Feathered Paths

A very pale yellow, almost white unicorn mare with a mane dyed in strong blue tones opened the door and instantly the music became louder. Her eyes were covered by a pair of opaquely purple-violet glasses. She seemed to be tired out as she leaned against the door case with her right forehoof, but awake enough to be addressable. She inspected him briefly from mane to rear hooves and asked a bit rudely: "Yeah, what can I do for you? Do I know you?"

Soul Harmony kept at a formal salutation: "Good afternoon, my name is Soul Harmony. I guess you are Vinyl Scratch?"

The unicorn confirmed him with a shortly: "Yes, I'm Vinyl."

Soul continued: "You asked me to come to Ponyville to cheer up your sad friend. I think her name was... Octavia Melody, wasn't it?"

Abruptly she was wide awake and smiled as she said: "Ah, Soul Harmony, hello and welcome to Ponyville! And I thought you will never come here. Octavia surely will be astonished, she's such a great fan of you! What took you so long?"

With a slight discomfort he answered: "I had a fight on my way here and got injured. I had to recover.", and as proof for his excuse he showed the mare his bandaged wing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for you, I didn't know that... Oh, where are my manners? Want to come in?", asked Vinyl Scratch with an excusing tone.

"Sure. So, where is Octavia? I have a rendezvous later with a friend of mine.", said Soul with a little urgent undertone.

Vinyl responded: "She's up in her room in the first floor and practicing for a concert. Gosh, she will freak out when she sees you.", and giggled.

Soul wondered how a cellist can practice with such a distraction by the dubstep music, but he considered it was better to simply question: "Do you know what song she is practicing at the moment?"

Vinyl cogitated for a moment and as she remembered, she shouted: "Dragon's Anthem! It's the grand finale of the 'Near and Far'-concert she will play in March. She's exercising every day of the week, all day long. She really needs a break."

Soul was amazed: "Dragon's Anthem... what a glorious piece of classical orchestral music. It's currently one of my favorite compositions. Does she have a piano upstairs?"

Vinyl answered emphatic: "Even better, she owns a concert grand - but rather for tuning her cello than for actual playing."

Soul stated: "Ah, that's no problem, I think it will be all fine."

As they both sneaked up the stairs, Vinyl whispered to him: "Thank you for finding time for this. Usually, Octavia gets along with me very well, but lately we've... drifted apart a bit - if you know what I mean." Soul just nodded and tried not to make the stairs creak.

In the first floor, the wubs of the dubstep music was surprisingly low in comparison with the sustained notes of Octavia's violoncello. Vinyl knocked at her door and opened it shortly afterwards, but Octavia did not stop playing.

Vinyl started to speak: "Octavia...?", but was interrupted rudely by Octavia: "Not now, Vinyl!"

Vinyl took no refusal and spoke again: "Octavia, I know we had some problems with each other lately, but I want to excuse. I even brought you something to cheer you up."

Octavia continued playing and did not even move her head as she said emphatically and desolated: "No, thank you, Vinyl, but please, leave me alone. I have to concentrate."

Vinyl fell silent and frowned, but Soul slowly approached the grand piano in Octavia's back. He quickly looked over her shoulder to find the bar she was currently playing, set down on the piano stool and started playing simultaneously to her.

At first, Octavia dissembled, but soon she became more relaxed and played her cello with more ease. As Vinyl noticed that, it conjured an appeased smile on her face. Soul Harmony and Octavia Melody continued their duet of piano and violoncello until the end of the composition. After they finished, Octavia looked down for a few seconds, holding her bow loose in her right hoof, and then asked deeply moved: "Did... Did you just played that, Vinyl Scratch?"

Honest, but with a clearly excusing tone, Vinyl answered her: "No, but I invited somepony who you wanted to meet ever since we know each other. Your favorite pianist and one of the best piano players in all of Equestria, to be exactly."

Octavia teared up and whispered awestruck: "Soul Harmony..."

Soul replied: "Always at your service, Miss Melody."

Octavia put her cello aside, turned around and looked disbelieving at Soul Harmony. Then she quickly changed her eye focus several times between Vinyl Scratch and him, winked three times and still could not believe that one of her greatest idols was in the same room with her. She stood up, stepped towards her roommate and gave her a big hug, crying giddy with pleasure. "Thank you, Vinyl. This was the nicest thing you've ever done to me.", she whispered into her ear.

Vinyl, who also had to fight back her tears, said: "Hey, I can't just let my best friend and roommate down. You know I'd do everything for you!" Suddenly, Soul Harmony remembered he has a meeting with Fluttershy at Sugarcube Corner soon.

"Thank you, Soul, you did a great pleasure to me. Do you stay longer here in Ponyville? Because I'm really interested what pieces of music you can play on the piano. Octavia doesn't have a great view on you for nothing, right?", Vinyl asked Soul Harmony as he sallied out to meet Fluttershy.

"Sure thing, I'm open to everything. What about we meet next week?" suggested Soul Harmony.

"Yeah! That sounds good for me!", answered Vinyl.

"Alright, but you have to excuse me now, I'm already late and you shouldn't let a mare wait, you know. Thank you for telling me the way to Sugarcube Corner.", was Soul's response.

"Ah, you're welcome, pal, I'm looking forward for our next meeting. Have a nice day with your mare!", Vinyl said in anticipation of a music project together with him.

Then Soul turned away and hurried to reach the bakery in time.

Fluttershy sat at her table and appraised her shopping. There was a rush around her and the Cakes, the owners of the Sugarcube Corner, had all of their hooves full to do, but she for herself waited patient for Soul Harmony. He was already a quarter of an hour too late and her cocoa started getting cold. Suddenly, the entrance door of the Sugarcube Corner swung up and Soul Harmony hustled into the room.

He stumbled to Fluttershy and wheezed: "Fluttershy, my dear, I'm so, so sorry. It's so embarrassing for me I was delayed. Please, forgive me my lateness, that's not my usual way to deal with punctuality."

Fluttershy forgave him immediately, in fact she felt happy to see him: "Oh, that's no problem, that can happen to anypony. Here, I got you the muffin I promised you."

"Too kind. But, I insist on paying for you. That's the least I can do for keeping you waiting.", said Soul Harmony and looked sheepish.

Before Fluttershy even could consider about a protest, Pinkie Pie popped out from nowhere and started chattering with her shrill voice: "Oh, hello Fluttershy, hello pony I've never seen before..."

She drew breath hyperbolical and continued prattling very fast: "Oh, a new pony has arrived in Ponyville! I'm Pinkie Pie, what's your name? You're so lucky that we meet today because I can welcome you here now and we can be best friends from now on and we can have fun together and eat cake together - my favourite is chocolate cake, is your favorite cake also chocolate cake? I love chocolate cake - and we can laugh together and dance together and do many, many more things together! Let me just fetch my Party Cannon so I can give you a great welcoming party, okay? I'll be right back!" As fast as she appeared - and spoke - Pinkie ran off again and left an embarrassed Fluttershy and a baffled Soul Harmony behind her.

Soul was the first of them who picked up courage again: "What the hay was that?", he asked absolutely confused.

"You... You have to excuse her, my friend Pinkie Pie is a bit... random in the face of other ponies. But she is a really nice pony otherwise, I swear! But I think a welcoming party would be too much strain for you, you should better leave now before she comes back.", said Fluttershy with a sigh.

Soul smiled, bit off a mouthful of his muffin and pretended not to notice the cute blush on Fluttershy's cheeks.