It had been a day since I'd left Enigma with Vinyl, and I knew that I probably killed Enigma's liver... that poor filly. I forgot to tell Vinyl that Enigma was still in her teens... now that I think about it, I think I forgot to tell Enigma she was still a teenager too.
BUCK ME! I was suppose to be the smart one in this situation. Hell, I basically adopted Enigma, so I think it would be safe to say that I killed my daughter... foster daughter? A pony that I am entitled to care for, and protect! Okay, it's okay. Surely Vinyl would be able to tell that Enigma is too young to drink. I mean, Enigma isn't that tall, and Vinyls still too young to drink herself so... no, who am I kidding. I'll probably get arrested by the end of the week for this. All well, at least I'm at the old training grounds. I can go get Vertical Lift, one of the few pegasai in the orchestra, or Mahjiek, one of the many unicorn's in the orchestra, to give Vinyl the message before she kills Enigma.
I stood in front of the back entrance of the giant concert hall, debating with myself if I should go in, or take the next train back to Manehatten, and hopefully save my... should I call her daughter? I'm going to need help deciding that... yep, I've made up my mind. I couldn't help Enigma now, no matter how much I wanted too. The best thing I could do is get some help from Harmonic Riff.
I walked into the building, and there he was, as if he was waiting for me. The earth pony, with a cutie mark of a tattered union jack, known as Harmonic Riff, was standing on his hind legs, leaning his back against a wall for support. In his mouth was an unlit cigarette... he always had an unlit cigarette in his mouth, for some reason, and for as long as I've known him, he hasn't smoked one. His beige coat shimmered slightly in the light, and his brown mane was cut short, and spiked in the front, just like it always had been. What was different, was the slight stubble that had covered his chin... perhaps he wanted to look his age? He was old... a lot older then me... but he looked like he was barely out of his teens. It didn't help that he still had coltish, yet handsome, features, and always had on a cocky smirk. "Oy! It's been a while since ah've seen that cheeky face O' yers, that it has! How has my little Tavi been?" he asked.
Did I mention that he spoke like he was from south Trottingham, and had the accent to boot, because that's pretty important.
I simply sighed in response.
"Oy, cheer up bud'er cup. Uncle Riff is here t'a fix ah'll ya prob'ems, that I am." He said.
"I'm not sure you can fix this problem." I informed, letting my head hang. You see, although Riff looks, talks, and acts like a blubbering collage student... when it comes to the serious stuff, there is no one I'd rather talk to then him. He's fixed countless problems that I have gotten myself into for me.
"Ah thought ch'ya knew me, there ain't a prob'em ah can't fix... excusing that one time involv'n that DJ friend av yers...." It took a while, but after a few seconds of awkward silence, it finally clicked in that head of his. "Its involv'n that DJ friend av yers, ain't it." he said, the cocky smirk on his face becoming more serious.
I just nodded in response. I felt better after I let my guard down.
"That ain't good, no it ain't. If'n I may intrude, would you be willing to tell me what the bloody 'ell you've gotten yer'self int'a ?" He asked.
"Its a bit of a story, do you have the time?"
"Ah've always got time, n' if I don't, I can make some fer ya, that I can." He responded.
"Well... where do I start?" I asked myself.
"I'd figure ya start at the begini'n, like a normal pony." He said with a small snicker. Truthfully, the humor was a bit refreshing.
"Well, a couple day's ago, I found this young mare, seventeen years old, or so, and I decided to help her out. Well, as luck has it, she had serious amnesia. So, she became my responsibility, almost as if she was my daughter really...." I phased out. Daughter... legally speaking, I was her guardian, so if I wanted to, I could just say the words, and she'd become my adopted daughter.... Shit, I read about this somewhere, I'm going baby crazy.
"Oy! Ya still with me Octavia?" I heard Riff ask.
"Yes." I responded, shaking my head, as if something was on it.
"That's good, Ah thought ah lost ya, that I did. Anyhow, carry on."
"Right, well. I had to come here, and I would have brought Enigma along with me... Enigma is the girls name... but I had to leave right away, and couldn't buy a ticket for her. So...." I was cut off by Riff, who was sporting that Cocky smirk of his.
"So ya got ch'ya DJ friend to babysit, that ch'ya did. So, I still don't see while ya so riled?"
"Well, I forgot to tell Vinyl, my DJ friend, that Enigma can't drink, and even though Vinyl shouldn't drink either... let's just say she can out drink you, me, and the rest of the orchestra easily."
"So, ya worried that Vinyl is gonna kill ya little pumpkin by the time ya next hear from them, that ch'ya are. Correct me if'n I made a mistake in that statement 'O mine." he said.
"Your quite right... wait! Why did you refer to Enigma as my 'little pumpkin'?" I asked.
"Cause, its as plain as day that ch'ya see her as a child of yer own!" He said as if it were, well... plain as day.
"Of course I don't see her as a child of my own." I responded, a bit taken aback by his accusation.
"Oh please, if it were any other pony, ya'd come in here, all cool, and professional like, and tell me about it over a glass of scotch. But, instead, ya come in here, ya mane a mess, bags under ya eyes, and talking ta me not, but a few feet away from the back door. Ya try tellin me again that ch'ya don't feel as if you are a mother to that poor filly ya found in that ally." He said, completely serious, if not a bit angry that I denied an obvious fact.
I just sighed, perhaps I actually do want her as my daughter... this is going to be a weird conversation when I see her again... speaking of which.
"You still...." I was cut off by Riff raising his hoof.
" 'avent given ya an answer to ya dilemma... I know, but ah don't think ya got that big a prob'em in the first place." He said. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked.
"Hold on, ah'm not done tellin ya the obvious. Think... how can Vinyl out drink everyone she's ev'ah met? The answer is obvious, and it's in plain sight." He said. I was still clueless, and he seemed a little disappointed that I didn't pick up on what he was getting at yet.
"It's in the horn." He informed, finally stopping with his games. "She magically mutes the effects of alcohol, the worst that can happen in the presence of that DJ friend of yers, is ya little filly gets hammered once, and Vinyl picks up on it, stops the negative effects of the demon drink with a spell, and then probably goes on to let Enigma suffer from a hangover, just because she can." Riff finished his answer.
The answer was painfully obvious, and I felt like an idiot for not seeing it. There was still a chance that Riff could be wrong, but he never was before, even with that one time with Vinyl, he wasn't wrong, he said flat out that he couldn't do anything. I could feel the relief pour over my shoulders.
For some reason, Riff was still giving me a funny look. "Is something wrong?" I asked.
"Do ya know what day it is?" he asked.
"No, not exactly. Why?"
"Its been three years since ya joined us, and one year since we became worthy of playing for the highest echelon of our fair society. I met up with some of our mates, and we all came to the conclusion that the only reason we 'ave done so well, is because of ya. So, me, a'n the rest of the mates chipped in some cash to buy ya a gift." he gestured with a hoof to an object behind him as he concluded his speech.
It looked like a case. It was a large, black, box, and it had my cutie mark on it. I walked over to it, and undid the latches. What was inside made me happier then a filly in a candy shop. Inside... was a double bass. The craftsmanship was evident, and it was truly an instrument to behold. I played a cello in the orchestra, but everyone one of my friends knew that the double bass was my instrument of choice.
I think it would be safe to say, that at that moment, I was... ecstatic.