//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Apples and a Clever Girl (Into the Scratch Household Pt. 2) // Story: Vinyl and Octavia: Ponyville Duet // by generalsnaz //------------------------------// Chapter 5: Apples and a Clever Girl (Into the Scratch Household Pt. 2) Octavia had never awoken to the sound of snoring. This was a first. She had never awoken to the sight of another pony's face. This was also a first. Both of these firsts combined equaled Octavia Melody waking up to the sight of a snoring Vinyl Scratch. 'Oh..... dear,' was Octavia's very intelligent and sophisticated initial reaction. "Octy..." Vinyl began to mumble. 'Ohdear-ohdear-ohdear-ohdear!' Vinyl grinned stupidly in her sleep, "Hee... hee... harder please..." 'OHDEAR-OHDEAR-OHDEAR-OHDEAR!!!' Octavia squirmed in reverse to distance herself from the sleeping mare. Much to her unpleasant surprise, the bed was smaller than she anticipated and with a glorious THUD! she collided with the floor. Panic stricken, Octavia scrambled out of the covers, bounded sideways and cracked her head against the wall. Squealing in agony, she uselessly rubbed her head to numb the pain. 'What is happening? Why is Miss Vinyl in my bed!? What was she saying!?' Octavia shivered in her fetal position, patiently waiting for the aching to subside and tried to sort her situation out. 'She is not in my bed,' Octavia remembered calmly. 'I was in her bed.' Peeking up from her position on the floor, Octavia could barely make out the still-sleeping pony over the blockade of disheveled sheets. Continuing to rub her head, she got to her hooves and readjusted. Vinyl had apparently woken up from her nap and decided to finish it in her own bed, resulting in a rather flustered Octavia. (Sharing a bed isn't normal for acquaintances, you see. Yes: that is the only reason.) Vinyl's features weren't properly visible in the dimly lit room, Octavia discovered after some serious squinting. The cellist retrieved the sheets she dragged with her during her tremendous fall and covered the grumbling unicorn. "...no other pony... drop the... bass... Vinyl... licious..." the grinning pony murmured before turning in her sleep. The illogical mumblings caused a smile to appear on Octavia. It did very much remind her of her little brother, who slept in a peculiar way as well. She rounded the bed and opened the window, for it was far too dingy to continue her investigations further. Light poured in from a late afternoon or an early evening sky; Octavia couldn't tell exactly which, simply because Vinyl didn't appear to own a clock. Yawning gracefully, she turned and beheld the sleepy DJ covered with the light. It was then that Octavia finally got to see Vinyl without her trademark shades. Watching the snoozing unicorn from afar, Octavia began to finally sort through some bothersome thoughts. 'Alright then. Let us begin: I am miles from home, in a quaint town, in a filthy house, with the mare I was looking for. She appears to like me, but I have not told her I loved her performance at the wedding. I believe she will appreciate that. ...But should I tell her that I came to Ponyville to find her? I do not want to come off as a... stalker. Is it strange that I hoped to become... friends? Who in their right mind does this? ...Oh, am I starting to regret coming? ...If I just heard her play once more... maybe everything will become clear.' Octavia rubbed her temples before giving up in an exasperated groan. A particularly loud snore brought her attention back to Vinyl. Octavia cautiously moved in on the slumbering pony and inspected her peaceful face. 'Oh... my. She is... quite pretty...' Octavia mentally kicked herself. 'Brain? I believe we discussed this earlier.' A grumbling belly cut her inner argument short and she came to a devastating epiphany. 'I have not eaten since yesterday...' Octavia decided that 'food would be good,' and started to cross Vinyl's wreck of a bedroom. Carefully sidestepping the sweat soiled clothes (gross) strewn about the floor, she almost tripped over a ruggedly patched top hat. Successfully dodging the rest of the DJ's mess, she took one last look at the curiously out of place hat before descending to the kitchen. Not surprisingly, but much to her disappointment, there was nothing to eat. Anywhere. Octavia searched every cabinet and drawer. Each was completely bare and she didn't even find any silverware or cooking utensils. No pots, no pans. The icebox had no ice, but did contain a few half empty (or half full) bottles of cider. 