Here's a story that was supposed to be up for Christmas, but I didn't like it and decided not to put it up. Then I figured that I wasn't exactly flooding the internet with stories, so I decided to toss it up anyway. While I usually don't like shipping stories (they seem too formulaic for my taste) I do occasionally read them. There aren't all that many straight ones, and Octavia is best background pony, so…well, there you go. Yes, I read the Allegrezza one with Octavia and Scratch. I liked it okay.

Disclaimer: I know nothing about music. I'm not a musician, and the closest I've ever come to playing classical music was when I played Beethoven on a kazoo. There might be errors. *sunglasses* Deal with it.

Can YOU guess what song Lucky is singing with Beltalong? It's one of the only rap songs that I like.

Look closely and you'll find a reference to my permanently incomplete Trot Hard fic. Other than that, just enjoy I guess. Thanks. Oh, and if you notice anything that might be improved, drop me a note and I'll consider it. Input is always nice!

Lucky was finishing up his chores while Beltalong, the farm's appointed weather pony, flew around him in circles. The brown pegasus had the attention span of a foal half his age, but he was a hard worker and his chores were usually done on time. He wasn't lazy –something the Apple family would never tolerate –but he got distracted very easily. Today he'd cleared most of the clouds in the sky, but a few still lingered around the edges of the farm. In typical Beltalong style the job was as done as it was going to get.

Lucky hitched himself up to the wagon and began pulling the day's load of apples toward the barn. He smiled as Beltalong circled overhead. The pegasus cleared his throat loudly. "She won't come…just when ya want it!"

"Not gonna happen, Belt!" Lucky laughed. "Just forget it."

Beltalong landed beside him looking terribly disappointed. "Oh come on!" he begged, "Please? Pretty please?"

"I don't even talk like that!" Lucky insisted. "I never talked like that."

"It comes out sometimes when you're angry."

"Really?"

Beltalong giggled and took to the air again. "Just one time," he promised. "I won't ask again for the rest of the day if you make it a good one."

Lucky rolled his eyes. "Fine," he sighed. "But only because you promised to leave me alone after this. Set me up."

Most ponies weren't impressed by Beltalong's beat-boxing, but it always made Lucky smile. "She won't come!" the pegasus began again. "Just when you want it!"

While his friend provided the rhythm Lucky started working on the lyrics. His accent changed dramatically with almost no effort at all. He liked House of Grain, but he knew his skills as a vocalist left a lot to be desired.

The song continued as they neared the barn, Beltalong occasionally breaking into a fit of giggles and spoiling the song's rhythm. Lucky didn't mind; he was forced to endure such treatment almost every day and had gotten used to it.

Most ponies knew that Lucky was a very, very distant relative of the Apple family. Only a few knew that he'd grown up in an entirely different part of Equestria than his apple-farming relations. Lucky Clover had been born in Ire-land, a city known for its unfriendly atmosphere and bad weather. His family had moved to Ponyville when he was very young and had no intentions of ever going back.

When the apples were put away and the day's work finally finished Lucky trotted into the house for dinner. Beltalong waved goodbye and flew off toward home…at first. Lucky saw his flight pattern veer sharply to the side as something caught his attention. "Probably saw something shiny," Lucky said with a grin. "What a spaz."

"Heya Lucky!" Applejack said cheerfully as he wandered inside. The family was already gathered around the table and hungrily awaiting dinner. "We were waitin' on you to show up. Tomorrow Big Macintosh and I are going to Canterlot to talk business. We're takin' Caramel with us too, and if you wanted to tag along it'd be fine."

"But what about the farm?" Lucky asked.

"It'll be fine for a few days. Granny Smith won't let Applebloom and the crusaders burn it down while we're gone." Applebloom glared at her sister, but Applejack ignored her. "It's up to you. Big Macintosh and I can work out the business mumbo-jumbo with Caramel, but you can come along for the fun of it if you want."

