Hybrid

Soft Steel opened his ice colored, reptilian eyes for the young mare to see. This time he didn't adjust them to look normal, but let the two mares see them in the sun's bright light. The black slits seemed menacing, but the facial expression he wore was soft and saddened, like he was expecting something negative.

Octavia gasped and put a hoof to cover her lips, trying to hide her shocked expression. By this point Soft Steel lowered his arm back to the ground. Octavia then turned to Vinyl, who stood firm by her new friends side, then back to Soft Steel, "Oh my... that's... wow." she was at a loss for words. "I... don't know what to say. You're... different."

The stallion lifted his hood back up quickly with one of his paws, but it was just as quickly pulled back down by Vinyl. "Octy, be polite, he's been through a lot of ridicule already," she then trotted over to whisper, "plus he fell off a building earlier, so cut him some slack."

"Oh but I meant no offence. I'm just a little taken back by his... unique features." the grey mare said aloud.

"It's okay. I've had other ponies say much worse." he wiped a tear that had formed in his eye, remembering all the things those other ponies had said about and to him.

"Oh you poor dear." Octavia moved up to him and gave him a tender hug. "It's alright now," she backed away slightly, "you're in Ponyville now. This is a town of friendship, and everyone is accepted here. So you don't have to wear that cloak anymore." she smiled brightly.

He just turned away, "Your words are kind, but until I've found proof of this I'll keep it on." he said grabbing his cloak, he then added, "Plus, if I stop wearing it, I feel... naked."

The two mares looked at each other and Vinyl smirked, "Dude, barely anypony wears anything. We're always naked."

"I mean it makes me feel like something is missing. That kind of naked." he blushed in embarrassment. "So, this is your home?" he quickly changed the subject.

Vinyl's ears perked, "Oh yeah, you want me to show you around?"

"Oh let's do it together Vinyl." Octavia chimed in, "It'll be fun."

The two mares invited Soft Steel into their home and showed him around. They went through all the rooms except one, Vinyl said they were saving the best for last. When they got to the final room Vinyl asked, "Hey Soft? You got any taste in music?"

Soft Steel's eyes went wide as the door opened, revealing a sizable music studio. A recently polished cello was propped on a stand, and a DJ's turn table was sitting at the other end of the space with a door connecting to a recording studio that looked to have hardly ever been used.

Soft Steel looked on in awe at all the musical equipment in the room. Then laid his eyes upon a brand new acoustic guitar. He walked over and picked it up, strumming a few cords. He then looked around the room again.

"It's beautiful." he said stupefied. He looked back to the guitar and then to Vinyl, "Do you mind. I gotta get something off my chest."

"Go ahead, just don't break it. That was expensive." she smiled, happy that her friend seemed to like the small surprise.

Soft Steel walked into the recording studio and sat on a stool in front of one of the microphones. He placed his opposable appendage against the neck of the instrument and his four other fingers on the strings. He looked to the door and noticed Octavia trotted in with him, her cello on her back and bow in her mouth. She carefully brought the string instrument to the ground and propped herself up as he began to play.

Bow in hoof Octavia listened to the strum of the guitar as he began.

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
I don't know where it goes, but it's only me
And I walk alone

She brought the bow across the strings to play with him as Vinyl used the sound table to bring forth the sounds of more instruments.

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps, and I'm the only one
And I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk a-

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Till then I walk alone

Ah-ah
Ah-ah
ah-ah
aaaaah-ah

Ah-ah
ah-ah
ah-ah

I'm walkin' down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the borderline of the edge and where
I walk alone

Read between the lines of what's bucked up
And everything's alright
Check my vital signs, to know I'm still alive
And I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk aloooooooooooone

I walk alone
I walk a-

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there would find me
'Till then I waaaaalk alooone

I walk alone
I walk a-

Octavia joined him as he sang.

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps and I'm the only one
And I walk a-

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Till then I waaalk aloooooooooooone

The city of the dead
The city of the daaaaaaaamned
The silent are screaming to know wheeeeeeeeen

I walk a-
I walk a-
I walk a-
I walk a-
I walk a-
I walk a-looooooooooone

After the final cord he stopped. Tears were streaming down his face in flowing rivers. Old memories preferred to be forgotten bubbled up to the surface. The ridicule, the name-calling, the constant beat downs, and the laughing.

So much laughing.

So many tears.

So much pain inside.

And out.