One...
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Four…
Octavia began to hum a soft melody as she plucked at imaginary strings in a stress-filled mental symphony. As she systematically moved about the living room, grabbing all the necessary items for today's rehearsal, the importance of this event consumed her. Octavia Melody was not one to have been unstrung so effortlessly by a simple performance; however, she was about to perform for the living legend and newest Alicorn, Twilight Sparkle.
"This needs to be perfect," she whispered, frantically searching for that missing sheet of music.
Octavia rifled through the items on the desk before something faint tapped her forehead. Levitating in a blue aura was the page she was searching for.
"Vinyl, you know you don't have to watch me pack," Octavia snapped, snatching the parchment out of the magical field; she was not in the mood for any of the DJ's games.
"Why not?" Vinyl mused, enthralled by her partner dancing around the room. "It's cute watching you all flustered."
Octavia rolled her eyes as she continued to stack the sheet music. As she was about to slide the papers into the side sleeve on her case, an errant crystal from Vinyl's collection caught her attention. Subtly, she took it in her hoof and flicked it in Vinyl's direction catching the ogling mare by surprise.
"Hey! You could've cracked that." Vinyl took the crystal in her magic, giving it a once over.
"If you would simply pick up after yourself, we wouldn't have these issues," Octavia scolded, trotting over to Vinyl, who was still sitting on the couch.
"Honestly, I still cannot fathom how your compositions are so complicated, but your workspace is a hazard in and of itself," Octavia complained while pointing a hoof at the travesty behind her.
"Hey, you said it yourself; I'm complicated," Vinyl scoffed while crossing her hooves behind her head. The remark earned a withering glare from Octavia. Seeing that her joke wasn't playing well, Vinyl relented. "Okay, I'll do a better job of cleaning up."
"You know we have to leave in a couple of days." Octavia heaved a sigh and scanned their home's sorry state. "And by the looks of this room, you have done absolutely zero packing!"
"Tavi."
"You know how important punctuality is to Princess Celestia, and if I'm late on my first day."
"Tavi!"
"To top it all off, the concert is the night before we leave, which means I have to rely on you to do the majority of the packing."
"Octavia!"
"What?" Octavia shouted, looking as if she was ready to buck somepony with all of her strength.
"Come here," the DJ said softly and patted a spot on the couch next to her. "Take a break."
"Vinyl, I don't have time for this. I swear on Celestia, if I didn't have this obligation with Princess Twilight, I would make you clean..."
"Tavi, please."
Hearing her marefriend's sincerity, Octavia sighed in frustration. She made her way over to the couch and plopped down.
"What's wrong because you're not usually wound up this tight?" Vinyl placed a hoof on Octavia's shoulder and eyed her over the rim of her sunglasses.
"I don't know." Octavia looked down as her mane fell in front of her eyes. "I guess I'm nervous about why Princess Twilight chose me."
"Nervous? The magnificent Octavia Melody does not get nervous," Vinyl joked with a flare of her hoof.
"Don't you have some music to produce for your next event?" She bit back, narrowing her eyes as a warning for Vinyl to tread lightly.
"I'm working on that," she answered, placing a hoof on her leg. "But why are you nervous? You've played for Princess Celestia countless times and even played for Princess Luna after her return." Vinyl leaned in close, locking eyes with her. "You have nothing to be nervous about."
"Yes, but this is Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Octavia turned away, pressing her hooves into her temples. "This is the mare who defeated Nightmare Moon and returned Princess Luna to us. Don't forget she also saved Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's wedding from the changeling queen." She began to feel her stomach tighten. "And if that wasn't enough, she went and saved the whole Crystal Empire after defeating King Sombra!"
Octavia dropped her head into her forehooves.
"If I fail to live up to Princess Twilight's expectations, it could jeopardize my position at Celestia's performing arts school."
A new wave of panic flooded her mind. The potential to move back to Canterlot with a prestigious job hung in the balance of one single showcase. Bile began to form in the back of her throat as she stared blankly at the floor.
"Hey! You'll be great," Vinyl soothed, wrapping a forehoof around the gray mare. "Tartarus, you've always been great!"
"What happens if I'm not?" Octavia shot back as trepidation consumed her. "What happens if my music is too dated for Princess Twilight and her friends? What happens if I botch the performance and Twilight tells Celestia?"
Octavia grabbed the DJ's face, pulling it close to her. "What happens if Princess Celestia revokes my position?"
"Stop it! You're way overthinking this, Tavi," Vinyl commanded, placing her hooves on Octavia's cheeks. "You are one of the best musicians I know, and Princess Twilight wouldn't have asked you to perform at this high-brow event if she didn't believe that."
