The Peripheral Six - Of Song and Shadow

by Colonist

Rating: teen
Tags: Octavia, Comedy, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other
Length: 2159

It's Octavia's first week in a new town, Ponyville, and all she wants is to settle in and be left alone. However, five other 'quirky' (annoying) ponies may make this difficult... until a group of demons steal their voices.

If there ever was a city that seemed to be against musicians, it was Canterlot. Ironic, considering most of the gigs available for a classical musician such as Octavia would be located there. Unfortunately, for one wanting to practice, or better yet, compose in peace, the city of noise, hustle and bustle was not the place to be.

Fortunately, only a short thirty minute train-ride away is the quaint, small town of Ponyville, a perfect place for Octavia to work on her art in peace... if not for the first five ponies she meets bothering her constantly. However, when demons of song steals the town's voices, their leader being the mysterious 'Phantom of the Opera', what could be considered a blessing to her soon becomes a responsibility.

Can she give Ponyville back their song, or will the Phantom make her his sole angel of music?

Published 2013-11-16 04:30:04 UTC
Last updated 2013-11-16 04:30:04 UTC

Train of Thoughts

Her locomotive rumbled but did not rock across the rails bound for the distant town. In fact, she could probably call the ride smooth... if she had the time to notice it. No, as Octavia traversed along, she could barely spare a second glance out the window at her side as rolling, distant farm-fields and woodlands inched passed her. She had one thing and one thing only on her mind:

'I'm moving to a new town I know virtually nothing about. Holy horse-feathers.'

Well, make that a million things, because that thought seemed to stem out every time it came up.

'Apartments. Alright, I'll need to get a job with at least six bits and hour thirty hours a week to pay the minimum...'

'Am I making a mistake? Is it too late to get my old one back?'

'Wait, horses don't have feathers. How does that saying make any- oh duh, pegasi, of course.'

'Will the Old Karmic Opera House have decent vocals?'

'Should I try to make bits by playing in a park on the side? But... but that would be so undignified! Ponyville must have parks, though, right? Duh - of course they have, parks! Am I becoming so nervous that it's effecting my IQ? Good Celestia!'

So preoccupied was she that she barely even noticed as a certain unicorn, her with striking, unnatural blue hair and purple sun-glasses, trotted by her, did a double-take, and noted the empty seat next to her. She quickly took it, glancing about nervously, and then took a deep breath.

"H-Heh. I was starting to think this train didn't have any more seats," she said, smiling slightly.

Octavia, however, was too busy looking out the window to notice her, still in deep thought:

'This is such as country town I'm moving to. Should I even try to dress eloquently? Will it make me look pretentious?! What if the other Earth ponies look down at me for not holding true to our roots! Ugh - I knew I should have visited Pinkie more when given the chance! Maybe she could have helped me ease into this whole thing a little more... then again, she is family...'

"Er... sorry. It is a pretty sweet view, huh?" the unicorn said, glancing at, for what seemed to be for Octavia, the most interesting yellow corn field in the world - it slowly moving by meters below the cliff where their train traversed. "It is a lot of... corn."

...

'Is that someone's voice? Is someone trying to talk to me? Couldn't be - there's nopony sitting besides me!... Right?'

"Corn does make beer though, right? H-Hehe?"

...

'Wait? Am I hearing voices!? No! I mustn't go insane - not now - not at this vital time! Apartment hunting awaits!'

"Deep thought," the unicorn said, nodding to herself with a slight, awkward smile. "Guess I'm just talking to myself at the moment, heh."

Octavia continued gazing blankly out the window.

'I'm probably going to drive myself insane at this point... I need to... 'simmer down'... as they say in the country, I believe.'

"If you want me to stop talking," the unicorn grinned. "Just um... sit there staring at corn."

...

"K. Can do. Not talking, that is," the unicorn nodded. "Best not to attract any unwanted attention to myself, I guess..."

Suddenly, as if realizing something, In a paranoid manner, she perked her head out in the aisle and glanced down it. She immediately regretted doing so, as a pair of brown eyes soon caught her hidden ones. She immediately 'eeped', before hugging her back into her chair.

"Ohhhh crap," she gulped. "Look who it is... not him... friggin' stalker..."

