Twilight Sparkle is an Awkward Dancer

Chapters

On the Front Page
Octavia's Arrival
Awkward Dance Lessons
Meeting Vinyl Scratch
Doing the Right Thing?
Inner Demons
Meeting Octavia's Parents
I Was Once Like You
Octavia Meets Her Parents
Night of the Recital
Thanking Twilight Sparkle

On the Front Page

Author's Note

Disclaimer: I do not own "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic," or its characters. It is property of Hasbro Studios and DHX Media.

On the Front Page

"Twilight Sparkle is an Awkward Dancer"

By TwilightSparkle3562

Chapter 1

"On the Front Page"

It had been several days since the Canterlot Garden Party and all those who had attended were talking not of the everyday Canterlot life, but of the antics of a certain purple unicorn who had danced so strangely that it was giving her unwanted attention. For Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia, she had made herself quite a celebrity.

One morning, Twilight had woken up to the sounds of knocking on her library door and came down to see who it was.

"I'm coming I'm coming," she said, groggily while coming down the stairs. "Give me a minute."

Using her magic, Twilight opened the door and saw a white unicorn with a neat purple mane, standing in front of her with a big smile on her face.

"Rarity," said Twilight, still waking up and rubbing her eyes. "What in Equestria is--?"

But Twilight was interrupted when Rarity threw a newspaper in her face with her magic. Getting it off her face, Twilight took a look and her eyes opened wide upon seeing what was on it.

"You're a celebrity, Twilight!" she cried, excitedly. "Look at the cover!"

"I am," replied Twilight, still looking at the paper. "Why am I on it and what am I doing?"

Twilight looked at a picture of herself on the cover of the newspaper dancing at the Canterlot Garden Party in a strange manner with a phonograph next to her. Twilight then took notice of a headline at the top:

The student of Princess Celestia displays bizzare, yet entertaining behavior.

"They seem to really enjoy what you are doing," said Rarity, stepping into the library. "It had been a long time since someone so entertaining delighted the Canterlot Garden Party."

"Last time I checked, Rarity," remarked Twilight, putting the paper down on the table. "We were ruining the Garden Party with our antics. What is all the excitement about?"

"It's one of the ponies that was at the Garden Party," said Rarity. "She plays the violin and was at the Garden Party, entertained by your antics. In fact, she wants to meet you personally."

Twilight stood there wide eyed as she realized that somepony wanted to meet her. She remembered the pony always wore a pink bow tie and spoke in a posh accent.

"Who? Me?" cried Twilight. "Why would she want to meet me?"

"Because you are a student of Princess Celestia and a resident of Canterlot," replied Rarity, excitedly. "In fact, she wants to come here to Ponyville for a tea party with us!"

Twilight loved tea parties, but was starting to feel somewhat awkward by all this. As far as she was concerned, this pony in question was only coming over just because she was on the front page of the paper.

"A Tea Party?" remarked Twilight, raising an eyebrow. "I certainly wasn't expecting that. When is it?"

"Why, tomorrow of course," said Rarity. "Is that a problem?"

Twilight responded by frantically pacing around the center of the library. It was a special occasion and there was so much to be done. Just then, Spike came downstairs having heard Rarity talking to Twilight.

"What's going on?" he asked, rubbing one of his eyes and holding his blanket. "Did I hear Rarity paying a visit?"

"Oh, Spikey Wikey," she cried, running over to him and rubbing his cheeks. "Of course, I wouldn't forget you for our tea party."

"Tea party?" remarked Spike, fully waking up. "What about a tea party? Are we expecting somepony important?"

Rarity then picked up the newspaper and showed it to Spike, who looked at the picture of Twilight on the cover and burst out laughing.

"Look at this, Twilight!" laughed Spike. "You dance so weird!"

"Spike!" huffed Twilight, snatching the paper away. "Honestly! You know better than to laugh at ponies like that!"

"Relax Twilight," said Spike, feeling relaxed. "You should feel honored that somepony is meeting you."

He didn't know who was coming to meet Twilight, so he turned back to Rarity.

"By the way, Rarity," he asked, "who wants to meet Twilight?"

"She says her name is Octavia Melody," replied Rarity and this caused Twilight to stop pacing and her worried look turned to an excited smile. "And you seem to be very excited now, Twilight."

"Why shouldn't I be excited?" replied Twilight, happily. "Octavia is one of my favorite musicians in Canterlot. I attended all of her concerts when I was a filly and I used to own all of her records!"

Twilight suddenly began jumping around the library in her excited manner. Seeing her favorite musical idol was something that she was greatly excited for.

"Oh, Spike, there is so much to do," cried Twilight. "Hurry, we need to get this place clean for Octavia!"

She then began to grab all the books and started to reshelve them, much to Spike and Rarity's confusion.

"Twilight, we reshelved all the books a few days ago," said Spike. "There is no need to do that now!"

"I'm trying to reorganize them, so I can get the ones for Octavia to autograph," replied Twilight. "Now, where are they?"

Both Spike and Rarity looked at each other confusingly and then Rarity came forward and stopped Twilight in her train of thought.

"Now look, Twilight," she said, pulling her away from her task. "I know you and you don't act like this. Octavia is like any other pony in Equestria--"

"Aw, come on," interrupted Spike. "You act weird whenever Sapphire Shores comes by and you don't--"

"That's different, Spike," Rarity interrupted back, placing a hoof over Spike's mouth. "Sapphire Shores is a client of mine. I have happened to also own some of her records from her concerts and plus, we practically grew up together."

"How is that?" wondered Twilight, as Rarity pulled her hoof away from Spike's mouth. "I thought she always lived her life in Canterlot."

Rarity then walked over and grabbed a book that was about Octavia's life before becoming a musician.

"She did," said Rarity, showing off the book to Twilight and Spike. "Her parents and my parents were friends and we even went to a finishing school in Canterlot."

"You went to finishing school?" remarked Twilight, her mouth dropping open.

"Guess you learn something new, every day," added Spike, shocked that the love of his life had gone to an exclusive school in Canterlot."

"Indeed," agreed Rarity. "So, shall we start preparing for Octavia's arrival?"

Octavia's Arrival

Chapter 2

"Octavia's Arrival"

The very next morning after learning of her visit, Twilight and Spike spent the entire night readying the library for Octavia Melody's arrival. All of the books were organized in their proper order and the books that Twilight wanted Octavia to autograph were placed on the center table of the library.

"Spike, is the food and tea ready?" called Twilight, who was up in her bedroom getting ready. "Octavia will be here any minute."

"Pretty much," he replied, emerging from the kitchen wearing his tuxedo and bringing out a tea set and placing it on a small table. "I've got all kinds of tea that you and Rarity like."

Twilight then came down from her bedroom wearing her birthday dress, since her gala dress was too formal for a tea party. However, she was wearing her star earrings that went with that dress and her mane was in a bun.

"How many kinds of tea do we have exactly?" asked Twilight, inspecting the various tea sets.

"About three kinds," said Spike, showing off what he and Twilight had done to the library. "It's not like there is any that Octavia doesn't like. I'm pretty sure she'll like them all."

