? I loved it! I especially loved that one part....” And as he described it, she couldn’t help but stare in his eyes. She loved him - alot. Whenever they were together, she felt happiness like she’s never felt before. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek gently as he was talking, and he smiled and chuckled. She returned the smile and they kissed. He was calm now. The whole Spitfire incident was behind him. Now he was with the mare he loved. “I love you Via.” “I love you too Soar.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They spent a couple more hours talking in the living room, with Octavia playing some songs here and there, and Soarin’ loved every minute of it. They both looked up at the clock and noticed the gala would be starting in 2 hours. Octavia rushed to get everything set up for her performance that night, and Soarin’ went back to his place to get an old tuxedo he had. I’m surprised I still have this. He turned around and saw Spitfire standing at the doorway. “What?” He asked coldly. “Look, Soar, I’m sorry for what happened earlier, but you have to realize you can’t be late to practices for big events.” “Yeah, I know. Like I said, I lost track of time. I didn’t even expect her to be awake.” She sighed. “Alright, everything’s cool with us?” “Yeah, I guess.” They both chuckled. “Good, get your Wonderbolt suit on, we’ve got one practice before our performance, and I think it’s easy for you to learn.” He frowned, “Oh, uh, well since I wasn’t performing, I told Octavia I’d watch her perform. It’ll mean a lot to her.” She sighed again, “Fine. But come to see us at least once during the night. It’d be weird to not see you during a performance.” He laughed. “Alright, will do.” Spitfire turned to leave, and Soarin’ got into his tuxedo and walked out of his house. He flapped his wings and headed towards Octavia’s house to pick her up and head for the gala. He knocked on the door and saw the dress she was wearing. He was in awe at what he saw. She saw his expression and smiled. “So, what do you think of my dress? I asked Rarity to make it for me.” “I-it’s beautiful. I’m speechless.” She blushed. “You look just as handsome in your tuxedo.” He grinned. “Thanks Via. So you all ready for the gala.” “Yes, I’m a bit nervous, but I’ll get over it. I’m excited to see Beethooven again. He’s such a good pianist.” “Ha, alright. Let’s head off.” She climbed on top of him for the first time, getting ready for her first flight with Soarin’. He flew at a comfortable speed for the both of them, allowing her to get more suited to flight. They didn’t talk most of the way up, mainly because Octavia was scared out of her mind. Luckily the flight didn’t take that long. She got off of Soarin’ shaking. He laughed. “Not used to flying eh?” Without skipping a beat she shook her head. “You’ll get used to it as days go by. It can get pretty cool when you’re above the clouds.” She was still frightened, and he walked her to where she will be performing. When they arrived at the hall, Beethooven was already playing his music, along with a tuba player. Soarin’ asked Octavia to dance to the music being played, and she blushed. “I’m not a very good dancer.” “Neither am I, but let’s do it.” The two got close and started to dance in the empty hall. The two performers noticed them dancing and played a slower song. Octavia put her head in Soarin’s shoulder, and he kissed her on the forehead. He whispered, “I love you.” She whispered back, “I love you too” The two ponies shared a kiss, and Octavia had to get on stage and get ready to play. Soarin’ waited patiently for the performers to start playing, and he started to get excited. Octavia got on the stage, picked up the cello, and started playing. The other two picked up on what she was playing, and Soarin’ loved it. They sound great together. This should be a great night. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 hours passed, and most of the guests arrived to Canterlot for the gala. Soarin’ noticed Rainbow Dash and her 5 friends with her, and gave them all a wave. Between two songs, Soarin’ told Octavia he had to go see the Wonderbolts do some tricks. “... I promised Spitfire I’d be there.” “Alright, have fun. I’ll be here for the rest of the night.” She laughed. Soarin’ walked to where the Wonderbolts were performing, and saw the performance. He thought they looked good, and wished he was with them, but he was glad he was there to support Octavia. He was able to watch most of the performance that was left, then he turned back and went back to the hall where Octavia was playing. He stayed there the rest of the gala, listening to the music being played from the three instruments. Even though there was only three performers, it still sounded really good. He enjoyed every song that was played, some more than others. By the time they finished playing, most of the guests had left, the gala pretty much over. He waited for Octavia to get finished with everything, saying good bye to the other performers, and congratulating them on a job well done. They smiled at each other and Soarin’ said, “You guys sounded REALLY good tonight. But then again, you always sound good.” She blushed. “Thanks Soar.