> A Due
>  by StarkyShy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue-Given the Pink Slip
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


(Note, this portion of the story is written in 3rd person for the sake of story. It shall go into your regularly scheduled 2nd person in the next part.)


It was dark out. Princess Luna had raised the moon long ago. All of Ponyville was asleep. All but one mare in a bakery. She was busy writing by candlelight. She quietly spoke aloud as her quill danced on a scroll, finishing what looked like a love letter.

“...I have loved your music for a long time. Every time I listen to your music, my heart leaps into the air, flying higher than any pegasus could ever soar. I want to meet you in person, but alas, I am too shy. Although my nerves prevent me from talking to you, my heart wants to send you these roses. May we finally meet one day.

Sincerly,

A secret admirer.”

She finished the letter, rolled the scroll up and placed in a box. She places the parcel in the kitchen table, planning to send it off tomorrow. Yawning, but somehow still full of energy, she bounced through the kitchen and up the stairs into her bed to retire for the night, her work done finally complete. Before she fell asleep, she said one thing to herself. “I hope he doesn’t find out...”

Meanwhile, a young stallion silently paced the room downstairs in the same building, he appeared to be talking to himself. “Augh...never eat that much cake at once ever again...Stomach...hurting...” as he slowly stumbled into the kitchen, he sensed something. He searched the entire room, until he came across a box on the table, he looked around to see if anyone was watching, then slowly started to unlock the contents. What he found was something that sent the colt into a state of shock. As he inspected the work, he whispered one single solitary word with intense emotion.

“You thought you could hide this from me, did you? Well, you thought wrong...I could see through your lies, and now what you’ve tried to hide is now mine...Pie...”
> Chapter 1-A Thin String
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	You’ve been sitting in your chair, gently pulling your bow across each individual string for over 5 minutes in an attempt to tune your instrument. You turned the peg clockwise, and played the note again. Every note had to be perfect.

“Sharp...Flat...Still flat...Just a few more cents...Almost...There.” Now you were ready to practice. Your duet partner has not arrived yet, but that was alright. It gave you time to practice on your own. Your back hoof started to tap a rhythm. “One...two...three...four...” You took a deep breath, rested your chin on your violin, and started to play.

It started out slow, an adagio tempo. Your hoof tapped a slow beat as you played. Simple, connected quarter notes and half notes for the first part of the song. It was simple. Any mistake that might have been made would have to be intentional. Now it began to get harder. The tempo would be the same, but the notes got more complicated. It transitioned back and forth from eighth notes and triplets, not easy for many foals, but to you it was nothing. All it took was a lot of practice and dedication. The music you created sounded incomplete, but it only made sense. The piece being played was a duet piece after all, and it would sound incomplete unless both musicians were present.

Halfway through, the tempo would pick up. Your hoof-metronome raised from adagio to andante. Notes came out slightly faster than before. Not a challenge at all, every note played to its full value, every accent played.

I hate this part...

Near the end of the song was a flurry of sixteenth notes and triplets that required you to shift your hooves very quickly to accommodate with the notes.. It was the only part of the piece that infuriated you because you could never play it right. You took deep breaths and started to play. Your hooves didn’t move fast enough, and very soon, a cacophony started to emerge.

“Aaaaugh!” You screamed in the empty room, nearly throwing your instrument across the room in rage.  Hours of practicing and you could never get it right. No matter how many times it was played, it was always wrong. It was unbelievable how aggravating it was to never get one section right.

“Having trouble?”

You recognized that voice. you blinked twice before you slowly turned around, and your partner was standing there in front of you. She was an earth pony, like many of your friends. Her eyes shined with a brilliant light purple, while her neatly trimmed mane sported a dark gray, which was always styled to look at neat as possible. With a purple treble clef adorning her flank and a collar around her neck, she always had an air of sophistication about her. In her hooves, a cello larger than she is.

“Hello, Octavia...I’m...glad you showed up.”

She simply smiled, it always made you feel good when you saw her smile.

“So, rehearsal time?” She looked at you, her expression turning serious.

