The sun shone brightly through the window into Octavia’s room as she began to stir. While normally an early riser, Octavia had been up late working on preparing for a concert in Manehattan coming in a few weeks, and had thus decided to sleep in a little bit, instructing Vinyl Scratch the night before to wake her up promptly at “eight o’clock on the dot.”
That would still give Octavia an hour and fifteen minutes to catch the Friendship Express headed for Canterlot, more than enough time to enjoy breakfast and properly get ready. From there, she could prepare for her rehearsal at Canterlot that afternoon, before the concert took place later in the evening. Princess Celestia herself would be in attendance, as would Princess Luna, Princess Twilight Sparkle, that one princess Octavia couldn’t remember the name of, and Princess Flurry Heart!
The earth pony slowly woke up as the sun began to shine on her closed eyes, stretching and letting out a yawn as she sat up. Vinyl hadn’t come to wake her up yet, so it had to still be early out. But she was up now anyway, and no point in going back to bed at this point. After a few minutes of gathering the energy to get out of bed, brushing her mane and tail to their usual styles, and putting on a bow tie, Octavia emerged into the living room with great fanfare. Vinyl practicing dubstep counted, in the mare’s mind, it was better than nothing.
“Good morning, Vinyl!” Octavia said happily, as she trotted into the living room, distracting the disk jockey. “How is your remix going?”
Vinyl replied with a confident smile, before motioning towards a bowl of oats that had been left out and prepared for her friend to consume upon waking up.
“Ah, thank you, Vinyl! That does save me a few minutes to get ready for the train,” Octavia beamed as she went for her breakfast. “I know I asked you to wake me up at eight, but I woke up early, so I might as well enjoy the extra time.”
Octavia noticed her friend’s face briefly falter in the corner of her eye. The mare paused her approach to her meal to turn and face her fellow musician once again. “Vinyl, you did remember I asked you to wake me up at eight o’clock, correct? I made it very clear that I wished to be awoken at that exact time.”
Vinyl began to hide inside her disc jockey booth.
The cellist made a mad dash for the clock in the kitchen, which was inconveniently reading that the time was actually not earlier than eight o’clock, but actually three minutes past nine. Reality immediately shattered around Octavia as her eye began to twitch. Delusional and somewhat insane laughter began to emerge from the mare, her eye twitch getting worse. “Smashing, simply smashing! Vinyl, I do believe our clock is malfunctioning, it says that it’s three minutes past nine! There is no possible way that could be, as I distinctly remember instructing you to wake me up long before that time! Ha ha!”
Vinyl peaked out from her booth as Octavia slipped into laughter, her friend’s head turning to give her a side glance as she chuckled. But in an instant, the laughter stopped as Octavia clicked back into sanity, the eye twitch being replaced with a glare that could melt steel as the classical musician slowly approached the booth. In an impressive feat of balance and agility, the cellist bounded atop the booth, standing above her trapped friend with an icy frown.
She did not raise her voice, shout, or say anything extreme. “Vinyl Scratch, you forgot to wake me up on time for the train. I have roughly ten minutes to make it to the station on time, and you are going to help me get there. I expect a portable breakfast to be prepared for me in the next three minutes while I collect my cello and sheet music, and then we are going to make a mad dash for the Friendship Express before it leaves the station. Hop to it.”
Vinyl would have almost preferred the yelling.
After Octavia shot down Vinyl’s suggestion to convert the disc jockey booth into a vehicle again due to not wanting another parking ticket, the pair found themselves sprinting through Ponyville while Octavia attempted to eat toast. She would have lectured Vinyl on how toast does not qualify as an easily portable breakfast, but chewing on her meal while galloping was already hard enough, so the stern words would have to be reserved for later. That, and she was admittedly a bit impressed Vinyl managed to get toast done in three minutes, though it did little to soothe her frustration with the pony next to her.
Soon enough though, Octavia had managed to finish her toast, just in time to leap over a sofa Davenport was shoving into Quills and Sofa despite carrying a cello on her back, a physical feat one would not expect her to be capable of pulling off. And after a few more twists, turns, and alleyway shortcuts, Octavia and Vinyl found themselves at the train station at 9:16, just in time to bear witness to the glorious sight of the Friendship Express leaving the station for the last train to Canterlot until noon.
