Scene 4 – A musical gesture

Jubileena walked out of the front door to her home in Ponyville, before turning back to her husband still inside. She told him to have a nice day, and that she would be home late. She then shut the door behind her, and walked over to the carriage that was parked by her house. Ivory and the driver, Blues, were both waiting for Jubileena inside the carriage.

“So what did Sunny need us to do again today?” Ivory asked Jubileena, as she got inside the carriage.

“She wants us to head up to Manehattan, to place a large order of sofas. In the event that a crime war breaks out with the families, she wants to make sure that we’ll have plenty of sitting or sleeping space to go around.” Jubileena responded.

Blues started to take off with the carriage, while Ivory thought to himself about the order location.

“Why would Sunny order a shipment of sofas from Manehattan? What about the Quill and Sofa store here in Ponyville?” Ivory asked.

Jubileena shrugged her shoulders, before answering the stallion.

“Beats me. Sunny probably wanted us to place the shipment from someplace other than Ponyville, since it would give us a chance to keep an eye out for, and of, the other families’ actions. Also, and more likely, it’s because the Quill and Sofa store here wouldn’t have enough sofas in stock for an order this size.”

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The trio spent half the day, making their way up to Manehattan, to place the shipment order. When they finally arrived outside the warehouse in Manehattan, Jubileena turned to Ivory inside the carriage, and gave him a saddle bag full of bits.

“Be sure to get the receipt after you’re done placing the order. Sunny wants to keep track of the family’s money as best she can, since the Don is still in the hospital.”

Ivory then proceeded to enter the warehouse, and head to the main office to place the order. After he returned with the receipt, the three ponies then left the warehouse in the carriage. They began to make their way back to Ponyville, but not before stopping by a local deli, where Jubileena ordered a couple of Grilled Pesto Ponini sandwiches.

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About halfway through their trip back home, Jubileena told Blues to pull the carriage off to the side of the road, near Hollow Shades. She told the two stallions that she needed to get out to go to the bathroom, and that she’d kill them both, if either of them followed her. Jubileena then got out of the carriage, and made her way behind a couple sets of trees, making sure she was out of site from the carriage.

Whilst Jubileena was out doing her business, Ivory opened up the bag to his sandwich, and began to eat it. He was able to take a couple of bites, before he closed his eyes long enough, for Blues to pull out a gun from under the carriage, and shoot Ivory in the head. Jubileena returned from behind the trees, as Blues began to unhook himself from the carriage harness. She reached into the carriage, next to Ivory’s dead body, and pulled out her own sandwich bag.

“Go ahead and leave the gun in the carriage.” Jubileena told Blues, before the two of them walked away from the carriage, and towards another approaching one.

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Later on in the day,

Clouds began to take up most of the sky, leaving a dull, grey look about Ponyville. Octavia sat by herself, on a bench outside her family’s home. She still wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself. The events of her father, and the other happenings that had transpired with the family, had put Octavia in a constant down. Even trying to practice her music didn’t seem to cheer her up. She sat on the bench for a while longer, until Jubileena came out of the house, calling for Octavia, telling her that she had a phone call from Apple Cinnamon.

Octavia walked inside the house, and picked up the phone in the kitchen.

“Hey Octavia, how are you feeling?” Cinnamon asked from the other end of the phone.

“A little better thanks, now that I can hear your voice.” Octavia responded.

“I know you’re still grieving about your father, but he’s going to be alright, right? Why don’t you come by my hotel tonight for dinner? I’d really like us to talk together.” Cinnamon replied.

“I suppose you’re right, and it does sound splendid. I’ll do my best to get there before it gets too late.” Octavia responded.

“Great! I’ll see you then. I love you Octavia.” Cinnamon told Octavia.

Octavia blushed a little, but felt nervous responding the same way, since she was mere hooves away from some of her family members behind her.

“I love you too.” Octavia quietly spoke.

“What did you say? I couldn’t hear you?” Cinnamon asked from the other end.

“I…I’ll see you soon.” Octavia told Cinnamon, before hanging up the phone.

Jubileena walked into the kitchen, chuckling.

“Aww, you won’t even say ‘I love you’ back huh? You’re so adorable Octavia.”

Octavia’s face formed a pout, eyeing Jubileena at the same time.

“Alright, I was just teasing Octavia. Now, how about you help me make some spaghetti for the family tonight?” Jubileena responded.

“I’m afraid I don’t know how.” Octavia told Jubileena.

Jubileena seemed surprised that Octavia didn’t know how to make spaghetti, since it was one of her family’s favorite dishes.

