Chapters Octavia walked down the streets of Manehatten. She had a smile on her face, and bit of a pep to her step. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, a gentle breeze was blowing through the air. It was a good day. It was the first day off she had been given in quite a while. After having practicing with the symphony for weeks on end she was glad for a rest. Not that she actually using this time to rest and relax. Instead, she was using to go and experience more music. You'd think a pony who just spent weeks with a classical symphony would get tired of classical music, but not Octavia.
She had heard that there were some young ponies performing at a local amphitheater, and that they were going to be playing the same classical music that she was into. She had to admit that she was curious. And so, Octavia decided to go and see these young up and comers. She wanted to see just how good, or not so good, they were. Maybe there was somepony from this group that would go on to be a famous musician someday. Maybe she would even get to meet one of them. Perhaps even mentor them. Octavia held up her head as these thoughts swirled around in her head. She took a deep breath in of the Manehatten air. Right away, she wished she hadn't.
While she was looking forward to this concert she wasn't exactly thrilled at the location of the venue. Because these ponies were amateurs at best, the only place they could perform was in slightly run down part of town. It wasn't a bad part of town or anything. It was certainly better than some of the places in this city. However, it was still a far cry from the comfort she was used to having in her life. And while she didn't mind going outside that comfort zone from time to time, it was always the smells that drove her back the fastest. In her haste to escape the stench of the nearby alleyways, Octavia rushed by one just a pony came crashing out onto the sidewalk.
“Hey! Watch it!” Octavia shouted as the pony nearly ran her over. She looked back at the pony, who in turn stopped and turned to look at her. Octavia was about to tear into her, but suddenly stopped when she saw her.
She was a mare, with what was at one point a white coat. All she saw now was the faded white colored with stains of filth and grime, all mixing together as a layer of sweat was rolling off of her. Her electric blue mane was a wild mess, but it seemed to always be that way. Beyond that Octavia saw the glasses she was wearing. They hid her eyes behind the purple lenses, and although somewhat strange to her, Octavia had to admit this strange mare pulled off the look quite nicely. They also appeared to be the nicest things she had.
“You should really be more careful,” Octavia said. Her tone wasn't mean or aggressive. She didn't raise her voice at all. She spoke to this mare like she she did any other pony. She wasn't sure why she was acting this way. There was just something about this mare that struck her. She couldn't explain why, but she was simply compelled to be nicer to her.
This white mare looked up at Octavia while panting heavily. She gave Octavia a quick flash of a smile in between pants. She was trying to keep her eyes on the alley, the street, and Octavia all at the same time. She turned her body to the side a little. She was still facing Octavia, but this was a little better in case she needed to start running again. At least the panting stopped and she quickly closed her mouth before looking back. Octavia was staring at her. Her cheeks grew a little red and she pawed at the sidewalk awkwardly.
“It's okay,” Octavia said with a kind smile, “You don't have to say anything right now.”
Just then two more ponies burst out of the same alley. A couple of stallions. One of was large with long legs and short cut mane. The other was smaller with a slicked back cut. They didn't really seem all that smart to Octavia. They were ignoring her in kind as they immediately set their eyes on Vinyl.
“Hey there, doll. You kinda ran away before. What was that all about?” The slick one asked. Everything about him was sleazy. His clothes were old, second rate and dirty. His mane was badly kept and even his voice sounded sleazy. And his friend wasn't much better.
“We just wanted ta talk,” He said. He was bigger, but all that did was make Octavia even more certain he was the dumber one of the two. She couldn't help but roll her eyes a little at these two.
The white mare with the shades backed up a few paces, and put her head down. Her mouth was twisted into a determined scowl as she faced down the tow. She wasn't giving up. She was simply moving into a better position to pounce. She was ready to fight these two. It didn't take a genius to figure out why, either. This was something that Octavia simply couldn't stand.
“Ahem, excuse me,” She called out. She was trying to get the slick one's attention. He was the closest to the other mare. The big one turned, as well as the slick one. He turned around and his face lit up in a disturbing way. It made her uneasy, but she kept her cool.
“Whoa, doll,” He said as he glanced back over his shoulder at the white mare. “I didn't realize you went looking for a friend.”
“Back off,” Octavia stated, almost interrupting him. Her voice was firm and heavy. It was unmoving, unwavering voice that held a tone that was used to issuing orders or commands. A gift passed down to Octavia from her dear mother. Her eyes locked onto the pair of ponies. She could feel the cold chill of fear creeping up her spine. She held back the shaking in her legs as best she could. She didn't want them to know she was scared. She wanted to stay right here, standing her ground with this mare.
“Hey there, doll. Calm down,” He said sleazily, “We were just talkin'. She din't say we couldn't talk to 'er. No biggie.”
