//------------------------------//
// Small Moments Like These 
// Story: Harmonic Cognition 
// by Jymbroni 
//------------------------------//

Octavia stood silent as she tried to understand why he said okay as if he was in the wrong. Vinyl would often do it to end the argument, and Octavia would only find out after she had calmed down or Vinyl had stopped talking to her. They were both in the wrong and apologized, so the air should be cleared, right? But it did not feel like there was a resolution as Jacen continued to stare at the floor.    

He stood up abruptly, rubbing his stomach. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

Octavia's stomach grumbled as she couldn't remember the last time she ate a meal. Was it breakfast? Vinyl would jump at the opportunity to tell her she needed to eat with how often Octavia reminded her. She regretted not taking her advice.   

"I could eat," Octavia replied. 

"Just to give you a heads up, I'm not the best cook." 

"Don't worry, I'm not much of a cook either," Octavia admitted, moving over to rest her hands on the counter that looked into the kitchen.  

"So, what do you normally eat?" Octavia noticed sharp points on her teeth. 

Jacen ducked behind the counter, pulling out this gray metal contraption and plugging it in. Octavia stared in wonder as he opened the lid to reveal grates like a grill. She'd always assumed that grills were large items that would mostly be outside.   

"Most mornings, I eat five eggs, scrambled. Then for the other meals, I eat chicken with vegetables and potatoes," Jacen answered, turning around to open the refrigerator. 

"Chicken?" Octavia gasped.

"Yeah, what about it?" Jacen questioned as he turned around with a quizzical expression. "Don't tell me you're one of those vegan people, are you?"

"Vegan people?"

"Yeah, pretentious, entitled jerks that like to flaunt their dietary superiority as if they're single-handedly saving the world." Turning back around to rummage through the refrigerator. "It honestly doesn't bother me, and some vegan food is actually delicious, but don't go around belittling others because they don't subscribe to your beliefs."

"Oh," Octavia replied tepidly.

"The point is I'm fine with you doing you but don't try to force your ideas onto me, and we will be good."  

Octavia watched as Jacen returned to the refrigerator and retrieved a yellow tray with two slabs of pink meat inside. Removing the outside packaging, he placed them onto the gray stove top. "So it's safe to assume that you don't want any chicken?"

Octavia shook her head as she scrunched up her nose.

"No worries." Jacen closed the lid to the stove with his arm, causing the meat inside to let out a hiss as faint white smoke bellowed out the sides. He turned to the sink and started washing his hands. "So, do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No."

"Ah, lucky you. I have two younger sisters; they were a joy to be around," Jacen joked while toweling off his hands. "My dad was gone most of the time, so I was the only drop of testosterone in a sea of estrogen." 

"It couldn't be all bad?"

"Nah, I learned some great skills like being able to go clothes shopping without complaining, holding copious amounts of purses, and the proper way to answer 'does this make me look fat?'"

"What is the proper response?" Octavia asked, placing her hands on the counter across from Jacen.

"'Yes! It accentuates the love handles.'"

Octavia's mind tried to process the absurdity of the statement. "You can't be serious."

"But of course I am. That is the simplest and most effective means to prevent you from having to endure that question again." 

Octavia narrowed her eyes. 

"What, you think I'm that stupid?" Jacen asked, flashing a smile at her. 

"Yes, I could see you saying something like that."

"What?" Jacen gasped, placing a hand on his chest. "I'm offended that you think I would be so ignorant," he teased. 

"So then how do you respond?" 

"Well, I would tell them 'oh dear that doesn't do you justice let's find something more appealing," he stated with dramatic flair. 

"So you're a fashionista as well," Octavia joked.

"Hardly, but it was always nice to hear that the ones I did pick out they received compliments on."

"Who're these people you picked them out for?" She asked, leaning onto the counter.

"Past girlfriends," Jacen answered as his expression darkened as his eyes drifted to the side. 

"Do you have any of these girlfriends now?" 

"No." 

"I'm sorry," she said, biting her lower lip.

"It's fine," he said flatly as he shoulders sagged. "Plus, dinner is almost ready." 

Jacen returned his attention to the grill as he lifted the lid, causing steam to billow out. Octavia reflexively scrunched her face as the meat continued to crackle and hiss.  

"Can I ask you a sensitive question?" Octavia hesitantly asked.

