A single petal flowing across the land
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.
A flower blooms from the soft soil
Tavia anxiously went to sleep that night, which resulted in a delayed wake next morning, much for her misfortune.
Barely did the sun peak out from behind the horizon, but a strange silhouette cut itself out from its light. The ponies who just woke up and looked out from their windows could see the flower in her full glory. She walked down slowly, yet confidently, her eyes zig-zagging back and forth as she read the numbers on the doors. Some even dared to leave their homes when she walked past them, while others remained there as those intimidating eyes and the strange object she was wielding over her saddlebags filled them with fear. It looked like an enormous hexagonal sledgehammer of some sort. She turned in at the correct door an knocked on it.
"Ugh, who can that be this early?" a gray pony said as she suffered down from her bed. "Probably just some fillies playing around or something." she told as she rubbed her eyes walking down the stairs. She convinced herself so much however, instead of setting her mane she went straight to the door.
A light, sugar brown coated mare stood in front of her, her mane a darker shade of the same color, adorned by a dark red flower and pinned up in a messy little comb on the back. Her eyes were yellow and slightly slanted as well, outlined with jet black.
"Greetings, sister." she said as she reached out her right hoof.
That exact moment Octavia realized the situation. Her eyes widened as her body started to sweat uncontrollably and her heart felt like it would like to get away from her. Not knowing what to do, she shut the door... only realizing that she now made it even worse. She opened it a little once again saying "One moment." and closed it, rushing to the bathroom. She set her mane with one hoof while washing her teeth with the other, her mind working overtime.
Few seconds later she stepped to the door to face the worst thing in her lifetime ever happened. She opened the door once again.
"Greetings, sister." the girl said once again, with the same motion as before.
"W-welcome, Azalea." Tavia responded "I'm t-terribly sorry about the happenings before, I..."
"You most likely worked yourself up over my visitation and haven't rested enough, it's understandable. No need to be nervous, sister, mistakes are fated to be made." Azalea told, as her sister let her in. "In fact, it's my mistake since I arrived too early, my apologies." she continued as she bowed in front of her sister. Her voice was warm and gentle like fresh silk... yet still, it had a little touch of condescending heard in it.
"Here, let me help you." Octavia rushed to take off the strange weight her relative was carrying. She moved slowly not to break anything, until Azalea joined, and they slowly placed it down leaning it against a wall. Now it was time to have her pack down in her room. Octavia decided to sacrifice her own comfort to her sister's and lead her there.
"Here, this is my room, a little bit messy but I hope you'll like it." the gray mare told in shame, even though the room was as clean and ordered as new. Azalea stepped inside, her eyes of a critic observing the area's every details as a frown grew on her face. She hummed a few times and turned around with a quick move.
"Sister! Are you feeling depressed or nervous often, by any chance?" she asked.
Octavia recoiled in a sudden, but with a gentle nod she confirmed the question "Nervous, yes."
"Do you feel you can't get enough rest no matter what?" the brown one asked, making Tavia shake her head with a bit of sadness.
"No surprise, the energy flow in this room is atrocious." Azalea replied as she shut her eyes, her warm words being filled with bitter honesty. She took down her saddlebags and placed them in front of a shelf.
"For common courtesy, however, I'm accepting your offer. Thank you." she told, bowing once again. Her words were somewhat hurtful, but Octavia didn't mind it much.
"Hey, Tavia, look what I found!" trampled in Vinyl with a large object on her back. The cinnamon coat however took her by surprise.
"I suggest handing it over." Azalea lowered her voice.
Octavia turned red in embarrassment "Azalea this is my roommate, Vinyl."
Her sister raised an eyebrow but shook hooves with the unicorn regardless after the strange thing was put away, Octavia, however kept staring at it from the corner of her eye.
"Can you guess what it is?" Azalea asked with a mild smile.
"An... instrument?" Octavia asked back without confidence.
"An instrument indeed, a dadihu. Much for my misfortune it is often referred to as erhu by many." she told with a small sigh.
"I know exactly how you feel, almost everypony calls my bass a cello as well." Tavia told as she placed her hoof on Azalea's shoulder.
"I suggest a duet if you're free after the noon." her cousin recommended, that Octavia happily agreed with a nod. "Not here, however, such terrible environment greatly decreases performance. I'm taking a look around to find the best place for cultivation." she told as she gaited out from her room.
This wasn't the worst idea, Octavia thought, after all, taking a stroll around town was a good way to introduce the equestrian culture to her sister. She chose to follow her.
"Mind if I join?" she asked.
"Not in the slightest." Azalea smiled back. Leaving the silent but frowning unicorn behind they went to hit the streets.
