Octavia groaned loudly as she trotted slowly through the mud, a dull, bland expression on her face. Her eyes were practically emotionless as she dragged her hooves through the muck-covered path. She had just finished a concert outside of Ponyville when the rain had begun its heavy downpour. The grey earth pony just sighed as she started for her home, shaking her straight, black hair to get out the excess water dripping onto her face. Her cello was safe and sound in the concert hall, the one she would have to return to in a week to do another show, but her bow (the device used to play a cello/violin) was slung around her neck and hanging safely.
As she arrived to her house, she noticed a wet note stuck to the wooden door. She approached the one story cottage and lazily read the letter.
Dear Octavia,
You've been complaining about stallions being wrong for you for weeks, and I've had it. Hoping this note gets to you in time, head to Ponyville's local cafe, I found somepony for you. Well...I haven't met him yet, but my friends say he has a knack for music and could bring a stadium to tears if he wanted. You have until 6:00pm, so get moving, he sounds like a keeper. His name is...
Octavia was now banging her head against the wooden door as she read the name of this mystery pony, loudly cursing herself as she peaked into her home. She knew the writing style, and as she saw her clock tick 5:55pm while putting her bow on the counter, she yelled out angrily before galloping away. She was openly cursing everything she passed with no rhyme or reason."AHHH,of course she wound do this, why expect any less? If I didn't owe her my life for booking me so many gigs..." She was ramming her hooves angrily into the mud as she sped up, her head down in a desperate act of making up lost time.
After six minutes of exausted running, she got to the cafe and entered, panting. Dirt and mud had begun encasing her hooves as she ran, and started dropping onto the cafe floor as she walked towards the front. Her hair was frayed and her eyes had a light twitch, her blood pumping faster than her body could use it. She looked around for the stallion, but the place was practically deserted."Wonderful...stood up for being a minute late...she sure news how to pick them." Octavia closed her eyes as she went back towards where she came from, a hoof stopping her.
"Woh, Dude, that was awesome!" a pony spoke excitedly. Octavia just kept looking forward, hoping the mare that had stopped her would get the point and let her pass. Alas, the pony kept speaking."I saw you sprint in here from half a mile away. Gosh, I hope my date comes in looking like you...Twilight said this Octavia dude was suppose to be all clean and neat...great, another colt looking for a quick screw..."
The earth pony's eyes went wide as she turned to look at the pony, spotting a white unicorn with maroon glasses. She has a blue mane that went brighter towards the center, the tail mimicking the pattern. Octavia's mouth dropped as she stammered,"Um...Vinyl Scratch?"
"Oh don't tell me...Octavia?...AWESOME! I've never tried a mare before, were gonna work out awesome if you keep that look up." Octavia was stunned. She wasn't a fillyfooler....she didn't like mares, what did Twilight think she was doing? The grey mare sighed lightly before taking a seat and straightening her dark hair slightly. She put on her poker face that she always wore during recital and performances, and it worked to a minor degree.
She began observing the unicorn, and noticed one particular thing very quickly, Vinyl Scratch was drunk. She had a half drunk pint of cider next to her, and Octavia assumed a few more had been gone through in the time it took her to get to the cafe.
"So, Octavia, what do you play?"
"Hmm? Oh...yes, I play the cello. I just performed for an audience of a little under a thousand." she gave a smug smile, proud of her progress."Yourself?"
"Well, my last club had a few hundred, but they cycle ever hour just about, so same as you."
Octavia raised an eyebrow."Um...club? What do you do that lets you play in a club?"
"I'm a DJ of course, and I've mastered the craft of making my people scream for me." Vinyl gave an overdramatic hoof pump as she smiled wide, showing off.
Octavia was dumbstruck. She couldnt believe Twilight would match up two mares with nothing in common. She rose immediately and placed a few bits on the counter, turning to leave as Vinyl rose to stop her.
"Hey now, is something wrong? What's up?"
Octavia knocked Vinyl's hoof away from her as she made her way outside and rushed home, the rain drenching her. She looked back at the mare who simply stood in the rain outside of the cafe, watching the earth pony go.
