Dear Red Shoes,

I never thought I'd be writing one of these, to be honest. I've known about your work, of course. Who hasn't, really? But for the longest time, I turned my nose up at the entire idea behind this diary of yours. I mean, who in their right mind would air their dirty laundry for half of Equestria to see... and to a stranger no less? It felt like everypony was suddenly a kind of peeping colt, eagerly drooling over some other mare's misfortunes, or in many cases, their debauchery.

At least, that is, until I suddenly had a story of my own to tell. And what a story it is...

"Of course the lift is broken. Again."

I slapped the call button a few more times in rapid succession, as if sheer force of will would somehow bring the infernal thing back to life. As I expected, the call light stayed on just long enough to tempt my sense of hope, only to wink out a moment later. Clearly, it was mocking me.

"Stupid pile of–" I bit back some very unsavory words before my temper got the best of me. If word got back to Mother that I had thrown a fit in public – and believe me, it would have – I'd have to endure a week of remedial lectures on ladylike behavior. And with the week I had been having, another lecture was the absolute last thing that I needed.

I glared at the call button before hanging my head in defeat. "The stairs it is then."

Four flights of stairs, to be exact. My talents and my family name had opened many avenues for me over the years, including a near automatic acceptance into the esteemed Canterlot Academy of Music. But apparently that was still woefully insufficient to secure a room on the first floor of the dormitory for the year. It was a minor nuisance normally, but with fifteen pounds of cello on my back, those stairs had become a pain in my flank before I reached the second floor.

Five minutes and two near misses from ponies running down the stairs like idiots later, I alighted onto the fourth floor. After catching my breath for a second, I readjusted my cello case on my back and headed down the hall. I was just passing the room next to mine when I heard a random voice.

"Oh, yes..."

I froze mid-step, ears turning every which way to locate whatever that was.

"Yes..."

'Oh, for buck's sake.' I cringed inside as I realized what was going on. Romantic rendezvous were certainly allowed in the dormitory, though most ponies took such carnal activities to one of the many inns around town, or at least kept themselves relatively quiet. Whoever this was though, was being anything but quiet.

"Don't stop..."

"No, please do," I muttered under my breath as I began to move again. I was just about to my door when the voice called out again.

"Mmhm... yes, Octavia..."

Everything around me stopped, as if my cello's strings had been cut mid-performance. The voice came from inside my room. 'Lyra?!'

"Oh, yes, don't stop..."

The slight North Trottingham accent was unmistakable. That was indeed my roommate.

And she was calling out my name while pleasuring herself.

I couldn't decide if I should be horrified, furious, or both. How long had she been doing this? Weeks? Months? The entire year? Could she have engineered her room assignment just to stalk me?

I scanned the hallway around me, silently thanking Celestia for the lack of other ponies in the area. Late afternoon classes hadn't let out for most students, and if Vinyl Scratch was even in her room at the end of the hall, she was likely passed out on her desk with her face resting in an empty pizza box.

Still, I had few options available to me. I could just barge in there and berate Lyra. After all, it was my room too, and I really wanted to get this cello off my back and take a shower. But, that would surely cause a scene, and with finals approaching in a few days, it was far too late in the semester to get a new roommate. Standing in the hall like a fool was risky too, but even if other ponies saw me, I'd at least have a chance to hoof wave them away. 'Maybe I'll just tell them I heard her throwing up in there–'

"Aahn, y-yes! I'm getting close, oh don't stop!"

Apparently, I'd arrived just in time for the crescendo of Lyra's, shall I say, solo session. And if the continued moans and whimpers from behind my door were any indication, she was enjoying whatever it was she thought I was doing to her. 'She must think I'm pretty good too... Wait, what?'

It was an errant thought, but it stopped me in my tracks. Surely, I couldn't be interested in this gross display, right?

Right?

I answered my own question by quietly shuffling as close to the door frame as I could get without blocking the light that filtered beneath it. My ears perked up, and for the next few minutes I just stood there and listened while Lyra drove herself crazy. I heard my name more than a few times, yet instead of stoking my indignation, it began poking at the back of my mind.