Just then, there was a knock at the door and thinking it was Octavia, Twilight and Spike dusted themselves and Spike walked up to the door and opened it. However, it wasn't Octavia at the door, it was Rarity, wearing the yellow dress and hat she wore at the Canterlot Garden Party with her tail adorned with various flowers.

"Well, I suppose everything is in order for Ms. Melody," said Rarity, walking into the library. "She always likes it when everything is in order, you know."

"Should I invite anypony else?" asked Twilight, slightly nervous. "I mean--?"

"Heavens, no!" interrupted Rarity, breaking into a formal monologue. "This is our time together and our time alone. We will give Ms. Melody the chance to be treated like royalty."

Both Twilight and Spike gave her a questionable stare as a way of saying to Rarity that she had gone overboard herself.

"What?" asked Rarity, taking note of the stares. "She is from Canterlot, you know."

"And she is like any other pony," added Twilight. "Who just so happens that I am a big fan of."

Just then, a knock was heard at the door and Spike was motioned by Twilight and Rarity to it. Spike opened the door and there standing in the doorway was a gray pony with a light black mane and tail with a pink bow tie around her neck.

"Is this the home of Twilight Sparkle?" she asked in a posh accent, stepping into the library with her eyes closed. "I have been dying to meet you since the Garden Party."

"Yes, I'm Twilight Sparkle and your biggest fan," giggled Twilight, reaching up to shake Octavia's hoof. "I am honored to meet you, Ms. Melody."

"Please, call me 'Octavia,'" she said, walking past Twilight and Spike. "I have heard many things about you, Twilight, since that display you and your friends produced at the Canterlot Garden Party a few days ago."

Octavia then placed her cello on the center table and took notice of the books that she had written. She looked at the books with a keen expression.

"I assume you want me to autograph these," she said. "That's all I do in my private meetings with my fans, give autographs and nothing more."

Twilight and Rarity took notice of the sad tone in Octavia's voice as she signed away at the books Twilight owned. They were surprised to know that Octavia was sad at meeting her fans, like Twilight.

"Here you are," replied Octavia. "My autographs for your books."

"Thanks," said Twilight, confusingly as they all came to the tea table. "But, I can't help but notice why you suddenly turned sad."

"It's because I am nothing more than just a tool for autographs," said Octavia, sitting down at the table. "All I ever want is to just be with ponies who appreciate me for who I am: a humble pony who wants to have fun."

Rarity was surprised to hear something like this from her former schoolmate. As far as she was concerned, Octavia enjoyed living the life of a social pony in the capitol of Equestria.

"Seeing you act the way you did got me thinking," continued Octavia, taking a sip of tea. "I admire you for who you are Twilight Sparkle, a pony who is not afraid to be free of the bonds that hold you."

Both unicorns looked at each other with confused looks on their faces. They were surprised that one of the premiere Cellists in Equestria would be speaking like this.

"I don't understand, Octavia," said Rarity. "Whatever do you mean by the bonds that hold you?"

"My family would never let me be anything but a violinist," replied Octavia. "They always said that I was nothing more than a musician. I want to say to them that they can't control me and what I do. I want to be myself and create my own works, but I can't allow my mind to expand."

It was then that Octavia showed Twilight the newspaper with her picture on the cover. Twilight looked at the picture of herself dancing and then looked back at Octavia.

"So, what is it that you want to be?" asked Twilight.

"I want to act like a fool, Twilight," replied Octavia, taking a sip of tea. "I want to learn moves that I can use to match the music I want to write."

Spike and Rarity both looked at each other nervously as Octavia continued to plead her case to Twilight. The young student of Princess Celestia could see that she was being sought after by Octavia for something that she had done so stupidly and on her own birthday as well.

"Well, I am not exactly a good dancer," chuckled Twilight, nervously. "But, I am sure I can help you in any way I can."

"Wonderful!" laughed Octavia, now growing excited. "Shall we get started?"

Rarity wanted to intervene and voice her concern, but she couldn't interfere in her friends' keen interest. So, they watched as the lessons were about to begin…

Awkward Dance Lessons

Chapter 3

"Awkward Dance Lessons"

Feeling that she could teach some moves to Octavia about being herself, Twilight trotted over to the center of the library while Spike turned on the phonograph with the strange dance music that was played at the Canterlot Garden Party. Octavia could see that she was going to not only see Twilight do the dance live again, but also learn something about herself that she had been forced to hide for some time.

So, Twilight began to dance to her strange music as Octavia watched carefully and intently. The actions that Twilight was doing were also being taken note of by Spike and Rarity, who could only watch with their mouths hanging open.

"This is what Twilight did at the Garden Party?" remarked Spike to Rarity. "I've never seen her do this before."

"That was because you weren't there to see it, Spikey Wikey," added Rarity, who could not believe what she was seeing.

Octavia continued to watch Twilight and after the music had concluded, Spike turned off the phonograph and Twilight had stopped dancing.

"Now, do you think you can do that?" asked Twilight, smiling at Octavia. "Go on, it's easy."

"If you say so," replied Octavia, timidly. "Just let me grab my cello."

But, before she could grab her cello, Octavia was stopped by Twilight, who knew that in order to get her point across, Octavia had to do the dance without the cello first. Using her magic, Twilight led Octavia to the center of the library and stood aside while Spike reset the phonograph.

"If you are going to dance with your cello," insisted Twilight. "Then, you have to learn the moves without the cello."

Gulping nervously, Octavia got down on her fours and began to dance in the same manner as Twilight. Although hesitant at first, Octavia eventually started to dance like Twilight, but after a few steps, she lost her balance and fell over. Twilight then motioned to Spike to stop the music and the baby dragon obeyed.

"I'm sorry, Twilight Sparkle," groaned Octavia as she got to her feet. "I wasn't meaning to embarrass you like that. I'm just not used to being so…lively, if you will."

"She does have a point," remarked Rarity, as Octavia walked back towards them. "You've got to, in the words of Rainbow Dash, 'party down, Ponyville style.'"

Taking these words to heart, Octavia heard the music start back up again and standing on her two legs, Octavia danced better to the music and began to show off the dance from the position she was always in when she was performing on her cello.

This is kind of awkward, Octavia thought as she continued to boogie down to the music. But, I am starting to love it!

Feeling like she was free of her chains, Octavia continued to boogie down to the music as Twilight and Rarity watched with keen interest. Rarity was shocked to see Octavia acting this way, given the fact that this was the pony who had attended finishing school with her as a filly. But Twilight could only smile, seeing now that her idol was making progress with her moves.

"Well done, Octavia!" laughed Twilight, running over to her. "You are starting to get the moves down very nicely!"

"I think I might get used to this for some of my lively performances," remarked Octavia, walking over to get her cello. "Now, let's see how I move while playing my cello."

"Sure, let's see how you dance with it," replied Twilight as Spike once again rewound the phonograph while Octavia thought of a song to play to the music.

"I was thinking of maybe doing that song that the pink pony sang at the gala," said Octavia. "What was it that she sang? 'Pony Pikey'? No, 'Pony Pinkey'? No, wait a minute, I think I know what it is."

"What is it, Octavia?" asked Rarity. "Don't keep us in suspense."

