In the morning, Cheery notes trotted down the stairs fully expecting to have to wait at least another thirty minutes for her client to show up. This only served to increase the shock she had when she perceived said stallion sitting at the same table watching her descend the stairs with a mocking grin on his face. Begrudgingly she approached the table, and just as she was taking her seat he spoke.
"Well, wasn't expecting you to be the one keeping me waiting. Ya sure ya got enough sleep?" Zen said in a mocking tone while lifting the bottle in his hoof to his lips for a long swig.
"Ugh, how can you be drinking this early?" She replied in disgust which served to only get a chuckle out of the stallion.
"Rather easily my dear," his said lifting the bottle once more to his lips for a quick drink to demonstrate. "But I didn't think we were talking about my morning ritual. How about we get back to my story telling. It's doin wonders bringing back all these old memories."
"Actually, before we begin, I had a question. You said you were traveling with Octavia Philharmonica, where is she?" Cheery asked oblivious at first to Zen's shocked expression. When she finally saw it, her face showed it's own level of surprise, "What?"
Before he responded, Zen lowered his head. He brought the bottle to his mouth, threw his head back for his third quick drink, and returned to the downcast expression he'd had just seconds before. "We'd....actually be talking about that today......C'mon, take yer seat and I'll start." Cheery, still interested in the dodgy answer, obeyed Zen's command.
"Alright now, Octavia and I had just left the building. We set off down another one of the skywalks, and for a while everything was going about as well as anypony could really hope for....
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The sun was high in the sky as Octavia and Zen continued down another Skywalk. In the two days since the incident with the raiders, the two had managed to make a sizeable difference in the distance to the tower. Only two more days, and they'd be at it's base by noon. For now though, they walked in silence, that is until Octavia decided to break it.
"Zen, have you been sneaking extras out of our food?" Octavia asked, her voice rising in suspicion.
"Uh, no? Why ya ask?"
"Because we're over halfway through our stock after we just resupplied the day before yesterday. We had enough food to last for 5 days easily, and now we're down to barely 2."
"What?!" Zen exclaimed in shock. "But where could it have all gone?"
"That's what I was wondering...maybe I just looked at what we had wrong, or something." Octavia muttered to herself.
"So are we going to have to go scavenging again?" Zen droned. The dread similar to filly suddenly forced to do chores.
"If you want a decent breakfast tomorrow, then yes." rebuked Octavia already looking for another off shoot that would lead them to a food source. Finding a likely one, she set off to a descending ramp.
"Ugh, fine." Zen huffed in defeat before following Octavia down the ramp. As they entered a nearby store the pair split up, each knowing what to look for. Clearing out that one, they went to the next and so on until they'd cleared out the better part of the block. They spent the greater part of the day searching for supplies, only meeting up briefly for a quick lunch.
That evening, the two sat around a fire enjoying the fruits of their labors. While Octavia took stock at what they'd managed to gather, Zen was munching on an apple.
"We did really good today Zen. We should have enough to last an entire week." Octavia said finishing up taking stock.
"Ah, finally some good news." he replied finishing his apple. "So then the day after tomorrow we'll reach the tower?" Zen asked while digging out his sleeping bag.
"Unless we run into some other problem, and even then it should only delay us by a day at most." Octavia spoke offhandedly as she set up her own sleeping bag. Finishing that she made sure to set their saddlebags between them before returning to her makeshift bed and getting comfortable. Zen was already on his back, laying on top of his own sleeping bag.
"Think we'll finally run into some sane ponies when we get to the tower?" Zen asked starring up at the sky beyond the translucent barrier.
"Of course we will. I'm willing to bet if anypony knows what all is going on then the ponies at tower will." Octavia replied turning over in her bedding to face both the fire and Zen. "Then we'll finally get out of this nightmare filled city and be away from all of this."
"Heh, you make it sound like we'd just be waking up to find out this is all just a bad dream."
"Maybe I'm still kind of hoping this is a dream, as stilly as that sounds." Octavia said in a nostalgic tone. "It'd be some kind of miracle to find out this is just some crazy dream."
"I've gotten a few too many lumps to still believe that level of craziness," Zen said with a slight chuckle. "But it would be nice," he quickly added when he saw the look Octavia was shooting him.
