Author's Note

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Chapter 3

The sun was lower in the sky now, and the shadows on the ground stretched almost twice the size of the object casting it. Rocky was leaning against the wall of the building with a lit cigar hanging lazily out of his mouth.

“So, Octavia. Wher’d ye learn te play like tha’?” He asked

“Well, it’s not a very interesting story to be completely honest. I’m sure it’ll be a waste of time to tell you and you wouldn’t care either way.”

“Hey, I love me a good story, lass. Go ahea’ and tell ‘t. Hey, if yeh want, yeh coul’ ask me questions teh see if I listene’ or not.” He said as he put out his cigar.

“It’s alright. I won’t make you answer any questions. Well, my foster parents made me go to Canterlot’s University for the Musically inclined and that’s where I learned everything about music. I didn’t know much going in other than the fact that I loved music. I didn’t even pass the entrance exam the first two times, but my father paid a very large amount of money for me to be able to take it as many times as I needed. I ended up taking it four times, failing miserably the first two times with a 17% and a 42% and then finally passing with the lowest grade possible the third time. Before taking the exam for the fourth time, I studied like a madmare and managed to make a 87%.”

“Yeh wen’ to musical school? Do yeh min’ if I ask yeh how old yeh are?” Rock asked as he slid his sunglasses off his face and put on an eyepatch.

“Um, yeah sure. I’m twenty-four years old.”

“Tha’s it? Really? I though’ yeh’d be older considerin yeh wen’ te Uni an all. I’m twen’y-three. Yer the same age as Lyra. I was really surprised when her birthday came along. I though’ she was like sevunteen when I firs’ met er.”

“Why yes, she does always look younger than she actually is.” Octavia replied. As soon as Octavia said that, Key burst through the door with Lyra close behind. They were holding a clear plastic bag full of bits.

“Woah guys! Look at all this loot! I think that this is the most we’ve ever pulled in!” Key exclaimed, as she counted the bits. “Wait, nevermind. We made six less than the most we’ve ever made.”

“Wait, you make money here?” Octavia asked. Lyra shook her head.

“No silly, this is the tip we brought in for tonight. How much have we made, Key?”

“We made forty-two bits and one free milkshake coupon that I already used.” Key answered, showing her pearly whites again.

“Not bad, not bad.” Lyra rubbed her chin. “We usually make between twenty-five and thirty-eight bits on average. Tonight was a good haul! Dinner is on me, guys!”

“Yeah!” Rocky screamed, catching the attention of other ponies passing by. Rocky’s face turned red and he covered his eye with a hoof.

“Wooo hoo!” yelled Key, bouncing up and down in a circle around Octavia. “Are you coming too, Octavia?” She asked, leaning on her side. “It’d be sooo much fun if you came with us. We’d eat and talk and eat!”

“Um y-”

“Pleeeeaase?”

“Key?” Lyra interrupted. “What have I told you about letting ponies finish their sentences?”

“Oh, sorry Octavia.” Apologized Key.

“It’s fine. Yes of course I’ll eat dinner with you all tonight.” She leaned into Key’s ear and whispered, “But only if you let me get you another milkshake later.” Octavia smiled as she watched Key go ballistic with happiness.

Dear Celestia, this kid is on another level, Octavia thought to herself.

“Alright, alright, calm down Key. Why don’t you help Rocky with loading up the gear? I need to talk with Octy for a second.” Key nodded and dragged Rocky off to help load the band carriage.

“Alrigh’ lass. Calm down! I have legs too!” Octavia and Lyra watched them vanish behind the corner of the building.

“Okay, Octy here’s your share of the earning.” Lyra said as she pulled out ten bits and gave it to Octavia.

“No, I’m sorry Lyra. I can’t accept this. I didn’t do much to deserve it and I’m already well off-”

“NO, you played with the rest of us, so it’s only fair that you get a share. Come on, please? Just take it. For me?” Lyra pleaded. Octavia knew how these things ended. Always with her losing the argument. She sighed and then took the bits.

“Alright, thank you for your your generosity. I appreciate it.”

“No problem, Octy. Come on, let’s help out Rocky and Key so we can get some chow, eh”

“Alright. let’s go.”

