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// Aria of Cellos 
// Story: Melody of the Night 
// by The Great Wub Tub 
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        Octavia stood resolute, a massive hulk of iron and stone rising above her into the night sky. A castle that had never been there before had suddenly risen up without a word in the depths of the Everfree Free, releasing a brand new plethora of reasons of never go into the forest, more than a few of which had bled into the relatively peaceful hamlet of Ponyville. The guards that the princesses had sent to help defend the town had done their part to the best of their ability, but the damage had already been done. Whatever evil lurked in this castle, it had taken something precious of Octavia’s, and she planned to damn well get it back.
        The trek through Everfree Forest had gone simply enough, but now she faced a new type of challenge, a cast iron locked gate with a hideous face serving as the lock. Octavia hefted her cello over her shoulder, bow in her free hand, just considering the gate, looking up to the top to see if she could climb over. The spears at the top didn’t inspire much confidence for climbing over, so finally Octavia just sighed and stepped forward, placing her cello bow away, before reaching with her free hand and giving a knock to the hideous face that served at the gate’s lock. Maybe somepony would be waiting? Her fist connected with the gate, and suddenly the face shuddered, yelping out at the knock to it’s face.
        “Would you cease that at once!? Not only is it rude, but it’s highly inconsiderate of somepony trying to have a proper nap!” The gate lock grumbled, Octavia taking a step back and cocking her head at the gate. Well, that was a curious sight indeed, but the cellist simply shook her head and shrugged. Curious as it might have been, it wasn’t something that she had the time to lollygag around.
        “Well, open up. I need through. Something precious of mine is in those walls, and I need to get it back.” Octavia commanded, gesturing to the castle beyond the gate. The lock gave a heavy sigh, looking towards the castle as best it could, the frown on it’s metal features deepening.
        “Ah, yes...I was once a brave soul like you, when this castle took-” the lock began, before Octavia suddenly shoved her hoof against its face with a rough kick, her expression totally unamused.
        “I didn’t ask for your life story. I didn’t even ask for your story at all. Now, please, just open up so I can go on with my business!” Octavia directed, dropping her hoof. The gate glared at her, before sighing and unlatching, slowly starting to swing open with a loud creak. Octavia gave a small bow of her head to the gate, before beginning to walk forward, cello at the ready.
        “Wait!” The gate suddenly spoke out again, Octavia stopped in place, gripping the neck of her cello a bit harder, before turning to look at the lock once more. “I was once a knight, and I still have some honor! Please, it’s dangerous to go without aid, take this with you!” The gate said, before opening it’s jaw wide, a whip revealed to the cellist. Octavia stared at the whip for a few seconds, before turning her head back to the animated lock.
“No wonder you ended up as a lock. A whip is a hilariously impractical weapon, that’d be proved utterly useless in a real battle against a foe in even the slightest amount of armor. I think I’ll be fine with what I have now, thank you.” Octavia scoffed, turning and starting to walk forward again, eyes set on her goal, the large, looming castle, not a damn given for whatever may be lurking in the depths of it’s halls.
“Wait! If not my whip, then what will you use against the legions of the unholy?” The lock called out after Octavia, the grey mare groaning softly under her breath, before turning and hoisting up her cello, a smirk on her face.
“Why, the family cello, of course. If there’s one thing I trust to get me through this night, it is an instrument that has been through more than some combat veterans will see in their lifetime. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go get back my possession. Interrupt me again and being a lock will be the least of your worries.” Octavia hissed, the gate slamming closed behind her without another word. Well, that was more like it. With that nuisance dealt with, the cellist turned and began to make her way forward once more, eyes on the prize, as it were.
The road up to the castle was steep, but much more professionally managed than the road to the gate of the castle, tended to with care. Octavia got a much better view of the architecture of the building, the large stained glass windows looming above, spires stretching into the heavens. To Octavia, it all looked a bit gaudy for her tastes. Yet, she couldn’t spend too much time critiquing the exterior, not when there were much more important things at stake here. Her attention would be forced from the castle’s design soon enough, the ground in front of the cellist bursting open.
Octavia watched the ground tremble, as the bones of ponies from long since past began to rise up, magic serving as their invisible sinew, clinging the old bones together while they dug their way from the dirt to stand on their own hooves, holding aloft weapons of various ages that they’d fallen, no doubt to this very same castle as well. Freed of their earthen confines, the legion slowly began to shamble towards Octavia, letting out unearthly groans. The high class mare gave a simple tsk, before hoisting her cello once more into the air.