You nodded, raising your bow once again. “Shall we?”

“One moment, please.” She started to tune her instrument, you simply sat there waiting patiently. As you waited, you played out the hoof positions for the sole piece you could never get right.

“Alright, finished. Let us begin.” She looked at you, her purple eyes gazing directly into yours.

You nodded, getting in position, ready for the duet. Your hoof hit the floor in a rhythmic pattern again, waiting for your partner to synchronize the tempo with you.

“One...two...three...four...”

You began to play your part, her slow series of half notes and quarter notes would follow after the first measure. You closed your eyes, you had practically memorized the first portion. Every note, dynamic, accidental, and accent could be played without the sheet music in front of you two. The empty room was now being filled by the two harmonies of both violin and cello. As the tempo sped up, the air became livelier, serenading an audience of emptiness.

Finally, it was time for the difficult part. You started to nail the triplets, while Octavia did octave jumps with eighth notes. It was a difficult part for both of you, and the tempo change didn’t help. It was all going well, until you heard a sudden change in volume from your partner, followed by a loud exhale.

“Ugh, not again...”

You looked over to your side to see the young grey mare with an exasperated countenance.

“Having trouble?” You repeated her words with a hint of teasing in it.

She returned a smirk, followed by a playful jab to your side. “Let’s try it again.”

“From the top?” You suggested.

She shook her head, pointing at the part where the tempo changed. “Let’s start at this section. Is that satisfactory for you?”

You nodded, tapping your foot to the vivace tempo. Your head bobbing up and down to the beat you set. “One, two, three, four.”

One hour and over fifty failed attempts later, you were ready to throw your instrument out the window.

“Why is it that we can’t get this right? Argh!” You wailed. “This is just...impossible!”

“Alright, calm down for a moment...we just need more practice.”

You brought your hooves up to your face, covering your eyes. “More practice? The concert is in two days, Octavia, we’ve practically mastered every part of this except this one solitary piece. How is this going to work? We’re going to screw it up in front of our audience and they are going to laugh us off the s-” A hoof in your mouth suddenly interrupted your rant.

“Relax. We are going to be just fine. Tell you what, tomorrow we can practice at my place, alright? I assure you we’ll be able to make this piece sound beautiful.” She retracted her hoof from your mouth before wiping any saliva off on her coat. “I’ll see you tomorrow at five?”

You had calmed down from your freakout. “Y-yes, Five is alright with me.”

“Good, don’t be late.”

She gave a quick smile before grabbing her cello and music and trotting on out. You looked at your sheet music with anxiety.

“Two days to master a part none of us can play.”
> Chapter 2-Allegretto
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	You stared out the window, staring at the quickly darkening sky. Rain was almost imminent,  you had to get to Octavia’s house before it started pouring. You quickly opened your bag to do an inventory check.

“Instrument...bow...stand...tuner...music...metronome...I think that’s all.” Shutting your case, you checked the clock.

“Four-Thirty...If I leave now, I’ll have...seven minutes to spare...Alright, better get going.”

As you started out the door, your doorbell started to ring. Already at the door, you quickly opened it, hoping it wasn’t anything to stall you.

“Special delivery from Ponyville!” A young gray mare smiled, holding out a package with a scroll attached for you. You stared back at her and happily received the box.

“Why, thank you, ma’am.” You nodded to her in kindness. She nodded back, one eye looking at you, the other staring at something in the sky. She quickly turned around and flew off, possibly bumping the walls of other houses in the process.

You took another glance at the clock. I have time. Might as well see what’s in this.

You unrolled the scroll and began to speed read. Your eyes widened at the contents. 

“Roses? Well, that’s certainly...unexpected...I wonder if I know this secret admirer...” You stared at the box and slowly opened it, expecting the bouquet to appear when...

SPLAT!

In an instant, almost your entire body was covered in pie. Your eagerness immediately turned to anger.

“I know who sent this. And I’m going to make him pay,” You grumbled before licking part of the cake off your lips. “...Pumpkin.”





Meanwhile, in Ponyville, a pink earth pony was laughing her tail off with her coltfriend on her bed.

