Chapters Octavia always enjoyed the countryside. The gentle breeze, the wonderful scenery, and most of all, the pure silence, compared to living with a hard-core, bass-dropping DJ.
The silence of course, didn’t last very long as Octavia heard a familiar, boisterous voice behind her.
“‘Sup, Tavi? Mind if I liven up this joint?” said the blue-maned white unicorn behind her. Vinyl Scratch, or more commonly known as DJ-PON3. She was pushing a black box with four circular rivets on one side. A giant subwoofer, to be exact.
“Oh, no. Not again. The last time you used that thing , you nearly caused an avalanche!” Octavia cried, preparing to move from her spot.
“Not this time. I’ve been looking for an excuse to test out my bass cannon’s new upgrade.” Vinyl Scratch said, waving her hoof at Octavia.
“Upgrade?” Octavia asked, instantly regretting the decision to ask her.
“Chill, its just a positioning function. Watch.” Vinyl said, grasping the sides of the cannon and pointing the end of it up into the sky at a 45 degree angle.
“Ok, your upgrade works. Time for me to go now.” Octavia muttered, but Vinyl quickly pulled her back.
“Hold on there, Tavi. You gotta check the rest of this out.” Vinyl said, and began powering up the device. The panels of the subwoofer began to slide away, revealing a large pulsating speaker.
“Oh dear.” Octavia muttered, covering her ears as a Vinyl flicked the switch.
The air began shaking as a blue laser shot from the cannon, wildly pulsating to the beat of the heavy techno song. Vinyl had a wicked grin on her face, and began swiveling the laser slowly so it changed its path.
Vinyl’s sunglasses started to crack under the intense pounding of the music started to make everything around her vibrate. Soon, the song ended, the cannon started to loose energy, and fold back into a regular subwoofer.
Vinyl Scratch smirked. “There. No harm, no foul.” she boasted, causing Octavia to roll her eyes. However, the cellist caught a glimpse of something in the sky. A dark, blurry shape rocketing toward the ground. Vinyl stared at the object as well, and the dark shape soon crashed into a small part of the forest a short while away.
Octavia rushed toward the fallen object, with Vinyl short behind. “No harm, you said. No foul, you said.” The earth pony said, mocking Vinyl’s promise.
“Hey! I didn’t know this was going to happen! Besides, what are the odds we actually hurt somepony?” Vinyl asked, but her question was finally answered as the reached the crash site.
Laying a small divot in the ground, was a stallion. A gray-coated pegasus, with a brown mane, unkempt from plummeting to the ground. One of his wings was bent at an unnatural angle, and he was covered with scratches and bruises. His eyes were shut as he lay face down in the dirt. His cutie mark was a small crimson shield, and he carried some saddle-bags on his back.
“The odds are you did hurt somepony! That blasted cannon of yours did this!” Octavia yelled at Vinyl, brushing away some debris and rubble off the pegasus.
“I didn’t mean to! I didn’t know he was there!” Vinyl retaliated, removing her broken glasses.
“Let’s just get him to Ponyville before someone else gets hurt...” Octavia muttered, Vinyl helping her carry the unconscious pegasus.
<><><><><><><>
“You’re in luck, girls. This pony’s just has some very minor blunt trauma. Given a few hours of sleep, and he’ll be fine.” Nurse Redheart said to Octavia and Vinyl Scratch.
“That’s a load off my mind.” Octavia sighed.
“Yes, but remember to keep quiet around him. He almost had his eardrums ruptured, but as long as everything around him is quiet, he’ll heal in a day or two.” Redheart explained, unveiling a curtain which housed the grey stallion in a hospital bed. He was still asleep, but his ears were bandaged.
“Nurse? Is it alright if I... watch over him? I just feel the need to make it up to him.” Vinyl asked.
“Well, I don’t see why not. Take all the time you need.” Redheart answered, stepping out of the room.
Octavia raised an eyebrow. “Vinyl? Are you being... considerate?” she asked, a little surprised at her friend.
“So? I just wanna make sure he’s ok. I did this, after all.” The DJ said, sitting next to the injured stallion.
Octavia blinked. Now Vinyl was acting responsible . It wasn’t like her to accept the negative consequences of her actions, but why stop her now? “Alright. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” The earth pony said, leaving Vinyl Scratch with the pegasus.