'She must really be into me if she's moaning like that. Does she really think I'm that sexy? Can a hoof even move that way?' All these questions and more flitted through me as the debauchery continued behind that door. I have to admit though, hearing my name cried out like that was getting to me... and in ways I hadn't expected in the least.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally asexual. I've dated mares and stallions in the past, and have enjoyed the time spent. One one particular occasion, I shared a bed with a stallion for a night as well, though I assure you it was purely for mutual stress relief before a particularly grueling orchestral performance. But, I had never really given much thought to a physical encounter with another mare, especially one that already slept in the same room with me.

Then again, Lyra was by all rights a comely mare...

"Yes! Yes! I'm so close!"

And I was legitimately stressed out over the solo piece I had to perform for next week's final...

"D-don't stop!"

And I'd be lying if the image of Lyra's admittedly lithe form sprawled out on her bed wasn't entirely unwelcome by my mind's eye...

"Aahn! Yes, Tavi, yes! Oh, yes! Y- Aahn!"

"Wow..." I whispered to myself as Lyra undoutedly reached an orgasm. Whatever I did to her in her imagination must have worked wonders for her, and if my rapidly beating heart was any clue, it was getting to me too. So much so, that I didn't feel the cello case slipping off my back until it was too late.

I nearly leaped back to counter-balance the case, but not before the back end of it knocked against the edge of the door frame. I barely suppressed a panicked yelp before backing away from the door as quickly as I dared. I thought for sure Lyra would poke her head out the door and find me loitering, but by some miracle the door remained closed. I turned immediately for the stairwell and went back downstairs before my luck ran out. "Besides," I muttered, "I've got some thinking to do."

After sneaking downstairs, I grabbed one of the empty tables in the back corner of the common lounge and went to work processing the situation I found myself in then. Unbeknownst to me, my roommate was not just into me, but had given to fantasizing about me in a very visceral way. I had no idea if this was a new thing for Lyra, or just another in a long running obsession with me, but the more I had listened to her lustful moans, the more enamored I became with the idea that somepony wanted me – and not just for my musical talent either. Lyra wanted me, not the cello prodigy; she wanted Octavia Melody, not the semi-famous scion of musical royalty.

She just wanted me.

And despite my usual reticence, I liked that idea very much. The only question left to ponder now was, "How do I let her know?"

My little travel clock showed it was nearly seven in the evening when I finished arranging my sheet music on its stand. "Okay, everything's ready. Now, will she show up?" 'And can I really go through with this?' I added as my mind replayed the events that had led me to this point.

I had been mulling over my options in the common lounge for nearly an hour when I heard Lyra's voice in the distance. I half-hid behind a book of sheet music that had been stuffed in my cello case while I looked out for her. Thankfully, she was conversing with some others from our floor as she walked, and never even glanced in my direction. Lyra and the others veered to their right, undoubtedly headed for the cafeteria, whose marginally appealing scents had just begun to waft into the lobby area.

Knowing that she was a slow – and chatty – eater, I made a beeline for my room as soon as she was out of sight. A million 'must do' things were running through my mind as I entered the room, but I couldn't help but stop and stare at the exceedingly crumpled sheets on her bed, or breathe in the potent smell of sex that filled the air in the small room. I have to admit, the knowledge that the messy sheets I saw, the musky air I was breathing, and the loud moans I heard were all for me gave me a warm fuzzy feeling in places I hadn't thought about in a long time.

After a quick shower, I re-styled my mane, dabbed on a bit of perfume, and grabbed my black 'performance day' dress from the closet. I scrawled a quick note for Lyra and headed across campus to the concert hall. It was near closing time, but I cajoled the desk attendant into letting me check out one of the dozen or so rehearsal rooms that were spread across the building. These purpose-built rooms were spartan to say the least, with a table, two chairs, a mirror, and a music stand their only furnishings. But, they were also fully sound proofed and comfortably lit, so musicians and singers alike took frequent advantage of them to practice their crafts with good acoustics, and no disturbances.

And I definitely did not want to be disturbed tonight.