“A-and when he opens it...boom! Pie in his face! Hahahahaha!” The mare laughed, holding onto the stallion’s shoulders to prevent herself from collapsing. The stallion wrapped his hooves around his sides in stitches.

“O-oh man...y-you actually wrote a love letter to him? Bwahahahahaha! Oh man, that dope would totally fall for that, too!”

“I hope he likes pumpkins! Heeheeheeheehahaha!”

“O-oh my sides...M-my sides hurt so much from laughing...Whew...”

“Heehee...hey, you wanna see a little present I made for you?”

The stallion pulls out a pie from under the bed. “Oh, you mean this?”

The pink mare gasps in mock surprise and mock anger. “How did you find that?”

“Well, it was in the fridge and it literally had my name on it.” He pointed to a sticker with his name written in blue ink.

The mare froze, before bursting into another fit of giggles. “...Oh yeah!”

The stallion wrapped his hoof around his partner, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Heh, I love you, Pinkie Pie.”

“Heehee! I love you too! Now let’s finish that pie!”





You sat grumbling in anger as you wiped the frosting from your face. “Argh, there’s not enough time for me to get this all off and make it on time.” You sighed in exasperation. “I’ll explain to her later, I guess.” You shut the door behind you and made a mad dash towards Octavia’s house, your instrument case and supplies bouncing on your back.

You raced to Octavia’s house, pie crust and pumpkin filling flying from your face. Your head was clouded with thoughts of vengeance and being on time. You squeezed your way through the other ponies in your way, not even bothering to apologize. With each contact, you could feel the quick but painful thud of shoulder hitting shoulder. You stared at the sky above you. There was no more sun, only black clouds. The weather team must really want rain today.

Honestly, I’m more worried about the fact that they actually decided to put effort into weather control today. Who are they and what did they do with the actual weather team?

You shook your head, the dark sky thundering above. You were almost there. Her house was just around the corner. You did a small jump off the ground, your hooves sliding on the ground until you made a complete stop at the earth pony’s door.

Whew. I made it, and without any major troubles at all.

And then, without any warning, a torrent of water crashed down on your entire body.

Why.

Mood soured, your lifted your hoof and gave three solid knocks on the wooden door.

As you waited, the violent thoughts flooded your head about what you could do to the obvious culprit.

I wonder if they could find the body...Maybe if I do it in one of the dark alleys.

Your thoughts of vengeance would have to wait, as you were greeted by your partner.

“Oh...Oh my...” She raised a hoof to cover her mouth. It was obvious that she was stifling her amusement. You grumbled to yourself as the rain continued to attack your fur.

“No, it’s fine. Let’s stay here for an indefinite amount of time as I catch pneumonia.” You muttered, tapping your hoof on the wet sidewalk.

“Oh, my apologies, please, come in.” Octavia stepped to the side, allowing you access. As you made your way inside, you noticed her nostrils flare for a split second. “D...Do you smell pumpkin pie?”

You gritted your teeth for a few seconds. “It’s...a long story.”

She gazed at you for a second, it was a look of concern, and something else. You couldn’t exactly tell what.

“So, time to practice?” You asked, putting a hoof to your soaked instrument case.

“Ah, yes. Follow me, we’ll go to my practice room.” she responded, cantering over towards another room, motioning with her hoof to follow.

You obeyed, staying right beside her as you admired her house. Each object seemed to be arranged with the utmost precision and care. Every bit of furniture pushed and turned to the perfect alignment. The decor was simply fabulous, the walls seemed to emit an aura of poise and professionalism. 

The mare who decorated it was no exception. It seemed that everything she did, she had to do with elegance. Even the simple act of walking has a certain style to it. You could never understand how it could be possible, but you had to admire it, for what it was worth.

You snuck a peek out a nearby window, an onslaught of rain continued to mercilessly assault the earth. You silently sighed in relief that you got inside before it got too awful.

You made it to her music room. It was small, yet comfortable. Although a grand piano with a entire quartet could still fit. Compared to her entire household, this room in particular was the most barren. There were no extra decorations on the walls, the only things that might pass as decor were the piano and chairs.

