A Flower from the East

What a tiring day... it was time for a specific ponyvillian bassist to take a rest and enjoy the rest of the day with a fine wine. Octavia was composing and practicing for her next performance for all day, but it all seemed to pay off. She gaited to the kitchen and poured some of her red wine into its proper glass, then headed back towards the living room to enjoy it with a good book she rented from the library. On the way, though, something caught her attention: the door showing its white tongue of a letter on its lower side. How long was it there?

She gently aligned her direction and took the letter out. It was a simple, casual letter, no signs of who could have sent it. Tavia tore it open with her mouth and took out the letter, threw the envelope away so she could hold its content with her hoof.

"Dearest Octavia Melody

I plan on visiting you in the following days for a short time, now that I was given permission to temporarily leave the Island. It came to my attention that you left your home in Canterlot and moved to Ponyville. Despite that, I have found out your current address and will still be able to pay a visit.

I'm looking forwards seeing you in person.

Your cousin

Azalea."

...

"Your cousin

Azalea"

...

"Azalea"

"Azalea" the bass player repeated, as she kept rechecking that last word again, and again, and again. So much, in fact she completely forgot about her drink in her other hoof, pouring it slowly onto the carpet.

"Azalea."

"Octavia."

"Azalea."

"Octavia!"

"Azalea."

"OCTAVIA!!"

The gray mare finally snapped out of the hypnosis of the mystical word. However, she became so frightened she dropped the glass, that poured all its remaining contents onto the textile. It was Vinyl Scratch, her roommate and friend who helped her back to reality.

"Hey, Tavia. What's the matter? You look quite... ridiculous." the DJ giggled. "What's that?"

Tavia, now that she was aware of the happenings, knew well what is going to happen, and what to do, though the thought unnerved her a lot. Yet, she tried to tell the news in a way not to make it sound like a big deal.

"My distant relative is going to pay a visit. She won't be here for long according to her letter, but I need to ask you not to make any of that electronic songs of yours while she is here."

"Oh, how great!" told Vinyl in a sarcastic and fed up tone "Another canterlotian visitor."

"No, she is not. She's from..." However, Tavia stopped too late.

"From where?"

"...The Blissful Island."

Vinyl brust out in laughter. "Okay, that was a good one, jokes aside, where she is from?"

"The Blissful Island, as I said." Octavia repeated. She knew this will happen, and didn't quite like the fact, but she had to cope with it. Long silence filled the room, until the unicorn charged her horn and took the message out from her friend's grasp to take a look.

"No! Vinyl that's mine, give it back!" told the gray one, but the white coated didn't listen.

"Tavia... This, is, awesome!" she replied "Why didn't you tell me you have relatives there?"

"Because it was not important."

"You know what they say about that place? No way in, no way out. Maybe she is a refugee, or broke out from prison and now-"

"Shut up! Vinyl, I'm already frightened by the thought she is coming here, I need none of your nonsense." the mare shouted, shaking from fear.

"But Blissful Island is a completely different place. Ponies can fly without wings, run on water and walls like on the ground and whatnot. I'm sure they don't drop the beat there like I do, though."

"No, Vinyl, those are most likely just ponytales. Please leave your music out while she stays."

"Why? Some change and culture sharing doesn't do bad. She'll totally like it."

"Maybe I chose my words wrong. How about these: If I hear a sound of that unbearable dishwasher-frequency while Azalea is here, I'll end you." Octavia replied, leaning closer and whispering "I don't care about your excuses, I'll end you."

If one thing Vinyl know about her friend is that she could see the emotions in her eyes, and this time what she saw was a tombstone with a musical note on it. Tavia was dead serious this time.

"Okay, I won't... except if she asks me to." the DJ told.

Octavia nodded firmly and with a sigh she looked over to the dirty carpet and the chipped glass. Better clean that up and start the preparation. A guest from the far east was coming.

"The usual." Rarity told, in a high pitched melody, turning back to her gray coated fellow afterwards "I'm so happy we can spend some time together here, Miss Octavia. I don't see you coming to the spa too often."

"Yes, I like to reserve it for special events when I am too much engulfed by stress." the other replied, as they made their way towards the massage beds.

Rarity laid down and took a comfortable position on the furniture where a pink coated girl prepared two pillows for her.

"And which one is it this time, mind if I ask?"

"Pretty much both, I'm afraid." the bassist sighed "My relative from Blissful Island is going to arrive tomorrow, my cousin to be appropriate."

"Blissful Island? That Blissful Island?!" Rarity responded, frozen solid from the shock, despite Aloe massaging her back. As she was given a nod from Octavia she continued "Why, that's... wonderful, darling. I heard their martial arts are quite exotic."

Tavia raised one of her eyebrow from the off-topic response "Martial arts?"

Rarity blushed a little bit "You know, I always wanted to learn some moves, to be both a lady and somepony not to mess with." she admitted.

"It would definitely fit your attitude well." Octavia chuckled, than returned to melancholy with another sigh.

"Oh don't be so under the weather, dear, I'm positive she will be understanding." Rarity calmed her friend.

"Maybe... but I'm not sure. In fact I don't even know what she looks like, how could I know what she likes or not, or basically anything? I'm scared, I don't know what to do." Octavia told, the hope slowly leaving her mind through her mouth.

"Then how about being yourself?" Rarity advised with a friendly wink.

