//------------------------------// // Chapter Three // Story: Passio Patefecit Est // by Senorita-De-La-Nieve //------------------------------// Octavia watched Vinyl Scratch leave as she sullenly cast a glance behind her. Truthfully, she didn't want her to go. She wanted her to stay, and if the stubborn mare had waited she had might even conceded to go have something to eat with her. She sadly got back up onto the stage and resumed her music, but her heart wasn't in it anymore. Even when Princess Luna walked through the ceremony she barely noticed, she just kept on playing the tune she was paid to play, but her music was flat, and someponies who knew her well enough, like the rest of her group, noticed, and some even asked her what was wrong. To them she would just give a fake smile and say she was fine. About halfway through the ceremonial night she bid her fellow band members a farewell and packed up the fiddle, handing it over to the Mayor before she dejectedly walked home, eyes fixed on the cobble. She couldn't understand why she felt so sad, was it because Vinyl had left, was it because she didn't play as well as she thought she would, or was it because she saw Vinyl upset? Even as she partook in the ritualistic walk back to her house on the outskirts of Ponyville, she couldn’t come up with the answer. She eventually made it to the oak door and gently pushed it open, taking a deep breath of the lavender infused air. She enjoyed lavender. It always made her think of home. Her parents. Her life before Ponyville. And then she would grow sad. Add that to the near overwhelming feeling of guilt and sadness she already felt, she could do nothing more than to stand on the doorstep as a faint tear traced down her cheek. To say she had secrets would be an understatement worthy of notification in the history books. She sighed heavily and trudged into the kitchen, grabbing herself an apple and a glass of water, before settling down on the couch and picking up a book. It was a romance novel, and although it was as predictable as Beethooven's Fifth, it was nice. She couldn't help but read it even though she thought she knew what was going to happen. She flipped open the page she had marked with a red lace bookmark and read. The leaves were soft in the evergreen trees, the snow falling around the pair that danced in the middle to an unseen melody, like piano music composed by nature itself only for the two now residing in the clearing. As Octavia read, the words activated thoughts in her brain she had never thought, about a certain alabaster white mare. As the two danced together, a contented sigh could be heard emanating from one of them, though who it was, was unclear. They stood, locked in each other's embrace, not caring for the cold that should have otherwise assaulted their very core. They shared the warmth, the beating of their hearts as one. Gray hair flowed around blue and joined together... Suddenly, the book's couple was replaced by thoughts of herself and Vinyl in the clearing, the snow fusing to their coats, becoming one with Vinyl's natural colour. Two pairs of eyes locked with each other and their lips moved closer together, one fishing for a kiss that they would remember forever, as their lips locked together, one whispered the other's name... "…Octavia." Octavia's eyes snapped open and she dropped the book like it burned. She was panting heavily, the memory of the kiss, the faint ghost of a memory against her lips. It never happened of course, but it seemed so real. She controlled her breathing before she picked up the book and looked at it dubiously before setting it on the table. She sighed and covered her face with her hooves. She didn't need those thoughts to run around in her head. Laying her head back she just stared absentmindedly at the ceiling before remembering quite suddenly that she was meeting with Vinyl tomorrow. She sat up immediately and got up off the chair, rushing towards her bedroom and grabbing her cello and the bow. What was she going to play? She could play something by Bach, but she preferred to play something original if Vinyl was indeed going to put it into one of her songs. Any other time she would have shuddered at the thought of her music being tainted in any way, but now, she thought of it as a triumph that Vinyl was willing to broaden her horizons to a more... she hated to say more tasteful, so she opted for classical. She hesitantly drew her bow across the strings, and a hauntingly beautiful note played out across the silence. She shivered and smiled, playing whatever caught her fancy. The notes flew out of the cello and into the world as leaves would on the wind. Soon, it turned into an upbeat melody that had her nearly dancing along with it, but she composed herself, and kept a firm grip on the cello. She stopped suddenly and sighed. Why did she care what Vinyl thought about her? She had been fine before when they had been fighting, why was she all of a sudden so picky about what Vinyl thought of her when she didn't care before. She sighed again and smiled, not willing to dwell on those thoughts. Tomorrow would be a good day indeed. Maybe she would see what colour Vinyl's eyes were after all. Vinyl surveyed her handiwork as she stood, panting, from being down on her knees and scrubbing away at the carpet furiously, eliminating the stains of various spilt drinks and food that had been left for who knew how long. She smelled the house and noticed the musty smell was still there, so she returned to the drawer and got out a can of lavender spray and spritzed a load in the air to cover the smell. She smiled to herself as she righted the shades on her face. She had found the spare pair in a drawer that she never went in anymore. It was her equivalent of a Stallion Drawer that held everything a Stallion needed. It contained