Octavia pulled her head away. "But..."
"Octavia," Vinyl cut her off. "Remember when you had to do that showcase for school, and a week prior, you learned that Princess Celestia would be attending?"
"You practiced so much that week you started to overthink it, causing you to mess up more and more."
As the memory returned, a new wave of panic coursed through her. "Not helping, Vinyl!"
"What did I tell you to do?"
"How's that going to..."
"What did I tell you to do?" Vinyl repeated sternly, cutting her off.
"You told me to relax."
"Why did I tell you that?"
Octavia let out a sigh. "Because music comes from your soul not your head."
"And if you're stressed out, ponies won't get to see how beautiful your music is." Vinyl placed a hoof on her cheek, turning her head towards her. "They won't get to see the brilliant and talented Octavia Melody, the one I get to see every day."
Octavia smiled warmly at her marefriend, touching her nose to the DJs.
Vinyl let out a heavy sigh. "Ugh, are you going to make me say it?"
"Maybe?" Octavia gave her marefriend a faint, cheeky smile. "But I think the DJ Pon-3 motivational speech will be sufficient," wrapping her in a firm embrace.
"Thank Celestia! You're going to kill it, Tavi. And after that, you will be the only mare in Equestria to have played a gig for every princess!"
"You think so?"
"Totally," Vinyl proclaimed.
"And what will become of the illustrious DJ-Pon3 if I'm whisked away by Canterlot's elite to perform at every social function?" Octavia ran a hoof through her mane to mimic one of those pretentious Canterlot elites.
"You don't need to worry about me. For how uptight those nobles are, you know Canterlot has one of the best nighttime scenes." Vinyl leaned in close. "I've even heard of Princess Luna being spotted down there enjoying the nightlife," Vinyl remarked.
Octavia's eyes went wide with amazement.
"See." Vinyl leaned back, crossing her hooves behind her head. "You have nothing to worry about."
"Sorry, it's my job to worry," Octavia reminded her marefriend before kissing her on the cheek.
Vinyl rolled her eyes as Octavia giggled at the blushing mare before something caught her attention.
"Oh, Celestia, is that the time already?" She shouted, spotting the clock on the wall.
"Looks like you have plenty of time," Vinyl said cooly, glancing over at the clock and shrugging.
"Early is on time, and on time is late! Don't you remember anything from university?" Octavia jumped off the couch and started snatching up her remaining sheet music on the off chance that Princess Twilight wanted something different.
Vinyl watched as the whirlwind of chaos tore through the living room. Getting the sense that she was making things worse for herself, Vinyl's horn came to life as her blue magic caught the papers escaping Octavia's grip. The DJ wrapped the instrument in her magic and brought all the items together in front of her.
Octavia feverishly whipped her head around. "Where's my case?"
"Right here."
Ripping the case out of Vinyl's magical field, Octavia retrieved the remaining papers and secured them in the case. After checking all the locks and compartments were sealed, she swung the cumbersome item onto her back. Rushing over to the mirror, she corrected her tousled mane and adjusted her bow. She gave her marefriend a quick kiss on the cheek as she galloped by before bursting through the door.
"Tavi!"
Octavia stopped in her tracks as panic flashed to life. What did she forget? She was sure she had grabbed everything she needed. Sprinting back, she noticed Vinyl locking the front door.
"What are you doing?" Octavia frantically trotted in place, ready to rush off as soon as possible. She hoped that whatever Vinyl needed would not take up an unnecessary amount of time.
"I'm coming with you."
"I am not a foal, I do not need to be escorted!" She exclaimed, stomping the ground with her hoof.
"I know, I was hoping that I could walk with you so you wouldn't be so stressed when you got there."
"Oh," Octavia mumbled, feeling sheepish at the sweet gesture.
"Come on! Early is on time, and on time is late, ya know," Vinyl reminded the proper performer, giving Octavia a wink before obscuring her magenta eyes with her iconic glasses.
"You're the best."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to walk you all the way up to the castle," Vinyl assured, nudging the nervous cellist. "Pinkie Pie asked me to stop by because she had some music recommendations. Knowing that crazy mare, it could be anything."
"Oh yes, I have had my fair share of experiences with Pinkie Pie," she remarked, walking closer to her marefriend. The cellist shuddered as she recalled the terrible events of the Grand Galloping Gala. The Pony Pokey was not a formal ballroom piece, no matter how much the crazy party pony claimed otherwise. "Let's just say I would like to keep our interactions to a minimum."
"That will be easy enough when we're back in Canterlot," Vinyl pointed out as the pair continued to walk down the cobblestone path, enjoying the sweet morning air.