Twenty-four hours after packing his bags and making the trip to Canterlot Lucky was beginning to think that "for the fun of it" was code for "misery loves company". The Apple siblings (and their cousin Caramel) were trying to work out a deal for the farm, but since he didn't own any part of the farm's business he had no say in what they decided to do. That meant that he had nothing to do but twiddle his hooves while they were busy.

He didn't like the big city, and he was already starting to miss the farm. There was very little that captured his interest here and his friends wouldn't be done with their business for hours. Maybe they could all see a movie or visit the palace gardens together later in the day, but for now he would have to entertain himself. He thought about trying to see the Wonderbolts perform but then remembered that their next tour didn't start for another three months.

Lucky spent several hours wandering from building to building. He found museums, an art academy, and more tourist traps than he could count. None of it interested him until an art gallery lured him in with the promise of the world's most detailed sculpture; a bizarre, absurd creature frozen in the midst of a maniacal laugh.

Lucky spent a while trying to figure out what he was looking at, eventually deciding that it was some sort of Frankenpony monster stitched together from a dozen different creatures. He smiled at the absurdity of the thing, wondering what sort of artist would take the time to create it.

The art gallery segued into a concert hall that shared the same building. Lucky saw a poster in the lobby advertising public auditions for the royal orchestra. Visitors were invited to sit in on the auditions at no charge. He could hear a quiet murmur of restrained conversation coming from inside and decided to investigate.

The auditorium wasn't completely full, but there was a sizeable audience waiting for the auditions to start. Lucky found an empty seat near the back and sighed happily as he sat down. He'd been on his hooves all day and was happy to relax for a while.

A unicorn with perfectly manicured hooves stepped onto the stage and the auditorium fell silent. Lucky immediately noticed that his mane was slicked back with so much gel that the scent of it was probably strangling the front row. "Ladies and gentlecolts!" he began. "My name is Eighth Harmonic, and I am pleased to welcome you to the auditions for the royal orchestra.

"The Alicorn Sisters Orchestra is a proud organization that was formed over a thousand years ago for the enjoyment of our esteemed monarchs. To this day, we strive to provide the princesses with the most beautiful music Equestria has ever heard. As a proud patron of the arts, Celestia has requested that the public be allowed to sit in on these auditions. We honor her request, but ask that you remain silent and respectful for the duration of the show. Thank you."

Eighth Harmonic bowed and motioned to somepony offstage. A voice filled the auditorium through the speakers: "Our first musician is Plucky Strings."

Lucky listened happily as beautiful music filled the hall. The pony onstage played very well, and the audience couldn't help but clap after his performance. A look from Eighth Harmonic silenced them as the next pony walked onstage. It was Lyra! Lucky wanted to wave, but realized that he could end up distracting her. He didn't want to ruin her audition, especially if she played as well as Plucky Strings.

After Lyra came a parade of musicians that Lucky didn't recognize. Most of them were ponies, but every now and then a griffon made an appearance. They all fell away into an endless line of names that he wouldn't remember later; first came Bright Harmony, then Strummer, Perfect Note, Talon Gruber (one of the few griffons), Windy Brass, and several others that weren't quite on the same level as their rivals.

Most of the hopefuls were very talented, but Lucky was getting bored all the same. He could only hear the same sample music so many times before it became monotonous. He was glad when Eighth Harmony finally told the audience that the next audition would be the last.

"Octavia Amati." A grey earth pony trotted onto the stage, carrying a cello that looked too big for her. She was wearing a purple bowtie and purple eyeliner to match her cutie mark; some sort of musical symbol that Lucky didn't recognize. She tucked her dark mane behind her ears, closed her eyes, and assumed a relaxed posture behind her instrument.

The fact that her cello was oversized made Lucky feel sorry for her. Half the ponies that had auditioned for the Alicorn Sisters Orchestra clearly didn't have a chance, even with the proper instruments. Some of these ponies here were world-class musicians, and this poor mare was going to audition with an instrument that weighed more than she did.