“Alright, let’s get started.” She stated, grabbing her cello from the corner.

“Just let me tune up first, ok?” You advised, removing your soaking belongings from your back. You unlatched the case, revealing your pristine violin. You silently thanked the case makers for the waterproof case. You noticed a lack of sounds of preparation from your partner’s side.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready as well?” You asked, raising an eyebrow, but not facing her.

“Hm? O-Oh! Yes, of course.” You heard her sputter. You blinked. That was odd for her, it wasn’t exactly like her to not be concentrated, especially during a rehearsal so close to the performance date.

Sitting down in your chair, you began to tune. Now you were in the zone of concentration. It was possible for you to tune by ear, but you had a tuner just to be sure. First, the basics. With one eye on the tuner, you put your instrument to your chin and played the open E.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Do you want to tune first?” You stopped, looking at Octavia fiddling with her cello.

“No, it’s quite fine. Go ahead, you already started.”

You shrugged, replaying the open E note again. It was 3 cents sharp, but you didn’t want to keep her waiting, and continued to tune.

When you had finally finished, you relaxed a bit while Octavia tuned her instrument.

What am I doing wrong in this...? You opened up your sheet music to the flurry of sixteenth notes and silently mimed the hoof motions. You furrowed your brows. It seemed easy enough, so why is it so difficult to play? You kept playing the part to yourself, your concentration increasing as you tried.

“Hey! Come on!” You heard a voice shout.

You snapped back into the room to see the young mare with a concerned look on her face.

“You ready now?”

Your face reddened, “Y-Yeah...” you cringed.

“Good,” She cleared her throat, tapping the beat to the beginning portion of the tune, “One...Two...Three...Four...”
> Chapter 3-Quit Pitching
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“This isn’t working out,” Octavia stated flatly.

        “Well gee, I never would have guessed,” you snapped, rolling your eyes. “I don’t understand, why can we never get this part right?” You paced across the room in an attempt to calm yourself down.

        “I don’t know why...” your partner mused, “...We should be getting better by now...”

        “The concert is coming up, we need to get this done!” you muttered, beating your head on the wall. You swiped your sheet music and made your way to the door.

        “Where are you going?” the mare called out.

        “I’m taking a break, again,” you replied, pushing the door. “I can’t believe this...” As soon as you walked outside, you slammed the door, cringing as the thud indicated you used a little too much force.

        You stared out the window, the rain still pounding down on the streets.

        “It’s so close...” you groaned. Looking at the almost-flooding Canterlot. You decided to give it another shot. This time at a slower pace. You were alone for the moment, and all that mattered was the music. Puting the violin to your chin, your hoof started to tap as you faced the pouring rain.

        “One...Two...Three...” You muttered to yourself. Playing the notes one by one, you played each one with grace. Not even missing an accent with the slower pace. As the impossible part approached, you felt your heart rate increase. Eyes closed, you took a deep breath, and concentrated.

        You blinked. Did you really play it without a hiccup? You were about to double-check, when suddenly your ears twitched. You picked up another instrument’s sound.

        Following your ear, you were led back to the room you recently stormed out of. Although it seemed rude, you put an ear to the wall to eavesdrop. Shutting your eyes, you heard the unmistakable sound of a cello. It was definitely your partner Octavia playing. You recognized what she was playing. It was the part that you two always had trouble with. Wondering how well she faired, you took a peek at the mare through the glass window in the door.

        Your eyebrows furrowed, you were confused. Her eyes were completely closed, as if she memorized it already. Still observing, you watched her play. Your eyes widened, she was playing the infamous impossible part, full speed, with her eyes closed.

        Your eye twitched. Has she been able to play this flawlessly the entire time, and she didn’t tell you? You were confused, furious, and had half a mind to just burst in and yell at her. You took a deep breath and kept it at the back of your head. You snuck back to the window, questions still plaguing your mind.

        Why in Equestria would she hide this?

        You took the bow in your hoof.

        How long has she been doing this?

You started at the beginning of the piece.

