Serenity's Facade (The Only Chapter)
It was Saturday. And tonight, Octavia had a solo in Canterlot. The day before she had practiced her piece for several hours, making sure her turns and altogether articulation was perfection itself. Octavia had left her cello in her case. The case had been stored away in a large closet that had been devoted to her cello under the stairs that led to her bedroom. And right now, Octavia was in her house, in Canterlot, that she shared with a DJ pony named Vinyl Scratch, readying herself.
Octavia looked into a mirror, fixing the pink bowtie in it's usual place around her neck. Then she looked away from the shiny surface, and opened her bathroom door to enter her upstairs room. When she had finished her preparations, she trotted downstairs to find a white, blue-maned, Unicorn, sitting at a small round table. On the counter behind her was a recently cooked meal.
"Hey, Octavia!" The white Unicorn exclaimed cheerfully. "Getting ready to go to your concert?" She asked.
Octavia looked at Vinyl Scratch, a placid expression on her face. "I have just finished." She said curtly. Then she added, "Why don't you come along?"
Vinyl looked uncomfortable. "Well, it's just that I've got a lot of beats to complete tonight, ya know? Otherwise, I would love to come to one of your..." Her voice trailed off because Octavia suddenly looked dissappointed.
"That's fine. You're always welcome, though." She said. "I have to get my cello, and then I'll be out of your mane." Vinyl Scratch looked troubled as Octavia made her way towards the small door under the stairs behind her.
Vinyl said, noticeable worry edging into her tone. "Aren't you going to eat at all?" Octavia stopped in her tracks.
Without turning, Octavia said, "I had a large lunch. And besides, I would prefer to be there early." She started for the door handle. Vinyl swiftly got up and placed herself between Octavia and the door.
"Are you sure? You've looked so skinny lately." Vinyl said, panick spreading across her face.
Irritation flashed in Octavia's purple eyes. "I appreciate your concern, but I must really get going." Then she pushed Vinyl aside, and opened the door.
Vinyl Scratch looked fearfully at Octavia as she walked in, and flipped the lightswitch on. Octavia stood still for several moments, her breathing growing rapid. Then, with only moving her head, Octavia turned towards the wimpering Vinyl Scratch.
"Where is she?!" She hissed.
Vinyl's lip trembled as she spoke. "I-I-I had it m-moved s-so it could--" She didn't finish her sentence. For as soon as Vinyl Scratch revealed that it was definitely her fault, Octavia had fully spun around and leapt on top of her.
The gray mare pinned Vinyl Scratch to the ground. "Where is she?!?" She repeated in a deadly whisper.
Vinyl struggled under the surprisingly stronger mare. "It--" Octavia hadn't time for words. She quickly bent low, and gripped Vinyl's spiky mane in her teeth. Then she dragged Vinyl to the refridgerater in the kitchen. Still holding Vinyl captive, Octavia kicked open the fridge's door. Vinyl fought back, twisting her body this way and that. But Octavia's grip held true as she threw Vinyl's head in the fridge. Vinyl hit the metal racks hard, causing her to writhe around in dazed agony as Octavia positioned her head on the frame. Taking the door and pulling it out as far as it could, Octavia slammed it on Vinyl's face, causing blood to gush out of her newly broken nose.
"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT!?!" Octavia roared. She waited for a minute, expecting an answer. But the blow to her face had rendered Vinyl, at the moment, unable to speak. Octavia didn't take this too well. She reached down and picked Vinyl up, keeping her in balance upon her back. She then walked up the stairs leading to her room, and dumped Vinyl down the stairs. Vinyl rolled down the staircase, creating a rhythmic BUMP noise as she alternatingly crashed her head and her back on the steps.
The pink-eyed mare just looked at the pitiful Vinyl. She almost felt sorry for her. Then she remembered that this Vinyl Scratch had stolen her prized cello. Octavia filled with anger once more, and galloped down the stairs, stopping next to the groaning Vinyl. Octavia bent low once more, right to Vinyl's cut open ear.
"What did you do with her?" She asked.
Vinyl turned to Octavia, still laying on the ground. "I did you a favor." She said hoarsely. This set Octavia off again.