“Well that’s no good! Here, let me show you then.” Jubileena then pulled out a couple of pots, and set them on top of the stove, before turning on the flames beneath each of them. “First, you’ve got to add some water to both your pots, and get the water for the noodles to boil. Once the noodle water is boiling, you toss in the noodle straws, and let them start to cook. In the meantime, you warm up the water for the sauce pot, before adding in the ingredients. You toss in some garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, all of your hay, and finish with a little bit of wine. Then, you just stir them all up, until both pots are done.”

Octavia listened with vague interest, until she walked over to the sink to get a glass of water for herself. Sunny then walked into the kitchen, having heard Jubileena try to teach Octavia how to make spaghetti.

“You’re wasting your time trying to teach her that Jubileena. She way to high class for that.” Sunny told Jubileena. She then glanced around the room, before asking Jubileena something. “Say, where’s Ivory?”

“Oh, won’t be seeing him again.” Jubileena replied, while tending to the heated pots.

Sunny stared at Jubileena, before giving an approving nod, and acting like nothing happened.

“Well, I should be getting off to Apple Cinnamon.” Octavia spoke aloud, while making her way towards the door.

“Whoa, hold up a second Octavia. Let a couple of the guys here escort you over there.” Sunny told her sister.

Octavia rolled her eyes at her sister.

“I’ll be fine Sunny. I’m going to take a cab anyways.”

“She’s right Sunny.” Jubileena replied to Sunny as well, while still watching the pots. “Besides, Caballeron knows that she’s just a civilian in all of this, so he wouldn’t try anything.”

Sunny eyed Jubileena, before watching Octavia walk out the door.

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Night had finally begun to fall in Equestria, as Octavia sat in the carriage, one of her family’s men on either side of her. She remained quiet the entire ride, but wore an angry face the whole time.

/)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\

In a hotel room somewhere in Filly Delphia,

Octavia and Apple Cinnamon sat across from one another at a small table in the hotel room, eating in silence. Cinnamon was about halfway done with his meal, but Octavia had barely even touched her salad. Concerned about Octavia, and how quiet she had been the whole time there, Cinnamon finally broke the silence.

“What’s wrong Octavia? You’ve barely even eaten anything.”

Octavia just stared at her plate on the table, before starting to get out of her chair.

“I’m sorry Cinnamon, but I have to go. I…I just need to go see my father.”

“Let me come with you then. Please.” Cinnamon responded.

“You can’t Cinnamon. This is my, and my family’s business. I want to keep you uninvolved from all matters. I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt too.” Octavia replied. She couldn’t look at Cinnamon while she spoke, not while her face looked so sad.

Cinnamon looked away himself, but then turned back to Octavia.

“When can I see you again then?”

Octavia finally looked Cinnamon in the eyes, before she spoke.

“I don’t know, but it would probably be best if you went and stayed with your parents in Baltimare for a while. I’ll call you when I’m sure it’s safe.”

Apple Cinnamon didn’t really like the answer that Octavia had given him, but he accepted her decision anyway.

“Alright then. Just…just be careful Octavia. I love you.”

Octavia walked over to Cinnamon and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“I know.” Octavia told Cinnamon, a sweet, but sad smile on her face. She then walked out of the hotel room, closing the door behind her.

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Octavia walked out of the hotel lobby, and hailed a cab. She rode in the cab for a short time, until she finally arrived at a small hospital in the heart of Filly Delphia. Octavia paid the driver, got out, and made her way inside the hospital. She walked past the front desk, but found no pony attending it. She checked the log of where each of the patients were, and found her father’s room. Octavia then made her way down the halls in its direction.

After walking down the halls for a short time, Octavia soon realized that the hospital seemed emptier than it should be. She eventually came upon a couple of empty chairs in a hallway, where she knew her father’s guards were supposed to be. Feeling a slight panic, Octavia quickly made her way down the halls, until she finally arrived at her father’s room. She opened up the door, and a wave of relief swept over her, as she found her father asleep in his bed.

Octavia walked up alongside her father in his bed. Watching his chest rise and fall with his breathing. She placed a hoof on the side of his bed, letting out a sigh, until she was startled by a nurse walking into the room.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” The nurse asked Octavia.

“It’s alright, I’m his daughter. My name is Octavia Melody.” Octavia assured the nurse. She then took another look around the room, before speaking to the nurse again. “Where are my father’s guards? They’re supposed to be here.”

The nurse gave Octavia a skeptical look, but answered her anyway.

“They were asked to leave. They had begun to get in the way of the medical staff, and were escorted out of the building.”

“How long ago?” Octavia asked.

“Oh, about a couple of hours ago I suppose.” The nurse replied.

A chill ran up Octavia’s spine, before she quickly picked up the phone next to her father’s bed, and called Sunny at her family’s home.

“Hello?” Sunny answered the phone.

“Sunny, it’s Octavia. You need to send some ponies down to my father’s hospital right away!” Octavia told her sister.

“What? Why? What about the ponies already there?” Sunny asked.