her glasses, a torch, a tool set, cleaning supplies, and a few other non sequiturs that she didn't need anymore. After eliminating all of the clutter and the dirty washing, she started on the stains. That had been five hours ago. She hadn't slept all night because she wanted the house to be spotless. Now, it seemed like it was, and all she could do now was wait... and get some food in her before she died of starvation! She set the cleaning supplies on a coffee table (that had until recently been a washing/everything table) and trotted into the kitchen, deciding on a light breakfast of an apple and two pieces of toast. She lifted her shades and rubbed her eyes, yawning profusely. She leant on the counter being propped up by her elbow as she fumbled with two slices of bread, putting them into the toaster and waiting. She didn't drift off, the toaster didn't let her. As soon as the toast popped up she was startled and her head hit the counter. She groaned and grabbed the toast and walked back into the living room, flopping on the couch to wait, idly munching on her breakfast. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and she was startled for the second time that day. She gulped down her bite of breakfast and left it on the coffee table as she scrambled towards the door. She had just enough time to set her shades right on her face before she opened the door to see Octavia's smiling face. Her mane and coat colour was back to normal. "Hey Tavi!" she said cheerily, and Octavia smiled at her, although she was a bit confused as to why she was wearing those shades inside. "Hey Scratch! I heard you wanted to hear me play" she said, flexing her back to emphasize the cello, and Vinyl smirked. Externally she tried to remain calm, inwardly her heart was fluttering profusely and she felt a blush kiss her cheek. "Well, I don't know who told you that" she quipped and they shared a chuckle before Vinyl stepped backwards and lifted the Cello from Octavia's back and beckoned her inside. Octavia walked in with a smile and a "thank you" Her eyes widened at the sight of her house. It was... CLEAN! Despite all outward appearances, it was actually clean. And it smells of... lavender, she thought to herself with wide eyes. Vinyl set the Cello down on the couch before she turned back to Octavia, who was looking at the room with wide eyes and... Was that a tear? Vinyl stepped closer, getting her attention. "Tavi, are you okay?" she asked and Octavia smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine V" Vinyl arched an eyebrow. "V? Seriously?" she asked before Octavia shrugged. "Well you call me 'Tavi', why can't I give you a pet name, hmm?" she asked, batting her eyelashes and suddenly, all Vinyl wanted to do was agree to anything the mare said. She shook her head. "Fine, you can call me V, doesn't mean I have to like it though," she said and Octavia chuckled. There was a period of silence, not awkward, but not entirely comfortable either. "Do you want anything to drink Tavi?" she asked, putting emphasis with a smile on her pet name, and Octavia smiled and just shook her head. "No thank you V" They both shared a laugh and Octavia looked towards some stairs that seemed to lead underground. She walked towards them and looked back at Vinyl. "Your recording studio I presume?" she asked and Vinyl nodded. "Yeah. My home away from home, but, inside my home" she said with a sheepish grin and Octavia laughed again. Oh, how Vinyl loved to hear her laugh. "Well, shall we get started then?" she asked and Vinyl nodded, picking up the Cello with her magic before Octavia could and heading towards the stairs. As they got to the top of them, Octavia briefly wondered how dark it would be down there. She was going to be alone with Vinyl Scratch in a darkened room. She shook her head as she descended the staircase. Where the hay did that come from? She needed to get her thoughts in check before she played. It was bad enough that her audience was somepony who was new to classical music, but she had to stave off her sudden desires for the mare who was in front of her, swaying her hips almost provocatively as she half carried the cello half lifted it with magic. They entered the studio and Vinyl switched on the lamps, illuminating her mixing board that stood in front of a soundproof room containing several microphones and chairs in front of them. Looking around, Octavia was surprised to see a grand piano stuffed into the corner, gathering dust and half covered with a sheet. Octavia couldn't help but be pulled towards it. Vinyl noticed something, a change in the air. She turned to see Octavia walking towards her piano and gulped nervously, blinking back tears. "A Square Grand..." she said, caressing the wood and pressing a key. It rang out across the air and echoed back, surprisingly, still in tune. "Vinyl... I didn't know you owned a piano" she said, looking back at the white unicorn who gulped nervously. Had she been able to see Vinyl's eyes, she would've seen the tears threatening to spill. Whereas Octavia's eyes were positively sparkling as she once again caressed the piano casing. Vinyl took a step closer and gulped, she couldn't control her next words as she appeared next to Octavia, staring wistfully at the piano. "It was my mothers. She gave it to me as a... present. I never got around to playing it. I keep it in tune though, always saying to myself that I'll play it. I never do though" she said, speaking in half truths towards Octavia, who pressed down on another key after she was talking. "It's in very good condition you know, I wouldn't have guessed it to be more than fifty years old" she said, and Vinyl laughed. "It's a bit older than that" she stated solemnly, which wasn't lost on Octavia. She glanced at the mare and briefly wondered what secrets she had tucked away. Suddenly, Vinyl's