Octavia smiled, lifting one hoof to flip her dark grey hair over her shoulder. She glanced over herself, making sure she looked nice, then slowly pushed open the heavy wooden door to the orchestra room. Her eyes fell over the pale blue carpeted floor, up to the meridian blue chairs, then finally to the chalkboard hanging on the wall. She skipped over the two violin sections, as well as the violas, and finally found First Cello.
Wait, First Cello? She scanned title again, then chuckled. Of course. In such a large orchestra, it was quite logical they'd have two cello sections, though finding music written for two cello sections would be harder for the conductor. Her thoughts flashed to the orange-maned conductor, Carrot Top, and she withheld a chuckle. The mare was quite enthusiastic, but it was good, and she kept time well, not needing a metronome. She shook her head slightly, then read through the First Cello list. Blah, blah, blah, blah... she became increasingly worried as she neared the end of the list, and as she finished, she was shaking. Just read it again, Octavia thought to herself, her violet eyes glancing over the list again.
Her name wasn't up there. Shaking slightly, she turned her head to the Second Cello list, glancing through it. There, at the top of the list, was her name. There must be a mistake! Nope, there was her name, Octavia, printed in bold white chalk. Her worry quickly transformed to anger, and she tightened her muscles, walking in stiff steps to the "cage" where the instruments were kept. She lifted hers in her mouth, her teeth clenching tight around the large instrument's handle. The rough black material scratched her tongue, and she mentally cursed, unable to open her mouth without dropping the priceless instrument. She walked stiffly to the head of the Second Cellos, and turned her head to see no one else there.
As her head was turned, a white mare walked toward her, and seeing Octavia was busy, emitted a light cough. Octavia turned with a start, almost kicking over her cello. She steadied it, and glared at the mare.
"You're... Octavia right?" She glanced over the list in her hooves, and Octavia nodded rigidly. What's her problem? Thought the white mare before continuing to speak. "I'm Vinyl Scratch, and I'm the guide for Second Cello. I'm like the conductor," she added, seeing Octavia's confused look, "But I help you specifically. And your group. The conductor is really only there to keep you together after each section's guides are done teaching you. It's a new method to target specific players, so we can get each player to their best. Today we're actually playing in the next room, so can you follow me?" Octavia rolled her eyes at Vinyl's flight attendant's act. She lifted her cello, being careful not to bump into the music stands, and followed Vinyl to the nearby smaller room.
The room had the same carpeting and chairs as the other room, but was noticeably smaller, and the lighting was duller. The music stands were set up carefully, and she sat down at the front of the room, folding her hooves under her. Vinyl Scratch used her magic to lift a few music pieces, setting them on Octavia's stand, and Octavia noted them carefully. Celestia's Fifth Concerto, Luna's Night, and The Griffon's War. All noteworthy pieces, and Octavia was glad to be playing publicly known songs. Upon closer inspection, however, she was insulted.
Each piece was barely more than simple quarter notes, with a few eighth notes scattered through it. It was probably the simplest music she had ever seen. Even being a normal cello, you rarely got the melody, usually playing a simple piece in the background. However, you did get the melody for a few bars per song. Second Cello didn't at all. Not once in any of the songs.
"What is this? I'm better than this! I can play faster and neater than this!" Vinyl turned towards Octavia's angry outburst, shocked, then understanding.
"Yes, yes you can. You are here because we need a good leader for Second Cello. We don't want to turn away anypony, but we need to have at least some good players in each category so it doesn't fall apart! And yes," she added, "There are ponies that auditioned that fall apart at these pieces." Octavia blinked slowly, then blinked again. Suddenly, she saw everything about Vinyl Scratch. The streaked blue-and-electric-blue hair, the purple sunglasses hiding magenta-red eyes, the black music note cutie mark. And how cute the mare was.
Octavia had been a "fillyfooler" for a very long time. Not forever, but since her first fling with a certain pink maned party mare. She was honestly proud of it, unlike the named pink party mare. After that, she had moved to Canterlot, and had enjoyed living there since.
Vinyl Scratch looked at Octavia's dreamy eyes, and giggled. She knew that look. She lifted a hoof to her mouth to silence herself, then rapped her baton on the conductor's stand. The other few ponies looked up, and Octavia did to, with a start. Opening her cello case quickly, she turned to the conductor, blushing as Vinyl Scratch counted.
"1... 2... Ready... Go!" And music poured from Octavia's cello, sweet as Celestia's voice. Of course, they were quickly stopped as Vinyl's ears were near bleeding thanks to the other three musicians, and Vinyl began explaining how to actually play a cello, music in her voice. Finally, she finished explaining, (her eye rolls hidden by her gleaming sunglasses) and they began playing again.
This time, they actually didn't sound like they were being strangled, and they managed to complete The Griffon's War without the writer bursting from his grave. As they finished, Vinyl's eyes were almost filled with joy, and Octavia, though not proud to be leading the group, could smile and congratulate them. As the others trickled out of the room, chatting amongst themselves, Octavia took her time packing away her instrument, placing the music in its respective folder on the case. A shy smile on her face, she walked over to Vinyl Scratch.
"Hey, Vinyl? D-Do you want to go out to dinner tonight? We can go to Melody's, I know the owner." A blush had risen to her cheeks, and she ducked her head awkwardly.
"I'd love to," smiled Vinyl Scratch. "Be at my place at eight? I live in the white house down the street from the Castle." Octavia looked up, the blush gone, and Vinyl winked at her before leaving, carrying her music magically. Octavia carefully lifted the cello and walked to the cage, a skip in her step.
