Chapters Symphony Shattered
"Thank you again for playing at this years Gala Miss Philharmonica, and I do apologize for the... excitement of tonight." Celestia said as she trotted through the wrecked ballroom over to where I was packing up my cello. "My student's friends often tend to bring excitement wherever they go, but who can blame them." She said with a chuckle.
"Well, I'll admit that it was a refreshing change to play something aside from the constant classics that the nobles request from me, although I don't think I will be pursuing a career playing the pony polky." I replied with a chuckle as well. "After all, one does tend to grow tired of those songs after a while don't you think princess?"
"That is probably a wise decision and I do agree with you. How is Vinyl by the way? I haven't heard anything regarding her for quite some time." She said as she levitated over two glasses of champagne that were miraculously untouched and passed one to me as we watched some of the castle's staff herd a few squirrels out the door.
"She's been stuck in a bit of a creative rut, I'll admit. She's been concerned with creating a new sound with those synthesizers of hers, last I saw she had about twenty different effects wired into a recording of me playing the cello. I don't even want to try to fathom what she's trying to create." I said with a chuckle as I grasped the champagne flute in my fetlock. My roommate was said to be eccentric with electronic music when ponies wanted to be polite about it.
"Well, it's nice to hear that she is still working hard." Celestia said with a smile. "Luna has been looking forward to her next album. While I don't quite understand the allure of electronic music, I'm not one to question it."
"I can sympathize your highness." I said as I took a sip of the bubbly beverage.
Celestia took a sip from her flute. "Miss Philharmonica, I must admit it is nice to speak with somepony high class and not have to mind every word I say, I swear if I say one thing wrong in court and the nobles think less of me for weeks on end. It's all a game of politics after all." She said with a sigh. "And don't get me started on the press and the tabloids..."
"I can't even begin to imagine." I said as I visibly flinched. I had had some experience with them of late as well. It seems an earth pony who can play a cello is big news these days and that the tabloids like to target those who are unusual.
"In any case I must say farewell, I know my student and her friends headed off to Pony Joe's and I think I'll give the tabloids something to talk about, and give Joe some more business." She said as she finished her Champagne. "Besides, it's been ages since I've had a good doughnut."
"May I suggest the blueberry jelly filled powdered ones." I said as I finished my glass as well. "They are delectable."
"Really? I didn't expect you to know much of them." Celestia said with a smirk.
"Princess, I live with Manehattan's premiere dj. I probably know more about how to save money and still have a good meal than most of Canterlot's upper crust. That and I don't see myself above some indulgence in the less expensive pleasures in this world every now and then." I said as I set down the champagne flute and swung my cello case over my back. "In any case, Ciao, and have a good evening Your Highness."
"Likewise Miss Philharmonica, and please, call me Celestia." She said with a smile.
"In that case, call me Octavia." I said with a chuckle.
"Very well then Octavia, have a good night." She said as we went our separate ways.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I stepped out of the castle's gates and started to head to my hotel, enjoying the sights of Canterlot's nightlife. Most of the city was steeped in bright lights and glamor, the nobleponies seeing to that. As I rounded the corner to where my hotel was, I saw a unicorn beckoning to me from a carriage. Thinking nothing of it I trotted over. "Yes?"
"Miss Octavia Philharmonica correct?" The stallion inside said, his voice sounding a little too eager.
"Yes, I am. To whom may I owe the pleasure." I replied.
"Oh, nopony in particular. It's just, after the gift of your performance tonight, I felt you deserved something better than some bits." He said, nodding to somepony behind me.
I didn't even see who it was that hit me as I saw stars, promptly blacking out as I was dragged into the wagon, my cello discarded on the street.
Symphony Shattered
My mind was in a haze as I awoke to a sterile white room. I felt as if I had been bucked in the head by a royal guard, and he had done the foxtrot on my skull afterwards. It was about three seconds after I had that thought when I came to the sudden realization that I was securely fastened to some kind of operating table that was holding me vertically. It wasn't all that uncomfortable, in fact it seemed to be formed to support a pony comfortably, however upon recalling the previous nights events, I began to struggle.
Or... at least try to struggle. I was locked to that table so tightly that I couldn't move an inch.
"Now now, that would be unwise, we are about to start the procedure." A mare's voice came from an unheard source. I saw a one way mirror along one wall.
"Wh-what are you doing! Release me at once!" I yelled at her as the table rotated so i was face down.
"Now that would mean I couldn't give you my gift." She chuckled. "Sorry about the illusion of myself being a stallion, but I had to conceal who I was from the bystanders you see."
I felt my blood run cold at that. That meant if they were searching for me they would be chasing down a non existent pony. I felt a panel open up in the metal I was strapped to that revealed most of my back and I started to scream for help as something else was placed there.
"Please stop moving, if you don't this may kill you at worst, or paralyze you at best." The voice said with a hint of indifference.
I stopped moving sobbing as a tingling sensation covered my back, which was soon replaced with pain as whatever it was doing stopped and something cold replaced it.
"Now this may feel rather odd, but trust me, you'll be fine if you hold still." She said again as i felt pinpricks run down my spine, then a strange sensation all over my body, like my nerves were receiving a slight jolt from a battery. Then, just a suddenly as it had started it stopped.
"There that wasn't so ba-" The voice was cut off by a loud bang. "Wha? You will never take me, Dogs of Celestia!" The voice yelled and the intercom cut out. I started to struggle, trying my hardest to break free from the machine I was secured to. four claw from the machine reached around the table and started to undo my bindings. Why is it helping me? I thought as it undid my four legs then lowered me to the ground, the claws quickly snaking back up past the stationary machine i had been attached to. I got to my hooves and started trotting towards the window.