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Well, I’m ready to go. Are you?” He nodded. “Great, let’s get going.” When they got outside, Octavia climbed on his back again, expecting for the ride to be fast. They were both tired, so Soarin’ took his time flying from Canterlot to Ponyville. Since they were so tired, the flight was, again, quiet. Soarin’ noticed Octavia yawn every once in a while, and thought he could go a little faster to get her home. She was too tired to argue with him going faster. They arrived at her house, and she climbed off. The two ponies looked in each other’s eyes and kissed. “Good night Via, I love you.” “Good night Soar, I love you too.” And with that, Octavia went right to bed. Soarin’, flapped his wings and went straight home. He couldn’t wait to get in bed. He got to his house, and for the first time in a while, Spitfire wasn’t raiding his fridge. Seeing no distractions, he took off his tuxedo, and climbed into bed. He drifted off to sleep pretty quickly, but before hand, he thought about Octavia, and he fell asleep with a smile on his face, remembering the mare he loved. > Chapter 4 - Anniversary Pt. 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorry about the late chapter. The weekend was hectic, and I didn’t have a chance to write it. And, like I said, had a huge brainfart on what to write, but anyways, here it is! The blue colt walked very quietly through the empty Ponyville. It was only 8 in the morning, and most ponies were asleep, and Soarin’ thought it would be a great chance to get something that was extremely important. He trotted over to the jewelers, and opened the door. There was only one pony in the store, and that was the owner. The store owner smiled at the colt and warmly said, “Welcome to my shop. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” “Oh, actually I was wondering if I could get something custom made?” “Sure thing. What would you like, ring, necklace?” “Necklace.” “Alright, and what would you like it to be?” “Uh, I’ve drawn what it looks like.” Soarin’ handed him the drawing of the necklace. “Alrighty then. I can have this done by either Friday or Saturday. “ “Sounds good!” “Mmk, your total comes to about 20 bits. Being custom made and all, price will be a little higher.” He placed the bits down on the counter,”It’s ok, I understand. Thanks a lot!” “No problem at all!” And Soarin’ walked out of the door. He flew towards his house, in hopes on getting a nap before practice. He got inside his house, and before he could make it 2 steps up, he was intercepted by Spitfire. “Oh, Spitfire, wasn’t expecting you to be up so early.” “I could say the same thing about you. Why did you go into Ponyville?” “What? No reason at all.” She could see him starting to get red. “C’mon. There’s a reason, and I want to know it.” “You sure?” She nodded. “Positive?” She nodded again. “Ok, I’ll tell you, just come here.” She got closer and he whispered in her ear, “No. Reason.” She pouted. “Fine, but I will find out. Just you wait.” He just rolled his eyes. He walked up the stairs and plopped in his bed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Soarin’, wake up! We’ve got practice in 20 minutes!” Hearing this, Soarin’ shot out of bed so fast, he fell face first on the floor. “Nice one. Anyway, get a quick shower and put your suit on.” He nodded. Soarin’ took a very quick shower, and got in his suit. “Alright, let’s get going.” They walked outside and headed for practice. The fly there was pretty quiet. but when they almost got there Spitfire questioned him again for that morning. “So... What were you doing this morning?” He sighed. “Fine, if you really want to know, I was getting something.” “Ooooh what?” “Something. Look, were already here. Let’s get practicing!” “Grr fine. But I will know!” He chuckled. A couple hours into practice, Soarin’ really wanted to see Octavia. She was the only thing on his mind, and he almost messed up on some tricks. He was tempted to come up with an excuse to go see her, but decided against it. He was a part of the team and they needed him, so he went on through all of practice. At the end of practice, he was the first to leave. He desperately needed a shower after a long practice, but he also wanted to see Octavia. After he got his shower, he walked out of his house and headed towards Octavia’s house. On his way there, his stomach started to growl, so he went and got something to eat. He spotted a pie cart being wheeled in, and flew right towards it. His mouth was watering as he got closer to the cart. “I’ll take one pie please!” He said with much excitement. The pony behind the cart nodded and handed him a pie. He grabbed the pie, and almost forgot to pay for it. He found an empty bench and sat down, enjoying his pie. It didn’t take him long