Octavia stepped right up to him. Whether she liked it or not she had to get close. She shoved her face close to his, but not the way he wanted. She stood as tall as she could, even lifting herself up on the tips of her hooves a bit just to get to his eye level. She looked into his eyes, glaring angrily with her piercing gaze.
“Do not call me 'doll',” She said, although it sounded more like a threat. “And you need to leave me and my friend alone. Now.”
“Alright, alright. Calm down,” He said as he backed off. He turned back down the same alley he came from, but stopped after a few steps. “Come on, big guy. We gotta get back to work.”
The big one sighed. “Okay,” He said as turned clumsily and headed down the alley after the other. Octavia stood there at the sidewalk and watched them as they walked away. She stood her ground between the white mare and them. As the two turned a corner the small, sleazy one looked back and gave Octavia a wink. She shuddered at this and those two finally were gone. Octavia remained still for a moment longer before she sighed a huge sigh of relief.
“Well, now,” She said to the mare beside her. “That was. . . terrifying.”
The white mare seemed to calm down as well. Her body became less tense as she nearly collapsed right there on the sidewalk. She just kinda fell into a sitting slump with her own breath of relief. After which she looked up at Octavia and tilted her head. Even behind those glasses, Octavia could tell she was a bit confused. But this wasn't the best place to talk. She suddenly had a growing distrust of stallions.
“Come with me,” Octavia said. She pulled the mare by her leg and dragged her along the sidewalk for a short while. Octavia was so glad that the concert didn't start for another few hours.
Octavia dragged the mare alongside her for a few steps before she started to walk by herself, but she never stayed by her side. She didn't seem to want to walk next to Octavia, side by side. She was always falling a few steps behind her whenever they moved. Octavia wasn't sure why she did this. After a few attempts to walk next to her, Octavia just let it be. Besides, it gave her a few moments to herself to think.
What in the world am I doing?!And why? Why am doing this? This mare practically runs me over and the next thing I know I'm saving her from some of Manehatten's finest sleazes. Now I am taking her with me. Ugh, what is going on with me?
Octavia's thoughts were broken up by a sharp tug on her tail. She looked back to see the mare dropping the last few strands of her mane from her lips. She smiled with some slight embarrassment and pointed ahead of them. Her hoof was directed right at a large building.
“Yes, that's where we're going,” Octavia told her.
The mare looked at the building and her face drained of color. Her whole white body seemed to fade as she stared up at the building. A massive structure, one of the biggest in Manehatten, stood before them. From the outside the windows looked like dark pools of water against the white finish of the building itself. The sun was reflected off the perfectly shined building and only her shades were saving her. Octavia looked at it and the bricks quickly fell into place. This was one of he nicer hotels in Manehatten. They had walked a while to get here, and in all that time she didn't even realize it.
“You've never been inside of a hotel before, have you?”
The mare shook her head back and forth. That was a no. She had barely even seen the outside of these nice hotels. And now the thought of actually being inside of one, going inside of this one. It made her quite nervous. She turned on a hoof and faced the opposite direction. She didn't even make it a step before Octavia had raced to her side again. She stood with the mare and faced her with warm eyes and a kind smile.
“Don't worry,” She said soothingly, “Everything will be okay.”
A Whole New Pony (Rewrite)
Octavia's eyes bored into the pony behind the counter. He was not being cooperative. She been to this very hotel on numerous other occasions. As of late, it has mostly been to rest in between practice and she was alone. The only difference on this day was the fact that she had another pony accompanying her. Apparently, that was a problem the the pony behind the desk.
“I'm sorry, Miss Melody,” He said for the fourth time, “But I simply can't allow that mare to accompany you any further into the hotel.”
Behind them, the white mare stood. She hated every second of it since the moment she walked in, or was pushed in. This place was so clean. Elaborate marble fixtures made up most of the interior of the hotel lobby. The smoky white color really caught her eye, but she couldn't focus on that. All she could see was the floor. IT was so clean and shiny that she could very nearly see her reflection in it. And she didn't really like what she saw. A dirty pony standing in a place of perfection. It was like every step she took was a trespass, every breath a transgression. And all around her, every pony that entered the lobby. She could feel their eyes on her. She could hear they harsh whispers. They stung like needles on her coat. And to make it worse, the mare that had dragged her in here was no bringing even more attention to her.
“And why not? My family always has a suite at the ready here,” Octavia argued. “I would like to make use of it.”
“That my be, Miss Melody, but the hotel has certain standards,” He said. Octavia stopped listening at that point.
She had heard it a million times before. Standards. That was all any pony in this place cared about. Standards. She didn't much care for standards. Not the standards of others at least. She had her own standards, and she always tried to live up to them.
“I'm sorry, Miss Melody,” The pony behind the desk recited once again.
