“Octavia! Octavia! Any comments on the rumors you are trying to join the herd in Fillydelphia?”
Flash.
“Octavia, is it true you have been traveling to Fillydelphia a lot in the last few weeks?!”
Flash.
Octavia growled softly to herself as she made her way to the door, closing her eyes and averting her gaze from the blinding flash of the cameras. It was difficult enough to have to carry her cello case in her mouth without having to deal with all of this, yet she kept walking, ignoring the reporters and was very thankful the security guards kept them from following through the doors.
Once inside, she put down her case and let out a long, frustrated sigh. Then she noticed that two of her fellow band members were standing nearby, looking bewildered. Both stallions were staring at her with nervous expressions.
“What’s going on, Octavia?” Frederick Horseshoepin, the pianist, asked. The brownish pony gave the doors a glance as if he feared they would burst open.
“They kept trying to ask us questions about you,” Parish Nandermane, the harpist, told her. The purple pony didn’t sound much better than the pianist.
Octavia opened her mouth to answer, but the doors opening and slamming shut caused her to glance back. The last member of the band had arrived. Beauty Brass was standing on her hindlegs, her back hugging the doors with her forelegs also firmly against them. The light blue mare breathed heavily and looked very frazzled. Her sousaphone case lay discarded on the floor.
“What in Equestria is going on with these vultures?!” she exclaimed before sinking down to sit on her haunches. Then she noticed Octavia. “Why are they asking all these questions about you!?”
I don’t think Sombra meant this when he warned me of the consequences of associating with him, Octavia raised a hoof to rub her forehead tiredly.
“I’m sorry. It seems the news has gotten out that I’m trying to join that herd that was formed in Fillydelphia a few weeks ago,” the cellist explained.
“Seriously? My last dating attempts barely got a side column,” Beauty grunted and rose back up to her hooves. “What’s so special about this herd that the press is going wild over it?”
“Look, you know I can’t go into details while things are still not official,” Octavia said and grabbed up her cello case. “Let’s just say one member of that herd is associated with someone who has very vicious lawyers.”
Octavia had, of course, wanted to tell her friends and family of the latest happenings in her life, however, it turned out Sky Dive was as protective of her daughters as her reputation had claimed. Shortly after the first interview, the cellist had been approached by Dew’s mother.
Sky Dive explained to Octavia that she would not stand in the way of the cellist joining her daughter’s family, however, the older mare made it very clear she would not allow her daughter to be hounded by reporters trying to ask her why the famous cellist was trying to join it.
Octavia could see where Sky Dive was coming from. The earth pony was popular enough that she would draw attention. Ponies would notice that she was constantly going to Fillydelphia, so she agreed not to give any interviews or confirm anything to reporters until things were official. She was allowed, however, to confirm with family and friends that she was trying to join a herd as long as they agreed not to confirm anything either.
So far, only Vinyl and their parents knew she was joining this particular herd. Her fellow band members only knew she was trying to join some herd somewhere.
“Well, let’s get backstage and get ready,” Frederick said when seeing that Octavia wasn’t going to give a straighter answer than they had just gotten.
“I’m surprised they dared coming here. They do know Sky Dive attends the Baltimare Ball, don’t they?” Beauty grunted and rescued her sousaphone case from the ground.
“Even she knows she can’t constantly chase them off, just so long as they don’t try bothering her too much,” Parish chuckled and followed the rest of the band to the backstage entrance.
Oh boy. Octavia tried her best to look nonchalant. She had completely forgotten that little fact.
With the reporters now well behind them, the band went to prepare as the ball would start soon. Once on stage, after making sure their instruments were all tuned and ready, they started playing for the crowd of ponies attending.
Octavia took a moment to glance over the audience. She quickly spotted a sky-blue pegasus mare with a pinkish-violet mane and tail. The elderly mare was thin, had golden bands in her mane and had silver hoof bands on two of her legs.
Sky Dive, the cellist recognized the pegasus. She was speaking with some important-looking ponies. Octavia was sure they were tied to the fashion industry somehow. Right now though, that wasn’t important, just that the band performed well.
Still, Octavia couldn’t help wondering if Sky Dive was judging her. Every time the pegasus glanced towards the stage, her eyes always landed on the cellist.