<><><><><><><><><>
The stallion slowly open his eyes, which faintly shimmered a light blue in the morning light.
“Oh... my head... what happened?” He asked aloud, observing his surroundings. He found himself in a white hospital room. Not too bad, in his opinion. That only meant someone brought him for help after he blacked out.
“Did I crash? How did I wind up here?” He thought, as he felt his wing stinging.
“Hey. Look’s like you finally woke up.” He heard, looking to see Vinyl Scratch sitting in a chair beside the bed.
“Wait a second... you’re DJ-PON3.” He said, rubbing his eyes.
“Yeah. But that’s my stage name. My real name’s Vinyl Scratch.” she replied.
“What are you doing here? What happened? How long was I out? And-... are you going through my saddlebags?!” The pegasus asked, as Vinyl had her hooves in the bags that the pegasus was carrying.
“To answer your questions, first, you were, uh... unfortunate enough to be in the path of my bass cannon.” Vinyl replied, not looking up from the bag. The pegasus felt a scowl form on his face, wincing at his head throbbing.
“Second, you were only out for a day. Just for the night. Nurse Redheart said you should be fine. And lastly, yes I was. I couldn’t help it. I got curious.” She said, flipping through some photographs.
“Hey! Put those back!” The pegasus frantically yelled hoarsely.
“No way... I know this guy!” Vinyl said, holding out a photograph to the pegasus. It showed the same gray and brown pony, but as a young colt. Beside him was a smaller, unicorn foal, with a mane colored a dark red, and fur was a light gray. Standing above the two colts, were two other ponies. The stallion looked a lot like the smaller colt, a unicorn with a shaggy, black brown and grey coat. His cutie mark were three silver lines, parallel to each other. Beside him was a pegasus mare, with a bright red mane and white fur. Her cutie mark was a small wisp of fire.
“How’d you and your family score a photo with Iron Strings? Get it at one of his concerts?” Vinyl asked.
“Uh.. well, actually... that’s my dad.” The pegasus said reluctantly. Vinyl’s mouth dropped.
“No way. You’re dad is Iron Strings?!” she asked, clearly awestruck. The stallion nodded. “Omigosh! He’s the best pony in the rock genre to date! I’ve met him and believe me, he’s amazing! I’ve never heard a pony shred like he could!” Vinyl cheered.
“Ow! Not so loud...” the pegasus said putting his hooves over his bandaged ears. “Yeah.. Iron Strings is my father. What of it?” He said coldly.
Vinyl had a confused look on her face. “Aren’t you proud? You’re dad’s a star! He’s famous!”
“Yeah. I know he’s famous. He’s only been around when I was colt, and once his career picked up, he left me and my brother to my mom.” The pegasus grumbled, slumping back in the hospital bed.
“So? Every musician travels a lot.”
“Yeah, I know. You’re Vinyl Scratch. You know musicians do that. But do you have a family that misses you?” He asked, and Vinyl’s eyes widened.
“Now that I think about it... I don’t. But that’s no reason to be upset with your dad.” she muttered.
“Yeah, well it get’s worse. When I got my cutie mark, I wrote a letter to him. He wrote back, and he was proud, supportive, the whole deal.” The pegasus began.
“So? That’s good!”
The pegasus glared at Vinyl. “But my younger brother got his cutie mark a short while later. And when Iron Strings heard about that, he personally canceled his tour to visit.”
“..and that’s bad how?”
The pegasus paused. “He wanted to take my brother into the music industry, not me. Just ‘cause of some cutie mark.”
Vinyl stopped and stared at him. “That’s pretty rough.”
“You don’t say. I came over to Ponyville so I could start over again. New job, new friends, and I-” The pegasus froze as he mentioned the word ‘friends’. “I shouldn’t have said that.” He muttered softly.
Vinyl raised an eyebrow. She looked at the next photograph in the saddlebag. Six ponies (including the gray pegasus), confident and jubilant. Two other stallions stood beside him, along with three mares. In total, the group consisted of two unicorns, two earth ponies, and two pegasi. The unicorn mare had a charming smile, with an orange and gold mane and a cream colored coat. She was standing very close to the grey pegasus, her head resting on his shoulder.
“Is that your...?” Vinyl asked, inspecting the picture. The stallion’s eyes widened, and he swiped the photo from Vinyl’s grasp.
