Octavia marched down the ancient halls of En Reach, an old mountain fortress near the Neighagra Falls. To the casual observer it would look fairly normal if a bit stiff, but anypony here would know better. Realizing her surroundings, Octavia slowed down and loosened her gait, it wouldn’t do to look frustrated. After all, she had gotten what she wanted... Mostly.
She sighed. “I supposed I did get posted in Canterlot, but I should have known they wouldn’t have made my assignment that easy.”
Octavia snorted, of course it wouldn’t be easy. They knew everything about her: likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, pressure points... There was nothing her teachers did not know about her. They probably were snickering to themselves right now for having foiled her fantasies.
As that thought passed through her mind, she straightened herself up and proceeded to her rooms.
“I will enjoy my time in Canterlot. If they are going to assign me as an anonymous bodyguard to some new, upstart DJ then I’m going to prove I can handle it.”
She would probably be forced to endure crowds of rabid fans, most of which would be trying their hardest to get close to their idol. Through this she would have to remain close enough in case the mare’s squalling sycophants weren’t concealing a more dangerous purpose. To top it all off, she would have to be listening to the artless racket that those ponies adored the whole time. Her being forced to experience that ungodly type of music was most likely going to be the topper on these series of tests; she was going pass with flying colors or die trying.
The halls of the fortress quickly melted away and soon she stood before her personal quarters. She slid open the door and stepped inside. The room was a small cubicle, identical to the many others that lined the hall except that it was slightly larger being a corner room. She had a dresser, small desk, and bathroom all packed in with a few cushions on the floor which served as her bed. Coming from a respected family within the Order did have a few perks, the corner rooms were usually reserved for special ponies.
While the room was barely larger than the others, not many other initiates had their own personal living area. Most rooms bunked two or three ponies, regardless of there being an empty room next door. Octavia had this room to herself, something she was grateful for ever since she had graduated from being a trainee.
The dark walls were obscured by a number of tapestries of various sizes. A few depicted epic battle scenes of dragons and manticores, while others sported simple patterns to assist trainees and initiates as they practiced their meditation. The tapestries were the most decorative pieces in the room as her furniture was as practical as it could get.
More than once she had gotten a splinter using the oak desk, but the years of use had softened the edges into rounded corners. It had been a number of years since the desk relinquished it’s last barb. Her bedding was made up of half a dozen grey cushions spread along the floor which she stacked it up against the wall every day to make room for walking.
But, as these were all things anypony got, it did not make her room special. No, what made this room special was the bathroom. Of course, there was nothing special about the bathroom itself, but having a place to relieve and clean yourself in private was something Octavia treasured. Her time as a trainee had not been enjoyable with their public facilities. She kept her bathroom in prime condition, diligently cleaning it every week. It was the most precious thing she had, besides her cello.
As meager as it was, Octavia found herself growing uneasy at the prospect of leaving it. Sighing, she moved to the desk where a note had been left. She knew what was inside the envelope. Instructions on her assignment, locations of her new home, habits of the pony she was to watch, and one ticket to Canterlot. She would have to review everything on the train.
Her unease did not last long. Octavia was excited to be heading to Canterlot. She had been allowed to observe as a musician one of the operations that were being conducted at a Gala of the Canterlot Elite. Of course, it had not gone well because of a certain pink pony, but that had not been the point. The atmosphere had been amazing and she had been able to practice her musical skills in public to boot.
Unfortunately, she still had a week left of training. She was sure a lot of it would probably end up being physical. Octavia poked around in her room for a few minutes. Sighing she shuffled off to her next session early.
*
“...Four! Five! Six! HALT!” A strong, male voice rang out across the courtyard.
Octavia halted the movement of her training sword, inches from hitting the mare in front of her again. Sweat dripped off her form as the heavy breaths of both ponies fogged the air in front of them. The ground was frozen and the swords, made of bamboo sticks tied together, were just as stiff. Already six welts were making themselves prominent on the mare in front of her.
She lowered her sword and dropped back onto her front hooves, her opponent doing the same. The fighting style she used with swords demanded the use of forehooves; it had taken her a long time to master standing, and then moving, on only two. But now she was an expert, it had been a piece of cake to outmaneuver the mare in front of her.
“Valerie what was that?” The stallion who spoke earlier yelled at the mare across from Octavia, his voice rose an octave as he continued. “You barely even defended yourself, how do you expect to handle yourself in a real fight?!”
“Sh-she’s so fast!” The mare bit her lip, glancing at Octavia before turning back to the stallion.
“Then you should not engage her straight on!” He cried, exasperation evident in his voice. “Make her move, get her off balance! Use the terrain to your advantage, know their strengths and weaknesses!”
Valerie took a deep breath. “Yes Ma-”
“AGAIN!” He roared.
Octavia returned to her upright stance, grasping her sword in both forehooves.
“Her stance is firm, but limiting, she isn’t going to be moving to surprise me.” Octavia searched her opponent’s eyes, but found no telling signs of her next move.
Soon she grew tired of waiting and lunged. She expected her quarry to dodge; it was what she would have done after being told off. So, it came as a complete surprise as the mare ducked low and dove forwards.
She supposed it was a good tactic. Normally that tackle could have been easily avoided, but when you are in the air... It is rather hard to avoid things. It certainly caught her off guard as well, she did not expect Valerie to be so aggressive. However, Octavia’s mental analysis was cut short as she was tackled, the momentum carrying them both to the ground.
Octavia felt the air whoosh out of her as she landed heavily on her back. She kicked instinctively and felt them connect with her attacker’s chest. The mare fell back and they both scrambled to their hooves. Octavia was still trying to regain her breath and her opponent pressed her advantage.