It isn’t just her daughter; she also has a grandson in the herd. She can’t possibly like the attention this is already getting. Octavia silently gulped, but banished her nervous thoughts deep into her mind. She couldn’t afford being distracted during a performance.
Usually Octavia enjoyed performing, often feeling like they were far too short because time just flew. Now, however, it was like things were taking forever. The scores were so slow. She kept wondering if Sky Dive would want to know why the horde of reporters was outside wanting to know about the herd.
Finally. Octavia held back her relief when the band arrived at the last score they had decided on for the ball. Right now she just wanted to flee backstage, away from the scrutinizing eyes of the old pegasus.
At last the final tone was played, and the band stopped. Octavia just about managed to keep up a professional appearance while taking a bow for the applauding audience. Then she somehow managed to not make it look like she was hurrying backstage well ahead of the rest. She threw herself into the dressing room and after closing the door and sunk to the floor.
“She’s going to tear me to shreds. She must know about the reporters outside. I clearly wasn’t careful enough if they have caught wind of it,” Octavia rambled, holding her head with her front hooves.
“Oh, don’t tell me I’ve blown it already. Things were going so well! Blue Axe loves me. Chatting with Dew over tea is so much fun. Private is getting over his fan daze and Sombra is not too bad…” Octavia looked up quickly when there was a knock on the door. “Um, yes?”
“Uh, Miss Octavia, Sky Dive wishes to speak with you,” a voice spoke from beyond the door, sounding like one of the stagehands. Octavia paled when hearing her name.
Timing! That mare has the worst timing! The cellist quickly sat up and took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. “Um, show her in.”
The door opened and in walked Sky Dive. Octavia smiled hesitantly at the old mare, desperate to show she was not scared out of her wits right now.
“Dear, that was an amazing performance by your band,” the old pegasus said just as the door closed behind her. “I can see why the mayor keeps booking you for the annual ball.”
“T-thanks,” the earth pony accepted the compliment, for now, figuring this was just polite small talk before the serious one started.
Sky Dive did drop her smile a little bit and gave the door a sharp glare. Octavia cringed and braced herself for the worst.
“Now we are going to have to get you out of here quietly so that rabid pack outside can’t pester you more. Unbelievable what some ponies do to get a story!” the pegasus grunted and returned her attention back to the cellist.
Wait, what? Octavia blinked. She was so unprepared for this that words just failed her.
“It was too much to expect word would not get out. I just failed to realize they would just start hounding you instead. I’m really sorry about that,” Sky Dive continued and looked a bit more solemn. “I sometimes just get so caught up in protecting my daughters, I forget how it might affect other ponies. Granted I got a little spoiled by how indifferent Sombra is toward what others think of him. He’s not shy of crushing their cameras and being very threatening. I can’t expect you to be like that.”
“Err no, I do need to keep up a certain public appearance.” Octavia finally found her voice again.
Sky Dive chuckled at her response. “Indeed you do. Now let’s get you and your band out of here,” Sky Dive nodded and turned back to the door. “Sombra, be a dear and help us out here.”
Octavia blinked. Out of the shadows stepped Sombra as Sky Dive opened the door. The earth pony looked stunned at the dark unicorn.
“I have spells that allow me to be in communication with family members of the herd,” the dark pony simply said, cracking a small smile.
“And they are very useful,” Sky Diver remarked as she stepped outside.
Octavia couldn’t argue with that. Following them both outside, they met up with the rest of the band. Sky Dive explained to them that they would be assisted by Sombra to escape the reporters that were still waiting outside the building. If they couldn’t get at Octavia, they would no doubt try and ask them questions about her.
None of the band was opposed to escaping from the rabble outside. After taking a moment to say goodbye to Octavia, though now wondering why they were being assisted by Sky Dive and King Sombra, they were teleported to the hotel they were staying at.
“If you don’t mind, I would like just to be taken straight home to Ponyville,” Octavia said once it was her turn. She had a feeling the other band members would try and corner her now with questions at the hotel. Plus, the mare felt reporters would still be stalking the hotel in the morning.
“I can do that,” Sombra nodded.
“I will trot down to the hotel and let them know you headed straight home,” Sky Dive offered, surprising Octavia a little by the offer.
Am I in? She couldn’t help but wonder. What else could explain the old mare being so helpful and even Sombra willing to take her all the way to Ponyville?
