The room was dark, and quiet. She sat in the dimness, poised comfortably on her small stool, the smooth wood of her instrument resting against her. Pleasant anticipation tingled through her body.

A door clicked open, then closed again. Footsteps sounded on the wooden floor.

"Octavia?" The voice carried a clipped briskness, a trace of impatience. "You called for me? Is there something wrong with the lights?"

With a flick of her bow, Octavia flipped the light switch. A dim spotlight shimmered into life, pouring pale radiance over her. Her clinging black dress was cut perilously high at the hem, exposing much of her long, smooth legs. Her cello gleamed with polish. Dark eyeshadow glittered over her eyes.

A single chair faced her.

"Good evening, Redheart. Thank you for coming," Octavia said softly, her voice rich with honed aristocratic overtones. She smiled. "Please, sit."

Redheart stepped into the edge of the light, a puzzled frown on her face. She wore her immaculate nurse's whites, despite having notionally finished her shift hours ago. "Octavia? What's this all about? Don't you need examining?"

"Forgive me," Octavia apologised, bowing her head slightly. "I misled you. I'm quite healthy; it is your health that concerns me. You never take any time for yourself, Redheart my dear, as we discuss frequently at lunch. I cannot change how the rest of Ponyville acts, but you..." She smiled. "I can give you a little break from your duties. Sit. Let me play for you."

Redheart exhaled, running a hand through her pink mane, then she straightened the little white cap that sat atop her head. "...I appreciate the thought, Octavia, I do, but if you don't need treatment, I really should be going. Doubtless somepony is already standing outside the medical centre, seeking my assistance. It never stops."

"You aren't the only medically trained pony in Ponyville," Octavia pointed out, with a trace of sternness. "The others simply allow themselves to finish their shifts and have time to themselves, outside their roles. You shall do the same." She gestured imperiously at the chair with her bow.

Despite herself, Redheart stepped forward, and sat down with a defeated exhale. "If I'm needed, Octavia-"

"Then those ponies who are on duty will take care of things. Not another peep, Redheart. At least," Octavia smiled a strange smile, "not until you've had an opportunity to appreciate my music a little."

"...fine," Redheart conceded, with slight bad grace. "I'm listening."

Octavia drew her cello a little closer against her, her legs parted around the broad base. Redheart was a good friend, and at their lunches, they got on well. It was simply that anything that kept her from her self-imposed duty tended to make her grumpy. Octavia was familiar with the whole rotating cast of musical obsessives that made up Canterlot's Royal Orchestra, and even she had never met a pony that drove herself so hard. No matter the lengths Octavia had gone to in order to convince her to take more time for herself, all means of persuasion had failed to change Redheart's mind.

Well. Perhaps the mind wasn't the way to get through to her.

Octavia's bow slid over the strings, conjuring a long, deep note, and she began to play. She was incredibly good, and knew it. Music flowed over Redheart, and despite herself, the nurse began to nod along to the tune, her body subtly relaxing. Her fingers tapped softly at the chair arm, in perfect time.

Subtly, Octavia's fingers shifted on the bow, grasping it here, and here. She drew it across the strings, a single long note.

Redheart's hand jerked into the air.

"Wh-what?" gasped Redheart, grabbing at her rebellious arm with her other hand and forcing it back down to her side.

Octavia smiled to herself again. The bow flicked back and forth across the strings, once, twice, and this time, both of Redheart's hands shot straight up. The quivering note grew stronger, and Redheart found herself rising from her chair, as if being dragged upright by her hands.

"Octavia! Something - something strange is happening!" she gasped.

"It's just rhythm," replied Octavia lightly, her smile growing wider. "Why not try this tune?"

Her bow leaped and danced, conjuring as surely as any magic wand. Redheart's hands dropped, as the tone grew deeper, then to the nurse's obvious and abject mortification, awkwardly grabbed the base of her skirt and lifted it to reveal panties that were just as crisp and white as the uniform above.

Realisation flashed over Redheart's face. "You're doing this!"

Octavia bent over the cello, beginning to play faster. Redheart's hips jerked from side to side, awkwardly at first, then more and more smoothly, until she was swaying and rocking in time to the music. A flick of the bow, a sudden note amongst the melody, and the nurse found herself swivelling around and presenting her ass on high, her skirt around her waist, rocking from side to side.

