One Quiet, Perfect Day Among the Noise (Closed, Icy)

[Blueblood]

"Is that so?"  Sky a musician, not a chemist or a cook, so that little explanation was quite new.  "So, too much of a sweet thing makes it taste bitter?  Huh.  I guess that makes sense.  Change-ups in rhythm are often used to keep moods in music from feeling repetitive.  And if an audience thinks you're repeating yourself too much, they're not so sweet on you."  He smiled a bit at the pun, as if this wasn't one of the many things keeping him from sleeping much.  "Sounds like Icy makes a show of preparation, then.  A bit like those Neighponese hibachi cooks; the food is good, but you really go to see the preparatory showmareship.  I wonder if she ever thought about integrating that into advertisement?  It sounds like the perfect sort of attraction for a city like this."

 

Progress through the fountains was slow and careful as they walked, talked, and licked.  Once past, though, they made fairly good time through the cooling avenues.  Though darkness was not falling yet, the neon was coming on and warming up for another big night.  "Should be about three more turns and then straight for another four blocks until we're there."  Sky was starting to get a sense of this place.

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

"Oh she does! When ever she's down there she uses her magic to freeze everything near instantly and does it in such a way where she's actually making snow like a Pegasus would. Though I don't she could do it on a large scale. She could probably make a singular snow cloud though if she really wanted to. I'll admit on some of the warmer days here, especially like today, I'd go for a nice snow. I suppose it would be a bit weird to see snow though at these temperatures," Wind laughed as they made their way back through the downtown part of the strip. All of the neon lights were starting to power up which meant many places wild be starting their outdoor shows soon. "But yeah, I think you'd like one of her shows and your definitely love her over cream." she smiled. "Dancing is the same way as well. If all you do is the same style of dancing, then ponies will eventually developer the mindset of you've seen one you've seen all. A lot of performers loose their crowds that way unfortunately. 

 

 

She smiled though when Sky mentioned that they were just a few turns from the Mareage. He was starting to get a bit more familiar with the area, and was staying to recognize different parts of the strip. "Indeed, and right on time or seems as they were starting to approach the Mareage. The staff naturally speed them feeling a great distance away and motioned for them to come through the VIP entrance to the casino. "Windy, Mr. Sailing, to what do we owe the honor tonight." The guard by the door asked in a pleasant tone.

[Blueblood]

As accustomed as Sky Sailing was growing towards the city of Los Pegasus, the idea that he would be respectfully guided to the VIP entrance of... anything, really, was a complete novelty to him.  It might have been less awkward, perhaps, if he wasn't still holding the last bite of his waffle cone between his feathers.  It just somehow seemed incongruous to the situation, leaving him somewhat flushed and flustered.  "Oh, uh, we're here for the symphony.  Just let me..."  Holding up a hoof in a 'just a moment' gesture, he crammed the rest of his treat into his mouth, trying to keep any crumbs off his jacket.  "Sorry, didn't want to drip on anything inside."

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

The guard couldn't help but smile a bit as the stallion downed the last of his ice cream. He nodded when they said that they were here for the symphony. "I kinda figured. Miss Windy here loves symphonies and tries to make it to add many of those performances as she can," he smiled before she nodded. 

 

"Indeed! Though they are always better when you have some special going with you to them that also enjoys them. It's in the grande right?"

 

"Yes ma'am! If give you instructions on how to get there, but I'm pretty sure you know the layout of this place almost as well as Mrs. Bit herself. And the pools maybe a bit better," he laughed making a playful jab at just how often she was actually at the pools. Wind Dancer laughed a bit herself before nodding and moving past him into the foyer.

 

"Alrighty, well, let's go grab us the biggest popcorn with the most butter that they will allow us to have and find our seats. Believe it or not, we'll want something completely centered, both right to left and front to back. Too close and the sound washes over you but to far it starts getting distorted. So fast the best seats I've found, at least in the grande for things like this are X-15 through X-25," Wind said to Sky with pure enthusiasm in her voice, hinting at just how much she loved symphonies. 