Waving goodbye to Vinyl as her marefriend made her way towards Sugarcube Corner, Octavia continued toward the crystal palace as a bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. Quickly wiping it away with her hoof, she slowed her pace, hoping it would be enough to maintain her professional appearance. In a rather unfortunate miscalculation, it was soon apparent that she'd forgotten how far away the castle was from her current accommodations on the edge of town. The cellist brushed the heavy moisture collecting on her brow, feeling the sun becoming more oppressive as the case made her feel like she was in a sauna.
"Why today of all days would it be this unbearably hot and humid?" She groaned.
Finally, reaching the base of the sapphire structure, Octavia dove into the long shadows that the castle created. Taking a moment to enjoy the welcoming breeze, she made a couple of last-minute adjustments before approaching the door. However, as her eyes drifted upwards, Octavia's chest tightened as the beautiful castle towered over her, as if to stand in judgment of her meager music.
Ice ran through her veins as she reached out reverently, knocking on the solid wooden door. The echo reverberated through the hollow interior, bellowing with ill omen. An unnatural chill down shot through her spine. Thoughts of what lay in the warrior princess' castle crept into her mind, and she started to tremble.
A moment later, the golden door shimmered with magic causing her to jump back in fear of being smashed by its heavy wood. Octavia did her best to steel herself as a purple horn resplendent with magic peaked through the crack as it ground open.
"Princess Twilight?" Octavia called out hesitantly, but the sight of a lilac-colored mare surprised her. Her purple and teal mane stuck out in ways Vinyl hadn't even considered.
"Octavia? What are you doing here?" The mare mumbled groggily, looking past her to the case on her back. "Are you selling something?"
"No!" The performer fired back at the insult of being considered some common salespony.
Octavia let out a long breath, collecting herself from the ignorant statement. "I am here to examine the venue. I need to get an idea of what the acoustics are to best orientate the performers so the audience will have the best experience."
"Examine the venue?" The unicorn questioned as a white mug appeared out of thin air.
Octavia stared at the mare in annoyance as she drank from the mug nonchalantly.
As she took another sip of its contents, her eyes shot open. "Oh, the benefit! Sweet Celestia, you're here early."
"Yes, my timely arrival was supposed to serve dual purposes; however, it seems I was unable to avoid the heat this morning," Octavia stated frustratedly, hoping that this conversation would end soon before heat stroke set in.
"Oh, come on inside." Teleporting the mug away and opening the door, allowing Octavia to pass through.
"Thank you." Octavia nodded to maintain decorum despite the morning's efforts to test her patience.
Octavia could feel the rush of cool air as she passed the doormare and entered the grand hall. She was relieved to be away from the oppressive sun; however, that was the least of her concerns now. Her coat and mane had taken the brunt of the disaster from the impromptu workout.
A torrent of emotions roiled inside her as everything this morning had gone awry. "Vinyl, if I didn't love you so much..."
"Here, let me help you with that."
Octavia could feel a cool tingling sensation encapsulate her body as she felt her hooves slowly rise off the ground. Before she had a chance to react, a strong gust swept over her removing all the sweat and salt that had collected on her coat, leaving her feeling as if she had just taken a shower. Her heart was still beating out of her chest when she felt her hooves reconnect with the palace tile.
"Hope that helped. My name is Starlight Glimmer; I don't recall if I told you that or not?" The unicorn chimed as she tapped a forehoof on her chin.
Octavia was stunned to see her coat, mane, and tail looked like they had been to a beauty salon. "Thank you, and it's a pleasure to meet you."
"No problem." Starlight smiled brightly. "Twilight's up in the library."
Octavia cocked her head, not sure if she heard the mare right.
Starlight trotted past Octavia, closing the door behind them with her magic. "She's been locked away doing research for Celestia knows how long."
"The library?" Octavia clarified, scrunching up her nose.
"Yes." Starlight spun her foreleg around and made weird gestures as if she were beginning a lecture. "According to Sabine, the over-the-top explanation of how sound does funny things in a space that no common pony would ever have a chance of understanding."
"What are you doing?" Octavia asked, looking quizzically at the strange unicorn, not wanting to entertain some of the misinformation in that statement.
"You know, Twilight?" Starlight turned with her brow furrowed, repeating some of the movements. "The mare that loves to lecture ponies about anything she finds fascinating?"
Octavia's brow creased as she shook her head in confusion at the awkward display.
"Just follow me," Starlight conceded, letting out a frustrated sigh.
