Lemons
This day was going to be perfect. The kind of day of which I've dreamed since I was small....
My name is Octavia Philharmonica. I'm one of the elite. The sophisticates. Some might say that I give off an air of nobility. Ponies often say I was born lucky; With a silver spoon in my mouth, but that is not to say that I haven't worked hard to get where I am today. Music has always been a passion of mine. Of course, as an Earth Pony, many would assume attempting to make a career out of anything other than vocals would be a wasted effort.
They would be wrong.
I’m a cellist by trade, and at the risk of sounding arrogant, quite a good one at that. It was no easy feat to get where I am today. Many of Equestria’s greatest musicians are Unicorns; the utility of magic gives them much of the dexterity needed to handle instruments. At least.... thats what I’ve been told. I don’t have that luxury, and honestly, I never really wanted it. Theres a certain closeness I feel to the music as I personally draw the bow across the strings. I don’t think I could ever give up that feeling..... that personal relationship with my cello...... I couldn’t imagine playing any other way.
I could detail how I got to where I am today, but perhaps some other time. I’m beginning to ramble.... Actually, what I really wanted to talk about was.... well, where all of this has taken me. The fruits of my labors. I was excited when I got the letter, you know.... Straight from the Princess herself! To perform at the Grand Galloping Gala is a dream come true for a mare like me. But.... of course, things never seem to go as intended, do they? Hahaha. Still, every dark cloud has its silver lining....
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Octavia let out a long sigh, resting her hooves on the bar counter, using them to prop her head up as they rested on her cheeks. Her cello case was leaning against her body as she shifted her weight on the barstool. The bartender called out to her, but she was too lost in thought to notice. “How did this even happen..” she muttered to nopony except herself. “How -could- this have happened..”
The bar was abuzz with chatter, almost entirely drowning out the smooth jazz playing over the Jukebox in the corner. It was a busy night; it was the night of the Gala, after all, and it had ended not an hour ago. Still, even the noise could not snap Octavia out of her trance. Only when the bartender lightly rapped on the case of her cello, did she snap to attention. “Sir, I would appreciate it if you did not do that! She’s very delicate, and I don’t want her to get damaged!”
The bartender took a long look at her, before his lips curved into a small smile and he chuckled. “I’m sorry, miss.” He began, as the unicorn levitated a glass over towards himself, along with a washcloth, as he began cleaning the glass, “I meant no harm. Just thought you’d like a drink. Thats what most ponies come here for.” Octavia nodded at the stallion, letting out another sigh, and with that, the bartender put down an empty glass. “Well then, Miss... do you have a preferred poison?”
Octavia idly tapped on the counter with a hoof. “Macoltan.” The single word elicited an impressed whistle, as the bartenders horn began to glow, bringing a bottle of amber liquid into sight. “You know, I don’t usually get you fancy types in here. When I do though, I’m usually serving them Maretinis. I like you though. You go straight for the scotch!” Octavia wordlessly nodded, as the unicorn poured the contents of the bottle into the glass. Octavia stared into her glass without a sound, using her hoof to fiddle with the glass. For a while, she didn’t even bring the golden treasure to her lips.
“Troubles?” The bartender simply asked, and finally Octavia took the container up to her mouth and drank, if only so she didn’t have to answer. Of course, it was only delaying the inevitable, as the unicorn did not magically disappear when the sauce hit her gullet. Placing the glass down and looking at the stallion, she responded with a simple “Yes.”
The bartender’s eyes wandered over to the door, as another mare entered the bar and sat in the stool next to Octavia. Octavia didn’t put forth the effort to look over at her new neighbor. It was impolite to stare, anyway. “Well, I won’t bug you about it, but If you feel like having someone to talk at, just call me over. Serving drinks isn’t the only thing I’m here for.” The bartender directed towards Octavia, before making himself available for the new patron. “Its always nice to see your face around here. The usual?”
Octavia once again became lost in her own thoughts, although this time she mechanically took a drink every once in awhile. It wasn’t long before her thoughts became slightly cloudy and distant, but even so she couldn’t shake the events of earlier that night from her mind. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into an hour, and one drink turned into many more. Eventually, her alcohol riddled mind just couldn’t bear to hold it inside anymore. “Damnit!” She exclaimed, slamming a hoof on the counter in frustration. “Tonight was supposed to be perfect! I’ve worked my entire life for this moment! And then a few mares from who-knows-where completely trash the gala and turn it into some kind of... of zoo!”
An unfamiliar chuckle filled Octavia’s ears as the mare beside her couldn’t help but interject. “Sounds like my kind of party. Wish I had been there. The gala always seemed a bit too stuffy for me. Guess I was wrong!” She exclaimed, continuing to chuckle. Octavia scowled at this, as she turned to face the mare. The pony she was looking at was a unicorn. Her coat was white, but what was really eye-catching was her unkempt mane with a ridiculous blue and neon blue color to it. If that wasn’t enough, she wore a large pair of purple tinted glasses that made it impossible for her to see her eyes.