[Blueblood]

Glad that the guard was so understanding of his little awkward moment, Sky gave him a smile as he escorted Wind Dancer into the passage.  "Have a good evening, sir!"  Habits of the heartland never truly leave a pony; a polite hello and goodbye could do wonders.

 

Once past the doorway, however, it was swapped who was escorting whom.  "Alright, then; maximal butter for you, minimal butter for me.  I just... don't like getting grease on my feathers.  I had a oil unit crack its rubber pipes on me back when I worked in cold storage and-"  He shuddered.  "That was one of the only times in my life my wings couldn't catch the wind.  I also wasn't sure I could save myself if I fell, too, so it was pretty terrifying until I got cleaned off.  Which can take a little while."  The line was still short at the concession stand, thankfully.  A lot of the ponies here were the more high-class types who thought it gauche to eat and listen to music at the same time.  "Not to mention, slick feathers have a hard time hitting the keys.  And don't me started about cleaning out a synthesizer..."

 

Thankfully, his past trauma wasn't triggered by hoofing over a large bucket of yellowy-shiny puffed kernels to his marefriend, who then picked out the pair of seats for them.  He had no reason to doubt her knowledge of acoustics, a subject he knew well of himself.  X-18 and X-19 were unoccupied, and thus became theirs.  "What pieces have they picked out for tonight?"  Sky asked, curiously.  Handling the popcorn had not given him time to read through the show program.

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

It didn't take long for them to find their way to the concession stand, and on the way, Wind Dancer listened to Sky tell her about his experience with greasy wings and how he didn't care much for getting grease on them. He told her about how he had an oil unit crack on him in the cold storage and that it was one of the only times in his life that his wings couldn't catch the wind. She herself even made a face at that and shuddered as she could imagine the slime oily yuckiness all over her own wings from that point. "Yeah, I can see why you wouldn't like something like that, but the butter makes the popcorn delicious and I've yet to have it not wash out with a shower so I should be fine. Of course now that I say that my feathers are probably going to smell like popcorn for a week," she said with a giggle as they made their way into the theater.

 

Thankfully most of the seats were still empty. They tried to get them to come up to the VIP section by the front of the stage, but Windy politely declined. IF she didn't know any better she could have sworn she saw a disgruntled look from one of the staff as he handed a bag of sorts to another one of the staff. Did they really make a bet on whether or not she'd use the VIP section for this? That other guard must be new to be dumb enough to make that bet! She couldn't help but giggle and would have to find out how much he lost later so that she could pay it back to him. It wasn't right for the veterans to prey on the newbies like that. Once they were seated, Windy forwent her wings and just leaned down and began munching on the popcorn. When Sky asked what was on the itinerary for the night, she picked up the brochure with her wing.

 

"Hmm, Let me see... Las Pegasus Symphony... doot doot dooo.... Ahh, here's the playlist," she said looking it over for a moment trying to find it at first. "Let's see here. Looks like they are playing The Overture, The Klaxon, Coltzart, looks like an orchestral rendition of K. 545, Bethooven... oh, they're doing the full Moonlight Symphony tonight. It looks like they are going to be ending with a few that I don't recognize either. One called Moonrise, and another called My Night of Stars. They are apparently teasers of something new for modern orchestra. That should be interesting. Not many ponies still wring for genres like this," she said with a bit more excitement now at the prospect of hearing something new from the symphony.

[Blueblood]

"That's alright, popcorn's not a bad smell, after all."  Sky chuckled in response to Windy's laughing remark about the effects of buttery popcorn.  "I think my favorite kind is some I got at a fairground once, sweet and salty, but not overwhelming or slippery.  Never found any like it sense, but I guess that makes sense.  Some of the best things in life are one-of-a-kind.  For example..."  He gave her a little nuzzle.  "You."