"Oh just try and get some sleep." Octavia hissed before turning over and curling up to go to sleep.
*Sigh* "fine," he said before turning over and falling asleep himself.
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As the two ponies slept, another figure slunk into their camp. A small being crept as silently as she could up towards their amassed supplies. It tried to stay hidden in the shadows, but their saddlebags were too close to the fire for it to remain completely hidden. With a quiet sigh, a small unicorn filly stepped into the light of the dying fire. The flickering light illuminated her white coat and green mane while dancing in her dark green eyes. The filly cast a nervous glance at the two sleeping ponies before refocusing on the saddlebags. She slowly opened them to begin her search. She'd had to lay off how much she stole recently, these two were getting suspicious. As she dug through the bags, the little filly grabbed a couple bottles of water, some packaged food, but nearly squealed in delight when she found a bright and juicy red apple. She wanted to take it, but there was only one, and they'd notice it missing for sure. Even still, it seemed like forever since she'd had an apple, and this one looked so good. The pegasus suddenly shifted violently, mumbling in his sleep before turning over and going in a deeper sleep. Meanwhile the little filly had went shock still and was fretting that her rapid heart beat would be enough to wake up both ponies. Slowly her panic dripped away, and before she could reconsider, she scooped up the apple and scurried back into hiding inside a building to enjoy her ill gotten treats.
That morning she woke up later than usual, and this time it wasn't to the eerie quiet of the city, it was to the sound of hoofsteps.
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Earlier that morning, Octavia woke up first as usual. She went through her motions of tuning and playing her cello which in turn woke up Zen. While she continued to play Zen went to the packs to get his own breakfast. After searching the bags for a minute his head shot up as he yelled out "Hey! Somepony stole my other apple!"
The outburst snapped Octavia out of the her playing trance. "What are you talking about?" She exclaimed, angry that her practice session had been interrupted.
"Somepony's been stealing our supplies, and now they've stolen my apple! Now it's personal!" He seethed while speaking.
"Oh just forget it Zen, is that all that's missing?" she asked in a flat tone.
"Umm.......I think so?"
"Then let's just ignore it, and get going." Octavia continued.
"Buh but, my apple?"
"If it means that much to you, I'll buy you a bag of them when we get out of here. Just so long as we get going." Octavia remarked.
"What's your rush Octavia?" Zen asked.
"I just want to get out of here." She remarked forlornly. "I miss the outside, and I miss Vinyl."
"Vinyl? As in DJ-Pon3 Vinyl Scratch? That's the special filly you're fighting so hard to see?!?!" Zen yelled out while Octavia's eyes shot wide open at the secret she'd accidently let out.
"Umm...No, of course not. How in the name of Equestria could you think that I, a renowned cellist in the only the grandest of Equestria's orchestra's, could ever fall for such a ruffian like that." She stammered out, finishing her statement with a wide nervous grin.
Zen returned the grin, only his considerably more sly. "Well, well, well, the renowned Octavia Philharmonica falling for the also renowned Vinyl Scratch." Zen continued much to Octavia's chagrin. "You'll have to tell me this story some time hehehe."
"Zen I swear if you tell anypony"
"Oh relax Octavia, I won't tell a soul. Hehehe, though I still want to hear the story sometime." With a flap of his wings he brought himself to hovering above the ground so he could carry the scythe easier while the saddlebags rested just behind his wings. With a few easy flaps he began to fly down the walkway, "Now weren't you the one saying we should hurry, c'mon." With forced quiet, Octavia threw on her saddlebags, grabbed her cello and set off to follow the pegasus ahead of them.
After walking for roughly an hour, the ponies found themselves looking at one of the many massive buildings that filled the city. The skywalk they'd been following had brought them to a lobby near the top of the office where before ponies had gotten into and out of the building while still several stories up, but the devastation hadn't spared the structure. Numerous cracks and pieces of walling were missing, nearly all the glass windows were shattered, and a massive hole in the wall marked where something had crashed into the building. Now, the two ponies looked at the building with mixed reactions, Octavia indifferent, Zen rather wary of going into the enclosed and possibly unstable building.
"You aren't seriously considering going in there are you?"