“I don't care about your apologies,” Octavia said, her voice raising a bit more than she had intended it to. It was hard to avoid the sharp edge to her voice. Her tone was just slightly harsher than she normally had it. She didn't like it when she got like this. And so she came to a decision. She would not stay here and be stuck in this never ending argument with this insufferable pony.
“Miss Melody, where are you going?!”
“To my family's suite,” Octavia replied sharply. She gently guided the other mare along with her, “And I'm taking her with me. Do try and stop me.”
As Octavia walked the white mare looked back at the pony behind the desk. His gaze was intently following her as she walked with Octavia. She waited until the last moment, just before they were out of sight behind the elevator doors. As they were closing she stuck her tongue out and the pony nearly fainted.
What is going on with me? Why am I acting this way? My attitude just now- I have never treated those ponies, any pony, like that before. Even when I was a filly, I had better manners. What is it about this mare? Is it really her that is making me like this?
The elevator ride up was fairly uneventful. Octavia stood there and wrestled with her own thoughts. There would be consequences to what she had just done, and she knew it. She was almost certain that the desk pony was on the phone right now, ordering up those consequences. She was worrying about how she was going to deal with them. These thoughts occupied her while her friend stared at her reflection in the shiny sides of inside of the elevator.
The white mare stared at her reflection. She moved her face closer, and then back, and then closer again. The walls of the inside of the elevator were shinier than most of the mirrors in her entire neighborhood. Definitely better than any she had back at her crummy apartment. She couldn't believe how bad she looked. There really wasn't anything she could do about her coat at the moment, but maybe she could fix her mane up a bit. She shook her head back and forth a few times, as if to shake her mane into a passable style. The only thing it really did was untangle from around her horn.
“Oh my,” Octavia suddenly exclaimed. She looked over at the mare, who looked back through her reflection. “I just realized I never asked you your name, and that you are a Unicorn apparently.”
The mare nodded with a smile and turned to face Octavia. She lit her horn with magic and small sparks danced off her horn with little trails of light behind them. She bobbed her head a few time, shaking a few more sparks loose and spelling out her name in the air between her and Octavia.
“Vinyl Scratch,” Octavia read in the air before the letters faded away. “Well, Vinyl, it's nice to meet you. My name is Octavia Melody.”
Vinyl smiled even more. Her body shook and a layer of dirt and other such things came off and fell all over the elevator. She saw how she was making the shiny metal surfaces all dirty and calmed down. Octavia could see a hint of red in her cheeks as she came to be still. Octavia smiled as the elevator slowed to a stop on their floor. It just so happened to be the top floor.
“Here we are,” Octavia said, “My family insists on the penthouse suite. Personally, I think it's a little much but there are some things you just can't get elsewhere.”
Octavia lead Vinyl into the room. It was bigger than her apartment. And a thousand times as nice. Short, well kept golden colored carpet covered the floor. Each step was a step on a cloud to Vinyl, for the carpet was the best thing her hooves had ever felt. The curtains and rugs were a deep, royal purple color that really drew Vinyl in. Her jaw dropped at just how nice the room was, and that she was actually standing here.
“Come on then,” Octavia said. “You can look around later. Right now, you need a shower. No offense.”
Vinyl didn't take offense. She was well aware that she was quite filthy. She nodded to Octavia with a slight smile coming across her face. She was lead over to a door on the far side of the room. On the other side of the room was the bathroom. IT was just as glorious as the room she had just come from. A white tile covered most of the bathroom floor and walls, broken up by the occasional purple patterns. Above the sink there was a huge mirror and Vinyl couldn't help but sneak a peek at herself.
“I'll wait out here,” Octavia said as she moved through the door into other room.
The door closed behind Vinyl and she stepped into the shower. The frosted glass clinked as she touched it. Vinyl was about to turn the water on when her hoof suddenly stopped. She used her magic to lift the glasses off her face and safely float them over to the counter. Now she could take a shower.
The water cascaded down over Vinyl's body. It washed over her like nothing she had ever felt before. Everything about this shower was perfect. The water pressure was just right, and the temperature was the perfect mix of warm but not too hot. She stood there and just let it wash over her. Her body was being cleansed of the grime of the city she had been exposed to. She could feel the filth falling away with each passing second, and she was loving it. Vinyl could have stayed there for an eternity, but sounds from the other room brought her back to reality.
Vinyl quickly shut the shower off. The noise stopped until only the sounds of the water dripping from her body could be heard. Well, that and the sounds from the other room. It was louder now, easier to hear. She still couldn't make out what it was though. She pushed open the shower door and stepped out. She looked around real quick only to realize that there wasn't a towel to dry herself with. She started to worry about if she should leave the bathroom or not. She didn't want to be all wet and then walk all over the nice carpet out in the room. A sudden, loud shouting helped ease Vinyl's worry. She quickly grabbed her shades and moved closer to the bathroom door, quietly pushing it open just enough to poke her head through. Octavia was on the phone with somepony, and it wasn't a nice conversation.
