private Rhapsody in Blue

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"Well, I guess we could make a stallion. And wait you tried to build an entire snowpony orchestra?! And you managed to get to the flutes?!" Sterling asked in shock, wondering how it was possible for Blue Note to get through so much of the orchestra in such little time... He then began to form a mound of snow through which he and Blue Note could create a large ball and get started on their first snowpony. It was too bad that he couldn't help Blue Note complete her orchestra... maybe they could do that someday with their whole family. But for now, one very nice looking snowpony would have to do...

[lincolnshirepony 527]

"Well, I started with the flutes," Blue Note admitted. "But Equestria had never seen such a flute section." She used her magic to create a snowy sphere. "I also had magic to help me. What can I say? I was a bored filly on a Sunday afternoon." She lacked many things in her fillyhood, but free time was not one of them. She probably could have become a bank robber in her spare time, and no pony would have cared. 

 

"So he's a stallion, eh?" She gave him a mischievous grin. "We could name after the principal flute in The Snowpony Orchestra, Snowy Flute. I was a beacon of originality as a young pony."

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"Snowy Flute? That's a perfect name for him!" Sterling exclaimed happily as he began to roll up a smaller snowball to fit the head region for Snowy Flute.

 

"It would be really cool if he came alive like Frosty does in his stories!" Sterling exclaimed again. He was having so much fun with their snowpony that he was forgetting all his worries and doubts. Hopefully Blue Note was having just as much fun as he was on this special holiday.

[lincolnshirepony 527]

Blue Note used her magic to fashion the snow together into a remotely flute-like cylinder, and began to levitate it around. "Well, at least we've got a magic flute," she grinned. "Though I would love it if Snowy Flute here could say something. I'm sure he could give us some great tips, being the principal in Equestria's greatest winter orchestra." Talking about snowponies took her back to being a younger pony, when Frosty might have been real and Snowy Flute should have been. 

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Sterling giggled when Blue Note mentioned the Magic Flute. It reminded him of the opera with the same name by the prodigy Marezart... about a magic flute and how it brought two ponies into love... Maybe that couple would be him and Blue Note... Sterling smiled gleefully at the thought of being a couple again... Blue Note looked very dashing with her dress... It fit her so perfectly... But Sterling had to refocus on their snowpony. He didn't want to be going back to lovey-dovey feelings, even if it was one of the most romantic times of the year...

 

"And what a nice flute it would be! What should we use as a flute for our lovely snowy stallion...?" Sterling asked with a warm smile. Maybe a piece of branch would do, but Sterling wanted something better for the snowpony...

[lincolnshirepony 527]

"Hm..." Blue Note said. "Snow flute?" That had been her approach back in the olden days. She dropped the pile of snow she had been levitating to the ground. She tried to create the mouthpiece with her hooves. "Either this was easier when I was a filly, or my memory is very selective." As she stared at the flute-like mass of snow, she had to wonder how she could have possibly been such a patient pony.

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Sterling saw the finished snowpony, and he admired how dashing it looked. He especially loved the snow flute that would be added to the snowpony once Blue Note completed the finishing touches. He gave out another gleeful chuckle before he replied with a smile,

 

"Well the hour's almost up. Let's get the flute up before we take some pictures and head over to the pageant at the Lincoln Centre!" Sterling couldn't wait for the pageant... He was looking forward to it all morning... which was why he dressed up so nicely for the occasion.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Sterling Crimson

[lincolnshirepony 527]

"All right," Blue Note said. "See you around, Snowy Flute. May we meet again." She felt a little silly talking to their snowpony, but Sterling was a pony she could be a little silly around. She levitated the flute up to the snowpony. 

 

"I can't wait to see the pageant. I'm excited to see how they perform it in Manehatten. The Canterlot pageant always had great production values; I'm sure it's equally wonderful here."

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Sterling was happy to see Blue Note feeling so foal-like. It made Blue Note all the more wonderful and cute to him. He couldn't get enough of being with Blue Note, and he wanted this day to last forever... He took some pictures of Blue Note with Snowy Flute, the snow flutist extraordinaire, before the taxi driver rushed back to Central Park with his carriage.