“Alright then, thanks,” she said. Before Octavia could say much more, she was engulfed by shadows and when the mare could see again, she and Sombra were standing in front of her house in Ponyville.
“Thanks. I just want to crawl under my blanket right now. This has been a little more stressful than I thought it would be.” Octavia looked at Sombra who just nodded.
Sombra turned around to leave, and Octavia was about to open the door when they both heard something. The dark pony was quicker to glare at a nearby bush. Suddenly his magic activated, and using it, he pulled out a camera. Hanging by the neck strap of the camera was a pony.
Oh, you got to be kidding me. Octavia groaned, then her eyes widened in shock. The camera was slowly being crushed in Sombra’s magic while he kept staring murderously at the terrified pony.
“Next time, it will be your skull,” the dark unicorn snarled and dropped the ruined camera and the pony in the process. The reporter just gave a meek yelp and ran off into the darkness.
I may need to take a shower before I go to bed…a cold shower. Octavia looked at Sombra, impressed. “Sky Dive mentioned your camera-crushing hobby. Glad to see it in action.”
“They are slowly learning to stay clear of me,” Sombra muttered, sounding a little embarrassed. He gave Octavia a glance. “You are not looking too alarmed. Dew isn’t too fond of me doing this.”
“Darling, there are things about me you still don’t know,” Octavia grinned wickedly and opened the door to her house. “But to get to know those, we need to make it official.”
She entered and closed the door behind her, trying so hard not to laugh at the stunned expression Sombra had given her as she disappeared inside.
The sisters sat and ate breakfast the next morning. “I don’t know if I’m reading it right, but after last night. I think I may well be in,” Octavia told Vinyl. She was both unsure and kind of excited at the same time. The unicorn just smiled and nodded in response.
“These reporters are getting really persistent. Sombra chased one off that was hiding in the bushes outside our house.” Octavia shook her head.
“My poor friends in the band, they are just not used to all this media attention. Heck, I’m barely used to it. Sure my solo career is doing okay, but I’m far off from being on the level with the likes of Sapphire Shores or Countess Coloratura,” the cellist grunted and sipped her tea.
Vinyl nodded again in agreement. Sure, both were well-known enough to land some good gigs, but the unicorn viewed herself more as a DJ. Keeping the party going was far more her thing. Octavia was considered more of a high society musician, playing in balls and galas for the upper crust of Equestria’s society. Not exactly media sensations like the pop musicians.
“I still can’t thank you enough for your part. I still feel awful how I could think you weren’t paying attention,” Octavia told her sister with an apologetic smile.
The unicorn lifted the googles up from her face to give her sister a pointed stare. Octavia had by now been apologizing for weeks. Vinyl knew why. The earth pony had always been the primmer and more proper sibling. Anytime Octavia felt she had messed up, she could agonize over it for a long time and be constantly apologetic.
As far as Vinyl was concerned, there was no harm or foul. Octavia was a talkative pony who enjoyed small talk and conversations. The unicorn could see why that had made her feel a bit disgruntled trying to engage with a sister who just wasn’t much of a talker.
“Yes, yes I know. Stopping, now,” Octavia dropped her head down a bit trying to contain her giggles. Vinyl had already made it clear that she had nothing to apologize for. They both looked over to the front door when there was a knock.
“Oh, now, who could this be?” Octavia wondered and stood up to go answer the door.
Outside stood Sky Dive. The elder pegasus looked slightly irritated and immediately unfurled a paper once the cellist had opened the door. Octavia blinked. On the front page was a clear view of the house, with her and Sombra standing in front of it. It had been taken from the air.
“I’m afraid the cat is out of the bag,” Sky Dive said and walked in once Octavia stepped aside to let her. The old mare greeted Vinyl, who nodded in response.
“The reporter in the bush was a distraction,” Octavia wasn’t even asking, that had to have been it. The earth pony had taken the paper and scrutinized the photo and the article with it.
“I was expecting some media interest if it came out I was joining a herd, but I wasn’t expecting stealth photographs of me,” the cellist groaned. A small worry in her head surfaced again that Sky Dive was here to read her the riot act.