Octavia smiled to herself as she brushed her mane for a last time. She was feeling quite elegant for once, her black saddlebags contrasting her grey body, and the violet in her mane matching her cutie mark. She flipped her hair one final time, then glanced over at the clock.
"Horsefeathers!" She exclaimed loudly, dashing out of the house. She had ten minutes to get there, so she really had to book it. Her hooves pounded the smooth sidewalks in an even thud, and many ponies turned in confusion or shock towards her. The bits in her saddlebags jangled in time with her hoofsteps, and her mane's careful work was nearly destroyed. She finally arrived at the large white house moments before the clock began dinging, and she knocked carefully on the beautifully painted door, afraid of chipping the paint off.
Her home was nothing compared to this... this mansion. She lived in a simple flat, her bed in a far corner and her music in another. There were no rooms except the bathroom, divided off by a few wooden roll-out dividers. She loved it, but compared to this, she had nothing.
The door swung open, and Vinyl Scratch hopped on to the doorstep, her mane and tail bouncing as she hopped around. She seemed so... overly energetic. Octavia began laughing, her laughter like bells in the wind. The sun was just starting to set as they left, giggling and chatting like old friends. They quickly arrived at Melody's, and the maitre'd quickly led them to a table in the far corner, a window letting them look out at the city lights.
"Hey Octavia, what's cham-pag-nee?" Vinyl Scratch stumbled over the word, and Octavia smiled as though speaking to a young child.
"Champagne is an alcoholic drink usually used to celebrate any sort of event. In fact, I propose we order some to start the night off." She expertly signaled a waiter, who was clearly new here.
"What can I get you lady-er, two ladies this nigh-evening?"
"We'll start of with a bottle of champagne. Choose a good bottle, will ya?" Octavia batted her eyelashes at him, and the waiter stumbled away, his cheeks red. Vinyl let out a kindhearted laugh, then turned her head to the menu. Octavia did the same, reading through it carefully. Finally deciding on the rose-and-violet salad, she turned to Vinyl, who was mouthing out one of the words confusedly.
"Octavia, what should I get?" Vinyl whined, and Octavia turned to her own menu.
"Try the daisy salad and hay fries, with herb sauce," said Octavia, just as the waiter approached them. "We'll have a daisy salad and hay fries, as well as a rose-and-violet salad. Oh, and some herb sauce on those hay fries please." The waiter nodded and turned away, scrawling on his notepad as he left.
"So Octavia, what do you do in your free time?" Vinyl seemed sincerely curious, and Octavia was more than glad to engage in conversation.
"Well, I mostly practice my cello until my hooves nearly fall off, but I do go out to eat a lot, and the spa twice a month. I go to this great place in Ponyville, I bet you'd love it. What about you?"
"Well I'm pretty great at most instruments, but DJing has been a big hobby of mine. I do it unprofessionally, but I did play at Princess Cadance's wedding last month."
"Wow, really? You're so lucky! Hey, do you want to join me this weekend at the spa? I have a train pass, so we won't need to pay."
"I'd love to!" Vinyl's eyes lit up through the sunglasses, and you caught a small glimpse of them as though the sunglasses had disappeared. The waiter brought over their food, and the champagne, carefully arranging it on the tablecloth.
"A toast!" Declared Octavia, lifting her glass.
"A toast!" Agreed Vinyl, lifting it with her magic.
"To great friendships and more!" They clinked their glasses and sipped at them gracefully, though Vinyl quickly spit hers out.
"What's in this stuff?! It's terrible!"
"Not terrible-just requiring adjustment, as my mum used to say."
"Whatever happened to your parents anyways?" Vinyl tried a smaller sip of the champagne this time, and managed to swallow it.
"My dad died in a carriage crash when I was pretty small. My mum lives in Ponyville, so I always visit her when I go to the spa. She's great. Beautiful, artistic..." her voice trailed off wistfully, and she began eating the salad as Vinyl watched her in caring silence.
"What's in champagne anyways?" Inquired Vinyl, glancing at it warily.
"Like I said, alcohol," Octavia replied, sighing at repeating herself at a bit of her annoyance at doing so leaking through.
"Not what's in it, per se, but what's the point of it?"
"Oh! Sorry," Octavia blushed, then began to explain. "It's usually to celebrate, but sometimes, ponies will drink alcohol simply to get drunk. Getting drunk is when you drink so much wine, champagne, or beer that you basically lose your senses and begin acting crazy. Everypony acts different when they drink it, some becoming wild and crazy, while others become incredibly quiet and shy," like Pinkie, she added mentally.
"Can I get drunk?"
"Well... yeah, I guess," responded Octavia, a bit taken aback by the question. "But like I said, you'll lose your senses, plus you'll end up with a hangover. Basically, you'll feel miserable and wish you could crawl in a hole and not come out. While your drunk it's great, but afterwards..." she shuddered, remembering when she had gotten drunk with Pinkie and they had gotten lost outside of Ponyville.
"I want to try it. To new beginnings!" Vinyl exclaimed, raising her glass and clinking it with Octavia's. Octavia smiled, then rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long night.
"Oh, and by the way-I won't be getting drunk. We need someone with a level head to get you home, and asking that waiter would be a terrible mistake." She giggled, then began sipping at her glass elegantly. "When you're done with that, let me know and I'll-" she stopped, seeing Vinyl's glass was already empty. This was going to be a very long night indeed.