Octavia slammed her door closed, grabbing a hoof-full of powder and tossing it in the air. As it slowly trickled down, the magic dust cleaned the pony at a microscopic level. She hastily threw herself onto her bed, getting more and more upset as the seconds ticked."She gave me hope and dashed it on the rocks of my subconscious, making them both shatter. Twilight, your getting en earfull tomorrow, count on that" she yelled to herself, hitting her pillow as she closed her eyes. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she drifted into unconsciousness, regretting another night alone.
"A MARE!? YOU SET ME UP WITH A MARE!!" Octavia yelled as Twilight yelped, having just opened her front door and seeing the earth pony.
"I...I just wanted you to try the other side of things...stallions never worked for you, you never had anything in common with them...so I just..." Twilight shrunk down as Octavia was as furious as she could be without losing her professional tone.
"I gave you so much of my time, going on these pointless dates for you, running your errands when Spike was away, and even being the music for one of your parties...AND THIS IS WHAT I GET? I know you told Celestia about me, and helped me become more famous, but I am not just some neigh-sayer (Non-evolved pony, unable to think or speak) out in a field somewhere. I am a musician." Octavia grumpily leaned against Twilight's door, watching the unicorn think of a counter argument.
"Well...yea...but I just wanted you to be happy...Vinyl Scratch is a musician" she began saying, but was cut off.
"SHE'S A BUCKING DJ!" Octavia yelled back, making everypony nearby jump softly. She gave an apologetic grin to those outside and stepped into the library, scowling at Twilight."Why would you even" she began, but stopped as two ponies trotted downstairs.
Twilight smiled lightly to them, waving them away when they tried to go towards her."Hey Dash, hey Trixie...sleep well?" They both nodded, Dash giving a light yawn before kissing her marefriend Trixie on the cheek and hugging her tightly with her wings.
"Something the matter Twi?" Dash was more curious than anything, making Octavia facehoof dramatically.
"Twilight, do you just TRY to match mares together? I'm surprised you aren't with Rarity or something." Octavia gave a light laugh, trying to act jokingly.
"Oh of course not Octavia, she's with Fluttershy, that would be rude." Twilight gave a wide grin as she spoke, only making the earth pony sigh uncomfortably."How can you put down somepony that you don't know? She wasn't rude, right?"
"Well...no, she wasn't."
"Was she upset?"
Octavia just shook her head
"Then give her a chance...she isn't that bad, she just likes to have fun. You could use somepony who isn't a snob."
The grey mare bit her lip, looking away slightly. She didn't like the idea, but, as always, she listened to Twilight and agreed. Vinyl set up a spot where they could talk alone, somewhere nopony would interrupt them, while keeping it classy. Octavia was forced to put on a blindfold as Twilight brought her to the spot, complaining as usual throughout the entire trip.
Finally, after ten minutes of walking, the earth pony removed the cloth and looked around, gasping lightly. She stood before an open field, a single river splitting the grassed plain vertically. There was only one tree in the entire field, and it overlooked the river, perched atop a small hill. Octavia's heart skipped lightly as she looked around, seeing that Twilight was gone. She cautiously trotting onward, noticing a small table and two chairs. The mare sat down curiously and was instantly soothed as a violin began playing. She lazily looked around, searching for the origin of the lovely sound. Her eyes fixed on the tree, mere feet away, as a white form slowly trotted into view. Vinyl grew a light smile as she rose to her hind legs again and leaned against the tree trunk, softly playing the instrument. She was adorn in an outfit matching what a stallion would wear to a formal event: a button down white shirt and jacket that draped down to her hind legs, an equally colored fedora, and a grin that was directed to the earth pony.
If she wasn't sitting Octavia would have fallen over, surprised at the mood change the unicorn had performed. As she slowly finished playing, Vinyl sat across from the other mare and smiled lightly, her neon red eyes shining like the most beautiful ruby in a jewelry store. Octavia's eyes practically began watering as Vinyl poured her a glass of champaign, a sweet, clear liquid, and expencive just to look at. The earth pony just couldn't handle it.
"You...you did all of this for me?" She looked into the DJ pony's eyes, her own gleaming brightly.
"Well, yea." She flashed a beautiful smile, making Octavia's heart do backflips. Vinyl's tone wasn't much different then when they first met, but the absence of a drunken stupor was a welcome change."Twilight told me that you weren't used to my normal attitude, and while I can't promise to be like this forever, I want you to know I'm not a bad pony." She lightly grasped Octavia's hoof, smiling wider as her natural charisma kept flowing."I don't know if we will work out, and maybe mares arn't your style, but I'm good in heart...and I would never hurt 'ya."
