Resonance and Subversion

by PhysicalSound

Rating: everyone
Tags: Doctor Whooves, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Octavia, Comedy, Random, Adventure, Derpy Hooves, DJ P0N-3
Length: 3244

Musical time travel to make the perfect song.

As musicians, Vinyl and Octavia both understand that different ponies prefer different genres of music, and strive to create the “Perfect” song that all ponies can enjoy.

But why do different ponies prefer different genres of music?
What is the "core" of music?

Follow Vinyl, Octavia and Dr. Whooves on their trip to who knows where to find the answer to the question musicians have struggled with for so long.

Cover art by DJ-Tavistar (http://dj-tavistar.deviantart.com/art/MLP-FiM-Octavia-and-Pon3-Music-Clash-Wallpaper-294391333)

Written with help by (Pyro1101), (Lines N Stuff), and (PhysicalSound.)

Published 2012-08-31 21:04:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-09-08 02:45:49 UTC

Chapter 1

What causes different people to prefer some types of music than others?
Young colts and mares prefer to go to nightclubs where the music is loud and stimulating, while older ponies mostly prefer classical, which can be described as soothing and ethereal.
But even rave music can be melodious as classical music when the volume is turned down, and classical music can be played in wild parties if amplified.
How can mere sound affect ponies in such significant ways?
This was the question a certain azure maned DJ and a mare with violet eyes and a mane as dark as night were trying to answer.

“I told you Vinyl, blasting a bass cannon in the Canterlot Symphony Hall is not a good idea!” Octavia sighed.

… well, at least they were arguing about music.

“Oh, come on! One cello doesn’t have the necessary volume, pitch or nervous effect speakers and turntables can provide!” Vinyl complained.

“So you’re going to blow the Symphony Hall into smithereens with wubs!?”

“Then what the hay do you suggest I play?”

“You can go ahead and play rave club music in Symphony Hall…”

“Really?”

“… If you agree to play classical music.”

“Oh, come on! Those stiff-as-a-board stuck-up Canterlot snobs need to learn how to have a good time!”

“Everyone has different ideas of what good music is!”

“Prove it!” the white unicorn slammed a hoof in her face as she realized she had just laid down a challenge that would only end in the cellist’s victory.

Octavia’s eyes gleamed a wicked amethyst as she prepared her speech.

“Oh, I will all right. First of all, I have to explain why music is separated into different genres.” Octavia lectured.

“Cause they sound different?” The DJ sighed. She knew how this was going to end.

“Yes, but the reason they sound different is because different types of music give off different “Frequencies.”

What in the name of Celestia is she talking about? Vinyl thought.

“Um… care to elaborate?”

“For example, we can both agree that the cello, violin, viola and contrabass all sound different, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And compared to all those instruments listed above, the electronic instruments such as the electric guitar, keyboard, and mixing tables sound completely different?

“And your point is?”

“The reason they sound so different is because different genres of music give off different ‘Frequencies’. The ‘Frequency’ is different for every genre, instrument, and musical note or beat.”

“Tavi, I don’t mean to insult you, but that’s the biggest load of horse manure I’ve ever heard.”

“If you want scientific evidence, measure the wavelength and pitch of your techno-trance music to my classical.”

"...Ok, you got me there." the DJ resigned.

"But can you help me answer a question?" Octavia asked.

"Shoot."

"What’s the source of these certain 'frequency' that causes preferences? I mean, music is music, but WHY do different musical genres have such different vibes?”

"... I have absolutely no idea..."

Vinyl 's hoof shot out and grabbed Octavia's.

"...So let's go find out!" Vinyl grinned.

"Wait, what?"

the cellist had a dumbstruck look on her face as the DJ dragged her out of the room, in a quest to find... whatever it was they were looking for.

Even after 5 hours of running across Canterlot and visiting almost every single music shop, Vinyl walked enthusiastically across the sidewalk, her azure mane shining brightly in the Canterlot air. On the other hand, Octavia lagged, slightly behind, panting and wheezing in contrast to her perky friend. The DJ was a nocturnal creature after all.

"Vinly, dear, please!" The cellist gasped. "We've been to every single music store in this district! Can we take a break?!"

"Music waits for no stallion!" The DJ declared, charging on ahead.

“You do realize that you’re a mare, don't you?" Octavia snickered.

"You do realize that you wish that I was a stallion, don't you?" Vinyl laughed as she ran off into yet another music shop.