"Of course I am, it's the quickest way to the tower." Octavia stated while looking at Zen questioningly. After a moment her face twisted into a sly grin as she continued. "What's the matter Zen, scarred?" she teased.
"Wah, no. Me scarred? please," he remarked without sounding very sure of himself.
"Hehehehe, whatever you say Zen. Why don't you lead the way then?"
Fixing her with a challenging glare, Zen started into the building with Octavia following close behind and still chuckling slightly. As the two ascended flights of stairs and navigated blocked hallways by cutting through partially destroyed walls, feelings of unease crept into both. The maze like interior of the building was steadily grinding on Zen's nerves until he couldn't take it anymore. "Argh! We're so lost." he exclaimed brandishing the scythe, "I should just cut our way out of here!"
"No Zen, the buildings unstable enough, it doesn't need you tearing through walls making things worse. Just calm down and we'll be out of here in no time." Octavia said in a rather annoyed voice that was strained to be calming.
"Fine, but we'd better at least get to a window soon. I need some room without the threat of the roof falling on my head." Zen huffed clearly still upset about the situation. As the they continued to walk in relative silence another pony was panicking, something was getting closer.
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Oh no, something's coming!!!! The young filly thought as she tried to run away from the approaching sounds of hoofsteps, but the destroyed state of the building kept forcing her to turn around. Still she kept running, her small hooves making soft clips on the tile flooring while her heart seemingly tried to pound itself through her chest, but still she pressed on.
"Zen, do you here that?" a muffled mare's voice called out from a few walls over causing the filly to let out a squeak in surprise.
"That sounded like a pony! C'mon Octavia." A different voice called out, this one a stallion. Now that her pursuers had fresh motivation so did she, get away at all costs. She blindly charged up a set of stairs taking turns at random. At one point the filly made a poor choice and found her self looking over the edge of a massive hole going several stories down, but what frightened her was the two ponies on the other side one floor down. The same two ponies she'd been stealing from all this time, and they were looking at her! "There she is, hold on Octavia!"
"What are you, AHHH!!!" the grey mare, and the filly screamed as Zen grabbed her and flew up to the same floor as the filly, who as soon as Zen had lifted off the ground, took off screaming down another hallway, up another set of stairs, and through a series of rooms. The two ponies behind her were still following and getting closer, she needed an escape and fast. Looking as she ran, she saw a doorway that was almost completely blocked by rubble, except for a small hole near the bottom, it'd be a tight fit, but she was certain she could make it. Without time for a second thought, the filly scrambled through the opening and into another square, dimly lit and partially destroyed room where she dove behind a desk to block herself completely from sight.
The voices got closer, they sounded like they were arguing, but then they passed by. The ponies had missed her, and she was safe. Letting out a nervous quiet laugh the filly took a few steps towards the center of the room, before she began to jump about in happiness. She'd managed to escape! She'd out smarted the big bad ponies that were chasing her! She was invincible, that is until the floor started to crack."
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In a nearby hall, Octavia and Zen continued their hunt for the small white filly they'd seen. "Why'd she run off like that?" Zen asked while he flew to another door, nearly ripping it off it's hinges with how hard he slammed it open.
"Probably because you scarred her half to death with your antics." Octavia replied while she checked a different room, with a bit less force.
"Me? What's scary about me?" He asked while turning to face the mare, temporarily forgetting about the search.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's the scythe or maybe the way you just charged after her." Octavia replied while opening another door.
"Okay I get it, maybe not my brightest moments, still we've got to find her. A little filly like that running around a city like this, she'll be eaten in no time." Zen said hanging his head in defeat.
"Not exactly an encouraging set of words Zen."
"Oh ha ha, you can make fun of me later Octavia, right now-," Zen didn't get to finish his statement before the sounds something collapsing and a high pitched scream echoed through the building. They were followed by a loud splash and more screams. Both Zen and Octavia's eyes shot open at the noise, sharing only a brief nod before tearing down the hallway towards the sounds of the fillies screams.