to finish the pie, and when he took the last bite, he smiled. He turned to his left and started walking towards Octavia’s house. He arrived, and knocked on her door, only for her to almost immediately open the door. “Well that was fast.” They laughed together. “Oh yes, I was going out for a bit to pick up somethings. Would you like to come along?” “I’d love to.” “Alright, let’s get going.” They stopped by Rarity’s shop to pick up a shirt, they stopped by Sugarcube Corner to get something sweet, and they got to the jewelers. Soarin’ started panicking. He didn’t want her to find out about the necklace. He took a deep breath and walked in, seeing the store owner from that morning. The owner noticed Soarin’ and smiled. “I know you. You came in earlier and orde-” He was cut off. “Hey, uh could you not talk about that?” “Sure thing, but why?” Soarin’ glanced back at Octavia who was looking at some bracelets, and didn’t notice them. “You see, I ordered the necklace for her. Anniversary is coming up, and I wanted to surprise her with that.” “Oh, ok gotcha.” Soarin’ went back to Octavia’s side and saw what she was holding. “Oh Soar look at this bracelet. Isn’t it beautiful?” “Yeah, it is. But not as beautiful as you.” He kissed her on the cheek, and she blushed. “Thanks Soar. I love you.” “I love you too Via.” Octavia walked up to the counter and placed the bracelet on it. “Hi, yes, I’d like to buy this bracelet please.” “Alright, that’ll be 15 bits.” Octavia had a distressed look on her face. “Shoot, I only have 10 bits.” Soarin’ walked up and placed 5 bits on the counter. “Nope, you have 15 now.” He chuckled. “Oh, thanks Soar, you’re too kind.” “No problem at all.” They walked out of the jewelers, and Soarin’ took Octavia home. They stopped at her doorstep and they kissed. “I had a lot of fun today Soar, thank you for coming.” “Sure thing Via. I had fun too.” “Well, I got things to do around the house, so I must get going.” He chuckled. “Alright. See ya.” “Good bye.” Octavia went inside her house, and Soarin’ went back to his house. When he got there, Spitfire was, once again, going through his fridge. “Hey Soar, you need to go shopping. You’re running out of food!” He laughed. “Yeah, here’s an idea, you get the food, and I’ll raid YOUR fridge.” They shared a laugh. “So what have you been up to?” She asked, mouth full of a sandwich. “I was with Octavia, you know, the usual.” “Yeah, shoulda guessed.” “What about you? What have you been up to?” “Well, other than eating your food... Nothing really.” He smiled. “Seems like a productive day.” She laughed and nodded, mouth still full. “Well, I think I’m going to take a nap. I’m still a little tired.” “Alright. See ya later” He gave a tired nod as he walked up the stairs. He laid down in bed and fell asleep right away. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He woke up a couple hours later, and noticed that it was dark. He sat up in bed and just stared out his window. Wow, is it already night? He thought, still confused on how long he slept. He shrugged off the thought and walked downstairs. He looked at the time, and saw that it was 9. Spitfire had gone to bed early that night, and he was bored. He debated on going into Ponyville and finding something to do, or go back to sleep. He decided on going into Ponyville, and headed off. When Soarin’ arrived, everything was quiet. It seems that everyone went to bed pretty early. He took this time to walk around and find something to do. He saw a resturaunt open and went to get something to eat. He hadn’t eaten anything except for that one pie earlier. He ordered, got his food, and took his time eating it. He was still a little tired, but not enough to make him fall asleep. When he finished his food, he walked back outside and saw nothing but lights. It made him feel relaxed. He sat on one of the many empty benches and just looked around. I wish Octavia were here. She’d love this. And without skipping a beat, a certain grey pony walked out of her house, and noticed Soarin’ sitting alone. “Oh hello Soar, wasn’t expecting you here this late.” “Yeah, I had a nap, and can’t fall asleep. So, here I am!” She giggled. “I was about to go on a walk, would you care to join me?” He nodded. “Great, let’s go.” The two ponies walked through Ponyville talking, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. They passed all the buildings, shops, homes, everything when they got to a place they both recognized. It was the hill they declared their love for each other. Octavia blushed, as the two ponies embraced on top of the hill. She was happy with him, and vice versa. “I love you Soar.” “I love you too Via.” They shared a long passionate kiss on the hill, and when it broke, they walked back to Octavia’s house. When they got there, Octavia looked tired, and so did Soarin’. “Soarin’, you look tired, why don’t you stay here for the night?” This caught him off guard. “Seriously? You sure?” “Of course I am. I’ve got room in the house for just an overnight stay.” “Alright, I guess that could work.” Soarin’ walked in the house, and followed Octavia to her room. “I don’t have an extra room, so you’ll be sleeping in here.” They walked in and Octavia asked, “Floor or bed?” “Uh, the bed will do nice.” She giggled. “Alright, well let’s get some sleep, you look like you could fall asleep any minute.” He chuckled. “So do you!” And they shared a laugh. Octavia climbed into bed first, then Soarin’ and she snuggled up against him. He put his arm around her as they slowly drifted off to sleep. Before he fell asleep, Soarin’ kissed Octavia on her forehead and whispered in her ear, “Goodnight love.” He closed his eyes, and fell asleep with Octavia in his arms. > Chapter 5 - Anniversary Pt. 