Octavia’s eye twitched slightly as her head turned to glare at Vinyl, who was now sporting a nervous grin and a shrug. “Well, Vinyl,” Octavia said, ignoring her friend’s expressions entirely, “we have completely missed the train, the next one doesn’t come until my rehearsal is supposed to begin, and both Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer are already in Canterlot, so we can’t ask them to teleport us. I choked on my toast, I’m sure my mane is a mess, and I couldn’t even make it to the train station on time to rectify the unmitigated balderdash that this morning has been. Do you have any suggestions for what we ought to do now?”
Vinyl just looked at Octavia in confusion.
“You have no idea what I just said, do you?”
Vinyl shook her head as Octavia rolled her eyes.
“I’ll procure a dictionary for you in Canterlot later when I’m not busy. For now, we’ll have to take drastic measures. Come along, Vinyl.”
Seeing she didn’t really have any other options at this time, Vinyl reluctantly trotted after her friend, admittedly curious to see what these drastic measures were.
Cherry Berry bobbed happily in place in the basket of her hot air balloon, munching on cherries. She got up at 7:30 on the spot, had a relaxing morning before heading to her balloon, and now got to eat her favorite snack while waiting for customers. What wasn’t to like?
Before twenty minutes had passed by since she opened up for business, Cherry Berry spotted a pair of customers heading towards her, undoubtedly for her services specifically. “Vinyl and Octavia, what a pleasant surprise!” Cherry Berry chirped cheerfully after swallowing her snack. “It’s not often you two come to my balloon.” But then her face switched to one of confusion, as she asked, “but don’t you have a concert in Canterlot tonight, Octavia? I got myself a ticket for it, I would have imagined you’d be on your way there by now.”
Octavia’s tired face switched to one of politeness mixed with agitation. “Under normal circumstances, yes, I would be on my way to Canterlot as we speak. But unfortunately, somepony, we won’t name names here, forgot to wake me up on time to catch the train.”
“I couldn’t possibly imagine who would be responsible for such a grievous misdeed,” Cherry Berry said with extreme sarcasm.
“It truly is one of the great mysteries of our times.”
Taking note of Vinyl’s forming frown in response to the teasing, Cherry Berry perked back up. “I’m assuming you two are here for a balloon to Canterlot? It’s within the balloon’s flying range, and I have a landing spot there, so I’ll gladly take you if you’d like!”
“How much is the charge for two ponies?”
“Given the distance and how high I have to get the balloon to reach the top of Canterlot’s mountain on top of that, it’s definitely a bit more than the Friendship Express, I admit,” Cherry Berry said awkwardly. “But I’d imagine you’re in a bit of a jam, so I’ll tell you what. Just pay me back later and I’ll say we’re good? I don’t charge interest.”
Vinyl and Octavia both exchanged looks, as if silently conversing on the offer, before both smiled and nodded. “You’re a wonderful pony, thank you very much,” Octavia said gratefully.
“Don’t mention it, I just try to be neighborly!” Cherry Berry replied with a smile. “I’ll get the balloon prepared and we’ll be in Canterlot in a few hours.”
“How many hours? I have rehearsal at noon.”
Cherry Berry simply put the sandbag she was holding back where it was. “Then the balloon’s not going to make it on time. The wind will be enough to get the balloon to Canterlot at a decent time, but not that fast, especially up a mountain.”
Octavia and Vinyl switched back to worry. “But the next train won’t be going to Canterlot until my rehearsal begins in the first place! Outside of the Friendship Express, you’re the only source of specialized transportation in Ponyville, do you have anything that can help?”
“Anything?” Cherry Berry’s head shot up, now sporting a smirk.
Octavia and Vinyl both exchanged glances again, before the cellist sighed. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
“I can’t say that for certain, it’s subjective. But I do have one option that will without a doubt make that time, with plenty to spare. It’s not as relaxing as a balloon ride, though.”
“I don’t think we have much choice, given the train is already gone.”
Cherry Berry staked the hot air balloon back down before placing a sign next to it to state she was currently out on other business. “Come with me,” she said cheerfully.
“Cherry Berry, why are we at Sugarcube Corner?” Octavia asked, her voice full of confusion.
“I need my co-pilot to pull this off.”
“Your what?”
“You’ll understand later,” Cherry Berry laughed as she rang the bell at the bakery’s counter. Soon enough, another pink earth pony bounced towards the customers, sporting a grin that even the crankiest of ponies would struggle not to smile back at.
“Hey, Cherry Berry!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing in place. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! Can I get you anything?”