The two spent the next thirty minutes talking about each other, with Octavia admitting that she shouldn't have judged Vinyl so quickly. The DJ accompanied the other musician to her home, smiling lightly before trotting away, double-taking a few times as she went out of sight.
Octavia's mind was dizzy from all of the excitement, tossing her bow-tie off and stripping down slowly, as if to show off for the pony who had left moments ago. She climbed into bed, snuggling her pillow softly as she let out a light "hehehe" and closed her eyes.
A few days and one recital later, Octavia found herself trotting home in the rain. She wasn't as upset this time, having a full month to relax and practice with her spare cello she had in her home. As if by repetition, Octavia again found a note attached to her door, taking it in with her and setting it down as she tidied up. Her normal ritual began with some calm music, her favorite lavender candle, and as many lights she could turn on. She eagerly began cleaning up, humming softly as she did. She smiled as she looked at her bow once more, the piece still attached to a sling as she wore it like a short-chained necklace It only took a few minutes, but she was happy as she worked, cleaning off her tables and furniture and dusting lightly.
After that was done, she boringly turned the letter over and began looking it over. Twilight wanted to know how the date went, and Octavia quickly decided she might as well humor the mare. She turned off her music and lights and rushed outside, locking her door and galloping off. It wasn't raining very much, but the annoyance was still troublesome. She could easily stay away from the mud, and made it to Ponyville in a little under five minutes.
She was let immediately, Twilight leaving the front door open as she ushered the earth pony in. Sitting amongst the stacks of books, Twilight demanded to know how it went.
"So, was she amazing? Horrible? Awkward? TELL ME!!!"
Octavia raised an eyebrow, causing the exited mate to relax and give an apologetic grin."She was a real gentlemare, and I couldn't have thought of a better date."
Twilight bounced excitedly as she mentally patted herself on the back."Yes, I knew I could set you two up. Now we have to think about living arrangements and life goals and combined aspirations...and...and" Twilight rattled off at the pony, who began laughing lightly. Twilight stopped and looked over, now confused."Why are you laughing?"
"Did you honestly think I would fall in love with that pony just like that?"
"Um...Octavia..?"
"I'm serious. She acts so proper, but I know her. She's just some night-owl, anti-social, silly little foul that needs to grow up."
"Octavia!"
"No, Twilight, do you understand how different we are? She showed me that night that we are nothing alike...and the only reason I was smiling was because she made a fool out of hersel..." Her blood ran cold as she heard sniffling from behind her, her heart immediately beginning to sink. She slowly spun, looking at the open door, and the unicorn that was on her hind hooves, staring at them. A pair of ruby red eyes, now shining brightly with tears, stared at Octavia, who's mouth was agape. Vinyl's mane and coat were wet from the rain, but a tear noticeably trailed down her face as her irises shivered slightly, mimicking her lower lip. The DJ's breath was broken and stuttered as she held out a small, glass pendant in the shape of a record. It was purposefully separated in the middle, and both of their names glowed on either side; it was a bright violet color, enchanted by magic to light up upon touching. Octavia put her hoof towards the unicorn, as if to say something, but nothing came out. Her voice was gone from the initial shock, so she merely stood there with her front hoof extended, eyes wide as they stared. Vinyl let out a light whimper, followed by the beginning of a loud cry as she dropped the small pendant and galloped at full speed away. Octavia went to chase her, but stopped when the unicorn was clearly too far to catch up to. She dropped to her knees, a deep sense of guilt clutching her stomach as she looked down at the shattered glass.
She quietly rose, trying desperately to keep her composure as she cleared her throat and left the library, heading home. She felt horrible on the way, cursing herself for being so harsh. Looking back, she couldn't blame the mare for feeling the way she felt, and accepted the fact that, once again, and by her own doing, she ruined another chance at love.
She pushed the guilt back in her mind, hoping to deal with it after resting, only to gasp, now screaming as she sprinted towards her home, which was engulfed in flames. She hurried to the front door, bursting inside and quickly meeting a blast of fire, blinding her momentarily. The room was filled with a bright red color from the fire, and as she looked around, her heart sunk as she saw the culprit."M...my lavender candle..." In her haste, she had forgotten to blow out her candle, causing the fire to take over and slowly destroy her house. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she looked around. Priceless pictures and items burning and melting as she stood in the middle of it all. She rushed for her spare cello, given to her by her grandmother before she left home, but the fire had long since destroyed it.