"Miss Philharmonica, are you all... mother of Celestia..." someone said through the intercom.
"I think so..." I said.
"You may... want to look behind you..." The voice said.
"What is i-" I let out a scream as i looked over my shoulder to find the four metal arms that had released me were sprouting from my back, the silvery surface seemed welded to my very flesh as the interlocking plates of the back piece flexed with the natural movement of my body. The arms seemed to be able to retract into the metal without harming me.
"Mam, please back away from the window, I'm going to try to break it." He said. I nodded shakily taking a few steps back and covering my eyes with a hoof as there was a loud thwack. "Dammit..." I heard him mutter.
"There has to be a way..."
"Can you control those arms?"
I tried to move one as I would a hoof and it seemed to respond, moving as if it were a natural part of my body. "It... seems so..."
"Try to smash the window, I'll get clear." He said.
"Okay..." I waited a few moments than concentrated on moving one of the arms to smash the glass, and to my surprise two of the metal arms shot out at the window, punching through the shatterproof glass. Due to the fact that it was shatterproof the window didn't fall to pieces.
"Well... this may prove problematic..." The guard said. "See if you can open those claws and pull."
"Um... okay..." I said, willing that to happen only to find myself pulled towards the glass. I made the two remaining 'arms' brace my body against the wall beside the window, and moments later there was a cracking sound as the window was pulled free of it's place in the wall to reveal two rather surprised royal guards. I... think i may keep these if I can. Despite the circumstances I can see how they would be useful...
"I didn't think that would work..." One said. "Anyhow, can you come with us please, we need to get you to a hospital to see if this hurt you in any serious way."
"I... okay." I said, willing the arms to retract. The slid back into the mechanism on my back with a small amount of clicking.
"Does that hurt?" The second guard, obviously new to the job, asked.
"No... I don't even know what it is... that madmare... she kidnapped me then somehow attached this to me..." I said, shuddering.
"Here," the younger guard said, tossing me a lab coat that was lying on one of the chairs in the room. "Cover your back with that, the press got wind of the kidnapping."
"Thank you." I said, draping the garment over my back without bothering with putting my hooves through the sleeves. "Thank Celestia you showed up before she could do anything else to me... did you catch her?"
"Four guards took off after her when she went out the other door, I don't know anything past that." The senior guard explained as we headed down a concrete hallway towards the exit. The stairs led to the entry way of a large mansion.
"Who was it anyhow?" I asked.
"Shining Steel, an engineer from arcanatech. She disappeared three months ago... I suppose we know where she went now..." The guard said with a dry chuckle. "In any case, Celestia wishes to speak with you."
"Well, let's not keep her waiting, and I would like to get this over with and go home."
"I understand fully Mam." The guard opened the door in front to a multitude of camera flashes as the press went nuts. I simply walked straight to the rather large royal guard carriage and got in, used to dealing with the incessant shutterbugs. The two guards hopped in as well and closed the door behind us as the carriage took off.
I extended one of the mechanical limbs to look at it, inspecting the intricate claw on the end. The guards seemed fascinated by it as well and we all jumped when a six inch spike extended suddenly from the center of the claw.
"I have a sneaking suspicion that whatever that thing is... it was originally meant for military use..." The younger guard muttered once we had all stopped.
"Or climbing." The older guard said. "Think about it, those claws probably can't grip walls too well on their own so you'd just drive the spike into it."
"That makes sense..." I said as the spike retracted. "I'll fiddle around with them more later, when we're not in a carriage. I don't want to discover any fire talismans right now."
"That... would be appreciated." The older guard chuckled at the look of sudden realization on the younger guard's face. "Anyhow, we're almost to the castle."
I used two of the arms to drape the lab coat back over my shoulders. I'll admit... they are useful.
"That looked... totally badflank." The younger guard said as he chuckled. "Now all you need is a pair of sunglasses and an awesome nickname and bam! Mare-Do-Well comic villain."
I laughed at that as the older guard scowled at him. "No no, it's quite alright. My roommate reads those comics and I can see why he says that. Besides, it helps lighten the mood." I smiled as the older guard chuckled as well.
"So long as he hasn't offended you Mam."
There was a slight jolt as the carriage touched down in the castle's gardens and I was quickly ushered into the castle through a side door. I caught a glimpse out of a window at a large crowd of press ponies waiting for the carriage to arrive.
"That's a clever trick..." I said to the guards escorting me.
"Works every time, you'd have thought they'd catch on by now." the younger one said as he chuckled. "Then again, it's the press. They don't want to miss a scoop so they will stake out in the most illogical places. You don't even want to know where we've had to drag a few of them from."
I giggled as we entered the throne room, bowing to the princesses as got close. "Your Majesties."
"Octavia thank the heavens." Celestia said, sounding very relieved. "I am relieved to see you are alright. Guards, please exit and secure the throne room, except you two." She said to the guards who had escorted me to the castle.
There was a brief chorus of hooves and doors closing, followed by a series of knocks on the various doors signaling the all clear. The guards had swept the room with magic before leaving to ensure there was no way to listen or look in to the throne room.
"There, now we may talk freely." She said stepping down from the throne. "You never know who may be listening in." She sighed. "How are you? That must have been quite the ordeal."
"I am fine... well almost but we will get to that." I grimaced, not sure what the princesses would make of the device welded to my back.
"Thou art lucky that thy kidnapper was so brazen in their actions, the night guard spotted them and followed the carriage to the neighborhood before it was lost. Henceforth it was a simple matter of searching the nearby properties for any trace of thee. We found thy bow tie upon Shining Steel's doorstep." Princess Luna said levitating my purple bow tie over to me. "And here is thine cello, one of the guardsponies retrieved it before his return to report on your capture."