Almost as immediately as she began speaking, it was as if the brown earth pony had teleported beside her, his eyes narrowing and baring into her. The unicorn gasped at this, shivering as she looked towards him.

"C-Can I help you, mister?" she squeaked.

The brown earth pony, curiously sporting an hour-glass for a cutie-mark, immediately threw away his suspicious look for one of curiosity.

"Oh, sorry - didn't mean to startle you like that," he said, a smile slowly forming on his face. "I was just wondering - are you... known to many others per chance?"

The unicorn sighed in relief for some reason, before glancing at him with a hint of nerve remaining. "H-Heh - it's alright. But - um - depends - do you dig night clubs?"

The brown earth pony blinked. "I didn't realize shovels were involved with them."

The unicorn looked at him oddly, before stifling a chuckle. "Wait a minute... Hehe... haha - I see what you did there!"

...

The earth pony glanced at her curiously.

She simpered. "Er... that was a joke, wasn't it?"

He shook his head. "Not an intentional one. Hmmm... wait - dig... is that some sort of local slang term? That would explain it! Ah - I love these subtle little variations. Always makes things interesting!"

"Y-Yeah," the unicorn said, blinking to herself. "I hear ya, dude. Um - are you some sort of society professor... thing... guy?"

"A sociologist?" he asked.

"Yeah!"

"Sort of," he smiled. "I... help with society's problems - when at all possible."

"Mhmm..."

"Though you in particular have become quite an interest to me as of late."

Her eyes widened beneath the shades. "So he has been stalking me..." Vinyl muttered to herself.

"Hmmm?"

"Nothing! Nothing," she coughed. "So... um... why am I interesting to you...? Totally non-creepy guy I don't know?"

The brown pony smiled - not picking up on the social cue whatsoever, it seemed.

"Because I know who you are."

Her eyes widened in glee. "Really? You don't even go to clubs and you know me?! That's awesome, man!"

"Indeed," the brown pony grinned, and his next sentence nearly made Vinyl's heart fall, even with his casual tone of voice:

"You're Vinyl Scratch, one of the first half-breed vampires in Equestria."

...

?!?

?!?!?!

"Woah!" she said, looking as if she were about to sweat as she threw a hoof over the mystery pony's mouth. "Hehehe, easy there, man! That's how dumb rumors get started!"

...

A few heads turned her way, glancing at her suspiciously. Whispers followed.

The brown pony raised an eyebrow, as Vinyl slowly lowered her hoof from his mouth.

"B-But... I'm almost sure that I had the right person..." he winced. "I've sensed it multiple times! I'm almost certain that you're the reason for the distortion, intentionally or not. I'm rarely ever-"

"Shhhhhhh.... you're getting us looks," Vinyl coughed. "Honestly, can't blame them - this has got to go down in some sort of record book as most... um... interesting(?) random train conversation thing ever."

The brown pony narrowed his eyes.

"Interesting. Still not accepted after all these years," he grunted. "Every time I wake there's always one less thing to look forward to."

"Er... not sure what you're talking about, dude," Vinyl said, cracking a nervous smirk. "Vampires ain't real. They're myths. You know, like boogie-men, aliens, and Prince Blueblood's chivalry. I mean, maybe at one point they existed, but I assure you..."

"-That you two are talking way too vocally," Octavia suddenly interjected, glaring at them. Apparently, her train of thought had been broken.

The two turned their heads her way.

"And apparently this one's patience," the brown pony grunted.

"Too loud? Pffffft - I can barely hear you right now," Vinyl snorted. "You aughta hear my bass cannon one of these days! Twenty-two manawats of pure, indestructible harmonic ba-bam, baby!"

"That would explain why you don't find your speaking to be loud," Octavia grunted, before turning her attention to the other newcomer. "And would you mind having a seat? You're making me uncomfortable standing there like that."

"Well pardon me, miss!" he said sarcastically. "I wasn't aware that my right to having a conversation has been revoked in this decade!"

"Yo, weird brown colt! Butt in seat, please!" a cart attendee shouted a few rows down. "Passengers are supposed to remain that way unless needed - this ride gets pretty bumpy, ya know."

A smirk.

"You were saying?" Octavia said, fluttering her eyebrows.

"Heh - yeah, what she said," Vinyl grinned.