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorry for the late chapter. If you red my comment below you’ll see what was going on. D: Well anyways enjoy this! It's finally up! Soarin’ woke up the next day, arm still around Octavia and smiled. He kissed her gently on the forehead, and just laid there. Many thoughts were racing through his head about their anniversary. It would be 3 months on Tuesday, and he was excited to see her expression when he gave her the gift he was getting specially made for her. That gift being a necklace with her cutie mark as the main design, with S & O on the sides. He looked down at Octavia as she started to wake up. She noticed that she was in the arms of her love. She smiled up at Soarin’ and softly said, “Good morning Soar.” He gave a smile back and said, “Mornin’ Via.” The two shared a kiss. Octavia got closer in Soarin’s arms and they laid in bed for a couple of minutes, just enjoying the time alone. It was quiet in her house, and they liked it. Octavia was the first to get out of bed and she walked out of her room and into the kitchen. She yelled back at Soarin’ who was still laying in bed, “Do you want breakfast?” “No thanks, just a cup of tea will do nice.” “Alright.” And Octavia got started on the tea and breakfast. Soarin’ slowly got out of bed and stretched. He looked at the time and saw that it was 10 past 9. He had practice in 50 minutes, and had to hurry to get back home and get ready. As he walked out of Octavia’s room, she stopped him and handed him his cup of tea. She was smiling at him, and he couldn’t say no to it. He walked over to the kitchen where Octavia was finishing making her breakfast, also sipping on a warm cup of tea. I can be a little late to practice. He thought. Right now he was with Octavia, and nothing could go wrong. The only sound in the house was Octavia’s breakfast snapping and sizzling on the stove, and she was the one to break the silence between them. “So, Soarin’ our 3 months is coming up. I’m excited for it, I know it’ll be just grand.” Soarin’ couldn’t help but grin. “Yes it will. I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong on that night.” The two ponies looked at each other smiling until Soarin’ said, “I love you Via. She blushed, “I love you too Soar.” He finished his tea, and only had 20 minutes to get ready for practice. He told Octavia and she understood, so she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and he was out the door headed home. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Practice took longer than expected because the group of ponies were trying to perfect a single move. Spitfire got fed up with it and told everypony that they would try it again the next day. Soarin’ quickly got home and got a shower. The day had been cold, and a nice warm shower had been good on his coat. He just let the water run across him, thinking about Tuesday. He would pick up his gift either later that day or the next day, and everything would go as hoped. He was planning on having a romantic picnic in a field that he and Rainbow Dash had found just outside of Ponyville, he was planning on giving her the necklace after eating, then going back to her place just to talk. He was starting to get really excited. Tuesday was only a couple of days away, but to him, it would feel like a lifetime. Soarin’ got out of the shower, noticing an extreme temperature change. He shivered a few times, but quickly adjusted to it. He dried off, and walked downstairs. Spitfire had already helped herself to food, and was eating it on his couch. “Hey, don’t you have your own food?” He jested. She looked up at him with a full mouth, and gave a big grin. “I do, but I already ate all of mine.” Soarin’ shook his head. “Silly little Spitfire, go to the market and pick some stuff up. I have things to do today.” “Like?” “Just, things.” Spitfire still wasn’t leaving. “Like?!” “Things!” “LIKE!?” “Ok, I’ll tell you. Just come here.” She walked over to him and he whispered into her ear, “Things.” Spitfire just pouted. She gave up, she wouldn’t win this argument, “Fine, I’ll be going. And when I get back, something will happen!” Soarin’ just chuckled at her empty threat, “Ha, okay Spit! I’ll be on guard.” He said sarcastically. Spitfire pouted again, “You’ll