Octavia took a deep breath to calm herself down, and looked at the mare in annoyance. “Well, I wouldn’t expect you to understand. Not that it is any of your business.” This caused the mare to cock an eyebrow in return. “Now hang on there, filly. I’m not the one shouting her troubles to the whole bar.” She replied, causing Octavia to look around the bar; watching as eyes from all around stared in her direction. Octavia slightly blushed in embarrassment, and let out another sigh. “...I was just about to leave anyway. Sorry, everypony.”
Octavia learned two things in that moment. The first thing, was that she had too much to drink. The second? Lugging around heavy objects when you’ve had too much to drink is a recipe for disaster. As she got to her hooves, her cello case that had been resting on her back was reintroduced to the floor, as gravity toppled her over. She began to glow even brighter in the cheeks as her dignity vanished. “Just kill me now...”
To Octavias surprise, the mare with the outlandish mane and glasses offered a hoof to pull her up. Reluctantly, the hoof was accepted, and Octavia pulled herself back up to her own hooves with the help of the mare. “You’re that sloshed and you can still form proper sentences with no slurring? Color me impressed. Are you going to be good heading out with that big honkin thing on your back?” Octavia glared at her for a moment, before relaxing her face. “I will be fine carrying ‘her’. I do it all the time.” As she said that, she began to step towards the door, only to have the weight of her cello carry her over to the side, almost tripping up once again, if she had not bumped into the bar counter first. “...But perhaps calling me a coach wouldn’t be such a terrible idea...”
. .
“I was just about ready to head out myself. Mind if I hitch a ride with you? I’ll pay half the fare.” Octavia had just gotten inside the coach, with a little help from the mare in the bar. She had to admit, the mare was rather nice, even though she looked a bit like a hooligan. “Names Scratch, by the way. Vinyl Scratch. I don’t think I caught yours?” Octavia looked at her for a moment, and nodded, waving her hoof to invite her inside, as Scratch got inside the coach with her. “Octavia Philharmonica.” She replied, before turning towards the pony who would be pulling the coach. “1748 Canter Heights, please.”
Vinyl leaned back in the coach and made herself comfortable, resting her forehooves behind her head, and crossing her back legs while gently bobbing her hoof up and down. Octavia couldn’t help but stare, but Vinyl paid her no mind. For a moment, anyways. When Vinyl noticed Octavia’s gaze, she gazed back behind her purple shades, before saying “...What? Is there something in my mane?” Octavia broke the gaze immediately, being caught off guard by the sudden question. “Oh... no. You just never told the coach horse where you were headed.” Octavia replied, quickly thinking up an excuse.
Scratch slowly began to grin, before leaning in closer to Octavia. “Ohhh, I see. Wanted my address? Perhaps interested in hanging out again sometime? You know, my bed could fit two-” Octavia didn’t even give her a chance to finish, before snorting indignantly. “Oh please! What do you take me for? I don’t even know you. Besides, I am not that kind of mare.” Octavia crossed her forlegs and her face shifted into an annoyed expression, as she turned her neck away from the unicorn, and began to look out of the window.
Vinyl sighed, shook her head and shrugged. “No sense of humor. It was just a joke. J-o-k-e. You fancy types are never any fun.” Octavia rolled her eyes. “ I can be plenty fun. You just have a crude taste for humor.” She retorted, but that only egged Scratch on. “Oh, is that so? Well then, let’s hear a joke.”
“What...?”
“You heard me! Let’s hear a joke! I’m dying to know what you types find amusing, cuz I sure as hay haven’t seen anything that can even get a smile outta you stiffs.” Octavia gave a deep sigh and shook her head. “After today I am in no mood to make jokes. I just want to get home, take a long relaxing bath, and then go to bed.” Vinyl frowned and closed her eyes hidden behind those shades of hers, letting out a sigh. “Like I said.... Never any fun...”
The ride became silent for a long while. It was one of those awkward silences, where either of them felt like she should be conversing, but there was nothing really to say that readily came to mind. Octavia continued to stare out the window, shifting every once in awhile, but while she was looking outside, her mind was elsewhere. It was Vinyl who first broke the silence, after watching Octavia just stare out into space. “So.... this gala thing has really got you down, hasn’t it? What exactly happened anyways? The whole story.”
This unicorn was very observant. Annoyingly so, in Octavias mind. “I really do not want to think about it right now, Miss Scratch.” She replied with a sigh. Vinyl, however persisted. “But you’re thinking about it right now, aren’t you? What’s the harm in spilling it?” Octavia rubbed her temples with her forhooves, nursing a frustration headache. “Listen, I am very grateful for your help and generosity, and I do not mean to be rude, but quite frankly, I-” But Octavia was cut off, as the coach began to slow to the stop, and the coach horse broke his complete silence. “1748 Canter Heights. That will be 36 bits, Ma’am.”