The battle was over before it could even properly begin, aged, hardened wood soaring through the air the a whistle, before clashing against bone and splintering it to pieces, debris scattering into the air as skulls and ribs and spines and just bones aplenty all fell in equal lacking to the musician’s cello, Octavia not even breaking a sweat to swing the instrument through the air, her earth pony strength no small thing to trifle with. She arrived behind the skeletons, leaving only a trail of bone dust and scattered marrow in her wake, before once more she straightened up, and tsk’d at their feeble attempts. If this was the extent of the force that this castle could muster up, she’d have her possession back in no time.
The heavy, oaken doors stood tall before Octavia Melody, looming above her, heavily integrated with elaborate designs and depictions that could no doubt chill a lesser pony to the bone with the ghastly images. Octavia gave them a brief glance, before refocusing on the door. Her hand reached out slowly, before freezing, a shiver running up her spine. No, what if this was another talking door? Octavia couldn’t risk it. The thought of another of these things trying to drag her into their life story was chilling, so naturally the high class mare took the second best method of approach.
The heavy doors to the castle burst open in a shower of splinters, flying outwards across the grand hall, littering the ground, Octavia walking in, giving a sigh. That was an honest relief, the lack of talking doors was probably something that she would be able to count on from here on out. Maybe the talking gate was simply to scare off the extremely squeamish and easily bored? Perhaps. The ruler of this castle, and the laws which governed it all were an enigma still to Octavia. Still, she could think on such things after her task was completed. For the time being, she had more important things to focus on, like the gaggle of creatures who had been waiting for her in the grand entrance hall.
Timber wolves and skeletons stood at the ready, in messy, disjointed rows, standing between Octavia and the further depths of the castle. The cellist looked over their ranks, observing the density of their number, before releasing a groan into the air. It was not a groan of worry, or fear, but instead one born out of pure frustration and annoyance. The gathered forces of evil looked amongst themselves, confused, as the mare placed the large cello onto her back, and pulled out her bow once more.
“I suppose if I can thank mother for anything, it is insisting that I take fencing lessons as a filly and into adulthood...SO.” Octavia shouted, getting the collection of gathered ghouls and wooden wolves to pay attention to her, slowly making her way forward. “Can any of you speak a lick of Equestrian? Or, more than that, be even the slightest, most remote amount of helpful? Speak now, please.” Octavia insisted, walking forward, holding her cello bow aloft. The only response Octavia received were groans of the skeletons, filled with contempt, and growls of the timberwolves, slowly regaining their bark against the mare. Octavia simply sighed, shaking her head. “Always the hard way...Alright, have at it, then!”
The gathered forces of the castle surged forward, filled to the brim with the intent to rip this intruder asunder for even daring to enter into the domain of their glorious master! Octavia stood tall and proud, entering into a proper fencing pose, closing her eyes, steadying her breathing as she just listened. When music and sound was pretty much your entire life, your ears got more than ample opportunity to become fine tuned, more improved and acute. A useful tool in the music industry, and here on the field of battle? A grand boon indeed. The stone floor of the grand hall only helped the steps of the advancing horde echo into the air and reach Octavia’s ears.
The mare’s movements were precise as a medical professional’s own, arm lunging out with the bow string held firmly, using it in place of a proper rapier, but that proved to make no difference. Octavia dodged the slashes and bites and swipes of the mob, while countering each attempted blow with a swift stab, or a riposte, cutting off limbs and piercing heads and the like. Octavia didn’t bother opening her eyes once, just listening to the movements of her foes, the wind whistling through the skeletons, the wood creaking on the timber wolves, and she dispatched each and everyone of them meticulously. 
When Octavia Melody did open her eyes once more, she was surrounded by silence, and there was only ruin in her wake. Her enemies laid diced up before her, and the cellist simply smiled softly, reaching down to pat a timberwolf’s head on the top. 
“If you’re a good dog, you’ll stay down.” Octavia smirked, before placing her cello bow back into her double tail coat, and starting to walk forward once again, back on her quest. This castle was large, yes, but it had to also be finite. There were only so many rooms to check before Octavia found what was rightfully hers. If anything got in her way again, well, she’d already displayed her prowess at dispatching what the castle had to offer, after all. She didn’t care how gruesome they might appear, either. Octavia was a Melody, and that was all there is to it.