“I appreciate your hospitality, but I think you’ve overstayed your welcome.” The pegasus scowled.
Vinyl slowly backed away from the bed and stepped out of the room. “I’m sorry. Get well soon...” Vinyl said.
“Please. Just go.” The stallion said coldly.
Vinyl shut the door, giving him his privacy.
“I didn’t even get his name. Does he hate me?” She wondered, half-heartedly walking down the hospital corridors.
Repercussions of an Arrogant Unicorn
Vinyl stepped into her house, a little disappointed at herself.
“Ah, Vinyl. There you are. Care for some tea?” Octavia asked.
“No thanks.” Vinyl said gloomily.
“Is something wrong? You look a little upset.”
Vinyl sighed as she plopped onto the couch. “That gray pegasus. I found out his father was Iron Strings, but it didn’t really go so well. He even kicked me out of his room.”
Octavia raised an eyebrow. “Iron Strings? We incapacitated the son of a rock and roll musician?”
“Yeah. He doesn’t really like that fact, though.”
Octavia scratched her chin. Being a musician herself, she could see the stress involved there. “Well, why did he kick you out?”
“Well, I kinda went through his stuff.”
Octavia glared at her roommate. “Vinyl! Did you actually invade his personal space?!”
“I was bored, ok!?” Vinyl sighed.
Octavia rolled her eyes. “Well, what is he like?”
“He seems fine. I think his ears might have recovered.” Vinyl said, summoning a mug of coffee.
“No, I mean is he... nice?” Octavia asked, glancing out the window.
Vinyl turned her head in confusion. “He’s alright. He seem’s a little distraught about his father, but I guess if you look past that, he seems like an average pony. He’s not that bad.”
“But I thought you said he kicked you out.”
“That’s understandable. I went through his stuff. However...”
“However, what?”
“He got kind of antsy when I found another picture. It looked like a group of his friends.”
“Odd... I wonder why that would ruffle his feathers.” Octavia pondered.
“Whatever. He seems upset with me. Not sure if he’d appreciate any more company.”
“Perhaps not from Vinyl Scratch...” Octavia thought.
<><><><><><>
The sun was a little higher in the sky, hours after Vinyl’s morning ‘visit’.
Octavia stepped into the hospital, and was quickly greeted by Nurse Redheart. “Why, hello, Miss Octavia. Here to see that new friend of yours?”
“Yes. How is he doing?” The earth pony said, following the nurse down the hallway.
“He’s doing much better. His eardrums have healed rather quickly, and his wing isn’t half bad either.” She said, stopping at a closed door. “This is his room.”
“Thank you, nurse.” Octavia nodded, then creaked the door open. The grey pegasus sat in his bed, moving a pencil amongst the pages of a notebook. He hadn’t noticed the cellist until she cleared her throat.
“Ahem.”
The stallion looked up from his book, and closed it. “Oh, hi there. Do I know you?” he asked, with a small smirk on his face.
“Well... My name’s Octavia. My friend Vinyl visited you earlier.” She said, taking a seat next to the hospital bed.
“Octavia, eh? I’ve heard great things about your symphonies. And it looks like musicians can’t stay away from me.” The pegasus said, but his expression turned a little sour. “So, you and Vinyl Scratch are friends?”
“Well, roommates to be exact. She gets a little... headstrong.” Octavia sighed.
“You two are roommates? Talk about an odd couple.” The pegasus muttered.
“True, we do have our differences. But Vinyl’s a kind pony. She always means well.”
“Yea, I’m sure she meant well as she was going through my stuff.”
“Well, she’s truly sorry about that.” Octavia chuckled. “And I’m sorry too. For letting Vinyl put you in this predicament.”
“It’s ok. I don’t blame you as much as Vinyl. From the sound of what happened, she knocked me out of the sky with her ‘cannon’.” The stallion said, patting his ears gently.
Octavia rolled her eyes. “Ugh... don’t get me started on that ‘bass’ of hers. She think’s its the solution to everything! Even when she washes the dishes...”
The stallion shrugged. “Bass is alright. It’s good for setting a beat and adding tone as you focus on the melody.” He replied.
“You seem to know a lot about music.” Octavia said.
“Well, my dad is a musician. I guess these sort of things rub off onto you.”
“Oh, of course! Vinyl told me that father was Iron Strings. It must be pretty exciting.”