Octavia sighed, a bit out of relief, before turning her attention back to Vinyl. “My apologies, Miss Scratch, but this is my stop.” She said, as she began to take her leave. Octavia stumbled a bit as she payed the stallion, still hazy from all the alcohol. Vinyl couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. “Holy hay, ‘Tavi, you really -are- quite talented to be holding conversations with THAT much in you.” Octavia paused for a moment, looking back at the unicorn and arched an eyebrow. “.....’Tavi?” The confusion was swiftly met with Vinyl mustering up the most posh voice she could, saying “....Miss Scratch.”
Octavia blinked at her for a moment, before lowering her head with another sigh and shaking it with her eyes closed. “..Have a safe night, Miss Scratch.”
“And to you too, ‘Tavi”
. .
*DING DONG*
Octavia’s head began to throb as she was stirred from her rest. She threw the quilt over her head and tightly wrapped herself in it, in a futile attempt to stifle the dreadful noise.
*DING DONG*
Octavia groaned at the second sounding of that infernal bell. She rolled over, only to realize that there was no bed beneath her, as the tumbled to the ground, tangled in her sheets.
*DING DONG*
She wrested herself from the dumb fabric that imprisoned her, holding her head and gritting her teeth as the throbbing continued. She looked over at the wallclock on her wall. “T-three in the morning?!”
*DING DONG*
Octavia let out a frustrating cry. “UUUUUURGH! What pony in their right mind would be up at this hour?! A crazy one, that’s who!” Octavia began to make her way towards the front door at a brisk pace. Her house was rather large, however, like most upper class Canterlot real estate, and she had to suffer through another doorbell before she could open the door.
“IT. IS. THREE. IN. THE. MORNING!” she briefly lost her composure, as she shouted before even seeing her tormentor. Her mane was in all sorts of a mess, as she did not have the chance to fix her bedmane, and the bags under her eyes were apparent. She glared daggers straight into the eyes of the uninvited guest...... except there were no eyes. Just endless purple.
“Oh, hey ‘Tavi! I was worried I might have gotten the wrong address. What took you so long?” Vinyl replied, paying no mind to the anger Octavia had displayed. Octavia was dumbfounded. “What... what are you-?” But before she could finish stumbling over her words, the unicorn explained herself. “So... funny thing happened, actually. Er... you see, I was minding my own business.... just relaxing a bit while listening to some soothing music when.. well... my landlord was a bit upset at that. Hes not much of a music fan per se. Says I was noise polluting....... so, I’m in a bit of a situation. Don’t have much of a place to stay right now, y’know? You seemed like a nice enough filly, so I thought I’d ask you to put up with me for a night. Or two. You know, until I can find another place, or my landlord cools down. We’re friends, right?”
“Whuh... huh?! Now hold on a-... I just met you! Tonight! At a bar!” Octavia protested. She was still unsure what to make of this. It was so surreal. She would have sworn that she was still dreaming, if it were not for her splitting headache. “......But we’re friends... right?” Octavia’s was at a loss. There was so much information to take in and so many questions that were raised, but she couldn’t put them into words “But...! What...How... Why?!”
Octavia’s brain overloaded, as darkness began to overcome her. Vinyl’s voice became distant, even as the unicorn tried to call out to her. “Hey ‘Tavi... are you alri.....”
And then nothing.
Author's Note
Sooo... yeah. The first chapter of my first fanfic. It took me... a lot longer than it should have, to be honest, and I suppose its rather bland... but this was just an introductory chapter. It is my hope that it will get more interesting once I start getting more into it. Its not quite sad yet, but I am going to try to make it more emotionally charged when it gets deeper into the story.
A Stupid Mistake
I was prepared to do my best, but I wasn’t prepared for this.
Canterlot Castle was beautiful.
There she was, Octavia, alongside her companions playing in front of an audience. But it was not just any audience. It was THE audience. And it wasn’t just -THE- audience. Princess Celestia was there too. The Princess wanted her at the gala. She wanted to hear her perform.
Octavia was suddenly approached by an excitable pink pony. Before Octavia had a chance to do anything, the pony wrapped her hoof around Octavia to pull her in closer and began to whisper to her...... The Pony Pokey? That was an odd, rather childish, request.... but Octavia recognized her. She was the Element of Laughter. She was one of Princess Celestia’s special guests. It would have been rude for her to deny her. Truthfully, Octavia didn’t mind it. It wouldn’t change the fact that she was here at the gala at the Princess’s request. Nothing could ruin that.
It was the best night ever.
Suddenly, statues came tumbling down thanks to a cyan mare. Pillars crumbled and collapsed, littering the floor with marble and debris. The guests began to panic and scatter around erratically like insects, as the garden entrance burst open. A stampede of wild animals stormed in, being chased by a yellow pegasus and began to wreak havoc, tearing tapestries to shreds, and chasing the now frightened and fleeing guests.