"Sure." Jacen turned to the fridge, retrieved two blue bags, and placed them in a black box. 

"When was the last time you had a girlfriend?"

Jacen paused for a minute as his eyes shifted to her. "My last girlfriend broke up with me right after boot camp." He looked down and counted on his claws. "So that would be about six years ago."

"That's a long time," she softly said as she thought about how long she had been with Vinyl and tried to imagine her life without the DJ. 

"It's fine; it's been so long that it doesn't bother me anymore." Jacen steadied himself, drawing a deep breath and slowly letting it out. "So, what about you?"

"What do you mean?" Octavia asked as the spotlight shifted.

"Do you have a boyfriend or something?" 

Octavia wrung her hands as Jacen's gaze shifted to her. She needed to protect Vinyl in cases things went south, but she needed Jacen to trust her if he was going to help her find a way home. If she outright lied to him, he could potentially see through the lie and kick her to the curb.  

"It's complicated," she answered with a heavy sigh. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh," he said, shrinking back as if he had just broken something. "I think dinner is ready."

Octavia felt the weight lift off her shoulders as Jacen started turning the knobs on the front of the grill. She was honest as her situation was complicated in that matter; she didn't know how she would return home. She hoped that it would dissuade him from further inquiry revolving around Vinyl. 

Octavia watched as Jacen peeled the steaming chicken off the grill and put them on the plate. Next, he retrieved the blue bags pouring out the contents on the plate. 

"Dinner is served," he said, placing the plates on the table.         

Octavia sat down, observing the vegetable medley before her. She could identify most of them, to her relief, which caused her mouth to salivate. Picking up the plate, Octavia blew on it to cool it down before taking a healthy bite causing strands of her mane to touch the food. She tossed back the errant strands of hair before burying her muzzle in the food. Peering over the edge, she caught Jacen staring at her in utter shock. Quickly setting it down, her cheeks became warm as she did not understand what she had done wrong.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Let me grab the silverware, so you don't... err... have to eat like that."  He said with a nervous chuckle. 

He sprung out of his chair and started rifling through draws until he found the flatware. Jacen quickly placed them beside her plate, far from the traditional placement. Octavia gave him a courtesy thanks before grabbing it with her whole hand; she stabbed at the food, causing a muted chuckle from Jacen.

"That's one way to use it." Octavia glared at him, causing the chuckling to cease. "Sorry," he apologized before returning to his dinner.

The pair continued to eat silently except for the forks clinking against the ceramic. Octavia felt her eyes beginning to draw up as Jacen tore into the chicken. She faintly remembered when Celestia hosted a Minatorian delegation and how unrefined they were, especially regarding dinner etiquette. It was Octavia's first encounter witnessing creatures eating meat, and it made her stomach tie into knots, despite the assurance by one of her colleagues that it was a meat substitute. 

As she continued to observe him, she noticed that despite the alarming pace that he ate, there was methodology. He would cut the meat into sections efficiently, minimizing wasted movement. As he scraped at the remnants, Octavia noticed faint red blotches on the edges where his appendages protruded from his hand. As she looked closer, the skin appeared to be torn as dried blood filled the cracks.

"What happened to your hands?" Octavia asked. 

Jacen shifted his hand about, studying the chicken and knife. "What do you mean?"

"Why are your hands all torn up?"

Jacen turned his hands over as his face started to turn a shade of red. Setting the fork on the plate hastily, Jacen tucked his hands under the table. "It's dry outside, and it causes my skin to crack." 

She didn't know how that would factor into his skin looking like that, but she knew very little about their anatomy. "Is that normal?" She asked, studying her hands for similar damage.   

"I'll get the dishes." Jacen shot up from the table, taking all the dishes with him. 

"Hey, was finished with that!" Octavia said sharply.  

Jacen was unphased by the response, placing the half-eaten food into the sink.

"Jacen, I wasn't finshed," she demanded; he would learn that she was not a mare to ignore outright. 

Jacen froze before dropping his head at realizing what he had done. "Damn it, I'm sorry, Octavia; I can make you some more if you want."

Octavia gave a firm nod, sending him into action and drying off his hand before retrieving another bag from the fridge and placing it in the black box.  

"It doesn't take very long for it to be heated," he stated before returning to the dirty dishes.

Octavia fidgeted with her hands, thinking of a way to break this uneasy silence. "So, what do you do for work?"