I was so focused on re-checking my surroundings, the soft knock on the door startled me. "Oh! Um, come in!"

The door opened slowly, and Lyra poked her head in. "Good thing I caught the front desk attendant before he went home. Otherwise, I'd still be checking each room to find you."

And good on her for that too. Had she taken that long to find me, I might have let my nerves and my self-conscious sense of decorum talk me out of what I had planned.

"Thanks for coming," I said, waving Lyra into the room. "I hope I'm not keeping you from anything important."

She just waved off my comment. "Nah, it's been a long day, so I was planning on taking the evening off from exam prep. Besides, you know I love to watch you work your magic with that cello," she added with a slight smile.

Given what I had just semi-witnessed a few hours ago, Lyra's comment took on an entirely different meaning than it once had for me. Nevertheless, I returned her smile warmly. "Thank you, Lyra. It's nice to know that you enjoy listening and watching."

"It's the highlight of my day, believe me," she replied.

Her eyes had that 'oh, that could be taken the wrong way' look for a second before settling down again, but I decided to needle her just a bit. "Oh, I can just imagine."

Her mouth fell open for a second as she stammered for a word. "O-oh, you ca– I mean, heh, I'm sure you can, Octavia!" If Lyra's coat had been white, I'm pretty sure her blush would have shown through easily. "So, uh... why here though? All the way in the concert hall? And dressed up too?"

"Oh, this?" I replied with a wave of a hoof for emphasis. "Well, the big solo exam for the bowed strings section is in a couple of days, so I wanted to simulate the exam environment as much as possible, including the audience of one." I smiled and winked at her. "So, consider this a dress rehearsal."

We looked at each other for a moment; I couldn't tell if the gleam in Lyra's golden eyes was there because she had me figured out and was just playing along, or if she was letting her imagination run wild inside of her. 'Well, let's find out.'

I stepped over to the music stand and reared up on my hind legs, tipping my cello from its stand towards me as I did so. (It's easier than it sounds when you've done it a thousand times, trust me.) Once set, I took the bow in my free hoof and rested it against the strings. "Ready?"

Lyra moved a few steps away and sat behind the small table. "As our instructors might say, 'you may begin.'"

I steadied myself, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. 'Well, here goes.'

My trusty cello came to life with a long, low sigh as my bow grazed the strings one-by-one. This would be a slow piece, with a long build and a tempo to match... and that was exactly what I wanted. If I was right, Lyra had spent weeks, perhaps months, watching me practice while keeping a lid on a deep longing in her heart. Had I not stumbled upon her in our room a few hours ago, I'd likely never have known that she harbored any feelings for me beyond simple friendship. And armed with that knowledge, I played my heart out to her.

Normally, I keep my movements fairly minimal while playing, but this time, I just let myself flow with the music. My body swayed with every pull of the bow, as if I were but a blade of grass caught in a spring breeze. I could feel my mane shifting around my shoulders as I played, the loose wave I had styled unwinding itself as I played. I could picture how I must have looked at that moment, and if I'm being honest with myself, I felt... I felt beautiful. I've played for ponies hundreds of times before – family, friends, instructors, and packed concert halls. But playing for a specific pony, one that I now knew had feelings for me... that was something I'd never done before. And in that moment, I daresay I felt more into my performance than ever before.

I opened my eyes as the piece hit the short pause at its midpoint, and at first glance, the chair in front of me was empty. Panic raced up my spine only to be cut off when my eyes caught a flash of green to my left. I twisted my head around and found myself staring right at Lyra. She had moved from her chair and was standing mere feet away from me with an intense focus in her eyes.

She stared back at me for a moment, and for the first time, I really looked into her eyes. They were like endless pools of sunlight; so deep, so bright, I could have stared into them forever. I was enraptured. My focus waned, and only muscle memory kept me from grossly scratching the bow across the strings like a rank amateur. She smiled at me, and I at her, but I think we both saw the growing desire that sat just below the surface. I continued to play, only now I kept my eyes locked on Lyra. I like to think that music speaks in its own way, and in that moment, both the music and my eyes were saying the same thing – 'Me too.'