“There’s no pony here Sunny. None of Keyzzio’s men, no one!” Octavia replied.

“What in Celestia’s name? Just stay put Octavia, I’ll send some ponies over there right away!” Sunny responded.

Octavia hung up the phone, before turning back to the nurse.

“We need to move my father to another room. There are ponies on their way to kill him.”

The nurse seemed reluctantly confused, but agreed to help Octavia. The two of them began to move Don Colteone out of his room, and down the halls to another open one. About halfway through the moving process, Octavia heard a door open downstairs, and quickly hurried the nurse to help her get her father into the other room. Octavia quietly closed the door behind her, as she heard the pony begin to make their way up the stairs.

Octavia peeked out the small window in the door, and soon saw the pony reach the top of the stairs. It appeared to be a grey mare in a pink coat, holding a bouquet of flowers. Half convinced that the mare might not be a threat, Octavia opened the door, and walked over to speak to the mare.

“Who are you?”

“Oh Ms. Melody, it’s good to see you again! It’s me, Charcoal Bakes. I was the one who made the cake for your family’s wedding.” The mare replied, seemingly happy to see Octavia.

Octavia was surprised to see the mare, of all ponies, show up here.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to bring flowers to your father, Don Colteone. I wish for him to get better soon.” Charcoal told Octavia.

Octavia looked back towards her father’s room, before an idea popped into her head. She turned back to Charcoal, speaking to her.

“Listen Charcoal, bad ponies are on their way to kill my father. I need your help to scare them off.”

“Whatever will help keep the Don safe, I will gladly do.” Charcoal replied.

“Good. Please meet me down outside the entrance.” Octavia told Charcoal.

“Okay.” Charcoal replied, before turning and walking off.

Octavia returned to her father’s room, and walked up alongside him.

“Don’t worry father, I’ll take care of you.”

A small tear leaked from his eye, as Don Colteone weakly smiled at his daughter.

“Please keep an eye on my father, his men are on their way.” Octavia told the nurse, before leaving the room and heading downstairs.

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Outside the hospital,

Charcoal stood at the top of the steps, outside the entrance to the hospital. Octavia soon joined her, but told her to ditch her flowers, and pretend to have a gun in her coat. The two stood there for a few minutes, until a carriage began to pull up.

“Just stay calm, everything’s going to be alright.” Octavia told Charcoal.

The carriage stopped outside the gates to the hospital, and Octavia could see Caballeron, and a couple of his men inside. Caballeron looked as if he was about to get out of the carriage, until Charcoal slowly reached inside her coat. At the sight of this, Caballeron told his driver to take off, and the carriage quickly pulled away.

Octavia let out a sigh of relief, as she turned to see what Charcoal had reached for. Charcoal slowly pulled out a cupcake, still wrapped in foil on the bottom. She tried to unwrap the foil, but her hooves were shaking too much. Octavia took the cupcake, and unwrapped it for her, before giving it back.

“Th…thank you.” Charcoal replied.

“It’s alright, and thank you.” Octavia responded. “You should probably get going now. I don’t think they’ll be coming back.”

Charcoal nodded, before walking off.

“May Celestia watch over you, and your father.” She said, as she walked past the gates.

Octavia began to make her way back inside, until she heard the sounds of police sirens approaching. She walked over to see what they wanted, before a couple of cops got out, and began to restrain her.

“Hey! What are you doing!? Get your hooves off of me!” Octavia yelled at the ponies. “I’m Octavia Melody, daughter to Don Colteone!”

The ponies began to loosen their grips a bit, looking at each other, until they let Octavia go completely. It was then, that another pony got out of the police cab. This one was older than the rest of the police ponies, and his Mohawk and narrowed eyes showed he meant business. Octavia quickly recognized him as the Police Captain, Night Watch.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave Ms. Melody.” Night Watch told Octavia.

“I’m not going anywhere! Not until guards are posted with my father again.” Octavia replied.

“And I’m here to say that you have to leave.” Night Watch responded.

Octavia let out a defying “Humph!” before replying.

“So, is this what it’s come to Captain? You being bribed by the Dr.? I must say, I’m not surprised.”

Night Watch let out a chuckle, before turning to his men.

“Men, restrain her.”

One of the ponies looked at the others, before turning back to the Captain.

“But sir, she’s done nothing…” He began to reply.

“I said restrain her!” Night Watch told the pony.

The two that had grabbed Octavia before, grabbed her again. Octavia struggled to get free, before she glared at Night Watch angrily. Night Watch then walked up to Octavia, and punched her in the side of the face. Octavia lifted her head up in defiance, only to receive another, harder punch, to the same spot. She fell a little limp in the hooves of the ponies holding her, and Night Watch cocked back for another swing, until carriages pulled up to the hospital.