 

No usher would win a bet on them not looking cute in public, that was for sure.  Taking in his popcorn one kernel at a time, Sky listened to their itinerary.  He savored his snack as one did coming from a moderate background; luxury was to be savored and prolonged, for it didn't come often.  "Some classics, some modern.  A lot of composers seem to make scores these days rather than symphonies, though the line between is starting to blur, now that more and more talent is coming into the field.  I've heard good things about the *Flower, Moon, Wind, Snow* show from Neighpon, but I don't know when that is crossing the ocean."

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

"True it's not, but it always makes my hungry," Wind said with a laugh in response to Sky saying that the popcorn smell wasn't a bad smell. He mentioned himself that his favorite kind is popcorn was the one that you could only get at carnivals. It was sweet and salty and often served with nuts. "Oh, that's pretty good to!!!" she smiled leaning into the nuzzle before giving one of her own. 

 

"Yeah, I haven't had much of a chance to hear any of that myself. At least not live. I heard a recording of it off of a vinyl but that's it. What I did hear was pretty good but recordings never do love performances justice," she smiled. "And whether they write scores or symphonies or anything in between doesn't matter to me as long as it sounds good. Bonus points if I can dance to it," she giggled as the lights dimmed and the performers came on the stage, entices an applause from the audience, Wind herself included.

[Blueblood]

"There was a good amount of percussion int the score, so I imagine it would.  I heard the composer was also mixing in aspects of modern dance music into a symphonic milieu, which is really making me look forward to see what the whole thing sounds like.  The associated story was pretty interesting too..."  Sky's discussion of the prospective performance was summarily ended by the heralding of the present one.  Like Windy, he joined in the general applause, before settling back.

 

The start was, of course, full of instrument tuning as each player found their place and their key.  The conductor was the last to take the stage, giving the rest of the orchestra another minute, before tapping his wand on the stand.  It wasn't a particularly loud sound, but the acoustics of the chamber carried it, even to the box seats.  It was enough to silence the chamber for a count of four beats, and then-

It began.

 

Sky had heard some of pieces before, particularly at Wind Dancer's performances, but she was one-hundred percent right when she stated that recordings did live productions justice.  Observing him now, Wind would be able to see that Sky alternated between two modes of listening.  The first was a closed-eyed way, letting his imagination take him wherever the notes would lead.  From time to time, though, his eyes would open, and he would focus keenly on one part or another of the orchestra pit, seeking out a particular player to attempt to glean the secret of their technique.

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

Wind nodded in response to Sky's final statement, but she herself did not reply as hey applause began to die down and the orchestra went through their tuning process. They started with the strings and moved their way through the brass. Once everything was tuned they began. The opening pieces were very familiar to get having used them in several of her routines during her own performances, but hearing them love was always much, much better. She saw Sky seating back and forth with his eyes closed simply enjoying the music. She was doing similar, but she didn't trust herself to relax that much. If she lost all of her restraint she could start generating small gusts of wind and distort sounds. Something she definitely didn't want to be responsible for. 

 

After the first couple pieces her popcorn was an after thought. Mostly because the bucket was already empty, but that was beside the point... She was enthralled by the music, she herself flowing with the beat and time of each piece. She noticed at this point Sky watching rather intently at some of the performers. Likely looking for inspiration for some of his own works or improvements to technique on instruments he already owns. About halfway through the forth song, Wind simply let herself relax completely and leaned lovingly against Sky as they sat and listened.

[Blueblood]

As the concert continued, Sky's periods of intense focus became less and less frequent, soon fading altogether as he simply let the music take him and his marefriend wherever it wished.  Wind Dancer was leaning against him now, close enough for him to feel her heartbeat adjust tempo according to the music.  A dancer's instincts, perhaps?  His own was steady, though slightly faster just from having her so close.  Though the auditorium was crowded, they were alone together in symphonic surroundings.