No, wait. This wasn’t the best night ever. It was a HORRIBLE night! The WORST night ever!
While all this chaos ensued, Octavia couldn’t move. She was paralyzed. She felt... no... she HEARD her heart pounding. She tried to look back at her bandmates, but they were gone. In fact.... nothing was in the castle halls, not even the animals that were destroying the place not ten seconds before......everypony was gone.
All except one.
Octavia’s pulse quickened, as she stared up at the face of the one who remained. Her heartbeats became louder and louder, like the snares of drums. Celestia stared back at her, her glare sending a clear message. She had failed. Miserably so, in fact. Celestia’s eyes began to glow brightly. They radiated with such an intensity, that Octavia could not help but briefly raise a hoof to shield herself, lest she be blinded by their brilliance. It was as if the Princess’ once gentle and kind eyes, had been replaced by two suns, both bitter and scorching. Octavia was clearly not a welcome guest any longer.
The celestial goddess slowly approached the frightened cellist, each hoofstep echoing in her ears, in tune with Octavia’s heartbeats.
“OCTAVIA PHILHARMONICA!”
The Princess howled at the paralyzed mare, demanding her full attention. Her voice at that moment could only be described as terrifying..... No..... to call her terrifying wouldn’t do it justice. It sounded like the wails of the dead, come back to haunt her as if she were a vengeful ghost. The voice was coming at her from all sides, causing Octavia to tremble. “THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! HOW DARE YOU MAKE A MOCKERY OF ME?!”
Octavia tried to flee, but her hooves were lead. Celestia finally stopped in front of the comparatively little pony, her body towering overhead, humbling the musician with her presence. Her mane whipped out wildly, and wrapped itself around the gray mare, as if it was trying to swallow her whole, licking at her like flames would before engulfing a piece of firewood. “P-please, Princess! I didn’t mean to upset you! I wanted nothing but to do my best for you!” she protested.
Celestia was unimpressed.
“SILENCE!” Celestia commanded, causing Octavia to flinch back. “YOU CANNOT EXPECT TO GO UNPUNISHED!” The princess stamped one of her hooves down in anger, causing the ground to quake beneath her. The only reason it did not cause Octavia to fall to her haunches is that she was being pushed up into the air to the goddess’ eye level. Octavia’s pupils constricted as she was forced to look directly into the blinding orbs, and translucent energies began to collect around Celestia’s horn; she was preparing to cast a spell.
What was she going to do to her?! Would she be imprisoned? Thrown into some stocks to be publicly ridiculed? ‘Octavia, the mare who had the audacity to embarrass the Princess publicly during the most prestigious event of the year?!’ Or would she suffer the fate of the goddess’ sister? Octavia felt powerless. Hopeless. Her career was over. All over a stupid little mistake.....
“I will fly you to the moon and back, if you’ll be...”
That..... that sounded odd. Not like Celestia at all
“If you’ll be my filly.”
Wait, what? What did she say..?
“GAAAH!” Octavia shouted as she shot up, tumbling out of her.... couch? Since when did she lay down on her couch? Octavia groaned and held her head. Nevermind that. That wasn’t important at the moment. There was music blaring from somewhere, and it was doing a number on her head. Her vision was blurred from her recent awakening and her body felt too heavy to lift up fully, as she scrambled around, scanning with her hooves for the small table that usually held the remote for her stereo system.
The gray earth pony finally made it to the table and reached for the remote, but... it wasn’t there. Actually... now that she thought about it, this music was completely unfamiliar to her. She certainly wasn’t hearing one of her own CDs. All Octavia knew, however, was that it was cranked up way too loud and that her head did not appreciate it.
And then all of a sudden, the music stopped. As Octavia’s eyes began to focus, she noticed her stereo’s remote floating in a blue aura above her table, only for the aura to completely vanish. The remote fell to the table with a loud clatter, causing Octavia to flinch.
“Oh, heya ‘Tavi, you’re finally awake!”
Oh no....
Octavia stood up, her grogginess starting to subside as she turned towards the direction the voice had come from, and indeed there she was. Vinyl Scratch. “I never said you could stay here!” Octavia shouted, nearly dumbstruck. It was hard to gauge Vinyl’s reaction as it was partially masked by her shades. Did she ever take those things off...?
The unicorn remained silent for a minute, perhaps unsure of how to respond, but the silence did not last long. “....Yeah? It’s kind of hard to give permission when you’re unconscious... and its not like I was gonna leave you there in the open doorway. What the hay was that all about anyway?”
Octavia’s cheeks began to burn in embarrassment. Thats right.... she did pass out, didn’t she? That was not her finest moment. She shook her head to herself, pushing the thought to the back of her mind. “W-well... So?! That still doesn’t mean you should make yourself at-” an acrid stench suddenly hit Octavia’s muzzle, distracting her from her train of thought. The fire alarm started beeping loudly, and Octavia’s eyes were immediately drawn to the kitchen, from which smoke was pouring out. She quickly turned to Vinyl, who was now racing towards the source.
