The Bittersweet Melody
Octavia leaves the band room, once again utterly disappointed in her own musical abilities. "I’ll never be able to read music.." she thinks to herself. She walks the school halls trying to choke back tears. Many ponies look her direction but don’t stop to ask her what is the matter. As a young filly she can’t seem to understand why nopony likes her. It’s only her first week of school but nopony has said a word to her except to call her a freak.
Octavia exits the school building, and walks home. She is greeted with her mother as she enters her home.
"How was school dear?"
"Just wonderful. I’m loved by everyone. I even got called a freak. Amazing huh?"
Octavia's mom frowns partially.
"Just be strong Hun, it’ll get better, I’m sure of it. Now head on up and start practicing."
Octavia rolls her eyes as she climbs the stairs up to her bedroom. She looks at the cello and frowns upon it. she takes out the simplest of scales and thinks to herself "how will i ever be able to read this.. I don’t even know what note is what.." she proceeds to pull out a song she must learn for a recital 1 month from now. "I even know how this piece goes.. But how.." she becomes familiar with the cello, the instrument she has only played for a week now. She lets out a sigh as she places the bow on the string and tries to make sound.
The only sound that comes out is an airy-sounding note, and a couple squeaks. She throws the bow on the floor and thinks to herself about what she wants, what she wants to be. "I want to shine.. i want to be unique.. i want this more than anypony. I can do this. I just need help." She packs up her cello and sets it aside.
Her mom yells up for dinner-time. She gets up and walks downstairs to face the inevitable dinner chat. She takes a seat and notices her meal is already made. A nice home cooked meal. She looks up and sees her mother and father to the left and right of her.
"So how is practice going?" Her mom says
"I’m lost.." Octavia says.
Her father interrupts
"Is there anypony who can help you?"
"No, i am the only cellist.. And the teacher told me i should find a tutor" she said.
"Well does anyone know music that goes to your school?" Her mom asks
"Not that i know of.. I’m not the most popular if you can recall." Octavia proclaimed
"Well have a look tomorrow if you get the chance ok?" Her mother said
Octavia finishes her meal and heads upstairs for bed. She gets comfortable and turns out the light. The last thought she thinks is "I can do this.. just find someone who could help me.. And maybe be my friend.
Octavia promptly wakes up to her alarm. She gets up takes a quick shower and gets ready for another school day. She grabs her cello and walks down the staircase.
"Good morning!" Her mom greets her at the bottom of the stairs.
"Morning, I’m off to school" Octavia said
The door shuts before her mother can say anything to her. As she walks to school, she has her head low, like normal. She is used to being alone, so she spaces her mind out as she walks.
"Hey!" Another filly shouted
She turns around and notices a filly with quite the mane. The other filly carries herself high.
"My name is vinyl! What’s your name" vinyl exclaimed
"Urm... I’m Octavia.." she said
"Are you new to the school?" Vinyl asked
"Yes.. This is my first year.." she nervously said
"Nice cello Octavia, i can read the music, just don’t get me to try and play it" vinyl laughed
Octavia felt like it was a miracle, someone WANTS to talk to her; they’re nice; AND she could possibly learn to play cello from.
"M..Maybe you could teach me some time?" Octavia asked
"Sure no problem! You know, I don’t have any friends here really, would you maybe want to come over sometime? And bring that awesome cello of yours!" Vinyl said
Octavia reluctantly agreed. As they walked to school together they talked about everything in the world it seemed. Octavia finally felt welcomed, she had a friend.
As they arrived at school, everypony looked at the two recently acquainted fillies in disgust. Nopony wanted anything to do with Vinyl or Octavia, and finally, they were completely ok with that, as long as they had each other.
Between classes, they always talked to each other; it’s as if they were instant best friends, finally united. The school day had passed and as the two fillies exit the school, Octavia asks
"Would you mind coming over possibly.. And helping me with my music? I have a huge recital in a month and I still cannot read this music.. I’ll make a fool of myself if I don’t get this right."
