Act One- Written in the Stars
Octavia's heart thudded loudly in her ears as she barreled down the narrow alleyways, making sharp turns and recklessly leaping over and through obstacles in a desperate attempt to lose her pursuers. The rain pouring down slowed her, making her path slick and dangerous and plastering her mane over her face so that it was next to impossible for her to see where she was going. She dodged around one corner and took cover behind a large trash bin, praying to the princesses that they would pass her by.
The two stallions ran by her hiding place, but the larger skidded to a stop just as the grey mare was about heave a sigh of relief. He grabbed his companion's tail in his teeth and jerked him to a stop, looking around suspiciously. "Hold up, Treble, there's no way she's that fast. She'd hiding around here somewhere." He said, his voice clumsy with a thick Stalliongrad accent. With a nod, the thin and gangly stallion called Treble began stalking around the alley, calling out quietly.
"Come on out, little filly. We'll be gentler if you just come out, I promise." He cooed, kicking a few barrels as if to scare someone out of them, and Octavia gulped silently. She had to run. That was pretty much her only choice- they'd find her if she stayed there much longer. She seized on that thought as soon as they were both facing away from her hiding spot and launched herself out from behind the trash bin and took off down the alley once more.
"Treble, you idiot, she's going that way!" The accented stallion called from behind her, and she put everything she had into outrunning them. Her legs burned from exertion and each breath sent pain roiling through her cramped chest, but nothing was going to stop her. Except for the metal bar that tripped her up and sent her skidding on her chin across the wet concrete and into a solid wall. "Got'cha." The large stallion said, and he turned her over so that she was on her back, looking up at him. She gulped and tried to struggle, but her attempts were met by a heavy hoof against the side of her head that set her eyes spinning just as the other stallion arrived, panting heavily.
He punched the stallion that was standing over Octavia on the shoulder teasingly and grinned at him before turning an appreciative gaze on Octavia's shivering form. "Good catch, Baritone. Got us a pretty one, this time!" He exclaimed ecstatically, rubbing his hooves together.
This time? Oh no... Octavia thought fearfully, the words bringing to mind the stories she'd heard on the news about the brutal assaults in this part of Canterlot. I'm doomed. She lamented internally, resigning herself to her fate as the large stallion moved about above her, apparently positioning himself for- No. Don't think about it. Just close your eyes and wait for it to be over. The strong part of her subconscious commanded, and she reluctantly obeyed, turning her head to the side and resting her cheek on the ground as tears started to form.
She felt his hot breath on her neck, followed by the heavy feeling of him settling over top of her...
Then, suddenly, both the weight and his breath were removed in an instant, and the sounds of a quiet scuffle filled the alleyway. Octavia rolled to her feet and put her back to a corner as a brawl unfolded before her. Two unicorns, one a mint-green mare and the other a forest green stallion, were engaged in a brutal melee with Octavia's assailants- and they were winning quite decisively. As she watched, the mare delivered one final buck to Baritone's chest and sent him fleeing down the alleyway, followed by a yelping Treble.
The two watched them go with self-satisfied smirks before turning back to Octavia, who smiled at them gratefully. "I can't possibly thank the two of you enough. If the two of you hadn't come-" She began, only to be silenced by an intimidating glare from the stallion.
"Yeah yeah. Now shut it and give us whatever bits you've got." He commanded, taking a threatening step toward her and setting his horn to sparking threateningly.
Octavia gulped and tried to take a step back, only to find that she was already backed into a corner. She reached over her shoulder to fetch some bits for the scoundrel, only to remember that she'd shed her saddlebag back when the two would-be assailants had first started chasing her. Oh no, oh no... What are they going to do to me for not having any bits? The mare panicked, closing her eyes and turning her head aside in defeat for the second time that night.
Then she opened them again when raucous filled the air around her. The unicorn duo were leaning against each other for support and shuddering from laughter. The mare managed to capture her breath and step away from her companion, smiling softly. "Relax, Stratos is just playing. We're not really after your bits." She assured the shaking mare, before grasping something off the ground and holding it out with her magic. "You drop this?" She asked, gesturing with a hoof at Octavia's pink bow, which she'd somehow managed to drop during her rescue.
Octavia scowled, not at all amused by the duo's prank, but nodded at the offered bow and reached out a hoof for it. The unicorn floated it right past her hoof and tied it in it's proper place around her neck, smiling. Octavia raised an eyebrow, but let the incident pass. "Well, though your jokes appear to be rather poor in taste, my gratitude remains unchanged. If you two hadn't come, there's no telling what they would have done to me." She said, holding out her hoof once more, this time in greeting.