"It's 'Pony Pokey'!" cried Octavia, remembering the song that Pinkie sang at the gala. "That's what it is!"

So, remembering the song at last, Octavia began to play the cello to the song that Pinkie sang at the gala. As she performed, both Twilight and Rarity began to think back to that night at the gala, where their best night ever didn't exactly go according to plan.

"She moves so freely," cried Rarity, as Octavia bounced around the library, doing her own take on awkward dancing. "Although it's not like when we were in finishing school, you know."

"Who cares?" remarked Twilight, who was thoroughly enjoying herself watching Octavia dance. "She's acting like herself now!"

After a few more notes, Octavia finished her dance as both Rarity and Twilight broke into applause along with Spike.

"That was amazing, Octavia!" said Twilight, excitedly. "You certainly know how to party Ponyville style!"

"It will take a while to get used to," replied Octavia. "Although, I don't know how the ponies in Canterlot will react to my new techniques."

"I'm sure they will react when they get used to it," said Rarity, remembering words she said to herself while in Canterlot. "You may have lived most of your life in Canterlot, but you are a Ponyville pony at heart!"

Octavia could only laugh slightly at this remark by her friend and schoolmate. True, she had broken out of her chains, but Octavia still needed to figure out what to do with her life now that this side of her had been released.

"I'm sure that maybe you can multi-task with this new side of you," suggested Rarity. "Ponyville is often looking for fresh new talent for its events."

"It would be a nice change," said Octavia. "I have been thinking of moving out of Canterlot for some time, give me a chance to experience something new. But, there is no other place for me to go."

Both Twilight and Rarity looked at each other and smiled for they knew of somepony who would be more than willing to take Octavia in as a roommate.

"I think we know of somepony," said Rarity as she and Twilight grabbed Octavia and pulled her to the front door. "We'll introduce you to her. Come on."

Meeting Vinyl Scratch

Chapter 4

"Meeting Vinyl Scratch"

With Octavia in their magical grip, Twilight and Rarity dragged the cello playing pony through the streets of Ponyville towards the house of the pony they thought would be a perfect fit for Octavia to live with. In Octavia's mind, she thought that this was being sprung upon here for no reason at all. She had come to Twilight Sparkle to learn how to be herself and not be dictated by her family. It seemed that she was going to get that opportunity, although it didn't seem like it at the time.

"Where are we going?" cried Octavia, as she struggled against her magic bonds. "I demand you unhoof me at once!"

"Hang on, Octavia!" cried Twilight, excitedly. "We're almost there!"

Soon, after a few more miles, they came up to a house on the outskirts of Ponyville that had a various set of colors all around it. Most of the house also had musical notes written all over it, much to Octavia's delight.

"Where are we?" asked Octavia, looking up at the house. "This looks like the house of a musician."

"This is the house of the pony we want you to meet," said Twilight, walking up to Octavia. "She is very good with music and has done several of Pinkie Pie's parties."

"I see," remarked Octavia as Twilight came up to the door and knocked on it.

The ponies waited for the occupant inside to open it, but there was nothing to be seen or heard. Twilight knocked on the door again and again, there was no response.

"What's wrong?" asked Rarity. "Can she hear us?"

"Hear us?" wondered Octavia. "She can't hear?"

Twilight thought about the situation for a moment, and then realized that the occupant inside couldn't hear because she always wore something on her ears and as a result, blocked out the noise. She then looked into the window and saw a white unicorn pony with a rough styled blue mane and tail and wore magenta glasses.

"Maybe this will get her attention," thought Twilight as she saw a stone on the ground and picked it up with her magic.

"I say, what are you doing?" cried Octavia. "You aren't going to break her window aren't you?"

"I'm not," replied Twilight, aiming the stone at the window. "I'm just trying to get her to know that we are outside."

Twilight aimed the stone and fired it at the window. Rather than breaking through the window, the stone made a loud enough noise to gain the attention of the pony inside.

"Over here!" cried Twilight, waiving her front hooves in front of the occupant while talking in a loud, clear voice. "We're…outside… and… we… need… to… come… in!"

"Good heavens," remarked Octavia, holding on to her ears along with Rarity. "Must she talk so loud?"

"It's the only way to get her attention," cried Rarity, who released her hooves from her ears. "Trust her!"

Just then, the door of the house opened and the occupant inside came out and smiled at the ponies. Almost immediately, she took a liking to Octavia, looking her over and smiling the entire time.

"This is Octavia," said Twilight. "She is somepony that is going to be moving in with you."

This brought a smile to the pony's face as she straightened out Octavia's bow tie. Almost immediately, Octavia began to feel slightly uncomfortable. She was not used to having ponies near her personal space.

"Can't she say something instead of just staring at me?" cried Octavia, as the pony touched Octavia's cello. "For goodness sakes, tell her to take her hooves off of my cello!"

"It's all right," said Rarity. "She's got an interest in other musical instruments. I am pretty sure that you two will get along just fine."

"Says the pony who stood by me in finishing school," remarked Octavia, bitterly.

Just then, the pony came forward and then magically produced a piece of paper and with a quill, began to write down her name for Octavia to read. It became clear to Octavia that this pony was more than met the eye and it was not something that she was going to enjoy.

"If you don't mind my asking," said Octavia, nervously. "Why can't this pony talk?"

"She never removes her headphones," replied Twilight, walking over to the pony. "But, that doesn't mean she isn't a nice pony."

The pony handed Octavia the paper and she read to see that the pony had written her name down.

"Vinyl Scratch," she said, reading the paper. "That's your name, I suppose. If you remove your headphones, I can tell you my name."

Honoring her request, Vinyl removed her headphones and allowed herself to hear what Octavia had to say.

"I am Octavia Melody," she said, extending her hoof out. "I am visiting from Canterlot and am thinking of moving in with you."

Vinyl smiled warmly at this potential roommate and allowed herself to be embraced by this musical pony, much like herself.

"Well, I think things will be moving along just fine," said Twilight, satisfied with what she and Rarity had done. "Perhaps its best we leave them alone to get to know each other."

"I completely agree," replied Rarity. "Let's go."

Just as the ponies were about to leave, the sound of an unheard voice was heard coming from Vinyl Scratch.

"Wait," cried Vinyl Scratch, stopping Rarity and Twilight from moving any further. "Before you go, I thank you for bringing this groovy girl to my stomping grounds."

"Groovy?" remarked Octavia. "Why would you even say such a thing?"

"Might as well just roll with it if you decide to live with her," said Twilight. "I think you two will get along somehow."

Octavia was unconvinced for a second, but then a small smile came to her face. She was more than willing to give this musical pony a chance. It was a big step for her and Octavia only had Twilight to thank for helping her meet Vinyl Scratch.

But, only time would tell if Octavia and Vinyl Scratch would get along…

Doing the Right Thing?

Chapter 5

"Doing the Right Thing?"

As Twilight and Rarity walked away from Vinyl Scratch's house, the two of them were wondering if leaving Octavia alone with a pony who wears headphones all day was the right move on their part. What began as Octavia coming to Ponyville because of Twilight Sparkle's dancing had turned into something much more.