"Sure Tavi! I’d be honored to!"
They start the journey home, and upon arrival Octavia’s mom greets them
"Hey Tavi how was school.. Oh! I see you’ve made a friend! What is your name young filly?"
"My name is vinyl scratch! It’s nice to meet you; I told Octavia I would help her learn how to read music" Said vinyl
"Oh my that’s wonderful! Well if you need anything I’ll be downstairs" Travis mom said
They entered the main hallway of the house, and to Vinyl’s surprise, there are musical trophies everywhere, from both Octavia’s mother and father.
"You really have a lot to live up to Tavi..don’t you?" Vinyl asked
"You have no clue.." Tavi confirmed
The walk up the staircase to Octavia’s room, and they enter her room. Octavia pulls out the scales and shows vinyl
"Oh man this is easy!" Vinyl announced
Octavia pulls out the musical piece she must have learned in the months span. She hands it to vinyl.
"Oh my..this is quite the piece; let’s start from the basics ok..?" Vinyl stated
Vinyl instructed what notes are on the staff, and where on the staff the notes are. They practice naming the notes by where they are on the music. 2 hours pass and she can read the music by note names, but hardly play anything. Vinyl points to a scale and says to play it. Octavia does to her best ability, but still got an airy-squeaky sound while playing. Vinyl could see it was her bow. She guides Octavia’s arms straight, so she gets good, clean sound. She lets go of Tavi and she is playing a scale beautifully. Octavia has a huge grin on her face.
They continue going over the scales until vinyl realizes she must go home. The two hug and Tavi thanks her greatly.
"I really must go, Tavi, you’re doing so well, keep it up." She said with a smile.
Tavi is speechless with happiness, she doesn’t know what to say, for once, she is finally understanding music, but not the affect music has on the soul. Tavi says her goodbyes and thanks her again on the way out. Her mom enters from the other room.
"So how did it go? It sounded great!" Her mom said
"It was so awesome, mom! I finally am starting to understand music. She’s such an amazing friend.." Tavi says.
"That’s wonderful, just keep your eyes on the prize, you’ll get it, i know you can" her mom comforts.
"I will try my hardest, I want this so bad" Tavi says to herself as she walks upstairs and gets ready for bed. She has trouble sleeping; because she is constantly fluttered with what notes are what and music in general. She finally manages to fall asleep.
They continue this practicing for 2 weeks. At the end of the 2 weeks, she could finally play all the scales, but the song she was to learn troubled her so very much. The precision; the need for perfect pitch. She obsesses over the song. She didn’t know what she was doing wrong, why it didn’t sound right. She spend days in her room with her eyes welled with tears over the musical piece. All night she practiced on one part, and it never sounded right. She had finally had enough; she packed up her cello and put it in the closet to never be played again.
The following day Octavia omitted the thought of bringing her cello to school. She ignored and avoided vinyl that day, to prevent having to explain why she didn’t bring her instrument.
Vinyl decided to visit Octavia after not seeing her at school. Octavia was crying, and her mother entered her room.
"Honey.. Vinyl is here to see you" her mom said.
Vinyl entered as Octavia's mother slowly closed the door. The first thing vinyl noticed was the tears in Octavia’s eyes, the sadness she could feel from her gaze. She takes a seat next to Tavi.
"Tavi.. What’s bothering you.." vinyl asked sincerely.
"I can’t play it.. the song.. I play it how I see its written.. and it sounds horrid.. it’s like it’s not the right notes.." Octavia proclaimed.
"Well did you see that this song is in tenor clef..? It’s all basically one string higher Tavi." Vinyl explained
"I’m sorblind..it makes sense..the sharps and flats are different.." Tavi said
"Play it from the top, now that you know, try it for me" Vinyl said.
She began from the very beginning of the song, correcting the minor, yet major mistakes. Vinyl was in awe. She could not believe what she was hearing; Tavi played those notes with such confidence, all because of vinyl.