“That’ll be enough of that Captain.” Prim Raining told Night Watch, as she got out of the carriage. “Myself and these ‘private investigators’ are here to oversee the Don for the rest of the night. One action against them, or Ms. Melody here, will result in a full court hearing.”

Night Watch reluctantly told his men to release Octavia, before getting back in his cab and driving away. Prim then picked up Octavia, and helped her into the carriage.

“Don’t worry Octavia, we’re here now.” Prim told Octavia.

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The next morning,

A carriage pulled up to the gate of the Colteone family’s home. The guards at the gate lowered the chain for the carriage to come in, before putting it back up, after the carriage had passed. Armed ponies could be seen all over the property, as the ponies inside the carriage got out.

Octavia, Jubileena, and Prim, walked away from the carriage, and were greeted by Keyzzio.

“Sunny’s real mad.” Keyzzio told the ponies. “One of the Tarttaglia’s was killed this morning at 4 a.m.”

“Sweet Celestia.” Jubileena said aloud. Jubileena also commented on all the armed ponies around the property, as herself, and the three other ponies with her, began making their way inside the home. “It’s like the Princesses’ castle around here.”

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Inside Don Colteone’s office,

Sunny took a sip of her cider, before speaking aloud.

“We’ve got guards posted everywhere around the property, 24/7! I’d like to see any of those filthy Tarttaglias try anything now!” She spoke, a cocky air about her. She then let out a little chuckle, as she saw Octavia’s bruised cheek. “Looks good on you Octavia. Makes you look tough for once.” Sunny then put her drink down, and took a seat in her father’s chair behind his desk. “But now we come back to business. We received word that Caballeron and that cruddy police Captain want a meeting. “She then pointed a hoof at Octavia. “With Octavia.”

Prim spoke up next.

“We should probably meet with them, to hear what they want to say.”

“Not a chance in Tartarus! There’s no way I’m gonna send Octavia to meet with those ponies!” Sunny replied back.

“Think about this Sunny.” Prim tried to reason with Sunny. “If we don’t meet with them, we won’t be able to settle any of this, and the other families might start to move against us if father’s out for too long.”

Sunny then started to argue back, causing Prim to argue as well. The two went back and forth, until Octavia finally spoke up.

“I’ll go.”

“No, you will not.” Sunny told her sister.”

Octavia looked up at Sunny, looking her square in the eyes.

“They want to have a meeting with me, right? I say we should do it. It will just be myself, Caballeron, and Night Watch. We should get our informants to figure out where the meeting will be held, and insist that it be someplace public. A café or something. Someplace with ponies, so that I’ll feel safe. Now, I assume that they’ll have to search me, correct? So I cannot very well have a gun on myself then. However, if Jubileena can figure out a way to have a gun planted at the location, then I’ll go…and I’ll kill them.”

A silence filled the room, until Jubileena started to laugh on the side of the room, which caused Sunny and Keyzzio to join in with her, while Prim just shook her head.

“Ah, listen to you. Big fancy orchestra girl wants to go shoot a cop, just because he slapped you in the face a bit. This isn’t some performance, where you’re on stage, and they’re in the audience. They’ll be right there next to you.” Sunny replied to her sister, with a chuckle. She then wrapped her in a hug, before letting her go. “I love you, but no, you can’t make this personal. Prim, this pony is trying to make a business matter personal, talk her out of it would ya?”

“No, listen.” Octavia replied. “This isn’t just some regular police pony, he’s evil!”

“Please Octavia.” Prim tried to reason.

“This is a pony who’s gotten himself wrapped up in artificial apple production and bribery. I’d be doing Ponyville a favor by killing him!” Octavia replied. She then looked around the room, before turning back to Prim. “If nothing else, it would make a good story, right Prim? We do have connections in the papers don’t we? They would love a story like that.”

Prim looked away, scratching her chin.

“We do…and they…might.”

Octavia then looked at Sunny, a determined look in her eyes.

“It’s not personal Sunny. It’s strictly business.”

Author's Note

Terms used, in order of use:
Ponini= Panini (assume these are made of hay and not chicken)
Tartarus= Hell

Ponies used, in order of appearance:
Jubileena= Jubileena
Ivory= Ivory
Blues= S04E08 Unnamed Earth Stallion #3
Octavia= Octavia Melody
Apple Cinnamon= Apple Cinnamon
Sunny= Sunny Smiles
Don Colteone= S04E08 Unnamed Earth Stallion #6
Nurse= Nurse Snowheart
Charcoal Bakes= Charcoal Bakes
Caballeron= Dr. Caballeron
Caballeron's men= S04E04 Unnamed Earth Stallion #9, S04E04 Unnamed Earth Stallion #10
Night Watch= Night Watch
Prim Raining= S04E10 Unnamed Pegasus Mare #3
Keyzzio= S04E08 Unnamed Earth Stallion #10