Chapter 1
The doorbell rang, as Octavia, an earth pony with a straight charcoal mane, bright purple eyes and light grey coat, sat her cello down in her case to answer. Her jaw dropped when she opened the door. A mare and a stallion stood in the doorway. The stallion, a unicorn, has the same color scheme as Octavia. The mare looks a lot like Octavia, but with a pale yellow coat, and a blue mane.
“Hey, Octavia,” the stallion spoke up first, obviously seeing the surprise in Octavia’s face. “We were in Canterlot, and thought we’d stop by.” He added.
“Mother, father?” Octavia tries to get out, in surprise that her parents are here, after all of these years. “Come in.” She said, motioning with her hoof, and her parents walk by and into the lonely, but quaint home. “Want something to drink?”
“Oh, no, we don’t have much time,” her mother spoke up, looking at Octavia with concern, “Come back home with us to Ponyville.” She kept her teal eyes focused on Octavia, but Octavia turns away, avoiding the distraught look in her eyes. “Come home.” Octavia’s mom pleaded.
“No, mother, I am meant to be here, in Canterlot. I am playing in the Canterlot Symphonic Orchestra. I am the first chair.” She gave a soft smile, trying to cheer up her mom, but still avoiding her concern. “I’m the type of pony everypony should know.” She looked up to her parents, with a stern glare. “I am meant to be here, and there is nothing you can say to change my mind.” She looked down, feeling like she let down her parents, that she isn’t good enough for them, even if her father is the one that encouraged her to play the cello.
Her father used to be a big name in Canterlot, played the cello himself in fact--first chair, just like her; until he met the love of his life. He used to tell her the story all the time, and she loved the story. He was at a concert on a cold winter’s day, and that’s when he saw her, sitting in the front of the crowd looking right at him. He says it was love at first sight.
After the concert, he galloped to put his cello away, smiling the whole time. He eventually went to the entrance, racing to find the mystery mare. He spotted her in the giant crowd of exiting ponies, and literally bashed through all of the other ponies in the crowd to get to her. He tried introducing himself, but he was out of breath; that made her laugh, and she waited for him to catch it.
That night, they went to Donut Joe’s, and talked for hours. Although they were obviously in love, her father found out that she had to get on a train that night to Ponyville, as she lived there. Thinking rash, and heart full of love, bought a ticket to go with her to Ponyville. That day, his career was over, but he didn’t care, because he had her. He was happier than he had ever been.
“Octavia,” Her mother broke through her thoughts. Octavia looked up, and both her parents had worried looks on their faces. “Are you okay?” Her father asked.
“No. I’m not, but that doesn’t matter. You’re going to miss your train.” She sighed, and showed them to the exit. “Have a safe trip.” Octavia tried to keep in her emotions of leaving Ponyville for her dream, but she was on the rim of breaking down. Her decision of leaving was the hardest thing she had ever done in her life. Leaving her family and friends behind for hopes on achieving her dream, but she made it, and doesn’t feel accomplished. She missed Ponyville, but she thought that this was where she belonged.
“Oh, Octavia,” Her mom tried to talk as she was being shoved out of her own daughters home. “Vinyl wanted me to tell you that she misses you.” That one little sentence broke down Octavia’s entire wall of emotions. She closed the door, in fear that her parents would see. She burst into tears at the thought of Vinyl Scratch.
Vinyl was a unicorn that lived in Ponyville, and she was Octavia’s best friend. She's a DJ pony, or as Vinyl likes to be called, DJ Pon-3. She was very brash and narcissistic, whereas Octavia was calm and polite. They had their differences, but their love for music was one in the same. Their friendship was the biggest thing Octavia regrets, because she never said good-bye. She slowly sulked to the back of her home into the bedroom, and collapsed on her bed in tears.
She had been crying for a good few hours when another ring came from the front of the house. "Go away!" She yelled down the hall of her empty home towards the mystery pony ringing the bell.
"Tavi, it's me." A stallion called back. "Are you okay? Open up."
"No, Luca. Go away." she continued to cry on her bed.
"Tavi, what's wrong?" He banged on the door with his hoof. "Talk to me." he pleaded. She sighed, and tried to wipe away her tears of sadness, and hide any evidence that she was crying. She got up and slowly trotted to the door, opening the door for Luca Playwright. He was a fairly large unicorn, with a dark blue coat and white hair, with a streak of light blue through his mane and tail. Swirling black tattoos surround his knees, neck, and around his eyes. “Tavi, were you crying?” He said, noticing a tear stream down from her cheek.