"Ponyville is so vastly different than home." Azalea told as her head didn't know where to turn. "The houses are much more colorful, the road is warm and uneven, and no walls far or wide to hide the sky." She kept staring at the sky, looking for something "So clear and blue, not a single cloud anywhere.".
"Isn't the weather similar where you come from?" Octavia asked.
"Not at all. The Sun never shines in Blissful Island, the clouds rule the skies." Azalea shook her head. "Especially in Dragon Villa."
This made Tavia think a little. Cold, grey concrete, huge walls and on the top of that, no sunshine. It sounded like the Blissful Island is not that blissful after all. Azalea continued as she saw a pegasus flying by slowly next to them, waving to them.
"Our land has no pegasi or unicorns, only-" however she suddenly stopped as her eyes followed the grey pegasus. As if she would have notice something.
"Is something wrong?" Octavia asked, but was ignored. Azalea zig-zagged her eyes between the houses, she slowly lowered her hoof to the ground, and as soon as they felt the warm ground, she disappeared like lightning, appearing two houses behind them at the corner of the right home. Her mane throwing itself forwards as if an enormous wind would have blown into it. She looked around with a frown as she hummed. Octavia, still shocked from what just happened, but managed to catch up to her.
"W-what just happened?" she asked.
"Nothing, let's proceed." her sister replied in a much more serious manner.
"Surprise!!"
Octavia jumped in shock, about which she began complaining once again "Pinkie Pie was this necessary?"
"Duh, hello, it's no surprise if you're not even surprised." the pink one replied, turning to the musician's sister. "Hey, Azalea, would like to come to a welcome party in the Sugarcube Corner today?"
"Sure, what time?" the brown one asked. Pinkie sat down and took out a clock from behind her that oddly enough had the word "Party!" in the place of numbers.
"Let's see... RIGHT NOW!" she screamed, bolting as lightning in excitement.
"Let's get going then, we're already too late." Azalea told, turning around and following the pink mare in a fast, but still modest pacing. Octavia sighed, nothing was the way she planned. She resigned with the thought, hoping for the bests. But as her thoughts began to wonder away from reality, she couldn't help but notice the herd of the predators around, just waiting for the perfect moment to rush down the two mares like fillies during a wonderbolt giving autographs.
But the real ambush stuck as they opened the door of the Sugarcube Corner. Azalea and Octavia have been flooded with ponies, all speaking together resulting in an incoherent noise. Though while Octavia's heart was pounding from the panic, Azalea took it surprisingly well, replying to them one by one in complete calm, as she could make out the sentences she wanted to hear by sheer concentration.
"Excuse me, I heard your kind owns a special magical ability, could you show me for research in the library?"
"Sure, 13:30."
"Miss Azalea, could you kindly check our spa's energy flow?"
"Absolutely, at 15:00."
"Is it true you have a special dance to relieve stress?"
"Meet me at four, and I'll show you."
This went on for minutes and minutes, until the fog dissipated. Octavia was still dizzy, and her ears were ringing from the noise, though it seemed her sister didn't.
"You handled it pretty nicely." she complimented, trying to put her thoughts together after the chaotic storm.
"I have counted in that Equestrian inhabitants may take interest in alien culture, victory is for the prepared." Azalea replied in her signature, deep voice.
An enormous scream echoed through the building, from a pink pony with a yellow mane. Eventually, the ponies around all backed away from the sight: A huge, ugly spider on the wall. Azalea bolted through the room with her swiftness, grabbing the creature with her hooves.
"Oh no please." a gentle voice told her, coming from a flying pegasus of cream and pink, her mane softly pouring down her body like a river as she landed on the ground "Please don't hurt him, I'm sure he wanted no harm." she begged quietly.
"I won't, worry not. The ponies in the Blissful Island respect nature and its creations." the brown mare replied, as she held the little guy on her hoof, opening the door and walking out to let him free.
But before putting him down, she leaned closer, whispering the following words
"Tell her I know she's here, and I'll find her."
Thus, she lowered her limb as the spider jumped down and walked away. Now that the crisis was over it was time for the party to get started.
"Of course you'll find me, and I'll be waiting." a deep and charming voice replied in the dark. "As for you, what kind of punishment shall I give you?" she asked, turning towards her little, eight legged minion on her hoof.
She began to wonder, scratching her jaw with her other hoof, as she began playing around, not even looking what she was doing to him, for she could care less.
She kept staring at the upper left corner, as her right hoof was flinging back and forth gently, forcing the little creature hanging on the tiny cobweb attached to her to get smashed to the front and back side of her limb.
"Hmmm..." she thought even longer, spinning the thread and thus the spider clockwise carelessly for seconds that seemed like forever.
The voice sighed up, ending the wild ride of the creature "I'll think of it later.". As such, she threw away the completely dizzy animal like an useless rock, gaiting back through the cobweb filled, dark room to the little desk she was working at.