Octavia and Vinyl just watched silently as Cherry Berry whispered something in Pinkie Pie’s ears, unflinching even as the baker’s face changed into one of complete excitement. The look on Cherry Berry’s face wasn’t exactly comforting either, but there were really no other options.
“Absolutely!” Pinkie Pie cheered in response to whatever it was Cherry Berry had been saying. “I’ll go tell the Cakes that I’ve had something come up and need to go help with that, and then we can go head over to the hangar!”
“The hangar?” Octavia asked, growing more confused and concerned. Vinyl didn’t look particularly enthusiastic either. “What in Equestria are you two even up to?”
“You’ll see!” Pinkie Pie replied.
“An airplane,” Octavia said neutrally as she stared at the plane standing before her inside the hangar, which was actually just a warehouse Pinkie Pie and Cherry Berry had purchased with pooled finances. “You two built an airplane. And purchased an entire section of land to store it on. How did you afford this? Is this even legal?”
“The party industry pays very well, I get some surprisingly good finances out of the balloon, and we got flying permits from Princess Luna herself,” Cherry Berry replied cheerfully. “We even flew her in it!”
“I’m not even going to question that last part,” Octavia decided while Vinyl nodded in agreement.
“Well, we’ve already fueled the plane and checked the engine, so we’re ready for takeoff whenever you two are!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “Just say the word!”
“I thought planes were generally flown by propeller and pedals,” Octavia whispered to Vinyl. “Do you see any pedals?”
Vinyl shook her head and shrugged.
Octavia sighed and climbed into the plane with Vinyl while the two pink earth ponies started listing off technology related things to ensure everything was ready for flight. After the third successful check to ensure they had properly fueled the plane, the two pink ponies plopped into the plane’s front seats as they prepared to take off. Soon enough, after a variety of buttons were pushed, the airplane roared to life as Octavia and Vinyl became aware of the fact that the plane was very much not powered by pedals, and that the propellers were not the only thing giving the plane what it needed to fly.
“Did you two build a jet!?” Octavia asked, suddenly beginning to regret her decisions of the day even further. “I thought those were exclusively a hypothesis made by Commander Easyglider!”
Pinkie Pie and Cherry Berry merely laughed as Cherry readied her flying goggles. “We built a pair of pedal helicopters with parts we found under Pinkie Pie’s couch, of course we built a jet next! Once we had a proper budget, anyway.”
“But does this thing even obey the laws of physics and aviation!?”
“We don’t answer to the laws of physics,” Cherry Berry replied as she punched the thrust. “The laws of physics answer directly to us!”
Octavia screamed while Pinkie Pie and Cherry Berry took the jet into the air, now breaking out into song.
After the first few minutes were full of Octavia screaming and Vinyl also not looking even remotely pleased with her current situation, the duo soon came to find that not only was the flight surprisingly smooth once airborne, but that their pilots were actually quite skilled. “I admit this is actually kind of nice,” Octavia commented after a little while. “I wasn’t expecting it to be this pleasant.”
“That happens the first time,” Pinkie Pie responded. “You get used to it after a bit, and then it’s fun! Wheeeeee!”
She and Cherry Berry then started singing again.
With the two pilots distracted, Octavia sighed contentedly, finally at a respite for the first time of the day. It had been a long, practically torturous hour, but it could have been worse. She had a method of transportation to Canterlot now, and no extreme issues had come up otherwise.
“I suppose this has ultimately worked out much better than it could have,” Octavia said, turning towards her friend. “I’m still not thrilled that you completely forgot to wake me up this morning, but the situation does appear to be resolved and you’re clearly sorry about it. I would also like to apologize for dragging you out of the house this morning and getting aggressive.”
Vinyl smiled in response, and gave Octavia a hoof-bump to show that there were no hard feelings.
“Good to see, I’m glad to know we’re all good,” Octavia commented. “That said, next time I ask you to wake me up in the morning, please remember to do so.”
Vinyl just nodded with a smile.
The landing was less than ideal, but Cherry Berry and Pinkie Pie did not crash the plane and everyone was perfectly fine, so Octavia chose to count it overall as a win. In fact, they had an hour and a half to spare before Octavia’s rehearsal, so the entire group decided to do some sightseeing and shopping, even though they had all been to Canterlot multiple times before. Eventually, after an hour of messing about in the capital, Octavia had purchased some new sheet music, Pinkie Pie bought some confetti for her Party Cannon, Vinyl Scratch got a shirt with Princess Celestia’s face on it, and Cherry Berry picked up a toy helicopter that somehow worked off of remote control magic.