“Well, this is my humble abode. Whadya think?” Rocky asked, showing off his apartment which happened to be on the very top floor of the apartment building. “It’s not much, but it’s home.” The place was clean and filled with memorabilia. The guitar from the lead guitarist of ABCD sat in a glass case in the corner of the room.

“Wow, this… this is incredible! Where did you get all this stuff?” asked Octavia in awe. She gaped at all the different items in displays and on the walls. ‘No way! You have one of the original Apple Road records? No way! It’s even signed!” As Octavia fangirled at all the memorabilia, Rocky, Key and Lyra watched with their faces all twisted into smiles.

“This is probably the happiest I’ve eve’ seen ye lass.” Rocky finally said he walked up to Octavia. “Yeh seem teh know yer stuff. Honestly, I’m pretty surprised.”

“I used to know almost everything about the artists that I liked, which was most of them. I listened to anything I could get my hooves on. Then I backed off when I got into boarding school. I had less time to do that stuff, and instead I had to focus on my schoolwork.”

“It was about the same for me, Octy.” Lyra interjected. “Except that I dropped out of Uni in the third semester. You remember that right?” Octavia blinked, trying to remember.

“You dropped out? I just thought you went to a different part of the campus, and so I assumed that’s the reason you were gone.”

“Nope, there really wasn’t any reason for me to stay. I already knew whatever I was being taught, and I didn’t want to go into classical. I mean, I can play the Lyre and play it well, but only because my parents made me. My cutie mark may be a Lyre, but I know that if I want to do something, I can do it. No tattoo on my flank can tell me what to do. I chart my own course on my own ship, and no higher power can tell me what to do.”
Octavia just stared at Lyra. She’s actually being a bit scary. She thinks she can challenge a higher power? Everypony knows that Celestia and Luna are powerful and all, but there is a higher power than them. We call them the magic beings. They never show their presence, but we know they’re there.

The things that science can’t explain is usually thrown in the magic category and the things that can’t be thrown in either are put in the nature, or ‘magic being’ categories. I don’t think anypony has really thought much of the beings other than they gave the planet the first life.

Cutie marks are something that magic can’t explain, and obviously they aren’t natural. They’re really specialized. You won’t get one until you hit your talent. If you don’t fulfill your talent, you don’t really matter to the world because you’re not doing what you do best. It’s like your destiny. You can’t change it, but you know it’s coming.

“Lyra, chill out sister!” said Key as she jumped and bumped into Lyra. “I’m hungry. Can we go pleeease?”

“Huh? Oh right, hold on Key. I need to show Octy our practice room. Then we can go.” Lyra said, waving her hoof in Octavia’s direction.

“Ugh, fiiiiiine!” Key moaned as she ran and pounced on a couch.

“Ey! Watch the furniture! Keep yer dirty flank offa dat!”

“Awww!”

“I mean it!”

“Fiiiine”

Lyra and Rocky showed Octavia around the ‘bonus’ room where Rocky’s equipment was set up. There were microphones and amplifiers and instruments galore! There were instruments that Octavia had never even seen before. Where did Rocky get all this stuff?”

“Okay you showed her, can we go now?” Key pleaded. She sank at Octavia’s and Lyra’s hooves. Oh no… the puppy eyes. Lyra sighed and held a hoof up to her face.

“Ugh. Alright, fine. Let’s go before miss hyperflank drives us all insane” Lyra muttered.

“Yay!”

“Well, woul’ yeh look at tha’ line?” Rocky exclaimed as he stared at the snake-like line of ponies extending out of club Floyd’s front door. “I don’ think we’ll be gettin in anytime soon.”

“You’re right, Rocky. I don’t feel like waiting in line right now.” Said Lyra. “Hmm, there’s gotta be somewhere else we can go. Anypony here know somewhere we can go?”

“Oooh! I know!” Key raised her hoof in the air like a schoolfilly.

“No Key, we are not going to Burger Queen.” Lyra said.

“Awww.”

“Wait.” Octavia interrupted. “I, uh. I know a place we can go. It’s called the Nightcrawler.” Lyra turned to Octavia.