"In super simple terms, I do radar analysis and missile defense for ships. We use radars to track other ships on the water. It sends out an electronic pulse saying, 'where are you,' and the other ship responds, 'I'm right here.'"

"Like an echo?"

"Something like that, yeah. I wouldn't know how to explain it otherwise," Jacen admitted, slightly chuckling. "For missile defense, the simplest way to put it is people want to shoot stuff at us to blow up our ship. My job is to deter the missile away from the ship, so we don't die." 

"Doesn't that scare you?"

"Nah, not really." Jacen paused for a moment, rubbing his arm. "Being on the ship is probably the safest place for a deployment. You have a greater chance of your boat sinking than being shot at."

Octavia shook her head in disappointment. "I cannot understand why creatures resort to violence to sort out problems."

"I agree, but that's not the world we live in," Jacen said solemnly. "Some people see violence as their only means to achieve their goal, so we have to protect people from those individuals."

"So, your solution to violence is a further escalation of grander violence?" Octavia asked in disgust.

"We only use violence as a last resort," Jacen countered as an electronic beep rang out, causing Jacen to swiftly repeat the earlier process of producing the vegetable medley. "We have the whole world watching what we're doing, and if we get too excessive, people will start to hate us more and retaliate."

Setting the steaming plate in front of her, Octavia eagerly dug into the food. Her palate immediately became singed by the immense heat as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. Octavia clamped her eyes shut as she bit back the urge to spit it out. Even in tremendous pain, she would never degrade herself like that. 

Octavia puffed out her cheeks to cool the raging fire inside her mouth while maintaining her outward appearance as a proper mare. Looking up, she saw Jacen frantically fumbling around in the kitchen before sliding the water over. Taking the glass quickly, Octavia down as much as possible as the cooling sensation spread through her mouth. "Thank you."

"Sorry, I'm a terrible host."

"No matter, I wasn't expecting it to be that hot."

"Well, it literally just came out of the microwave, so it's going to be." 

Octavia gave him an annoyed look before taking more reserved bites of food. While eating, she noticed Jacen tediously cleaning the kitchen, wiping down all the surfaces used to prepare the meal or wash the dishes. She was impressed with how thorough he was and secretly wished Vinyl was more fastidious. Despite the mare's proficiency at spinning records, that skill did not transfer over to wiping down anything.  

Finishing the last few bites of food, Octavia wiped the corners of her mouth, her stomach finally satisfied. "Thank you for the meal, Jacen."  

"No problem," he said confidently, picking up the used dishes. 

Octavia looked around the apartment. "So, what do you do during your evenings?"

"Usually, I eat my dinner, watch some TV, then I take a shower before heading to bed. I have to turn in pretty early since I wake up stupid early in the morning to get to the gym."

"Okay, but I meant more for fun. What do you do to unwind?" Octavia asked, clasping her hands in her lap as she leaned slightly forward. "Do you at least go out?"

"To the gym," Jacen stated, giving her a cheeky smile.

Octavia rolled her eyes. "Aside from the gym."

"Oh." Jacen looked up for a moment. "Well, I go out and do legion events at least once a month in my costume."

Octavia straightened up, blinking in disbelief. "So you only go out once a month?"

"Yeah, I guess so, but it doesn't bother me. I enjoy my routine."

"You don't do anything spontaneous, like traveling to a different city, watching a play, or going to a club?" 

"Huh," he uttered, setting a clean dish on the counter. "I would never have taken you for the clubber type."  

"Hardly," she chuckled. "That is all my roommate; she's the adventurous one between us."  

"Oh," he replied, his eyes showing his surprise. "Then what do you do then?

"Most nights, when my roommate is home, we try to find unique restaurants or go to parties that the society I belong to hosts. But, most of the time, we will take an evening stroll through the parks or downtown," she said, reminiscing over those magical evenings. "The city we live in is lovely at night." 

"Sure beats my evenings," he teased.

"You can always try something new to spice things up," Octavia suggested.

"True," he admitted. "But, I don't have a roommate that would go with me to do these new things."

"You don't need someone else to be with you to try new things."

Jacen's shoulders sagged. "Yeah, but it makes it less depressing."  

Octavia chewed her lip as she tried to think of a way to change the course of the conversation. She didn't want to upset him again by drumming up bad memories. "So, if going out is a struggle, what are some things that make you happy?"