"A FAVOR?!?" She yelled into Vinyl's sensitive ear. "BY STEALING MY CELLO?!" Octavia took Vinyl by her tail, and dragged her toward the basement. She took Vinyl down the hall, and to the left. When she had almost gotten to the basement door, Vinyl had struck out with both of her back legs, landing a heavy blow on Octavia's chest. Octavia was thrown back, and Vinyl desperately got up and pounded down the hall. She reached the front door, and ran out into the night, crimson liquid streaming from her snout.
Octavia sat unmoving for a moment. Her breathing became ragged, and she became enraged. She ran up stairs, flinging her bedroom door open. Opening the closet, Octavia took out a skinny, wooden baton used for conducting an orchestra. Holding this in her mouth, she rushed out to chase the criminal.
Busting the front door's latch, she sprinted out of the house, searching wildly for the white Unicorn. Octavia noticed some tiny spots of blood heading towards the Entertainment District. That was where the auditorium (that Octavia was supposed to be playing in later tonight) was located. Gripping the baton hard, Octavia swiftly set off in pursuit of the thief.
After wandering about for several minutes, Vinyl found herself in a closed off alley. And when she looked back, her throat caught. An Earth pony was silhouetted in the moonlight, and had started down the alley. Vinyl knew who it was. Panicking, Vinyl bolted forward trying to juke the other out. As soon as Vinyl had gotten closer to Octavia, she had seen the thin wooden baton in her teeth, and knew she made a dreadful mistake.
When the terrified Unicorn had darted directly at Octavia, Octavia had smiled. She had whipped the baton through air, and brought it down on her head with almost enough force behind it to break an inphant elephant's neck. A deafening THWACK had occured, along with a SNAP as the stick splintered. Vinyl yelped and fell forward, breaking her chin open on the solid ground. Vinyl lay, defeated.
Octavia stood over the helpless Unicorn menacingly. "Where is she?" She said in an ominous tone.
Vinyl could only manage a "concert". Then she blacked-out.
Concert? thought Octavia curiously. Still fuming, she walked out of the alley, leaving the half-dead Vinyl. The night was calm, and Octavia calmed with it as she walked through the Entertainment District. Reaching the auditorium backstage, she checked around. After scanning multiple rooms containing various mechanisms, she found a door that had a piece of parchment (with words written upon it) stuck on the door's handle. She promptly ripped the paper from it's imprisonment, and read it. It was a letter:
My dearest Octavia,
Hello! I took your cello from it's usual place, and
took it to someponies who will fine tune it, and polish it's finish. I know
you love your cello, and the bond between you two is unbreakable, so
I thought I'd do something nice for both of you. If you are reading this
note, then all you have to do is open the door, and you will find your
cello waiting for you.
Your friend and housemate,
Vinyl (DJ Pon-3) Scratch
Octavia stood there for a moment, reading the letter over and over again. Making sure that what it said was true, she opened the door. The room was relatively empty, a few paintings on the walls, some crumpled and trodden sheet music on the floor, and a knocked-over stand. Next to two pieces of crumpled paper, a sleek black cello case was laying on it's side. Octavia excitedly rushed over and gleefully opened the case. Inside was a dark brown cello. It was shining brightly, even in the dark room. There was what most call a "tiger-striped" pattern on the cello. Meaning, there were different shades of the brown wood that formed "tiger stripes". Octavia stroked the cello's fingerboard softly, taken in the whole cello's appearance. Realizing the time, she gently put the cello back into it's case, making sure to take much caution. When that had been accomplished, she hurriedly walked out of the room and found the event's manager. His voice was suspicious as he asked of the blood on her left fore-leg. She waved the question away, and searched for a bathroom to wash up in. Holding the door open extra long for her cello (she hadn't left it since she found it) she made her way back to the manager, who was busy telling off some staff.
Time seemed to inch by, but soon it was time for her performance. As she walked out on stage, the audience applauded loudly, then took their seats as she did. She looked out in the large mass of ponies in front of her, determination and concentration intertwined as she played the first note of her piece on the D-string. And before she knew it, it was over. Finishing her performance with a gradual vibrato, she bowed to the audience, beaming. A white Unicorn caught her eye. This Unicorn was clopping the most enthusiastically of all, and a broad smile was spread on her face. Octavia also noticed that some cotton had been stuffed in her nostrils, and that her neck was in a brace. But despite this, she still conveyed pure happiness. Octavia bowed graciously once more, then walked off stage.
That night, Celestia received a letter from an uncommon source. It told of a pony that had learned a valuable lesson. Never take anything without asking, even if your intentions are pure. Consequences can be... severe.