Redheart was crimson with mortification. Her hands reached back to grab her asscheeks, squeezing, and she gasped, "I - I can't stop! I can't control myself! Octavia, stop this!"

"Oh, I'm afraid not, my dear. I've simply wanted to see that ass shown off like that for much too long," Octavia purred. Delicious arousal flooded the musical prodigy, and she parted her thighs further, forcing her dress to ride up her legs.

"Y-you have?" squeaked Redheart, an octave higher, then groaned despite herself as she helplessly kneaded her soft, pure white ass with both hands.

Octavia's answer was a swirl of music that spun Redheart on the spot like a top, and forced her to bend forward, her eyes wide and startled. Leaning up, still playing the quick, dancing tune that made the nurse her puppet to control, Octavia kissed Redheart hard and deep, exploring her mouth with her tongue.

When the two mares separated, the bright red flush across Redheart's cheeks was no longer purely embarrassment. "I... 'Tavi... l-let me go," she stammered, but the furious sincerity of a moment before had gone missing.

"After all this effort?" asked Octavia obliquely, a smile on her lips. Music curled around Redheart like a living thing, flowing into her, through her, and she snapped upright, back straight, arms by her sides. Only the dazed, lustfully confused expression on her face didn't seem to match the posture.

The bow caressed the strings. Redheart seized the bottom of her blouse and yanked it clumsily over her head, tossing it aside to reveal her perfect tits contained in a silky grey bra. "Octavia!" she gasped, a visible quiver running through her body. "You can't do this! You can't- ooohmmmff." Redheart hadn't received any warning; all of a sudden, the music shifted, and she was touching herself, yanking up her bra and pulling down her panties to let her suddenly eager fingers twist her pink nipples and caress her damp cunt.

"I can. Oh, I can," disagreed Octavia playfully, though her eyes never lost Redheart's body. The pace of her playing grew faster and faster, more desperate, and Redheart almost tore her clothes to pieces in her helpless haste to strip them off.

"I can't - control myself," Redheart gasped, as her hands slid over her naked body, kneading, stroking and squeezing. Despite herself, shudders of lust broke up her words, and her cheeks were burning red.

"That's right, beautiful pony," Octavia agreed, her own heart beating fast and hard. "I'm controlling you. I own you, Redheart. You could never find time for romance, for love. For sex. Well, now you don't have to find time. I'm going to make you find the time, and I know just who your perfect partner is..."

Redheart lay on the ground, panting, naked, coated in sweat, her thighs damp with traces of arousal. Octavia lay beside her, equally nude, her silky grey curves on full display. The echoes of their twinned climaxes still hung in the air, slowly fading.

"I know I kind of hinted at something like this, but... I don't think I have the right words for... wow," murmured Redheart exhaustedly. "I never thought it'd be that good."

Octavia leaned over her and kissed her again, delighting in the way that Redheart squirmed, hips bucking softly, lips opening invitingly. Despite her near-exhaustion, all the things they'd done as the two of them threw themselves at each other, Octavia's heart hadn't beaten as fast all evening as it was doing at that moment.

"Will you, Red? Will you be my marefriend?" she asked again, huskily.

Silence fell, as Redheart considered the question, before finally, reluctantly shaking her head. "I can't afford a relationship; not when ponies need me. I'm sorry, 'Tavi."

Despite her legendary composure, a flare of frustration erupted within Octavia. Taking a moment to calm herself, she said slowly, "It's okay. I can wait."

Reaching out, Octavia scooped up her bow, and drew it lightly across Redheart's forehead. The other pony looked at her, baffled. Then, simply and without fanfare, her eyes grew blank and empty.

"Okay, Redheart. You're going to forget all of this happened. You checked in on me, I was okay, you left." Octavia exhaled heavily, trying to stay calm. "I really thought I had it, that time. Never mind. I've got an opening two days from now. We'll try again soon."

Author's Note

This was the day that I came closest to blowing the entire challenge. With one thing and another, I didn't even get started writing until quarter to midnight, and kept falling asleep in my chair then jerking awake as I was writing. All the same, I got through it.

If it wouldn't have violated the rules of the competition, this is the single one I'd have most liked to sit down with and expand by another five hundred words or so before I published it, but c'est la vie.

• Proofing by Djmill and JustTheBast
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