//------------------------------//
// Getting her Cutie mark 
// Story: How I believe Octavia found her talent. 
// by MidnightBrightBrony 
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Octavia had always been in the background. Even when she was a young filly, she had usually been ignored by the people around her. She had a goldish-grey coat, purple eyes and a black mane that flowed down to her neck, curling slightly at the bottom.

One day, filly Octavia and her parents were in the market, when Octavia strayed to a small business selling instruments. There, she saw an old stallion tuning and playing a cello. Octavia was enthralled at the way the stallion easily slid the bow across the four stringed instrument, creating wonderful sounds with the slightest movements. After a few minutes, he noticed Octavia sitting in front of him, wide eyed and beaming. He placed the cello down, leaning it against his stall.

'Hello, young child. How may I help you today?'

'Uhh..' Octavia whispered shyly, slightly blushing 'I-I was wondering, how many bits that cello was?'

The man chuckled.'If you can play this cello well enough, I will give you a price.' The store owner picked up the cello, expecting her to play badly because of her age, and handed it to Octavia. Octavia took it and held it, realising how big it was compared to her.

The store owner said 'I see you are a tad...small.'

He reached down and picked up his stool, placing Octavia on top of it.

Octavia slowly lifted the bow and placed it onto the strings of the cello. She pushed the bow forward, causing a low, ominous tone to eminate from it. She then drew it back, creating another, higher tone.

She then asked 'Do you have any sheet music?' The stallion retreated to his stall, returning moments later with a few sheets of paper. He placed the sheets on a stand in front of Octavia for her to read. She read the name of the first song, "Stallion symphony - A must for beginners" and began to play. Octavia took to it straight away, playing in perfect precision, even though she had never once held an instrument. The music was a short, medium pitched song made for a play about a stallion being all alone and never finding his true love. A small crowd started to gather at the sound of Octavia's playing. A few even tossed bits to her.

Soon after she had finished playing, the stallion laughed and said 'You can surely play. I'll give the cello to you for 50 bits.' Octavia smiled and said 'I'll just go get mommy.' She galloped off into the crowd, looking for her mother. She looked all over the market, when she finally spotted her mother buying a silk scarf.'MOMMY!' she called out 'MOMMY!'

'Octavia!', her mother gasped, 'where have you been?'

'Mommy, I found something I want!'

'What is it?'

'A cello!'

'A CELLO?!', her mother excliamed 'Octavia, what are you on about? You can't play any instruments!'

'But mommy, I can play really good! The man said he would give me it for 50 bits!'

Octavia's mothers gasped widened at the price. She looked at her daughter with awe.'Can you say that again?'

'Fifty bits!'

Octavia's mother  slowly 'Well...I guedd it couldn't hurt to have a look at that cello.' Octavia's face widened with happiness, and she dashed back to the stall, her mane flowing behind her.

When she reached the stall she knocked on the side and said 'Excuse me, mister, i'm back for that cello!'

The stallion saw her and said 'Ah! There you are. And I see you have brought your mother with you. How are you ma'am?'

'I'm quite fine, thank you' said her mother. 'Can we please see the cello?'

'Of course' The stallion passed the cello to Octavia, and she stood on the stool and said 'Mommy, want to hear me play?'

'Ok'

Octavia slipped the sheet of music onto the stand again, and played the song. When she had finished, she saw her mother had her hoof to her mouth and tears in her eyes.

'What's the matter mommy?'

'I always wanted to see you grow into a great mare, and now that you have your cutie mark, there is nothing to stop you!'
Octavia immediately shot her gaze from her mother to her flank, and saw a treble clef on her flank. All Octavia could do was smile widely and stare at her new cutie mark.'YESYESYES! OHMYGOSH! IGOTMYCUTIEMARK! YEEESS!' Octavia was jumping crazily around in happiness. A few people looked over and saw her happiness, and smiled to themselves. Octavia's mother then paid the man the 50 bits, and they walked off to a few more stalls before going home.

Upon arriving home, Octavia pulled her cello to her room, and placed it on the wall. She stuck some sheet music to the wall, pulled up a stool and grabbed the bow ready to play. The first song, "The Mare's Love", was easy for Octavia. She finished it perfectly in time. The next song, "Tentragonal music - the harder side", was, as it was named, harder, but Octavia only messed up three times, before she played it perfectly.

'Octavia! A friend is here!'

-Friend? I don't have many friends.-

She looked down the hall. A mare, one with blue and light blue mane and white coat. Wearing purple glasses.

'Vinyl...'

Octavia ran over to her.

'Uhh...hey Vinyl...'

'Hey Tavi!'

'What are you doing here? I thought you moved to Manehatten!'

'We're here to visit some friends. Oh! By the way, check out what I got!'

She then threw off her saddle bags and pulled out a turntable.

'Pretty cool huh?'

'Yeah. I got a cello...'

'Cool. Can I see it?'

'Yeah. It's in my room.'

Octavia led her to her room and showed her the cello.

'That's awesome!'

'I'm pretty good at it. Oh! And I got my Cutie mark!'

She pointed to her flank. Then noticing Vinyl's Cutie mark, she gasped.

'You got your's to!'

'Yep! Turntables are my thing now!'

Octavia was happy. Her friend was here, she had her Cutie mark, and life was good.

The end!