The mare took it and shook, waving away the grey mare's thanks. "It was no trouble- what kind of ponies would we be if we hadn't helped? Besides, we've been trying to catch those two chumps for months." She said, looking over her shoulder into the shadows that the two'd disappeared to.
Trying to catch them? Octavia mused, looking over the two in front of her carefully. They didn't look like guardsponies. "Are you detectives or something of that sort?" She asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.
"Nah, Lyra and I are musicians. S'just those flank-faced fools tried to lay their hands on a friend of ours sometime ago, and we've been eh... chomping at the bit-" He paused to chuckle at his own poor joke- "For some revenge on those chumps." He said, and the mare he called Lyra nodded in agreement.
Octavia nodded, giving the two an understanding smile that was still tinged with her thankfulness. "Well, it seems you have achieved that, at least." She said, brushing herself off and taking a few steps. "I hate to further inconvenience you, but do you think you could lead me out of this... unsavory district?" She asked, silently pleading with fate that they agree.
Stratos was shaking his head, but Lyra punched his shoulder and nodded, smiling. "Well, Strats has an..." She paused and bit her lip, as if trying to choose the proper word. "Erm, appointment with a... massage specialist, yeah. But, I'll stick with ya." She promised as Stratos nodded and took off walking. "Shall we go, then?" Lyra asked, to which Octavia nodded enthusiastically.
"Definitely. I've had about enough of this alleyway to last an age." Octavia said, moving up to walk side-by-side with her new acquaintance and casting nervous looks at the shadows that filled the alley. They walked in silence at first, but before long the quiet unnerved the grey mare and she could stand it no longer. "So, what instrument do you pl-" She began, then took both the mare's cutie mark and her name into account and stopped the question in it's tracks.
Too late. "Well, I am Lyra the best Lyre player you'll ever meet. See the Lyre on my flank? There's your proof." She said, drawing out the syllables in each instance of the word lyre. Octavia fixed her with a cool stare and gave the sternest frown she could muster. Lyra held up a hoof, giggling slightly. "Hey, you can't blame me. You walked into that one." She said, then paused for a moment. "Hey, wait a minute, I never got your name." She said, scratching her head and trying to recall if the mare in distress had ever mentioned her name.
"My name's Octavia Con-" She began, only to be interrupted by a mint-green hoof in her mouth and a nervous hiss. Lyra ushered her from the center of the alley to a narrow space behind a trash bin- one that, after a moment, Octavia recognized as the very same bin she'd hidden behind earlier. She leaned close to Lyra, her voice now lowered to a whisper. "What's going on? Why are we hiding?" She asked, and the mint-green mare only held a hoof to her mouth in a gesture of 'be quiet' in response.
Octavia peered around the edge of the bin just in time to see four or five of Princess Luna's NightGuard prowling down the alleyway, their faces angry and stances tensely alert. Octavia recognized their leader as Captain Supernova, and noted that his helmet was conspicuously missing. He began hollering orders at his subordinates in a ragged tone that made Octavia's ears hurt. "Alright cupcakes, our informant said that the little thief came down this way. I want you delicate little pastries to find her and bring the little wretch to me so I can cut that tiny harp right off her flank. Am I understood?" He barked, and the gathered NightGuards shouted a simultaneous affirmative. He nodded in satisfaction and took off, leaving the guards to pass by the trash bin.
Once their hoofsteps had faded completely, Lyra stood up and walked back out into the hallway, laughing quietly to herself. "Oh, man. I love seeing that pompous talking stallionhood mad." She said, resuming the trip that the Captain's arrival had interrupted. "Who'd've thought he'd get so worked up about me snatching his helmet?" She asked, mostly to the air, as they rounded a corner and found themselves back on one of Canterlot's main streets.
Giving her companion a mildly suspicious glance, Octavia cleared her throat to re-attain the mint-green mare's attention. "You did what? Do you know how dangerous it is to antagonize the NightGuard? They tend to be a little more harsh than the DayGuard, you know." She warned, more annoyed at the mare's stupidity than concerned for her.
Lyra just scoffed and waved a hoof. "Please. Harsh they may be, but those silly moonshepherds are about as bright as a dead light-bulb, you know what I mean?" She asked, tapping the side of her head and spinning her eyes in their sockets, reminding Octavia a bit of a gray mare that'd stuck her head through the curtains at the last Hearth's Warming.
