Patchwork

It wasn’t, Octavia was admitting to herself while getting ready for bed, a complete act of selflessness to offer my room. While she would have given up her room to anypony in need, she was certainly more eager to offer it to Martha and Elliot than if she had actually wanted the room in the first place. And truth be told, she hadn’t.

Octavia watched as Vinyl walked around the tiny room, attempting to straighten it up the best she could. Really, she was only making a worse mess, but it was amusing to watch her try. Finally, Octavia helped her out, arranging the electronics neatly against one wall and setting the comforter and blankets on the couch. The old patchwork quilt would go on top, she decided, because it was the prettiest.

It had been two days since Martha and Elliot arrived, and it was Hearth’s Warming Eve. Octavia felt selfish for it, but she hoped the snow would last until it was time for her and Vinyl to go back to Ponyville. Partly because she thought it made the Canterlot streets look even more beautiful and elegant than usual, but mostly because she actually liked sleeping with Vinyl. Despite her rough nature, another thing that set Vinyl apart from Octavia’s family was how gentle she was when she was tired. The Melody family was known for being proper at all times, so they weren’t much for physical affection, even among their own family members. As a filly, Octavia had always assumed she would be the same way: her parents only ever kissed on their anniversary or on Hearth’s Warming (which seemed like more of a ritual than an act of passion), and she’d never even seen a display of platonic affection until she moved to Ponyville. In some ways, Octavia thought as Vinyl snuggled against her chest tiredly, she feels more like family than my actual family does.

The next morning, Octavia was surprised to awake with Vinyl still asleep in her arms. Usually she was awake far earlier than Octavia, and already prancing around the house listening to dubstep. And considering her patience level, it was hard not to imagine Vinyl as the kind of pony who would wake up at the crack of dawn on Hearth’s Warming and try to peek at the presents. Though, to be fair, she only had Octavia’s present to open until she got back to Ponyville.

“You’re awake?” mumbled a scratchy voice.

Octavia yelped a little in surprise, then started laughing. “Vinyl! Sorry, you gave me quite a scare! I thought you were asleep.”

She murmured something incoherent in response and buried her face in Octavia’s chest without opening her eyes. She didn’t seem particularly excited or bouncy, as she usually was in the mornings. Octavia frowned.

“Vinyl? Are you alright? You don’t seem well,” she said worriedly.

“I’m just tired,” she muttered, then proceeded to stretch slowly and roll off the couch, shaking herself off like a dog. Her hair was even messier than normal, on account of not yet being brushed.

“Oh. Well… Happy Hearth’s Warming!” Octavia said cheerfully, going to her bag and pulling out a few grooming tools. “I’m going to go clean up. Don’t open any presents without me!”

She had expected Vinyl to shoot up the stairs at the mention of presents, but instead she just nodded and walked over to her pile of things to brush her hair.

Had Vinyl had some bad experience with Hearth’s Warming? Octavia couldn’t remember her ever saying so. And she’d seemed excited at the prospect of spending the holiday at the Melody household. She had always been more than happy to rip apart presents on her birthday or other holidays… was there something Octavia had forgotten?

Upstairs, about an hour later, when everyone was awake, Trombone Tony flicked on the Hearth's Warming tree lights so everyone could admire the beauty of the presents under the tree before they were opened. A few family members took pictures—Octavia would have liked to, but she’d forgotten to pack her camera. She glanced over at Vinyl, who had apparently put on her glasses at some point. It was hard to see her expression through them, but she certainly wasn’t smiling.

“Alrighty, then, we ready to open up our gifts?” asked Trombone Tony. Even he seemed impacted by the cheerful spirit of Hearth’s Warming Eve. Trebbie and Cleffa, the two youngest ponies, squealed with delight as they handed out everyone’s presents. Their mom reprimanded them gently and reminded them to be ladylike, but there was overall good cheer in the air.

“Octavia!” Cleffa said, bringing her a box. Shiny, solid gold wrapping told Octavia that the gift was from Trombone Tony before she even read the tag. Presents were handed out until everyone had a small stack of them, the only exceptions being Vinyl (who only had one present) and Martha and Elliot (who didn’t have any but seemed happy to be there nonetheless.) Then, following the Melody tradition, everyone opened their presents one at a time, popcorn-style. Octavia was delighted to receive some new scores of sheet music, a lovely necklace for formal events, and beauty supplies from her family. Yet she couldn’t focus. She stole a worried glance over at Vinyl.

