The snow was falling silently outside Octavia's window. She had been staring out it for what seemed like hours while nestled amongst her blankets. Silence. That's all she would have dreamed about, to have her home back from the rampant noise of the New Years party out in the living room, library, dining room...anywhere that her mother could fit the guests she invited.
Octavia groaned and rolled onto her back, looking around her darkened room to have her eyes land upon her cello, in its case and on its stand. She would have loved to find herself a quiet corner to play to her hearts content, it wasn't the plan of her "dearest" mother, Sweet Melody. There was a knock on her door and it opened slowly, letting in the light from the hallway and a torrent rush of the noise from maybe a hundred ponies. Within mere moments, there was already complaints from her mother.
"Just look at your room, absolutely atrocious, it looks like a pack of wild pigs went through here." Octavia sighed and rolled over to face away from the door and away from her mother.
"Young lady, I am talking to you. Look at your mother when she is speaking."
"It's not like I am trying to listen..." Octavia replied under her breath.
"What was that young lady?" her mother spitefully responded with.
"Nothing mother..." Octavia replied cautiously as she rolled to face her mother, whom would punish her if she even thought about talking back to her face.
"That's what I thought...you are going to get out of bed this instant and talk to the party guests, some of them have asked about you and it embarrasses me to tell them that you just won't come out of your room." Sweet Melody trotted away to rejoin her guests at the party being thrown. Octavia, once knowing her mother was out of earshot, buried her face into her pillow and let out a groan. 'I hate crowds and she knows it.' Octavia thought to herself, 'I just want to just go *out* and find someplace quiet.' She slowly got out of bed, setting her hooves on the ground one by one. 'Mother never said where I had to go, that means...I can decide.' Octavia thought to herself as she went to the front door, grabbing her scarf and boots.
"I'm going to the park, if *anyone* asks." Octavia said to the doorman, who just nodded - knowing exactly what she meant, that she didn't want to be found right away, so lie a couple times then tell mother where she really was. "Thank you Alfred. Have a lovely New Year's." She hugged the doorman gently then headed out into the gentle snow and the night.
As Octavia slowly trotted down the empty street, watching her hooves on the thinly covered sidewalk to not slip on any ice that might have formed while it snowed. After feeling she would be fine and that her boots would stop her from slipping and sliding, Octavia gazed up at the sky, gentle flakes of snow getting in her mane and scarf. 'I always loved winter, especially when it snowed...but not when it was----' Octavia's train of thought was derailed when a swift cold breeze came down the street, blowing up the snow from the sidewalk into her face. '-----windy.' Her body shivered as she adjusted her scarf. Octavia wasn't the only one out walking around it seemed, as a couple and a few other ponies here and there wandered the streets.
"Hey, Miss? Would you like some hot cocoa?" the stallion at the street cart said as Octavia passed, not really paying attention to her surrounding, therefore his voice made Octavia jump and snap back to reality.
"H-huh? Oh, yes...please, it sounds delightful." Octavia replied after regaining some of her composure.
"Heh, sorry for startling you ma'am, that four bit." the stallion said, while pouring Octavia's foam cup of cocoa. "...any types of creams or flavorings?"
Octavia brushed her mane out of her eyes from the gentle breeze, "Maybe a splash of vanilla." she said to the stallion, who nodded and added a splash of vanilla cream to the foam cup, hoofing it carefully to Octavia while she passed four bits over the counter to him.
"Thank you...have a good evening sir." Octavia said, taking a sip of cocoa then continuing on her walk to the park.
"You too ma'am and have a happy New Year!" he called out.
Octavia rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face as she slowly trotted down the street. She was looking forward to the new year, she would get off winter break and go back to the Manehattan Academy of the Advanced Musical Arts, be able to go back to having her little quiet place to play her cello for hours on end and practice till her hooves were sore. But that was how she liked spending her time, away from others who might bring her down in her life and being with her cello.
She let out a little sigh, her breath fogging in the cold air as she made it to the park - where she made her way to the tree she sat against when whenever she wanted to be alone. It was surprising that mother had caught on but she digressed, nestling in and holding her cocoa between her forehooves, swirling it gently as the snowflakes landed and melted in it. 'I wonder how long I'm going to be able to stay out tonight...I wonder how upset mother is going to get at me for leaving the house without her permission...' she sighs, sipping her cocoa to feel better inside. 'I'm gonna just....stay here and rest for a while, just relax and not worry about....her.' Octavia leans her head against the tree, looking up into the starry snowy night time sky.