Despite her uneasiness about upsetting the dark-armored guardians, she had no choice to nod in agreement. The royal guard in general wasn't known for being very intelligent, and the NightGuard were all brutal thoughts and blatant brawn. "Yes, I suppose I do know what you mean. Still, it may be prudent to exercise caution when mussing about with them." She advised, before looking around and realizing that they weren't really going anywhere, just wandering about. "Oh, and, um, I live in Canterlot Heights." She said, gesturing with a hoof to the left turn at the intersection they were standing at.
The unicorn stopped for a moment to toss a curious gaze at her bow-wearing companion. "Wow. Really? The richest district in the city?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking a little bit. "Good for you, rich girl." She said, making the turn and picking up her pace a little bit. Before long, the looming shapes of the Heights District's massive iconic mansions were surrounding them, and Octavia felt mildly safe for the first time that night. "Well, if you can't get home safely from here, fate must have it in for you, so I think I'll leave ya be." Lyra said, yawning widely and taking a few steps down one of the sidestreets.
Octavia nodded, holding out her hoof once more. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Lyra. If I may ask- are you confident that you'll get home safe?" She asked, more out of politeness than actual concern- the mint-green mare had already proven herself capable enough.
Lyra laughed slightly as she shook Octavia's hoof. "Don't worry about it, Octavia- that was your name, right?- You're not the only rich musician in the heights." She said, teasingly vague, before walking off into the night. "Good night, Octavia. Maybe we'll meet again." She called over her shoulder, leaving the grey mare sitting on the sidewalk.
After a few moments of watching the darkness where the mare had disappeared, Octavia roused herself and walked the remaining block to her mansion- the grand and illustrious Concerto Hall, a dark fortress that towered over all it's neighbors and marred Canterlot's pristine skyline. She sighed as she stepped off the sidewalk and onto her home's private walkway. The feeling of safety that she'd gained when she'd reached the heights faded with each step she took towards her front door.
Her long and dramatically frightened walk toward the door was interrupted by a fierce tackle/hug hybrid that knocked her off the path and into the hedgerow that bordered it. She gave a yelp of surprise and fear and struggled free, clambering out the opposite side of the hedges and into the yard. She was soon followed by a cream-colored mare with a navy-and-pink mane wearing a maid's uniform.
Octavia heaved a sigh of relief at the sight, walking forward and embracing her friend. "Bon Bon, you almost scared me out of my coat! What were you thinking?" She asked, holding the maid at leg's length and frowning at her.
Bon Bon rolled her eyes and poked the grey mare in the chest with a hoof. "No, what were you thinking? Do you know what time it is? Do you know how worried I've been?" She asked, glaring at the musician and lacing her words with a motherly tone that succeeding in making Octavia feel ashamed of herself.
And made her a little bit angry. "Quit acting like your my mother, Bon Bon, you're only two years older than me!" Octavia demanded, stomping a hoof against the ground. "I'm sorry I came home so late, but I got into a spot of trouble and needed some help to get out of it is all." She said in an attempt to soothe the mare, smiling uncomfortably.
The maid's gaze softened and she turned back toward the manse, throwing an arm around Octavia's neck and walking with her towards the front door. "It's fine, 'Tavi. I was just really worried about you is all. You know the only reason I keep working at this stupid mansion is because I care about you, right?" She asked, smiling when Octavia nodded. "Anyway, what kind of trouble?" She asked, her expression slightly worried.
Octavia sighed. She'd hoped to avoid that question. "Well, I was walking home through the plains district after that rehearsal I told you about, and..." Here comes the bombshell... "I found myself cornered in an alleyway by a couple of... ill intentioned stallions." She paused to take a breath and was interrupted by a terrified gasp and a sudden stop from her friend.
Bon Bon pranced in a nervous circle around her friend, worriedly checking the mare for injuries or signs of... misuse. "Are you all right? Did they hurt you? What were their names? I swear, if they laid a hoof on you, I'll hunt them down and devour their sou-" Her promise was interrupted by Octavia's hoof.
The gray mare was staring at her friend with a frightened and slightly disturbed expression. After a moment, she lowered her hoof and shook the expression off of her face. "Um, I'm fine. But, as I was saying- they had me cornered, but before anything could happen, I was rescued. Two unicorns showed up just in time to beat them up and chase them off. Then, one of them was kind enough to walk me back to the heights to make sure I got home safe." She said, nudging her friend to get her walking again.