"You know, I hope we are doing the right thing, Twilight," said Rarity, as they made their way back to the Golden Oak Library. "Vinyl is not used to having guests before, let alone roommates."

"We need to give them a chance," replied Twilight. "Relationships take time Rarity, we both know that."

"I know, I know," remarked Rarity as they returned to the library. "I just feel sort of uncomfortable, if you won't mind my saying."

Twilight knew that Octavia was uncomfortable as was Rarity, but she remembered how uncomfortable she was herself when she first came to Ponyville. Over time, Twilight would come to accept those around her as her friends and thought that Octavia could do the same.

"Relationships take time Rarity," explained Twilight. "I know Octavia came here because I am a fan of hers and because I danced crazily at the Canterlot Garden Party, but I could see that she knows of the friendships I have made with all of you and wants to try it herself."

Rarity considered this matter for a moment and then realized that maybe its for the best for her schoolmate.

"If you say so, Twilight," she sighed, accepting the fact. "Although, I think we should at least go back and see if she needs help."

Although she didn't think it was necessary, Twilight agreed and the two unicorns headed back towards Vinyl Scratch's house to see how things were going.

Meanwhile, Octavia and Vinyl were continuing to get to know one another and almost immediately, Octavia could see that if she was going to start a new life with this pony, there were going to be some changes.

"Look Vinyl," she said, trying not to hurt Vinyl's feelings. "I think that if I am going to move in with you, then there is going to be some changes around here."

"What changes do you want, dudette?" asked Vinyl, shrugging her shoulders. "Just don't make too much."

Octavia looked at several old records that belonged to Vinyl. She could see that Vinyl was very protective of some of her possessions and Octavia was more than willing to abide by her rules.

"I don't intend on getting rid of these," said Octavia, handing Vinyl the records. "If that was what you are thinking. I was thinking of possibly splitting up the house to make it seem like we own it."

"Groovy," replied Vinyl, taking her glasses off at the idea. "Then perhaps I could create my own space and then you create yours."

Acting quickly, Octavia went over and rapidly pulled out some of the old stereo systems and equipment that Vinyl Scratch had. To the disc jockey pony, this was both a relief and a shock for her at the same time. To be rid of all this old equipment was relieving to say the least, but at the same time, they also contained many old memories. However, they were memories that she would rather not think of.

"There," said Octavia, throwing the old equipment out of the house. "Now, I could make my own space. Oh, and feel free to raise any objections."

Vinyl Scratch nodded as the two musicians set about redoing the house in the style that they liked it. As time went on, Vinyl and Octavia had redone the house with a purple coloring on Vinyl's side and a brown coloring on Octavia's side with a pipe organ replacing the chimney.

"Wonderful," said Octavia as she and Vinyl admired their work. "It's perfect if I do say so myself, Vinyl."

"Yeah, Babe," remarked Vinyl. "We sure outdid ourselves a skosh, eh?"

Just then, Octavia remembered something of great importance and ran into the house to get it. Vinyl was confused and wondered what was going on.

"What is it, babe?" asked Vinyl. "You seem like you forgot something?"

"I have," cried Octavia, who came out with a piece of sheet music. "I just realized that I have a concert in Canterlot in a few days and my parents will be attending! They'll expect me to be at my best."

"Uh, babe? You have parents?" wondered Vinyl, lowering her glasses for a second.

"Yes," sighed Octavia. "I've been so caught up in everything that has been happening, I just haven't found the time for rehearsal."

Vinyl could see the despair that Octavia was in and began to try and think of a way to help her out.

"Perhaps I can be of help, babe," she said, happily. "I've been known to tweak boring music throughout Equestria."

Octavia thought to herself that maybe moving in with Vinyl wasn't the best idea after all, but she was more than willing to give her a chance.

"How can you help me?" asked Octavia. "Please don't make me do anything that will upset my parents. They are very picky with the kind of music I am supposed to play."

"Just relax and lay loose, blood," replied Vinyl, turning on one of her machines. "And I'll catch you on the rebound with the medicine for success."

Vinyl then began to play a remix of a classical music score and Octavia listened in, trying to get a feeling for it. At first, it was a kind of music that she wasn't too keen on. But then, she suddenly began to get a vibe on it.

Again, I am not a fan of this kind of music, thought Octavia, who began to beat down to the music. But, I love it. It's just like what Twilight taught me.

And the awkward dance lessons began to creep in and Octavia began to move like a rock as she attempted to match her music to Vinyl's scratch. Just then, Twilight and Rarity came up to the house and heard the combined music being played from inside.

"Sounds like they are getting along," said Twilight, who began to feel the dance vibe and started her awkward dancing again.

Still, there was the matter of Octavia's upcoming concert to think about…

Inner Demons

Chapter 6

"Inner Demons"

For the next several days, Octavia continued to spend more and more time at the home she now shared with Vinyl Scratch. For Octavia, this was a chance to finally spread her wings, while at the same time, she had to prepare herself for a concert that would show Equestria that she was much more than just your average cello player.

However, Twilight had been visiting the house frequently, continuously refreshing Octavia's mind on how to show her moves that she had taught her. On the day that Twilight visited, Octavia was having difficulty doing the moves.

"I just can't do it, Twilight," she sighed, removing herself from her cello. "I can't get the thought of my parents out of my head."

Octavia walked past the purple unicorn and sat in a chair on her side of the house. Vinyl Scratch also walked over and could see the agony Octavia was feeling.

"Dudette, why so low?" remarked Vinyl in a smooth talking voice. "You are bumming me out."

"I agree," added Twilight, walking over to Octavia a little further. "This is the first time I have seen you so sad since the tea party. Maybe you are just overreacting to your parents coming over to your concert."

"You don't understand," cried Octavia. "I know that everything I am doing is only going to anger them. They expect me to be like them, playing with style and grace. What am I going to do?"

Octavia sighed and lowered her head in despair and Twilight could easily sympathize with her idol. Twilight herself was known to break down whenever something stressful came into her life. It wasn't that long ago that she had caused chaos in Ponyville because of an overdue friendship letter to Princess Celestia.

"Octavia, remember," said Twilight, placing a hoof on Octavia's shoulder. "You just have to be yourself. I know you want to do this and you are probably just a little nervous right now. But, don't let your parents dictate your life."

Octavia silently nodded at these words of encouragement, but she still wasn't sure about how things were going to turn out. In her mind, she thought maybe she was overreacting to a sense.

"If you say so, Twilight," she sighed. "But, I can't be sure unless they see me perform. I'm just scared, that's all."

"It's all right to be scared, babe," said Vinyl. "But, you can't let bad vibes get you down, marefriend."

Octavia then got up and walked towards her cello and began playing her composition while trying to do her dance moves that Twilight had taught her. Doing her moves again, Octavia was slightly better, but she was not perfect and the performance was still a few days away. It was at that moment that Twilight had gotten an idea.

"I've got an idea, Vinyl," she whispered to the disc jockey. "Do you have any remixes that you could play to accompany whatever Octavia is playing?"

"Boy, do I ever, dudette," said Vinyl, excitedly and raced over to a shelf that held some of her best recordings. Selecting a record that was to her liking, Vinyl activated her machine and began to play the remix loudly.