 

No perfect moment lasts forever, for to be perfect is to be complete, and things must end at their completion.  The half-second of silence after the last triumphant note, and the roar of applause after, sealed and wrapped the precious memory in Sky's mind.  He had meditated, in the mists of imagination and emotion that his brain had retreated into, and returned with a revelation.  One which he would share with Wind Dancer... once the both of them were out of the noise.  He wasn't sure how long she wished to stay, though.  Chances were, she knew one or two of the musicians, and wished to congratulate them in the greenroom, perhaps.

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

Wind Dancer smiled and swayed lightly, moving with the music occasionally humming along with it in the areas that she knew well. It was quite a bit of it actually aside from the newer pieces at the end of the night. She had to admit she wasn't sure what to expect from the new works, but they were pretty good! They definitely had a bit more of a modern feel towards them but they still had the main feel of the olden scores to them. So that was good. As it was though with everything, eventually the concert began to Wind down, and she smiled and joined everypony else in applause as they stood up to honor the performers.

 

So far everything about this day had been perfect to her. To just be able to be herself and have a wonderful day with somepony that was turning out to be so important to her filled her with joy. It had been a while since she'd really been able to do this. Much longer with anypony she'd considered to be more than just a friend. A thought that stuck with her. Something more than just a friend. She really liked the sound of that. As the masses began to exit the theater, Windy simply followed Sky out through the guest exits and smiled. "Well, that was quite the performance. We are definitely going to have to do something like this again at some point," she said with a smile once they were back in the lobby of the theater.

[Blueblood]

It seemed like Wind Dancer wasn't meaning to be anything more than an audience member tonight.  That actually left Sky with a few more minutes than he'd been expecting, and now that he had a better idea of what was where in this city, he decided on the spur of the moment the perfect use for them.  "Oh yes, and not just once; I'd love for this to be a regular thing between us, when our schedules permit.  Ah, but there's one more thing I want to show you before we go home."  'Home', was that what he was calling her flat now?  It was telling, perhaps, that the word so easily applied there for Sky Sailing as for his own cloud studio.  That only made what would come next all the more right and natural.

 

He would lead Windy out of the lobby, and down one of the side-streets, a shortcut that wasn't really a shortcut, due to how crowded some of the narrower lanes could be, even to pegasi.  But that wasn't the point; this route back to her apartment would take them past a very familiar looking park, where Sky stopped to make a little detour.  "Remember this place?"  He grinned at her, the streetlights and moonlight illuminating his smile as his wings caught the air again, landing in a certain tree.  "I don't think I'll ever forget it."  He said, waiting for Windy to join him.  "They say that you never forget the place where you meet you special somepony."  He said, in a softer voice, turning brown eyes to meet her own.  "Do you think that's true?"

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

Wind nodded in response to Sky agreeing with her when he said that this should definitely be more than a one time thing when their schedules aligned. Her ears did perk up a bit though when he told her that he had one more thing to show her though before they went home for the night. She wasn't sure if it was a just a casual slip of the tongue, but the word choice to call her home their home didn't go unnoticed. Something that she would playfully bring up later. As for now, she was curious as to what else it was that he was wanting to show her. She continued to follow him through the streets of Las Pegasus until they came to a familiar park. It was the one that wasn't too far from her apartment that she liked to walk on and relax on some of her long nights that she can't sleep.

 

Their walk took them along the winding paths until they came to a stop at a tree. Sky asked her if she remembered this spot, adding that he certainly did. He further said that ponies always said that when you finally meet that somepony special in your life, that they were always going to remember it. She couldn't help but smile and lean against it. "Well, I would be inclined to say that from my limited experience in meeting special someponies," she started with a soft smile. "I would be inclined to agree with the masses on that one," she nuzzled. "I can even still feel the leave tickling my nose," she laughed a bit.

[Blueblood]

Sky smiled, returning the nuzzle as Wind Dancer agreed with his statement... and the implications that it held.  He wasn't sure if it made sense to ask if she would be his special somepony, given that they were in every way acting like each other's already.  Not to mention everypony else certainly thought of them as that!