“. . .can't have random, filthy ponies just wandering in and taking rooms, Octavia.”
“She was not some random pony. I brought her here.”
“A lapse in judgment on your part, my dear.”
“That is your opinion, Mother, but-”
“Do not talk back to me, child. You have done enough for one day. I'm just glad that the desk called me when they did.”
“Ugh! I am an adult now, Mother!” Octavia yelled through the phone. “I can make my own decisions, and handle any consequences that may or may not come with them.”
“You are an adult, Octavia, but that doesn't mean you can just bring in strays from the street.”
“Please, don't call her a stray.”
“Enough of this, Octavia! I will deal with you later.”
A click at the other end signified that the call had ended. While the call may have ended, the conversation itself was far from over with. Octavia was sure to make a note to talk with her mother in the future. She tossed the phone over her shoulder and it landed on the bed. Octavia continued to stare out the window. She was completely oblivious to Vinyl watching her from the bathroom. She probably wouldn't have known if it weren't for Vinyl herself. Her dripping body had water covering the floor. She took a step back and slipped, lightly hitting the door with her shoulder.
“Oh my,” Octavia said as she spun around to face the bathroom. She saw Vinyl standing there with her head sticking out “I'm sorry. I never meant for you to hear that, Vinyl. My mother can be an insufferable pony.”
Vinyl shrank back into the bathroom a bit. Octavia couldn't help but smile at her shyness and trotted over to her. She went in and pushed Vinyl out into the larger room. She came back out with a towel and playfully tossed it over Vinyl's head. Vinyl's eyes peeked out from under it and Octavia let out a giggle. Vinyl took up the towel in her magic and dried herself off with the absolute softest towel she had ever felt in her entire life.
“You don't talk much, do you,” Octavia asked.
Vinyl kept toweling. She moved it down from her head to her back and enjoyed the momentary bliss from the soft towel. She did a quick fluff of her tail before turning her head back to Octavia. She shook if just enough to tell Octavia that she didn't talk much, as she said. She finished her drying and Octavia took the towel from her. She went and tossed it onto the counter top in the bathroom.
“Well now,” Octavia said as she looked at Vinyl, “You're like a whole new pony. I knew there was one under all that filth. What do you think?”
Octavia lead Vinyl over to tall standing mirror tucked away in the far corner of the room. Vinyl looked into it, and she could hardly believe what she saw. Octavia was right. It was like looking at a completely different pony. She had never really been this clean. Not where she lived in this city, at least. And running from those two sleaze ponies made her even more filthy. Vinyl's eyes widened and her mouth formed into a smile. She nodded vigorously with much joy at what she saw, her electric blue mane bouncing with every motion.
“Good,” Octavia said, “I'm glad to see it.”
Octavia moved for the window, only to be stopped by a weight coming down over her body. Before she knew what it was, Vinyl had wrapped her hooves around Octavia's neck. She held the gray mare in a close hug for an eternal moment before releasing her.
“Vinyl, what-”
Octavia never got the words out. She looked over at Vinyl. She was sitting on the floor a few paces away. Still smiling, she filled the air with magic. Bright, neon colored sparks danced around her horn while she spelled out the words she needed.
Thank you
“Well, you are most welcome, Vinyl,” Octavia said. A slight blush was rising up in her cheeks. She was really hoping that Vinyl wouldn't notice. “I take you haven't met that many kind ponies in the city then.”
Vinyl shook her head. That was a no. For most of Vinyl's life she never really gotten treated that well by any ponies. She was always being yelled out, used, or otherwise taken advantage of. She hated that part of her life. But now she had met Octavia, and ever since then she had been happy. Really happy. And she didn't want to lose that.
“That's quite terrible, actually,” Octavia admitted. “I don't see why they wouldn't be nice. You don't seem like that bad of a pony to me.”
Vinyl's smile only got bigger. Her heart pounded as she and Octavia walked over to the window.
They were on the top floor of one of the nicest hotels in Manehatten. The early afternoon light was shining down over the city, bathing it in a beautiful glow. Vinyl had never seen anything like it. She had ever only seen the city around the are where she had her dingy little apartment. It was a far cry from this place. She had a hard time thinking about going back there after seeing this.
“Makes you want to just sit here forever, and watch the sunset as it comes,” Octavia said. Vinyl nodded in agreement, but Octavia wasn't looking at her. She was still staring out the window. But she was right. Vinyl did want to stay there forever. She didn't want to leave this spot. She didn't want to leave Octavia. And so she looked out over the city with her, until her eyes fell upon one place in particular. She held her hoof up to the window, gently placing on the glass with a feeling of longing that even Octavia could feel. Octavia's eyes followed the path down.