The maid heaved a sigh of relief and once again resumed walking toward the front door. "Well, did you happen to catch your rescuer's name or address? I'd like to give them my thanks for saving you." She said, smiling as she held the door open.
Octavia walked through and waited for Bon Bon to lock the door and join her. "Well, I didn't get her last name, but she told me her name was-"
---
"Lyra!" The tall brown stallion called, pulling open the tall iron gate as she approached. "I was wondering when you'd be home. Out partying again?" He asked, closing the gate behind her as she walked through. "Your brother planning on being home sometime tonight?" He added as an afterthought, looking thoughtfully at the large lock poised to hold the gate closed.
The mint-green mare smiled. "Firstly, no- I wasn't partying. We were hunting those two chumps again. As for Stratos? Ehh..." She gave him a suggestive smile and pointed off to the Red Lamp district. "I think he's spending the night with Tender Caress again." She said, and gestured for him to lock the gate.
"As you say, Miss Lyra. Have a good evening- I'll be going to bed once this gate's locked." He said, locking the gate even as he spoke. Lyra waved him good night and walked down the cobblestone path to her front door, which hung lightly ajar to let out a stream of quiet music.
She walked inside, pulling the door shut behind her, and let her tail sway to her mother's piano playing as she climbed the stairs to her room on the second floor. Though the outside of the mansion was posh and proper to fit Canterlot covenants, the inside was a chaotic swirl of scattered sheet music, instrument cases, and damaged furniture. Lyra cheerfully navigated the crowded hallways and near-deadly staircase til she reached the door of her room. She nudged it open and stepped inside, once again met by the sound of music.
A soft electronic tune danced through the room- a soothing lullaby that almost immediately made Lyra want to take a nap. The blacklight brought out a purple glow in the middle of Lyra's bed, where a white unicorn with a multi-shaded neon-blue mane snoozed quietly. The mint-green unicorn clambered quietly onto the bed and poked the mare on the shoulder gently. "Vinyl, wake up." She whispered quietly, shaking the sleeper softly.
After a few moments of this, the neon-maned pony lifted her head up and opened her gently-glowing red eyes, looking around blindly. Lyra cleared her throat and the mare fixed her sightless gaze on the source of the sound. "Oh. Hello, Lyra. Is it morning? I don't feel sunlight through the windows." She mused, reaching her hooves out toward where she thought the closest part of the bed to the window was.
Lyra smiled at her friend, putting a foreleg around her shoulders and sighing. "No, it's still evening. You probably haven't even been asleep for long." She said, yawning. "Sorry that I made you wait, though." She added, frowning guiltily. "I promised I'd be back by eight. Sorry." She said, looking down and feeling a little ashamed.
Vinyl chuckled and tried to poke her friend on the nose, instead getting her chin. "No worries, Ly'. I got a pretty good nap out of it, so it's all good." She said, punctuating the sentence with a yawn of her own. "But what kept you, anyway?" She added, sitting up properly and training a curious gaze on where she'd last heard her friend's voice.
That got a real smile out of Lyra, even though the DJ couldn't see it. "Well, Stratos and I got those chumps that tried to... Well, you know who I mean." She said, and grinned even wider as the blue-maned mare gave a yell of triumph. "As a bonus, we got to save another mare that they were after. I walked her home safe and everything." Lyra said, feeling rather proud of herself.
The scarlet-eyed musician's smile took on a more teasing look. "Oh, really? Did she give up some reward flank?" She asked, exaggerating a lick of her lips and causing her companion to facehoof.
"No, she didn't. This one was classy- from here in the heights, actually." The unicorn said, smiling even more proudly than she'd already been.
"Why not? I thought classy mares were supposed to reward heroes." Vinyl faux-complained, laughing even as she spoke.
Lyra faked a scowl. "Well, she didn't. I am flattered that you think I could get flank on the first meeting, though. Am I that good looking?" She asked, striking a pose as best as she could on the uneven footing the bed provided.
The DJ scoffed, looking blindly at where she thought the other mare was. "I wouldn't know, Ly'. Never seen ya." She said, laughing as her friend flopped back down onto the bed in irritation.
"I have no idea why I waste my funnyness on you, Viney." Lyra grumbled, grabbing the stereo remote in her magic and turning up the music enough that it made conversation impossible and rolling over on her bed. Her thoughts drifted back to the grey mare she'd rescued as Vinyl walked over to the couch that she slept on. The DJ called good night, to which Lyra replied in kind before burying her head in her pillow and closing her eyes.
She dreamed of soft music and mysterious violet eyes.