“Oh shoot! Shoot shoot shoot! I was cooking ya some breakfast as a thank you for letting me stay, and-”
“I never said you could stay!” Octavia protested, but the unicorn didn’t respond. She was too distracted with the kitchen. “Y-you better not have caught anything on fire!” Octavia warned, following the unicorn as the smoke got thicker. Octavia let out some involuntary coughs, trying to wave the fumes from her face. Scratch used her magic to take a pan off the stove and quickly turned it off, leaving the ruined breakfast on the counter, before opening a window and allowing the smoke to escape.
“There! Everything is fixed! No trouble at all!” The unicorn announced, apparently pleased with herself. She turned to Octavia, who was still in a coughing fit, giving the cellist a nervous chuckle while rubbing the back of her head with a forehoof. “So uhhh.... in the mood for some pancakes?”
Octavia responded with an annoyed glare. Her eyes scanned over the pan holding blackened discs, before returning her gaze towards Scratch. “I think I’ll eat out this morning. You, on the other hand...-” She began, walking back into the living quarters momentarily, before returning with a CD case in her hoof, holding it out for the unicorn to grab. “-.... need to pack up anything else you brought with you. I just cannot house every single pony I just happen to meet, especially if it was in a bar.”
Vinyl just stood there, her eyes unreadable, but the earth pony could see the disappointment in the way her ears drooped. “‘Tavi.... I don’t have anywhere to go right now.” She said, her sadness apparent in her voice. “I promise I’ll help out around the place, just until I can get my old place back. Please, all I need is a day or two.”
Octavia’s expression softened. Great. Now she felt like a bad guy. “...Miss Scratch.....” Octavia sighed. “... I have to go run some errands today. You have until I return. Feel free to use my phone to make some calls, or anything else to get your affairs in order. I suggest speaking with your landlord and coming to a compromise. Promising not to play music at full volume in the middle of the night is a start.... If you still haven’t left by the time I get back, then....” Octavia frowned and shook her head. “I.... well, there’s a nice hotel not too far from here I can direct you to, but you must understand... I really do not know you. It isn’t normal for somepony to let a stranger live with them.”
The unicorn’s horn began to glow, as the CD case Octavia held out for her left her hooves, and hovered its way over to Vinyl. “Yeah... I got it. Sorry for getting in your mane.” She replied with a heavy sigh. “Thanks for not kicking me out immediately.... I’ll go make some calls.” And with that, Vinyl left the room. Octavia frowned and lowered her head feeling a little guilty. She had nothing against the unicorn; in fact, she was rather nice, if a little eccentric. But there were things ponies just did not do, and this one one of them.
Octavia shook the thought from her mind. “Well...” the mare paused for a moment, before letting out a quiet groan. “I suppose..... time to get ready...”
Octavia had heard of this place. She could see why it was so talked about, although the mare herself was unimpressed. The circular restaurant had an elegant red carpet, stunning glass chandeliers, and was sitting atop of a hotel twenty-five stories high. The glass walls allowed one to look over Canterlot while the entire floor slowly rotated. As Octavia went to pick up a fork to spear a piece of salad, she couldn't help but notice that the silverware was made from pure gold, with infinitely complex designs delicately engraved into the handles.
Waiters and Waitresses were buzzing around the place, all wearing the most formal wear you could imagine, yet were probably paid a pittance. The meals were overpriced and the portion sizes were so small, that they would make an emaciated pony weep, all done in the name of ‘presentation’. It even had a menu with such intricate typing, you would probably need a specialist to translate the damn thing for you, even if the words weren’t already in Fancee! The owner spared no expense in making this the poshest and most eye-catching place they could..... next to Canterlot Castle, of course. Octavia usually enjoyed a nice meal in a fancy restaurant, but not this one. This was overkill. It reeked of unwarranted self-worth.
The Gait House; probably the most high-class.... and most expensive restaurant in Canterlot. It was an ‘interesting’ place, to say the least. The food really wasn't anything special; She had tasted better at any number of four-star restaurants. No, the large price tag came from the prestige it granted to its patrons. After all, the more you pay, the more important you feel, right? Octavia didn’t really care about that, honestly; prestige was something to be earned, not bought. But she wasn’t here because she wanted to be.
“.......So, by the time I was thirteen, I was able to make a small fortune with no help from my mother or father, which I invested into a banking firm...”
Boring. Boring Boring Boring Boring. Octavia simply didn’t know why she let herself be talked into these things. She had left Manehattan to get away from her parents’ influence. Still.... they were her parents, no matter how overbearing and... uncomfortable they were to be around. It was only a single date, anyway. She had no obligation to this stallion.
Octavia nibbled a bit on her miniscule salad, nodding every once in awhile as if she was paying attention. The Earth Stallion she was with was your typical rich snob; his mark was probably a sack of money, or perhaps a chequebook. Octavia didn’t know, and she didn’t bother to check; As if she would give this pony the satisfaction with the knowledge that she had looked at his flank.
