-Her Perfect Tempo
The sounds continued to sway through Vinyl's ears. She was starting to become dizzy, and she could barley keep her eyes open. The music was putting her to sleep. Octavia's music was putting her to sleep. Vinyl closed her eyes unwillingly. Her head was spinning. Vinyl tried to lift her eyes. She could hardly make out Octavia's outline, but she could now see that Octavia was no longer playing. Her cello and bow was lying on the floor. Octavia's eyes were wide in horror. Vinyl couldn't see anymore. She couldn't think. She lost all consciousness.
The night was cold. Octavia could hear her parents had finally fallen asleep. The little filly was sitting awake in her bed. Her large purple eyes were staring coldly at the ceiling. Her window was cracked slightly, and the wind sent her chills. It was time.
The gray filly quietly gotten out of her bed. Her flank bore a freshly earned cutie mark. She loved it. It was a light pink treble clef. She admired it briefly in her closet mirror. She earned it well. It was the greatest thing ever. To her at least. Her parents on the other hoof hated it. They despised that Octavia had become a musician. They had always wanted her to be a great artist like them. A painter. Sketcher. Anything along the lines of art.
Octavia tried to explain to them that music was a type of art, but they wouldn't listen. They were completely disappointed in their daughters path. They wouldn't allow her to play her music around them. They couldn't stand to hear it. So Octavia had made a habit of sneaking out at night to play her cello.
The filly turned from the mirror, and walked inside her closet. She reached in the dark, and hoofed at everything until she felt her cello case. She pulled it out of her closet, and opened it up to reveal its magnificent contents.
She first grabbed her bow. She set it next to her. Then she went for the best piece. She picked up her small cello. It was sized just right for her age. It was a gift from her music teacher. That is where she learned to play after all.
She gently caressed the wood of the cellos base. Her hoof traced around the f-holes, and she moved her hoof up towards the tuning pegs. Octavia lifted herself up from the ground, and went over to her window. She lifted it all the way up, and went back to her cello and bow. She grabbed them both, and slipped through the window's opening.
Octavia felt the night air against her soft skin. She smiled with mischief, and started to trot away from her home. Octavia headed towards town square. She didn't think anypony would hear her there as long as she kept her playing low. She finally reached her point, and sat down on a bench. Octavia wasn't used to standing and playing yet, so she practiced while sitting down.
Octavia was almost there. She was so close to reaching her dream. Ever since she started school, her dream was to become the most talented, and prestigious cello player in all of Equestria. She wanted to play for the princess, and for all of Canterlots finest occasions. She wanted to travel all across Equestria, and share her music with everypony. That was her dream, and she was determined to make it so. No matter what.
Octavia began to play. She softly stroked each string with a tiny tug of her bow. The sound was beautiful. Octavia knew it was so. She started to smile as she heard the notes fly off her instrument. She was getting better. Better than last time she played. Her improvements were visible, and she was glad for this. Her gray mane softly swayed in the wind, and her purple eyes began to close slowly. She let all thoughts escape her as she continued to play.
The little filly played till her arms were sore. She could barley lift them up any longer. She ceased her ballad, and dropped her arms to her sides. She exhaled with satisfaction. She began to open her tired eyes. She gasped when they were fully open.
Standing in front of her was another filly, around her age she assumed. It was a little white unicorn. Her short blue mane covered most of her face. She was awfully short. Maybe she wasn't her age after all. The more Octavia observed her, the younger she appeared to be.
Octavia wasn't sure if she should say anything or just wait for the filly to speak. She tried to look the white unicorn in her eyes, but her blue mane was covering them. Octavia cleared her throat, trying to sound regal, and spoke in her most formal way.
"My dear, what are you doing out at this hour? Isn't it awfully late, and dark for such a young filly to be out?" Despite that Octavia was not much older than the unicorn, she tried to act as if she were an adult. She looked at the young filly with concern.
The little unicorn didn't say anything. She instead took a step forward. She slightly turned her flank in the direction of Octavia, and she noticed that it was bare. This filly must be very little.
"Are you lost or something?" Octavia stood up, and leaned her cello against the bench. She walked towards the filly, who timidly backed away. Octavia stopped in her tracks. She didn't want to frighten the filly away.
