Vinyl’s Music Is Disco’s Bastard Love Child
By Thylacine Nightmares
Octavia Melody, the ‘First Chair’ cello of the Royal Canterlot Orchestra, was practicing up in her room. She enjoyed these quiet moments of self reflection that the cello always bought her. She was moving onto her fifteenth piece for the afternoon when her studio door opened.
“Yes Vinyl,” Octavia said without looking up at the door, “you can have my last packet of cream cheese cookies.” What surprised Octavia was not the usual cheer she expected to hear, rather a soft sniffle. She turned her eyes towards Vinyl and saw tear stains on her cheeks. “Vy honey,” Octavia said in a gentle tone, “what’s wrong?”
“It’s something Twilight said.” Vinyl said between snuffles.
Octavia took a deep breath and sighed. Octavia had had this discussion with Vinyl about the Unicorn’s ‘Wubs’ and how they weren’t to everyponies taste.
“No, she said... It was... the bastard love foal of...” Vinyl’s voice got slightly softer with the snuffles.
“What honey?” Octavia was concerned now.
“Disco...” Vinyl whispered.
Then with the sound as if a hundred cats cried out in pain and were suddenly silenced Octavia stopped practicing in shock. “Vy honey, what was that?”
“Disco.” Vinyl said with a shudder. She knew that Octavia didn’t like her ‘Wubs’ but both of them despised that dreaded style, it was often referred to as ‘the style that shall not be named’ between the two of them.
====== ====== ======
Spike was rather surprised to see the doors of the Castle flung open with such force that they slammed into their stops. He gave a startled squeak as Octavia entered the room and he saw the look on her face, a cold calm that belied the ice burning fire in her eyes.
He wanted to hide but those eyes locked onto him and he gulped. “C... C... Can I help you Miss Melody?” He stammered out.
Octavia spoke in gentle tones. “Of course, Spike, is Twilight home?”
Spike nodded and gulped.
“Oh good, I wanted to have a ‘word’ or two with that mare with the eight left hooves.” Octavia said. “Oh, by the way,” she continued with a smile that Spike didn’t like the look of one bit, “I heard that Rarity was asking for a helping hoof...”
Before Octavia finished speaking Spike was out the doors. He, like most of Ponyville, had heard that the last time Octavia got ‘that’ mad, which was over two years ago now, that she had put a stallion in hospital. As far as Spike knew the stallion was still in traction even now.
An hour later when he returned it was to see a much happier looking Octavia walking out the door of the Castle and into the street. She even greeted him with her ‘usual’ smile as they passed each other in the street. Spike even saw Applejack approaching the Castle from the Market Square and raced to meet up with the other mare. As they walked inside together they heard a groaning noise.
“Hellllppp... Medic.... Mare Down...” The pained voice of Twilight came from the library.
Spike looked in and gulped loudly.
“Erm Spike,” Applejack said with her eyes full of shock at the sight, “I think ya better go grab Nurse Redheart, ‘cause I don’t think a pony’s spine bends that way... Or that many times...”
Spike raced out the door and towards Ponyville hospital.
A short while later Octavia walked into the house she shared with Vinyl whistling a happy classical piece and with a spring in her step that hadn’t been in it when she left. “Oh hi Vy.” Octavia said spotting Vinyl sitting on the couch, still looking sad. She took the time to walk over to the couch and snuggle the white Unicorn to her. “I had a nice ‘chat’ with Twilight, and she won’t be mistaking your music for that ‘style’ ever again.”
Vinyl looked at her and finally broke into a small smile. “That’s nice Tavi, how did it go?”
“Well, let’s say my skills at envelope ‘stuffing’ came in handy again, and leave it at that?” Octavia said with a slight blush.
“Tavi... What did you do?” Vinyl looked up in semi-horror at her.
“Erm,” Octavia said with a blush, “it was mostly justified...” She saw the disapproving look Vinyl was giving her. “Oh don’t give me that look, she said that she could have compared it to ‘Glam Rock’ and I totally lost it.”
“Totally not cool Tavi...” Vinyl said in a firm tone. “How bad was it?”
Octavia gave a soft giggle. “I proved to her it was physically possible for an Alicorn to have her horn shoved up her own plot while it was still attached.”
Vinyl couldn’t help it, she started giggling herself.
The two mares were giggling up a storm as a knock came on their front door. Octavia got up and answered it. She was surprised to see six guards standing there.
“Miss Octavia Melody?” The mare in front asked and when Octavia nodded the mare spoke up again. “It is my duty to inform you that you are under arrest for the assault of a royal...” She started to drone on as they hoof-cuffed Octavia and led her away.
====== ====== ======
Celestia wasn’t looking forward to this morning. Her surrogate ‘daughter’ had been assaulted but by one of the most ‘respectable’ mares she knew. She had decided last night to question Octavia this morning and get to the bottom of things.
When she entered the dining room she was greeted by her sister sitting in her usual spot, just finishing up her own ‘dinner’ before hitting the bed for the day. “Good morning Sister, how went the night?” Celestia asked.
Luna smiled back warmly. “Oh, nothing that shalt worry thee, dearest sister, just some minor matters, and thou?”
Celestia gave a sigh and explained to Luna all that had transpired and, much to Celestia’s surprise, all Luna did was shrug. She was about to ask about this when Luna spoke up again.
“Sister, doth thou remember when thou encouraged me to explore the Palace’s secret ways last month?” Luna asked.
Celestia nodded, puzzled by the nonsecquiter. “Yes, Lulu I did, but what...”
“Oh I doth found something interesting in the lower caverns, behind a door doth marked with ‘Beware of the leopard’.” Luna said with a smile.
Celestia gulped. She didn’t like where this might be headed.
“Inside a locked filing cabinet marked ‘Oh hell NO!’...” Luna continued, the smile getting wider.
Celestia felt her pupils shrinking. “Erm, now lovely sweet Lulu...”
“Thou shouldn’t haft used Mother’s birthday as thy combination...” Luna now was grinning like a cat with a mouse as Celestia gave a soft squeak. “I did not know thou wast a fan of ‘Buckers Fizzle’ and the ‘Bay City Colters’ dear sister.”
“Erm... Lulu?” Celestia asked in a soft squeaky tone.
“I wonder if the ‘Canterlot Gazette’ would like to hear about thy musical tastes?” Luna said calmly as she sipped her tea. “But, changing the subject, what is to happen to Octavia Melody, who is a good friend of my friend Vinyl Scratch, and about the minor disagreement Octavia had with dear Twilight about musical tastes?”
“Are you blackmailing me Luna?” Celestia asked in wonder.
“Now, dear sister,” Luna said placing her teacup back onto the saucer, “blackmail is such an ugly term, we were merely asking if enquiring minds should know about thy record collection or not.”
Celestia, despite her shock, was proud of her sister at this moment. She knew that Luna hadn’t overplayed her hoof, but made it a subtle suggestion on what would happen if she didn’t get what she wanted.
====== ====== ======
Four hours later Octavia was back in her home, being snuggled by a very pleased Vinyl and framed on the wall was a pardon from Princess Celestia, along with a note from Luna. Octavia chuckled as she reread the note. It basically told her to ‘behave’ herself or otherwise Luna may not be able to pull her ‘flank out of the fire’ again.
Just then a bellowing surprised voice came echoing over Ponyville. “THEY PARDONED HER?!!!” Twilight said in her version of the ‘Royal Canterlot Voice’ as Octavia smiled and nuzzled Vinyl’s eartip.
Author's Note
Just a short one shot to have a bit of fun with a topic that makes me laugh at times, how much musical styles can be both similar and distinctly different at the same time.
