Calming Notes and Tempered Claws

Octavia Melody lightly panted as she bowed with her fellow musicians to the audience, smiling gratefully at their applause.

No matter how many times she performed in public, she was always anxious about how she'd perform. This was of course a given with most musicians who didn't train their whole lives to be regarded as the absolute best.

Thankfully she delivered perfectly, as her marefriend told her she always did. Though that wasn't exactly how she worded her praise.

'Octy, seriously, you were awesome!'

Speaking of, Octavia spotted said mare in the audience. It was rather hard to miss her considering her wild, electric blue mane.

That and her overenthusiastic cheering and whistling.

"Whoo! Yeah Tavi! You rock!" Vinyl yelled, clearly agitating the ponies around her. Particularly the ones more formerly dressed.

Octavia rolled her eyes at her actions but smiled nonetheless. Vinyl's presence did a lot to help calm her nerves. Though this sort of evened out tonight, since Vinyl was the one to get her this job, thus making her somewhat responsible for the nerves.

Despite her lighthearted protests, Octavia often found herself obtaining work thanks to Vinyl's involvement. While she was perfectly capable of finding her own work, Octavia was still grateful to Vinyl.

Her one nitpick about it was that Vinyl tended to get her jobs in lesser known venues, middle class areas. Vinyl insisted that these places are where "real" ponies come, not just uptight, snooty upper crust nobles. This was how she should get her name out there.

Octavia did have to admit it was nice not having to deal with those types on a regular basis. A good amount of them weren't particularly fond of where she lived, or her choice in companionship.

That little chestnut often lead to a punch or slap almost being thrown.

"Babe, you know I love seeing you get all feisty. But let's remember I'm the one with nothing to lose socially from defending my mare."

Thankfully Vinyl was often there to make sure her marefriend didn't make any such mistake.

The cellist suppressed a chuckle at her memories as she waved to Vinyl before going backstage with the others to pack up. Unfortunately like most cases, Octavia had to wait to meet up with Vinyl in the front.

While it wasn't the biggest venue Octavia had performed in, it was still large enough that the ponies who filled up the seats prevented Vinyl from making her way to the backstage in time before Octavia was ready.

She could teleport, but she was too lazy to practice it often enough to get used to it and avoid a head rush. As such, she only used it in emergencies. So she waited somewhat impatiently as she shuffled through the crowd of ponies slowly exiting the hall.

Octavia began to make her way around the concert hall to the front, an unavoidable route due to the where the backstage exit was placed in the very back.

Octavia passed by a few buildings and alleys, effortlessly carrying her cello case on her back. She was already prepared for the congratulatory hug that Vinyl was going to jump her with, as usual.

She stopped in her tracks when she heard some rustling coming from the alley she was currently walking by. She looked into it, not seeing anypony. Since there was nowhere for a full grown pony to hide, she assumed it was merely a rat or cat.

More rustling occurred just as she was about to continue in her way.

"Hello?" she asked as she looked into the alley again "Is anypony there?"

What if it's a street urchin? she considered. Oh the poor thing.

She heard more rustling as an unclear figure moved about behind a trash can. A light from above suddenly began to flicker before going out again, causing the figure to become visible for a brief moment.

The light startled the figure, causing them to hide as much of itself behind the trash can as possible.

Octavia paused as her eyes widened from what she had seen.

It had only been for a moment and she didn't see them in their entirety, but she didn't need to.

It......can't be.

She had heard Lyra's ramblings and seen her many drawings, but she never once thought there could be any credibility to it all.

Yet she couldn't come up with any other explanation to what she had seen.

She had just seen a human.

Laura did her best to stay hidden from the horse, still apprehensive about interacting with any of them, but it seemed she'd been found out.

She had climbed to the rooftop of a nearby building using the fire escape, allowing her to get a view of the ceiling-less hall.

While she watched she had discovered that there were also pegasi in this world, and that the unicorns at least had some form of magic, as she had seen quite a few using it to look at their programs.

She mentally put aside this information for later and watched the performance intently, paying special attention to the gray coated cellist. She had drawn her attention the most, unsurprisingly as she was the lead cellist.

She foolishly ignored her better instincts and descended the building so as to get a better look at the passing equines. Thus how she now found herself being slowly approached by the cellist she had focused on.

"Hello?" Octavia hesitantly called out to her again "Are....are you....okay?"

She hadn't exactly interacted with a human before. She wasn't sure how to proceed.

"Are you hurt? Or lost?"

Laura peeked from behind the can only to retreat after seeing she had gotten closer and was still coming.

"It's okay......you don't have to be afraid.....I won't hurt you."

Afraid?

Cautious was a more apt description.

But it seemed she had no reason to be from how she was speaking to her.

Not feeling any sense of danger, Laura slowly crept out from behind the trash can and stood in the partial light of the moon and city.