“I’m fine,” She said; as she wiped the one last tear from her face with her hoof, trying to give her best smile. Luca could sense something wrong. He frowned, and walked straight into Octavia’s house. Luca and Octavia have been friends ever since she moved from Ponyville. Luca played the trumpet in the Canterlot Symphonic Orchestra. Just like Octavia, he was first chair of his section.
Octavia took some time to explain the whole problem with running away from her home to achieve her dream. “I have always regretted the decision I made.” She closed her eyes, trying to hold back her gloomy feelings. She felt a hoof on her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open, with Luca the only thing in her sight. She looked away and her cheeks turned bright red.
“I’ve never told you this, Tavi, but I left my home for my dream too. I was enrolled in Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns before this, but I always dreamed in playing the trumpet in a concert band, and my parents didn’t approve of my decision to be a musician, you see, my mother is part of the Council of Unicorns at the school.”
“But you love magic, why did you leave?” She suddenly asked, trying to get her mind off Ponyville.
“I left because it wasn’t for me. My parents always thought I was meant to be at the school. I started magic at a young age, younger than most, and I loved it. So they pushed me towards magic, and trained me vigorously. I hated training so much that I actually burned one of my books just to get out of training.” Octavia gasped, transfixed on Luca’s past, still trying to ignore hers.
“What happened? Why would you do that?”
“That didn’t faze them. They still trained me.” He answered. “One day, I couldn’t take it anymore. I packed up and told my parents that I was moving out, give up schooling, and play in the band in Canterlot. I left, and I never looked back. We’re on better terms now. My parents sometimes visit me at my home, they even come to our concerts!” Octavia grimaced, realizing her parents haven’t even come to one of her concerts.
Luca reached for her chin and lifted her head up. Octavia looked up and their eyes locked, “Octavia, you just need to follow your heart. Otherwise you won’t feel right. If you’re supposed to be here, you’ll know. Just be guided by your heart.” Luca whispered, soothing Octavia. He placed his other hoof on her chest where her heart was. She blushed and tried to look away, but Luca’s grip was firm, and she gave up moving. “You are loved here. You’re a great musician. Everypony loves you, even me.” He let out a calming smile, trying to convince her.
“I know, I just… I don’t like how I got here. Sometimes I wish I could go back to Ponyville.” A single tear fell down the cheek of Octavia, but Luca caught it before falling off her cheek.
“Someday it’ll solve itself. You just need to wait.” Luca got up from the couch and reached out his hoof for Octavia. “Come on, we need some comfort food, onward to Donut Joe’s!” He neighed, kicking his front hooves up in the air.
Octavia laughed, “Careful! You will scuff my floor!”
* * *
“Well if it isn’t Luca and Octavia.” A light brown unicorn behind the booth announced when the two enter Donut Joe’s. “Hey Joe,” Luca immediately replied, “Two hot cocoas with a side of donuts please.” The two newcomers in the shop searched for an empty spot in the donut emporium. Joe, the owner of the store, came to their table with a plate of the order, and handed them the drinks and pastries.
“Here you are. How are you two?” Joe asked, as he always does with all of his customers.
“We’ve been better, thanks Joe. Just here to fill up on some of your delicious donuts.” Luca said, and glanced his eyes towards Octavia. She was inhaling the donuts down like she was a vacuum. Luca laughed hysterically.
“What? They are delightful!” She looked around at the two stallions, confused. She shrugged and continued to eat the rest of the donuts on the plate.
“Um, Joe, we’re going to need another order of donuts.” Luca said, his eyes fixed on the impossibility of Octavia eating so many of them at once.
“You got it!” Joe exclaimed, walking off to get more of his world famous donuts.
“You know you should slow down a bit, you might choke on one.” Luca explained to the donut vacuum.
She frowned, but puts down the donut in her hand. “Fine,” she gave a longing stare at the donuts, thinking that the donuts would mask her feelings of home; of Vinyl. She loved Vinyl, and it was nearly impossible to leave without her. She couldn’t even find it in herself to say good-bye to her.
“Have I ever told you about Vinyl, Luca?” She kept her eyes focused on the plate, and gritted her teeth together, holding back the tears of the very mention of the name. She turns her head towards Luca, still focused on the plate. Her eyes flashed to Luca.
“Isn’t she your friend from Ponyville?” Luca asked, “The DJ pony?” Octavia closed her eyes and gritted her teeth again, her heart skipped a beat by the very thought of Vinyl.
“Yes, the DJ pony.” She slightly smiled, remembering the first day she met Vinyl Scratch.