Jacen opened his mouth but snapped it shut as he started drying off a dish. "I don't know; I guess the gym."

"Really? Just the gym?" Octavia scrunched up her nose. "Why?" 

Jacen set the dish down as he stared blankly ahead. "Mmm, I think it's because it's the first thing I get to do for myself before my day starts. It's me time."

Octavia nodded in agreement. "We all need a little 'me' time."

"True," he affirmed before continuing. "But for me, it makes people much more tolerable, that the stupid stuff that occurs during the day doesn't bother me as much because I am too tired to care. That's probably why I try to kill myself every day at the gym to vent my frustrations before anyone can hear them."

Octavia's eyes went wide at the statement. "Why are you trying to kill yourself?" 

Jacen rolled his eyes, letting out a small chuckle. "I'm not literally trying to kill myself. It's a saying, for 'I'm giving it all into my workout.'"

"I don't care for that saying," Octavia stated, curling her lip up.

"Noted," he said, giving her a glance. "I won't use it again."

"Okay," Octavia said, leaning back in the chair. "How often do you go to the gym?"

"Six days a week," he boasted.

"That's quite a lot."

"Not really," he defended. "How often do you practice your cello?"

"Five days a week if you don't count rehearsals or performances."

"See," Jacen stated, pointing at her. "And I can assume that you practice for a couple of hours, correct?"

"Correct."

"Then it shouldn't be that hard to believe when you do the same thing as me."

"However, my job depends on the quality of my performances which requires me to practice daily," she countered, folding her arms across her chest.

"Same with me!"

"Really now? How so?"

"The military has physical readiness standards that we need to meet, or we get kicked out. Granted, I do more than most, but that's because I need it. I'm probably the happiest when I can just plug in my tunes and tune out the world."

"Why is that?" Octavia asked, leaning forward as her brow furrowed.

Jacen sucked on his teeth as his eyes darted from side to side. "Umm... well... music helps me get centered if that makes sense. It helps me prepare for things that may occur throughout the day." 

"Like what?"

Jacen shifted around as if he was stepping on something uncomfortable. "Umm, it's stuff. Don't you get the same feeling when you play your cello?" Jacen deflected quickly. "Like you're the happiest when it's just you and your cello making beautiful music?"

"Yeah," she answered hesitantly, wondering why he was deflecting. "But, I also feel that way when my roommate makes music."

"Oh, your roommate is a musician as well?"

"Yes, but her music is very different from mine. I used to find it tedious to listen to." Octavia's head fell as her eyes grew heavy. "But it wasn't until recently that I discovered how beautiful the music they made was." 

"That sucks."

"Do you ever get the feeling that you have taken something for granted?" she asked steadily, fidgeting with her hands as she searched for the right words. "Like, you don't even consider something changing or you even changing. But then, it's gone in an instant, and you don't know if it will ever return to how it was before? I guess I'm asking, do you regret not taking full advantage of that time?"

"I think so," he answered, turning towards her. "When I lived in Pensacola, I had all the friends in the world. I had friends that I would go to bars with, I played video games and D&D with, and I played on a soccer team down there. I was out constantly after school and loved every minute of it. When I came up here, it all went away." Jacen's eyes became distant as a faint smile touched his lips. "If I had a wish, I wouldn't hesitate to return to when I was stationed in Florida." 

"Sounded like you enjoyed you time there."

"Yeah," he replied as he returned to the present. "But, at least the memories of those times still make me happy." 

"Yeah," Octavia said softly, leaning forward as she rested her head on her hands.

Silence hung in the air for a moment before the clanking of dishes broke the peace. Jacen picked up the clean plates and returned them to their spots in the cabinet before leaning onto the counter as he drummed his fingers. 

"So after I eat, I usually shower before winding down for bed," he said awkwardly. "Do you prefer taking showers in the morning or evening?"

Octavia hadn't put much consideration into her hygiene with the events that had transpired. She wasn't outright filthy by any means, but a nice relaxing shower would help alleviate some of her stress. "I usually take evening showers."

"Great! I'll let you go first. By the way, are you okay with wearing some of my clothes? I promise that they're clean."

"Umm," Octavia muttered, comparing her much smaller frame to his. "That should be fine."

"Hopefully, I can find you something that somewhat fits," Jacen chuckled as he left for the bedroom.  