As soon as the machine started, Octavia stopped and looked back to the music that Vinyl was playing.

"Do you mind, Ms. Scratch?" she huffed, indignantly as the music was amped. "I know that you are trying to get me fired up with your music again, but I am trying to---."

Suddenly, Octavia began to once again feel the vibes that she had maintained earlier and started to dance once again. It seemed that whatever fears she had was banished in an instant and was now free to express herself. However, once the music was off, Octavia returned to her jittery nervous self again.

"You have a long way to go, Octavia," sighed Twilight, who was starting to grow exasperated. "If you are going to conquer the fears about your parents, then you have to get a hold of yourself. If you let your fears get to you, then I don't know what else to do."

For the first time in her life, Octavia felt that her actions were futile. She could only think of her parents and how they would react to her new style of performing. For the rest of day, Octavia continued to try and perform the same way as Twilight, but her actions were futile and the cello player had run out of steam and her energy was failing.

"I just don't know what to do about her, Spike," sighed Twilight as she went to bed that night. "It is like she is being haunted by something about her parents and its letting her be eaten up by it."

"Perhaps maybe she just isn't cut out to be a footloose cello player," replied Spike, as he stretched out in his bed basket. "Why don't you give it a rest, Twilight? Just be happy you had fun at the Canterlot Garden Party on your birthday."

Twilight decided to ignore the remark that the baby dragon had made. In her mind, there was only one way for Octavia to confront her fears.

"Spike, I think I know what to do about Octavia," said Twilight, excitedly. "I will have Octavia face her parents and she would tell them what she thinks of them criticizing her performances."

Spike didn't think this was a good idea on Twilight's part, since getting in on somepony's business was not what he had in mind.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Twilight?" asked Spike. "I mean, I know its silly, but going to Octavia's parents and saying, 'Hello, I'm Twilight Sparkle and I think you need to face your daughter and let her tell you that you refuse to let her live her dream of playing loose cello songs.' It just doesn't seem right to me."

Twilight gave Spike a glare and let him know that she knew what she was talking about. Octavia needed to get these thoughts out of her head. After all, Twilight was the one who started this whole story to begin with, with her strange dancing at the Canterlot Garden Party on her birthday and all.

The next morning in Canterlot was going to be interesting…

Meeting Octavia's Parents

Chapter 7

"Meeting Octavia's Parents"

Early the next morning, Twilight took the first train to Canterlot with Rarity accompanying her. She was determined to make Octavia's parents see that Octavia was happy with her new style of performance and with Octavia's recital less than a few days away, there was no better time than now to talk to them.

"They need to see sense," said Twilight to Rarity. "You and I both want Octavia to be comfortable, don't you agree?"

"Of course," replied Rarity. "Given the fact that she can do those dance moves of yours, I suppose-."

Just then, a knock was heard on the window of their stateroom and the two unicorns looked up to see a group of ponies standing right outside with strange smiles on their faces.

"Look!" one pony cried, pointing to Twilight. "It's the pony from the paper, the one with the dance moves!"

The loud banging continued until the stern voice of the conductor came up and shooed off the crowd because they were disturbing the peace of the train.

"Sorry about that, ladies," said the conductor. "They won't bother you anymore. Do you have your tickets?"

Rarity and Twilight passed their tickets to the conductor and he punched them before moving on to the next set of ticketed passengers. Twilight took in an enormous sigh upon being cleared of the mob that surrounded her and Rarity.

"You must have made yourself popular because of those dances," remarked Rarity. "But it was your birthday after all. You have given yourself every reason to have fun, Twilight.

"I know, I know," said Twilight, hastily. "It's just that I wasn't expecting to be treated like a celebrity. All I did was do some dance moves and nothing more. We were just partying 'Ponyville style,' in Rainbow Dash's words."

"Well, let's just focus on helping your idol and her family situation," sighed Rarity as the train neared Canterlot.

Once they had arrived, Twilight and Rarity were directed by several ponies towards the home of Octavia's parents. The house was located in an upscale section of Canterlot and was surrounded by a gray wall with high sharp fencing. Seeing this made Rarity uncomfortable, as it reminded her of Celestia and Luna's old castle where they faced off against Nightmare Moon.

"On second thought," whimpered Rarity, trying to get away. "Let's go back to Ponyville."

"We can't turn back now," replied Twilight, scowling while pulling Rarity forward with her magic. "Come on."

Walking up to the door, Twilight knocked and at that moment, a gray stallion wearing a tuxedo came forward and looked down at the two unicorns.

"May I help you?" he asked in a stuffy voice. "The parents of Octavia Melody are in the process of having company at the present time. So, if you would be so kind-."

Just then, a voice familiar to Twilight rang out and at that moment, a gray unicorn with a purple mane and tail trotted over and grabbed Twilight, hugging her tightly while pulling her through the front door.

"Twilight, my little girl," cried the unicorn, who was revealed to be Twilight's mother, Twilight Velvet. "We weren't expecting you to come back and visit."

"Mom, you're embarrassing me," groaned Twilight, as Rarity came through the doorway. "Put me down!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Twilight," said Twilight Velvet, putting her daughter down. "It's just we haven't seen you in a while and-."

Twilight Velvet suddenly stopped midsentence when she saw Rarity. This gave a glimmer of hope for Twilight Velvet, as this was a sign that her daughter was making friends.

"Have you made some new friends, Twilight?" asked Twilight Velvet, walking over to Rarity. "I'm Twilight Velvet, Twilight Sparkle's mom. You must be Rarity, I suppose? Twilight's told me so much about your love of fashion."

"I suppose you must have heard of me, Mrs. Sparkle," chuckled Rarity. "Twilight's told me so much about you, too."

The two mares shared a chuckle as they walked into a large living room surrounded by autographed pictures of some of Equestria's most talented musicians and composers. As they walked in, a dark blue unicorn stallion got up and cantered over to Twilight, picking her up tightly in his front arms.

"Hi dad," laughed Twilight. "It's good to see you again."

"Indeed," he said, putting her down. "After all these months, you've come back for a visit, haven't you?"

"Well, yes," said Twilight, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "Rarity, this is my dad, Night Light."

"Very nice to meet you, Mr. Sparkle," said Rarity.

So, the ponies took their seats on the couch as the residents of the house drank tea while Twilight and Rarity looked over at the residents, who could only give sentimental glares at them.

"We've read all about you in the paper, Twilight," said Night Light. "Octavia's parents and we are very impressed at your display that you created at the Canterlot Garden Party."

Both Twilight and Rarity were stunned by this, thinking that Octavia's parents would be appalled that the pony who created such dance moves would even set foot in a home of this luxury.

"Indeed," chuckled a gray mare in a Trottingham accent who was Octavia's mother. "Sometimes, it gets boring here in Canterlot when nothing exciting happens. If only our daughter could see that."

"Yes," added a gray stallion in a Trottingham accent who was Octavia's father. "We may be the elite of Equestria, but our lives can be boring at times."

"Um, excuse me," said Twilight. "I don't know if you are saying that because I danced silly, right?"