"Fine, fine, if you're all going to just team up on me like that," the brown pony growled, before turning about and storming off. "Hmph. What did I do wrong? In the old days, this kind of thing was fine and dandy! Then again, trains seem to be a bit faster... much faster. Ahhh, I love exponential technological growth... one spark and BOOM! Just like the griffins and goblins... and they say it always comes from the tip of the sword - hah! That'll show you, war hawks..."

Octavia shook her head incredulously. "What is he, a coma patient? He acts like he's come out from under a rock! Though him being struck by one would explain it better..."

"Hey, little harsh there, don't you think?" Vinyl said.

"What, you wanted him to go away too, you know."

Vinyl looked taken aback. "W-Well, that's cus he was blabbing about, well... uh - something that shouldn't be blabbed about right now, you know?"

Octavia rolled her eyes. "Yuh huh. Very well, but as I have no desire to butt into your business, then you'll please excuse me; I need to think of how to make a bit of coin in the next few days..."

"Oh. Sorry - you broke or something?" Vinyl asked.

Octavia shook her head, "No, not broke - but if I am to live comfortably in Ponyville, I will need a few more Lunas than I already have."

"Lunas?"

"One-hundred piece bits," Octavia explained, whipping out one and holding it in front of Vinyl. A carved-in figure of Princess Luna's head gazed back at her. The uptight mare seemed to relax a bit at Vinyl's wonder. "You... haven't come across these often, have you?"

"Er... well..." Vinyl coughed. "Of course I have! I get plenty of those in my... line of work..."

Octavia actually managed a smile, taking a deep breath. "It's alright. These are practically my life savings. Money isn't everything you know, and 'those who judge people by their financial value are less than anything.'"

"Heh. Cool quote," Vinyl chirped.

"Twain Markinghoof," Octavia told her.

Vinyl blinked behind her glasses.

"Don't tell me you haven't heard of him?" Octavia said, grinning playfully.

"Well.... um.... not really."

She gave a chuckle. "Don't even bother talking to me, then."

"Hey!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding..." Octavia said, chuckling again. "I'm not part of Canterlot's Golden Trash, you know. Pretentious snobs. It's one of the things I'm trying to get away from..."

"Can't say I haven't run into of em'," Vinyl sighed, before composing herself yet again. "So, um- you're moving to Ponyville, huh?"

"That's right, dear," Octavia nodded.

"Woah! Sweet! That makes two of us!"

"Really, now?"

"Yeeeeup! Can't wait to see what it's like! Ho-downs, cow-tipping, racing, lack of vampire hunters and other vampires trying to frame me..."

"Mhmm..." she said boredly, before doing a double-take. "Wait... what?!"

"Er, nothing, nothing! I meant corn, and, um-" Vinyl said frantically. "Just um - making a joke, hehe, you know - cus the brown guy was calling me a vampire earlier?"

Octavia glanced at her unusually. "Oddly specific joke. I'm not going to have to worry about finding bite-holes in my neck after I get done a nap, am I?"

Vinyl gave her an offended look. "Wah - of course not! I wouldn't just - I mean... I couldn't..."

"Reeelax," Octavia said, patting her on the shoulder. "I was joking as well. Now, though this conversation has been pleasant, I really do need some sleep, Miss...."

"Scratch," Vinyl said.

"Scratch? Very well."

"But wait!" Vinyl said. "You said you're looking for an apartment or something? Same here! What if... what if we pulled our money and got some sweet pent-house or something?! We could be roomies! We could stay up late, party it up, and um- do... other stuff roomies usually do. That is what roomies do, right? I... kind of just moved out of my folks' house so I'm not really-"

Octavia cleared her throat. "Erm - well... while I do appreciate the offer, I am moving to Ponyville for a very specific objective. I... need to be alone for this."

Vinyl raised an eyebrow. "You seem pretty talkative for the loner type."

"Only when ponies talk to me."

Vinyl glanced away from her. "O-Oh..."

"I'm sorry, I have just have a lot on my mind," Octavia whispered. "It is nice to know I'm not alone in this... fraught endeavor. Perhaps we can talk later?"

"Er - yeah! That sounds good!"

"Then it's a date."

"Right!"

"Right."

"Coolio!"

"... Good night."

"G'night!"

...

And the train rumbled on and on, as all the while two pairs of eyes examined Vinyl pensively.