Finding the room the noise seemed to be coming from took only a few seconds, and Zen wasted no more in flying through the door revealing what laid inside. The rooms floor had sunk in partial collapse, creating a dip where some kind of translucent rainbow colored liquid had formed a shallow pool. Chunks of rubble from the ceiling above formed islands in the inch deep water, and among them stood a white coated unicorn filly screaming. Her eyes were shrouded in the glowing white of immense magical power as sparks erupted around her horn. Her mane and tail violently waved about in a typhoon of ethereal wind that neither Zen or Octavia could feel and were also shrouded in a similar glowing white, only slightly tinted green from their original color.
"What the?" Zen started to ask while he hovered when a thud sounded behind him, and a grey blur shot past. "OCTAVIA WAIT!" he yelled, but she'd already shot past him, and leapt towards the filly. Her jump placed her right next to the little unicorn, but as soon as her hooves touched the liquid, her screams joined the filly. Zen could only watch in horror as her eyes became shrouded in white, and her own mane began to whip about violently.
Mere moments after Octavia jumped, the little filly's screams began to quiet and something black began to sprout from her back. The tentacle like limbs, each roughly an inch or two long, swiped at the air and twisted around themselves as the filly's screams turned into a terrifying cackle. The madpony laugh sent chills down Zen spine as he continued to watch the scene unfold. Octavia however seemed less fazed by the change in the filly. Forcing her mouth shut to stop the screams she bent down to the filly. While magic made visible ripples along her fur and flesh, she scooped the filly up in her fore hooves. Rising to her back hooves like when she played the cello, Octavia threw the filly out of the pool and right into Zen.
"Oof" Zen weezed as the ball of fur slammed into his stomach, knocking him out of the air. The filly that now found herself in his arms continued to laugh for a few minutes before it died down along with the glow in her eyes and mane. The black tentacles sprouting from her back retracted, leaving no traces of their existence. Zen continued to watch the filly as the lingering traces of magic left their mark upon her, changing her manes color, making her eyes red with slit like pupils. A fresh scream from Octavia however ripped his attention back to her, and the sight made him pale.
A mass of grey fur covered flesh sat where Octavia had used to stand. The bulbous mound pulsed and throbbed as parts started to grow in a way, only to change and suddenly change into something else. Amongst the disturbing sight Octavia's face still screamed out it's pain filled wail.
"Octavia?" Zen called out, "Oct-" he started to say but suddenly Octavia's eyes which had changed into golden orbs with horizontal line shaped pupils, settled onto him. One of it's hooves shifted towards Zen. When the limb was pointed at him, it shot outwards, smashing through the wall next to his head. By the time Zen was able to 'eep' in nervous panic, the limb was already retracting back to it's normal size. Seconds after the end whipped past him, Zen flared his wings and took off with the filly still cradled in his fore hooves. As Zen fled, the former Octavia chased after him on two hooves and some other new fleshy protrusion while still letting out blood curdling roar after roar.
Even with the head start, pumping his wings as hard as he could, and cutting the corners close enough to spring off them, the creature continued to gain ground as it just charged through walls and rubble alike. After another turn, Zen could see a more open section, The pit I had to fly Octavia over, YES! he thought making the right angle turn and zipping towards the open shaft with the creature right behind him.
Clearing the ledge, he angled his flight down into the hall where he'd left his scythe. A massive shadow fell over him as the monster didn't hesitate in jumping after it's target. Before the mass could land on him Zen ducked into the hall where he'd left his weapon, crashing into the ground. As the monster plummeted past landing somewhere below, Zen inspected the filly. The mane had finally settled on a shade of lavender with a single green streak running the entire length, even going so far as to stretch across her tail. Her eyes were still shut as the unconscious filly continued to sleep. Zen set her down next to the wall while he went to retrieve his scythe, still lying abandoned on the ground.
As he picked it up, another roar resounded behind him. Panic seized Zen as he rushed over to the pit. Gazing over the side he saw the monster forcing itself back upwards and when it's eyes fell on him it let out another bloodthirsty roar while aiming another hoof to shoot out at him. Zen didn't give it time though, when the limb shot, he'd turned around, throwing the filly onto his back and leapt to try and get into the air, only for his wings to seize up in pain. Cursing under his breath, Zen took off running down the hallway with the filly resting between his wings, and the scythe held by one.