Remaining cool, Octavia parried the blows and scored herself a strike before the mare backed off. She breathed deeply, trying to regain her breath; her movements painfully sluggish. Octavia initiated again with a lunge, but Valerie dodged and scored a hit across her flank. Landing with a roll she came back up with a twist to face Valerie and parried a second blow. Moving in close, she denied any further use of the training swords and punched as hard as she could into the mare’s stomach.
The mare retched and dropped her sword, but had the sense to rip Octavia’s weapon out of her grasp as well. They tumbled to the ground together in a wrestling match. It took a matter of moments for Octavia to gain the advantage and trap Valerie in a headlock.
She had to disengage as Valerie dropped to the ground and grabbed one of the swords. Diving towards the other weapon, she rolled once again and came back up in time to prepare herself as the other mare bore down on her.
The stallion roared out three more hits before the mare backed off, frustration clear on her features. Octavia remained calm and waited this time for the mare to come to her. Valerie feinted, but Octavia observed how her weight shifted and dodged the real swing. As she scored another flurry of blows, the stallion watching roared them into inertia.
Valerie threw her sword down in frustration. “It’s not fair! I can’t beat her! I don’t see why I must suffer through this every day!”
“Silence Valerie!” The stallion said firmly. “Winning isn’t everything. You should be proud you scored more hits this round than you ever have, and lasted a good thirty seconds longer!”
“But it means nothing in the real world!” She shouted back. “What if-”
The stallion overrode her,“That is not the point of this session! Go speak to Master Pai Mai about all you have said and done in this training session.”
Valerie stormed off with a slight limp and wet eyes. Octavia for her part kept her eyes on the ground. Many of the students did their best to keep their rivalries to the training ground and Octavia was no exception. She liked Valerie, and would probably be spending time with her later... if she wasn’t too upset. To say anything was to condemn the other mare and embarrass her further.
The stallion turned back to Octavia. “You were very sloppy there at the last, Octavia. Since your master will be occupied for the next half hour, I will continue to instruct you. Bring the swords and prove to me that was just a one time occurrence.”
“Great, now it is my turn to get beat up.” Octavia thought sourly, turning to retrieve the weapons. Closing her eyes, she said a quick prayer.
*
A few hours later Octavia limped back to her room and threw herself into the shower. Groaning as the sweat and grime came off. The warm water soothing her aching and bruised limbs. She sat for a few minutes with her eyes closed against the wall before turning the water off.
Climbing out, she grabbed a towel and rubbed herself down. Her aching limbs made reaching some spots rather unpleasant. Once done, she sat down and began the arduous job of brushing out her damp hair; it combed easier wet. Most kept their mane and tail short so that it did not impede their movements. But, Octavia liked her long tail and mane. It helped that she had been practicing with it her whole life, most ponies were recruited as young adults and did not have that luxury of time.
A short time later Octavia made her way to the mess hall. When compared to the main entrance auditorium of the mountain castle it was not a large room. At full capacity it might accommodate a quarter the fortress’ inhabitants. Because of this size problem, and the fact that training was conducted at fickle times the teachers set, food was always available and ponies could come and go as they pleased.
A clattering from behind the buffet reached Octavia’s ears, reminding her of the dueling she had just finished. The cooks, if not shouting at each other, were trying to impale each other on spatulas and whisks. The smells, however, were much more appealing than the armpit she had been locked under.
Filling a meager plate of food she moved to a table and began to eat. The rice tasted old and dry while the vegetables disintegrated at a touch. Octavia tried not to think of how long they had to have been steamed before that was even possible. She wished the cooks would replace the food bins at the same time each day, so she would know when to come for something above barely edible.
While she was picking at her food a pony came and slumped down in a chair opposite her. She looked up to see Valerie hunched over with a scowl. But it wasn’t long before she was snickering at the faces Octavia was making with each bite.
“Feel better?” Octavia asked, taking a long drink from her glass.
“How come you get some easy stalker assignment while I have to stay here and work through the Temple.” Valerie whined.
“I’ve already been through the Temple you know, Valerie. It’s time for me to move on,” Octavia said quietly.
Valerie snorted and rolled her eyes. “Yea yea... You’re the best at combat I’ve seen from any ninja except some teachers and the masters. I guess being raised a ninja helps with some of that.”
“Yea,” Octavia agreed. “But I assure you, my social skills are horrible. Those tests were harder than the meditation!”
“That’s so dumb!” Valerie threw up her hooves in mock despair. “They are holding you back from being a ninja because you can’t walk up to other ponies and say ‘hi’! That means you just get to stand around beating up on ponies like poor little me! It’s not fair!”
“Relax Valerie, they aren’t holding me back, I’m moving forward to my final task and first assignment.” Octavia caught her eye. “Hey, I’m leaving in a few days. Let’s just have some fun and forget about today, okay?”
Valerie lowered her hooves and gave Octavia a questioning look. “Did you have something in mind that you wanted to do?”
Octavia grinned. “Well, I have some free time this evening, would you like to come listen to me play? You may use the shower too if you want. This might be your last--”
Octavia was cut off as Valerie squealed as she hopped off her chair and ran to her room for wash items. Octavia grin widened as the mare hurried off. Emotions were always kept under wraps among the ninjas, but Valerie had never lost her exuberant attitude. Although she would never admit it, Octavia loved how she wore her personality on her sleeve. It felt so fresh compared to her life among the stoic masters and teachers.