        Why wouldn’t she tell me?

        You started breathing faster.

        What could she be hiding?

Your eyes shut tight, teeth clenched. You placed your instrument on the floor. “I’m not gonna take it anymore,” You growled, and started stomping towards the practice room. Before you burst in the door, you stopped.

        “What if she just got it right now?” Your mind started creating a scenario. “Yeah, she probably just made it right this moment. I must’ve overreacted...”

        You started laughing to yourself for not being rational. You decided to spy through the window just to be sure.

        Yep, there she is, still practicing.

The earth pony was still playing her piece, hitting every note flawlessly.

        “Well, it seems alright so far...” You blinked, continuing to spy on her.

        As she finished, you smiled a bit, maybe she just found out how to perfect it. You started to turn around to walk back to your instrument, until your ear twitched again.

        “Now if only he could master this part as well as I did...” the voice spoke with a twinge of arrogance.

        Your eyes narrowed. Yep, now you have good reason to suspect her faking it. You ejected a large amount of air out of your nostrils, wondering what to do next. Putting a hoof to your chin, you decided to act.
        You snatched up your materials, and stood outside the practice room door. Taking a breath to gain composure, you lightly rapped on the door.

“Octavia?” you called out. “Mind if I come back in?”

The mare sounded delighted to hear you. “Certainly!”

You gave a gentle tug on the doorknob, making your way in with your equipments. “Do you mind if we try once more?”

Octavia smiled, “By all means.” she replied, picking up her bow.

You faked a smile back. You were onto her little secret, and you wanted to investigate. “So, four measures before the dreaded Presto?”

“On your count.”

You nodded, for now, the focus is on perfection. “One, two, three, four. One, two, ready, go.”

        The two of you began to play. Your heart began the unmistakable thump-thump of nervousness. But you continued to make music. Your mind and hooves worked fast, struggling to hit every note. For a split second you took your focus off the music and onto Octavia.

        She seemed to be struggling, her tongue stuck out like she usually did when the two of you practiced. It was small information, but you didn’t want to mess up now.

        It seemed like a few seconds before you were at that flurry again. You were filled with more confidence this time. You were gonna make it happen.

        You glared, hooves itching to play it right. This time would be the one. You started to play.

        You shut out everything but the music. Your hooves shifting on the strings to get in position, you slid the bow hair across the strings so fast, you swore they were smoking. Pressing down harder on the chin rest, you felt the end coming until the next measure number. Your eyes gleamed, and you put the instrument at your side.

        “We did it,” You stated.

        Octavia gave a simple smile. “It would appear we have. Can’t believe we managed to pull it off.

        You tilted your head. “Really? I would assume you would’ve pulled it off rather nicely.”

        She blinked. “What exactly do you mean by that.”

        You gave a casual shrug. “Oh, nothing. I just thought you out of all ponies would’ve perfected this a long time ago.”

        Octavia gave a weak grin, “Oh, you’re just saying that...”

        You took a step forward, “No, no...I think you’ve been practicing for longer than I think you have...”

She bumped into the wall, your glare growing stronger.

“...You already perfected the entire song, haven’t you?”

“...I...Well...”

> Conclusion-For Good Measure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        You began to lose your patience. “Well? What is it?”

        Octavia looked away, “Yes, it’s true. I know the part already.”

        You raised an eyebrow, “Why? Why fake it?” You were both confused and hurt.

        She sighed, “Because...I just wanted to spend more time with you.” You noticed a blush starting to grow on her face.

        “What? Why not just do it normally, you could have just...invited me over to help me practice.”

        “True, but…” She trailed off.

        “...But?” You leaned forward.

        “That’s just it, I don’t even know why...I just...did because...I kinda like you...” She explained, blushing furiously.

        Your eye twitched, trying to comprehend the situation.

        “I know it makes no sense, but...it’s the truth. I don’t know why I did it, but...I guess I just wanted you to ‘help me’, I suppose. If you gave me some assistance, it makes it more romantic.”