The only true and consistent emotion Octavia felt while exploring the large castle was a profound sense of annoyance, really. The architecture was simply a spit in the face of anything sensible, with some stairs so large that Octavia had to leap up to get to the next one, and do this all the way till she was on the next floor. During a battle with a rather insistent, large timber wolf, Octavia’s cello swing had gone astray, and completely smashed a portion of wall through to reveal a roasted goose on the other side, on a plate and all, waiting to be eaten. This served only to confuse Octavia further, and so naturally she didn’t touch it.
Suddenly, Octavia could hear the loud echo of reverb sounding out throughout the castle, the mare releasing a sigh of relief. Well, at least now she had the rough idea of not only a location, but also had confirmation that her quarry was in this castle. Octavia stretched, yawning softly, before going back to her normal stance. She was already up past her typical time for bed, but now that she had something to go on, it wouldn’t be much too difficult to find the room that the reverb had come from! If she was lucky, the item she was after would be fine. 
On Octavia’s way to the room which the reverberation had come from, which was a slightly harder quest than she had originally thought thanks to the layout of the castle and the lack of a proper map, the cellist accidently found her hoof stepping on a floor tile that was just slightly out of place. Without giving even a moment to react, the floor collapsed from under the cellist, and she was falling into the darkness below, but Octavia did not scream. No, the sound that echo’d up through that hole, before it closed, was a shouted groan. One which held enough frustration to be used as a weapon in of itself.
The cellist landed with a thump onto the ground, thankfully not breaking anything on herself or her instruments. Octavia slowly rose up to her hooves, gazing around at the room she had landed in. Bones littered the ground around her, dressed in the outfits of long passed adventurers, their weapons strewn across the floor of the trap room. Octavia’s eyes hovered upwards, spying the musical notes and bars on the walls, their design swaying like a river and wrapping all the way around the room. That was when she finally heard a large, feral growl.
Octavia’s eyes snapped to look in front of her, and the mare gave out a loud gasp, seeing quite the beast before her. This was no timberwolf, but instead a large, three headed canine, each head a different breed, surrounded by the largest piles of bones. Octavia narrowed her eyes, before bringing out both her cello and the bow string, giving each a single twirl, the beast rising to it’s paws and slipping into a new position, ready to begin a charge.
The battle betwixt the pair began, instantly spiking in intensity compared to the battles that Octavia had been through thus far. Unlike the timber wolves and skeletons of above, this beast refused to back down after one solid strike onto it’s head with her cello, nor would it’s dark hide be cut with the bow of her cello. More than that, the aggressiveness of the beast, and the sheer ferocity of the three headed dog kept Octavia on her hoof tips. This clearly wasn’t working, Octavia could tell that much already. Then, it finally clicked in her head. The music notes on the walls, the dead warriors covering the floor.
The cellist leapt back to the position which she’d landed in at first, before slamming her cello down into the traditional position. She locked eyes with the beast, before placing her bow against the strings, and giving it one long, loud drag across, the sounds of the cellos music echoing out throughout the room. The beast suddenly froze in it’s assault, falling back onto it’s haunches, eyes focused on Octavia, all three heads turning to look at her. Octavia smirked, before beginning to dive into a song proper. The beast listened calmly to Octavia’s song, even rocking it’s heads along with the tune. Octavia, on the inside, was screaming about what a waste of time this was, but on the outside, she was as pleasant as possible. No need to piss off the creature which had already wasted so much of her time in a pointless fight. 
Finally, the song ended, and the beast reached up with it’s front paws, beginning to cheer and clap them together. Octavia pulled the bow from the cello, and gave a deep bow to the creature, before placing the cello back onto her back and the bow back into her coat.
“Oh, wonderful, just simply wonderful! It has been so long since I got a chance to listen to some proper music in this castle! All that ever comes to visit are rough and tumble warriors without a single music bone in their body! Its a truly dreadful thing! So, I thank you, so much for bringing me some actual music...Is there anything I could do for you, my dear? Anything at all?” The large three headed beast asked, Octavia’s jaw dropping. She had expected a lot of things, like the beast to fall asleep, but this? Well, this was something else entirely!