*
Octavia stood tuning her cello as Valerie watched raptly. She never understood how the blue mare could sit so still and listen to her play. But sit she did, idly brushing her freshly showered and damp mane as she waited for the music to begin. Octavia took a deep breath and sifted through what she could play; a small sense of pride blooming in her chest at the large repertoire she had to choose from. She had more songs and styles to play on her cello than she ever had for combat.
Here, with her cello, Octavia could become another pony. No need for swords or martial arts. No need for espionage skill or masks. With her music, she could be a somepony in a world she had never belonged to.
She touched her bow to the strings, softly drawing it across them to create something that had never been heard before. It did not take much before Octavia lost herself in the music and her thoughts. Almost without her realizing, the cello came alive in her hooves... It always did, playing felt so easy and natural. Octavia’s audience of one slowed her brushing as she was enraptured by the seeming orchestra that floated out of the instrument.
Did she want to always be a ninja? Octavia wasn’t sure; growing up to be a ninja was all she knew, besides her music. But ever since her place at that Gala she had realized that there might be more out there she could be interested in and be good at.
Valerie had her eyes closed; the music relaxing her mind after a day of both physical and mental strain. Octavia was good at combat, and had been very hard to get to know. Valerie had taken it upon herself to break through the introverted barriers the grey pony had erected around herself. It hadn’t been easy, but the rewards were well worth it. Who knew Octavia had such amazing skills outside swinging a sword? Her cooking sucked though; Valerie shuddered at that memory. She stopped thinking and quickly lost herself in the music again.
Still lost in her thoughts, Octavia was oblivious to Valerie’s movements. She couldn’t just quit being a ninja... How could she? It had been her whole life; and the organization didn’t just let it’s secrets and assets run around without a leash. She understood why of course, ninjas were supposed to be secret, that did not work well when members stopped caring and left to tell their stories. She scowled, her music taking a more determined note.
Growing up a ninja had saved her from having to be “broken” like new young adult recruits. Octavia still maintained very much her sense of independence and self will. In fact, it had been encouraged by the master who trained her. She may be antisocial, but that did not mean she cared nothing about having a life of her own someday.
This assignment would provide a lot of answers. At least, that’s what Octavia was hoping for. She couldn’t see where this little adventure would take her, but she hoped that a lot of doors would be opened to her during this assignment.
Octavia had never killed anypony before, she wasn’t sure she wanted to. But, being a ninja meant she would have to kill eventually. It certainly gave her reservations... Octavia had thought about leaving many times before, running through the arguments just as she was now. It all came back around to one overwhelming fact: there was no way she was not becoming a ninja, they wouldn't let her leave after all the years she had been steeped in the organization. This meant killing would be inevitable, that or be killed someday. It was a fact she just had to face.
Octavia let the bow fall away from her cello. She glanced over to where Valerie was sitting; the mare was dozing with a small smile on her face. Octavia could not understand how the mare was always so happy. Sure, she got down sometimes during a tough day, but the grueling day in and day out regimen never got to her.
The “breaking” process wasn’t anything tremendously violent, it was very much like the Equestrian hoof-camp. Ponies coming out of it obeyed orders without question or hesitation. Valerie was no different in that respect, but a lot of the more personal traits to a pony’s character were usually beaten out. Not Valerie though, her bubbly attitude stumped even the grimmest instructors.
Shrugging, the grey mare carefully packed her cello away before waking up her friend. Valerie opened her eyes to a light shake.
“It’s late, Valerie, and I must be up early.” Octavia said, getting up and heading for the bathroom.
“Ha! No earlier than you usually wake up Octy!” Valerie grinned impishly as Octavia glared at her.
“My name is Oct-”
“Yes yes we know Octavia!” Valerie interrupted with a flick of her hoof. “Sheesh, you act as if nicknames are tabo, especially yours.”
Octavia's face scrunched up as a flurry of different thoughts ran through her mind. She opened her mouth to rebuff when Valerie laughed. The sky blue mare moved close and gave her friend a quick hug.
“Well, I guess this is it. Thanks for letting me listen Octavia, it is always beautiful. I hope you do well.” Valerie squeezed extra hard for a moment before releasing the grey mare and moving to exit.
Slightly bemused, and maybe smirking a little, Octavia prepared for her last night at En Reach.
*
Octavia opened her eyes. She rolled over and grabbed for the small clock on the floor next to the wall. -5 A.M.- Standard wake up time. The same time she woke up every morning. She rolled off the cushions and stumbled into the shower. The green walls softened the glaring light of the fluorescent bulb above her as she turned on the water.
Standing in the shower, Octavia couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to call her own shots. She had been training and under the influence of superiors for so long she wasn’t sure if she could function without them. She had spent time on her own before and knew how to be independent, she did! But this time the situation called for her to be smart and mature on her own.
Eventually she stepped out and toweled off. Ever since she could walk she had been learning to be a ninja. They adamantly refused to allow her the right of being an official ninja until she was socially accepted as an adult though. It irked her, but it also made sense. Ninjas rarely operated behind a black mask in the middle of the night anymore. In today’s world she had to blend in; that meant staying within legal boundaries and out in the open.
She began to gather up her belongings, it did not take long. Being part of a ninja organization did not afford her many luxuries. Her cello, a few bathroom essentials and a picture of her family were all she cared to take. Then, filling her saddlebags with ninja essentials, she left the rest of her belongings at the door. They would be picked up and transported separately, her main focus now was her new target.
Although she encountered a number of other ninjas and trainees during her trip through the castle, she spoke to none. A few initiates made a number of rude hoof gestures as she passed, but wisely did nothing else. Rivalries and trouble making were expressly forbidden. Any conflicts were kept strictly to the training rings. Self control was one of the first and most important things learned in being a ninja, Octavia was no exception. She breezed by her passive aggressors, knowing that they were envious of her easy assignment.
