Octaviaverse: Strings.

Octavia was tired of books

Actually, thats an understatement. She was tired, sore, dusty and frankly sick of books. She despised them. She hated them, and now that the whole Warlock Stallion issue was over, she had personally made sure to get rid of each tome, scroll and magic that was in the library, if it could be called a library anymore.

"You do know that the princess is going to explode once she sees this..."

"Silence Hugin."

Every book shelve had been cleared and dusted, leaving most of the former library empty, save for a few clear pages that Octavia had saved for future composing, along with a couple of quills and a few bottles of ink. She had left spaces on the former book shelves empty and clear in order to place her instruments as they arrived, as any future item, prize or anything that was worth enough to put in display.

"Alright. All done." Octavia pushed the final box outside. It was heavy and filled with old land treaties. "That was the last of them."

"The whole library looks three times bigger now. You could fit all of Spike's hoard here." Hugin said.

"No place is big enough to hold all that." Octavia replied. Hugin flew to the table.

"What now?"

"Now..." Octavia walked to the door. "...I practice with my cello."

"I thought you snapped one of the strings." Hugin said. Octavia glared at him. "You've got to be more careful."

"First, I am always careful with my instruments. It was you who caught me by surprise. Second, I had the strings changed before we left Canterlot. Its been a few days already and they are fixed. The princess was going to send it here as soon as it was ready. It should be here already."

"We're going to check?"

"I will check. I need you to go check something for me." Octavia pointed a hoof towards the box. "Find out if there's somepony who would want all this books."

Hugin glared at her. Octavia rolled her eyes.

"Please." she said sarcastically. Hugin grumbled something before flying away. Octavia waited tied her bow tie around her neck, combed her air and promptly left the tree house. Ponyville was busy and lively. Mares and Stallions carried on with their daily business.

A few glances were directed towards her as she walked, since a few ponies were still surprised to see the protege of their ruler living in town, but they were becoming less and less frequent with each passing day. Octavia appreciated how welcoming the ponies had been after the first night here. Specially her friends, like-

"Hey Octavia, whats up?" Berry said as she approached her fellow earth pony. She was carrying a saddle bag, which was filled with a couple of bottles.

"I'm heading to the mail office. I want to see if a package arrived."

"Oh really? What kind of package? Is it a royal package? Like a super special stuff? You better be careful. The mail service can be a little sloppy sometimes, like when I ordered a book on eastern drinks and it got lost in the way. Non refundable they said! Can you believe it? Anyways, what is it?"

"Its just a package." Octavia said, a little tired of hearing Berry talk. "Don't you have a tavern to run?"

"The tavern is opens at three in the afternoon. Business is kinda slow in the morning, you know what I mean? Ponies don't get thirsty until after lunch. Specially the stallions. The sure must work hard because they are the main costumers. You should try coming one day. Your welcomed any day! We could even have a small get together with the others! What do you say Tavi? Up for it?"

"It sounds....wonderful." Octavia snarked. "But I am a little busy right now Berry, so if you will excuse me..."

"Oh, alright. I've got to finish delivering this drinks around anyway. Gotta get those extra bits now. We'll talk later then. See ya!" Berry exclaimed before continuing her way. Octavia sighed.

"That mare talks way too much." she thought. The rest of her walk was pretty much uninterrupted. She cringed a little when she passed in front of the Town Hall. The entrance was still ruined from the magical blast, though work ponies were already fixing the damage.

"I haven't heard of the princess since that night. She must be catching on with her brother." she thought, looking at the castle on the mountain. She shook her head as memories of the Warlock Stallion started floating in her mind. She had a package to pick up. The mailing office was, luckily, close to the town hall, which meant less time hauling the cello back to the tree house, which in turn, meant more time to play.

The mail office wasn't a very big place, which was expected, since Ponyville wasn't exactly a big town itself. The door had a sign on it. It was a muffin with wings and a delivery bag. Octavia raised an eyebrow.

"Welcome to the mail office." A mare pegasus said from the stand. " What can I do for you?"

"Hello. My name is Octavia and I came to pick a package that may have arrived for me." she answered. The mare blinked a couple of times before pulling out a large book, skimming through the pages.

"Uh, what is your full name?"

"Octavia Von Clef."

The pegasus skimmed all the way to almost the end of the account book, stopping just a few short pages before the end. She read a bit before smiling.

"Octavia Von Clef...here it is! A package arrived yesterday afternoon for you from Canterlot."

Octavia grinned. Finally!

"Excellent. May I have it please?"

"Of course. It will be ten bits." the pegasus said.

Octavia stood there, unsure of what do next or if she had heard correctly. The counter mare just sat on her chair, patiently awaiting the money that Octavia was supposed to pay.

"Oh...I didn't know I had to pay."

"Yeah, its new policy. Some ponies never pay their bills with the mailing service, so now we avoid that problem by charging immediately."

"Right..." Octavia backed off a little. "I will just...go look for the money."

She was stomping when she left the mailing service. She wanted her cello, and she wanted it now! But no, she had to go and pay this service mare first. Perfect. Just perfect. All she wanted was to play her cello. Was that too much too ask?