She quickly scanned her outfit, noticing that her white blouse and simple purple vest still appeared clean. However, when she grabbed the hem of her pink skirt and stretched it out, seeing all the faint traces of dirt ingrained in the material. She wasn't sure where she'd picked up the stains until she recalled her first interaction with Jacen.     

"Got them," Jacen announced, reemerging from the bedroom with the selected clothes in his hand. "Follow me; I'll tell you how to get the shower going."  

Octavia followed Jacen to the bathroom and noticed he was acting as nervous as a butler on their first day. She found a strange comfort in knowing that he didn't entertain much. She had been so accustomed to events having everything meticulously planned out that Octavia almost forgot how nerve-racking it was for the host.  

Jacen entered the bathroom setting the clothes on the counter. "There's a little ring around the facet that you pull down on to get it to switch to the shower. You would laugh at how long it took me to figure that out," he chuckled. 

"Thank you," she said, giving him a warm smile. 

"No worries," he replied, returning the smile. "If you need anything else, just ask."

After Jacen shut the door to the bathroom, Octavia waited a moment before removing the restrictive garments. Reaching in, she tested the water before adjusting the knobs to achieve the right temperature. Stepping into the shower, Octavia submerged herself as the hot water washed away all the grime and released all the tension in her body. Finally, she began to feel normal.

Basking in the warmth, Octavia wanted the water to relieve her stress, offering her a few moments of solace before returning to reality. As the humidity wrapped around her, she couldn't help but feel the lack of another familiar embrace. She couldn't remember the last time she'd showered without Vinyl. A smile creased her lips as Octavia recalled the passionate night that established this habit. It started as a desire to be closer but evolved into a staple event in their relationship. When others heard about their unique routine, ponies would always assume something promiscuous was happening, but that was rarely the case. Most of the time, they enjoyed each other's company making mundane tasks quality time.  

Octavia grabbed the only two bottles in the shower, flipping them over to their labels. "Why would they need a shampoo specifically for their head and shoulders?"  

Octavia shrugged, putting the other red bottle back. Flipping the shampoo around in her hand, Octavia tried to determine how she was supposed to get the product out since all the soap dispensers in Equestria used pumps. Octavia scratched at it with her claws until she caught the edge of the lid. Pulling the cap up, she squeezed it slightly, allowing her to get a good whiff of the scent. 

"Oh, that's pleasant," she remarked, squeezing a generous amount into her hand.   

Applying the product to her mane and shoulders, Octavia remembered how agitated she would get with Vinyl after she had left the shower. Her marefriend would spend five minutes drying off and the other ten teasing her about how long she spent in the bathroom. Even though Vinyl had a lovely mane and tail, it was nowhere near as long and voluminous as Octavia's. The part Octavia hated the most was how it took forever to get all the shampoo and conditioner out of her hair. However, removing all the product with her new thinner mane was not as tedious, and her new hooves made the process much easier. 

She ran her claws through her mane to ensure her hair wasn't harboring any traces of shampoo. Octavia grabbed the bottle and poured another generous amount into her hand. She reached back to apply it to her. Octavia felt her heart sink as her hands grasped the air where her tail would have been. Octavia was as prideful in the maintenance of her tail as she was in her mane; it completed her. 

"Another wonderful change," Octavia said bitterly, rinsing off the excess product from her hand.  

Octavia used the familiar pump from the red bottle to wash her body with the muskier soap. Turning off the water, she stepped out of the tub and dried off her body. Octavia wrapped the towel around her before searching the usual places for a comb. Opening the two drawers revealed spare toiletries like toothbrushes and toothpaste. However, digging through its contents, she could not locate a comb. How did he not have a comb? Shouldn't that have been a standard item found in every bathroom, like hoof files and clippers?   

Octavia let out a frustrated sigh as she turned her head to the side to let her mane fully straighten out. Reluctantly she ran her claws through her hair, doing her best to remove all the tangles. It wasn't as good as a comb, but it still accomplished the task, more or less. Thinking about it, this would have been an impossible endeavor if she still had hooves instead of hands. 

Feeling satisfied that they were removed, she wrapped her mane in the towel, enjoying how much lighter it was compared to the old one. Opening the bathroom door, Octavia felt the cool rush of air assault her body reflexively, wrapping her forelegs around herself. Why in Tartarus was she so cold?

"The clothes!" She hissed before slamming the door.