"Thank you for keeping it safe, it was a gift from my grandfather..." I said taking the rigid hydra leather cello case in my hooves and placing it on the ground in front of me.
"You said you were almost alright... what did you mean by that?" Celestia asked after I had put my bowtie back on.
I sighed and removed the lab coat with my hooves. The princesses gasped at the device. "She attached this to me." I said.
"What does it do?" Celestia asked, sounding nervous.
"Aside from this, nothing I have found so far." I said extending the arms out. "I still am unsure where it stores all of that metal..."
Luna's jaw hit the floor as the thirty-some foot mechanical limbs extended from my back. "It is... odd to say the least, they feel almost like natural limbs... except there is no touch sensation."
Luna flew over as her speech went into overdrive. She started babbling about magitech, how impressive the discovery was and so on.
"However, I think it's fused to me." I chuckled as Luna froze in place mid-air and fell to the ground with a thump she had been examining one of the claws.
"F-fused to you?" Celestia stammered.
"I think so... I don't know for certain but... just look at where it meets my back..." I said trotting over to Celestia. She leaned in and gasped at the sight of the seamless transition from skin to metal. Her horn lit up and I was encased in a golden aura for a moment before it faded.
"It... it appears that you are correct Octavia..." Celestia's eyes were wide with shock. "The device is permanently attached to your spine. I don't know how Shining did it but whatever it is, you are stuck with it." She said bluntly.
"Well... I'll be honest it could be worse." I sighed.
"How... art thou not panicking?" Luna asked, a bewildered look on her face. "Thou either has nerves of steel, or an addled mind..."
"After living with Vinyl Scratch for six years, it takes a lot to unnerve me." I smiled slightly. "You do not want to know half of what she brings home. At one point she found a cockatrice and brought it into our living room. It is a good thing I had a spare cello case or I probably would be made of stone right now."
"You are joking right?" Celestia asked. "Please tell me you're joking."
"I wish I was princess, I wish I was."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A/N: Well here we are, chapter one of symphony shattered. It doesn't seem much like the description yet, however this is just setting the stage so to speak. Comment below on what you think please. Also, this is a secondary project, and will probably end up not written to the same standard as my main project, the vampony chronicles
Ciao,
~steampunk
2: Of Madmares, and Mad Mares
Symphony Shattered
After a bit more examination of the... you know I'll just call it my back seeing as it is fused there, Celestia sent me off to the Castle seamstress to get a coat made that would hide my back and still look relatively casual. The poor unicorn almost fainted when she saw my back though.
"Why hello Miss Philharmonicaa. The princess let me know you were-" Her eyes went wide as I turned to shut the door.
"I have a feeling I'm going to be getting that quite a bit now." I said with a sigh. Good thing I'm used to getting stared at thanks to Vinyl's pranks... switching my shampoo with Luna's... those stars to forever to wash out... I mentally grumbled. "In any case Celestia said you could help me. I need something to cover my back for obvious reasons, however it needs to be something casual."
Our eyes met and after a second we both said the same thing.
"Trenchcoat."
That broke the tension in the room causing us both to laugh. "Great minds think alike no?" She said with a chuckle. "Colors? This will be easy compared to Blueballs's usual requests." She gave a small eep. "Er, don't tell Blueblood I said that..."
"You needn't be worried, that colt needs a good lesson in how important he really is." I said with a chuckling. "And I think a dark grey, almost black for the main, perhaps some purple trimming or details?
"Hmm... I can work it, would you like your cutie mark on the back?"
"That's a wonderful idea... actually could you make a second one in white with... actually, first do you know who Vinyl Scratch is?"
"Dj Pon3? Yes I do."
"Well she's my roommate and I promised her i'd bring her something 'cool' back from Canterlot and I had a thought, woudl you be able to do one in white with blue spikes along the hem, cuffs and collar?"
"That would suit her perfectly, think she'd want her Cuite mark on the back?"
"I believe so." I said with a smirk. "As for mine, just black along the hem cuffs and collar and purple for the cutie mark please." I said.
"I'll toss in a pair of fedoras to match the outfits if you would like." She said as her magic got to work on various bolts of cloth around the room. "Although casual isn't exactly where we're going at this point anymore."
"Well, buck casual then." I said with a chuckle. "I live with Vinyl Scratch, every time we go anywhere together we're already the center of attention... more from her antics than anything else."
"I can only imagine." she said as the garments started to take form, a swarm of needles and thread flying from one set of shelves and getting to work on the fabric. "I have a friend who designed an outfit for her, she said it was a rather unique experience. Oh, and my name is Beau Modiste, pleased to meet you Miss Philharmonica."
"Please, call me Octavia." I said with a chuckle.
"Hmm... can you pass me that square of purple fabric over there? I think it may just be the right size for the cutie mark." Beau said flicking an ear at a table to my left, where sure enough there was a leftover piece of purple cloth that matched the color of my cutie mark. I gently picked it up with one of the metal arms.
"Just to warn you, I'm using the thing that's attached to my back to pass it to you, so don't be too surprised." I said as i passed it over. Her eyes widened when she saw it, but to her credit she didn't freak out.
"That's just bizarre." She said. "Well, since you appear to be somewhat dextrous with that thing can you hold the cloth flat for me?" She asked after a moment.
"Certainly." I said as the other three arms extended and opened the purple cloth. "To be honest I don't even know how I'm controlling them so easily... whatever they are they were... attached to me not two hours ago by a madmare. The guard is trying to catch her last I heard."
"Really? That sounds like it would be quite painful..." She said glancing at my back. "Looks that way too."