"Being myself, yes." repeated Octavia "Yes, I should just be myself, I guess." she added, her mouth smiling as her eyes shut.

"See? There is absolutely nothing to worry about, darling." Rarity smiled back.

However, something was still frustrating the earth pony inside.

"Ah, I needed this so badly. My body feels so much lighter. Thank you girls."

"Our pleasure Miss Rarity, please come again."  the twins replied at the same time, as the unicorn gently closed the door of the spa behind her.

"Well, so long for the olive oil." Lotus told, as she threw out the used, empty tub of the product.

"Let's close for dinner and stock up, sis." Aloe suggested, which Lotus find a great idea, as she nodded with her head. The two mares left their house, but with a quick move, Lotus flipped the sign to the side that said "closed" first.

"Did you hear what Miss Octavia say?" Lotus asked on the street on the way to the market.

"Oh I did. Her cousin from Blissful Island is coming here. You know what this means, sis?" Aloe responded, filled with excitement. "I can finally learn the secret, exotic Thay massage method."

"And I can learn the art of the Feng Shui, so we can make the spa spiritually relaxing as well." Lotus answered with the same high-pitched tune, making both of them squeal and beat their hooves to the ground like a filly on a Wonderbolts air show.

"Huh? Feng Shui? Sounds cool." Dash said to herself, as she woke up hearing the exotic word on a small cloud she was taking a nap on, just above the spa.

"Maybe it's like Karate or Kung-fu. Hiya!" she continued, landing a few kicks on the cloud. "I guess, I'll just ask Twilight about that, I can never be too cool not know some good moves.". With a flap of her wings she dashed off to the library nearby.

"Hey Twilight!" she shouted as she broke into the tree "I'm going to need all the books you have about Feng Shui."

"Hi Rainbow Dash, refurnishing your room I see." the unicorn chuckled, as she stopped ordering her books for a second.

"Um, no. I need to learn a few new moves for my awesome martial collection." the pegasus denied, with a disturbed look.

Twilight stopped for a moment to process, then let out a loud but short laugh "Oh, Rainbow Dash, I think someone played a trick on you." she explained. "Feng Shui is the ancient eastern art of furniture. It is said to increase the flow of the spirits thus raising overall mood."

"Lame." the pegasus replied flicking her eyes away in disappointment.

"Where on Equestria heard that anyway?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Oh, I just noticed it when somepony mentioned some visitor from an island or something. I didn't pay attention."

"An island? You mean Blissful Island?" screamed the unicorn as she teleported into her friend's intimate zone. She was about to do that again, that excited, hyped behavior everyone tried to avoid. "The secret, isolated Blissful Island that locked itself from Equestria since thousand years?!"

"Yeah... I guess."

"You know what that means Dash?" the unicorn asked, but answered right after "After so much time, maybe the Blissful Island's ponies decided to open up again."

"So... what is the big deal?"

"The deal?! Legends say that the ponies of that island can fly without wings, and perform magic without horns. Their culture is vastly different than ours, there are infinite secrets related to that place that are need to be answered, and this our chance. Maybe the only one, even. Spike! Spike!!" she screamed in excitement. The dragon walked down from upstairs, his face already telling that things won't end well, he knew when Twilight called his name twice, it meant either apocalypse or a discovery that changes the world. He didn't say a word but the unicorn already gave the orders: "Spike, get my extra large scroll and all quills, I'll run down the shop and get fifteen pots of ink, just in case."

And with the speed she was blabbering did the purple one rush out from the library.

"What is this time?" the dragon asked the pegasus, who just shrugged in bafflement, making Spike just raise an eyebrow in doubt.

"Alright, let's order together what should I ask when he arrives... or, she." Twilight told to herself as she strolled down the street fast "Ugh, maybe I should have brought a list too. Well, I can still-"

Bam! For she wasn't watching the road (again) she paid the price, as she tripped over a pale beige pony she knew by chance: Roseluck.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." the earth pony apologized.

"No, it is completely my fault, I was quite lost in my thoughts on the preparations." Twilight replied.

Roseluck let a gasp escape her body in delight. "So your sister is coming to visit us?"

"Sister?" asked the unicorn with a strange grin.

"From the Blissful Island. Everyone is talking about a mysterious mare visiting from there. I've heard that the legendary blood orchid grows there, only once a year. I'm longing for one since I was a little seed." Rose explained with her eyes twinkling from the hope.

"She's actually Tavi's cousin, Rose, you should ask her about it." a high pitched voice cut into their conversation.

"She is?" the pony replied "Oh, thank you so much Pinkie." she jumped with joy and sprinted away.

"Pinkie what are you doing?" shouted the unicorn furiously "It's really inconsiderate to spread rumors like that, you should know."

"Oh, these are not rumors, silly, these are news, and you know noone would attend a surprise welcome party if they wouldn't know about it." the pink one giggled, patting her lower lip a bit afterwards "Well, expect if they'd come there by accident, but then it would still have the surprise part."

"(This won't end well.)" Twilight thought as she gazed over the excited ponies chatting all over the street, while her mind recalled Rose's words.

"This won't end well. This will definitely not end well." Octavia told, as she peeked out from behind the scarlet curtain of her room. She was trembling from fear as she saw Roseluck trot away towards the other excited townsfolk, who were all talking about that one thing she wanted to keep away.

It was a nightmare becoming true.