Octavia's Violin Classes

The next Monday, Octavia woke up early to get ready for school. Her mother was standing by the stove, making oatmeal. Her father was already at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper.

"How strange..." mumbled Mr. Melody, shifting the newspaper in his hooves as his eyes scanned the page.

"What is it?" asked Octavia.

"There's a series of missing ponies around Canterlot. The most recent one was a pegasus mare that lives in one the apartments on Cardboard Street," he answered.

"Cardboard Street?"

"Yes. You probably passed it on the way to the music store the other day without noticing it. It's quite a run-down little road, now a mere alleyway in need of repaving and new streetlamps. Not too far from the ice cream shop."

Octavia's pupils slowly shrank in fear, recalling the events from a few days ago. She was almost certain that Cardboard Street was where she saw the stained-glass monster. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, deciding not to tell her parents about it. When her father sensed that something was on her mind, she replied:

"Could I borrow your library card?"

* * *

During recess, Octavia found a calm corner of the schoolyard to practice her violin, near a large tree. She opened her violin case, and attempted to hold her violin in one forehoof and the bow in the other, leading to her falling on her back. She tried again, leaning on the tree trunk this time. She moved the bow across the violin strings, and after a few seconds, managed to play a few simple notes. However, the violin screeched a few times, and one of those screeching sounds was loud enough to catch the attention of a unicorn filly with an electric blue mane.

"What was that sound?" asked the filly, trotting toward Octavia.

Octavia winced. "Sorry, Vinyl. I've just started learning how to play violin this week, and I haven't quite got the hang of it. Sometimes, the violin screeches when I play a note wrong."

"Dude, the screeching sound is the best part! It's like trying to update a classing instrument for techno music or something." Vinyl put a hoof to her muzzle in a thinking pose. "Huh, electric violin. That should be a thing."

Octavia looked at Vinyl with a puzzled expression. "I don't see how classical music and techno music mix."

"I don't see why not," replied Vinyl. She pulled a small device with a few buttons and a set of headphones out of her saddlebag. "You can use this to play back music," she explained, sitting down near the tree. She opened the device with her magic, and inserted a small cassette. She then closed the device and gave the headphones to Octavia. "Put them on, and listen."

Octavia put on the headphones. "I don't hear any--"

An ear-splitting sound entered Octavia's ears as soon as Vinyl pushed a button on the device, causing Octavia to push the headphones off her head.

"Sorry, I guess I forgot to turn down the volume," apologised Vinyl, turning a knob on he device.

The bell rang, and everypony started walking back to the school. "Well, I guess I'll have to get you to listen to techno music later." She quickly stuffed the device into her saddlebag with her magic, and galloped to the school as fast as she could.

"Wait for me!" called Octavia, fumbling with putting her violin and bow in her violin case, unaware of the stained-glass creature hiding right behind the wide tree trunk.

* * *

After school, Octavia searched for a few books from the library. After skimming through the encyclopedia of classical musicians and Violins for Eggheads, she picked the books up and headed to the librarian's desk. The librarian, a unicorn with a light purple mane tied in a bun, stared at Octavia. "What are you doing here alone today, young filly?"

"The library isn't that far from school," Octavia explained, pulling out her father's library card. "I asked my father if I could sign out a few books, and he said I could take two books today."

The librarian sighed as she adjusted her glasses to inspect the library card. "Octavia, you are a very responsible filly, and I understand your parents are busy ponies, so I'll make one exception. But next time, come with your parents. You shouldn't be walking too far on your own. Especially with what's on the news--I mean, your parents will be worried."

Octavia had forgotten all about the morning headlines until now. She shook her head, trying to keep the stained glass monster out of her mind. "I'll be alright," she said to reassure herself. "After all, the Royal Guards are probably all over Canterlot now, assuming I really saw a monster in the first place." Once the librarian was finished checking out the library books, Octavia packed them into her saddlebag with her father's library card, and made her way back home.