Her breathing was light and wheezy as she coughed, her lungs full of smoke. The mare decided nothing was left, turning to make a run for the door before a large weight hit her shoulders hard. A wooden beam from her roof had crashed onto her back, pinning Octavia still and burning her as she called out desperately."H...HELP *cough* PLEASE! Oh Celestia...SOMEPONY!" She didn't have much time left as she felt her strength being sapped by the fire, the flames licking at her coat and leaving deep burns, becoming long scars as she began to crawl out from under the mass. Her eyes went heavily as she tried to claw her way forward, tears evaporating before they hit the floor as she let her head lay flat, her voice raspy as the smoke destroyed her vocal cords. The earth pony's vision faded, seeing multiple flashes of light, then nothing.
One, two, three...breath. One, two, three...breath. Heavy slamming against the mare's chest, followed by tears dripping lightly as a unicorn desperately attempted to revive the partially charred earth pony. A head resting on the mare's chest, heavy sobbing soaking her chest. Everything is silent, nothing is heard. Finally... The unicorn jumped at the sound of air rapidly entering the mare's lungs.
As many loud metal clangs fill the crowded airway, a few voices gasped lightly as a shield of energy quickly engulfed the earth pony. They mumbled about the right spell, weighing the risks of a powerful immunity and restoration spell, while a few countered with the prospect of an experimental magic. He spoke zealously about the combination of herbs and the right spell that led to a super speedy healing, and the only risk was a week of monitored care by a unicorn to bump up the earth pony's resistance during bed rest. Before going under, the last phase that the ponies spoke rung in her ears."Hmm...alright, and how did this mare get here?"
"Oh yes...it was a unicorn...goes by the name Vinyl...erm...something. Saved her life, yes she did...an eyewitness says she ran right in...blast a chunk of the house off and grabbed her." The voice quickly faded,
Octavia drearily opened her eyes, a dim light shining in a dull room. As she went to sit up, her body sent a jolt of pain up her back and forced the mare to lie back down, unable to scream from a damaged respiratory system. The bed creaked loudly as she looked around, noticing a few records hung on the walls of the small room. She tried looking more, but the door creaked open softly, a white face peaking in and noticing the wide-eyed pony. Vinyl rushed to the mare, hugging her softly as she laid still, the DJ's eyes watering again as she looked the mare over.
"Y...you almost died Octavia...why would you go inside of that house?" Vinyl was in tears as she looked the mare over again and again. Octavia got up her strength and looked at herself, surprised that she was practically unharmed.
"I...I died...how am I here? I shouldn't be here..."
I...I'm sorry, I followed you home. I didn't want to stalk you, but..just tell you that I understood why you said what you did. It took a week, but the unicorns were able to rebuild your body back to 100%...erm...at the cost of a month of stiff muscles."
Octavia closed her eyes, reliving the things that happened, whimpering softly."I owe you my life. I would be dead without you."
"Why wouldn't I help?"
"But I was so cruel to you...I just...threw away your emotions."
Vinyl gave a light laugh, petting Octavia's cheek forgivingly."If a musician can't handle a critic, then she shouldn't be a musician." Vinyl gave a wide grin, blushing lightly as Octavia pulled the unicorn into a tight hug.
"I...I think under the circumstances, I could give you another chance at wooing me."
The DJ's eyes glimmered as Octavia spoke, her words making Vinyl bounce lightly."YES YES YES" she repeated, hopping happily.
"One more thing" Octavia said, her words more stern as she waved the DJ closer."You saved my life, and I think you deserve something for that."
"Octavia...if I wanted you to" the unicorn's words were stopped as Octavia pressed her lips to the DJ's, letting out a soft moan as she responded, pressed deeper. Vinyl Scratch eagerly pressed her front hooves to either side of the earth pony's head, pressing into the kiss with a reserved sense of desire, wanting to take it further. Octavia blushed lightly as they parted, her back aching but the kiss being more than worth it. She wasn't a fan of Vinyl's attitude and sense of immaturity, but during the kiss, and even before it, she could feel the fire of maturity rise to the surface. The earth pony was unsure of what would happen, but what she was certain about was that if Vinyl Scratch was involved, it would surely be interesting.