“I guess it was too much to expect to keep this under wraps. My daughter was worried that someone might get hurt if they got too intrusive. Sombra is still violent,” Sky Dive said and accepted a teacup from Vinyl. Octavia looked at the elder, surprised.
“It was Dew who wanted things to be unconfirmed while nothing was official?” Octavia wondered.
“It has nothing to do with you. She knows that you are famous enough that the media would be curious. However, the herd has no doubt told you that Sombra is still a work in process. He’s still not above threatening with violence those who bother him too much, and he has the powers to act on those threats,” the pegasus explained. “He’s also very protective of those in the herd and with you possibly joining, he would start to extend that protectiveness towards you.”
Yeah, I noticed, Octavia nodded, remembering how Sombra had dealt with the reporter in the bushes.
“However, Sombra draws attention. I know a few tabloids who are just dying to write a story about the former enemy of Equestria living out his retirement in the suburbs of Fillydelphia. Dew can be a bit of a worry wart sometimes, doesn’t want anyone to get hurt,” Sky Dive continued.
“Nobody has gotten hurt yet, aside from that camera yesterday.” Octavia looked at the paper again, rolling her eyes at the article's title. “Late night meeting with the King. Seriously? Sombra nearly snapped my head off when I called him King Sombra. He’s told me he’s renounced his titles.”
Octavia frowned as she considered this, then thought back to Sky Dive’s reaction so far. It didn’t match up to the fierce reputation of the old pegasus. Yet she somehow couldn’t picture Dew Doe having asked her mother to ask her personally to keep things low-key. Dew had struck her as a pony who would just have asked Octavia directly to do that and she would have been more than happy to comply.
“Did Dew actually ask you to handle the press, or have you been testing me this whole time?” A thought had occurred to Octavia. Sky Dive hadn’t really answered her previous question. In the back, she could see Vinyl raise an eyebrow.
Sky Dive took a moment to sip her tea before responding. “Not intentionally, to be honest.”
Before Octavia could inquire any further, there was a rapid knocking on the front door. Octavia glanced at Vinyl, who just shrugged. Even Sky Dive gave no indication she knew who that was. The cellist approached the door and opened it, revealing Dew Doe standing there, also holding a newspaper. Standing further behind was Sombra, probably explaining how she had gotten there so quickly.
“Octavia. Ack, I’m so sorry. I knew you wanted to keep things low…. Mom?” Dew Doe began to ramble quickly, but came to an abrupt halt when seeing the older pegasus.
“Hello dear. I see you have seen today’s papers,” Sky Dive simply greeted her daughter and sipped from her cup.
Dew Doe’s eyes narrowed a little, she stepped in, followed by Sombra. The younger pegasus kept glaring at the older one for a moment, before rolling her eyes and hanging her head. “Ugh, I should not be surprised.”
“Now before anybody makes any more fuss over nothing, let’s all sit down by the table and have some tea,” Octavia declared quickly, figuring already that she needed to defuse the situation quickly. She gave Vinyl a small glare, having heard the unicorn snicker.
Dew made no protest and went to sit down, as did Sombra, who looked a bit amused himself. Sky Dive, for her part, just nodded since she already had a cup and was seated. Octavia then went to get seated herself.
“Now first of all. Let’s make something very clear, yes Sky Dive approached me a while ago and asked me to agree to a media silence. I take it you, Dew Doe, was never consulted on that?” the cellist started once drinks had been dispensed.
“No. Granted I did say once that I was a little worried the newspapers might start wondering why you were constantly going to Fillydelphia, but I would never tell mom to go to you about that,” Dew Doe said and eyed her mother. “When you told me that you weren’t going to say anything to the papers, I assumed it was just your idea.”
“And to be fair, I never clarified,” Octavia nodded. Now all eyes went to Sky Dive.
“I do apologize if anyone feels I overstepped my bounds. But you, Dew Doe, know how I feel about the press and their constant intrusion and mangling of facts. Just look at the headlines. They make it sound like Sombra was here on some secret escapade when all he was doing was escorting Octavia to her home,” the old pegasus stated, giving the paper she had shown Octavia a withering stare.
“Granted some papers are more respectful than others. But I still remember the frenzy over you when you were still a filly model. They kept stating you were the next me, even if I had no intention of trapping you in the modeling industry as my mother had done with me. When I announced you were quitting, because you wanted to quit, one tabloid boldly lied, saying that I was disappointed in you. I think you know very well I was ecstatic you didn’t want to be a model,” Sky Dive shook her head, accepting a refill from Vinyl.