 

Nonetheless, some things had to be said, rather than simply left silent in the hopes of still being understood.  "So, that's what we are then.  I'd felt it early before, but I needed to make sure, make absolutely sure, that I wasn't dreaming myself into something unreal.  But now, I know I've been awake this whole time."  He pulled back, just far enough that he could look Wind Dancer in the eyes.  "I... I love you, Windy.  I don't know why that took so long for me to say, its been true for a while.  I'm not sure when I first fell, sometime between our first meeting and the first time I saw you dance; but my wings have caught the air now, and I'm ready to fly with you."

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

Wind Dancer couldn't help but pay very close attention to the next set of words that came out of the mouth of the blue pegasus next to her. With her statement of remembering the leaves on her nose all but confirming how she felt about Sky, if anything moreso to herself than to him. Not that herself had needed any more convincing, the genuineness of the stallion next to her was proof enough of that. She listened to his statement about stating that was what they were then, and how he had felt it now for a while, but he needed to be sure, absolutely sure that she wasn't one of his dreams that had manifested itself to be real. A small part of her inside felt a bit sad about the possibility of him thinking that she wasn't after all the time that they had spent together, but after what he had told her about the realism of his dreams, she understood the precaution.

 

His second statement though, made her heart leap into her chest as it began to beat rapidly. Those three words, well, four words with her name and the weight that they carried... He told her that he didn't know what took so long for him to say it, but that he had started feeling it since sometime between the first meeting and the first time that he saw her dance. He told her that his wings had caught the air now and that he was ready to fly with her. Finally the weight in her chest seemed to fall as she moved up to him and lightly pressed into a more passionate kiss. Not one that a friend would give, but a one that a special pony would give to their significant other. "I... I love you too... I to have felt it for a bit... but I wanted to make sure that all the feelings were genuine and not just a rouse like the last stallion I liked ended up being... I am very happy to find and to say that you aren't like that at all. So I say that if you are ready to fly with me, then I'm more than ready to have a wing mate by my side at all times," she said wrapping him in a wing hug.

[Blueblood]

Wind Dancer wouldn't be able to see Sky Sailing's lips curl up into a smile, as she was currently engaged in passionately kissing him.  But if her eyes were open, she would see in his own that he had never been so happy before now.  They were wide with joy, and a bit of surprise, too, at mention of 'the last stallion.'  He wasn't surprised that she had been courted before, but that any other pony could be so foolish as to not be genuine with so wonderful a mare.  

 

Now, however, was not the time to spare any mindspace for such fools.  Now was the time for hugs and kisses-  "Whoop!"  There was a bit of a scramble as their mutual winghug left Sky's perch on the branch somewhat precarious.  "Well, I think I'm ready to fly home with you.  We'll have plenty of time to continue this once we get back, right?"

 

Spoiler

The Bonus Track on Sky's new Album: 

 

 

[IceStorm]

~~~Wind Dancer~~~

 

 

 

Wind couldn't help but giggle a bit as the broke away from their kiss and their hug left then doing a balancing act on the branch that they were on. As soon as they regained their balance, Sky said that he was ready to head home with her. Hearing it like that sent a small shiver down her spine, and filled her with joy. She couldn't see it during to kiss as hey eyes were closed then, but she could now easily see the happiness in her coltfriend's eyes. 

 

With a soft smile she spread her wings and took to the sky herself only going a free feet away before pausing. "Indeed. The sooner we get home the sooner we can get a bit more comfortable to," she said holding her smile.

[Blueblood]

"Then let us go, love."
Spreading his own wings, Sky practically floated from the branch, suspended by the subtle breezes and his own high spirits.  Drifting to Windy's side, he offered his hoof to take as they made their way back to her apartment.  In one respect, it felt like a momentous, lifelong journey was beginning for him.  Yet, in another, he was simply coming to the home he always had, but never knew before...

 

*FIN*