The white unicorn lifted her head at Octavia. Her mane moved over her face, revealing the fillies eyes. They were very large, and they glimmered in the moon. Octavia wasn't sure if they were red, or pink, or what. The shadow from her mane was making it difficult to quite make out, so Octavia gave up trying to find out.
"You're really beautiful." The little filly took another step towards Octavia.
Octavia's eyes widened at this. The little filly spoke, and she said she was beautiful. Why is that?
"So are you, little one." Octavia smiled warmly at the filly.
"I wanna' grow up to be just like you." The filly took yet another step closer. Octavia grinned sheepishly.
'What is this little filly talking about? My musical skills?'
"Oh, is that so? Well I think you should grow up just like you." Octavia's words went through one ear of the filly, and out the other.
"I wanna' grow up just like you!" The unicorn was so close to Octavia now that she was starting to feel uncomfortable. She knew it was only a child, but it was starting to creep her out.
Octavia tried to fake a laugh. It wasn't very convincing. The little filly stared straight into Octavia's worried eyes.
'Who is this kid? What does she want? Where did she come from?'
"Will you let me?" The fillies eyes shimmered. It seemed as if she was on the verge of tears. Octavia didn't know anything else to do but comfort her, and give her her way.
She placed her hoof on top of the scraggly blue mane, and gently rubbed it.
"Of course I will. If that's what you want, then you can do it."
The wide eyed filly looked up at Octavia. A huge smile formed across her small, white muzzle.
"One day...you will see me again, but I will be bigger, and beautiful, and I will be just as talented as you. One day....you will see me again." The filly leaned over to Octavia. Her tiny muzzle stretched up to Octavia's, and she gently peaked her on her own. The unicorn then turned around, and she ran away. She ran faster than any little filly Octavia had ever seen.
Octavia lifted her hoof to her muzzle, and softly touched her lips. Her eyes still wide, and shocked. That little filly kissed her. Why?
Octavia left town square and headed back to her home. She snuck through her window once more, and put her cello away. She silently got back into the safety of her bed. The strange filly still in her mind. She fell asleep, not knowing that would be the last time she would ever see that mysterious, blue maned, unicorn.
As Octavia sat next to her bed, Vinyl asleep within her sheets. She felt awful that Vinyl had passed out. She still had no clue as to why she did. Maybe her music bored her to death. She watched as the snoozing unicorn nestled against her blankets. Her shades were still glued to her eyes. Octavia couldn't help but return to their gaze. She wanted ever so badly to take them off, but that would be a violation to Vinyl's privacy, and of her personal self.
Octavia rested her head against her hoof, and let out a sigh. She looked over to her shelf next to the door. Nothing was there but a stack of musical papers. She couldn't help but want to trash them. She wanted to throw away every sheet music she ever owned, or wrote. She wanted to destroy her tracks, and classical CD's. She even couldn't help but want to demolish her cello.
She hated her music now. She had no life left for it. Maybe her parents were right all along. Maybe music was not the right choice for her. If only she had listened to them. Music had done nothing for her but brought her pain, and agony. She dreaded to play anymore. And now, that she found out her music bores ponies to faint, it was even worse.
Octavia looked back at Vinyl's young and lively face. As she did, all those thoughts disappeared. She no longer hated music. Something about Vinyl made her forget those things. It made her even more wanting to play. Wanting to listen. Wanting to compose. What was it about Vinyl? Octavia wasn't quite sure yet.
A small smile formed across Octavia's face. She silently watched Vinyl in her slumber. The DJ softly snored, and her ears would often twitch from time to time. Octavia smiled even more at this.
Suddenly Octavia heard the unicorn say something. Was she awake? No. She was still asleep. She was talking in her sleep.
"One day..." Vinyl softly said. She stopped for a small moment, but then Octavia heard her continue.
"...you will see me again."
Octavia's purple eyes opened widely in shock. What did Vinyl just say? What did it even mean?
Octavia's mind was spinning. She started to hear those exact words ring through her head. It was as if it was set on repeat, but instead of Vinyl's deep grown voice, it was a small voice of a filly that spoke them.
'One day...you will see me again.' Octavia stood up, and went up close to Vinyl.
She slowly moved her hoof towards Vinyl's muzzle, and softly rubbed her own. Octavia was in complete disbelief.
Octavia had been wrong.
Vinyl had kept her promise.