It took a week for Octavia to recover from the unicorn magic's advanced healing, and she wasn't complaining. Every hour or so, Vinyl Scratch would come in and see if the mare needed anything. She brought Octavia food, water, books, and even a cello that she found in a pawn shop when she went to DJ in Stalliongrad that weekend. On the final day before the effects of the healing wore off, Octavia was restless. She tossed and turned, trying desperately to adjust to the bed as her back tweaked and contorted painfully from the week she had been in bed.
Her eyes were shut as she tried to rest, but she could only whimper as no sleep passed over her. Suddenly, as if by unicorn magic or just a soft touch, there was a warm form resting next to the mare. As Octavia went to turn around, a familiar noise stopped her. It was Vinyl, playing the violin softly again. It was the same song she had played the last time, but it worked. As if my magical incantation, Octavia was asleep. Vinyl softly got out of the bed, kissing the earth pony gently on the forehead before pulling up her covers and leaving.
The following day was calm and peaceful. The clouds had gone from the sky, and birds were softly chirping. Octavia couldn't have woken up in a better mood. She happily descended the stairs, finally able to look around Vinyl Scratch's home. It was a two story house, and from the look of outside, it was only a block away from Twilight's library. The house was very well furnished; much of the furniture was either a black chrome item that was electric in one way or another, or something you would find at a nightclub. The floors were a basic hardwood, but it was obviously enchanted due it's lack of scratches. The kitchen was decently stocked, though the mare was let down that the only liquids other than water were cans of high-pulp cider and drinks containing enough sugar to drop a dragon. She helped herself to a few daisies that were growing on the window garden that was perched over the sink, and munched on them as she continued the tour.
The living room was full of black furniture, most of which were a soft fabric that felt wonderful as Octavia found the pawn-shop-cello Vinyl had bought for her and began playing, seated softly on the couch. The place was well lit for somepony who was used to a dark club, and the natural light was a welcome addition. It was another fifteen minutes before the white unicorn slowly trotted through the front door. She was immediately hit with a barrage of musical notes, making her put the bags down a seek out the source purely out of curiosity. Upon reaching the living room and listening to a few more notes, she wore a wide smile as she sat in a chair opposite to the couch, the grey pony wearing a poker face as she looked at Vinyl.
Vinyl was moved as she listened, pure emotion flowing out of the instrument as Octavia sped up, her hoof working the cello with mastery. She was truly a talented mare.
As she finished, Vinyl clapped enthusiastically for Octavia, that being the first time she had heard the mare play. The unicorn quickly got up and went back to her bags, lifting out a small plug and popping it into the biggest speaker in the house. It glowed magenta, the same as Vinyl's magic, and Octavia looked at the glowing object as if it was a mystical creation.
"Um...Vinyl...what is that thing?"
"Hmm?" Vinyl asked, looking to where the mare was pointing and smiling wide."Oh, yea. Well, you said you didn't like my kind of music, so I decided to pick up a unicorn port." Octavia shot the unicorn a raised eyebrow, and Vinyl continued."Well, my magic lets me listen to the music as much as I want, as loud as I ask it, and if you start talking, it clicks off so I can hear you."
"Ahh...like...unicorn headphones...without the headphones?" Octavia wasn't tech savvy in the slightest, but understood the basics. She definitely wasn't interested in the DJ's taste of music, but respected it enough."Um...Vinyl?"
"Hmm?"
"What happened?"
Vinyl Scratch looked over at at the mare with a sad look in her eyes, sighing and sitting next to the pony."Your house...it was lost, everything is gone." Vinyl's heart sank as she heard Octavia begin crying, giving the earth pony a soft hug. The house was more sentimental then valuable, and since many of the items were personal possessions given by friends and family, the pain was doubly painful. Vinyl kept Octavia in a tight hug, assuring her that no matter what, she was welcome to stay with her, no charge. Octavia slowly looked at the other mare, tears welling in her eyes as she sniffled.
"That means a lot...you're a lovely pony Vinyl Scratch. If there is anything I can" this time, HER words were cut off by a kiss. She blushed softly, feeling Vinyl's softly lips against her own, making Octavia shut her eyes in enjoyment. The earth pony returned the gesture, kissing back lightly, a small string of saliva bridging the two as they pulled back slowly.