Struggling to get the shirt over the towel, Octavia let out a frustrated sigh as she undid the wrap and let her mane touch her body, reigniting the cold sensation. Promptly putting on the shirt and shorts, Octavia felt the hint of warmth returning to her body. Looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed how his shirt could be mistaken for a poorly fitted dress as it hit her mid-thigh. But to her surprise, the shorts fit relatively comfortably after she tied off the drawstring.             

"Everything okay in there?" 

"Yes." Octavia emerged from the bathroom. "I'm fine."  

"Good, how do you feel?" 

"Much better." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you again."

"No worries. Let me take a shower real quick." Jacen hastily went to the bedroom before heading to the bathroom and shutting the door.

Octavia took a comfortable position on the couch as she heard the water running in the background. She pulled her knees to her chest, adjusting the excess material to hide her body under the tarp Jacen called a shirt. It wasn't as comfortable as Vinyl's hoodie and long socks, but it made her feel warm. 

"Done," Jacen declared, emerging from the bathroom. 

Octavia whipped her head around to see Jacen exiting the bathroom, wearing a spare shirt and shorts. "How did you shower so fast?" She asked in disbelief that he had adequately washed his body and dried himself.

"Yeah, that's another thing the navy streamlined for me," Jacen joked. "Our drill instructors only gave us twenty minutes for all sixty of us to shower. So you learn quickly how to maximize your time."

"Don't you enjoy relaxing in the shower?" Octavia watched as Jacen walked over to join her on the couch.

"Sometimes." Jacen leaned over to retrieve a small black wand. "Most of the time, I'm in and out so I can do other things."

"Like what?"

"Like watching TV." Jacen pointed in the direction of the mirror fixed on the wall. "Would you like to join me?"

Octavia's eyes shifted between Jacen and their reflection. "Sure."

"Cool." Jacen pointed towards the mirror, causing it to illuminate with pictures. "I think I know a movie you might enjoy."

Octavia's eyes went wide. "What is this?"

"A television?" He answered suspiciously. "Don't tell me you've never seen a TV before?"

Octavia shook her head. "We have movie theaters where I live, but we don't have small ones like this."

"How?" He asked in annoyance. "TV's are everywhere and they have been around for a minute."

"Movie theaters are a relatively new thing where I live," she defended. "You don't have to be so condescending." 

Jacen let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry, I'm just trying to understand better where you're from."

Octavia rested her chin on her folded arms. "Well, you're doing a terrible job at it."

She could feel Jacen's eyes fixed on her as she continued to hold her gaze on the TV. It flashed to life with vibrant pictures that started to move quickly across the screen. "Wow, it's so clear!"

"Umm yeah, it's not movie theater quality, but it gets the job done." Jacen continued to click the device, causing images to transition through the screen before it went black rapidly.

"What happened?" Octavia frustratedly asked.

"It didn't like the way you were looking at it," he joked, flashing a smile in her direction. "I just selected the movie; give it a second."

Octavia harrumphed, returning her attention to the tv. 

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away...

Then triumphant fanfare erupted from the box, causing Octavia to jump as Star Wars boldly displayed against the black backdrop. A shiver raced down her spine as the brass section repeated the melody causing the faint traces of hair on her arm to stand on edge. It was bold, brash, and triumphant, and Octavia loved it. 

Octavia felt her hand sway like a conductor as the crisp marching drums kicked in. Then the aria changed as the string section came in, giving it a more heavenly tone. She closed her eyes as the music called for her to embark on an epic journey as the brass section did a slow build to the main melody. 

"This is brilliant!" She exclaimed as her heart pounded in her chest.  

"Yeah, Star Wars has the most recognizable score in cinema history," Jacen stated.

Octavia pulled her legs in tight as she rested her chin on her knees, ready to be enraptured as the strings began trailing off. The energy that had swelled in her chest began to die off as the camera panned down to a brownish planet. Just before Octavia could voice her displeasure, a blast from the brass instruments followed by sounds of explosions colored the scene. "What's happening?"

"The Empire is chasing down a rebel ship." Jacen pointed to the screen, indicating which was which. 

"Why?" She questioned, glancing over at him.

"Because they stole the plans to the Death Star," he replied with a faint smile.

Octavia turned back to the tv to see people in dark and light blue uniforms donning weird helmets taking up positions along a hallway. "What are they doing?"

"Just wait, this is the best part."