An hour later she had walked down from the mountain fortress to a small village which the ninjas maintained as their source of news and commerce. The train station was the busiest place, most all the ponies were there in makeshift market stalls or small stores nearby. Moving to the landing, Octavia spotted her personal master waiting for her and headed towards him.
Many said Octavia was something of a prodigy in the ninja world while others would simply wave it off as her being the only pony raised from birth to be a ninja. Either way, she was extremely talented in her combat skills. The talent was enough to garner the attention of one of the highest ranking ponies in the whole order, a master, who took her under his metaphorical wing despite her young age. Her musical skills were nothing to scoff at either, but they were something Octavia cultivated herself and did not show off to many ponies.
He faced her as she approached. She gave a small bow, but that was it. Formalities and titles meant little; but the respect did count.
“Hello Octavia, I see you are getting to go where you wished.”
“Yes indeed sir, I hope that I may find the assignment enjoyable,” she responded, keeping her gaze lowered.
The stallion laughed, but quickly regained his seriousness. “Remember to watch your back and pay attention to your surroundings. Canterlot may seem a pleasant place to those who wish it to be, but I’m certain you will be finding out about a number of unpleasant things in the months to come.”
“I will.”
He nodded, then continued, “you know that the Order will always be watching, do not become careless and you may quickly find yourself a fully fledged ninja. Especially that you are now of age.”
The train whistle blew and he waved her on-board. She took a deep breath and gave a small wave back before turning to her new life. A life of adventure she hoped; anything to break up the monotony of training day in and day out. Already, just being on the train by herself was more deviation than she could ever remember experiencing. It was exhilarating, any trepidation she felt was lost in the new-found feelings she had never been allowed to have before.
Being raised in the fortress made for a secluded lifestyle, but she was by no means an amateur when it came to dealing with ponies. Her master had made sure to take her on many outings and she had plenty of interaction with the world. In fact, part of her training included a disciplined understanding of the common, exploitable habits of ponies. Her master had instructed her in these affairs on several occasions, where she mingled with the crowd according to his wishes. However, despite the nature of all the outings, they had all been with her master, who expected that she conduct herself according to his whims. Now? She could act however she wished and interact with whomever she cared to.
It was an overwhelming prospect. Octavia could remember a number of her assignments where she wished to have had time to talk to ponies going about their day. She could hardly begin to imagine where she could begin. The music shops she always wanted to stop in were open to her; the musicians and their extravagant works were now at her disposal. All she had to do was find time. She hoped her target was lazy.
Lost in her thoughts, Octavia found herself a compartment and pulled out her information on Vinyl Scratch. She stared blankly for a few minutes before she realized she was getting nowhere. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she emptied her thoughts. She calmed her jittering hooves and and allowed her excitement to be tucked away.
Opening her eyes, she focused on the paper.
__________________________________________________
Target: Vinyl (Scratch) Star
Nickname(s): DJ-P0N3
Age: 22
Gender: Mare
Profession: Disk Jockey, Music Artist-Composer
Education: Double major; Master in Theory-Composition and Bachelor in Strategic Communication*
Sexual Preference: Unknown
Parents: Count and Countess, Olive and Record Star
Schedule: Everyday but Tuesdays and Thursdays she works from 7pm - 2am at the La Rouge. Usually stays home when not working, does make random visits around town and to different restaurants on off days for pleasure.
Additional Information (bio): Vinyl Scratch has had a rather privileged upbringing among the Canterlot elite. However from what has been gathered she is no slouch and very independant. She was at the top of all her classes, and to have achieved two degrees plus landed herself a permanent job at age 22 is impressive. It seems she also insisted on paying her own way through her schooling.** So far the job looks to be solid with good pay, at this rate school debts should be paid off within five or so years.
*It would seem her minor was in Vocal Performance and she has dabbled more than a little in it with her profession. It would also be wise to point out her familiarity with stringed and brass instruments; she is surprisingly versatile and has an understanding of a large variety.
**Little to nothing is know about her relationship with her parents. There does not to seem to be much of a rivalry however, but it might just be kept under wraps because of their station in society.
_________________________________________________________
Octavia snorted. Familiarity with instruments her flank! No self respecting musician could have respect for orchestral equipment and yet be a Disk Jockey. What amazed her was that the mare was actually fraternizing around in nightclubs when she came from such a high class family. It seemed clear that there was tension in that, but Octavia would have to learn more it seemed.
“Unfortunate that I have to remain anonymous, I’ll probably never hear the story of Vinyl’s parents having heart attacks when they found out where she worked.” Octavia smirked at the thought, imagining the shocked, white faces of two ponies finding out through a stray piece of news the DJ would have left lying around. Or, maybe it had yet to happen, this was a fairly new job after all.
She laid back in her seat and watched the mountains slide by; her mind picking through the various pages of information that were now splayed across the seats. Octavia closed her eyes and began committing everything to memory. Occasionally she would peek at a sheet, but for the most part the memorization came easy.
Before she even realized it, the train was approaching it’s destination. Quickly gathering her things, she waited for the train to stop. The train slid into the station with hardly a sound and came to a stop with a small jolt. She joined the line of ponies leaving the car, moving slowly until she had room to step out of the line and make for the station exit through the crowd.
*
Octavia took a deep breath and looked around. Canterlot, she was finally here. She might have a job to do, but she was going to enjoy every moment of her time here.