Twilight's parents both took sips of their tea and chuckled at their daughter's remark. In their minds, they both knew that Twilight had done something in their eyes that she had never done before.

"Think of it this way, Twilight," said Night Light. "Your mother and I had wanted to see you away from all those books you engulfed yourself into throughout your foalhood. Seeing you act like this was a sign that you are growing up in a social young mare."

"What your father is trying to say, Twilight," said Octavia's father. "Is that you are an inspiration to us all. We've tried to convince our daughter to be herself, but she would not listen."

"Not listen?" remarked Rarity, taking a sip of her tea. "She's been working very hard for her upcoming recital in a few days. She claims that you will be embarrassed if you see her perform in an uncouth manner."

This caused the entire room to fall silent. Both of Octavia's parents looked at each other with worried glances, before turning back to Rarity and Twilight.

"We would never consider ourselves embarrassed," remarked Octavia's mother, rising to her feet. "Our daughter is free to do whatever she wants. Although I will admit, that she chose her music over friendship and I think she hides her feelings in her music."

Shocked at what they had heard, both Twilight and Rarity left the mansion that afternoon with the thought that Octavia was not acting out because of nerves, but of trying to hide from friendship in her music.

"Hides her feelings in her music?" said Rarity, as she and Twilight rode back to Ponyville. "What exactly do they mean by that?"

"I don't know," sighed Twilight. "But I think that Octavia is doing what I almost did before I became Princess Celestia's student. We've got to prove to her that her parents are not like what she claims them out to be."

"How do you propose we do that?" asked Rarity. "Let her parents visit her new home that she shares with a pony that wears headphones 99.9% of the time?"

Twilight couldn't answer that question right away, but instead had the idea of bringing her parents to visit Octavia and Vinyl Scratch in Ponyville. It was going to be an interesting reunion and a tense one on Octavia's side at best, but it was something that needed to be done.

I Was Once Like You

Chapter 8

"I was once like you"

The next morning, Twilight and Rarity arrived at Octavia and Vinyl's house to tell Octavia of what they had learned from Octavia's parents. Both unicorns could see that Octavia wasn't going to take the news well that they had visited her parents without her permission, but it was something that needed to be done. However, they found that Octavia was alone while Vinyl had gone out and was nowhere in sight.

"Octavia, there is something that we need to tell you," said Twilight with a look of worry on her face.

"What is it, Twilight?" asked the cellist, stopping her rehearsal of dancing and playing her instrument. "What is it that you and Rarity want to tell me?"

Rarity and Twilight sighed as they gave each other a look of worry on their faces while Octavia was kept in suspense.

"Well," said Twilight, stepping up to Octavia. "We went to Canterlot yesterday and visited with your parents."

This made a mental stick in Octavia's mind break in half, for as far as she knew, the two ponies that had given her a second chance would do such a thing to her.

"Why would you do that?" Octavia snapped angrily, throwing her baton into the air. "You know that they will never listen to me? How could you do this to me?"

"Please, let us explain!" cried Rarity, trying to calm Octavia. "We met your parents and they are nothing like what you say that they are!"

But, the more Rarity spoke, the angrier Octavia had become. In fact, she had become so angry that she had nearly slammed her cello face down onto the ground.

"Lies!" hissed Octavia, storming over to the ponies. "Why would you even bother to show yourselves to them? Did they tell you that I was a failure to them and that I would never succeed like everypony else?"

"They didn't say that, Octavia!" protested Twilight. "If you could just let us explain, we could-."

Octavia let out a loud growl and caused Twilight to crouch down to the floor and whimper like a young filly. Unlike Twilight, Rarity was undeterred and was determined to make her finishing school friend see sense. She used her magic to pin Octavia to the wall and hold her still.

"Now, that's enough, Octavia Melody!" shouted Rarity, angrily. "We wanted to see for ourselves that your parents were what you said they were. They actually turned out to be very nice ponies who encouraged you to follow your own path!"

Octavia was still in denial about what Rarity was trying to say to her and continued to struggle with her bonds. She let out several more groans and it was after a few moments did Rarity release her grip on Octavia, dropping her to the floor.

"Everypony has their own worst critic, Octavia," continued Rarity, as Twilight got back to her feet. "And sometimes the only worst critic is yourself! That's what you are Octavia, your own worst critic!"

Octavia crouched down onto the floor in order to desperately ignore what Rarity was trying to say, but it wasn't working. Even Twilight felt that the time had come for Octavia to face the cold hard truth.

"We're telling you the truth, Octavia!" said Twilight, firmly. "Your parents care about you and want you to be yourself as do us! I was once like you, you know!"

This caused Octavia to stop ignoring and perk up to what Twilight had to say. In her mind, she couldn't believe that Twilight was once like herself.

"You were once like me?" remarked Octavia, rising to her feet. "How?"

Twilight led Octavia back to a chair where she had been practicing on her cello. Once Octavia was sat down, Twilight took in a deep breath and began her story.

"When I was a filly," began Twilight. "All I cared about was achieving goals and learning about Equestria instead of being around other ponies my age. I isolated myself in studies and when I failed at something, I blamed myself and kept my feelings from everypony but myself. It was a mistake I would come to regret for the rest of my life."

"What are you saying?" asked Octavia, who was somewhat entranced by Twilight's story. "Are you saying that all I am doing is hiding my true feelings with this behavior?"

Twilight and Rarity silently nodded that they were right about Octavia acting the way she was.

"Then, how could I have been so foolish to act this way?" she groaned, getting up from her seat. "How could I have been so blind?"

Octavia then fell down on her knees and began to sob quietly as both Twilight and Rarity could see that they had finally gotten through to her.

"I'm sure you see that you see why I am trying to make you dance like me at the Garden Party," said Twilight, walking over to comfort Octavia. "All you have to do is, once again, be yourself. Don't let everypony see you as the stuck up pony who would much rather focus on her music."

"Indeed, you have a talent that is beyond anything that anypony has in Equestria," added Rarity. "You just have to give that talent a chance for everypony to see as you are."

Slowly getting the message, Octavia rose to her feet, feeling much more refreshed than she had ever felt.

"If you say that I shouldn't let everypony walk over me," said Octavia. "Then, you're right, I should let everypony know that I am more than what I say I am."

Octavia was still a little nervous, but it was a step in the right direction. However, there was one more matter that needed to be attended to.

"Does that include my parents?" asked Octavia, as Vinyl Scratch walked into the house. "Will I have to face them?"

"You will have to," replied Twilight. "They need to see you tell them what has been on your mind."

Octavia took an enormous gulp and could only think of what was to come concerning her parents…

Octavia Meets Her Parents

Chapter 9

"Octavia Meets Her Parents"

The night before Octavia's recital in Canterlot, Twilight and Rarity along with Vinyl Scratch took the first train back to Equestria's capitol. All of them knew that if Octavia was going to give her best performance, she needed to face her parents to tell them face to face about what they thought of her.

"You have to do this, Octavia," insisted Rarity as they walked up to the front door. "It's the only way you can get your anxieties out of you, darling."

"That's what you think, Rarity," grunted Octavia. "They will just say I am an embarrassment to them."