“The amphitheater? Oh, the time,” Octavia suddenly exclaimed. “I had nearly forgotten about the concert. It's going to start in a couple of hours.”
She sprang up quickly and began to run around the room quickly. Checking drawers and looking at herself in the mirror. Vinyl turned around and watched her for a few moments. Octavia was fretting about in front of the mirror. She was trying to get something tied around her neck, but Vinyl wasn't quite sure what it was. She had already tore one off before getting this one out of a drawer. Vinyl sat there and watched, until she had little neon spark dancing around her horn.
Octavia stared intently into the mirror. She was focused on tying this bow tie properly with all the style and grace she had been raised with. Unfortunately, she was having some trouble because the tall standing mirror which she was facing was mysteriously fogging up. In a matter of seconds it was impossible to see anything in the mirror.
“Vinyl,” Occtavia said, sure it was of her magic causing this. “What are yo-”
Octavia turned around to face the Unicorn in question. She found out she was right. She could see the magic flowing around Vinyls horn, but her words were interrupted by Vinyl firmly pointing a hoof back at the mirror. Octavia didn't quite understand, but she looked back anyway.
You look great
The words were seemingly wrote out with a hoof in the fogged up mirror. Octavia was simply taken aback. She stopped her fretting and relaxed a little bit. She let out a sigh and turned back to face Vinyl.
“Thank you, Vinyl,” She said. “I don't even know what I'm doing. The concert doesn't start for a couple hours yet.”
It was Vinyl's turn to jump up and be excited. And that she did. She jumped up from the floor and faced the window again. She pointed with her hoof out at the amphitheater. She tapped the glass a few times in her excitement.
“You want to go to the amphitheater,” Octavia asked. “Vinyl, are you into music?”
Vinyl nodded vigorously and she stood up on her back legs. She magically made a couple of neon floating disks. She put one hoof on one of the disks and the other by her ear. She went through a few motions, her head bobbing up and down to the beat of some unknown music. Whatever it was, Octavia didn't know it.
“I have no idea what you're doing,” Octavia said with a laugh.
Vinyl stopped and looked at Octavia. Because of her wild movements her head was at a weird angle, but even at that angle Octavia could tell she was confused. Not like before. This was more like a disbelief that Octavia didn't know what it what she was doing. Anyway, Vinyl let her magic dissipate and went back to standing next to Octavia.
“Come on then,” Octavia said. “Lets go.”
Vinyl's spirits soared and she raced Octavia to the elevator. She was practically stomping her hooves with anticipation as she thought about the amphitheater. It was one of those places where young ponies sneak into and get into trouble usually, or where important ponies go and do classy things. Usually listen to some classy music or something. Vinyl always wanted to go and test out her music there, but she knew she was never going to get in. But now she was actually going. She looked over at Octavia. She was the one pony who she barely knew, but had been nicer to her than almost any other.
At that moment, something deep inside of Vinyl stirred. It was a strange and sudden sensation she had never felt before. She could feel her body getting a little hotter. Her heart was racing faster than before. Was it just excitement, or was it something else? Everything she was seeing was apparently brighter as well. Every color was more vibrant. Vinyl wasn't sure exactly what this feeling was, but she didn't really mind it either. As long as she was with Octavia.
Words Not Needed (Rewrite)
Octavia was able to talk her way into the amphitheater. The security guards were not only well aware of her family connections, but were also big fans of her own music. That made things a whole lot easier. After a few moments of negotiating they allowed her to take Vinyl inside. However, they had a time limit. Ten minutes. In ten minutes the shifts would change and by then they had to be gone. Vinyl was sure she wouldn't waste a second of it.
Octavia gave her thanks to the security guards and they she headed inside with Vinyl. Vinyl raced in with Octavia, only to stop when she was barely in the place. The amphitheater. It was a very large, semicircle shaped building. The only thing with a roof above it was the stage. All the seats sat in the open air, beneath the stars in the night sky. Vinyl's wide eyes passed over everything she saw. With a smile on her face, she raced around like a little filly in a candy shop. Octavia couldn't help but smile and giggle at Vinyl.
“Calm yourself, Vinyl,” She said. “And come with me. I will show you where they keep the instruments.”
Vinyl was bouncing up and down as she followed Octavia up onto the stage. She froze for a second and gazed out over the many seats. This was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. Even though she was here, she could hardly imagine the feeling of being on stage with every seat filled. Her heart raced as the image flashed in her mind. It was an incredible feeling. She looked back to Octavai, and the sudden feeling she had before pulsed again. She wasn't sure what it was, but it wasn't bad. She quickly caught up to Octavia, who had descended a set of stairs in the back behind the stage.