An exhilarating rush washed over me as the final stanza sang out from my cello, and were it not for the presence of gravity, I think Lyra was ready to float off to the clouds. Seeing the music captivate her like that had me buzzing with adrenaline, and I hadn't even touched her yet. I drew the bow across the strings a final time, drawing out that last note as long as possible, and when it ended, we just looked at each other in silence. All I could hear was the sound of Lyra's quickened breathing, and the pounding of my own heart.

Her eyes darted from the cello to me as I leaned the instrument back into its stand and settled myself on all four hooves. I secured the cello in place and turned to Lyra, who still had a look of magic in her eyes. "That was beautiful..." she whispered, "but that piece is fifty years ahead of the period you said your exam covers."

"I know, but that piece wasn't for the exam." I leaned closer until our muzzles nearly touched. "It was for you."

Before she could react, I closed the small distance between us and pressed my lips to hers. It was over in a flash, driven partly by my desire not to push my luck, and partly by the fact that I had never kissed a mare before. I pulled back a bit and studied Lyra's expression for any sign of reaction. Her eyes fluttered open again, and in them I saw a wild mix of shock, joy, and disbelief.

"Oc– Octavia, wha–"

"I know, Lyra... I know."

Her eyes widened. "Y-you do? But I never said any– oh, no, don't tell that was you in the hallway!"

I blushed a bit at the memory still fresh in my mind. "I think I arrived when you were about halfway through."

The poor mare's face turned ghost white. "O-oh my gosh, Octavia, I'm so sorry! I, um, you weren't supposed to hear that! I—"

"Shh, it's okay, calm down." I touched a hoof to her lips to quiet her. "I'll admit, I was a bit, well, surprised, when I realized what you were doing, but I'm also flattered." Lyra opened her mouth to respond, but I waved her off. "You didn't have to hide it, you know. You could have just told me how you felt."

I drew her eyes to mine. "I might not have said no automatically."

I could almost see the explosion of hope in her eyes. "Are you saying yes now?"

"I don't know..." I leaned in and kissed her again, but instead of pulling back, I raised a hoof to Lyra's cheek and pulled her closer. My lips played across hers for a few moments before we slowly broke apart. "...what do you think?"

Time seemed to slow just then, and for a moment, the rest of the world seemed to fall away. All I could feel was the adrenaline rushing through my veins, the pounding of my own heart, and any final doubts I had about the wisdom of this endeavor melting under the heat of Lyra's gaze.

"I'll take that as a yes." The words had barely left her mouth before Lyra lunged forward and swept me into an all-consuming kiss. If her lips were warm a second ago, they were on fire now. Sure, I had only kissed a couple of other ponies in my life, but never like this. There was a desperate hunger behind Lyra's kiss, as if a dam inside of her had just busted open.

I was caught off guard for a moment, but worked quickly to make up lost ground and return her advances in earnest. My hooves wrapped around her neck, just as she had embraced me, and I pulled her closer still. She was clearly better at this than I was at the time, but that didn't stop me from trying to keep up with her. Seconds ticked by like centuries as I tried to savor every ounce of emotion that was running through my mind, and the slowly building glow of an arousal that had been dormant for far too long.

The need for air eventually became too great, and we parted for but a moment. "W-wow, that... that was–"

"Amazing," Lyra finished my sentence for me, and I couldn't have agreed more. It was amazing. More than I had ever thought kissing a mare could be. It was like taking the first sip of your favorite drink on a hot day; it satisfied you, but left you instantly wanting more.

I pulled Lyra close again and kissed her even deeper than before. I had never even tried a so-called 'Prench kiss', but I knew it involved the use of one's tongue. I opened my mouth a bit and let my tongue graze the edge of Lyra's lips. I had no real clue if I had done that right, but a second later, I felt her tongue tracing across my own lips in response. "Mmhm..." she whispered in between breaths.