Octavia was glued to the screen as it focused on a door before it erupted into flames, followed by people dressed in Jacen's costume. The sounds of somepony striking a metal wire filled the room. "What's happening now?"

"They're fighting," Jacen pointed out. "The guys in blue are defending the ship while the people in white are trying to capture it."

"It's so violent immediately..." Octavia somberly stated.  

"What?" Jacen asked worriedly, turning his head towards her.

"Do you enjoy watching such displays?" Octavia asked in concern, looking back at him. 

"Depends on your definition of violence," he deflected. "I enjoy watching the conflict, and this does a pretty good job of keeping the 'violence' tame. Trust me; there is way worse stuff than this."

Octavia's chest became heavy as the thoughts of Cadence's wedding came to mind. "Why would people want to watch such things?"

"I don't know," he said uneasily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Some people enjoy the shock factor, if I was to guess. But if you look at it from a fundamental psychological level, all people want conflict; that is what keeps us interested. The degree to which the conflict is portrayed is an entirely different matter."

Octavia paused for a moment. "Like having an argument versus a physical confrontation." 

"Exactly!" Jacen pointed a claw in her direction. 

"I enjoy a blend of both, but I tend to shy away from excess violence because of being in the military," Jacen said, settling back into his spot. "I already learn about enough negative stuff, so I don't necessarily want to continue watching it at home." 

"We don't have to watch this," Jacen said sadly. "I can always find something else."

Octavia caught a glimpse of Jacen's shoulders sagging. "It's okay. I want to know why you like this so much."

"Thanks, but you honestly don't have to."  

Octavia turned her attention to the TV as she continued studying the events unfolding on screen. "Are they holding cannons?" 

"Close. They're called blasters." Jacen leaned forward, pointing to the objects in their hands. "They're fictitious weapons that shoot superheated gas that creates the red bolt you see."

Octavia started to put the pieces together. "You dress up as the bad people?"

"Yeah, you can say that."

Octavia scrunched her face at the thought of being associated with the story's villains. "That sounds like a terrible idea."

"It's not that bad," he countered. "When we go out and do events or go to hospitals, people are excited to see us, especially kids. Because they see what they watch on the TV in real life, it completely makes their day, it makes me happy, and I love that feeling. That's why our slogan is 'Bad guys doing good.'"

Octavia noticed Jacen having a genuine smile on his lips as he was thinking of something. Then it caught her attention. "Wait, you said the only thing that made you happy was the gym.

Jacen snapped out of whatever he was thinking about, drawing his hand to the side of his chin. "Yeah, I guess that slipped my mind."  

"Interesting how something that makes you happy slips your mind."

"Well, it's because I don't get to do it as much as I would like to. The Navy tends to ruin plans on the regular." 

Octavia knew that sentiment all too well, as Vinyl's contracts or her performance would always cause them to miss each other. Regret churned in her chest as she chastised herself for not taking advantage of every chance to spend with her marefriend. She was so naive to think that Vinyl would always be right by her side. Octavia buried her face into her knees, blinking away the tears that were betraying her.  

Returning to the movie, Octavia noticed a dynamic change in the music as slower elongated notes began to play, causing a cold chill to run up her spine. As the smoke began to clear, a dark menacing figure appeared in the doorway, easily dwarfing the people surrounding it. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the Tartarus-inspired features as the being looked around with the black void it called eyes.

"Who's that?" Octavia asked, eternally grateful that Jacen did not have that in his home.  

"Darth Vader. He's the leader of this group."

Octavia studied the individual encased in a black suit as the room filled with mechanical air, being forced through something. "Why does he breathe like that?" Octavia asked as trepidation filled her mind at the thought of Jacen having that tucked away in a closet, waiting for her to find it.

"It's because the suit that he is wearing is keeping him alive."

"What happened to him?"

"He's missing both his legs, arms, and the rest of him was burned to a crisp."

Octavia sharply turned her head as her eyes went wide. "How is he alive?"

"Plot armor," Jacen joked, glancing over to see Octavia's brow furrowed. "It's a joke," he defended, which furthered her confusion. "It's to explain why the characters can do certain things that the writing does not present or is poorly constructed. But the in-universe answer is that he was able to keep himself alive due to his hate, the force, and the medical advancements they have."

"How does hate and whatever the force is keeping him alive?"