His mother was an acquaintance of Octavia’s parents, and thats how this little date was arranged. The cream colored aristocrat didn’t attempt to hide his vanity. Every once in awhile he would use the glass walls to check on his reflection, making sure his golden mane was in perfect condition. He loved talking about himself; you couldn’t get him to shut up if you held a gun to his head, really, and that was fine by her. It made it a lot easier to pretend to be interested. As long as this stallion didn’t try to ask about the cellist’s life, she was content, and she did not see that happening anytime soon.
Octavia found herself thinking back to her nightmare from last night and shuddered mentally. It was strange, really... she had no reason to believe the whole fiasco was her fault, but the mare couldn’t help feel like she had failed. It was the most important moment in her life and she screwed it up somehow. Maybe If she had just stuck with the program and had ignored that silly little request.....
Damnit, Octavia. Stop thinking about it. Everything will be fine. Life will go on, and there will be more galas.
But why would she be invited back after that disaster?
Octavia sighed.
“My dear, I must say, you are a radiant beauty. Even Celestia herself would be envious. Would it be too terribly rude of me to ask for your hoof? We would make quite a couple, would we not? And with our families, it would be quite a powerful partnership.”
Well this got really awkward, really fast.
Octavia dropped her fork, surprised by his sudden forwardness. She searched her mind for an excuse, any excuse at all. “I, uhm.... but Mister....”
“Gaits.”
Oh yes, thats right. She was on a date with the owner of this so called establishment. In his own restaurant. How modest of him. “Ah, but... Mister Gaits. This was only our first date. Don’t you think this is all progressing a bit too..... fast?” Octavia shifted nervously, before looking away from her date. Her eyes traveled to the nearby glass wall, allowing her to peer out and look at Canterlot Castle from a distance. Anything was better than looking at him. Looking into his eyes unnerved her, and she wasn’t too terribly excited to hear his response.
“Ah, yes, I see. The ‘hard to get’ angle.” He said so matter-of-factly, as if it was some sort of game to him. “Rest assured, my dear, you will not regret being my wife. You wouldn’t have to lift a hoof ever again. Not even to play that violin-”
"Cello."
“Yes, that cello. You would be well taken care of.” he finished. Octavia felt queasy just thinking about it. She could tell just from that answer alone he did not care for her at all. He only saw her as a trophy, and as a way to strengthen the relationship between their two families.
“Ah, I am terribly sorry, but I am feeling a bit faint at the moment. I think I may need to get home soon to lie down...” That was a lie. What she needed to do is get away from him. Far far away. Zebrica was nice this time of year, wasn’t it?
The stallion grinned. It was a self-gratifying grin, as if he were thinking he had won, hook line and sinker. “Ah, I see, m’dear. I did not mean to overwhelm you. We shall discuss this at another time, then? Allow me to see you home.”
Octavia immediately shook her head. “Ah, no, that is quite alright-”
“I insist!”
Octavia sighed. It didn’t look like he was going to give this one up, and Octavia was running out of excuses. “Well... I suppose if you really wish to...”
The walk home was agonizing. Gaits took it upon himself to go into excruciating detail about his businesses and his bank. Once in awhile would complain about how they should have taken a coach, because a ‘fair maiden’ should not have to walk. In reality, though, it was himself that despised the walk. Octavia was hardly listening to all of this; mostly because if she didn’t tune him out, she would probably be yelling at him to shut the buck up, and that would be unbecoming of her.
Hm.. something wasn’t right.... Octavia could feel it. They were the only ones in sight on this particular path, and it looked unfamiliar to her. It wasn’t exactly the ‘poor’ district, but the buildings and houses were not as large as she was accustomed to, and there were a lot more of them to compensate. The pathing looked more or less the same, except it seemed a lot older and a lot more worn.
Did she take a wrong turn somewhere....? It wouldn’t be out of the question. Gaits’ incessant rambling made her tune everything out. Octavia slowed to a stop, surveying the area in front of her. “Hm...”
“This surely cannot be where you live, can it, my dear?” Her date asked. He sounded flabbergasted, as if, Octavia assumed, he was being asked to give his employees healthcare. “This is where the more common folk live.”
All of a sudden, Octavia was grabbed from behind, and she felt something cold and sharp get pressed to her neck. She opened her mouth to scream, but a wadded up handkerchief covered in a yellow aura was stuffed inside her mouth before she could utter a peep. Octavia struggled to shout past the dirty cloth, as she was pushed up against a wall. She couldn't see anything other than brick.
“What’s going on here?!” She heard Gaits shout, followed by a very audible *SMACK*.