Octavia watched in disbelief at her partner as she took a breather, shaking her head. "When is that mare going to learn that miracles don't just fall from the-"

There was a sudden, grating, high noise, like a key against a piano wire as the sky suddenly turned downcast, a lightning bolt flashing dramatically against the capitol's skyline. A rectangular box could be seen, flashing across the sky, then crashing with a boom and pushing up dirt as it slid along the mortar roads. Octavia was thrown across the street by the shock wave, then crashed into a brick wall.

Before she lost consciousness, she saw a brown pony emerge from the telephone box, staggering off into the night.

Chapter 2

Octavia slowly opened her eyes, her head pounding. All she could see was the white roof of her and Vinyl’s apartment. She blinked a few times and sat up groggily. Her apartment was in it’s usual state; Everything owned by her --Her cello, her CDs, her music sheets-- was in it’s proper place, and sparklingly clean. Vinyl’s things, --Her own CDs, her computer, her trademark goggles-- were strewn about, causing havoc for Octavia’s clean personality. But Octavia wasn’t overly bothered, as she was just happy to be living with Vinyl.
But... What had happened? Octavia still had a pounding headache, and she had a feeling she was forgetting something important. Something that had happened right before she blacked out. Something about... A telephone box? What? But Octavia’s thoughts were interrupted when Vinyl walked out of the bedroom, a bemused look on her face. But her face lit up when she saw Octavia staring at her from the couch.
“Tavi!” She leapt towards the couch and hugged Octavia tightly. When she pulled back, there was something odd in the light gray mare’s eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Wh-what... What happened? I-I...” Only then did Vinyl realise how worried her friend looked. She was pale, and she was shaking slightly.
“Tavi! Octavia! Listen to me! What’s wrong?”
“I-I... What... What... Happened...?” She sounded so distant, Vinyl felt a small stab of worry. But she pulled herself together for her friend’s sake.
“Octavia! Listen! Octavia!" Vinyl was getting worried. So she did the only thing she could think of that would help. She kissed Octavia, full on the mouth. Vinyl noticed the slight shaking slowly abate, and pulled away slowly, and looked into Octavia’s pink eyes once more. They seemed more focused.
“V-Vinyl... S-sorry for that. Wh-what happened?”
“I’m not really sure, Tavi.” Vinyl was trying to hide her relief as she said this; She had been afraid that something bad had happened to her marefriend. “I found you outside, in the street. You were out like a light! I was hoping you knew what had happened.”
“W-well... There was something... A... A telephone box... I don’t know why I can remember that so... Vividly, but... I don’t know.”
They stopped when they heard a clatter come from their kitchen.
“D-did you invite somepony?” Octavia says, with a slight edge of worry.
“No... Let’s have a look.” Vinyl says, her normal calm, carefree nature gone. Octavia had always admired the way that Vinyl could go from calm, and laid back one second, to determined, and strong the next. Not very many ponies saw that side of her. In fact, Vinyl only ever showed it when they were alone, and threatened.
Vinyl held out her hoof, and Octavia took it gratefully. The DJ helped her off the couch, and Octavia had to stand still and close her eyes as she got a major head rush.
“Come on, Tavi.” There was an edge of worry in Vinyl’s voice as she said this, but she still looked determined. Octavia slowly nodded her head, and they approached the kitchen cautiously, Vinyl in the lead. She put her ear against the door, and frowned.
“It sounds like two people just talking. Alright, on three!” She hissed. She turned around, and crouched, ready to kick the door open.
“One...
Two...
Three!”