“Um...yes...I need to get up to the room where the reverb is coming from. Something of mine was taken, and I’m trying to get it back…If you could maybe direct me there, or, something, that would be a delight and a great help.” Octavia chuckled, giving another bow to the great beast. The three headed monster nodding, before laying down onto it’s belly, side to Octavia.
“Climb onto my back. I know this castle like the back of my paw, and I can get you there post haste! Whatever it is you lost, we simply must return it. Besides, if you can stop that reverb, I’ll be even more indebted to you…” The canine shuddered, Octavia rolling her eyes, walking over and climbing onto the back of the beast.
“Oh, it isn’t that bad. Now, onwards! I have a recital tomorrow, and this is already cutting into my sleep time!” Octavia said, the large canine rearing up and unleashing a loud howl into the castle before leaping up through the hole which Octavia had fallen in through, and beginning to bound out through the hallways, bellowing loudly to ensure the lesser creatures made way for the galloping beast, Octavia holding on for dear life to the scruff of it’s neck. When it said that it’d get her there swiftly, it meant it! Moving through the halls at high speeds, turning corners and leaping up stairs with precision, it was enough to impress the cellist. Just a little bit, at least.
At the speed they were going, and with the determination they shared, soon enough the large canine slid to a halt, scratching onto the floor as they paused in front of a large, ebony set of double doors rising to the ceiling, a large stereo on the door itself. Octavia hopped off of the large three headed beast, patting it softly on the side a few times, before walking up to the door, a frown on her face. This was so like her, to have a door like this. Octavia gripped the neck of her cello, narrowing her eyes. If this whole mess had something to do with that mare, oh, she was going to knock her right upside the head!
The large doors pushed open with some effort, and Octavia was greeted by the sights within. A darkened room, the walls a light purple shade, but the lights dimmed to make them almost black. Brightly colored strobe and party lights beamed down from the ceiling, a fog resting over the floor. Zombies filled the dance floor, but they took no notice of Octavia. Instead, they were more interested in weakly attempting some form of synchronized dance, moving their arms this way and that, shuffling about. They weren’t very good, but, A for effort, really.
Octavia’s eyes looked to the large collection of stereos against the far wall, raising her head till she spotted a booth sitting on the very top of them. Octavia took out her cello, her eyes locking in on the prize. Vinyl Scratch stood there, moving to the beat, working the turntables, a bat humorously jutting off of her head, suckling away, seeming totally content. Of course, it just had to be that extra dosage of difficult, didn’t it? Octavia shook her head, before striding forward, eyes locked onto the white unicorn.
“Oi, Vinyl! Get that dumb thing off of your head this instant! What are you even doing here!?” Octavia barked, the DJ suddenly snapping her head to look at Octavia, the bat on top of her head becoming quite disgruntled. Vinyl reached under the booth, before hefting up a large sword, about the size of Octavia in length, with spinning records on the blade itself. No, that wasn’t quite right. It was much too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, and far too wubbed. Indeed, it was a heap of raw metal and bass. How Vinyl was even capable of lifting it, Octavia hadn’t the foggiest, but she wasn’t about to question it either. It seemed she had something more important to worry about anyway.
The DJ hurled herself at Octavia, making her fighting style painfully apparent just on that first swing of the sword. She didn’t so much as swing the sword, as she let the sword toss her around thanks to its size and weight. She didn’t try and control the thing at all, swinging it and letting the weight do the rest of the work for her. To Octavia, this was painfully like Vinyl, too. The wild mare, fighting like a berserker instead of putting any thought or refinement into her strategy. Sure, the swings were enough to keep Octavia on her hoof tips, dodging away this way and that, and maybe it was the bat suckling on Vinyl’s head that forced the fighting style, but Octavia knew who she’d be blaming. If she got even one scrape on her, it’d be over for the DJ.
Typically, a fight like this, Octavia could wrap up quickly. Wait for an opening, and smash her opponent with her cello, but this wasn’t under normal circumstances. As harsh of a mare as Octavia could be, she wasn’t mean or cruel, nor did she want to hurt an actual pony, let alone Vinyl Scratch! Not only that, but she didn’t want to harm what she had come here for, either. So, reluctantly, Octavia was forced to place her cello back onto her back, and pull out her bow stick once more. She’d need to be very careful, and would probably have very few shots at it, but Octavia knew exactly what she had to do.