It wasn't long before she became exhausted with the heavy saddlebag and violin case on her back. She found herself going slower than usual, and could hear her stomach rumbling. She paused for a moment to rest. She turned her head to a nearby street sign. "Hmm, I'm taking longer than I thought," she noted. She took a step toward the nearby ice cream shop, licking her muzzle as she looked inside the window. "A chocolate ice cream cone would be nice right now," she pondered. "But mother wouldn't like if I had dessert before lunch."

"Oh, I think she will have some bigger concerns than your eating choices," replied a deep voice.

Octavia turned her head to the noise. Before she could scream, a hoof covered her muzzle. She was dragged deep into a nearby alleyway, her violin case and saddlebag falling off her back. She looked around, at the broken streetlamps and cracked road.

She was on Cardboard Street once again.

And she was staring at the same stained-glass monster.

Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the monster in fear. In the stained glass, she now saw reflections of the salespony with the face paint from before.

"You already know too much," hissed the monster. "But you won't live to tell anypony."

Octavia frantically tried to free herself from the monster's grasp and call for help. It didn't work.

"Soon, you'll be nothing but--"

A string of chains slapped the monster's head, causing him to scream and let go of Octavia. They both turned to the source of the attack: an earth-pony mare with a black leather vest. The chain whip she wielded shrunk to form a dagger, which she used to keep the monster away as she stood between it and Octavia.

"How dare you hurt an innocent filly, fangire!" yelled the mare.

"Fangire?" asked Octavia, looking at the monster, then at her saviour.

The mare turned in response. "Run. Quickly." Octavia nodded, and galloped out of the alleyway as fast as she could. She didn't slow down or turn back until she reached her home.

After ringing the doorbell three times, her mother opened the door. Octavia rushed to the living room window and glanced outside at the road. "I lost him," she panted, taking a seat on a couch nearby.

"Octavia, why are you behaving so strangely?" her mother questioned. "You even forgot to bring your saddlebag home."

It wasn't until then that Octavia had realized she had left her saddlebag and violin case right outside Cardboard Street. "Uh-oh."

"Octavia, explain yourself!" demanded Mrs. Melody, before she saw the bruises on her hooves and muzzle and her stern face became a concerned one. "Oh, Tavi, what happened to you?"

"I'm alright now, mother," reassured Octavia. "There was a--something dragged me into Cardboard Street and tried to hurt me. But then this mare showed up and used her chain sword weapon to save me. I ran home so fast, I forgot my saddlebag and violin." Octavia took a look as the bruise around her muzzle, just starting to notice it. "This must be from when the mean thing was holding my muzzle so I wouldn't scream."

Mrs. Melody took a closer look at the bruise. "You just rest and take it easy. I'll get some cream for your muzzle and a warm bowl of soup." She went into the kitchen. Octavia could hear the sound of dishes being moved around and smell the tomato soup her mother made.

The doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" asked Mrs. Melody as she set a bowl of soup in front of Octavia, who took another cautious glance out the window. Mrs. Melody peeked out the door window before opening it. "Hello?"

"Good afternoon," answered a calm mare's voice, one that didn't belong to Octavia's mother. "Is Octavia Melody at home?"

Octavia walked toward the front door, peeking from the living room entrance to see who the visitor once. She recognized the earthpony mare with the long, dark mane as the pony who had saved her earlier. Except this time, she was dressed in a more casual sweater instead of a black leather vest. On her back, she was carrying Octavia's saddlebag and violin case.

"Hello," said Octavia, walking to the front door. "Thank you for saving me. And for getting my violin and saddlebag, too."

"You saved my daughter from a pony who tried to attack her, I hear?" added her mother. "Thank you very much. Please come in and have some tea, or perhaps a cup of coffee."

The mare checked her watch. "I have a few minutes to spare," she replied. She turned to Octavia. "After all, I need to discuss the recent events with you both, if you don't mind."