“Well, not really. I’ve rarely seen him.”
“Er....right. I suppose Vinyl explained that as well.” There was a short pause. “So, what did you say your name was again?” She asked, hoping to change the subject.
The pegasus smiled a little. “Actually, I didn’t. My name’s Gray Steel.”
“Quite a name.”
“I guess so. I got it from my dad since he plays metal.”
“He... plays metal?”
“Yeah. You know, metal music?” Gray Steel said.
“I’m afraid I don’t follow. What’s it like?” Octavia asked, hoping it wasn’t like any techno-music that Vinyl played so often.
Steel Drift smirked a little. “Well... you use an electric guitar. And a bass and drums. It’s a perfect mix of chaos and harmony.” He said.
Octavia grew curious of the analogy. Ever since Discord wreaked havoc on Ponyville, Octavia grew afraid of any sort of mayhem where it didn’t belong. But combining it with harmony... she could only picture Discord and Celestia putting aside their differences to create something marvelous. Could such a thing be possible?
“That seems... fascinating.” She mused, tapping her chin with her hoof.
“Doesn’t it?” Gray Steel asked.
“Yes... I certainly must see it for myself.” She muttered. She then glanced at a clock on the wall. “Oh, my, look at the time! I have to get planning!” She said, and stood up from her chair.
“Planning? For what?” Gray Steel asked.
“You see, Vinyl and I have small contests in which we improvise our music in short periods of time. In which we add a different flair to keep it interesting.” Octavia explained. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll have to cut this little visit short.”
Gray Steel nodded. “I understand. I’ll, uh... catch you later?” He said a little sheepishly.
Octavia turned to him as she smirked. “Perhaps. It was nice meeting you.” She said, and walked out the door.
Gray Steel sighed. “Holy mackerel. She was cute. ” He thought. The stallion picked up his bag, and pulled out the picture and him and his friends. “I wonder if there okay. Last time I saw them they were being blown away in that storm. ” He reminisced on his friends numerous times. But it didn’t help him feel any better.
Gray Steel heard the door open once more and tucked the photo back into the bag. It was Nurse Redheart, holding a clipboard between her teeth. She set it down on a nearby table. “Good news, sir. You’re free to leave the hospital. You won’t be needing these anymore.” She said.
“How long was I sitting here? ” Gray Steel thought to himself as Nurse Redheart began unwrapping the bandages around Gray Steel’s ears. “Thanks, Doc.” He said, and passed her a small pouch of bits from his bag. He slid out of the bed, and stretched out his legs. “Finally. I gotta get moving.”
“Not so fast. Your ears may have recovered, but not your wing. I would recommend you avoid flying for at least a full day.” Redheart warned.
“Whatever you say, doc.” Gray Steel replied, as he went to view the Ponyville sights.
Gray Steel trotted out of the hospital, and got a fin look at the Ponyville scenery. They had a bakery, a boutique, tons of apple buckets, nearly everything he was expecting. He even saw a massive crowd huddled near the town square, with dubstep resonating through the air. Gray Drift joined the mass, who was focused on two mares in the center, standing a few. Octavia and Vinyl Scratch.
Octavia stood poised beside her cello, as Vinyl faced her, nodding her head to the beat of the music. Her turntables were equipped with spinning disks of light that wildly flashed and changed color with the music. As the song ended, half the crowd erupted into applause. Octavia simply faced her and smirked.
“Not bad, Vinyl, my dear. But it won’t be enough this month.” Octavia boasted, and pulled out a small bottle of clear liquid. The crowd let out a small murmur of confusion as Octavia dipped her bow into the bottle, and pulled it out. She flicked off a few loose drops, and set the bottle down.
“What are you doing?” Vinyl Scratch asked, squinting her eyes.
“I believe you’ve met your match.” Octavia chimed before she played a note on the cello, setting the bow on fire. The whole crowed gasped, and as Octavia played, the fire snaked around in the air, streaming from the bow’s strings, Vinyl lowered her glasses as the fire grew bigger and bigger, swirling in a circle around the cellist. Octavia didn’t seem the least bit fazed and reached the crescendo, the stream of fire swooped high into the sky, and slithered into the shape of Octavia’s cutie mark, a treble clef. The song finished, and the flames dissipated into smoke.
