Chapter 1
Octavia woke to the sound of water dripping in the distance. She struggled to upright herself and weakly looked around the room. It was small and empty. The only things in the room were the musty cot she had woken up on, a candle in the center, and a rusted suit of armor in the corner. She walked to the door and jiggled the knob.
"Hello," She called out, "Is anypony there?"
Octavia felt the rusted metal hinges beneath her hoof. She turned around, closed her eyes and balanced herself on her forelegs. Her forelegs were immediately pulled out from under her. She yelled as she fell on her stomach. She looked up. The armor looked down at her. Octavia crawled away quickly.
"Hello," She stammered, "I- I'm Octavia."
The armor stood still.
"What's your name?" She asked.
The armor did not move. Octavia shuffled away, and sobbed in the corner. She heard the armor's hooves clinking, but did not look up.
She was not sure how long it was until she heard the rattle of a key in the door. Prince Blueblood entered with a cello in hoof. He placed it on the floor in front of her. He looked up at her, regarding her with a wary eye.
"Play," He commanded.
"Where am I!" She screamed at him.
Blueblood smacked her across the mouth. "Play."
"No," She refused, "How did I get here?"
Blueblood walked back to the door, looked over his shoulder, and shut it behind him. She could hear the rattling of a lock. She skulked to the door and put her ear against it. She looked back. The armor was above her again. She backed away and sat on the cot. She looked down at the candle. It had become a short nub. The wax dripped onto the floor. It burned out, and she cried in the dark. The armor clanked back over to it's corner. She could not see it or anything else in the dark.
Her own growling stomach woke her sometime later. She could not tell how much time had passed.
"Hey." She looked in the general direction of the armor's corner. "What's your name?"
There was only silence.
"My name's Octavia," She told it, "But, I guess I already said that."
The door opened. Blueblood entered with a candle and a sandwich. He placed both on the floor. He gestured to the cello.
"Play," He demanded.
"No." She backed into her corner.
Blueblood took the sandwich and the candle. He left, and locked the door behind him.
Octavia walked to the door and pressed her eye against the keyhole. She heard a clank. Something grabbed her tail and dragged her to the cot.
"How did you get here?" She asked the armor.
It clanked back over to the corner.
"Ok," She breathed in deeply, "One clank for yes, two for no."
It remained silent.
Blueblood entered many hours later. He once again carried a sandwich and a candle. He set them on the floor. He gestured to the cello.
"Play," He stated.
Octavia looked down at the sandwich. She picked up her cello. He scooted the sandwich closer to her. She played a few notes. She looked up expectantly.
"I'm too hungry!" She yelled, "I need some damn food."
He picked up the sandwich and the candle. He left her in the darkness. She ran to the door and slammed herself against it. Splinters scratched at her skin. The armor picked her up and placed her back on the cot. She ran for the door. The armor grabbed her and held her down in the cot.
Blueblood entered again. He placed the sandwich and candle on the floor.
"Play," He demanded.
Octavia picked up the cello and bow. She played a refrain. Blueblood stared at her movements the entire time. He smiled and raised a hoof. She stopped. He left the sandwich and candle behind.
She shoved it into her mouth. She licked the crumbs off the plate. She licked her hooves. She noticed the open door.
She skulked towards it with some hesitation. The door was just barely cracked. She began sweating nervously. Octavia looked up at the armor. It stayed in its corner. She looked back at the door. She backed away from it and sat on her cot. The armor stayed still. She looked down at her cello.
She looked back at the door. It was shut. The armor swayed just a little.
Blueblood came the next day. He had more candles, a sandwich, and a metal bowl filled with water. He placed them in front of her. She grabbed the cello and began the same refrain. Blueblood shook his head. She chose something more upbeat. Blueblood nodded. He left the candles and the vittles.
The door opened sometime later. She looked up for Blueblood, but did not see him.
"Got another one!" The guard yelled over his shoulder, "Are you all right, miss?"
"Armor," She answered, "The armor. The armor. Watch for the armor."
The guard looked at the armor. It stayed still. He lifted its visor.
"Nothing in there," He told her, "Let's get you out of here."
"Can't leave," Octavia muttered, "That's when it gets you. That's when it lives. Clank, clank... armor's gonna get me."
The guard grabbed her and made for the door. Octavia kept her eye on the armor as they left the room. They exited out across the courtyard. Dozens of guards littered the lawn of Blueblood's castle. One was writing in a thick book. The rest were helping emaciated ponies out of the building. Ambulance carts waited along the road.
"The armor." Octavia explained, "It doesn't move when you can see it."
"Uh-huh." The guard helped her into the ambulance.
She was in the room of a hospital. She was not sure where, she had not asked. She had to keep her eyes open. The armor would follow. She knew it would.
"That's a very nice cutie mark," A nurse set a sandwich down on the bedside tray, "What do you play?"
"Play?" Octavia began pantomiming playing her cello, "Play. Play. Play P-"