 

"Sorry I'm a little late Sterling! Do youse and your mare friend want to head over to the pageant now?" Red Rocket asked with a pant.

 

"It's alright Red! We're just finishing up here! We'll be off to the pageant in just a moment!" Stering exclaimed in reply. Now to get to the pageant that was set to start in less than half an hour...

[lincolnshirepony 527]

"Guess we should get in," Blue Note said. They had some time get there, and Blue Note was just glad to be enjoying the ride. Manehatten had been graced with a wintery elegance, and she didn't want to miss out on any of it. Everything was different today. While she was not entirely sure, she suspected that this was what Hearth's Warming was supposed to feel like. It was fun and magical, free of strife and arguments and crippling loneliness. It was her and Sterling, having a great day.

[Inactive01 5,299]

The coach carried Sterling and Blue Note to their destination... the Manehattan pageant... It was supposed to be a well-attended event and one filled with ponies from all Equestria, just like the Canterlot Pageants. Sterling only ever attended one Hearth's Warming pageant in his life, and that was in his colt years when he never understood the need to dress up so nicely for the occasion. Now... he understood the need to look good... he was now attending the event with the mare who he really cared about... his best friend... Sterling couldn't wait to begin dancing and to see all the decorations for the event... and finally, to be away from the harshness of life that was thrown at him in all directions... Even if it was just this day, it would be his first time going to a pageant on his lonesome self with a mare...

[lincolnshirepony 527]

Blue Note picked up a program at the entrance. She looked inside, curious to see who was performing. "Look at all of these Broadhay stars!" she exclaimed. "Do they normally have such a lineup?" The Canterlot Pageants usually brought celebrities in. One year, they had been graced by Ponyville's heroes. "Ooh, and it looks like the Manehatten Chorus is singing, and The Manehatten Orchestra is providing the music. This is so exciting!" Blue Note gave a wide smile. This day was only getting better.

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Sterling too picked up a program before he headed into the Manehattan Pageant. It was to be a night that not only showcased the best of the musicians in Equestria, but there was also going to be a night of dancing to all the Broadhay dance music ever made for everypony to enjoy. Sterling picked up a program where the day was set to begin with the showcase of pony music before heading to the dances. The day would then end before dinner where Sterling and Blue Note could then head off to meet Sterling's parents...

 

"Oh I can't wait to hear songs from "Crazy for You" and the other musicals! I just want to jump up and sing along!" Sterling shouted happily as he then began to sing "I've Got Rhythm" after giving his pageant ticket to the ponies at the registration desk. It was time to have some more fun inside the warm Lincoln Building...

[lincolnshirepony 527]

Blue Note followed Sterling into Lincoln Center. The plaza bustled with ponies from all over Manehatten, all here to enjoy a lovely holiday. She wondered how many of them were really having a good day. With so many ponies, the odds were stacked against at least a few of them. A filly stuffed into an red and green dress had been pulled off to the side of the plaza by her mother. She screamed and cried, but the mother was having none of it. A green stallion in front of them had slumped posture and eyes trained to the ground. He was alone. To the right, in the crowd, was a small, lavender pony. She was barely older than a filly, and she too was by herself.

 

Sometimes Blue Note wondered why. And here she was, having a great Hearth Warming's for the first time in a long time. 

 

"So, are we headed to the Vivian Beaumare Theater to start?" she asked. And sometimes, she knew that the best path was to enjoy the ride. 

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Sterling was still jumping around happily, wanting to have the best of times on Hearth's Warming! Just being with Blue Note was already magical, but for him to be able to enjoy an entire pageant with Blue Note was a dream come true... 

 

"Yes! We should head there for sure! The pageant's set to start any moment now!" Sterling continued to prance around the Lincoln Center, marveling at the beautiful crimson carpets and the velvet curtains that gallantly closed the windows off to the rest of Manehattan...

[lincolnshirepony 527]

Blue Note was in awe of Lincoln Center. This was where ponies like her thrived. All the performance venues around were incredible; these were places where great musical ponies came to be appreciated and celebrated. The theater where the pageant was taking place was beautiful. "The cast for the History of Equestria looks incredible," Blue Note said. "Whoever organizes this must have some connections."