There was a short pause, and the crowd let out a roar of applause. Gray Steel even found himself cheering.
“Fine. You win, Octavia.” Vinyl grumbled, and her turntables collapsed into a small box.
The crowd dissolved, a few people sticking around to speak with the musicians. Gray Steel began stepping toward Octavia, with a small grin on his face.
“Ah, Gray Steel. I see you checked out of the hospital.” Octavia smiled.
“Please, call me Gray. And, yeah. Not too long ago.” He said. “That fire really was amazing.”
“Oh, that? I’ve been perfecting it for a week now.” She said, trying her hardest not to brag.
“But, uh... how did your bow and cello not get burned?” Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Elderwood and strings made of Waterweave. Can’t burn them even if you tried.” The cellist explained.
“So, I guess I’m paying for dinner, huh?” Vinyl Scratch groaned, stepping beside Octavia. Her eyes widened as she say Gray Steel. “Hey! I remember you! Doin’ well?” She asked.
Gray Steel snapped out of his grin. “Uh... yeah. Still can’t fly, though.” He muttered.
“Psshh. That ain’t so bad. I’ve gone my whole live not flying.”
“True... but you’re not a pegasus.” Gray said sternly.
“Oh, don’t be so hard on Vinyl.” Octavia said. “She’s just...”
“A little rude?” Gray muttered.
“Who callin’ rude, wise guy?!” Vinyl cried, leaning close to him, clearly frustrated.
“Stop it! Just calm down!” Octavia said, pushing the two apart. “You’re acting like spoiled foals!”
Gray Steel sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah... me too.” Vinyl muttered.
“Good. Now, why don’t we get some dinner?” Octavia said, and looked up at the sky. The clouds were lined with a dull orange as the sun began to set.
“It’s not any fun if I’m paying for it.” Vinyl said.
“Come on, now. I beat you fair and square.” Octavia replied.
“Fine...” Vinyl said, leading Octavia to the nearest restaurant, before the cellist turned to Gray Steel.
“Care to join us, Gray?” she asked.
The pegasus smiled widely. After all, he couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten before he was hit by the base cannon. He caught up with the two, and Vinyl groaned.
“He’s coming too?!”
“Consider it repaying me. After you... oh, I don’t know,hospitalized me?” Gray chuckled.
Vinyl let out a hmff.
Octavia stifled a chuckle as they walked into the restaurant. The trio sat down at a table, checking the menus.
Gray Steel took this opportunity to glance at Octavia. He couldn’t help it. Her mane, her voice, her eyes... something about her was just so appealing. Not to mention she was a famous cellist, of all things.
However, his eyes shifted over to Vinyl Scratch. A complete opposite of Octavia. Minimal manners, loud, and boisterous. It was hard to believe the two were friends, let alone roommates.
“Gray.” He heard Octavia say. He looked over, his heart fluttering as she looked at him.
“Aren’t you going to order?” She asked.
Gray turned his head, seeing a waiter right beside him.
“Oh! Sorry... one hayburger, please.” He chuckled. The waiter nodded, scribbled on a pad of paper, and trotted off.
“Kinda spaced out there, huh?” Vinyl chuckled.
“Yeah. So?” Gray sneered.
“Oh, you’re just upset at me ‘cause you couldn’t handle my bass cannon.”
“Any living thing creature that can handle it must enjoy having its eardrum ruptured. Seriously, have you even been hit by that thing yourself?”
“Well... no. Because I already know it’s awesome.” She chuckled, catching a mug of cider as it slid toward her.
Gray sighed, exasperated.
“Don’t be so hard on her.” Octavia said. “She’s just not used to you yet.”
“Yeah? Well I’m not used to her.” Gray replied. The waiter dropped their plated on their tables.
Vinyl instantly dug in to her food, scarfing away, but Octavia took her time. She tucked a napkin over her bow tie and took smaller bites than Vinyl. The trio kept at their meals, hardly speaking. Only then did Octavia break the silence.
“So, Gray. Where exactly are you from?” she asked.
Gray Steel’s eyes widened. “Uh... well, there’s this little place called Manelin...”
“Well, that’s a pretty simple name.” Vinyl said.
“It’s an old town. It’s just over the north-eastern mountain, not too far from the shore, and by the edge of the forest.”
“You don’t mean the Everfree forest, do you?” Octavia said, surprised.