Octavia chimed in. “To be fair… again, I was totally on board with Sky Dive when she asked me to keep things low-key. I know how the press can sometimes skew the facts for a good story. I’ve lost count of all the misconceptions they have reported about me. When I broke up with the last pony I was dating, they made it sound like it was all her fault, no matter how much I stated that it was a mutual agreement that we couldn’t work out our relationship. I just have this prim and proper image with the media. They just couldn’t fathom that some of the faults were also mine.”
Dew Doe had remained silent so far, looking between her mother and Octavia as both spoke. Sombra also did not say a word. He was the only one not drinking anything, just sitting there and observing. Finally, the blue pegasus sighed a bit and put down her cup.
“Alright, I get it, mom. You were just being you,” she relented, then looked at Octavia. “And I guess you too. Then again, I should have known mom would do something like this and ask you instead of assuming.”
“Right. Now that is out of the way, what do we do about this?” Sombra finally spoke up, grabbing one of the papers and holding it up so they could all see the picture on the front. Before anybody could say anything, the attention turned to Vinyl, who had suddenly gasped and raised her hoof. Clearly, an idea had struck the unicorn.
“Since you all have been so curious. I am happy to finally announce that I am in fact joining the herd that recently this year formed in Fillydelphia. I have been in the application process for a few months, and I have now been accepted in as the second mare,” Octavia stated, standing in front of several reporters in front of her house.
The questions started to rain in, but Octava was now in her public appearance mode, keeping her composure and blinking only slightly at the flashes of the cameras. Finally, she raised her hoof to ask for silence.
“I am afraid I will not be answering questions. Selected papers have been granted the rights for an interview on the advice of Sky Dive’s press agent, who has been wonderful in taking over for my old agent, who was going to be retiring this year,” she announced. The cellist hid a smirk when she noted many reporters immediately deflated a bit when hearing the old pegasus name.
Vinyl, you can be so devious when you want to be, Octavia chuckled. Seemed like her sister’s idea was working out so far. Some reporters suddenly seemed to be in a hurry to go away. The number of ponies in front of her had already shrunken a bit.
“That will be all, thank you all for coming. I will give you this one - I shall be moving to Fillydelphia within the next week,” the mare added before turning around to go inside. She immediately noted that no reporter tried to press on with questions.
Once inside, the mare was greeted by Vinyl waiting patiently. The unicorn nearly choked when her sister grabbed her in an airtight hug.
“Vinyl, you’re a genius. Of course, they would back off once they heard Sky Dive was involved,” Octavia giggled and let go. Her sister just smiled in response.
Vinyl had pointed out that the press so far hadn’t caught on that the herd Octavia was aiming to join was connected to Sky Dive. So the unicorn, of course, pointed out that a press release, bluntly stating her involvement, would probably cause most of them to immediately back off. Even some of the worst tabloids in Equestria did not dare incur the wrath of the old pegasus and her team of lawyers.
Sky Dive and Dew Doe had agreed in the end, seeing the logic in that. Since the press wanted news, give them news and make sure that the one name they feared above all was mentioned. Sky Dive was in fact already looking into suing for the unsolicited photo of Sombra and Octavia. The cellist didn’t really want to bother with it, but the old pegasus then said.
“I do have a reputation to maintain, my dear, and Sombra is my son-in-law now.”
Dew Doe had convinced her not to argue about it. Sky Dive would do it anyway. That was just how she was.
Vinyl and Octavia then walked over to the cellist’s part of the house. It was in a little bit of disarray right now. Octavia was still in the process of packing up. Boxes and even crates were slowly filling up with all her belongings, aside from furniture.
“I’m going to miss you, sis,” Octavia said as she proceeded to put a few books in a box. She gave Vinyl a mocking glare. “So you darn better visit. And I’ll make sure to visit too.”
Vinyl just chuckled and started to help with the packing. Part of her was already considering what to do with this part of the house, now that it would be empty. Other parts were already starting to miss having her more refined sister around.
One thing for sure, family reunions are going to be a heck of a lot more interesting, the unicorn thought to herself.