Octavia only hazily remembered her sleepy walk home after sitting in her special place in the park for what seemed like hours. She vaguely remembered Alfred letting her inside and telling her how the party was and that everyone was asleep now, although Octavia remembered clear as day that nopony came for her and she was able to just go to bed and sleep till morning.
But what was to come would make her wish that the morning never came.
Octavia was awoken abruptly from her dream of a relaxing spa day, hoof massages and everything, by an icy bucket of water - soaking and chilling her to the bone.
"Gaaahhh?!" the startled Octavia cried out as she looking around her room, soaking wet, and locking eyes with Alfred. "A-Alfred!? Wh-why in Equestria did you do that!?"
"I'm terribly sorry Miss Octavia, but your mother requested your presence and *that* was how she insisted I woke you," the doorman and butler replied solemnly. "She is waiting in the study for you." He began to walk out of her room.
"W-wait! Could I at least get a towel?" Octavia blurted out before Alfred got away, her body shivering from the cold water that drenched her.
He stopped, turning back to face her, a sad look in his eyes, "No Miss Octavia and you better hurry to your mother." He trotted out of the room without a word more. His eyes said everything in one moment - he wanted to give her a towel, he wanted to have not dumped a bucket of ice water on her - orders were orders though and mother's orders were law.
Octavia let out a gentle sigh as she rose from her soggy bed, it would have to get changed and dried before it would be usable again, it wasn't the top thing on her mind however. It was that her mother was mad, fuming mad to the point that she would get Alfred to dump ice water on her. *Ice water* of all things, what kind of mother would do that to her own daughter.
Octavia made her way to the study where her mother was said to be, dripping wet and struggling to keep her long black mane out of her face. But it was done and so it took a little bit longer to be standing in the study, her mother in the large desk chair which could rotate - back to the door and looking out the window at the courtyard.
"Make sure you stand in the bucket, I don't want mold growing in my carpet..." Sweet Melody blankly stated without even turning a hair to look at Octavia. Octavia looked around down at her hooves to find said bucket, standing in it quickly. "I'm not happy with you little missy," - she said as she turned to face Octavia - "...not happy at all." Sweet rose from her seat, slowly creeping towards her victim. "You disobeyed me, you snuck out of the house in the middle of my party for your own selfish needs. Have I thought you nothing as a mother? If anything I ..."
Octavia started to drone out, no longer paying attention to her mother's words. She was cold and wet and really wanted a warm shower to warm up.
".....and the one time i--- Missy, are you even listening to me!?" her mother said as her voice rose, snapping Octavia out of her haze.
"Y-yes mother..." she said sheepishly, her ears folding back as she looked at the ground in front of the bucket where she stood.
"You weren't and now you are lying to me, I swear to Celestia, I'll ---" Sweet raises her hoof to strike Octavia who in turn whimpers and shrinks down into herself. After Octavia's father passed away, her mother became a *slight* alcoholic and got abusive with her. The many hoof marks that would show on Octavia's face and body from the hits her mother has done to her have healed, showing nothing. It leaving a deep mental scar.
Sweet lowers her hoof to only pat Octavia on the head, a devious smile on her face. "Just go little one and don't make anymore messes...~" She trotted out of the study, closing the door behind her. Octavia, who had been holding back fear and tears, let out a ragged breath, breathing heavily as she tried to stay calm, to avoid a breakdown like her psychiatrist told her to do. 'D-deep breaths, j-just take deep breaths... Its going to all be fine.' Slowly with wobbly legs, she stepped from the bucket on the floor and headed to the bathroom to take a shower to calm down and stop herself from getting a cold.
As the warm water came out of the fauset, the heat fogging up the room as Octavia stood in the shower with shaky legs - water soaking her coat and mane. She let out shaky, quiet sobs as the tears mixed with the water streaming down her face from mane. She mouths to herself as she stands there in the warmth...
"Why can't life be fair...?"