She squeezed me tightly against her chest and drew my tongue into her waiting mouth. The feeling of having my tongue inside another pony's mouth was a bit shocking to say the least, but the moment I felt her tongue wrap around mine and tease the inside of my lips, I instantly knew why ponies enjoyed this so much. Tongues entwined, lips on fire, and hooves roaming through manes, we were both panting for breath in a minute. Shudders of pleasure raced up and down my spine as we continued to explore every inch of each other's mouths.

Lyra pulled back just long enough to plant her lips into the crook of my neck, and I saw stars. She must have hit every bundle of nerves along my shoulder and up my jawline, her lips and tongue working as one to leave a trail of fire along my coat. "Lyra, that– oh, wow, h–how are you doing that?"

"Hmm, you mean this?" she replied while peppering my neck with more kisses. "Or this?" she gently nipped my skin at the base of my neck, and my hind legs nearly collapsed beneath me.

"Y-yes, both... both of those..." My nerves were buzzing like a tuning fork already, and I was still flying blind, so to speak. "I've never done that before."

Lyra caressed my mane and looked at me. "You've never done that? Or never done this at all?"

My inexperience was exposed, and I couldn't help a bit of a shameful blush. "No, I've done it once before, but... well, I've never been with another mare; at least not past a first date."

Lyra just hugged me and lifted my chin to meet her gaze. "Then let me take it from here."

"If I'm not mistaken, you're the one pining after me," I replied. "Isn't this a bit unfair to you?"

"Don't worry, you'll get your turn." Lyra replied, casting a bedroom stare right at me. "But first, let me show you what you've been missing." She kissed me again before taking my hoof and leading me to the small table. "Hmm, ruining that dress would be a mood-killer though, so let's get that off of you."

"Oh, right. Just a sec–" I stopped mid-sentence when I felt a magical glow envelope me. I turned to Lyra and saw her horn ablaze in a golden light, her face etched with concentration. I felt a tendril of magic snake around my upper body before settling on my back. Lyra stepped forward and nuzzled me. "Allow me."

She gently kissed my cheek and her magic went to work. She manipulated the golden tendril with a precision I had only seen from her when she played her lyre, and it took her seconds to undo the metal clasp that routinely took me a few minutes and no small amount of curses to get.

Then slowly, oh so slowly, she drew the magic down my back, taking the dress's zipper with it. I could hear the click-click of the zipper as it came undone, as well as the soft hum of Lyra's aura as it worked around me. All I could do was watch in the mirror as Lyra methodically undressed me like she was unwrapping a new instrument. My dress was a simple one, really; a modest, fetlock-length number, done in plain black and worn by dozens of students for their own performances and examination periods. But in that moment, under Lyra's magical embrace, I felt as beautiful as Celestia herself... and as aroused as a teenage filly at her first school dance.

When the zipper reached its end, Lyra walked to my right and offered a hoof, gesturing for me to lift my own legs one at a time. I followed her lead and raised one foreleg at a time while she gently slipped the front of the dress past my shoulders and off my upper body. With a final burst of magic, she lifted the dress off of me and hung it from the coat hook on the back of the door.

Dress secured for the moment, she turned to me with a wild gleam in her eyes. She walked towards me, her body moving not unlike a cat that was stalking its prey. She met me with a hot kiss, pushing me backwards until my rump hit the edge of the table. I somehow took the cue correctly and hopped up onto the table, leaving my hind legs to dangle off the edge. "Are you ready?" she asked.

I drew her closer, letting her rest her forelegs on the table to either side of me, and looked into her eyes with a fiery gaze. "Yes."

She smiled and kissed me, and I could see the same fire building in her own eyes. I had no idea what I was in for just then, but what Lyra did to me was beyond description. If everything else could be called a teaser, this... this was surely the crescendo.

Lyra's lips never left my coat for a moment as she began peppering me with kisses. "Oh, my gosh, wow..."

Lips, neck, shoulders, chest... she was everywhere, and I was loving every second of it. The waves of pleasure rolling through me were like nothing I had ever experienced, and when she'd gently nip me in all the right places, oh stars, I was on fire already. Lyra was playing me as if I were a lyre in her hooves, and my body was eager to sing for her. "Lyra, keep go– oh, yes, keep going."