        You shook your head, tempted to just walk outside into the rain and leave. Of course you couldn’t, you were better than that. “Ok, look. I’m still completely confused on what’s going on, but...just give me a minute, then I’ll...I don’t even know.”

        She looked understandably disappointed. “R-right...right…”

        With that, you walked away, it would’ve been too awkward to stay in there. You had to collect your thoughts.

        “Out of all the stallions to pick, she picks me?” you blinked. You sighed, trying to figure out what to possibly do.

        It’s not that you didn’t like her back, it just that you didn’t know if you reciprocated those same feelings. It was just, it was just a lot to handle at the moment. You buried your head in your hooves, more nervous and confused than ever before.

        You stared out the window, the weather seemed to get worse. It was quite a dilemma. Either be rash in your decision, or jeopardize your relationship with a close friend. It’d be rude to leave her like this. You had made your decision. It had to be resolved now.

        You shifted your gaze back to the practice room. Your head still full of doubt. Hoof on the doorknob. Your heartbeat increased as the click of the door sounded off. Your audience was waiting. It was time to tell her. 

The show must go on.

“Octavia?”

“What?”

“...Well, I thought about it...and…”

“And…?” She muttered. You wondered if this was the same mare that you’ve known before. She was usually so collected, so calm and aloof. This was a mare who was unsure, somepony who was vulnerable. It just made your gut twist.

For some reason, the words just wouldn’t come out.

“I-I just...I still don’t know…” you sighed. You immediately saw her become crestfallen. “But…” Her ears immediately perked up.

You smiled warmly, “I’m not entirely opposed to it…”

Octavia gasped, “Y-you mean?”

You shrugged, “We-we’ll see after the concert. I think it might work, but can we please not do anything rash and irrational again? It’s just not like you.”

Octavia brightened up a bit, “Like you haven’t done anything of the sort?”

You sputtered, “Name one time!” You said defensively.

“Well, there was that time when you were at the park with the ducks and…” She began with a smirk.

“Ok! Ok! We do not bring that day of my life up ever again!” You interrupted, causing her to giggle.

“Well, shall we continue our work?”

You looked out the window, the rain barely dripping down. “We shall.”



It’s gonna be fine… Everything is going to be fine. Deep breath in, deep breath out. I am not going to mess this up. You felt a hoof on your shoulder.

“Hey, relax. You’ll do fine.” A soothing voice said. You turned, and silently nodded at her.

As you were called onto the stage, your heartbeat picked up tempo. Your eyes scanned the audience until they found your parents, as well as your siblings. Some of them were fortunate enough to have mates. After this performance, you might just join them in that circle.

You turned to your partner, and your eyes met. At that moment, it was as if you were mentally connected, all thoughts and feelings became one.

Your hoof tapped on the floor as the audience fell silent.

        One, two, three, four.

        It started out slow, an adagio tempo. Simple, connected quarter notes and half notes for the first part of the song. It was simple. Any mistake that might have been made would have to be intentional. Now it began to get harder. The tempo would be the same, but the notes got more complicated. It transitioned back and forth from eighth notes and triplets, not easy for many foals, but to you it was nothing. All it took was a lot of practice and dedication. The music you created alone sounded incomplete, but it only made sense. The piece being played was a duet piece after all, and it would sound incomplete unless both musicians were present.

        But today was different, everything connected, it felt more in tune.

        Halfway through, the tempo would pick up. Your hoof-metronome raised from adagio to andante. Notes came out slightly faster than before. Not a challenge at all, every note played to its full value, every accent played.

        Then came that part, all that practicing building up to this one moment. It was at that point that everything went by at a faster speed, yet the tempo remained the same. There was no thinking, only playing. It came to you naturally, like it was second nature.

        With one final pull, your body tensed, becoming still, the only movement coming from your lungs. There was only silence for a moment, and yet it felt like the longest silence of your life. Without warning, the concert room was filled with loud applause. You turned to your friend and wrapped your hooves around her in relief as roses were tossed in your direction.

        As you separated, the grey mare pulled you in again, locking lips with you for the first time. You didn’t pull away, just close your eyes at let the kiss sustain for as long as she allowed it.

fin