Taking stock of her surroundings, she pulled out a map that had been enclosed with the note she received. Outside the train station was a large square which did well to disperse the masses of ponies exiting the building behind her. It was not shaped like a square of course, it was more of a massive oval, surrounded on all sides with various stores, restaurants and tourist shops. There was a small park area in the center, allowing ponies to relax or play at their leisure. Octavia thought that was really smart, since it allowed for new ponies entering Canterlot a chance to stretch their legs but also have plenty of city activity to participate in if they desired.
Taking a moment to plot her course, Octavia began to move off towards her destination. The ponies surrounding her were mostly engaged in shopping and a lot of of them seemed to be families, considering the number of children around. Continuing to look around she hoped to spot anything that she might want to visit later.
Much to her chagrin, she did not spot a single pony that she thought was of the upper class. The most primly dressed pony was her, and she was only wearing a bow tie. There were also no stores in the immediate vicinity other than gift shops or food stands.
She moved off through the buildings, slightly disappointed that nothing caught her eye. It seemed with every step her stay in Canterlot was becoming more boring. Maybe it was for the best. Octavia mused on that, realizing she had been extremely inattentive in looking for potential dangers. She could have been stabbed half a dozen times in the time she had been ogling at the sites. It was getting late too; she was wasting time. Shaking herself and picking up her pace, Octavia moved deeper into the city.
Before long the buildings began to take on more of a Victorian architecture. Octavia realized her destination was leading her into older parts of the city, and older usually meant more expensive. She was getting closer to the palace, she could tell every time she got a peek through the tall buildings. But she had still been expecting to be looking for a hole in the wall of a club, not something among these nice homes and stores.
The La Rouge came into view just as the sun disappeared behind the buildings. It was surrounded by a number of other businesses all packed together. The front sported a large neon lit sign, every portion of it being in good condition. There were a couple of liquor stores, a bar and a few restaurants. A few other surrounding stores were closed, but for the most part lights still shone from within, casting faint shadows across the square in the twilight.
What struck Octavia first was how busy the small area was. Then came amazement as she noticed no trash anywhere, it was surprisingly well maintained for the amount of ponies it was attracting. She did not even realize that the square outside the train station had been an absolute mess until she saw how clean it was here.
From her direction there was almost no traffic. But back from towards the palace, where the higher class homes were, there was a constant trickle of ponies moving to and from the square. The still open stores buzzed with activity and there was already a line growing outside the club.
As she drew closer, she could hear and feel the beat of the music radiating outwards. There was a low murmur of talk permeating the air. Not loud enough to mimic the daily routine of busy markets, but it was enough to imply a heavy sense of camaraderie and ponies enjoying themselves. Octavia moved up the side of the growing line towards two large stallions who were guarding the door. She stiffened as she felt the eyes of almost all the ponies she passed latch onto her, she could almost feel the curiosity and jealousy oozing off them as she presented another present from the note: a VIP pass.
The stares, she realized, was probably because nopony knew her and that most of them were wondering who she was to have already garnered such an item. As the bouncer nodded her through after checking the pass, she turned firmly away from the staring ponies and made her way inside. She heard a couple of cat calls as her flank came into view. Saddlebags could only cover so much it seemed. Her eyes bulged and she almost stopped... almost. The nerve of these ponies! Back at En Reach that would not have happened unless somepony wanted a beating!
High class ponies, pshaw! She had been expecting to be hit on a couple of times earlier, but her expectations had suddenly gone way up once she realized the club was not a dump. Octavia forced herself to keep walking, telling herself it wasn’t worth the trouble. “they are just jealous of some new pony getting what they can’t have.” She thought smugly. Still, those expectations just got ruined.
A sour smirk crawled its way onto her features as she made her way to the bar. The pony she was replacing would be waiting for her to show up there. All she had to do now was wait for her responsibilities to be officially assigned.
She ordered a drink, hoping it would take the edge off her shattered respect for the ponies. She was worried it wouldn’t though. In her profession, she had to know how to fight under any circumstance. This meant that she had been forced to get drunk a number of times to learn how to fight while inebriated. One glass wasn’t going to be enough. To top it off she knew getting drunk on the job was out of the question, she needed to stay focused. So, that meant remembering those ponies outside and what they did.
“Hello Octavia,” a quiet voice behind her spoke. “You are almost late, and already drinking I see.”
Barely keeping herself from jumping like a startled kitten and spinning around, she took a small sip of her drink hoping to cover up any reaction that might have leaked out.
“Where is the DJ?” She asked coolly as she put the cup down.
She heard a slight shifting behind her. “In the back, but she hasn’t come out yet. I’m sure you will figure out who she is easily enough. Good luck.”
There was more movement behind her, then silence. Or, at least as quiet as it could be in the club. Octavia realized that she had not paid attention to any of the sound within the club upon entering. She had been so preoccupied with the vulgarity of the stallions outside she had not noticed the pounding bass in the background. It wasn’t as loud as she imagined club music to be, so perhaps that was why it had not caught her immediate attention.
The ponies already dancing seemed rather mellow... Actually, overall, the club seemed a little empty. Octavia wondered why there was a line outside. She glanced back at the door and in a flash realized that ponies had been slowly entering all along. How did she miss that the line had been moving? Growling at her lack of attentiveness she did another sweep of the large room.
Most of the room was filled with partying ponies. There were a few who were already heavily inebriated and a number well on their way. They mingled throughout the crowd or slumped in their seats. Along the bar was where most of the chatting was happening, she could already see more than one stallion looking for a hookup. To her surprise, there were even a few mares making some moves.
Two ponies were all Octavia could identify as potential threats. Both were stallions, one was slightly overweight with a dark green coat and was sitting in a dark corner. The other was nearly drunk and making an ass of himself. Despite that, Octavia could tell he could handle himself. She hoped he wouldn’t get violent, especially around her target.