The dance of strike and dodge went on for a few minutes longer, occasionally a dancing zombie getting in the way only to be utterly struck down by Vinyl in her rampant pursuit of the cellist. Octavia waited patiently, eyeing every movement carefully, till at long last a chance presented itself. Her arm shot out, and the bat which had been suckling on Vinyl was skewered on the tip of Octavia’s bow stick, the mare pulling it back, before flicking the bat onto the ground, and stomping onto it with a hoof.
Vinyl stood there for a few moments, drowsy and dazed, before suddenly shaking her head, removing the fluff, before she looked at Octavia, a grin spreading onto her face. Octavia simply snapped out her arm, grabbing the bowtie around Vinyl’s neck, before yanking it off, and bringing it to herself, tying it around her own neck, scoffing.
“The next time you feel like going on some damn adventure to some evil castle in the middle of the woods, tell me about it, and do NOT take my bowtie with you! I have a concert tomorrow, and I cannot appear without it, you know that, Scratchie!” Octavia snapped, Vinyl chuckling slightly, raising her hands in the air. 
“Oh, come on, Tavi! I was just having a bit of fun, honest. I didn’t expect for this place to have brain sucking bats or anything like that. Plus, you have GOT to see who is running this place! You’ll never believe it!” Vinyl snickered, while Octavia only released an annoyed groan, this one more tame than the rest now that she had her bowtie back where it belonged, but annoyed still.
“I should just leave you here, since I got what I came here for...But, fine. Lead the way. At least, if we beat whoever is in charge of this whole mess, it’ll go away.” Octavia huffed, Vinyl giving a small cheer, before starting to lead the way for the pair. Octavia didn’t bother to argue, simply following after the eager DJ dragging her sword behind her. 
The walk wasn’t a long one for the pair, Vinyl having found some rather convenient short cuts in the walls of the castle while she was exploring, taking one and leading them to one of the upper floors of the grand structure. They landed before a crimson door, plain in design, with a handle. The pair exchanged looks, Vinyl full of excitement, while Octavia looked more casually annoyed. Finally, Octavia reached for and yanked the door open, the pair of them striding into the large throne room together, gazing at the throne. Octavia came to a full stop, jaw dropping and eyes going wide.
“You’ve got to be joking…” Octavia said, staring at the figure in the throne. It was none other than Fluttershy herself, shifting her weight awkwardly, hosting a rather batty appearance, but seeming quite unsure about the whole thing. Vinyl just snickered like a jackal from the sidelines, giggling and shaking her head. 
“I told you, didn’t I!?” Vinyl asked with a snicker, Fluttershy just blushing a little more, shrinking into a large red coat she was wearing. Octavia sighed, before taking a few steps forward.
“Fluttershy, dear, what are you even doing here?” Octavia frowned, turning her head to look at the typically shy mare, who just blushed, rubbing the back of her neck and fidgeting nervously.
“Um, well, one day I was out tending to my animals, before I suddenly turned into this. Then some big, scary skeletons came out of the forest and dragged me all the way here, before sticking me in this room. After that they were plenty nice, but, um, I’ve been too nervous to ask if I can leave and go home. I’m so terribly sorry if I’ve inconvenienced you or anything! I didn’t mean to…” Fluttershy stammered, Octavia shaking her head and giving a sigh, before walking over and offering her hand. 
“Would you like me to escort you home, Miss Fluttershy?” Octavia asked, Fluttershy perking up and smiling, before taking the hand offered to her, Octavia pulling her to her hooves.
“Oh, yes, that’d be absolutely lovely!” Fluttershy smiled, giving a nod of her head. The trio made their way back through the castle, Fluttershy staring down anything that attempted to intercept them, before at long last, the group had gathered out in front of the talking gate, which now sat silent. The castle shimmered behind them, before fading from existence altogether, leaving the trio with nothing but their thoughts, Fluttershy herself turning back to normal.
“So, what did we learn?” Octavia asked, turning to the other pair of ponies, leaning against her cello.
“Um...That I should be more assertive of myself?” Fluttershy suggested
“That I should wear a helmet while going on adventures!” Vinyl piped up, but Octavia simply shook her head.
“Both good points, but no...Vinyl, if you ever take my bowtie again, mind manipulating bat or not, you will live to regret it.” Octavia growled, Vinyl simply chuckling nervously, neither of them paying attention to Fluttershy, not noticing the toothy smile the shy pony softly flashed, fangs growing out in the moonlight.