"So...are we..?" Vinyl gulped lightly as she asked, licking the tears from Octavia's blushing cheeks.
"Well...if for nothing else, you've more than proven your maturity by caring for me so well, so yes...we're dating." Octavia wore a kind smile as she spoke, watching the unicorn bounce excitedly...a gleefully sense of childish bliss across the DJ's face.
After a few moments of Vinyl jumping around, she slowly gained her composure, sitting upright with a fixed grin on her face."Um...well...if we're going to date, then I think it's only fair that you see why I'm famous. Come to a gig I have tonight."
Octavia wasn't overly thrilled to be going someplace that involved sleep-deprived ponies cheering and dancing in the middle of a club, but she didn't want to be rude."Alright...when should I get there?"
Vinyl's eyes lit up as she beamed at the cello player."YOU'LL GO!!!Oh...right, how about 9?"
Again, Octavia gave a reserved nod, making Vinyl pounce the earth pony, hugging her tightly as she let out a surprised "MEEP!". The unicorn bounced up and rushed off into another room, breaking into his stash of records.
"Alright...we'll get one of these...and some of these..." she begins mumbling, pulling her favorite records out and stacking them."I'm gonna make sure you hear me at my best,Octavia." She flashed a wide grin as she stared at the mare, eager to impress Octavia as she put on her signature violet goggles and kept searching for more of her favorite songs.
After another few minutes of tedious searching, Vinyl smiled wide as she brought a stack of CDs and records, setting them on the table and sitting back down. "Alright Octavia, now this set will TOTALLY be awes..." she stopped and turned as the front door knocked slowly. Vinyl curiously rose to answer the light rap on the door, not used to visitors during the day. Vinyl had always been used to being up all hours of the night, but since Octavia was staying with her, she had began sleeping more and more at night. The idea of visitors during the daytime, though, was still unusual to the blue-haired mare.
She slowly opened the door, poking her head out as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, making her squint just in time to catch a white unicorn staring back at her."Oh...Ms. Scratch....may I speak to Octavia?"
Before she could respond, Vinyl felt a hoof press against her flank, making her blushing momentarily before she was yanked back in. Octavia then opened the door and hugged the visitor tightly."RARITY!!!"
"Haha, Octavia, darling, how are you? My gosh it has been too long. I heard what happened just today and I had to come over."
Octavia was ecstatic, Rarity being the one who designed the mare's outfit when she led her first orchestrial performance. They kept in close contact after that."Oh Rarity, you are an angel. Vinyl has been caring for me while I healed up. She's letting me watch her perform tonight." Octavia smiled, met with a worried reaction from Rarity.
"While I normally would be happy for you...the main reason I'm here is to remind you that you have been invited to play for Princess Celestia later today."
"Oh well I...I...CELESTIA?" She meeped loudly, embarrassed that she had spoken so loudly, but rightfully so.
"Yes, and she requests you to perform for her tonight...it's not a request...she's demanding you..." Rarity stopped and looked at Vinyl, who frowned lightly as she listened."I know you want to see Vinyl perform" she said, looking back to Octavia,"but this is something I wouldn't be telling you if it wasn't imperative to your career...you could really become famous if you did this."
"I...I..." Octavia was speechless. She had just begun falling for the sweet DJ, and now she had to go off and play in front of Celestia herself. She should have been ecstatic, but instead, only sadness gripped the musician's heart, smothering the love she was feeling. She bit her lip, hiding her emotions as she turned to the blue-haired unicorn.
"Hey now...this is great Octavia, now you can be the mare you've always wanted to be...loved by the world and heard all across Equestria." Vinyl Scratch slowly trotted to the mare, looking Octavia in the eyes as the DJ sighed, her breath shallow and broken from the knot in her stomach."Listen...y...your a wonderful mare, and I'm not going to let you throw this away...now go with Rarity and get yourself fame and power...I'll stay in touch."
"Well...maybe I can come back after the first show?" Octavia looked at Rarity hopefully.
"Darling...I'm sorry, but if everything works out...you won't be coming back any time soon. You know Celestia...she'll want you to be her personal musician...and that means you won't be leaving. I've heard mare's being under her "guidance" for years...now come on...we have to go Octavia."