"You may begin," Eighth Harmonic said in a bored tone. Lucky immediately wanted to smack him for being so inconsiderate. He hadn't talked that way to any of the other musicians. Octavia took no notice; she just took a deep breath and began to play the same music as every other cellist that had auditioned.

The difference was that, while the others had been great, she was utterly brilliant. Lucky had heard the same music from at least seven other ponies and one mildly talented griffon, but none of them played with half as much passion as Octavia. Her energy poured into the music, filling the room with an air of delicate magic that could have shattered with a single lackluster note. The auditorium seemed to edge forward slightly as everypony leaned forward in their seats.

Octavia's music slowly began to take a toll on her appearance. Her carefully brushed mane began to drift out from behind her ears and into her face, lending her an air of frantic desperation. She repeatedly tossed her head to get it out of her eyes, never once missing a note. Her bowtie and collar became dark with sweat and her eyeliner left nearly invisible purple lines down her face as it washed away. She never looked up from her cello, fixing it with a stare so intense that she appeared to be begging it to keep playing. Lucky wasn't sure that she could have stopped even if she'd wanted to.

By the end of the song Octavia was a mess, but a beautiful one. The final notes of her music ended and the auditorium as a whole let out the breath it had been holding. Lucky watched, awestruck, as she bowed politely to both the audience and to Eighth Harmonic. The grey mare that had seemed so out of her league now strolled calmly offstage, having produced the most incredible music he could ever imagine hearing.

"Ladies and gentlecolts," Eighth Harmonic said to the stunned audience, "Thank you for attending and for being so considerate during the performances. On behalf of the Alicorn Sisters Orchestra, have a nice day."

Lucky watched numbly as the curtain fell and the other members of the audience got up to leave. "Wow," he said quietly. "Just…wow."

Long after the show was over and the audience had gone home the other musicians began filtering out of the building and hailing taxis. Lucky was waiting on a bench nearby. "Hey!" he said when he saw Octavia lugging her cello down the gallery's steps. "You were amazing in there!"

Octavia smiled politely. "You're very kind. Do I know you?"

"Oh! Uh, no. I just sort of wandered in and saw that they were holding public auditions, so I figured it might be fun to watch. I can carry your cello if you like, or-"

"No, that's quite alright." Octavia hailed a cab and lifted her cello onto her back.

"You'll get the part, right? Shoot, if you don't deserve it then nopony does."

"These things are never certain." Octavia tried to tuck her mane back behind her ears, but her performance had thrown it into a state of temporary chaos and there was simply no fixing it. "Still, I appreciate the compliment. I have to be going now."

Lucky saw that she was walking a little faster than normal and began to feel foolish. "Oh, I'm botherin' you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be a pest."

"It's no imposition." Octavia slid her cello into the taxi's back seat and gave him a strained smile. "Forgive me, I just don't know what you want."

"Uh, nothin' I guess." Lucky glanced back at the concert hall and saw Eighth Harmonic locking the doors behind him as he left. "It just seems like you got a raw deal up there. Wasn't right, him acting like you weren't worth his time. Maybe I felt like somepony should congratulate you."

Octavia stared at him for a moment as though trying to decide whether or not he was pulling her leg. "That's very kind of you," she said. "I'm glad that you enjoyed the show, Mr…?"

"Lucky," he said. "Lucky Clover."

"Octavia, but you knew that already." Octavia climbed into the cab and smiled at him through the window. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Clover. Perhaps I'll see you if they decide to call me back tomorrow." Then, to the earth pony pulling the taxi, "The Horn and Feather, please."

The taxi pulled away and left Lucky standing alone beside the road. He started back toward the hotel with a goofy smile and a light heart. Maybe Canterlot wasn't such a boring place after all.

The next day Lucky found his way to the art gallery and from there to the concert hall. He took a pamphlet from a basket by the door and read over the names, fairly dancing with anticipation until he found Octavia. She was dead last again, but she'd made it through the first round of eliminations.