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Sterling finally reached the Lincoln Center with Blue Note, wondering what exactly to do in this room... He wanted to do so much here... He wanted to talk to all the actors and actresses for the "History of Equestria" that was to begin the festivities... he wanted to eat all the wonderful that was going to served to them for lunch... Most of all, he wanted to sing all the popular and timeless tunes that would played in honour of Hearth's Warming and the musical genre. 

 

Now it was time for him to sit with Blue Note at the seats of the Lincoln... and witness the story of Hearth's Warming as performed by the greatest performers in Manehattan... at least, that's what the pamphlet said. He had never heard of the names that were mentioned, but perhaps they were up and coming... Hopefully they were good...

[lincolnshirepony 527]

"Wasn't he in Phantom of Opera?" Blue Note whispered to Sterling as the Chancellor Puddinghead came onto the stage. The actor looked familiar to her. She wanted to look down and check the program, but it was too dark to see. Either way, she was enjoying the production. She knew the history of Equestria by heart by now, having always gone to see the pageants, but it was nice to see a fresh take on it. The story was the same, but the setting and the actors were so different. 

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Sterling looked at his program once more just when the play was about to begin... Blue Note had just asked him whether one of the ponies was from Phantom of the Opera... Sterling wasn't the type to remember names of actors and actresses too much, but he was worried that Blue Note would look down on him for not remembering... Still, he had to be honest...

 

"Umm... I'm not totally sure..." Sterling whispered back with a sheepish grin. "I cared too much about the music and singing to notice..." Sterling continued, hoping that Blue Note would understand as the curtain raised to start the show...

[lincolnshirepony 527]

"I'll just look it up after the production," Blue Note said. It always bothered her when she recognized a pony, but couldn't quite place them. The acting was wonderful either way, and she loved the story as much as ever. She had always wished something parallel to it could play out in her own life. All the ponies in her life would make peace, unite, and be healed by the magic of friendship. Sometimes it seemed like it was just a story though, distorted through the eons. 

[Inactive01 5,299]

Sterling turned back to the show after Blue Note's brief whisper of a question. Even if he had never heard of the names on the brochure... it all didn't matter... their arrangement of all the scenes and all of the props was perfect. The entire history of Equestria lay in its full glory for all to see... Sterling particularly liked the comic relief from Chancellor Puddinghead... He was one of the best actors on the stage in his opinion! 

 

After about two hours of drama... everything came to a resounding conclusion. The conflict was all but resolved, and now the actors were calling upon all the ponies to begin singing the ever legandary Hearth's Warming Anthem... Sterling stood up from his seat and began to sing to the top of his lungs with pure joy...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQY_BcuLfow

[lincolnshirepony 527]

Blue Note grinned at Sterling as he sang along with the carol. He really knew how to get into this holiday. She sung along a little more softly, which was more singing that she had done at the pageant in years. This year, she felt like she could do it sincerely. She almost did not want the pageant to end, but she was looking forward to the rest of the holiday.

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The carol singing eventually came to an end, to which everypony cheered with jubilation. Sterling too cheered, but he cheered particularly loudly after the song had ended... When Manehattan looked its ugliest to Sterling, the mare beside him came along... Sterling turned to Blue Note after cheering happily for the actors. He then gave her the widest smile he gave as he continued to clap for the actors, showing her that he was enjoying every moment of their time together...

[lincolnshirepony 527]

"That was such a great a show!" Blue Note said. She couldn't stop smiling. It made her feel odd; she wasn't used to smiling a lot. Not she didn't like smiling... It just felt different. "Those Broadhay actors were incredible. Talent like that is not easy to find. And those singers!" She just wanted to gush. 

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Sterling smiled with glee when Blue Note smiled so happily. He had never seen Blue Note this happy since they went together for a night at Phantom of the Opera. He too wanted to gush about the play, and that he did...

 

"I especially loved whoever played Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead! They were so convincing and hilarious in their roles! And when we sang the Heart Carol, I felt my heart soaring..." Sterling replied excitedly and dreamily... It was such a wonderful play, and it seemed to have ended so quickly...