As the pair made their way through the winding interior of the castle, Octavia couldn't help but marvel at the sheer beauty of the architecture. The supporting structures grew like old oaks with a thick solid foundation leading to a sprawling network of crystals like the leaves of a tree.
"Who built this?" Octavia wondered, unable to fathom how many years it would take anypony to build this.
Starlight shrugged. "Twilight told me it grew out of the ground where the old library used to be."
Octavia vaguely recalled hearing about the destruction of the old library and how this castle had just appeared overnight.
"Why do I get the feeling that this castle is bigger on the inside?" Octavia gawked, taking in the lofty ceilings that made her feel like a small filly.
"Yeah, a lot of ponies say that, but you get used to it after a while," Starlight replied with a slight chuckle.
Octavia began to wonder how many ponies had been here before her or if she was the first pony outside of the Princess's friend group granted entry.
"And we're here," Starlight declared, motioning to a door with her hoof.
"Where is 'here,' exactly?" Octavia questioned, seeing as this door didn't seem different from the multitude of doors they'd passed earlier.
"This is the..." Starlight trailed off as her ears perked up.
Starlight groaned as Octavia began to hear the clicking of hooves.
"What?" Octavia whispered as her ears went flat.
"It's too early for this," Starlight complained.
Octavia was going to ask what she meant before spotting a light blue mare with a soft gray mane donning a purple wizard's hat and matching cape marching down the hallway.
"Trixie?" She was perplexed how Trixie, of all mares, could walk freely inside Twilight's castle, given their checkered past.
"The great and powerful Trixie requests the presence of her faithful friend in the kitchen," the magician demanded while passing the pair, completely ignoring Octavia.
"Right now?" Starlight asked in annoyance, pointing a hoof at the cellist. "Can't you see I'm with somepony at the moment?"
The showmare either didn't hear the question or felt whatever she had going on was more important as she continued to strut confidently down the hallway.
Starlight rolled her eyes as she let out an irritated noise. "Sorry about this, Octavia; Twilight expects me to keep an eye on Trixie while she's in the castle."
"No worries; thank you for escorting me this far," Octavia thanked and gave a slight bow in return. She had met the showpony a few times before and knew that trouble always seemed to follow her.
As Starlight took off down the hall, Octavia stood alone in front of the solid wooden door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. In response, the sound of something crashing echoed from the other side. Octavia's ears folded down as she took a few quick steps back. Her heart hammered in her chest, fearing that she had startled the princess.
After a few stress-inducing moments, the door glowed with a purple aura. Whipping it open, an Alicorn with labored breaths poked her head out as she swept the area.
"Oh, Octavia!" Twilight gasped, spotting the terrified mare on the other side of the hall.
"My sincerest apologies Princess Twilight!" Octavia bowed so deeply that her forehead nearly bonked the floor.
"It's okay; I just wasn't expecting you so early," Twilight said calmly, opening the door wider. "Since you are here, please come inside."
"Thank you." The nervous performer rose to her hooves and hesitantly entered the library.
Twilight came alongside her with an enthusiastic smile. "No, I should be the one thanking you for doing this for me on such short notice."
"It's nothing, really, Princess Twilight." Octavia felt uneasy with how close the princess was to her.
"Please call me Twilight," the princess eased, giving her a warm smile. "We're all friends here."
"Okay, Princess—I mean Twilight." Octavia corrected herself.
"I apologize for the mess." Twilight picked up the cascade of books in her magic, restacking them on the table. "I've been researching the best possible location to host the Everfree Humane Society's benefit all week."
"That is very admirable of you." Octavia watched as Twilight effortlessly stacked the books beyond what she could feasibly reach. "But if I may be so bold, why did you ask me to perform tonight when you have DJ Pon-3 and the Ponytones?"
"Well, I did consider them before offering you the position," Twilight said bluntly.
Octavia's ears folded back as her heart sank into her stomach. She wasn't even the Princess's first choice; this was off to a great start.
Twilight turned, flashing a warm smile. "But, this will be significantly different from the previous one Fluttershy has hosted."
Octavia cocked her head. "How so?"
"Since her last one didn't do so well, I couldn't resist trying to help out more when I learned that she was trying to build a sanctuary for her animal friends."
"I can imagine sanctuaries cost a fair amount of bits."
"They do, and that is why I felt like now would be a better time than any to leverage my influence as a new princess to draw out the philanthropic tendency of Canterlots elite." Twilight gave Octavia a knowing wink.
"How did you manage to do that since most nobles, or at least the ones I've had the displeasure of dealing with, have their head so far up their flank that they would never venture far from Canterlot."
"That may be true." Twilight agreed with a soft chuckle. "However, I sent them an offer that would be hard to dismiss."