Although she was not overly worried, they were both earth ponies. Their strength was nothing to scoff at, there was a reason why most bouncers were earth ponies the size of draft horses. Two unicorn stallions would have a hard time overcoming Octavia even without her combat skills. Brute strength against brute strength, Octavia had a fair chance.
What made unicorns dangerous was their magic, not strength. While it was near impossible for an average unicorn to grab and hold flesh, they could still use even the smallest of sticks or whatnot to trip up their opponents and thus gain an advantage.
Pegasi were a whole different matter. They were more hardy than earth ponies, but still not as strong. It took quite a bit of injury to subdue a pegasus. Then, add flying on top of that and it made them a force to be reckoned with just the same as earth ponies or unicorns.
Thankfully, Octavia had practice fighting against all the pony races. She was confident in her abilities to defeat one or two of each race. A blade went a long way in giving her an advantage against other earth ponies. For the others, it all came down to agility and awareness.
She looked up at the stage and as if on that cue the lights dimmed as the music stopped. The ponies all turned their faces to the stage as a silhouette appeared. Octavia snorted to herself as artificial fog swirled around the figure. She didn’t see what the big deal was, but the anticipation from the ponies on the floor was almost palpable.
There was a loud buzz as a mic cut in and loud shuffling as a mic appeared next to the mouth of the hidden pony on stage.
A rough, yet distinctly female voice called through the speakers, almost blasting Octavia off her bar stool.
“Helloooo Canterlot! Today is my one week of working for you birthday! How is everypony?”
The cheers were enough, Octavia jammed her hooves in her ears, slipping off her stool in the process.
“Well guess what?” The lights on stage flashed on, illuminating a white unicorn. “I’ve got a collab song that has been finished but I haven’t gotten it published yet, you wanna hear it?”
Octavia had a hard time deciding if it was the cheers, or the voice, that was hurting her ears more. But as the music began it blew both options out of the water. Octavia was convinced that she would not be able to hear by morning.
The resounding electronic bass drove the ponies on the dance floor into a frenzy. Octavia watched in horrified fascination as the club turned from it’s laid back atmosphere into a powerhouse of pony sweat and flailing limbs. Everywhere she turned ponies were bouncing to the beat or making a beeline for the dance floor. A huge flow of ponies flooded into the club, turning the place into a packed mass of bodies. Octavia was quickly crammed in between two mares ordering drinks.
“Orange Juice with a shot of vodka... er, make that a double.”
“May I get a bottle of Tequila and two glasses please?”
Her eyes bulged at both mare’s starting drinks. Octavia could only imagine why they would want to be inebriated so quickly. True, she wasn’t helping her case by sitting with a half filled glass of spirits, but it was quite obvious these mares were looking to get drunk quick. However, Octavia was sure to make sure she remained well within her tolerance limit; she couldn’t say the same for the mare who was walking away with her bottle.
Looking at the clock, Octavia groaned when it only said nine-thirty. She emptied her glass and put her head in her hooves. It was going to be a long night.
“Hey there babe. You don’t look like you’re having a good time.” Octavia tilted her head to the side to observe the stallion that had to all but shout to make himself heard even while standing next to her.
He sat down on a stool next to her and eventually gained the bartender’s attention. He nodded towards Octavia’s glass. “I’d like to refill her glass, give me one of what she’s drinking as well.”
The bartender took the glass but waited for Octavia to nod. The stallion turned back to her as he lounged against the bar.
“So, I saw you walk in with that pass, I like the way you ignored those crass ponies out there. I’d like to apologize for their behavior, they are jealous is all.”
He paused to gauge her reaction, but Octavia opted to ignore him. He continued, unabated.
“I know most all the ponies who come here and I think it’s safe to say you are new considering I’ve not seen you before. If you don’t mind me asking where are you from?”
Yes she did mind. But, she didn’t have anything better to do. Octavia decided now would be a good of time as any to go over her cover story.
“Manehattan.” She said.
Clearly expecting more, the stallion waited a moment. When he did not receive more information he continued smoothly.
“Manehattan huh. I have a cousin out there. He is a theater hand there.”
“I doubt it,” Octavia thought.
The bartender returned with the drinks and the stallion thanked him before pushing one of the glasses towards Octavia.
“What theater does he work at?” Octavia asked.
The stallion hesitated for a second, if she had not been looking Octavia would have missed it.
“It’s the Portobello Theater, they do live performances.” The stallion put a hoof to his chin and appeared to be lost in thought before he continued. “It’s on... on... Heh! You know, I can’t remember where it is! It’s been a few years since I’ve talked with him at all.” The stallion looked rueful and stared at his glass.
“Oh he’s good.” Octavia was impressed with his smooth reply.
However, she had never heard of any theater that did live performances called the Portobello in Manehattan, and that was the main city she had spent her socializing time in. She was quite certain there was no theater of that name there, but she decided to play along, challenging herself to see how long it would take her before he slipped up.
“Hm, well that’s interesting I am a musician myself and I’ve never heard of that theater. It must be pretty low class,” She said airily, taking a modest sip from her glass.
The stallion chuckled nervously and took a gulp of his drink. He coughed as it went down, but managed to regain control of himself.
“Well, you are right of course, it is a pretty low class place. I would imagine somepony of your prestige wouldn’t know anything about it. You should tell me about your accomplishments!”
“I’ve played in a number of places actually.” Octavia began. “My most prestigious accomplishment would have to be that I’ve played at the Grand Galloping Gala. But other accomplishments include winning the Manehattan Music Masterpieces contest three different years as well as being the longest running champion in Equestrian Stringed Duels.” Octavia listed off easily. Nothing new there, those were real achievements for her, not to brag or anything though.