"Mhmm, as you wish," she mumbled between planting deep kisses along my sides and down my barrel. I was squirming like crazy on the table, whimpering and moaning as her sensual assault continued. I nearly yelped when Lyra's tongue found my nipples. I gasped over and over again as she took each of them in her mouth and slowly nibbled and sucked on them. By now there was no hiding the twitch in my tail, or the smell of my own arousal, but that only seemed to spur Lyra on all the more.

"Oh stars, Lyra, do that again, please..." I hissed between panted breath. She responded immediately, only this time she began teasing one nipple with a hoof while she sucked on another. The twin sensations nearly shot me off the table; I slumped back against the wall and arched my body towards Lyra, begging her to continue. She kept it up for what felt like ages, licking, sucking, and teasing my lower half. I couldn't see my haunches, but I could tell that they were more than a little damp now. "Oh, you're too good... oh don't stop, please."

"Hmm..." Lyra hummed as she lowered herself further and further towards my nether region. "...then Tavi, I think you'll really like this."

"Like wha– Ah! Oh!" Whatever I was trying to say turned into a cry of lust when her lips hit my marehood. Lyra set the same methodical but consistent pace, licking, kissing, and nibbling every inch of my haunches as if I were an ice cube in the desert. "O-oh, wow, Lyra... Lyra don't stop– ah!"

Lyra's hooves hooked themselves around my hips and nudge me forward, hanging my back end almost completely off the table. I was fully exposed to her now; twitching tail, soaked haunches, and all. At any other moment, I'd have been mortified at this, but not now. Not with those beautiful yellow eyes staring wantonly at me. Now, I wanted her to see it all, touch it all, taste it all. "Lyra, please, don't stop."

Her only response was to drag her tongue across my entire vagina while planting her hooves firmly on my cutie marks. My heart nearly exploded in my chest as a bolt of pleasure rocketed through me. I could feel my juices dribbling from my core, soaking the thin fur around my haunches. The smell of my arousal filled my nose, though now I picked up a lighter, almost minty smell on top of it. Clearly, I wasn't the only one dripping at the moment.

Well, I was dripping, until Lyra's tongue parted my outer lips and began exploring the inside of my pussy. "Ah! Y-yes, yes!"

Crescendo, meet climax.

This was better than the stallion I had once been with, and miles better than my own clumsy attempts with my hoof. This was divine. This was elysium. This was pure, raw ecstasy. And as Lyra's tongue probed my inner walls and circled my exposed clit like a lollipop, I surrendered myself completely to the greatest release I had ever felt. "Lyra, Lyra I'm so– so cl... oh stars yes!"

An orgasm ripped through me like lightning; only Lyra's iron grip on my flanks kept me on the table, and I daresay only the soundproofed walls kept the entire campus from hearing me scream Lyra's name as I cried and moaned with wild abandon. "Yes! Yes! Don't stop! Yes!" Lyra just kept toying with my marehood, sucking nearly every bit of my juices up like water.

It must have been a minute until I began to come down from what was easily the best orgasm of my life. I could barely breathe, much less form a coherent word. Lyra kissed the top of my clit a final time before slinking her way up my body and plastering her cum-soaked lips onto mine.

She broke the kiss after a moment before sauntering over to the chair, sitting down, and spreading her legs to expose her already wet marehood to me. "Up for another dress rehearsal?"

I just smiled at her as I slid off the table. "Let's take it once more, from the top."

Needless to say, it was a long – and very steamy – rehearsal that went well into the night. But in the end, it opened up new avenues for both of us. I found a relationship and a love that had been hiding in plain sight. And my roommate? Well, she began taking a very keen interest in combining cellos and lyres in all of her future compositions.

Author's Note

And thus concludes the two-part arc of Lyra and Octavia. Sorry this was delayed in getting here, but I hope you all found it enjoyable in the end.

Track this story and stay tuned, because in our next episode, Red Shoes' mailbox receives its first missive from one who has betrayed their love, and forsaken all they have built up around them. And the mare on the other end of this diary entry might just surprise you.