Octavia cocked an eyebrow as her ears perked up. "What would that be?"
"I asked them to come to the new castle here in Ponyville with the opportunity to have some one-on-one time with the latest princess," Twilight answered, flaring out her newly minted wings. "I know somepony would chomp at the bit to have my blessing in whatever venture they want to pursue, and I hope to use that to get more donations for the sanctuary."
Octavia tapped a hoof on her chin as her eyes narrowed. "Very clever."
"Next was trying to find a musician that would be able to satisfy the nobility's refined taste. Then I remembered that you recently moved to Ponyville, so I just had to ask for your services."
"Really?" Octavia replied as pride began to swell in her chest.
"Yes, Princess Celestia always spoke highly of your musical talents."
"I didn't know they held me in any particular regard." Octavia felt her cheeks becoming flush.
"Oh yes," Twilight affirmed, sitting down on a stack of books. "During my last visit to Canterlot, Princess Celestia formally invited me to attend a concert with her."
"Have you attended concerts with Princess Celestia?" Octavia wondered.
Twilight shook her head. "The Princess had never done something like that before, even when I was still attending her school."
"Do you remember what concert it was?"
"Yes," Twilight answered with a smile. "The Annual Winter Solstice concert hosted by the Royal Orchestra."
Octavia's mind clicked as the memories of the concert flooded her mind. "That was Princess Luna's first concert after her return if I recall correctly."
Twilight nodded. "You could say I was shocked to see her there."
"Why? I thought Princess Luna had returned sometime before that."
"Yes, but she was still getting reacquainted with modern Equestria, so her appearances were seldom at best." Twilight concealed her blush with a hoof. "So when I learned it was Princess Luna who had requested me to be there, I was speechless."
Octavia's eyes went wide with surprise.
"Why would she ask you," Octavia blurted out, causing Twilight to look at her questioningly. "My apologies, Princess."
"No offense taken." Twilight waved a dismissive hoof. "I wondered the same thing myself when she told me."
"Did Princess Luna tell you why she invited you?" Octavia asked with more reservations.
"Actually, it was Princess Celestia who told me," Twilight clarified. "She told me her sister was beaming when Luna returned to the castle after going to Ponyville for Nightmare Night. Princess Celestia couldn't remember the last time she had seen her sister so happy."
"Really?" Octavia tried to picture the Lunar Princess acting in such a manner.
"Then Princess Celestia wrapped me in her wings and thanked me for being unbelievably kind to her sister..." Twilight trailed off, lost in a beautiful memory. "And that she was blessed to have such a faithful student."
"Wow," Octavia muttered. "And that was before you became an Alicorn?"
Twilight nodded, glancing at her wings. "It was still nerve-wracking to sit with them."
Octavia was stunned for a moment at the Alicorn's confession.
"Why were you nervous?" Octavia asked after collecting herself. "Were you not Princess Celestia's personal student?"
"I was, but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to be nervous around them," Twilight pointed out with a giggle.
"True," she admitted, shrinking back slightly.
"What made matters worse was when I had to sit between them," Twilight chuckled nervously, pulling at her mane. "Even though I was a full-grown mare, I still felt like a filly sitting next to them."
Octavia recalled the towering presence when she first met Princess Celestia. "Were you able to enjoy the concert?"
"At first, no," Twilight admitted sheepishly. "I didn't know what to do, so I just sat there rigid as a board until the concert started. But, when the music started, I noticed the princess's relaxing and even engaging in playful conversations between songs."
Twilight glanced up, tapping a hoof on her chin. "I can't recall when but by the concert's end, we were all laughing and having a great time together."
"That's good to hear," Octavia said softly, her head falling as the thought of the music not being the center of their enjoyment ate at her.
"But there was one piece that caught my attention."
Octavia's ears perked up. "Which one was that?"
"It was the last song..." Twilight trailed off as she closed her eyes and tapped her hoof on her head. "Never something..."
"Never give up on your dreams!" Octavia cut in.
"Yes!" Twilight's eyes shot open, pointing a hoof in her direction. "Princess Luna absolutely loved that song. She swayed along with the music as her ethereal mane shone brightly like the stars in the sky."
Octavia's smile broadened. "That was a modern selection that almost didn't make the cut. We tried to balance modern songs with ones Princess Luna would recognize."
"The concert was perfect; you all really outdid yourselves," Twilight congratulated, giving a slight bow.
"Thank you," Octavia thanked as she bowed quickly, almost hitting her head again.
"You don't need to do that," Twilight said, standing to lift the humble performer to her hooves. "I'm still not used to decorum being directed at me," she admitted with a weak chuckle.