“Well, after a rather disastrous beginning to the day, I would say this ultimately wound up being a very successful morning,” Octavia decided as the ponies deposited their haul in the airplane before she had to head off to rehearse. “The relaxation of the hour was definitely helpful.”
“Of course it was, silly!” Pinkie Pie shouted, crushing the entire group in a massive hug. “Friends always make things better no matter how rough your morning was!” Then she fired her cannon.
“I suppose that’s true,” Octavia laughed. “And on behalf of Vinyl and myself, I really simply must thank you both for the help. We would have had no chance at making it here on time without your aid, as unconventional as it might have been.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask about that,” Cherry Berry replied, “couldn’t you have just asked Twilight Sparkle or Starlight Glimmer to teleport you here? They easily could have done so.”
“I’m afraid not, they’re both already here to help prepare for the concert tonight. I wouldn’t have been able to ask them for help at all, as such,” Octavia explained.
“But Octavia, Twilight had popped by Sugarcube Corner just a few minutes before you came in, saying she was coming to Canterlot this afternoon. It was Princess Cadance who was coming early. You must have mixed their names,” Pinkie Pie noted, looking confused.
Octavia’s eye began to twitch again. “You mean that Twilight Sparkle was in Ponyville the entire time? I could have asked her for a simple teleport, and saved all that frustration?” Pinkie Pie simply nodded in confirmation.
The cellist’s eye continued to twitch for a moment longer as she began to grumble, but this only lasted a moment as she took a deep breath and sighed, the twitching stopping once more. “No matter, I suppose,” Octavia decided. “What’s done is done, and everything worked out wonderfully in the end anyway. Perhaps this was better regardless, I got to enjoy some quality time with all of you and relaxed a bit. Thank you again for the help.”
“No problem!” Pinkie Pie and Cherry Berry both chirped, back to their chipper selves.
“Now then, I really should be on my way to rehearsal. Would the three of you care to join me?”
“Of course!” Pinkie Pie cheered, and soon enough, the four mares set off to the rehearsal, with new friendships forged and old ones made stronger than before.
The rehearsal, and the concert, had gone splendidly. Octavia’s messed up mane and tail had been restored to their former glory thanks to the timely aid of Pinkie Pie calling in Rarity to aid, and all of her songs had been performed to her best ability. After the successful night of music, complete with a standing ovation from Princess Celestia herself, Octavia had taken the other three ponies with her out for a meal in Canterlot, ultimately opting for The Tasty Treat at Pinkie Pie’s suggestion. Then, after a little more sightseeing, the four all returned to Ponyville in their rather unusual method of travel, before parting ways for their own homes with the promise to hang out again soon and for the musical duo to pay Cherry Berry her bill.
Octavia practically bolted for home as soon as she had finished saying goodbye to Pinkie Pie and Cherry Berry, and the smile on her face as she returned to the inside of her beloved house was infectious. “It’s so good to be home,” she cried aloud as she trotted wearily inside, the adrenaline of her final rush to the house wearing off. “After all of the day’s activity, I think I will sleep rather soundly. And this time, Vinyl,” Octavia added, chuckling, “you are going to let me sleep in as long as I want.”
Vinyl grinned broadly and gave a salute to acknowledge the command, to Octavia’s satisfaction.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Octavia said, tossing a large package behind her that Vinyl caught in her telekinesis. “I promised you one, after all. Perhaps it will give you some inspiration for your music!”
Vinyl looked at the package curiously, before swiftly opening it up with her magic in excitement. To her minor surprise, but mostly amusement, there was a large book labeled as being a seventh edition Oxenford dictionary within the wrapping. Vinyl merely rolled her eyes and smirked at Octavia as the classical musician trotted off towards her room.
“You have fun with that, Vinyl. I’ll see you tomorrow!”
With that, the cellist departed to her bedroom, where she fell asleep almost immediately and slept peacefully. Vinyl opened the dictionary to look through it briefly, before smiling, carrying it off with her to her own bedroom to look through it a bit before drifting off to sleep herself, the day now at last done.
Author's Note
I woke up, saw it was Vinyl and Octavia Day, and as such had to create and get this out pretty quickly given it seems nothing else on the site was happening for it. Not sure if it's my best, but ultimately, I enjoyed making it quite a bit. 
Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day.