"It wasn't that bad actually, I just wish I had had a choice in the matter, but aside from that they are proving rather useful... Vinyl is going to have some sort of fit when she sees them though."
"That does seem right up that mare's alley from what I've heard." Beau said as she sliced the purple fabric with her magic, occasionally glancing at my flank to check that she was getting it right. "Do you have a photo of Vinyl on hand at all?" She asked as she took the treble-cleff shaped piece of cloth and started attaching it to my trenchcoat.
"Hmm... I think I do in my cello case. Let me check." I said as I placed the leftover cloth on the table I had gotten it from and trotted over to my Cello case at the entrance of the seamstress's workshop. I opened it and took out a recent photo of myself and vinyl standing in the loft we shared right after we finished unpacking. We had only moved there two weeks ago and it already felt like home compared to the small house we had shared in Canterlot. "Here we are." I said as I passed her the photograph.
"Thank you." she took the photo and started using the photo to reference Vinyl's mane coloration, as well as her cutie mark. "Oh, by the way, would you be able to refer a few ponies to me? I do take orders thanks to the Celestia and Luna barely ever wearing clothes, and to be honest I'm getting tired of doing orders for the nobles, they are just... boring of late. I left enough slack in the coat that you should be able to use those arms with it on." She said with a chuckle.
"I don't believe it, one gala and my suit is already ruined!" A high classed whiny stallion's voice came from the hallway as I pulled on the finished trenchcoat after retracting the arms.
"Here comes the royal pain..." I heard Beau mutter. I nodded and trotted over to my cello case and moved it out of the way before Blueblood entered the room. "He's going to be dissappointed if he wants another one of those coats, I am out of fabric for it, that and his behavior with that mare at the gala was just infuriating, at least she stood up to him."
"I remember that." I said smiling, despite myself as the idiot entered the room with some random mare.
"Seamstress! Drop what you're doing! I need a new suit jacket." He said.
"Sorry Prince you're going to have to come back next week." She replied, sounding quite irritated.
"That was not a request that was an order!" He said to her smugly, sounding every bit the stuck up prick that I knew him for.
"Two things: One, thanks to the other fifteen suit jackets you tore off yourself in disgust, I have none of that cloth left to work with, I used the last of it on a request for Miss Philharmonica here." She said, indicating the nearly finished white trenchcoat. "Second, even if I did have the fabric to make you another one I wouldn't seeing as I am NOT your slave." Her voice had a hint of restrained anger in it, and I decieded to help her out if the Prince used his favorite 'do what I want due to my family' line.
"Do you even know wh-" I cut him off.
"Yes, I think we both know who you are. You are an insufferable prick who thinks he is the only one who is important, simply because of his connections. You are hardly a gentlecolt, in fact, there is more class and grace in one of my tail hairs than your whole body." Blueblood looked dumbfounded while the mare he was with simply giggled at his expression. "In fact, I know of a few Manehattan beggars who I'd rather have as a gala date than you, in fact I'd rather go with Vinyl Scratch, at least she has a level of common decency. Go ahead, whine to 'auntie' about how some mare insulted your honor, I have my doubts she'll do anything about it seeing as how you caused such a scene at the gala." I smirked, as he gaped like a fish out of water before marching up to me and backhoofing me across the muzzle. Beau gasped and the other mare's eyes went wide as I fell to the floor from the unexpected blow.
"Know your place you serf." He spat at me as I tasted blood. "I am Prince Blueblood of the house of Celestia and I won't have some nopony talking to me like that.
Normally, I'd go to the guard and have them deal with him. Normally I'd have held my tongue before hoof. Today, I had woken up in a lab, and had metal arms fused to my back. The stress that I had been able to deal with before he hit me caused my anger to boil over as I stood back up from the tile floor.
"You just make a huge fucking mistake Bluebitch." I said, rising onto my rear hooves, adopting a fighting stance I had learned from Vinyl who had learned it from a Zebrecain soldier after a particularly nasty bar fight. Blueblood took a step back as i spat out some blood. "What? Too much of a little bitch to actually fight somepony who is ready for you?"
He snorted as he hoofed the ground, ready to charge at me. I recognized his stance as one the guard taught, it was a good technique, but it was meant to take on those with little training without killing them. Beau backed away from us and the other mare did the same.
"I'll have you know I was best of the noble class at the royal guard academy for hoof to hoof combat." He said.
"The rest of them must have been too busy kissing your ass to fight then." I retorted, causing him to snap.
He charged me full tilt, aiming for me with his horn as he fired a stun spell towards me. I leapt out of the way of the spell. Landing on one hindleg I dropped to my forelegs as well and swept my other hindleg out at his legs. The speed of the move surprised him and i succeeded in knocking him onto his face before I turned away from him. "You have ten seconds to get out of this room before I show you how a real pony fights." He dragged himself to his hooves, his muzzle bloody from hitting the tile floor and trotted out of the room.
"The other nobles will hear about this!" He growled at me as he left. "Mark my word, your career in Canterlot is finished. I'll have Auntie throw you in prison for that you ungrateful peasant."
"Just try. I have two witnesses and am not a hindrance to the royal treasury." I replied, my tone even and threatening. He 'hmmph'ed and trotted off.
"Octavia are you okay?" Beau asked once he was out of earshot.
"I'm fine, I've been in a few bar fights and a riot or two, I've had worse." I said. "Heck, my grandmother has a nastier backhoof than him."
"What?"