Just as they walked up to the door, however, Twilight began to take notice of several ponies that were gathered outside of the gates. Knowing that they would be coming for her, she decided to let Rarity and Vinyl handle the situation with Octavia.

"I hope you can deal with them fluently," said Rarity. "They have been a bit of a bother since we came here a few days ago."

"They will probably be wanting my autograph," sighed Twilight. "I'd better handle them myself. Can you walk Octavia inside?"

Rarity nodded and Twilight walked up towards the crowd of the ponies that were gathered, trying to think of a way to get them to leave her alone.

Meanwhile, Rarity knocked on the door and the same butler who had greeted her and Twilight, opened the door and allowed them inside.

"I can't believe it," whispered Octavia, who was in both shock and awe at the same time. "I'm home, a place that I both want to and don't want to be at the same time."

Soon, the butler led them into the living room and there sat Octavia's parents on the sofa, both of their mouths hanging at the sight of their daughter. Octavia nervously walked over and sat down in front of them, taking an enormous gulp to show how nervous she was.

"Hello, mother and father," she said nervously. "It's been a long time."

"Indeed it has," replied Octavia's mother, taking a sip of tea. "You wanted to come here to tell us something?"

Octavia hesitated for a moment and wanted to leave, but she couldn't. If there was a time and a place for her to reveal what her parents thought of them, it was now.

"Well," she began, stuttering slightly at the beginning. "I, I know we have not spent as much time as we should have, but there is something on my mind that I need to tell you."

Octavia then looked back to Rarity who motioned her to reveal what was on her mind to the two ponies that sat in front of her.

"All my life," she sighed, looking down at the floor. "I've always wanted to be a famous cello player throughout all of Equestria. But, I was afraid that you wouldn't be satisfied with whatever I would accomplish, no matter how hard I tried."

Both of Octavia's parents could not believe what their daughter was saying to them. In fact, Octavia's confession had sort of touch a chord with Rarity, who also had a similar experience when she was younger.

"Why would you say that, Octavia?" cried her mother, walking over towards her daughter. "You know your father and I would be happy with whatever you would accomplish."

"The only one you are feeling sorry for your actions is yourself, Octavia," added her father, his voice a little stern. "We know that we would be proud of you no matter what you succeed in. How dare you think of the fact we would act this way?"

Octavia was now beginning to feel extremely foolish over her actions. She was now beginning to see that she was acting ridiculous over something that was never going to happen.

"I, I don't know what to say," answered Octavia, sheepishly while scratching her neck with her hoof. "You mean that you were not going to be ashamed that I would stray from traditional Canterlot cellists?"

"Absolutely not," replied her mother, embracing her daughter into a hug. "We are going to be proud of you no matter what you decide to do."

Octavia's father then joined in as the family got together in a group hug while Rarity and Vinyl watched from a short distance.

"Groovy, babe," remarked Vinyl, looking over to Rarity. "Hopefully Octi can mello and bliss out."

"I hope so, Vinyl Scratch," remarked Rarity. "I certainly hope so."

Meanwhile, Twilight was having trouble trying to shoo away the crowds of ponies that continued to surround the fence, trying to catch a glimpse of the pony who dance awkwardly. Poor Twilight was trying everything that she could to get them to leave.

"Hey Twilight," called a pony, holding out a newspaper. "Can I have your autograph?"

"Can I get a picture for my son?" asked a female unicorn. "He loves ponies who dance funny."

Twilight then began to notice that the gate was beginning to break down and knowing that she had to act quickly, Twilight activated her horn and a surge came out of it, sending what appeared to be a large pink dome surrounding the house. The quick actions of Celestia's student allowed Octavia's home to be protected by the dome as it pushed the crowd of ponies back into the streets.

"That ought to hold them," Twilight whispered to herself as she trotted back into the house, racing by the butler, who was nearly knocked to the ground.

"Do you mind?" he called, raising his hoof up in disgust.

Twilight then raced into the living room, just as Octavia and her parents had broken up from their group hug. The studious unicorn could see that the family had a major breakthrough.

"Well, I guess that the family has made up," remarked Twilight to Rarity. "Now, Octavia can focus on her recital."

"I certainly hope so," added Rarity, taking in a deep sigh of relief, only to notice the force field right outside. "By the way, Twilight, what is that purple thing outside?"

"I had a little trouble with the public," laughed Twilight nervously, scratching the back of her neck.

Now, the attention would shift to Octavia's recital the following night…

Night of the Recital

Chapter 10

"Night of the Recital"

On the night of Octavia's recital, a majority of the Canterlot elite had descended on the Canterlot opera house to witness the pony with the cello perform some of her biggest hits. Little did they know that Octavia was going to be out of character, thanks to her friend Rarity and her biggest music fan, Twilight Sparkle. All of the ponies were in their freshly repaired gala dresses and sitting in a balcony on the right side of the theater.

"I sure hope Octavia doesn't have any last minute jitters," said Rarity, checking to make sure her opera glasses were working. "We certainly wouldn't want anypony wondering where the main attraction is."

"Well, I certainly hope so, too," added Fluttershy. "I know how hard it is to face a crowd of ponies."

"That's because you have never performed in front of ponies before, silly," laughed Pinkie Pie, making Fluttershy nervous. This remark caused Pinkie to get a glare from Rarity and cause Pinkie to back away to her seat.

"Wonder where Twilight is, y'all," said Applejack. "The shows almost gonna start."

Just then, Twilight came up and joined her friends on the balcony, while trying to ward off some ponies who were still hounding her down for autographs and such.

"Looking for me?" panted Twilight, holding the door to keep anypony else from entering. "These ponies are crazy if they think I am just an awkward dancer to them."

"It will be all over soon, Twi," replied Applejack, placing a hoof around her friend's neck. "It will die down soon enough. Just try to enjoy the evening, sugarcube."

"I hope so, Applejack," remarked Twilight, getting herself comfortable in her seat. "I do hope so."

Meanwhile, Octavia was backstage and tuning up her cello, making sure that it was in perfect working order. Despite all that was happening, Octavia was still determined to be herself. She knew that her parents would be happy with whatever she chose to follow, but would the rest of Canterlot let her do such a thing. That was the question that was going through her mind.

"Mares and Gentlecolts," called a voice, meaning it was time for Octavia to start. "It is with great pleasure and great pride that we present to you, the premiere cellist in all of Equestria, Miss Octavia Melody."

The sounds of applause were heard and Octavia took an enormous gulp and stepped onto the stage with the spotlight bearing down on her. Looking down, Octavia could see her parents, in their own formal attire, looking up and smiling at their daughter.

"All right," Octavia whispered to herself, getting into her position to play. "Remember Octavia, just be yourself."

At that moment, Octavia began to play a soft compostion as her music filled the opera house, with the Canterlot ponies being entranced by her music. To Twilight and Rarity however, this was a cause for concern. They were seeing Octavia starting to become uncomfortable and unable to focus on the task at hand.

"She's starting to become uncomfortable again, Twilight," whispered Rarity, looking at Octavia through her opera glasses. "We've got to do something."

"I know," replied Twilight. "There must be something we can do. Where is Vinyl Scratch when you need her?"