"N...NO...IM NOT GOING!" she screamed out, her eyes welling with tears as she looked back to Vinyl,"I've...I've finally found love...somepony who cares about me...I'm not losing her." She looked at the ruby-eyed unicorn, who was crying just as heavily, her lips quivering as they rushed towards each other, kissing deep as they collided, dropping to their knees as their foreheads touched, Vinyl's horn sparking softly. Octavia was hugging the unicorn as tightly as she could, tears dropping onto the other mare's muzzle as they let their tongues wrap together in their mouths"
Rarity sighed, ashamed at herself as she lifted Octavia to her feet, pulling her towards the door as Vinyl kept her hoof wrapped around the mare's."Octavia...I'll...I'll write you every day.I will never let you out of my mind...I...I..." Vinyl just dropped to her knees at the doorway, her hoof extended to her marefriend as she reached her's back at the DJ.
"V...Vinyl...my heart is yours...I'll come back for you." Octavia whimpered, a single tear dropping to the dirt as Rarity teleported them away to Canterlot. Vinyl Scratch hit the ground taking her goggles into her hooves and looking into them, her own image mirrored back as the DJ's tears dulled her reflection.
Octavia wept softly, cursing her uncouth behavior as she continued mourning the memory of her marefriend, now far away from her. Rarity, groaned, looking at the earth pony with an upset face."Now stop it this instant, your going to be playing for the princess, you can't be like this. It is your only chance at fame...and without her approval, you will have given up your family and friends for nothing...do you want that?"
Octavia gave the unicorn a tired look, gulping softly as Rarity used her magic to clean the musician up, making Octavia look as beautiful and classy as possible. She sighed, giving the earth pony her cello and rushing her out the door.
Meanwhile, Vinyl Scratch entered her own stage. Everything was dark except for a single spotlight. It was a white light shining brightly onto a turntable. As she approached the object, several spotlights lit up her steps, all in different colors. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and then violet all repeating as she got to the table, resting her hoofs onto the two disks. Vinyl looked out into the endless darkness, her violet goggles reflecting back as she turned on the machine. The stadium came alive with a loud bass drop, echoing into a screech as every lit flashed on.
As the mare entered the main concert hall of the castle, she couldn't help but gaze at the architecture. The style of the stonework and glass must have dated back hundreds of years. Octavia blinked a few times as the lights were turned on, her view focused on two forms sitting front row. The two princess', Celesta and Luna, were smiling lightly as they looked to their protégées. Trixie was next to Luna, who gave a light smile as she looked to the night Princess, then grinned wider as she looked to Octavia. It had only been two months since Octavia aided Luna in tutoring Trixie on magic. While the results were not wonderful, Trixie had been very thankful towards Octavia ever since.
Next to Trixie was a familiar cyan Pegasus going by the name Rainbow Dash. Her wings were folded neatly, and one of her hooves were resting on Trixie's lap, indicating a close bond.
As Octavia looked back to Celestia, her gaze focused on two mares, both unicorns. She quickly identified them as Twilight and Rarity. Both were quickly growing in both fame and renown amongst Canterlot. Twilight had been Celestia's student since she was a filly, and Rarity's fashion and respect with both Princess' made her quickly become known.
Octavia looked down at the ground as she lifted herself to her hind hooves, leaning against her cello and grasping the neck of the instrument. She looked down at her free hoof, which normally held her bow as she played. She used a soft adhesive the kept it against her hoof, and upon further inspection, the amount of use had created a shallow dip in the middle of her hoof. At that point, she slowly began whispering to herself."You were made to do this..." She looked over at her cutie mark where a violet Treble Clef laid."T...this is ALL you were made to do."
Her lower lip quivered gently as she pressed her the bow to her hoof, laying it against the strings of the instrument and pressing down. The mare bit her lip, biting her lip and looking up at the eyes staring back. Her heart wasn't in the music, and her mind was occupied, but that didn't make it any less beautiful. She was a master of her class; she could play any song and make it perfect. Octavia was...a master.
At least a few thousand ponies were cheering for her as Vinyl rose her hoof into the sky, a thunderous yell in giving positive feedback. The beats flowed as she feverishly rose levers and spun knobs to the beat, creating her own mastery. She cut the music as it rose in anticipation, slow beats leading up to amazing chorus, stopping just before the real show started as she screamed "LET'S CRACK THE SOUND BARRIER" just before the music jolted back to life at full volume, making the crowd roar in delight.