“Here we are,” Octavia said as they came to the bottom of the stairs. “This is where they keep all the instruments. Many of them are backups in case something happens on stage with a performers instrument. Although, that doesn't happen to often so I'm assuming most of these are. . .” Octavia reached out with a hoof and plucked one of the strings on an instrument. Both her and Vinyl recoiled back at the awful sound. “. . . Out of tune,” Octavia said.
She walked along the rows of instruments, her eyes passing over each one in turn and mentally ranking them from best to worst. It was a little game she played when she a few moments to spare. She tried not to do it when it came to ponies, but even she had to admit there were some better than others. Although, as she went she was finding it increasingly difficult to focus on her little game. All her thoughts drifted around to Vinyl. For some reason she was finding it hard to think of anything else, and she couldn't fathom why.
Maybe it was her beautiful white coat, like a blank canvas ready for an artist to make into a masterpiece. Or perhaps her mane, that electric blue mess of hair that only she could pull off. And then there were the glasses. Those shades, Octavia had never seen her without them. Those mysterious purple lenses were hiding something behind them, and Octavia was certain it was a lovely sight. Vinyl Scratch filled her thoughts, and only then did she really realize how silent it had become.
“Vinyl,” She said as she turned around. “You've become so quiet all of the sudden.”
Vinyl stood right behind her. She had been following her around this entire time. But she also was having trouble with her thoughts, just not in the same way as Octavia. Octavia's mind was being filled with Vinyl, whereas Vinyl's mind was in the middle of a struggle. An internal debate of sorts. A decision was being weighed, and it was big one. Vinyl was wrestling with this when Octavia turned around. Vinyl glanced up just to see Octavia's purple eyes looking at her. And then it happened.
Vinyl stepped forward quickly, her eyes locked with Octavia's. She leaned in closer, much closer than she had ever thought possible. Before she knew it her lips had met Octavia's, and she was kissing her. Octavia was just as surprised as Vinyl. She turned around, and then Vinyl was kissing her. Before she even knew what was happening, their lips were locked in a kiss. A few precious seconds passed like they were hours. Octavia stood there in shock before tearing herself away.
“Vinyl!” She said as took a step back. “Wha- Why? Why did you do that?”
Vinyl eyes remained locked on Octavia for a moment. The face of the mare she had spent the whole day with, this gray beauty who sent her heart racing, she was now looking at Vinyl with a look of shock and disgust. Vinyl stepped away from her, shaking her head as if it that would empty out all the bad ideas and terrible emotions that were swelling up inside of her.
“Vinyl, I-” Octavia never got the chance to finish that sentence. Vinyl mouth started to move, yelling out apologetically and fervently saying this and that. And yet, not a sound came from her. Her whole body shuddered as tears fell from her eyes to the floor.
“Oh my,” Octavia said as it finally dawned on her. “You cannot speak.” She reached a hoof out, a kind gesture to comfort a hurting pony.
Vinyl lurched back as the hoof touched her shoulder. The sudden, unexpected motion sending her back and her shades off her eyes. The purple lenses fell to the floor with a dramatic clink, with only a small crack in the right lens to show for it. And for the first time, Octavia got to see Vinyl's eyes. The mystery behind the lenses.
Red. They were red. She had most beautiful ruby red eyes Octavia had ever seen. And yet, there was nothing in their beauty now except a terrible sadness and river of tears. They ran down her cheeks, with each tear only making Octavia feel worse and worse. Vinyl quickly turned and raced for the stares. She only looked back once, and Octavia could see the tears streaming down her face coming from behind her glasses. Vinyl was gone in the next instant leaving Octavia down there alone with nothing but her own thoughts.
What is going on with me? She- She kissed me. I mean, I only just met her today. Does she- Do i- Why did I react the way I did? I was just so surprised. But why? The kiss most certainly caught me off guard, but was there something else?
Octavia's mind raced with all these thoughts. They were tormenting her as these new thoughts and feelings rose up like a tidal wave crashing against what she had already known and believed. She was content with her life up until now, and then she met Vinyl. And Octavia slowly came to a realization as she stood there.
I liked that kiss. I wanted to kiss her back.
Her heart was beating faster and faster the more she thought about it. She could feel her body heating up. She didn't know what exactly was going on with her. IT was a strange and new sensation, but she knew one thing for sure. She just couldn't let Vinyl leave.
Vinyl had run up the stair and onto the stage. She stopped only once to look back at Octavia, and mouth to her a final, silent apology. She reached the end of the stage, ready to jump off into the many rows of seats. She felt stupid, so very stupid. She yelled at herself on the inside. It was only a day. She had only known Octavia for a single day. How could she go and kiss her? And the way she reacted, the face she made. It just made everything that had been built that day crumble and fall away. Vinyl violently shook her head again. She wanted to shake theses thoughts loose, to forget this whole day. But that didn't work. And she just trudged along on her way out.