"Sorry," she apologized. "May I ask why you liked that particular song so much?"
Twilight cantered in place like an excited filly. "It was so magical! So many elements combined to give you a rush of energy, like reading an exhilarating book or finding a long-lost page of one of Starswirl's research papers."
Octavia placed a hoof on her chin. She had played the song countless times in preparation for the concert, but it was always fun to get somepony else's perspective on things.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
Twilight leaned in close. "I think Princess Luna enjoyed it more."
The cellist swelled with pride. "I never knew that."
Octavia did remember looking up at the moon and feeling like it was somehow brighter that night.
Twilight placed a hoof on her shoulder. "So, it would suffice to say; I wanted you for this. The wonderful Octavia Melody was the obvious choice."
"Thank you," she choked out, hiding her blushing cheeks.
"After you accepted the position, the next challenge was to find a place inside the castle that would be able to support the party while providing the best acoustics." Twilight's horn illuminated as a book floated down to the table in front of them. "With that in mind, I studied and researched concert music theory over the past week."
"What?" Octavia blurted out, unable to fathom how Twilight could comprehend the complexities of musical performances in a week when it took her years of study at Canterlots prestigious music school.
"Not everything," Twilight admitted with a slight eye roll, tapping on the book with her hoof. "Just enough to lead me to Sabine Hymn, Canterlot's top acoustician and concert hall designer."
"Yes, I know of Sabine Hymn. My musical theory professor talked about her in his class." Octavia spun the book closer to her. "Acoustical Principles and Theories, volume four; I remember having to do papers on this for class."
"Sabine said that the reverberation time is essential to a successful concert hall design. It greatly impacts the resonances of the sound since reverberation time relates to sound persisting audibly after terminal..."
"I know," Octavia said in annoyance, cutting the princess off. "The reverberance creates the feeling of warmth, intimacy, and clarity of the sound our instruments or voices produce."
Twilight looked up at her as Octavia's cheeks burned with embarrassment at her sarcastic comment. "My apologies Princess Twilight."
"No worries. I get carried away explaining things sometimes." Twilight gave an understanding smile. "Have you read about Sabine's theoretical concert hall design?"
"No," Octavia answered as Twilight closed the book.
"Sabine designed a theoretical circular concert hall that was 45 feet tall and housed a plethora of irregularities on the walls, which he described to create a more intimate experience for the audience, and a better experience for the musicians."
Twilight stepped away from the table, pointing a hoof upwards, causing Octavia to shift her attention to the ceiling.
"The library's ceiling is exactly forty five feet above us, just like the design that Sabine wrote down, with some exceptions," Twilight boasted.
Octavia returned her attention to the cantering Princess. "However, there are a multitude of factors that go into the construction of a concert hall, from the overall design to the material used and where the audience will be placed, just to name a few," Octavia pointed out.
"Aha! Sabine even went as far as to cover the acoustical properties and how it interacts with different surfaces." Twilight countered as if she was expecting that retort.
Octavia held her tongue.
"The sound reflects off the crystal walls and arrives back at us after three-tenths of a second is a portion of the sound that contributes strongly to the reverberations that you hear," Twilight lectured, not hiding the look of smug satisfaction.
Octavia rolled her eyes. Not bad for a princess.
"Here, let me demonstrate."
As she turned, Twilight lifted a hoof slightly and clicked it on the polished floor, creating a sound that felt like it was bouncing around the library, leaving Octavia perplexed.
Before Octavia could reply, Twilight spread her wings and shot up to the library's top. As she hovered near the ceiling, her horn flashed to life as a bright, colorful light painted the room in various oranges, yellows, reds, and blues.
"Sabine created this spell that allowed her to see the spots in the hall that he was designing and how the sound was interacting with the surfaces and materials used as a sort of audio heat map," Twilight explained, gliding towards the ground.
"Yellow is where the sound reverberates the most, yielding little decay, orange is a mix between decay and reverberance, and blue is where the sound dies. As you can see, there are minimal amounts of blue anywhere in here." Twilight motioned around the room.
Octavia took a moment to study the library and admit that the Princess had done well in her research; however, as she continued to scrutinize the spell, a faint smile formed on her lips as she spotted little discrepancies.
"Well done, Princess Twilight." Octavia gave the princess a slow applause. "However, I have noticed that the spell you cast was not entirely accurate."
"Pfft." Twilight scoffed at the accusation. "I followed Sabine's instructions to the letter, and I have spent countless hours to validate that I have replicated the spell exactly as she would have."
