Hypnotic melody

Octavia let the last notes from her cello fade out, she often played at home to relax when she didn’t have anything else to do. She chuckled to herself, a year ago any time she was playing her cello at home it was for practice, in that goddesses forsaken orchestra. Now she played for enjoyment, something that for a long time was alien to her. Placing her cello back on its stand, she checked the strings to ensure they were still in prime condition, if there was one thing that would never change, it was Octavia's dedication to her craft and her prized instrument.

After checking and replacing one of the strings that was a bit below her standards, Octavia walked to the kitchen looking for a snack. She returned munching an apple when her eyes came to rest on the shelf full of pictures. There were pictures of her and Vinyl, as well as Lyra and Bonbon. Most were just silly moments captured between the four of them, but there were several more of just her playing her cello with the symphony, she refused to call it an orchestra, Canterlot having made the word seem like an almost vile thing to speak. As she looked at each of the pictures, she remembered other pictures, currently in an album, with less pleasant memories.

On a whim she retrieved said album, pulling it out of a drawer. She set it down flipping through some of the pictures, it was all pictures of her time in Canterlot. She looked at the album and the pictures on the shelf and smiled to herself. In the album every picture of her she had the same expression on her face, stern, professional, unhappy. Now looking at the pictures on the shelf with her and the symphony, she was smiling, happy, alive.

I can’t believe I use to be like that, Vinyl was right, I really was dead back then.

As she continued looking back and forth, another detail popped out, one that made Octavia blush slightly. In each of the pictures, she wore a plain black collar, one that she admitted looked rather good when paired with her red bowtie and a black formal dress she wore for consorts. It was the implication of the collar that made her blush, VInly had made her wear it back when this all started, she was still getting used to the idea of wearing it in public at all times, even after nearly a year. Though on the other hoof she did feel rather naked without it.

Considering we don't normally wear clothes, I suppose that's a strange thought to have, but still, I don't feel quite right without it, stupid Vinyl.

In the center of all the photos was a large group photo of Octavia and the entire symphony, it was taken a week after she had started, she remembered that time fondly. She and the other cello players, of which there was five, had all ‘competed’ against each other to see who would fill each spot. Though competing might have been a bit strong, each of them had played the same piece, then the rest of the symphony had graded them. Octavia had, to her shock, been unanimously voted for first chair, even by the other cello players. One hundred and twenty-nine votes for her to be first chair, and zero against, it still staggered her. Shortly after the others had asked Octavia if she would join their practice group, saying they hoped to learn from her, the invitation was again a shock to her, but one she fully accepted.

In Canterlot we were always competing, against each other's throat. Here though we actually work together, I wish I had come here a long time ago.

The symphony had played a charity event a week later where the photo had been taken, each and every pony was happy with genuine smiles that showed in the picture. Something else that showed was the several other ponies with discrete collars on as well. Octavia had nearly fallen over on discovering that so many others ponies, both in and outside the symphony, lived the same kind of lifestyle she found herself in now.

Honestly is comforting that so many others are like me and Vinyl, granted I sort of got strong-hoofed into it, but considering how much better off things are, I can’t really complain, even if I give Vinyl a hard time now and again.

Octavia closed the old album putting it away, taking the old memories with it. The front door clicked open, admitting Vinyl to their high-rise home. Octavia trotted over, welcoming Vinyl with a kiss.

“Having a good day I see.” Vinyl chuckled.

“Just going over some old memories, reminding myself how things were and how they are now.”

“Any deep revelations?”

“Just that I’m happy.”

Vinyl grinned. “That's all that matters then. So my meeting went over, wanna see if Ly and Bon are free and get some dinner?”

Octavia razed an eyebrow, then pointed to the calendar. “Did you forget what day it was?”

“No?” Vinyl asked looking at the calendar, only to find it was a Wednesday. “Oh! Duh, they are busy Wednesday nights. Still, wanna grab some dinner just the two of us?”

“That sounds lovely.”

Vinyl tossed her overstuffed saddlebags into a nearby desk, before grabbing some less full ones and heading to the door with Octavia. As they walked out Octavia heard a faint tune coming from the DJ’s headphones, it was the same one that had started all this, the same song that had helped change her life so drastically for the better, and Octavia couldn’t help but think, that it was such a Hypnotic Melody.

The End