"Ooof, I don't think you want me to go that deep unless you want me to drone on for hours about Star Wars lore," he joked. "But, to answer your question in the simplest of terms, it's this universe's version of magic. You know what magic is?"

"Of course," she stated bitterly, remembering how 'magic' got her into this predicament. "Do you have the force?"

Jacen erupted into a fit of laughter. "No, we have nothing like that here."

"You didn't need to laugh that hard," Octavia bit back.

"I'm sorry," Jacen chuckled, wiping a tear away from his eye. "But no, we don't have the force."

"Do you have anything like that?"

Jacen turned with his brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Like magic?" Octavia asked hesitantly, fearing the answer.

"Umm, no," He said flatly. "Unless you consider magicians magic, but you should know that those are all misdirections and illusions and not like the stuff you see on TV.

No magic? That was impossible. There had to be magic. How else had she gotten here? Octavia felt like somepony had just bucked her in the barrel as her insides collapsed. Her vision became blurry as her head started to spin out of control. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening. She was supposed to be in Canterlot teaching, not sitting on a couch with a strange creature watching a violent movie about space wizards. This is not how she had planned her life to go, not without Vinyl. 

"Octavia, are you okay?" Jacen softly asked. 

She buried her face into her knees, biting down on her tongue as the hopelessness of the situation churned her stomach. How was she going to get home now? Trepidation at the answer caused bile to form at the back of her throat. She was always the pony with the plan, who had it all figured out, but this was too much.  

"I didn't mean to offend you."

Squeezing her legs tight, she forced down the acidic concoction swimming in her mouth. She needed to be the strong mare that everypony saw her as, but she couldn't. Vinyl was the foundation she had built herself upon and the thought of her no longer existing was unthinkable.   

"Octavia..."

"You're fine, Jacen," she said as the raspiness of her voice caught her by surprise. 

"Really, we can watch something else if this is upsetting you," he suggested tepidly. "I know Star Wars isn't everyone's cup of tea."

"It's fine," she replied, rubbing her eyes on the shirt to remove the moisture from her eyes. "I just have a lot on my mind."

Octavia could hear Jacen settling back into his spot as the movie resumed playing. It was all a haze at this point to Octavia; even if she were watching Hinny of the Hills, it would not make her feel better. Octavia had nopony to blame but herself. All she had to do was keep her hooves to herself, and they would be in their new home in Canterlot.  

Octavia ran scenario after scenario in her head with what Vinyl would say to her. How disappointed she was with Octavia, how she had ruined their chance for a perfect life. Her chest grew tighter as Octavia remembered that she had failed to tell Vinyl "I love you" before heading to the castle.     

She turned her head, letting the cool air touch her wet cheeks. As the movie continued to play in the background, Octavia tried to wrap her mind around what to do next. Unable to formulate any plans, Octavia heard a strange puffing sound next to her. Lifting her head toward the sound, she spotted Jacen stretched out on the couch with his hand propping up his head. She leaned forward to get a better angle to see if...   

"He's asleep?" She whispered in disbelief as Jacen let out another puff of air. 

She stood up immediately, fuming at the sight. She was over here trying to grasp what fragments she had of her reality, and he just passed out without a care in the world. It took every ounce of restraint not to buck him in his stupid face.   

"No, no, no," she whispered, pressing her claws against her nose. "This is not his fault."

Octavia took a deep breath, clearing the dark thoughts from her head. The best thing for her to do right now would be to go to bed and reassess in the morning. Letting out another long breath to reaffirm she was making the right decision, she headed to the bedroom before realizing the TV was still on.  

"Probably need to turn that off."

Octavia picked up the little wand and noted the vast array of colorful buttons covering one side. She hastily set the object down next to Jacen, fearing that she would do something wrong. Hopefully, he could sleep with the TV on.

Her eyes lingered on Jacen as he let out another puff of air. It was the first time Octavia had experienced this, as Vinyl would occasionally pass out at her booth due to sheer exhaustion while creating a new song. However, Jacen would be impossible to carry to bed, unlike Vinyl, even if she retained her earth pony strength. Finding a blanket draped on the back of the couch, she covered him to the best of her ability.

Heading to the bedroom, Octavia saw that he had changed the linens and made them like they would be in a hotel, excluding the little mint or chocolate on the pillow. Sliding under the sheets, Octavia started to feel comfortable as she tucked herself into bed, almost.