The stallion gave her a once over with wide eyes before taking another liberal gulp of his drink. Octavia was amused to observe his cheeks flushing with the alcohol.
“What a lightweight,” she snickered to herself.
If he wasn't careful with his drinking he would find himself out on the back street in the morning.
“You don’t say.” He said slowly. “My you sure have been around, it’s a shame I've not heard of you but I guess classical musicians just don’t get the same kind of popularity as other types of music.”
Octavia gave a sour glance towards the stage as the stallion finished his drink. The thundering song had ended, but the mad DJ was now mixing what seemed like four different songs together. Octavia could not understand how the ponies near the stage’s speakers had not collapsed to the floor in agony.
“The name’s Wild, Wild Card.” The stallion said, bringing Octavia back to her surroundings.
“Octavia.” She supplied taking another sip, trying not to roll her eyes.
For his part, Wild Card was beginning to have a little trouble sitting on his stool. That did not bother him however, and very quickly he scooted it closer to Octavia and put a foreleg around her lower back... extremely low back she observed.
Well, at least, he tried to. As soon as his hoof reached her opposite flank, she grabbed it and twisted hard, flinging the stallion off his stool. Jumping off her own stool in the motion, she continued pushing the stallion to the floor. He yelled in agony as she held his foreleg behind his back as she pushed on his back.
“I don’t think I’m as drunk as you are buddy, and certainly not enough for those kinds of moves. Wouldn't you agree?” Octavia gave a tweak of the stallions leg.
“Yes!” He cried.
“I don’t want to see you try that again, with me or any other mares got it?”
“Okay!” The stallion whimpered into the floor, tears leaking out of his clenched eyes.
“And for the record, there is no theater in Manehattan called the Portobello,” she growled.
Octavia gave the stallion’s arm an extra tweak, extracting a pained cry, before she dropped his foreleg. Leaving the whimpering stallion she stood up, noticing many of the surrounding patrons staring at her slack jawed. The bartender might have had a slight smirk she thought, but his mouth was a little too far open to tell as well.
At her glare, the ponies quickly turned back to their own vices and did not give her a second glance. Huffing, Octavia picked up her glass from the bar and moved to find herself a corner to settle down in as far from the music as possible, while still being able to see Vinyl.
The rest of the night passed rather uneventfully. Nopony bothered Octavia and she was able to observe everything from her corner. As the crowd finally thinned a considerable amount she made her way to the bar.
“Hey, I was wondering if there is any way I could get an autograph from tonight’s DJ?” Octavia asked as the bartender came around.
The stallion regarded her warily for a moment.
Octavia continued quickly, “I thought she did a lot better than a lot of places I’ve been to. I’m seriously considering coming back. I might even have a business proposition for the mare.”
Octavia hoped she didn’t overdo it. Thankfully the bartender lit up when she said she would be back.
“You could probably catch her as she leaves through the back door, you can run around right now if you want,” he said with a grin.
Smiling and thanking the stallion, she turned and left. Moving around back to where the DJ was supposed to exit, she hid herself and waited. It was not a cold night, but the air had a slight nip to it. Octavia noticed, but she remained mostly unaffected. The alcohol she had consumed kept her warm as she hunkered in the shadows.
It was not long before the DJ exited the building. The mare took a deep breath and began to walk out of the alley. Octavia followed at a distance since there were no ponies with which she could blend. She relied solely on the shadows and silence.
The DJ moved quickly, cutting through alleys and streets, clearly sure of her destination. Suddenly the DJ stopped and looked back, pricking her ears. Octavia raised an eyebrow. She was well hidden, and had made no noise in her last move. Octavia knew about feeling eyes on your back, so she was not surprised that the DJ was slightly nervous, especially this late at night.
After a few more minutes of moving, the DJ paused again. This time she turned around quickly and peered behind her. Octavia, for her part, was already well hidden again. She had also increased her following distance as an extra precaution.
“Wow, this is one paranoid filly.” Octavia almost giggled out loud.
The DJ hesitantly began moving once again, but this time she moved quicker. Octavia realized this only when the white mare cut into an alley and out of sight. Cursing under her breath, Octavia picked up her pace and moved towards the entrance.
A sudden scream and shouting pierced the dead night. Octavia’s blood ran cold as it originated from the alley she was heading for. She broke into a flat out sprint as she reached into her saddlebags for her katana. Sword in mouth, she skidded around the corner in time to see one of four stallions shoving Vinyl Scratch against a brick wall. An anti magic ring was already forced around the base of her horn.
In an instant Octavia identified the one who shoved Vinyl as the large, dark green stallion she had seen in the bar. The other stallion who was with him was there as well, but the two other stallions were new to her.
The katana magically extended with a sharp ring as she activated the special button on her weapon’s handle. She bounded forward and transferred the katana to her hooves, observing her surroundings as she did so. The ground was dark, uneven cobblestone and the walls were relatively flat red brick. The building opposite Vinyl had windows higher up. There were a few trash cans at the far entrance, but for the most part the alley was clear of debris and refuse.
The two new stallions carried blades. One was a unicorn and the other a pegasus. Both earth ponies she had seen in the bar were weaponless, but that did not fool Octavia into thinking they were harmless. As an earth pony, she outmatched average males from other races in sheer strength, and she was just a female. A plan formed in her mind as she closed the distance between her and the other ponies. The only warning the stallions received was the widening of Vinyls eyes and a soft thumping from behind.