see!” He waved a hoof in her direction, and she stormed off. He really didn’t have anything planned, he just wanted to be alone for a bit. He grabbed an apple from the counter and plopped on his couch. It was quiet throughout the house, and was only broken every once in a while by a large crunch from his apple. He enjoyed the silence there. It gave him time to just relax and not have to worry about the Wonderbolts or anything else. Of course Octavia was on his mind, she had been ever since the day they went on their first date. The more he thought about her, the more he wanted to see her, so he finished his apple, picked a flower from a nearby vase, and headed towards her house. He glided towards Octavia’s house when he saw a bunch of ponies circled around something loud in the middle of the square. Curious he changed course and went to the noise. He arrived at what looked like a stage, and saw a blue mare on the stage. He overheard one of Rainbow’s friends talking about the pony on stage, “Ugh, it’s that Trixie girl again! Gosh, didn’t she learn her lesson the last time?” “Yeah, everypony knows Twilight is the better unicorn around here.” Soarin’ walked closer to the stage and saw the pony gloating about how she was the better unicorn, and that Twilight Sparkle should try to beat her in a magic competition. He watched as a purple pony trotted on stage and valiantly accepted her offer. “Well well well Ms. Sparkle. When and where should this competition happen?” “How about right now?” He could see her getting angry. “Pfft. Please, I need my rest. It’s been a LONG day providing entertainment for these ponies. How’s Tuesday sound to you? I’ve got performances everyday but Tuesday.” Twilight gave a grin towards Trixie, “Sounds like a plan.” The two mares gave a ‘hmph’ and Twilight walked back to her Library, while Trixie went back to her performance. He just shrugged and walked away from the stage. Soarin’ knocked on Octavia’s door, and she opened it up and smiled, “Hello Soarin’. How was practice?” “Took longer than expected, but it happens.” She chuckled and asked, “Won’t you come inside? It’s a bit chilly outside.” He nodded and walked inside the house. She directed him towards her couch, “Here, take a seat, I’ve got a surprise for you.” Hearing this made Soarin’ get this large smile on his face. He sat down on the couch and waited for Octavia to come back. She got back to the living room, holding her cello. She started playing this beautiful song that Soarin’ loved at the first note. He closed his eyes and took in the music, smiling as he did this. She finished the song, and Soarin’ opened his eyes looking straight at her, “That was THE most amazing song ever. What’s it called?” She looked away shyly, “It’s called The One I Love. I wrote it myself.” She was blushing as she was saying this. “Oh really? I bet I know what it’s about.” He gave an affectionate smile at Octavia. She was blushing so much that her face felt like it was lava. She giggled and said, “I love you Soar.” “I love you too Via” He got back up, walked over to her and gave her a passionate kiss. Soarin’ started caressing Octavia in his hooves, as they moved to the couch. They sat down and Octavia broke the kiss. The two ponies looked at each other, smiling, and kissed again. This time Soarin’ broke the kiss and they sat together in silence, with Soarin’s arm around Octavia. They found themselves yawning and drifting off to sleep. Soarin’ gave a small kiss on her forehead and they slowly went to sleep. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The two ponies, woke up around 9 at night. They had realized they slept through the whole day, and decided to take another walk through Ponyville. They walked for about 30 minutes before Soarin’ heard something he thought he would never hear, “Hey, could we maybe take a fly above Ponyville? I bet it looks amazing from up there.” Soarin’ stood just looking at Octavia until he finally said, “Uh, sure. Just climb on my back and we can do this. Just remember, it gets colder as you fly higher.” Octavia climbed on his back and he stretched his wings. She grabbed hold of his neck and he started to lift off the ground. Octavia, still not used to flying, was terrified. Soarin’ looked back and saw the terror in her face, and landed back on the ground. “Are you sure you want to do this?” She gave a small nod, and almost had a death-grip around Soarin’s neck. He gave a couple of gagging noises and she loosened her grip. “So-sorry. I was just a little scared there.” He chuckled, “It’s ok. Get ready!” Soarin’ lifted himself off the ground, and Octavia almost screamed. This would take some getting used to. They flew around Ponyville, admiring what it looked like from the sky. Octavia was most fascinated by the giant cloud city outside of Ponyville. She still couldn’t believe that he lived there. They visited the giant tree library, Rarity’s boutique, Sugarcube Corner, and other places, and Octavia was just overwhelmed by the sights. “Thi-this is beautiful Soarin’. I can see why being a pegasus is so cool. The sights at night are just absolutely marvelous.” “Yeah, I like it. Plus it’s cool to see a storm while being above it.” “Haha, I can only imagine.” Octavia started yawning, and they decided to head back to her house. Soarin’ was too tired to head back to Cloudsdale, so Octavia let him sleep in her bed that night again. They got settled in her bed, and they kissed each other before falling asleep. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The days leading up to Tuesday were normal days. Practice, seeing each other, and enjoying the company of one another. But when Tuesday came around, things weren’t as normal. “Happy 3 months Via!” “Happy 3 months Soar!” The two ponies shared a passionate kiss in her kitchen, and they sat down to eat. Octavia had made them breakfast, and Soarin’ took the day off from practice to be with her all day. The night before he went and got the specially made necklace from the jewelers and hid it in his pocket. He started to get so excited, he almost pulled it out. “So Soarin’ where are we going on our anniversary?” “I picked out this awesome place just outside of Ponyville.” “Oh, you always pick the most romantic spots.” It was true. He always found these nice little spots where they couldn’t be bothered. It was always nice to have those. “So Via, what are we doing today?” “Well I was hoping for the morning we could just hang around here, then during the afternoon go have a nice lunch. I’ve got a gift for you, but it’s a surprise!” “Haha alright. Sounds good. I can’t wait for your surprise.” They smiled at each other and gave a small kiss. Today was going to be the best for both ponies. The day seemed like it was as fast as lightning. The lunch was great, they decided to take a romantic walk through Ponyville, and now it was time for the special spot. Octavia climbed on Soarin’s back as he glided towards the spot he and Rainbow had found. She looked at it in complete awe. “Oh Soarin... It’s magnificent!” “I knew you’d like it.” “I do. I love it.” She looked at him with loving eyes, “I love you Soarin’” He returned the look, “I love you too Octavia.” They sat down on the grass and Soarin’ looked down at Octavia’s gift to him. “Via, I really like this necklace you got me. I’ll wear it everyday.” His gift popped into his head, “Oh! Which reminds me.” He pulled the necklace he had specially made for her out of his pocket, “I got you this.” He walked over and put the necklace over her head. She looked at it’s design and smiled. “This is my cutie mark. And, what’s this?” She noticed the S & O on the sides of her cutie mark, “Soarin’... This is just.... Amazing.” She felt tears welling up. Soarin’ walked over to her and put his hoof around her. He pulled her face up to meet his and they kissed. The two of them held the kiss for as long as they could before breaking it. They sat on the hill for hours, looking up at the night sky that Luna made. It was clear, with every star shining at its brightest. The moon was the most impressive part of the night sky, being as bright as all the stars combined. Soarin’ was the first one to break the silence with a simple question, “Hey, wasn’t there a magic competition going on tonight?” Octavia just shrugged and they went back to enjoying the night together. Nothing could ruin this moment for the two of them. Everything was just perfect in their lives. Octavia started yawning, with Soarin’ yawning not to long after her. It was almost 1 in the morning, and he needed his sleep for practice tomorrow. Octavia climbed on his back one more time, and they flew towards Octavia’s house. It was starting to become a habit for Soarin’ to simply walk in and sleep in her bed at night. They liked waking up to each other in the morning. They liked knowing that they were there for each other. That night was the best night of their lives, everything going smoothly, and perfect. Soarin’ and Octavia gave each other one last kiss before falling asleep in each others arms, tired after the greatest day ever. > UPDATE! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE!!! Howdy folks. Just thought I'd let you know why the chapters haven't been coming in lately, and it's because, school. New marking period, blah blah blah stuff like that, SOOOOO, I'm hoping that I can get a chapter in each weekend. So, thought I'd just let you know why it's taking like 2 weeks for a new story :P. Sorry! Next Chapter will most likely do with Nightmare Night and stuff like that, and I could REALLY use a pre reader, because as some of the comments say, I'm missing words here and there. So if you would like to pre read, go ahead and send me a PM, and I'll give you the password. I WILL be going back through the old chapters and fixing everything, but like I said, with school, it might be a little slow, so yeah. Thank you for taking your time to read this, and be sure to rate it and comment. I love criticism and could use some tips to make this better!