“Vinyl, wait!” Octavia raced up after her and shouted the words from the edge of the stage. Vinyl was halfway to the exit by now. She heard what was said, but ignored them. With her head low she kept moving, farther and farther away. It was quickly becoming clear to Octavia that words weren't going to help her at all. An idea emerged, but she to move quickly if it was going to work.
Vinyl trudged along. She had reached the exit. The gate opened up in front of her. She barely lifted her head up as she saw the forms of the two security ponies standing in front of her. They stepped aside as she walked by.
“We were just about to come and get ya,” One of them said. “Time's almost up. Where is Miss Melody?”
As if on cue, a sound came from behind them. Music. It was soft a first, a low melody being played from somewhere behind her. Vinyl stopped in her tracks and just listened. She lifted her head and listened deeply to the music. Such sweet sounds washed over her. It was like she was missing a piece of herself before and this was filling her up, filling that empty space. She had never heard anything like it. It was beautiful. Vinyl turned around to see Octavia on stage.
Octavia stood on the stage of the amphitheater. She had an instrument on her hooves, but Vinyl didn't know what it was. It looked like the same one that made that awful noise before, but now it wasn't. In Octavia's hooves it was making the most sweet and lovely sounds Vinyl had ever hear.
She watched Octavia. She couldn't look away at this point. Every move she made, every note she played. It was beauty and grace given form. Vinyl saw how she played, eyes closed and full of focus and yet calm. Vinyl quickly approached the stage again. Octavia's playing never stopped as Vinyl ascended onto the stage. Octavia only opened her eyes one she was close, close enough to talk to. She stopped playing and set the instrument down.
“I'm so sorry, Vinyl,” Octavia said with all her heart. “Your kiss took me by surprise, but what was more surprising was just how much I wanted to kiss you back. I didn't know what to do, and I made you feel terrible for something that wasn't your fault.”
Vinyl lunged at Octavia, wrapping her hooves around her and toppling them both over onto the floor. Octavia laughed as they went down and Vinyl was smiling once again. The both them rolled over and Vinyl got a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. IT was tucked away in the corner and hidden in the shadows. She wished she had seen it sooner, but better late than never.
She used her magic to light up the area around the small DJ booth. Octavia didn't know much about it. She knew it was just recently installed, but that was about it. Vinyl certainly seemed excited about it as she bounced behind the booth. Her horn lit up as bright, neon colored lights flashed into being as a pair of disks materialized in front of her. Vinyl pointed at the instrument on the stage next to Octavia.
“First, you need these,” Octavia said as she held up Vinyl's glasses. Vinyl was surprised at first, but took them and put them back on her face, cracked lens and all. She smiled happily and set to mixing up some beats.
Whatever Vinyl was doing, it was shaking the whole stage. Octavia could feel the vibrations reverberating through the floor and even the air. It was a strange, yet welcome feeling. The beat of the music was unlike anything Octavia had ever heard before. Vinyl gestured for her to start playing her instrument again. The sounds coming from the booth were not what Octavia was used to, but she played anyway.
Together they made a strange duet. Their music echoed out from the stage of the theater. Vinyl did her thing from behind the booth and Octavia finally understood. She was finally beginning to see it. The strange motions Vinyl was doing in the hotel room. The love of music. Octavia poured her heart and soul into what she was playing and she could see Vinyl was doing the same. And as their strange duet played out they attracted a crowd.
At first it was just a few of the security ponies. They had come in to tell them to keep the noise down and that the time was up. The other shift had arrive and they all walked in, but they couldn't speak. The music being played enchanted them as it fell upon their ears. They slipped into the seats. The music echoed out from the amphitheater, cascading outward over the city streets. More and more ponies were attracted this new sound that they had never heard before.
As more and more ponies came they too slipped into the seats. It started with the security but it came to include so many more ponies. A lot of them were just off the street walking by when they heard it. Some were workers from nearby places who were attracted to the odd, yet lovely sounds of music that had drifted by. Before long the whole of the amphitheater was full and the two mares were putting on their own concert, but they didn't care.
The two didn't even noticed them. Their world ended where the stage began. They didn't play for the ponies in the seats. They played for each other. Octavia played for Vinyl. Her every movement of the bow a direct sign to Vinyl, whole and heartfelt. Vinyl played her music for Octavia, to show her the power of music can surpass any words a pony can speak. She was broadening her mind with every move her hooves made. And together, the night melted away with the music they played.