eyes trained on the mare and a smile parted her lips. "Anyway, let's get down to business. I brought you here to have you play something, so let's do it" She said, and Octavia smiled at her and picked up her cello. "So do I just go in there and play?" she asked, Vinyl smiled and nodded. "Yeah, then I'll turn on the microphones and you can play and it'll record," she said and Octavia nodded, stepping into the soundproof room. "Can you hear me in there?" she asked as she turned on the microphone and Octavia nodded. "Just about ready," Vinyl said, switching on the mic and giving her the sign to go. "Okay, whenever you're ready" she said, and Octavia nodded, getting the Cello out of its case and setting it on the floor, picking up the bow and drawing it across the strings once experimentally, then, she played. The song was upbeat and catchy, and soon, Vinyl found herself gently swaying to the music as Octavia played with gusto, letting her hooves go across the string and the bow to conjure the notes from within the Cello. After a while, hours, minutes, or even an eternity later, she picked up the pace and began to put choruses and bridges into it, making it a fully fledged song. After she was done she took a bow, and Vinyl didn't realise, but her mouth was agape and her shades had fallen down slightly. Octavia looked up just in time to see Vinyl right her shades and clap her hooves. Octavia blushed and smiled at her. Vinyl turned off the mic and Octavia stepped out of the door. "That. Was. FANTASTIC!" she yelled, scooping the mare up into a hug. Octavia let out a shriek of surprise before she started laughing. Vinyl put her down and locked eyes with her, rather, her shades locked with violet and they stood there still gently smiling at each other. "You really liked it?" she asked and Vinyl nodded. "Yes! Of course I liked it. I think you might've converted me to classical music, though, can I ask one more favour?" she asked bashfully and Octavia nodded. Vinyl felt a blush kiss at her cheeks and rubbed the back of her neck. "Could you, uh, play something a bit slower?" she asked and Octavia blinked before a self-satisfied grin appeared on her lips. "Of course" she said, and stepped back into the room. After the first note, Vinyl was lost. The music was powerful, washing at her senses the way waves do at a shore, and after about half an hour she reappeared to Vinyl wiping tears from her eyes. She arched an eyebrow and stepped closer to her. "Vinyl, are you okay?" she asked. Vinyl put her shades back on quickly, turning to her and nodding. "Yeah, that was just really good is all," she said and Octavia nodded, smiling to herself. Vinyl pretended to busy herself with shutting down her equipment, and the lights shut off in the room Octavia was just in. She closed the door as Vinyl pulled a CD out of the mixer and smiled, picking up a pen she wrote on it, "Tavi's Symphony". Octavia chuckled lightly and Vinyl shrugged, setting the CD down on the mixer. "For later" she said with a wink, and turned to hide the blush as her statement had conjured less than pure thoughts. Octavia was also blushing, albeit more profusely than Vinyl. "Well, after all that playing, I'm feeling a bit hungry" Octavia said, and Vinyl turned to face her, the blush gone from her cheeks. "What do you say we go and grab a bite to eat" she said, and Vinyl giggled. "What?" Octavia asked and Vinyl just laughed harder, trying to speak but not succeeding very well. "Your accent doesn't really fit that way of speaking" she giggled out and Octavia took on a stance of mock indignation and feigned royalty. "Well, would one expect a Canterlot mare to speak in such a way as to put herself above such phrases?" she asked jokingly and Vinyl burst out laughing again, nearly collapsing onto the floor with laughter, and soon Octavia joined in. After they stopped laughing Octavia put her Cello away and lifted it onto her back. "I'll just go home and put my Cello away, then I'll meet you at Sugarcube Corner okay?" she said and Vinyl nodded, both of them walking upstairs and into the living room. On the way up the stairs, Vinyl tripped and nearly fell, had she not been caught by Octavia. "You know, it would be a lot easier to see if you didn't have those sunglasses on" she said, and Vinyl shook her head, pushing Octavia away. "I don't like taking them off," she said quietly, and Octavia shrugged, not pressing the issue. If V wanted to tell her then she would. Besides, Octavia had secrets too. They reached the door and Vinyl opened it for her and Octavia stepped through with a look of thanks. Octavia stepped out of the door and turned around, poking Vinyl's shades. Vinyl retracted and secured her shades. "When we go out I'll be expecting you to take them off" she said, before she turned and began to walk away. Vinyl just stood at the door and watched her go, looking forward to their date. Wait, is it a date? No, it’s just two friends going out for dinner, or lunch. She looked up into the blue sky and noticed the sun was near its apex. She had been round her house for a good hour or so. She sighed and closed the door. Octavia would soon be back to pick her up, then they had to decide where they were to go. And then came the arduous task of keeping her desires in check, or else. Who knows what could happen? Octavia's thoughts echoed Vinyl's own as she walked away from the house, casting a furtive look back just as Vinyl closed the door. She sighed and headed back towards her own house. Vinyl opened her eyes and sat up on the couch, letting the final tears fall as she rubbed her eyes, freeing them from the tears. She heard somepony walking up to her house and knock on the door. She shifted herself from her seat and walked to the door, opening it and coming face to face with startling purple eyes, and a flowing gray mane.