"Apparently yes..." she muttered.

"Apparently yes what Octavia?"

Fleur was standing right in front of her. Floating around her was a small, black book. She was smiling, just like when Octavia first met her. Just like then, the cheeriness was not reciprocated.

"They mail service decided to star charging for their services out front...and I don't have any money, which means that now I have to go to the bank to get some."

"Oh dear. Shall I go with you? If such is the case, then I need to fetch some coins for myself."

And so, both mares began their journey to the bank. Octavia wanted to finish this as soon as possible, and her pace showed it. Fleur had to nearly hop to keep up with her. The book followed suit, trailing behind her and jumping with each step of the unicorn.

"Whats the big hurry Octavia? Is there something wrong?" Fleur asked.

"What is wrong is that I haven't been able to touch my cello since I left Canterlot, and now that its here at my reach, the universe decides to add one more wall in my way."  Octavia answered.

"Oh don't be like that Octavia. If the universe is putting so much effort in making sure that you don't play your music, then think just how good it will feel when you actually do play what you love."

"If I ever get to play..." Octavia snarked. They eventually arrived at the bank. Like any business in the town, it was small house, not two stories high. The inside was just as small. Octavia figured it was because of the small number of ponies that entered daily, unlike Canterlot, where hundreds would be entering and leaving the banks.

"Hello. How may I help you?" the baker asked. Octavia was about to speak, but Fleur got ahead of her.

"Good Afternoon. My friend and I would like to retrieve a few bits."

"Of course. I would need both of your names."

"Fleur de Lys. Thats with a Y, not and I." she turned to Octavia. "A common mistake."

The banker left through a door, leaving the two mares alone in silence. It looked like if Fleur was waiting for Octavia to say something, but she didn't, staying quiet until the banker returned with a small bag. Fleur lifted it with magic, levitating it besides the book.

"And you miss?"

"Octavia Von Clef."

"You don't have to be so grouchy Octavia." Fleur said.

"You are right, I don't. What I need is my cello." She said. It wasn't long before the banker returned. But to Octavia's surprise, he didn't carry a bag. He wasn't carrying anything actually. Dread began building inside of her.

"I'm afraid your funds have already been retrieved miss." The banker opened a book. "Yesterday in fact."

"What? That can't be right. I've never even entered this bank before." Octavia replied.

"Well, you did. Yesterday morning, you entered here and asked for your entire monthly stipend. My assistant even recorded it here."

"But I've never even been in this bank! How could you let somepony else take my royal stipend!?" Octavia shouted.

"I-I'm sorry! I will double check with my assistant once he returns later today! Please come back then!" The banker cowered. Octavia was about to say something else, but stopped herself, instead choosing to stomp her way out of the bank. Fleur quickly apologized to the banker and followed her friend. Said friend hadn't gotten very far, which was weird, considering how everypony was clearing out of her way, already noticing the air of unbridled wrath that circled around her.

"That wasn't very nice Octavia. The banker probably made a mistake. No need to yell at him." she said Octavia shot a glare that could have broken stones, yet Fleur did not waver.

"That mistake just cost a month worth of bits. What am I supposed to do now?"

Fleur opened her bags of bits, counting the coins. She smiled.

"Why don't we go fetch your cello? That way you can play and relax yourself before you go back to the bank." she said. "I'll lend you some bits."

Octavia sighed. "Alright."

Fleur beamed before leading Octavia to the mail service. Just as they arrived, they counter mare exited house and was about to lock the door.

"Wait! What are you doing?" Fleur asked.

"Its lunch time. I'm closing the office for a couple of hours."

Octavia growled. It sounder more wolfish than pony like.

"Or maybe lunch can wait a few minutes. Lets go inside."

Fleur quickly made her business, asking the mare to have her book wrapped and sent, giving the address and name of the receiver, paying her five bits. Octavia walked to the counter and pretty much demanded her cello to the nervous pegasus.

"I'm afraid I don't about any cello. But there is a package for you. Hold on let me get it."

Octavia breathed deeply, getting rid of the pent up anger. It would do her any good to explode right there. The pegasus mare soon flew back to her place, holding a long box. Not exactly a cello case mind you, but a simple, wooden box.

"That...is mine?" Octavia asked.

"Yes it is. Would you like somepony to deliver it to your house?"

"Yes." She said, a bit stronger than she wanted. "Please."

Fifteen minutes later, Octavia was back in the tree house, this time with Fleur besides her. The pegasus mail mare had placed the box on the table, ready to be opened whenever Octavia wished. Only Octavia wasn't really sure if the wanted to. She had been expecting a cello case. That was as big as her. This box was barely half her size.

"Do you think the case is inside?" Fleur asked.

"It would have to be my violin then, not my cello. Wouldn't be first time the princess makes that mistake."

Octavia pushed the lid off the box and peered inside. And immediately wished she hadn't, for inside the box was not a cello or a cello casket, nor a violin or a violin casket. Oh no. Inside the box, laying very innocently at the bottom was something that Octavia had certainly not asked for.

"Is that...a shovel?" Fleur asked.