Just then, a tap was felt on Rarity and Twilight's shoulders and the two unicorns turned to see Spike, in his tuxedo, motioning for them to go outside their space. Following Spike, Rarity and Twilight spotted Vinyl Scratch walking into the theater.

"Vinyl Scratch," said Twilight, relieved that the dj playing pony had arrived. "Thank goodness you're here."

"Why? And let my new roommate not feel abandoned?" chuckled Vinyl Scratch. "Time to rock this joint, dude."

"Octavia needs all the help she can get," cried Rarity, as Vinyl walked onto the stage. "Do something!"

Vinyl then walked backstage and activated a disc jockey system that had been unused for quite some time. Meanwhile, Octavia continued to feel nervous as the Canterlot elite glared at her.

Something is wrong, she thought to herself. Why aren't they reacting to my music? Somepony please help me!

Suddenly, the disc jockey music of Vinyl Scratch was heard coming from backstage, resulting in the Canterlot ponies reacting with shocked gasps and cries. One pony was so insulted, she fainted at the sight of Vinyl Scratch coming onto the stage. However, Octavia was starting to feel comfortable once again as her new roommate had come to the rescue at just the right time.

"Rock out, dudette!" called Vinyl, as Octavia began to develop into her new dances, rocking around the stage, showing off her awkward dance moves.

"That's our daughter!" cried Octavia's parents as they began to dance along with the music. "Come on, everypony! Support my daughter! Come up and dance!"

Octavia's father then got up onto the stage and began to dance to his daughter's music. Seeing the dancing that her husband and daughter were doing, Octavia's mother as joined in and soon, some of the Canterlot ponies also joined in, starting to get a vibe for what was happening around them.

"This is awesome!" cried Rainbow Dash, flying down to take part in the dancing. "I love it! I love it!"

Soon, Pinkie, Applejack and Fluttershy also followed and after a few moments, Rarity and Twilight also joined in as the whole opera house was engulfed in the lively music that came from the cello played by Octavia and the disc jockey system by Vinyl Scratch. Seeing Twilight doing her awkward dancing was starting to enlighten many of the ponies who were at the Canterlot garden party. Many of them started to cheer wildly as Twilight did her awkward dancing.

After a few moments, the song came to an end and a thunderous applause came out from ponies both on the stage and in the audience.

"They love you, dudette!" remarked Vinyl Scratch, hugging Octavia tightly. "You rock out, sister!"

In the spur of the moment, Vinyl Scratch kissed Octavia on the cheek and caused Octavia to blush slightly.

The night in Canterlot was a success and Octavia had conquered her greatest fear. But, the next stage of her life was about to begin…

Thanking Twilight Sparkle

Chapter 11

"Thanking Twilight Sparkle"

In the days that followed since the energetic and inviting performance in Canterlot, Octavia had become a much differently viewed pony to the citizens than what she was used to being viewed as. While some Canterlot ponies had turned their backs on Octavia, others like the Princesses and especially Twilight and her friends, stayed by her side.

Now, with her newfound fame and respect, Octavia now had a choice to make. She needed to decide whether to remain in her old home in Canterlot or permanently move in with Vinyl Scratch.

"I want you to know something Octavia," said her father as Octavia ate breakfast with her parents one morning. "We know now that you want to move to Ponyville and be with that pony with the headphones. No matter what decision you will make, your mother and I will support it."

"That's very nice of both of you," replied Octavia, taking a sip of tea. "I'm lucky to have two wonderful ponies as my parents."

Both her parents smiled at these words, although they couldn't help but feel slightly sad over the fact that their daughter was growing up. In fact, seeing Twilight's picture in the paper made them realize that Octavia was going to have to find her true calling at some point. This was the decision that their daughter was making and it was a life changing one.

"I want you to know that I will always come back to visit," reassured Octavia. "You are my parents and that there is nothing that will take that fact away."

"We are both very glad that you would say that," said Octavia's mother.

In the days that followed, Octavia sold her Canterlot home for a hefty price and took the money and placed it into a fund for her future performances around Equestria. In a sense, her performance had given Octavia the opportunity to travel around Equestria and show ponies in towns and cities what she was capable of.

"You know something, Vinyl?" remarked Octavia as she played her cello one day after permanently moving in with her. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership if I do say so myself."

"I think so too, Octi," replied Vinyl, dusting off one of her old records. "We are going to rock Equestria with our music, won't we, dudette?"

Although Octavia was happy to hear this, she couldn't help but think of how far she had come since first playing the cello. It was a big fan of hers that brought her to this point and she knew that Twilight had to be thanked for helping her see the light.

"But, I think that maybe Miss Sparkle deserves some thanks," said Octavia, playing a few more notes on the cello. "She was the one who made me love what I do."

"Then, why don't you thank her, sister?" suggested Vinyl. "While you're at it, how about thanking that beauty queen, Rarity, as well?"

Octavia held in her thoughts on what to respond to what Vinyl had said when she heard that remark. Octavia had never referred to Rarity as a "beauty queen," only as a friend from finishing school in Canterlot.

"Was it something I said, dudette?" asked Vinyl, a slight concern on her face. "I didn't mean Rarity was a doll in a mean way."

"No, it's all right," replied Octavia, keeping her thoughts down. "I knew you meant well, my dear. You're right, I should pay Miss Sparkle a visit and thank her for all she had done."

Later that day, Octavia walked over to the Golden Oak Library and knocked on the door, which was answered by Spike with a grin on his face.

"Hey, Octavia," said the baby dragon, allowing her inside the library. "Twilight's just upstairs and she'll be down in a minute."

"That's all right," replied Octavia. "I can wait for her."

A few moments later, Twilight came down the library stairs and saw Octavia standing in front of her. The two mares hugged one another upon this friendly encounter and they could both only smile at this greeting.

"Good to see you again, Octavia," said Twilight, happily. "How is everything with you? Have you decided to move in with Vinyl, permanently?"

"I have," replied Octavia, as they stepped into the center of the library. "Had it not been for you, I would have never found a way to be myself in my performances. I guess that dance you did at the Canterlot Garden Party helped me become the pony I am now."

Twilight could only smile at this remark and was now beginning to see why everypony was so enthralled with her. Her dance at the Canterlot Garden Party had enlightened Canterlot into a place where ponies could be themselves. At the same time, it had helped show a pony that she was much more than just a pony who played classical music for snobby ponies.

"I guess you are going to enjoy being in Ponyville," said Twilight. "Remember, if there is anything I can do to help you in anyway, please don't be afraid to come to me for advice."

"Oh, I'm sure of that," remarked Octavia. "It is going to take a while for me to get used to everything that makes this town what it is."

"It took me a while as well," said Twilight, as they walked outside the library. "But, over time, it made me into the pony that I am today. You will find that in Ponyville, Octavia, you can be yourself at any time. You just needed me to lighten that spark inside of you."

Octavia continued to hear those words of wisdom for the rest of the day. Even after she said her goodbyes to Twilight and Spike, the words continued to echo.

"I just hope that Miss Sparkle knows of what she says about me," Octavia said to herself as she made her way back to the new home she had made and was now sharing with Ponyville's resident DJ.

Octavia's new life has only just begun.