After ten or fifteen minutes, there were only two gifts left in the room: Octavia’s gift to Vinyl, which sat unopened (as Vinyl hadn’t been called on), and Vinyl’s gift to Octavia, which Vinyl had told Octavia to open last. Trebbie and Cleffa had gone upstairs to play after their gift stacks were gone, but all the other family members looked on curiously to see what kind of crazy knickknack a pony like Vinyl would buy as a gift.

“I’ll go first,” Vinyl said, tearing a hole in the wrapping with her horn. A few ponies raised their eyebrows, wondering why she didn’t just use magic to open the whole thing at once. She seemed to be taking her time, until finally the box was open and she pulled two albums out of the wrapping paper.

“There’s one that you mentioned you wanted the hard copy to, and one of classical music that I plan on making you listen to later,” Octavia explained. Vinyl smiled and a few others laughed, putting Octavia at ease. Vinyl nodded appreciatively.

“Thanks, Octy. Now you go.”

Octavia nodded and eagerly tore off a corner of the paper with her teeth. Vinyl had been adamant about Octavia not opening the gift until Hearth’s Warming, so it had to be good. She gasped as she pulled out… a packet of paper…?

“Read it,” Vinyl said.

Dear Octavia Melody;
I am Mr. Woodwinds. You probably already know that several players in Canterlot’s 3rd Royal Orchestra are going to be retiring in the spring, and while we’re very happy for these ponies’ successful careers, it’s going to take a lot of new blood to fill their soon-to-be-empty chairs. We have contacted the best of the best in the classical music industry and they have each given us a list of names they think could fill one of our empty spots. The current available positions and number of ponies competing for each are as follows:

Flute- 6 positions open (20 contenders)
Clarinet- 5 positions open (20 contenders)
Trumpet- 2 positions open (4 contenders)
Trombone- 2 positions open (3 contenders)
Percussion- 1 position open (2 contenders)
Cello- 1 position open (3 contenders)

If you are reading this, it means somepony we contacted reccommended you to play in our orchestra. You have been chosen as a contender to take a spot as a: Cellist. To audition for this part in our orchestra, please come to…

The rest of the packet was all formal details: where to go to audition, when to go there, what to wear, standards for playing in the orchestra, and others. Octavia felt numb as she flipped through the packet. She had to start over and read it aloud from the beginning because her family was pestering her to “read it aloud, what on Equestria is written that’s making you so pale?!”

As she read the paper aloud, a smile broke across her face. “I… I’m sorry, I just… I can’t believe this is happening!” She had to hand over the paper for her great aunt to read, because she started to laugh uncontrollably. “This… this is really happening!!”

While her family members reacted in shock as her great aunt told them the information, Octavia turned to Vinyl, who was now practically grinning from ear to ear.

“Vinyl… I don’t… how did you…?!” she stammered. Vinyl laughed and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

“Well, I’m certainly no bigwig in the classical music industry, but I do know a few ponies who are. I mentioned to them that I knew a really good cellist, showed them a few tapes of you playing, and got one of them to put you on his list. I really didn’t do much, I just happened to know about the openings and—”

“Vinyl, this is the best Hearth’s Warming gift I’ve ever received. I… I don’t even know what to say! Thank you!!” Octavia tackled her friend to the ground in a hug. Her family practically glowed in pride.

“Atta girl, Octavia!”

“We knew someday your talents would be recognized!”

“A fine musician, indeed…”

“Why, you could play in the Royal Orchestra!!”

The rest of the day seemed like a blur. All her family members wanted to help her get ready for the audition, so the next several hours were spent making plans for transportation (the winners were to be officially hired in the orchestra on the last day Octavia and Vinyl would be in Canterlot), as well as deciding on an audition piece and an outfit to wear. As her great aunt said with delight, “Always dress for success!”

Martha and Elliot were especially enthusiastic in supporting their relative. Martha helped her decide on a hairstyle to wear to the audition (a tight, fancy bun which the elderly ponies all approved of), and Elliot wouldn’t stop complimenting her on being picked as a contestant. The whole day was filled with so much excitement, it almost slipped Octavia’s notice that Vinyl was mostly absent: only occasionally commenting that she was certain Octavia would get the part, and once coming upstairs to help her get into the black dress she was to wear for the audition.

That night, Octavia remembered that she had meant to ask Vinyl why she’d seemed upset earlier, but Vinyl was listening to dubstep until it was time for bed and appeared to want to be left alone. By the time Octavia remembered to ask her, Vinyl was already fast asleep.