“Oh, Celestia no! That’s far too dangerous. I’m referring to a different forest. Much more safer than the Everfree.”
“Doesn’t sound too exciting.” Vinyl said.
“Well... you’re right. Nothing exciting really happens there. Except for those ocean storms.” Gray replied.
“Can’t pegasi like you control the weather?” Octavia asked.
“No, the storm clouds from the ocean are too packed with water. If we broke one of those clouds, it might cause some flooding. My uh, friends and I got caught in a rather big one...” Gray said in a slightly somber tone.
“Sounds like fun.” Vinyl muttered. “Well, I’m heading to the cider bar. Catch you later.” The unicorn said, and trotted toward the counter as she chugged down another mug she ordered.
“So... do you... not like Vinyl?” Octavia asked softly, now that the two were alone.
“Well... that escalated a little quickly. And to answer you, I don’t know what to make of her. For one, she’s really boisterous. And she did knocked me out of the sky. But if she didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have met you.” Gray Steel replied.
“What do I do know? What should I say to her? Come on, Gray... think.” he thought, looking into her eyes.
“Uh... Octavia... there’s something I want to tell you.” Gray said. He now had her attention. No going back now.
“Yes, Gray?” She asked.
“I... really like you. It’s only been about a day, and I just can’t stop looking at you. And a high class mare like you with an average pegasus like-” Gray said.
Octavia’s eyes widened with surprise. “Gray... are you saying you...?”
“Yeah. I might as well say it. I’m in love with you.”
Octavia simply sat there, dumbfounded. “I’m sorry.” She said.
Gray nearly felt his heart cave in. He knew where this was heading.
“Look. You’re a nice stallion. I can tell this won’t be easy for you to hear, but it needs to be said. I just don’t feel the same way. To me, you just don’t have anything worth loving.” Octavia said, solemnly.
Gray looked down at the table. There was an uneasy silence between them, and Gray did something Octavia didn’t expect. He just smiled and chuckled. Octavia was even more confused. She just denied him his feelings, but he just sat there, smirking.
“What? What are you smiling about?” Octavia asked.
“You know... it’s just like one of my father’s songs. I’m not sure if you heard them, so you might not get it.” Gray Steel said, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes. He looked up, to see Octavia looking at him intently.
“I’m listening.” She said softly.
Gray Steel smirked. “Basically, call me a sinner. Call me a saint. Tell me it’s over, I’ll still love you the same.” He said. Just of he finished, a wooden cart barreled down the streets outside, but the citizens just ignored it.
“That’s seems so... profound. And that came from Iron Strings? A metal artist?” Octavia asked.
“Well, it’s one of his lighter songs. Metal isn’t always the same thing. It adapts.” Gray continued. “It’s all that I can say. So... I guess I’ll be on my way.” Gray said, standing up from the table. “See you around, then.” He said, his smile fading. He left the restaurant, his head hanging a little low.
Octavia was totally stunned. She simply sat there, only to have Vinyl trot up beside her.
“Hey. What’s with him?” The DJ asked, seeing Gray Steel just leave.
“He... he loves me.” Octavia muttered sheepishly.
“What?”
“Gray just said he loved me. And I just denied him.”
“Are you serious? I guess he took it pretty rough, then.”
“Actually, he didn’t seem so sad. He just accepted it. Didn’t even shed a tear.” Octavia replied. “But I’m not sure how he’ll react later.”
“He’ll probably be alright. He just needs some time.”
<><><><><><>
Days turned into weeks and into months...
Vinyl trotted out of her music store. The sun was setting, it was time for her to grab some groceries. As she wandered amongst the stores, she stopped. Vinyl turned, as a familiar face passed her. Amongst the crowd, it was hard to notice. But a certain pegasus stood out to her. Vinyl smirked, trotting toward the pegasus drifting a few feet above the ground.
“Hey! Gray Steel!” She called out.
The stallion landed, and glanced at Vinyl. “Oh. Hi, Vinyl.” He said flatly.
“Haven’t seen you around here recently. How you doin’?”
“I’m doing well, thank you. Kinda keeping a low profile around here.” Gray replied, as he continued walking forward.
“Is that cause you said you like Octavia?”
Gray sighed. “Yeah. I feel so stupid saying that out loud.”
“From what Octavia said, you didn’t seem all that disappointed.”