She targeted the unicorn first: Always remove their ability to cast magic spells. An earthbound pony at least had a chance in combatting a pegasus, unlike a unicorn who could steal your weapon or lift you if they were strong enough. If she was quick, she could eliminate both threats from the start.
Barreling into the unicorn, she slammed his head into the wall next to Vinyl. She turned and lashed out at the pegasus with her katana. He was fast, but not fast enough to avoid her opening his foreleg with a deep gash. He jerked back, but in his panic he flapped his wings too hard and slammed against the other wall. Observing that both earth ponies were still in shock, she closed in on the pegasus. He had his sword out, but Octavia deftly slipped past his defenses and ruined his injured foreleg for good as well as placing a deep gash across his middle.
She was forcibly disengaged as one of the earth ponies wrapped a hoof around her neck and jerked her back. Forcing back a choking cough and hardening her neck, Octavia kicked back with all her might between the stallion’s legs. That was a nice advantage of fighting while standing on two legs... If anypony grabbed her from behind, they left themselves quite vulnerable.
Unfortunately for her, the stallion was wearing plenty of padding there. Octavia cursed again for not noticing it. However, her kick was enough for him to loosen his grip on her in surprise, if not a little pain. She twisted out of his hold in time to find the unicorn getting to his feet, holding his own weapon in his hooves with blood running down his forehead.
Before he could decide to get ahold of Vinyl, Octavia rolled towards the collapsed mare. As she came up she engaged the unicorn stallion in a flurry of blows. To her surprise, the stallion met her head on, if clumsily. She pressed her few seconds of advantage and drove him back to the earth ponies who rushed her.
Bouncing backwards deftly she avoided their grasp and sliced open the chest of one stallion while the dark green earth pony dodged her swings.
“Run you idiot!” Octavia gasped, giving the DJ a fierce shove with her hoof.
Vinyl scrambled towards the trash cans while Octavia watched the earth pony warily. She noticed the unicorn’s eyes woozily following the retreating mare. He held his head in one hoof and his sword with the other. Octavia decided she needed to end this quickly before the unicorn regained control of his mental abilities.
She charged the earth pony, tactfully using controlled swings as she advanced. He fell back and the unicorn was forced to meet her. As she began to duel him, it quickly became apparent he was not as proficient as her. It also worked in her favor that he seemed to be having trouble focusing. She quickly scored a couple of hits, but nothing definite.
Before she could finish the unicorn, the earth pony once again charged in. However, this time he came in underneath a swing from his partner, leaving Octavia to decide whom to block. It was a good plan, but Octavia was ready for that sort of mov. In fact, she had been hoping for it. She retreated from the blow towards the wall. As she deflected the swing, she used the wall to perform a side flip over the earth pony. She then rolled back, following the stallion as he dug his hooves in to stop himself.
Before he realized what happened, Octavia decapitated him on the spot. However, the heavy swing she used left her off balance and on the wrong hoof to take advantage of the unicorn who was left. In a desperate attempt to catch him off guard she attempted what Valerie had done to her. It was by more luck than design that he stumbled to the side right at that moment. She barely fell into a roll to pull out of the failed tackle.
She spun around and firmly planted herself as he quickly moved to engage. After a few blows, he seemed to focus behind her for just a moment before switching from attacking her, to defending his position. Octavia gave little thought to this as she pushed him back. One, two steps before he slipped on the remains of his decapitated fellow. With a cry he fell back, but it was drowned out as Octavia screamed herself.
A fiery burning pierced her side and it felt like it dug a mile deep. She could feel something wiggling around and tearing her skin even more. Octavia jerked away and felt a resistance that pulled at her hide before it vanished. Unfortunately she could still feel whatever it was still stuck in her, but thankfully it was no being moved by somepony. She looked down and behind her to see the pegasus face down after stabbing her with a small, but wicked looking knife, desperately clutching his spilling insides. He had tried to hang onto the knife, but Octavia’s movements had broken his weak grasp.
Having no choice but to leave the knife, Octavia charged the unicorn who had taken off towards Vinyl. She could feel the knife grinding against her ribs. It was causing her more agony than she had ever felt during all her years of training to be a ninja, but she endured. Thankfully for her, the unicorn was not making fast progress. He noticed Octavia’s advance and quickly turned to face her.
In a painfully heightened state, Octavia engaged in a short duel with the unicorn, her bones grinding against the blade jammed inside her. Her adrenaline rush and superior skill soon won out and she incapacitated the unicorn with a thrust. Octavia stood there, her breaths coming in painful gasps. She spun around and looked for the pegasus, but he had not moved from his faceplant. The whole encounter had barely lasted thirty seconds, but she was more out of breath than after a half mile sprint. Her limbs shook with unused adrenaline her body was pumping through her.
Bile rose in her throat as she glanced at the knife still stuck in her midsection. She sank down against the wall. Gritting her teeth she closed her eyes and grabbed the knife handle. She pulled, grinding her jaw and whimpering, desperately trying to think of happy moments with her cello. After what seemed ages, the tip finally left her body and she threw it away. She sank down further as she crammed her hoof over the opening, desperately trying to stem the flow of her crimson red life essence. She slide to the side as she looked around for the white unicorn she had been protecting.
She felt a flood of relief as she noticed the shocked mare cowering near the trash cans, giving her the strangest look.
“It sure would be nice to have some of that tequila right now.” Octavia thought, her mind briefly touching on the two mares from earlier. Her eyes fluttered and she noticed the DJ slowly getting up and moving closer.
She blinked sluggishly, confused at how the DJ was now standing over her.
“She sure can move fast,” Octavia thought as she blacked out.