As the song hit the halfway point, she sped up. The normal melody of the tone was already quite quick, but she doubled up and went to a point where her hoof was moving faster than the small audience's eyes could see. Even in this unbelievable act of speed, her mind stayed fixed on Vinyl. The DJ's soft coat, that lovely mane, those beautiful eyes that smiled even when she frowned. Her heart sunk, hitting the crescendo of her melody, speeding up as her forehead began sweating, feeling like the strings of her cello would begin smoking if she went any faster. She ended with drawn out high note, her hoof extending into the air as she finished a single tear dripping down her face as she ended, creating a powerful clapping amongst the six members of the audience. Her skin was pale, keeping the poker-face she had perfected through the years.
Celestia rose with her sister and ushered the group out, leaving only Rarity and Octavia in the hall. "Wonderful performance Octavia, the princess will definitely" she began, but was cut off with tears.
"J...just go."
"Oh Octavia...I'm sorry, but you'll be alright."
"GET OUT!!" Octavia screamed, pointing towards the door.
Rarity reeled backwards, her voice surprised and slightly annoyed."She was a good performer...but you know you two wouldn't have made it. She had her turntable and you have your bow, that's how things should be."
At that instant, Octavia instinctively looked at her bow. It was hoofstrung with her own tail hairs, crafted from the finest wood from a tree deep within the Everfree Forest. It was laminated with a mix of dragon saliva and unicorn magic, locking in its beauty. The last, and best part of the device was the symbol, a 1/25 scale replica of Octavia's cutie mark, glowing violet in the center of the bow. She didn't shed another another tear, or show any emotion as she looked into Rarity's eyes and brought the bow down onto her knee. It snapped loudly, a hairline fracture going down and directly through the violet treble clef mark before separating with a loud KA-TCH.
"I'm may not be able to outrun my destiny, but I'll sure as hell try." She roughly dropped the two pieces of wood and rushed out the door, letting go of the cello and letting it landed noisily onto the stage. Rarity just stood there, whimpering wide-eyed as she watched the mare storm out of the stadium.
Vinyl left the stage, her fake smile dissolving as she sat at the foot of the stairs that let to her turntable. The stadium had emptied, and only a few maintenance workers were sweeping as Vinyl took her goggles into her hooves again. They shined back at her from the sole spotlight above her, making her cringe and begin sniffling."You don't deserve her...she was ten times the pony you could ever be." she let her reflection look back at her as she bit her lip, pressing her hooves together and effortlessly crushing the pair of glasses. They shattered, making her cringe softly, almost losing a piece of herself.
It was nearing midnight when Vinyl returned home, opening the door lazily and dropping her equipment onto the floor. She dragged herself inside and headed upstairs, falling onto the bed with a quiet thump. The DJ had performed better than she thought she would have, but Vinyl wasn't concerned about what the crowd thought. She only wanted to hear and see her marefriend Octavia. Her belly was upside down as she cringed and laid onto her back, hind legs extended and cracking lightly as she stretched, bringing her front hooves to her chest, curling as the hooves touched.
"Guess I can't complain...I've always told myself a DJ is meant for a lonely life...why complain?" Her ears suddenly perked up as she heard a familiar musical note, a C sharp being played by a string instrument. She looked over, her red eyes lighting up as she saw an earth pony lean against her bedroom door, an old cello that was bought at a pawn show being played softly. Vinyl hopped out of bed, looking the mare in the eyes."O. . . Octavia?!"
"As I told Rarity...you can't outrun your destiny...but you sure as hell can try." She dropped the cello, letting it land delicately on a pillow as she sprinted for Vinyl, pressing the unicorn powerfully to the bed, her hoofs running through the mare's blue mane as she blushed softly. The unicorn did her best to keep up as Octavia kissed harder than the DJ expected, kissing the musician's neck lovingly as they panted for breath.
"Mmm, oh Octavia...my heart is yours too...forever. I...I never want you to leave." Vinyl softly hugged Octavia, rolling the mare besides her and helping her under the covers.
Octavia sent back a soft smile."Only if you let me see your show."
Vinyl took a second to phrase her words before grinning,"It's a date."