“Well, I’ve just been a little heavy-hearted since the whole thing. I still do like her, mind you.”
“Well, have you been doing anything else?”
“Actually, yes. I’ve got a little shop where I sell short stories.”
“I never really cared for authors. They can write up some weird stuff.” Vinyl shuddered.
“Good to see you care.” Gray Steel muttered sarcastically. “But hopefully, Octavia will be the least of my concerns.” His eyes focused on Octavia, who was standing at the side of the street, browsing a vendor stand.
“You know, I’m sure she’ll warm up to you.” Vinyl said.
“Should she? I’m not going to give her something she doesn’t want.” Gray replied. Before Vinyl could say anything else, he lifted into the air, and flew in the opposite direction.
Alternate Ending 1: Admire
“Uh... Octavia... there’s something I want to tell you.” Gray said. He now had her attention. No going back now.
“Yes, Gray?” She asked.
“I... really like you. It’s only been about a day, and I just can’t stop looking at you. And a high class mare like you with an average pegasus like-” Gray said.
Octavia’s eyes widened with surprise. “Gray... are you saying you...?”
“Yeah. I might as well say it. I’m in love with you.”
There was a short pause, and Gray became a little uneasy. After all, Octavia was staring at him with her mouth agape.
"Great. I screwed up, didn't I?" Gray said, sighing.
"Not at all." Octavia replied.
Gray quickly looked up, and noticed a small glimmer in Octavia's eyes. "Wait... you-"
"Yes. Gray, that was one of the bravest things anyone's ever done to me." She said. "In the span of a few days, you've developed feelings for me, and adressed it without worry!" Octavia said, reaching across the table to hold Gray's hooves. "I know what you're going to ask next." She said.
"You do?" Gray replied. Despite the events unfolding before him, he expected Octavia to be more surprised than him. He found it a little ironic.
"Yes. I will be your special somepony." Octavia said. Gray felt his heart rise in his chest. A wooden cart barreled down the streets of Ponyville, but the citizens ignored it.
"Wow. I don't know what to say. Thank you." Gray said, a wide grin on his face.
Vinyl soon trotted over, chugging another mug of cider. "What's goin' on here?" She asked. Her eyes widened behind her purple glasses as she looked at them holding hooves. "No way..." She muttered.
"Way." Gray chuckled. He looked up to see Vinyl's face contorted into a scowl, and before he could react, he saw Vinyl turn around, raise her hind legs, and POW!
Gray tumbled out of his chair, and he felt his head smash into the next table. His vision and hearing got blurry, and his head stung as hard as his eye.
"Vinyl Scratch! What has gotten into you?!" He heard Octavia shout.
"You saw what he was doing!" Vinyl cried.
The other patrons of the restaurant let out several cries and murmurs of concern as Gray's vision faded to darkness.
<><><><><><><>
"Ugh...." Gray groaned as his head was throbbing. "Why is it I always suffer from head injuries?" He said to himself. As his eyes readjusted, he found himself in a bed. Again. He wasn't in a hospital, but more in somepony's bedroom. There was a mirror on the adjacent wall, and he could clearly see he had a black eye. "What happened this time?"
"Vinyl happened." A voice next to him said. It was Octavia, and her smirk seemed to dull the pain.
"What do you mean?"
"She... overreacted." Octavia said. "She thought you were trying to... uh, entice me." She said, nervously tapping her hooves together.
"Entice you? Into what?" Gray asked.
Octavia leaned in close, and whispered something into Gray's ear. His cheeks flushed. "Oh..."
"Well, needless to say, Vinyl apologized. She was just trying to make sure I wasn't doing anything stupid." Octavia said. "And, frankly, I was a little quick to react too."
Gray quickly hopped out of the bed, and got a better look at his shiner. "Well, this doesn't look very pretty." He said.
Octavia put her hoof on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Gray. It'll be fine." She said. "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. There was a cart crash last night. Just before Vinyl knocked you out."
"Was anypony hurt?" Gray asked.
"One mare had a fractured wrist. But other than that and a hundred bits worth of wine spilt, things are fine." Octavia explained.
"Well, that's good to hear." Gray said.
"So... how about that metal music?" Octavia asked.
"Sure thing." Gray said. "Let's try to find some CDs at a music store."
"Well, Vinyl owns the only music store."