After a sharp turn and sprinting down a hallway Zen found himself in a dead end. His mouth dropped open at the terrible luck that'd he would turn down a hallway only to find it blocked off by another collapse just around the next corner. Behind him came the sounds of the creature still pursuing the poor pony, and as they grew closer Zen tried desperately to think of something to do. Shifting the filly off his back, he set her behind the corner right in front of the rubble. With a deep breath he brought the scythe into one of his fore hooves, and as tears began to form in his eyes, he began to charge the runes on the weapon. As the levels of energy rose, so did the howling roars from the former Octavia, and just as the energy began to crackle about the blade, it rounded the corner slamming into the wall and stopping momentarily to glare at Zen standing at the far end of the hall.
"Octavia," Zen began with a pain yell. "Please, I....I don't want to do this. If you're still you at all, please...." He shut his eyes at this point in a vain attempt to stem the tears that threatened to pour down his face. "Octavia!!!" he yelled out again, but the creature only let out another roar and charged down the hallway. "Please...." He said while lifting the scythe. "Octavia," the monster was almost on top of him. "I'm sorry.....," and with a downward swing, the stored energy was released in the familiar blade of magic. Slamming into the monster and forcing it's way through while pushing her back. The attack continued outward after forcing it's way through the monster that screamed in pain.
As the dust settled, the creature lay on the ground cut in half, both leaking blood and rainbow colored liquid that evaporated almost instantly. Zen let the scythe fall to the ground, collapsing right next to it "I'm so sorry." He screamed while crying, "Octavia, why, dammit." Zen began to pound the floor with his hoof in his frustration all the while cursing and yelling as he cried.
"Zzzen..."
Zen's eyes shot open at his name being called. He looked over to where the monster lay, steady streams of the multi colored smoke rising off the two halves. The one that had Octavia's head was moving slightly, and with a little more strength it called out again, "Zzen.." Pumping his wings despite the fresh surge of pain that shot through them, he was at her side in seconds, starring at the face with wide tear filled eyes.
"Oct..Octavia?" He asked hesitantly, waiting to see if she'd actually respond. He got his answer when one of the eyes rolled around and focused on his form, and a weak smile tried to spread across her face.
"Hhhey Zzzzen, I....I'm sorry." She said wheezing.
"Sorry? Why are you sorry, we....we'll fix this somehow. I'll go find a doctor, or a unicorn, or or....just hold on." He'd started to turn around to leave, but froze when a hoof brushed against him. Instead of grabbing on him, it merely brushed his leg before falling to the ground, but it was enough to get the pegasus to turn back to his injured friend.
"Zen.....don't be stupid.....I...I'm nnot going to make it...."
"Octavia, don't say things like that. Nothing good will ever happen if you already think it's going to be bad." Zen replied in saddened denial. He tried to force a smile, but the effect was ruined as tears streamed down his face.
"Heh, Zen...I need you....to do something for me." As she spoke, her voice began to get weaker.
"Anything Octavia, anything you need."
"In my cello case, if it's not too destroyed, th....there's a letter. I...I was going to give it to her.....when we got out......but now..........please Zen promise me..............give it to her....................tell her........................it would've made me.......................the happiest mare in Equestia." As Octavia said the last word in a wheezing breath, that she didn't breathe back in. Her eyes slid shut with a soft smile on her face.
"octavia....." Zen spoke in barely a whisper. "Octavia......OCTAVIA!" He was yelling now, "OCTAVIA!!! Please you have to get up, Octavia!....please, just open your eyes....*sniff*..Octavia......" When Octavia's form continued to remain still, except for the magical steam, Zen broke down again burying his face in her grey fur as he cried.
After a few minutes, he gathered himself up and trotted over to the still unconscious filly laying against the wall. Picking her up and setting her on his back between his wings again, Zen numbly wandered over to his scythe. With it secured under one of his wings, he strode past his friend, pausing just before the turn to cast one last look back. "I promise," he whispered before turning back around and setting off back towards the pool of mystery liquid that'd caused so many problems, to find an intact cello case. Opening it to reveal the polished wood of the instrument hidden inside, he searched along the edges for the note. Finding none, he next lifted the cello to see a single white envelope with only two words wrote on it. 'Vinyl Scratch'. Sliding the letter into his saddlebags, Zen set about wandering the hallways, occasionally sniffling and stifling a few errant cries as he tried to leave the building, this time without Octavia.....