“The Nightcrawler you say? Sounds interesting, Octy. Okay, The Nightcrawler, it is. Well, why don’t you lead the way?” Lyra saluted Octavia, causing her to blush.

“Um, okay. This way.”

“They have lotsa beer, right? I love me a mug ‘f some good beer.” Rocky asked.

“Yes of course, they have any drink you can think of. The menu is quite pleasant too. The food is good, and not fattening.”

“Well, tha’s good enough fer me. Go on, lea’ the way.”

Octavia decided that she liked spending time with her new friends, so to make sure she could spend as much with as she could, she decided to take the long and scenic route, also known as her daily routine route. As she went along, she explained all the things she liked to do on her walks. Feed the birds, smell the flowers, sit on the bench and just relax.

As they finally arrived at the street corner where the Nightcrawler was, Octavia decided to take a risk. “Well, here we are, The Nightcrawler. I hope I didn’t bore you all with my stories. I’m not a very interesting pony, my hobbies aren’t anything special.” Lyra smiled.

“Octy, you are interesting, and your hobbies are awesome. You haven’t heard any of our hobbies. Rocky has some interesting ones that I really hope he doesn’t share with us. Key, annoyingly but at the same time, very flattering, likes to collect things from the junkyard and make statues of me, Rocky, and herself playing together.”

“Hey! They aren’t just “statues”! They’re works of art! Oh, and I promise to put you in the next one, Octavia.” Key said, bouncing up and down.

“Well, that’s… nice… I suppose?” Octavia answered. She had absolutely no idea how to respond to that.

“Oh stop scaring her, Key, that’s probably the creepiest thing I’ve ever heard you say. That’s a new record!” Lyra said, pointing at Key. “I think it even beats the time I came home after getting groceries, and I found you having a bath in melted butter. Haha I think you said something like, “It’s good for the fur”. Well, let me tell you Octy, I couldn’t be in the same room as her for the next few days.” She held her nose. “I still can’t stand the smell of butter. I gag every time I see it.”

“Oh, that’s. What?”

“Stop it Lyra, you’ll fry the poor lass’ brain, ye will. Look at er! She looks like she just witnesse’ a spud come to life and do a jig on er plate!” Key began to laugh and roll on the ground.

“Haha I get it, cause you love potatoes! Hehe!”

“Alright, alright! Let’s actually get inside before the place fills up?” Lyra suggested.

“Oh, no you don’t need to worry about that. It’s not a very big place. Same ponies almost every week.”

“Well, that’s oddly convenient. Oh well, let’s go ahead. We have a long night of Rocky’s stories to hear.” They all followed Octavia into the Nightcrawler. She led them to a four seater table on the second floor. It seemed like today, the place actually had a few curious souls who wandered in. It seemed more full than usual. They sat down and waited for a waiter to come over and bring a menu.

“This is a pretty nice place, Octy. You said you come here every Saturday night?” Lyra asked.

“Oh, yes. Every Saturday night!” She laughed. The waiter spotted them, and swung on by with menus in her magical grip. She was a pony with a bright yellow coat and a orange mane. Her cutie mark, some eggs.

“Hello Octavia! I see you brought some friends tonight!” The waitress asked.

“Oh hello Sunny! Yes, I would like you to meet Lyra, Rocky and Key.” Octavia said proudly.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet all of you. Here’s your menus.” She said as she handed out the menus and a small drink menu along with it. “Can I get you guys something to drink?” Key was the first to respond.

“I want a milkshake please!”

“Okay, what kind?”

“Ummm.” Key tapped her chin. “Oh! I know! I want a strawberry milkshake!”

“Alrighty, one strawberry milkshake. What else?”

“Hmm, I’ll take yer fines’ beer please.” Rocky added.

“Alrighty, got it. Octavia, I’ll get your usual. and you, miss Lyra”

“Just Lyra is fine, thanks. Umm, I’ll take whatever Octy’s having.” Lyra answered.

“Great, I’ll be right back with your drinks. Sit tight!” Then she left to the the bar to make them.

“Rocky, didn’t you say you had some sort of story to tell? I’d love to hear it.” Octavia asked. Rocky rubbed his chin.

“No, not tha’ I recall… But if you insist, sure why not?”