Tavi finished the song with the utmost feeling of accomplishment, upon finishing the once seemingly impossible song, she felt like she never had before. She felt like she had just won the war against being just anypony. She looks at the cello, sets it down and she notices something start to appear on her flank; a purple treble clef. Both vinyl and Octavia star at the newly acquired cutie mark in shock. Tavi only could dream of having a cutie mark before now. Octavia gets up and tackles vinyl with excitement.
"Thank you so very much! I couldn’t have done this without you! You’re the best friend i could ever ask for" Tavi says with glee.
Vinyl looks at Tavi with a large smile as she feels so good about what she did.
"Vinyl.." Tavi says
"Yes?" Vinyl asks
"I love you.. you’re the nicest person in the world and I’m so glad you’re my friend.. I don’t know what i would do without you.." says Tavi
"I love you too Tavi, and it’s been my pleasure, best friends forever" vinyl says sincerely
They get up and hug each other tightly as vinyl announces the time
"It’s getting late Tavi, I should head home" says vinyl
"Ok vinyl, thank you again.. so much" Tavi exclaims
"It was my pleasure, my only friend needed my help, and i gave it my all, for you." Vinyl expresses
As Octavia prepares for school, she grabs her cello, more proud of it than ever, and walks out the door toward school. She meets up with vinyl and hugs her
"Good morning Vinny" Tavi greets with a smile
"Good morning Tavi" vinyl replies
They continue talking about how amazing Octavia’s cutie mark is, and they discuss how she will do on the recital date. The two fillies arrive at school and they day goes as it normally would. Octavia and vinyl exit school together and walk home, they hug each other and say goodbye for the night.
Tavi wakes up to the sound of her wonderbolts clock. She prepares to leave for school as she grabs her cello and takes one step outside and she is hit with a bitter smell. She looks off in the distance as she sees a billow of smoke in the sky coming from Vinyl’s neighborhood. Immediately Tavi assumes the worst, she drops her cello and rushes toward the cloud of smoke. She arrives at the house, and sure enough; its Vinyl’s. Outside of the house is three fire-carriages and 2 emergency-wagons. She tries to think good thoughts, positive thoughts; but what she sees, she will never forget, as long as she lives. Out of the aflamed building, two fire-colts wheel out a body bag on a gurney. She drops to her knees.
"Why of all ponies! Why my vinyl! Why the only thing i have anymore!.....I loved her.." she weeps
Octavia’s parents take her from the area to go home. She cries the rest of the day, and doesn’t show up for school for a week. She cried herself to sleep everyday knowing what friend she lost, she didn’t want to go on anymore.
Tavi skips her recital the following week, and instead goes to her only friends funeral. It is a dark rainy day as she carries her cello with pride from her home into the church. She braces herself as she walks up the aisle, and comes face to face with the casket. She kisses the coffin as a tear falls onto the casket. She views the pictures of Vinyl that are arranged around the casket, then takes a seat. The funeral service begins and everypony is asked if they have any words that need to be spoken. Tavi stands up without a word, and takes her cello up to the front of theIchurch. She spoke
"Vinyl was the only friend have ever had.. I spent every single moment I could with her.. She was by far the nicest filly there ever was, and if it wasn’t for her; I wouldn’t be holding this cello, I wouldn’t be holding my head high, and I wouldn’t have found my special talent....vinyl, if you can hear me.. thank you.. for everything you gave me. This song is for you.."
Tavi pulls up the piece vinyl taught her in her mind. When Tavi touched the bow her string; everypony in the church could feel what Tavi felt. The pain, the sadness. The beautiful melody was tear jerking. everypony who heard the graceful notes could feel the love that the two friends had shared. Tavi played it strong, and flawless, just as Vinyl had taught her. she finished with confidence, looked up, and said "you will always be in my heart..I love you..Vinyl"