She kicked her legs out as hard as she could, just as the door swung open, revealing a brown colt, who had an amused expression on his face. That was, until Vinyl’s rear hooves connected with his chin and sent him flying across the room. He landed with a crash in front of the kitchen sink, causing the dished resting inside of it to rattle madly.
The colt got up, a dazed expression on his brown face.
“Wh-what was that for?” Vinyl looked surprised at this. Octavia, however, trotted past her and held out a hoof to the fallen colt. She had seen the mare Derpy Hooves trying to hide in the corner, and knew that she wouldn’t be there to do anything bad. The colt took her hoof, and she pulled him up.
He still looked pretty dazed. --Vinyl could kick a wall in if she was determined enough-- But he looked less angry, more on the confused side.
“Wh-why did you do that?” He asked.
“I thought you two were burglars! I was going to kick the door in, but you opened it before I could.”
“Well... I don’t think you would have kicked the door in... More kicked it off.” He said, before turning around and searching through the cupboards of the musicians’ kitchen.
“Let’s see... Muffins... Muffins... Where are you?”
Octavia looked at Derpy, who had given up trying to hide behind the toaster and was now standing in front of the musicians, a sheepish grin on her face.
“Why is he looking for muffins? No wait, why is he looking for muffins in our kitchen?
“Um... Well... When I found him he said he was hungry, so I gave him a muffin I had in my bag. He said he liked it, and wanted some more. I saw Vinyl buying some earlier today and brought him here. We did knock... But he was hungry... Sorry.” Vinyl locked eyes with Derpy, a bemused expression on her face.
“Do you keep tabs on everypony who buys muffins, then?”
“N-no! I was just flying past... And... Yeah... Sorry.” Octavia just sighed and said;
“Derpy, Vinyl, just go and sit down. I’ll get him some muffins. Maybe then we can find out where our hungry friend came from.” If it was anypony else, Octavia would have kicked them out. But kicking Derpy out would be like kicking Applebloom on her birthday. No, worse. And there was something about the colt that made her feel at ease. He just seemed like an amiable --if slightly odd-- colt.
“Excuse me, I doubt you’ll find any muffins in the dishwasher, sir.”
“You don’t know!” Came his muffled reply.
“Actually, I do. I’ll get them for you.” His head shot out, and he looked Octavia in the eyes. There was something slightly manic about them, but for some reason Octavia still felt perfectly at ease.
“Just sit down and I’ll get you some, Mister...”
“Um... Haha, call me Doctor Whooves.”
“Very well then. Just take a seat, Doctor Whooves, and I’ll get those muffins for you.”
He turned around with an amused expression evident on his brown face, and sat down at the table.
Octavia noticed he had a bit of trouble at first. Almost as if he isn’t used to it, She thought. But she dismissed this and got the muffins out of the pantry, and put them on the table in front of Derpy and the Doctor. They looked at it with hunger in their eyes, until the Doctor reached forward. None of the three mares could agree what happened next, but in the space of a few seconds all that was left was a few crumbs and a torn bag.
“But... I wanted muffins...” Derpy said, her face falling.
“Oh, I’ll get you two bags later Derpy.” Vinyl said. Derpy smiled at this. But as she opened her mouth to reply, Octavia interrupted her, and said;
“Well, Doctor. Who are you?”
“Well, that’s a bit complicated.”
Vinyl looked slightly more frustrated as she said;
“Try us. We’re smarter than you’d think, muffin boy.”
“Alright... Where to begin...”
“The start.”
“Well, where the start is is entirely subjective.”
“Let’s say it starts with you, Doctor.” Octavia said, a hint of irritation slipping into her own calm voice at the Doctor’s evasiveness.
“Very well... You would be wrong, but very well... You see... Hm... I’m not sure how to put this...” Vinyl couldn’t help herself, and she practically yelled at him;
“Try! Just put it in a way you think we’ll understand!”
The Doctor looked at Vinyl in surprise, then nodded his head slowly.
“Very well then. I’m a Time Lord. And I wasn’t always a pony, either.”