“Oh boy, not again.” Key said, covering her ears and shaking her head.

“Well it all starte’ when I was a wee lad. My father introduce’ me to the drums. He use’ to be part of some band. I think it was called U3 or sumthin. I dunno, don’ really remember. Anyway, so when I turne’ sixteen, I started my own band and paye’ in me mum’s basement. To be hones’ we really sucked.” He gave a hearty laugh before he continued. Key had already zoned out and stared at the wall next to her. “Loo’s like Key’s out alrea’y. She’s broken two recor’s in a day. Well, so after tha’ I put down my drumsticks for a while. I though’ I sucked so I quit. Probably the dumbest decision I’ve ever made in my entire life. Well, when I was eighteen, I was drafte’ into the military and sen’ off to fight in Griffonia.”

“You went to to fight in Griffonia?” Octavia asked in awe. “That was the bloodiest war in over forty years!”

“Yeah, I know. I fough’ there after all.” He joked. “I was there for two years just loitering aroun’ and cleanin the base. Low level jobs. Then suddenly we ran low on personnel. A mission ha’ gone haywire and many good ponies were kille’. They sen’ me on recon in the forests. It wasn’ fun at all, I’ll tell ye tha’ much. It was monsoon season an’ it raine’ every day. No joke! It was probab’y the worst three months of me life! Eventually, my group got out of the forresty area an’ were in a clearin’. Well, we decided that we shoul’ set up camp there since it was the flattes’ an’ clearest area aroun’. So we set up camp and just chile’ fer a few days. Then they attacked. From above, from below. The sides, they were everywhere! We di’ the best we could, but couln’ defend the camp. They storme’ in an’ drove us backward. Right into a minefeild. Me an’ two of my buddies were draggin’ an injured soldier away, an then the mine blew.”

“Wow. Right in front of you?” Octavia asked, covering her mouth with her hoof.

“Yep, killed them all. I was left alive, but bleeding. I couldn’t see anythin’, feel anythin’, say anythin’ or hear anythin’. I could just barely taste my own blood. I remember fallin’ in some sort of mud pit before passin’ out. I woke up in a hospital be’. There were bandage’ all o’er my face an’ body. I learned that I was one o’ the only ones that survive’ the attack. I was in a bed fo wha’ seemed like forever. Almost a month later, I was release’ from the military, so I wen’ home.”

“Wow, Rocky I’m sorry about your eye.” Octavia said.

“Yeh kiddin’ lass? This eyepatch is the cooles’ thing teh ever happen to me. I love this thing.”

“Oh, uh.”

Sunny returned with everypony’s drinks and put them on the table. “Here you guys go! Are you ready to order?”

“Um, yeah! I’ll have the Daffodil special please!” Lyra stated.

“I’d like the fried Okra Bites please!” Key yelled.

“Alrighty, Daffodil Special and a plate of Okra Bites. And by the looks of it, another milkshake too.” Sunny stated, smiling. Key blushed.

“Hehe, yeah. Keep em comin!” She said excitedly.

“Okra bites eh? Tha’ soun’s just delicious. I’ll have tha’ too.” Rocky ordered.

“Okay, two Okra Bites, and Octavia, I’ll get you your favorite. Your orders will be right out!”

“Thank you!” they all said in unison as Sunny left.

“You know that fried food destroys the point of being healthy right? Octavia asked.

“Psshh Octy, you have a lot to learn.”

After they had finished their dinner, Key had downed thirteen milkshakes and two plates of Okra Bites. Rocky drank an excessive amount of beer and then Lyra tried to have a drinking contest with Rocky. It turned out as well as you would imagine, with Lyra clutching her head on the ground.

This night, Octavia had laughed, she’d cried and just been a much more fun pony. Her boringness seemed to vanish the more she spent time with her new friends. All of which had their own hilarious issues. Turns out that Key and Lyra are notorious for their pranks… on each other.

When the clock struck midnight and the three older friends heads ached with excessive amounts of alcohol, it was time to go. Key was fast asleep while Lyra carried her around on her back. Rocky hiccuped and stumbled around, constantly hitting poles and calling them “ma’am”.

They all said their goodbyes and went off to their respective homes. This was probably the best night in Octavia’s life.