"She wasn't the nicest pony, but she kept Scratch and myself in line when we were young, quite the feat to be honest." I said with a chuckle as i ran my tongue over my teeth. None were broken or missing, i had simply cut my cheek on my teeth. "Believe it or not I used to be quite the troublemaker. I picked up cello from a friend, but during school Scratch and I were quite the rebellious duo. Thanks to my parents though I managed to retain my cultured side."
"You are full of surprises..." Beau muttered as she got back to work on the coat.
"Will you two be willing to help my case if he does sue?" I asked.
"Of course." Beau said.
"Of course I will." the other mare said. "I'm Sonata by the way, Francine Sonata." She said. "I'm a vocalist for Luna's midnight jazz club."
"Octavia Philharmonica, possibly former cellist Royal Canterlot Orchestra. We'll see how much flack Celestia can deflect for me, otherwise I may be looking for work." I said with a sigh. "Oh well, I got by on giving music lessons before, I should be able to now, plus vinyl said she could use another hoof with her music." I said with a smile.
"I'm curious, are you two in a relationship yet?" Beau asked.
"W-what!" I stammered, the question had come clear out of left field.
"I asked if you two were in a relationship. Same gender couples are more common than you'd think." She said with a chuckle.
"We are not." I said, calming down a little. "Although I wouldn't be surprised if we did end up together come to think of it." I said with a blush. "We've been friends forever and spent our whole lives together."
"Sounds like you two would make quite the pair." Francine said smiling.
"We would, wouldn't we..." I said with a chuckle, the other two joining in.
-=-=-=-=-
A/N: Sorry about spelling, but i have to go to bread now so i have no time to fix that.
3: first encounters of the wubbed kind
I stepped onto the train to Manehattan, tickets courtesy of Celestia, minding the heavy cello case on my back. I wasn't about to wait around for Blueblood's response. I had explained to Celestia what had happened on my way out of the castle, my trench coat doing a wonderful job at hiding the arms while still looking fashionable.
I slid the door shut behind me as the last call of "All aboard!" was shouted down the train. The Cello case slid neatly below the chairs, moving only slightly as the train started to move, the rail ponies pulling it quickly gaining speed.
"Ahh..." A sigh escaped my lips as I lay down on the cushioned seat, wishing Vinyl was with me. I was about to doze off when I heard a small shuffling sound.
What in the? I looked around for the source of the sound to find nothing. Must have been in another car...
Then I felt something land on my back with a clang, and promptly fall off. I jumped to my hooves, looking for my assailant.
"Damn 'Tavi, you been workin' out? Your back feels like it's made of metal." I heard a familiar voice say from the floor.
"Vinyl! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I scolded, laying back down with a sigh. "How you always manage to guess which cabin I'm in is a mystery to me." I said with a chuckle as the adrenaline wore off.
Vinyl just took up residence in the seat opposite me. "You know you love my surprises. I gotta say, you look damn sexy in that getup too." She said, nursing a sore nose. "But seriously do you have steel plates in that coat or something?"
I sighed. "I had hoped to delay telling you until we got back to our apartment... oh well, lock the door." I said with a sigh.
"This'll be good last time you said that you were so drunk you practically dragged me into your be-" Vinyl was silenced by the trench coat I tossed at her.
"Here, I had that made for you by the royal tailor. I think you'll like it. Had to kick Blueblood's flank to allow the seamstress time to finish it too." I said with a chuckle.
"I... can't decide what's cooler, this coat or you handing Blueballs his flank on a silver platter." Vinyl said after a moment of looking back and forth between me and the coat.
"That's not the thing I have to tell you though. I'm sure you heard of my... kidnapping."
"Oh right!" Vinyl said, as if just remembering. "How did that go?"
I deadpanned. "Vinyl yo are infuriating sometimes. It went... alright I suppose though." I chuckled at that. "Turns out my captor was a mad scientist who loved my playing. Gave me these against my will." Vinyl's jaw dropped as I undid the coat and revealed the four mechanical limbs. "You know, after living with you for so long these weren't all that much of a shock. I should be freaking out right now."
"Those... are... A-mffff." I silenced Vinyl by stuffing a pillow into her mouth with one of the mechanical limbs.
"Not so loud please." I said, smiling innocently.
"Sorry." She said rubbing the back of her head. "This is going to make our sparring sessions a little more interesting."
"That it will." I laughed at the thought of Vinyl held to my back by the four flexible arms.
"Hey, I just got a cool idea for my Nightmare Night show..."
"This will be good..." I muttered.
"We get you hanging above the stage rag doll style from those arms, then have you suddenly start jerking around to the beat. Last song you awaken with glowing eyes and use those arms to rag doll creepily over the crowd with a demonic grin on your face."
"That... Alright I'll admit it is better than some of your ideas." I shrugged. "We'll see."
Vinyl hoof pumped the air. "Yes! One got past the 'Tavi test! I'm picturing lots of lasers..."
"Just so long as it isn't like last time... It took me months to re-grow the missing bits of my tail..."
"Hey! I said I was sorry!" Vinyl said as I shook my head with a sigh. "In any case, I take it Blueballs wan't too happy with you kicking the everloving crap outta him."
"Yeah... I may be freeloading for a while, but things will work out. He made threats to have me kicked out of the Canterlot classical music circles." I said with a sigh. "If he does get away with it I'll just go back to giving lessons aside from our usual shenanigans. Perhaps I can find a group that plays electro-swing."
"Electro sw- That sounds like it shouldn't work..." Vinyl said as she pulled on her trenchcoat and hat. "You, my good mare, need some shades to complete that outfit."
"It is different, i'll give you that." I said with a chuckle. "And perhaps, but for now I have none and no, i'm not wearing your spare DJ shades, those things are way too gaudy for me."
Vinyl pouted. "Aww, I was gonna see if I could get another photo of you in them to add to the tally."