“I thought I recognized you. Can’t even walk into the bank without seeing your face plastered over everything” Said a distant voice. There had to be at least two of the thugs. The one who was holding her was too close for that to be his voice. “Now listen up and listen good, and I’ll explain it simply. Twenty-thousand bits. I know you can afford it. If you don't want this fair filly here to give this house a new coat of paint, then I better see the cash before the day is over.”
Octavia tried struggling, as tears began to stream down her eyes. It was a futile gesture, but she could not see that through her panic. The stallion above her didn’t appreciate the difficulty she was giving him, and as a result, Octavia began to feel the blade that he held close to her throat dig deep into her flesh. Not enough to bleed, but deep enough that if the mare so much as gave her neck any slack, she risked the doing the deed herself. In this state, the frightened cellist could do little else but let out muffled and subdued whimpers.
The bound mare heard the sounds of a pony galloping away at an alarming pace, and that was all she needed to hear to know what had happened. “HEY! YOU SONUVABITCH! DON’T YOU CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR MARE?!” Octavia heard the shouts of the raging thug. How could she have been so careless?! How stupid must she be to have gone down this road without even paying attention?! And why wasn’t she surprised that that poor disgusting excuse for a gentleman would leave her to these jackals to save his own hide?!
This was it. Octavia had to do something now, or she was dead. With all the force the cornered mare could muster, she raised her back leg and bucked as hard as she could. The stallion let out a high pitched squeal as the knife to her neck fell to the ground and the grip on her fell away completely. She turned to flee, but she was suddenly flung with a powerful force onto the ground. Octavia turned to face her aggressor, but a hoof came down on top of her, knocking her breath away.
The struggling earth pony was pinned, but she could see his face. The red unicorn was so lanky, that one could mistake him for an oddly colored giraffe. His face was contorted into a disgusting scowl, and his mane was non-existent. He bit down hard on a cigar and took a drag, before telekinetically pulling it from his mouth and blowing smoke into Octavia’s face, causing her to go into a coughing fit.
This was it. She was going to die.
“Now listen here, bitch.” He growled, making Octavia’s blood feel like it had frozen over. She couldn't help but tremble underneath his terrifying presence. “Your stallion had better reconsider within ten minutes, or else you are going to wish you were home with your mommy and daddy.” He said, slowly raising his hoof. Octavia gasped as the weight disappeared from her chest, allowing her to take in deep breaths.
“BUT!” Before Octavia could parse what had happened, she heard a crunch, and her right foreleg was engulfed in an excruciating pain. Octavia began to squirm in agony, as her screams of anguish were muffled by the makeshift gag, and her tears began to pool up on the ground. “He needs to know that bucking with me is not without consequences.”
Octavia wasn’t listening. Her leg was in too much pain! Her leg hurt so much! HER LEG! The thug didn't even have the decency to remove his hoof from her leg! Why was she even expecting decency?! Who the buck cares! It didn’t keep her leg from hurting!
There may have been a loud *THUD*. Octavia wasn't sure. What she did know is that the stallions hoof was no longer on her leg, and that he was laying right beside her with a sizable lump forming on the back of his head. Not that it mattered! Her leg was destroyed! Demolished! Crushed! Her life was over! If she wasn’t killed by these thugs, then her career was certainly ruined! She couldn't stand to even think about that. She needed to be able to make music. She NEEDED to! The pain was nothing compared to the thought that she would never play her cello again! Without music in her life.... she may as well be dead!
Maybe... maybe it wasn't that bad? Of course! How stupid of her to assume the worst! Octavia attempted to lift her leg, only for another wave of unbearable pain to shoot through it. PAIN. BAD. DON’T DO THAT OCTAVIA! The hysterical mare cringed. But it was okay. She would be fine! It was just... tender! She only needed to let it rest for a couple hours.... a day, tops!
“Oh Celestia, ‘Tavi?! I’ll be right back! I’m going to get some help!” Octavia felt the balled up handkerchief yanked from her mouth, allowing her wails to escape unhindered. “SOMEPONY CALL AN AMBULANCE!” She heard a familiar voice shout. Maybe. It wasn’t clear to her. The only thing on her mind was her leg, as she cradled back in forth behind pained sobs. Her leg. Her leg. Her leg..........
Her leg........
“You are very, very lucky that your friend stumbled upon you when she did, Miss Philharmonica.” The mare in the white coat explained with a gentle smile. “The fracture itself is very severe. It could take you twelve.... maybe sixteen weeks to heal, and even afterwards, it would be wise not to stress it for a while.” The unicorn held up the X-rays with her magic and put them on the viewbox. Octavia flinched at what she saw.
Octavia was sitting upright in a hospital bed. The room was a small squarish area with a raisable bed, sink, a couple chairs, and a receptacle to dispose of biohazardous material. “It’s... it’s that bad?” Octavia stammered. She could still feel the dull throb, even hopped up on strong painkillers. “But... what about my job? I can’t perform without my leg. I can’t go four entire months without playing!”