While the amount of light only left her partially visible, Octavia was still able to get a better look at this human. At her full height, she appeared to be as tall as herself, or any ordinary pony. She was dressed in a black, fur lined jacket, a gray shirt, jeans, and a pair of boots.

Something that caught Octavia by surprise was that her shirt appeared to have some sort of depiction of a unicorn.

The human herself was quite clearly a female from her facial and bodily features. She also had long black hair and green eyes. She was actually quite pretty. Though the stoic and skeptical expression she wore was a little off-putting.

"Um...hello there" Octavia greeted the girl "Can you understand me?"

After a few seconds, Laura nodded.

"You know I won't hurt you, right?" After another nod, she continued. "I've....never seen a human before."

For some reason Laura couldn't shake the feeling that calling herself human wasn't accurate.

"My name is Octavia Melody. What's yours?"

After some hesitation, the girl responded.

"Laura"

"Laura. That's a pretty name. Fitting for a pretty girl."

Octavia's smile faltered when Laura gave no response to the compliment, still retaining her stoic look.

"Um, it's nice to meet you Laura" Octavia said, outstretching a hoof rather quickly, which made Laura retract a bit.

"Oh, sorry" she apologized, though still keeping her hoof out.

Laura quickly relaxed and slowly brought up her hand. She paused due to the difference in appendage, unsure how to initiate the shake. She settled for wrapping her fingers around the hoof.

My she has a firm grip Octavia noted.

"You don't appear to be hurt. Are you lost?" Octavia asked after their shake was done. Laura gave another nod. "I've never heard of any humans in Equestria."

Laura tilted her head in confusion at the name.

"Are you from Equestria?"

"Earth" Laura said after she shook her head.

"You're from another world." Octavia mulled over this after another positive response. Of course she is. I'm going to have to take her to somepony else. And I think I know just the princess to go to.

"I think I can help you, though we'll have to meet with somepony else. Somepony proficient with magic. And she just so happens to live in the same town I do."

So they were ponies, and their world was called Equestria. And she just might be able to find her way home with their help.

"We're going to have to take a train though. It's going to be awkward explaining you to Vinyl and the ticket ta- oh my goodness, Vinyl. I can't believe I forgot. She must be worried-"

"Well hello there good looking."

"Oh!" Octavia exclaimed as she turned around while Laura dashed back behind the trash can. Octavia was now facing an earth pony stallion who was leering at her with half lidded eyes.

"I saw you on stage tonight" the stallion slurred "They had some good wine there. Now what's a pretty mare like yourself doing out here this late at night?"

Both Octavia and Laura scrunched their faces in disgust at his behavior and his breath.

"I was just on my way home actually" Octavia enunciated "If you wouldn't mind letting me pass..." she trailed off while shifting her eyes to the side as if to look back to where Laura was.

"Hang on, hang ooooon. A mare like you sh-shouldn't be walking home by herself. Why don't I escort you?"

"That's very generous of you, but I actually need to reach the train station as I'm from out of town."

"Oh it's too late to reach the station by now. Say, howzabout I give a place to stay for the night?"

What alcohol does to ponies Octavia thought in disgust. Laura meanwhile was starting to get angry, narrowing her eyes and clenching a fist.

"It's a very kind offer, but I'm going to have to refuse. I'm sure if I hurry I can-"

"Aw come on. A mare can always use a stallion to keep them company. Especially the beautiful ones." The stallion accentuated his statement by wrapping a foreleg around Octavia. Slightly difficult to do with the cello case in the way.

"No thank you sir. I-" Octavia responded as she shoved herself away from the drunken pony.

"Now look here!" the now angered stallion exclaimed "I'm being awful generous here, offering you a place to rest...and unwind. And uptight mares like you could certainly use some loosening up."

"Wha-?!"

"And I think I deserve some gratitude. Hey, I have an idea" the stallion leered at her again "How's about a kiss? And then we can let bygones be bygones, and head back to my place."

"I'd really rather not!"

"Oh, sorry. I made it sound like I was asking." The stallion grabbed hold of one of Octavia's forelegs and started to pull her out of the alley, causing her case to fall off her back to the ground.

"My cello! Let go of me you brute!"

"Aw come on love" the stallion said, failing to see the figure running to him "Just one ki-"

"RRAGH!"

WHACK!

Laura sent the stallion to the ground with a swift punch to the side of his muzzle as she let out a high pitched shriek.

"Argh! What the hell?" the stallion grunted as he looked up to see a silhouetted figure who was even more obscured thanks to the hit and his inebriation.

"Octy!"

"Vinyl!" Octavia called back to her marefriend, who was making her way to the alley after having heard the struggle in her search for Octavia.

The stallion grunted in annoyance as he staggered back up and glared angrily at the figure who had hit him.

Laura took a defensive stance with her arms ready at her side.

"Who the hell do you think-?!"

The stallion was cut off and both he and Octavia's eyes went wide as they saw something shoot out of Laura's hands with a distinct sound.

SNIKT!