"Oh Vinyl, you know you can't compete with my thirty seven of you passed out on your turntables after some parties."
"I'm at thirty, and I'm getting better at holding my liquor." Vinyl muttered indignantly as she glared out the window. I saw her mood brighten, which meant that an idea had just occurred to the DJ. "Hey, how bout we add another one each."
"Oh?" Our little photo game involved each of us picking a thing that the other had to try to catch us doing. For me, it was wearing Vinyl's shades. For her it was her passed out on her turntables after a party. Neither happened very often, I just was lucky to have a camera around at those particular nights. "What would yours be?"
"Catching you with those arms out in public. It's gonna happen and when it does I'll be guaranteed at least one from the newspapers."
"Hmm... what to do then..." I thought for a moment, before chuckling at the idea. "Okay, mine will be catching you in socks."
"Buh- wha- 'Tavi!" Vinyl nearly squeaked. "F-fine, you're on." she said as she blushed a deep red. "How did you even know about that?"
"We live together Vinyl." I said chuckling at the embarrassed mare. "I found them under the couch three weeks ago while cleaning."
"So you didn't actually know those were mine?" Vinyl asked dumbfounded.
"Nope, thanks for the confirmation." I started laughing at the bout of sputtering and stuttering that followed.
"Alright wise-ass, just wait till I get some dirt on you..."
"Good luck Vinyl, I doubt even the guard could find dirt on me."
"I don't know, you've been known to leave with a stallion, or three, after a party occasionally."
It was my turn to blush as Vinyl grinned at the schadenfreude. "Well, I was a little drunk that particular time." I muttered.
"Yeah, and you couldn't walk straight for a week afterwards. Was it true what they said about the size of a Pegasi's wings? Because if there is those three were packin'." My blush deepened to Vinyl's great amusement. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Vinyl?"
"Yeeeeeesss?" She asked with the largest smug grin I have ever seen plastered on her features.
"Shut up."
She burst out laughing as I looked out the window, the scenery rolling by as we descended Canterlot mountain.
((A/N Just a bit of sillyness to take a break from writing grim scenarios and dark scenery. Hope ya don't mind the humor.
We arrived at the station without much further trouble, although I'm pretty sure the young couple in the next cabin were going at it like a pair of march hares from the sounds that filtered through the wood paneling. Tossing on my trenchcoat and hat, I gathered my cello and then we were on our way into the madness that was the streets of Manehattan. We were just waiting for a taxi carriage when i heard a oh too familiar voice to my right.
"Evening Miss Philharmonica." The voice that I had heard from the other side of the glass in the laboratory said. I spun to the right to look at the pony. "How are the modifications?"
"You're lucky this is a public place or I'd eviscerate you right now." I said to Shining Steel. Her fur was a silver that did shine like the metal she was named after and her eyes were an icy blue. Her cuitie mark was a few gears grinding against each other. "Then again, it is still very tempting after what you did to me." I could see Vinyl figuring out the situation out of the corner of my eye.
"Oh come now, a little bit of cybernetics never killed the user." She said with a grin, "Although It's so nice of the nobility to pay my bail, and thanks to that Celestia can't even touch me." She said with a chuckle, "After all, my research is funded by them and they like to keep getting new toys after all."
"I'll believe that when I hear it from Celestia herself." I replied.
"Here's the papers if you want, ta ta for now." She said tossing a manilla envelope at my hooves. Vinyl quickly levitated it off of the pavement and opened it up.
"By order of Judge Gavel of the Canterlot Criminal Court Shining Steel is hereby pardoned of any past crimes..." she read aloud.
I glared at Shining Steel. "I suggest you leave. Right now. Otherwise things may get very, very messy." I growled. "And if I hear of any more cases like mine... well you should start praying to Faust, because neither Celestia or Luna will be able to help you."
Shining just laughed. "Here in front of all these other ponies? I doubt you would do an-" she was cut off as my hoof shot out and connected hard with her jaw, sending her spinning to the ground with a nasty crack.
"Right now it's taking every ounce of restraint I have not to continue that particular course of action. Let's go Vinyl, before I do something that will make her regret ever deciding to experiment on me." I said as I turned and started off towards our home, leaving Shining Steel to nurse what was probably a broken jaw.
"Holy horseshit 'Tavi... What side of whose bed did you wake up on this morning?" Vinyl said as we entered our apartment. "Also, I see you've been practicing your hoof to hoof."
"I don't know if you picked up on it or not Vinyl but that was the pony that attached this thing to me." I said with a sigh as I removed my trenchcoat and hung it on a hook on the back of the door. Looking back Vinyl's face had frozen with that 'oh...' expression on it that one tends to make when they realize that they had missed something rather important. "And that' judge's note basically means that any legal prosecution that I try won't have any effect..." I trotted over to where I had placed my Cello as I walked in and flipped open the clasps. "I'll be in my room, give me an hour or two okay?"
"W... will do 'Tavi." Vinyl said as she turned and headed for our kitchen. "Damn bitch should be glad I hadn't realized who she was or else she would be wishing for 'Tavi to be the one delivering the beatdown..." I heard her mutter as I took out my cello and went off to my room.
I pulled out a small boombox and loaded in a tape, on it was a recording Vinyl had made of her practicing on her keyboard, I had liked the melancholy tune of the piano exercise at the time and it seemed fitting for how I was feeling right now.
I began to play as the track began on the CD, getting lost in the music.
I dropped the pitch down into a lower register as the song progressed, allowing my cello's notes to intertwine with that of the piano as my hoof traveled to the various notes on the neck of the instrument. I closed my eyes as my vision started to blur, sobbing as I played out my emotions, the strings of the cello singing as I cried, the wood of the instrument reverberating the sweet sorrow of the tune.