Lucky was more attentive today, partly because there were fewer performances to sit through. The music was also different, which was refreshing. He wasn't sure that he could have heard the same song thirty more times and remained sane.

Octavia finally took the stage and waited for Eighth Harmonic to give her leave to begin. The unicorn shifted through several lists of names first, making her wait while he read through them. Finally he looked up and gave her a nod.

Lucky had waited all morning to hear her play, and Octavia didn't disappoint him. She thrilled the audience just as much tonight as she had before. Her music filled the auditorium and hypnotized everypony there so thoroughly that the applause afterward was completely uncontrollable.

The only pony present that didn't seem impressed was Eighth Harmonic. He hardly seemed to be paying attention while she played, and dismissed her with a curt nod when she was finished. "What a punk," Lucky grumbled. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but the pegasus sitting next to him nodded in agreement.

Lucky didn't have to wait outside for very long before musicians began spilling out of the building. Octavia was among them, lugging her cello along with dignity despite her slightly bedraggled appearance. "Oh, Mr. Clover!" she said pleasantly. "Lovely to see you again. Did you enjoy the show?"

"You bet! What was that you were playin'?"

"Buck's Eleventy-First."

Lucky had heard of Buck, but not that particular song. "That's a really weird name."

Octavia laughed musically. "Yes, it is; Buck was completely insane. Some historians think it was either caused by or the cause of his musical genius."

"Doesn't seem like a pony should have to go crazy to get good at somethin'."

"I quite agree."

Lucky walked with her to the curb where she hailed a taxi. "Hey, sorry about yesterday." He cleared his throat and tried to phrase his next words carefully. "I didn't mean to be a nuisance."

"Nonsense. I'm flattered that you stayed to see me personally. Are you engaged for dinner tonight?"

"I…what?"

Octavia paused as she pushed her cello into the taxi. "I'll be dining alone," she said thoughtfully, "It so happens that I do not know many ponies in Canterlot. There is a restaurant in my hotel. If you are not otherwise engaged, say at eight o'clock-"

"That sounds great!" Lucky exclaimed. "You got it –eight o'clock, the Horn and Feather." Octavia said something he couldn't hear to the pony pulling her taxi, then waved to Lucky as she rode away. "I'll be there!" He watched the taxi roll away and sighed. "Aw ponyfeathers. I don't have anything to wear."

Hours later Lucky was beginning to regret dressing up for his meeting with Octavia. He'd made the mistake of telling Caramel about his plans for the evening, who had then told anypony that would listen. Applejack had taken it upon herself to help him get ready and, while Lucky appreciated that his family was trying to help, she was starting to get on his nerves.

"Feels kinda funny to say this," Applejack said as she adjusted his tie for the eighth time, "But things'd be a lot simpler if Rarity was here. None of us know the first thing about dating 'cept Big Macintosh, and he and Fluttershy never dress up anyway. Rarity's into all this fancy-schmancy stuff; she'd be more help here than all the rest of us combined."

"Thanks and all, but I don't need help." Lucky adjusted his vest and fastened the top button. "This isn't a date. We're just going to have dinner and talk for a while."

Applejack eyed him dubiously. "And that's different from a date how, exactly?"

"Don't use your fancy semantics to muddy the issue! I don' need yer help! This isn't a date!" He noticed some of the old Ire-land upbringing cropping up in his words and sighed. Beltalong had been right, and he hated it when Beltalong was right. "Just stop fussin' over me and calm down!"

Applejack rolled her eyes and backed away. "If it's not a date, then why are you so nervous? Take some of your own advice and relax, Lucky. You're a nice pony, and that's a rare enough thing in the big city. She'll like you just fine."

Lucky looked himself over in the mirror and smiled. Applejack was right; he looked alright and Octavia already seemed to like him. This was just a casual, friendly dinner in a fancy restaurant in the most upscale hotel in Canterlot with one of the most beautiful mares he'd ever seen in his life.

Suddenly Lucky didn't feel as confident as he had moments before.