The doctor sighed. “I’m sorry, Miss Philharmonica. I can’t do anything about that. You’re lucky that you aren’t dead, from what I’ve heard.” She replied. “Take one step at a time. First and foremost you need to think about your leg healing. You should be good to go home by the end of the day, but just in case, we would like to keep you here for a couple hours to monitor your condition.”
Octavia lowered her head, her ears drooping as she stared at her leg, once free, now casted and put into a sling. Vinyl approached her and put her hoof gently on her shoulder. “‘Tavi... it’s gonna be okay.” She assured her. What did she know, though? Her career depended on this. And once her leg healed... then what? Would her playing ever be the same? What if the pain never fully disappeared? Could she play like that? Could she even play at all?
Octavia couldn’t help but begin to sob.
“....I’ll give you some time. If you need anything, please let one of the nurses know.” The doctor felt it best to allow the broken mare her space. Giving both Octavia and Vinyl a slight nod, the doctor left the room. Octavia just stared at her cast, unable to take her eyes off of it. She wished this was a dream. A nightmare. That was something she could handle. If it was all in her head, then everything would have been fine! But this.....
“‘Tavi?”
Octavia was no longer herself. A mere shadow of what she formerly was. Everything she had worked her life for was taken from her in an instant. Her career was over. All because she wasn’t strong enough. All because she wasnt paying attention to where she was going. All because of a stupid mistake.
“‘Tavi, c'mon... look at me.”
Octavia craned her head in the direction of Scratch, who she could just tell was looking at her sympathetically; even behind those shades of hers, she felt her eyes on her all the same. It... calmed her somewhat.
“How did you even find me...? I thought you would have been busy making calls.” The grey mare asked, trying to get her mind off of her uselessness. Not that it made any difference. “You couldn’t have known where I would be.”
Scratch looked at Octavia with a smile, and nodded. “Oh yeah.... about that...” she began, trotting up to a seat and making herself comfortable, before turning back towards Octavia. “Well, ya see, my landlord lives up near where I found you, so I was heading over there to try and convince him not to kick my flank to the curb. But before I even reached the place, there was this posh looking stallion who galloped around the corner like he lit his tail on fire..-”
The gray mare scowled at the mention of the stallion, causing the unicorn to momentarily pause. Octavia took notice of this and her expression quickly softened. “Sorry.... please continue.”
Vinyl seemed to give Octavia a look behind those purple shades of hers. “Ok... so, anyways.... as I was saying,” The unicorn continued. “Well, whoever he was, he was screaming like a little filly at the top of his lungs; One of the funniest things I’d seen in Luna knows how long!” Scratch couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.
Well he certainly acted like a little filly, didn’t he? A spoiled little filly. Not a single chivalrous bone in his...... Octavia mentally shook her head and let her bitter thoughts pass. She had enough on her plate right now without having to worry about that slimeball.
“It’s not everyday you see somepony like THAT around there, you know? Especially not acting like the boogeymare was chasing them. So naturally I was curious. I mean, who wouldn’t be? So I took a slight detour and headed down the way he came from. That's when I saw that bastard on top of you! I did the first thing that came to mind and clocked him upside the head with a loose brick, but good! When he collapsed, that's when I saw what he’d done to you, so I rushed off to get some help.”
Octavia silently nodded, her mind traveling back to what had happened. The thought elicited a shudder from her. She had almost died. She certainly WOULD have, if it weren’t for.... if it weren’t for Scratch. Octavia’s eyes rested on the mare, saying not a word; just.... looking. The cellist hadn’t noticed before, but... Vinyl was a musician like her, wasn’t she? It showed through her cutie mark. It was a strange thing to notice at the time, all things considered, but strange things tended to stick out when you let your mind travel.
Octavia broke her gaze as she lowered her head. What did she do to deserve such kindness? What had she given her in return? “....Why are you so nice to me?”
“‘Tavi...”
“...Why? We hardly know each other. I kicked you out of my house when you desperately needed a place to stay.... And yet you risked yourself to save my life... and on top of that, here you are, keeping me company in this damned hospital, when you should be worrying about your own problems.”
The unicorn couldn’t help but smirk. “Well, that’s what friends do. And we’re friends..... right?”
Octavia silently chuckled to herself, a tear falling from her eye and landing on her cast. The chuckle slowly began to grow louder into something ambiguous that could not be recognized fully as either a laugh or a sob. “Yes.... yes, I suppose you’re right.....” Octavia responded, wiping a tear from her eye before looking towards the unicorn.
And for the first time since the Gala, she smiled. “Well then, friend.... Do you still need a place to stay?”
Author's Note
Aaaand I have a pre-reader to help me make things perfect now! The original draft had around 3300 words, but it ended up about 2000 words longer, after some heavy editing. Anyways, I've stopped using colored text for talking, and I am also testing a new style that hopefully will help readers relate more to Octavia. This was really stressful, but also fun to work on! I'm probably going to take a break for a couple days before starting on chapter 3. Enjoy!