The tears ran freely as I played out my sadness at the sheer injustice of it all. My anger was drowned in the tears as the song finished. I laid my Cello down gently and slumped onto my bed, sobbing as I allowed myself to drift off to sleep.
Author's Note
Sorry about the length for this one, I just felt there was the best place to break it off. Hope you enjoyed that little musical blurb in the middle.
Symphony Shattered
By: SteampunkBrony
“Hey Vinyl, I'm going out.” I said as I threw on my hat and trench coat.
“Huh? Okay have fun.” She said, looking up from a partially disassembled synthesizer.
I paused, “How is that new bass synth coming along anyhow?”
“Slowly, the output is still way too high but I don't have a good way to tone it down without losing sound quality...”
“How bad is it?” I asked, curious.
Vinyl frowned and pointed to her subwoofer. The front grill had been blown off and the speaker cone was missing. It looked like the cone had taken it's leave of it's housing rather forcefully.
“Oh...” I said, stepping out with a chuckle. “Only she could manage to get a studio subwoofer to blow in that particular fashion.” I thought aloud as I boarded the elevator. Living on the top floor of the building was nice, but the elevator ride was kind of long.
With a ding, the twin doors slid apart revealing the entryway. A light grey earth pony stallion with a bushy mustache was busy mopping the floors as various ponies trotted past to their apartments. “Evening Scruffy.” I said as I passed the janitor, earning only a slight nod and a grunt as a reply.
As the twin doors shut with a small thud behind me I took a breath of the cool night air, a smile teasing my lips as I reached into the inside pocket and withdrew a cigarette case, clicking it open and grasping one of the thin white cylinders in my teeth. I snapped the case shut and put it away, my hoof returning with a gem lighter. I held the small device up near the end of the cigarette and it's magic flame popped to life, the purple glow briefly lighting up my face as I took a drag of the foul smelling smoke. I trotted off, small clouds of smoke following my trail briefly before the light breeze whisked them away into the night.
I could feel the pleasant, albeit brief, feeling of mental emptiness the Zebrecain tobacco smoke brought about starting to swirl it's way through my mind as I wandered, taking in the familiar Manehattan downtown. From it's newsstands to the coffee shops there was always some form of interesting conversation going on if you knew where to look.
I turned down an alley to hear the soft sound of a double bass as I came into audible range of The Bassment, a small blues joint tucked in the basement of one of the local bars. The rest of the sound joined it's low brother as I pushed open the unmarked heavy oak door at the bottom of a set of concrete steps and stepped in.
I nodded to the bouncer as the smell of cigar smoke wafted past me. Trotting up to the bar, I set down enough bits for a drink and took up residence on one of the stools. A glass tumbler slid to a stop in front of me as the bartender, Rummy, trotted over. I dropped my cigarette butt in a nearby ashtray before taking a sip.
“Evenin 'Tavi. Heard about the kidnappin and I had a feelin' you'd be in.” He said with a warm smile.
“Yeah, thinks are kind of bucked up right now, so I figured I'd let off some steam. Think the boys will let me onstage?”
“Tavi, you know you're always welcome to play here. Hell, you're half the reason we have most of our customers. Now git up there before I drag ya up there myself.” He said, and we shared a brief laugh as I downed the rest of my drink and headed for the stage through the dark haziness of the club. Nodding to Ringo, the gitaurist, I picked up the upright bass that was onstage and quickly tuned as they finished a song.
“Tavi! It's been too long!” the singer, known only to most as 'Swingin Jack, said taking a sip of his drink.
“Evening Jack. Shall we?” I replied, nodding to the rest of the band.
“Lets.” He said with a smile as I lit another cigarette.
I exhaled a small cloud of smoke into the air as the guitar started up a slow bluesy riff. The piano and wind instruments soon joined in, the bass adding its notes to the ensemble as Jack opened his mouth, his voice carrying through the microphone to the listeners in the club.
“I walk the street’s of Neigh Orleans,
With the filly of my dream’s.
I’ve seen a dozen brass bands play and swing,
While little foals they laugh, dance & sing.”
I could see some of the older members of the audience listening quietly as those that were in their prime chatted and joked to each other, their laughter ringing through the dim club. Swirls of smoke danced across the lampshades, seemingly dancing to the music.
“I’ve seen stallions drunk singin the blues
With top hats’, canes and spectator shoes
I consider myself lucky to have fallen in love
With a mare, a city and the river of mud...”
We kept the music soft as the chorus swam through the air, a few of the patrons joining in who knew the tune.
“Let me know… Let me know…
Where I can go to save my soul?
Let me know!… Let me know…
Where I can go to save my soul?
Yeah...”
The music built again, the slow swing beat of the song enticing a few of the patrons to stand up and dance to it. I could see Rummy swaying to the music as he wiped down a glass with a stained rag. I stepped up to a second microphone, nodding to Jack as the music dropped for the second verse.
“I had a drink with ol’ Luna’s ghost
She was our most gracious host
I’ve heard Gabriel sing & play his horn
And lived to see the day both my babies were born.
I love Jelly, Fats, fes and king
They were the ones that taught the world to swing
I consider myself lucky to have fallen in love
With the music, a city and the river of mud.”
Jack joined in for the chorus, adding his smooth accent to my Canterlot one as the chorus rang out once more.
“Let me know!… Let me know!… where I can go to save my soul?
Let me know!… Let me know!… where I can go to save my soul?
Neigh Orleans… Neigh Orleans
It’s where I can go …to save my soul!”