This went on for what seemed like and endless night of music, one that neither of them wanted to end. The ponies in the crowd, some left and some new ones came to listen. The night went on. At one point, Vinyl jumped out from behind the booth, letting her magic spin the disks and mix the beats. She moved right up next to Octavia. Octavia's eyes opened up just a little as she saw Vinyl coming. She lifted her head up and looked longingly back at Vinyl, her eyes drawing her ever closer. And so, closer she came. Their eyes locked onto each other. Their hearts beat together as one with the rhythm of the music. This time it was clear. They both wanted this. And so they ki-
“Octavia Melody!”
The world around them crashed. It was like reality had finally caught up to them and invaded their fantasy, tearing it asunder. The sudden cry of Octavia's name shook Vinyl. Her magic stopped and therefore, the booth stopped as well. The beats died down quickly. Octavia lurched forward, doubling over as if she had gotten a punch to the stomach. Her eyes were wide and her heart raced, but for a new and much less fantastical reason. She knew that voice, and a stark terror crept up her spine.
“Come now, child,” Her mother said, cold and emotionless. “We are going home.”
“M- Mother?” Octavia said, her voice shaking. “W- W- What are you doing h- here?”
“I have come to retrieve you, child,” Said her mother. “We are leaving this place at once.”
Octavia's whole body was shaking. Her heart was beating in her chest. Her words were stuck in her throat. She was gripped by the cold hand of fear. And yet, there was an unusual warmth at her side. Octavia couldn't even bear to move, but this warmth was calming. It was familiar. Octavia glanced over to see Vinyl.
She was standing close to her. Octavia could feel the touch of her white coat on her own. It was the only thing keeping her together at the moment. Octavia looked over at her, at Vinyl. She was clearly worried. Even from behind those shades Octavia could tell. And yet she was standing next to her still. Octavia felt every ounce of fear in her rise up as Vinyl laid her head on her shoulder for a moment.
“Leave the filth behind, Octavia,” Her mother said.
“N- No, Mother.” Octavia said. All the courage she could muster was in those words. Every fiber of her being was screaming to run away. She was never the confrontational type, especially with her mother. But now. . .
“I don't want to leave,” Octavai said as strongly as she could.
Octavia's mother stared hard at her daughter. Her gaze was cold as ice. Her eyes were nothing but dark orbs hovering against a much darker void. A void where there was no warmth, no emotion, no caring of any sort. Or at least, that's how Octavia saw it. She was staring down this dark void with nothing at her side but Vinyl Scratch.
“Octavia, my daughter,” She sighed. “You leave me no choice.”
Vinyl stepped up closer. She stepped forward and placed herself in between Octavia and her mother. She stood as a wall between them with nothing but a look of sheer defiance on her face.
“Take my daughter away from this place,” She said as she turned around. She stepped back and headed for the exit as four ponies entered the amphitheater aisles. “And leave the trash here.”
Of the four ponies that entered the amphitheater two of them were Unicorns. Their horns glowed with magical energy. A bright light filled the air between Octavia and Vinyl. A magical wall of force pushed its way between the two. Vinyl was left on the stage while Octavia was being pushed towards the exit, and her mother.
“NO! NO! No, I don't want to go,” Octavia screamed as she pushed against the magical wall. She pushed and she resisted. She banged and pounded on it as it unrelentingly pushed back. She cried out as loud as she could, but it was useless. She held her hooves up to the wall, watching with tear filled eyes as Vinyl was getting farther and farther away.
“I'm sorry it came to this, child.”
Octavia said nothing as she came closer to the edge of the stage. She could feel it coming up, only to find herself lifted up into the air. Another of the four ponies, a large Earth pony, had taken hold of her and was setting her on the ground. Her hooves made contact with the ground, but she had no strength to stand. She collapsed into a heap on the floor.
“Come now, Octavia, stop acting like this.”
“No, Mother,” Octavia replied. “I told you, I do not want to leave.”
“Quit your pouting, Octavia. Stop acting like a child.”
Octavia didn't even look up at her mother, but instead turned her head to look at Vinyl. She pounded on the other side of the wall, yelling out in silent anguish. Her horn flared up intensely. She flooded the area around her with neon magical energy. She pushed against the wall with everything she had. Octavia's mother said a few words and the fourth and final pony advanced on the stage. Another Earth pony, the Unicorns let him pass through the wall with ease. He put himself between Vinyl and Octavia. He wasn't going to let her pass.
“No, Vinyl!” Octavia shouted. “Don't touch her! Leave her alone!”
All the screams in the world were useless. Octavia was being pushed back by the pony her mother brought. She screamed and she screamed, but it was no use. She pushed against the pony, she hit him with her hooves, she yelled as loud as she could. It was a useless effort. All Octavia could do was look back, watching with teary eyes as her and Vinyl were being torn apart. And there was nothing she could do.