"Oh. This is going to be awkward." Gray replied.
"She's said she's sorry. Just try not to draw attention." Octavia said, lightly pecking him on the cheek.
"I guess you're right." Gray said, heading out the door, with Octavia shortly behind. "Maybe a blast from a bass cannon was just what I needed."
Alternate Ending 2: Accident
“Uh... Octavia... there’s something I want to tell you.” Gray said. He now had her attention. No going back now.
“Yes, Gray?” She asked.
"I... I..." Gray said, sweating profusely. "Uh... do you mind if we finish this conversation outside? It's getting a little hot in here." He said, hoping to buy some time to finish his thoughts.
"Of course." Octavia said, following him outside.
Gray sighed as he walked with Octavia in the late evening streets. "So, what I wanted to say how much I-"
"Gray, let me stop you there." Octavia said. "I can tell where this was going."
"You do, huh?" Gray asked. "Well, I guess it's pretty obvious now. So, uh... just get it over with." he said.
"I admire your acceptance. But I'll spare you the time. I'm afraid I don't share the same fe-" Octavia said, but was interrupted by a shriek in the distance.
"Look out! Runaway cart!" A mare shouted from an uphill road. The citizen's attention turned to the top of the hill, where a wooden cart was rolling down the hill, several ponies running from the cart.
"Run." Gray said, before the two of them quickly began fleeing the cart. Gray and Octavia kept running as fast as their hooves could carry them, and the cart was very wide, taking up a massive amount of the space on the street.
"Gray! Your wings!" Octavia said, as they dashed down the ever stretching road.
"What!? I can't fly!" Gray said, keeping his pace steady.
"You have to try! Save yourself!"
"No! I can't leave you behind!"
"Don't worry about me!"
"I can't!"
"Just GO! " Octavia cried, and Gray got the message. His bandaged wing twitched, and he lept into the air. However, he quickly plummeted into ground and hit the front of the cart, as Octavia unknowingly reached the end of a cul-de-sac. There was a loud scream and a crashing of glass and wood...
<><><><><>
Octavia awoke with her head pulsating. "Oh dear... I just had the most horrid dream." She muttered. As her eyes focused, she got a better look at her surroundings, all to familiar. A hospital. "Oh no." She said.
The door opened, and a nervous looking Vinyl Scratch walked in. "Hey Tavi. How you feeling?" She asked.
"I'm a bit shaken. But I feel rather fine." She replied, rubbing her forehead. "Remind me what happened."
"There was a cart crash. You were out for a few days. Maaaybe a week." She said.
"A week!? That's not good. Where's Gray Steel?" She asked.
Vinyl's expression turned solemn. "Er...."
"Vinyl? What happened to him?" She asked, suddenly worried.
"Well... while you were out..." The unicorn said, holding her tongue.
"Tell me!" Octavia cried, sitting up from her bed.
"...You missed the funeral." Vinyl finally said.
The room hung in a dead silence.
"He's dead?" Octavia muttered. Vinyl only nodded her head.
"I'm sorry." Vinyl said. She could see tears welling up in Octavia's eyes. Vinyl walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
Octavia let a single sob pass through her. She hadn't known Gray Steel for very long. She even said that she didn't care for him. But why was she crying? Maybe it was the nagging fact that somepony who loved her was just gone. Somepony who secretly adored her and had the courage to confess it in a matter of hours... somepony who could have been a good friend.
Gone.
It was going to be a rough couple of days.
<><><><><><><>
Octavia climbed a small grassy hill, carrying her cello on her back. At the top of the hill was a tombstone, with a shield chiseled on its surface. The sky was a dark gray, and an occasional rumble of thunder reverberated through the air.
"Sorry I'm late." She said to the empty hill. "An entire week to late."
Octavia set her cello down on the ground and faced the grave. She picked up her bow, and started strumming. A gentle tune filled the air, and the wind and light thunder seemed to add to the song as the melody continued. Octavia forced herself to keep playing and not let her thoughts stop her concentration. But the thought of him eventually slipped in. Rather than losing her train of thought, Octavia was able to feed of her thoughts and emotions to finish the song, in a truly beautiful crescendo. If only she had composed it earlier.
"I know you didn't get everything you wished for. But I hope you aren't disappointed, either." Octavia said. "May Luna guide you safely."