"That may be true," Octavia agreed, taking a couple of steps around Twilight. "Then would you explain to me why that contraption in the corner is showing blue?"
"What are you talking about?" The Alicorn traced the direction that Octavia was pointing.
Off in one of the coves in the library was something that looked like a complex science experiment to Octavia. It was a mixture of wood and metal with various black and purple tubes connecting multiple devices. At the center was a silver mirror fixed upon a metal platform.
"That mirror over there is showing blue, which is indicative of sound being trapped. However we both know that should not be the case."
"How..." Before Twilight could finish, a tremor rippled through the castle, causing the pair to freeze.
"What was that?" Octavia asked tepidly, steadying herself.
Twilight shrugged her shoulders as an even stronger tremor hit, causing them to sink to the floor. As the shaking subsided, they waited a moment before returning to their full height.
"I don't know," Twilight admitted.
Before Octavia could say anything, Spike, Twilight's assistant, burst through the doors into the library. The tiny purple and green dragon was covered head to claw in cake batter.
"Twilight, Twilight!"
"What happened, Spike?"
"Trixie was..."
Before Spike could explain, the showmare burst into the room covered in the same batter. "The great and powerful Trixie is not responsible for this catastrophe!"
"But, you're the one that ignored Starlight and added that mystery bottle in the cabinet!" The young drake pointed an accusatory claw in Trixie's direction.
"You told me to help, so I helped!" The showmare turned her nose upwards. "Trixie is not sorry for trying to spice up breakfast."
"Spice it up? You created a pony-eating breakfast monster down there!"
"Hold on, you two." Twilight stomped her hoof to get their attention. "Where's Starlight?"
"The kitchen," they both echoed.
"Trixie created a pony-eating monster somehow, and you two just left her alone with it?" Twilight flared out her wings, scolding both of them.
"I came here to get you, Twilight!" Spike defended, flaring out his arms in protest. "I don't know why Trixie's here."
Trixie was about to say something, but Twilight cut her off. "Enough, we need to head to the kitchen now!"
Twilight and Spike took off for the library's entrance while Trixie sat there looking at one of her forehooves.
"You're coming to Miss Great and Powerful." The Alicorn's horn came to life as the purple aura surrounded Trixie's flank and dragged the troublesome performer out of the library with them.
As the doors slammed shut, an eerie silence echoed through the library as Octavia stood alone. She was still reeling from the chaotic chain of events since her arrival and secretly wished this would not be a common occurrence. Then she remembered that Vinyl was at Sugacube Corner with Pinkie Pie.
"I can't wait to see if Vinyl's day turns out to be as exciting as mine," she mused.
A few seconds passed before she realized that she still had her cello case on her back. Feeling dumb for not taking it off earlier, she swung it off and propped it up against the central table.
After a good stretch, she took a moment to look around the library, watching as the color from Twilight's spell dissipated. Her mind was still processing Twilight's lecture being interrupted by a monster in the kitchen. However, something stood out to her more than the wealth of information that had just been dumped on her.
When she spoke with Celestia for a moment before the performance, she gave off an air of superiority and regalness that clearly defined boundaries to approach and engage with her. However, with Twilight, she felt the polar opposite with how unguarded and welcoming she'd been.
"No. Focus Octavia. You came here to warm up, so let's warm up," Octavia muttered, chastising herself. She was here to perform, not skylark on the nuances of how approachable the princesses were.
She made her way over to her cello's case, not wanting to waste any more time. Popping the locks, she opened the case, revealing her oldest friend. Octavia ran her hoof across the mahogany body that still maintained its rich beauty from the day she first received it. Lifting the cello out of the case, she propped it up next to her body before retrieving her bow. Flipping her mane to the side, she pulled the instrument close, feeling the slight warmth radiating from it. She always loved how safe and secure it made her feel.
"Alright, library, let's see if Twilight's theory holds any merit."
Octavia drew the bow across the strings; they began to sing in a manner she'd never heard before. Her ears twitched erratically as the sound felt distant like someone else was playing her instrument at the same time.
"That is unexpected." Octavia shook her head, justifying what she was hearing as pre-rehearsal jitters.
Returning her bow to the ready position, she drew it across the strings as her ears continued to fidget with how the sound interacted here, causing Octavia to miss notes.
"What in Tartarus…" What was she not getting? Everything Twilight said made theoretical sense, given her studies while still in school, but why could she not hear it? It was as if she was playing along with a recording of herself, but she could not sync with it.
Octavia relied purely on her muscle memory since her ears had failed her. She closed her eyes and let her frustrations drive the bow as the sounds echoed like chaos around the room. But she continued to play harder and harder across the strings trying to drown out the noise and the thoughts of being…
"Wow," she whispered as the chaos around her died.