You idiot...

Vinyl and Octavia froze. They locked eyes, and Vinyl knew they were thinking the same thing. What they hay has this stallion been smoking? Then Vinyl opened her mouth and let out a loud;
"What the buck are you talking about?"
He smiled sheepishly.
"I thought you might react like that..."
"Well, I usually do when somepony feeds me such a load of crap!" Vinyl yelled. She looked frustrated. "I have to hoof it to ya, I actually believed you for a second."
"Very good! That's what I was hoping for!" He said, beaming.
Octavia shook her head.
"Look, Doctor, where is you proof of you being... A... Time Lord? And, what did you say about not always being a pony?"
Vinyl looked amazed.
"You're actually buying into this crap?"
Octavia shrugged.
"Well, it could be true. We just need proof. Prove it to me and Vinyl, Doctor."
"This stallion is hardly a Doctor, Tavi! In fact, I think he needs to see one!"
"Actually, I can regenerate quite well--"
"I mean a psychiatrist!"
"Oh no, I am really quite healthy, mentally."
"Says the colt who thinks he is a Lord of Time! And who thinks that you can be something other than a pony!"
"Well, it is possible to be something else. Just not in this dimension."
"There you go again!" Vinyl looked very agitated now. Octavia got up and rubbed her shoulder.
"Vinyl, calm down. Doctor, you have yet to show us proof."
"Why should I? I would have thought you would believe the truth." He looked confused now. "Do you need more than that?"
"Oh, for Celestia's sake, just hurry up if you have something!" Octavia's calm demeanour was finally broken as she shouted at The Doctor.
"Well... alright. Hm... I'm guessing you ponies only have one heart?" Both Vinyl and Octavia did a double take at this topic change.
"What the hay does that have to do with anything?" Vinyl asked.
"Well, I can prove that I wasn't always a pony."
"How?"
He walked over to the both of them, and gestured to his sides.
"Just listen."
With some hesitation, Vinyl and Octavia put their head on his sides.
"I can hear your heart beating." Vinyl said, a frown on her face.
Octavia gasped.
"Me too... But... what does this mean?"
"It means I'm not a regular pony." The Doctor said, a smirk on his face.
Vinyl and Octavia stood up.
"Fine, we believe you. You weren't born a pony. But, if you weren't always a pony, what were you?"
He sighed.
"Do you know what humans are?"
"You mean those creatures Lyra Heartstrings is always talking about? What about them?"
"Well, I used to... Well, not be one, but I had the appearance of one. It's a little hard to explain, actually."
"Well, why are you a pony now?" Octavia asked, always wanting information.
"That's the question, innit?"
“Look... Doctor... Maybe we can help you get back to where you came from? How did you get here?” Octavia asked.
“Well, you haven’t by any chance seen the TARDIS, have you?”
“What in the hay is the TARDIS?” Vinyl asked, still annoyed with the Doctor.
“Well, it has the appearance of a large blue telephone box.”
“Wait, WHAT?” Octavia yelled. Vinyl looked at her in surprise, as Octavia was usually quiet, and calm.
“That’s the same thing that knocked me out!”
“Ah, good! Then you’ll remember where it is!” The Doctor looked excited now. “And I’ll get to go back to my own dimension!”
“But... What? How could a telephone box do that?” Vinyl asked.
“Oh no, it just looks like a telephone box. Can we go and find it now?” Octavia nodded weakly and slid off of her chair.
“Come on, I’ll take you to where I remember seeing you land it.”
As they walked out of the kitchen, Octavia heard a cry of surprise from the Doctor, and stumbled to the side as he ran past her, to the hat rack by the door. He looked at it with fascination.
“Is that... A fez, by any chance?” Octavia laughed and said;
“Yes, Vinyl got that on our first date, actually.” Vinyl blushed and said;
“Why does it matter so much to you?”
“Could I wear it? Fez’s are cool.” He then proceeded to try and climb the hat rack, to try and get the fez. Vinyl sighed and yanked him down, then used her magic to levitate it to him. He grabbed it and put it on his head, a proud smile on his face.
“Well, let’s get moving then.” He opened the door, and walked out. Then he walked right back in and said;
“Wait, where are we going?” Octavia sighed and walked out past him, gesturing to him to follow her.
The four of them walked through the quiet Ponyville streets in silence, until they found the blue box that had knocked Octavia out. The Doctor ran up to it, and hugged it.
“There you are!” Vinyl grabbed him again, and pulled him away from it.
“So, what is this thing?”
“Well, it’s a device for traveling through time.” Vinyl winced as she heard this, but then she just sighed, and said;
“Okay then. After what’s been happening, it’s not the hardest thing to believe. So, we can go to any time, forward or backward?”
“Well, yes!”
Vinyl’s eyes widened as she realised what this meant.
“I can see how my career turns out! Or I can meet the original creator of Dubtrot... Or...” She smiled and ran inside the TARDIS, which caused The Doctor to shoot up and run in after her.
“Wait! You don’t know what you’re doing!” Octavia sighed and followed him, who in turn was followed by a smiling Derpy. Inside, Vinyl was standing at a strange dashboard, laughing like a filly in a candy store.
“So many buttons! Which should I press first? Oh hay, I’ll press them all!” With this, she slammed her front hooves onto it, pressing almost every button on the panel. There was a large jolt and a crash as she did this, and The Doctor’s eyes widened.
“Oh no. What did you just do?”
“Hm?” Vinyl replied, grinning like a loon.
“You may have just killed us. I have no idea where we’re going to end up now! We could come out anywhere! Great job!"

The Doctor threw the fez at Vinyl, smacking her in the face.

"Why you..."

Vinyl tackled The Doctor, and the 2 went flying , crashing into another panel and snapping it in half.

They both screamed.

"SON OF A-"

the TARDIS then erupted into a hurricane of black electricity as it disappeared from existence.