There was a round of applause as the song finished, Jack giving a quick thanks as we started into a faster paced swing number.
“Well friends let me tell ya 'bout the cat that I once met...”
I set the bass in its case as the evening wound down, well past midnight. My cigarette case was a few smokes lighter, as was my mood as the last patron of the evening took his leave out the door.
“Damn... you cats sure know how to swing.” Polished Brass, the owner of the building said as he trotted over from a booth in the corner. “Reminds me of my old days back in the joints of Neigh Orleans.”
“Well we do try Brass.” I said with a chuckle as I latched shut the instrument case.
“And ya do a damn good job of it. Say 'Tavi, did you see that one gray pegasus colt at the bar? He was watchin' ya pretty intently... and frownin as he did it. Pardon an old colt's paranoia but his vibe was like that of some of the old hitcolts back in N.O. had... real shady like if ya catch my drift.”
“Really...” I frowned. “I can't think of anypony who would be... actually I can... I gave Blueballs a taste of the palace floor while I was there and he was being a bigot.” I said.
“Well that may be enough for it... and considering he's a racist, sexist bastard and you being an earth pony mare really ups the odds.”
“Trust me Brass, I can handle myself in a fight.” I said with a confident smirk. “You've seen me when we get a brawl going in here.”
“Fair enough 'Tavi. He didn't look like the kind to carry a Marefia noisemaker so you should be fine, just stick to the roads okay?”
“Got it Brass, have a good evening.”
“You too 'Tavi, and may the moon watch over ya.”
“Likewise.” I said as I stepped out into the night air and headed for home.
About halfway home I noticed the flapping of wings behind me, remembering Brass's warning I took a look over my shoulder to see a grey pegasus diving towards me, a stun stick clenched in his teeth. I quickly rolled to the right, the stun stick sizzling as it missed my body by less than a hoof width.
“Shit.” I heard the hitcolt say as I dropped into a fighting stance, my attention locked onto the pegasus as he whipped around to face me.
“I don't suggest trying that again.” I said, earning a angry grunt from him as he charged at me, swinging low. I pushed off with my back legs, flipping forwards and bringing my right forehoof around to connect with his jaw, knocking the stun stick from his mouth. I landed and spun around, pushing off towards him as he turned for another charge.
There was a resounding crack as his forehooves met mine, blocking the left hook I had thrown, pushing me backward a step as he continued through, using his wings to flip himself backwards, his back leg aimed at my chest.
The impact threw me onto my back and I rolled left, narrowly dodging him landing on me as he came down from the flip kick. I planted my forehooves beside my head and kicked out with my back legs, a meaty crack sounding out as my attack connected, breaking his right wing and causing him to cry out in pain.
I quickly got to my hooves before he could recover. Just in time I brought my forelegs up to catch a series of jabs. I jumped backwards and countered with my own series of jabs, each impact echoing down the empty street.
The hitcolt jumped back with a scowl. “Buck this...” He said before issuing a sharp whistle. I spotted a glow down an alley to my right, dodging to the side as a blast of magic sailed past me. A yellow unicorn mare stepped out of the alley as six more ponies emerged from nearby alleys and surrounded me.
Dammit... I can't take all of them... wait... the arms! I thought as I dodged a powerful kick from the hitcolt. I turned to face him with a smirk.
“Give up?” The hitcolt asked as his cronies closed in.
“Not even close.” I replied as the four robotic arms extended. I dropped into a fighting stance as my attackers paused. “Bring it.”
“What the‽” The hitcolt exclaimed as he drew back, shocked. “Uh... screw it we've got our contract. Get her!”
The seven ponies charged at me, the unicorn readying another spell. The smirk never left my face as I used the lower two arms to launch myself into the air and out of the circle of attackers. I landed right beside the now panicking unicorn, one of the arms swinging around and knocking her senseless and sending her flying through the front window of a clothing store.
I turned just in time, catching the a pair of knives held by two earth ponies in the claws of the arms. With a sharp tug I ripped the knives from their owners' mouths and tossed them away. My hooves did the rest of the work on those two, the goons soon lying on the street, out cold.
A second unicorn launched a fireball at me as the hitcolt and another pegasus charged me, one on the ground, the other from above. I swung one of the arms up, the fireball exploding harmlessly against the polished metal of the robotic appendage. I feinted right, the hitcolt's charge lightly grazing my side as I caught the second pegasus with two of the arms, throwing him to the asphalt street with a dry thud. I charged at the unicorn as she prepared a second fireball. I shot the top right arm forward, the claw latching onto her horn firmly moments before I delivered a series of jabs to her chest, a few sharp cracks sounding out as she dropped, clutching her ribcage. The last of the goons gave a yelp of fright and ran off as I looked up, locking eyes with him.
I heard a yell behind me and felt a strike on my back as a clang echoed down the street. The hitcolt fell to the side, screaming and clutching his muzzle in his hooves, blood dripping from his mouth. A long knife clattered to the ground beside him, a few teeth embedded in the wood of the handle.
I dragged him up with the arms, bringing him eye level with me. “Who sent you?”
“Buck you!” He growled.
I brought one of the arms between us, and extended the blade from the claw, the cold metal grazing the side of his muzzle. “Wrong answer. Care to try again?” I said as his eyes went wide as he yelped in pain.
“I-i-i-it was Blueblood! Don't kill me!” He whimpered. I dropped him to the pavement and turned away.
“If I ever catch wind of you or your goons going after anypony again, I'll personally ensure that you don't bother anypony else again.” I said before trotting off towards home.
Author's Note
As always drop me a comment if you spot any errors.
to those of you who haven't guessed by the chapter title, it was inspired by this song.