Octavia's ears held still as the beautiful melody filled the quiet library with life. Closing her eyes, Octavia savored the warmth of the sound around her with each passing of the bow. As she continued to play, her soul lifted as the melody danced around her, despite the faint echo. Looking out of the corner of her eye, Octavia noticed the mirror was responding to the music. Ending the song, she watched as the ripples dissipated, returning the mirror to its polished surface.
"That's weird," she whispered, drawing her bow again to resume playing.
As Octavia continued playing, she noticed the mirror reacting to her music like before, but this time it produced a faint echo.
Octavia studied the mirror. "How is that possible?"
Picking up the cumbersome instrument, she took a couple of steps forward, causing the mirror to ripple. Stopping halfway, she waited to see how the mirror would respond. To her surprise, the mirror reformed to its reflective surface.
"Do you record sound?" She wondered, comparing the overly intricate device to the one Vinyl used for her crystals.
As the cello sang again, the mirror's surface danced along with it; however, the echo had grown significantly, leaving Octavia perplexed.
"How are you doing this?" Slowly inching the cello closer and closer to the mirror.
Octavia stood before the foreign device as she watched the mirror pulse, even though she had stopped playing or moving. Laying her cello and bow on the floor, she returned to the front of the mirror as it let out a more intense ripple than before. A whisper in the back of her mind urged Octavia to move forward as her hooves slowly closed the distance.
She let out a long breath and calmed herself before extending a hoof towards it as a torrent of excitement swirled inside her. Slowly she pressed into the silver mirror, feeling the coldness wrap around her hoof. As she continued to move forward, a new sensation of something pulling her took hold.
And then a thought stirred in her mind, quiet at first but grew with intensity. This was wrong. This was very, very wrong.
"Wait..." she whispered, suddenly terrified as her mind snapped back to reality. "Wait!"
Before she could react, her back hooves started sliding across the metal platform as the silver mirror consumed more and more of her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as another foreleg entered the silver mirror. Digging in with her hooves, she fought with every ounce of strength that her body could muster.
"Please, no!" Octavia screamed as the silver consumed her chest.
Tying her best to keep her from it, Octavia was powerless to keep her body from being wrenched forward. In an instant, she passed through the silver mirror, and the next thing she knew, myriad swirling colors spun around her like a vortex and assaulted her eyes. Her stomach leaped into her throat as she fell through a kaleidoscope of distorted shapes and colors.
Her cry for help died before it could leave her throat as an intensely bright light blinded her. Then her body contorted, twisted, and stretched, reforming itself in the void of white. She tried to open her mouth to scream as she turned into shapes that she never knew existed, but no words emerged. The light grew bright once more, and she fell through it.
And, almost as fast as it had started, it stopped. Octavia became weightless as if somepony had thrown her through the air before landing and rolling to a stop.
"Oh, my head," Octavia groaned as the throbbing pain prevented her from sitting up. Her whole body felt heavier as her mind struggled to process what had happened.
Opening her eyes, she noticed the short grass lying before her. As her head slowly stopped swimming, she tried to figure out how she made it outside the castle; looking up from the ground, she suddenly realized that she was no longer at the castle or in Ponyville. Her heart began racing as her mind realized she had no clue where she was.
As she continued to study the environment, she noticed strange creatures walking around that she had never seen before. However, the buildings surrounding her still looked like something found in Manehatten, but they had a different feel. It had tall glass buildings, but they were not clustered together like the sprawling metropolis city.
Octavia reached out with her forehoof as an uneasy dread crawled up her spine. The creatures in the surrounding area started to notice her as they looked and pointed in her direction. Quickly she began to back up, trying to return to the castle through whatever way she came until her back hooves hit something solid; seeing what had impeded her progress sent terror ripping through her body.
"What," Octavia sputtered as her mind went blank.
Gone was her pony body, replaced with the body of those strange creatures that walked around her. A crushing tightness formed in her chest as she looked at what used to be her hooves moving around the weird appendages. Patting her body, she noted the strange cloth that covered her, sending her into further despair as every part of her had changed.
"This can't be real."
Scrambling over to the white stone wall she assumed she passed through, she pressed her strange hooves into it, hoping it would send her back. A wave of panic shot through her body as she continued to find solid surface after solid surface. There was no sign of the magic that had sent her here.
Octavia's chest tightened as primal fear gripped her body. Pressing her head into the cold stone as her mind scrambled for answers. She wanted to be back in the palace; she wanted to be back home; she wanted to be in Vinyl's embrace.
"Somepony, please, help me..."