'My goodness! Does she bring in carry-out for every meal?' There was no sense in looking any more, Octavia knew the only way to get some sustenance was to leave Vinyl's house. After considering waking Vinyl, she became uncomfortable at the idea, for various reasons. So, unsure about finding her way in an unknown town and worried whether or not a restaurant would be close by, she decided to try the market, feeling confident she could find her way back from there. Octavia unpacked her saddlebags and filled them with bits. After saddling up, she headed out into Ponyville, alone. Octavia found the market street without any difficulty; Vinyl had taken her on the straightest route. To her disappointment, the market was closing. It was obviously closer to evening than she anticipated. Most everypony had cleared out and there were just a few stragglers around. Octavia quickly trotted over to a vacant apple stand, behind which she could see the flank of an orange pony wiggling. "Excuse me! I am sorry to interrupt, but do you still have any apples I might purchase?" she called out as she approached. "Sure do, sugarcube!" piped a blonde earth pony mare as she popped up, quickly pulling a bushel of apples along with her. She placed the delicacies in the stand for Octavia to see. "Yer pretty lucky, I was about to pack 'em up and head on home," she continued with a lovely southern drawl. The pony absolutely beamed 'customer satisfaction' at Octavia, who was incredibly appreciative. "Oh, thank you! I am terribly famished and I do not know my way around. I was afraid the marketplace would be empty at this hour." Octavia looked over the apples: each one looked delicious (especially since her stomach simply wouldn't stop kicking her in defiance.) "Well, shoot! You don't need ta worry 'bout that none. If ya ever need directions or sumthin' ta eat, just about anypony in this town would lend you a helping hoof. Just gotta ask fer it," the cheerful mare said with a wink. "Really? I- Oh!" Octavia stopped after noticing the pony's hat. It was huge. Plain, brown and huge. Being polite, she decided to compliment it. "Oh my, that is quite the hat. I do not believe I have seen anything like it." (This was true.) "Well, that's mighty kind of ya! This here's my favorite hat and my name's Applejack," the pony extended a hoof. "Oh!" Octavia was startled by the sudden introduction, but extended a hoof to meet hers. "I am Octavia. It is a pleasure to meet you." "Pleasure's all mine, sugarcube!" Applejack said while shaking the cellist's hoof vigorously. After letting her go, the pleasant apple vendor eyed Octavia suspiciously. "Do you, uh, know Rarity?" she asked with concern. "No, I um... I am afraid I do not," Octavia replied, holding her now aching hoof and pretending to smile. "Strange, you sure do sound like her. You don't look like the small town type, neither. Yer not from around these parts, are ya?" "No, I come from Canterlot," Octavia stroked her mane and hungrily eyed the apples before her. "Canterlot, huh? You go to the weddin' yesterday, too?" Applejack asked, now determined to have a conversation with the sophisticated mare, completely forgetting she was 'famished.' (Take the hint, AJ.) "Yes. Well, no... I actually only saw the reception, but... wait you were there?" "Eeyup. Princess Celestia asked me and my kin ta help cater. 'Course, we had ta cook everythin' twice because of that... Queen Chrysalis character, but it sure was a good time, anyhow. And- Ooo-whee! Pinkie sure threw a wild party afterward," Applejack laughed, fondly recalling the events of that night. Octavia was stunned, to say the least. (Also: she was confused as to what 'ooo-whee' meant.) 'The Princess asked her?' "So what brings you ta Ponyville?" Applejack inquired. "We don't get many visitors from Canterlot, less they're just passin' through." "I, um-" Octavia was still rather confused to the true identity of this mare, but her empty stomach decided enough was enough and she was just going to accept it. This strange farm pony knows the Princess, and that's that. Besides, there was something about the mare that made it easy to believe as truth. Octavia cleared her throat before responding, "I am here to visit Miss Vinyl Scratch." She figured there was no reason why she needed to lie to a stranger. (Plus, she wanted to test her "everypony in a small town knows each other" theory.) (Which ends up being true.) "Oh, you know Vinyl? She sure is a strange one. Real friendly, though! But I can't recall her ever mentionin' a friend from Canterlot." Applejack rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Oh, well... we just met last night..." Octavia sheepishly replied. "Really? That sure is a short time ta know somepony. Why are ya visitin' so soon?" The farm pony was now plum confused. 'Oh dear! She's right!' the cellist thought in a panic. "Well, I really just saw her perform at the reception... and I quite enjoyed her music..." Octavia found herself saying. '...Wait, what are you doing?' she asked herself as the words kept coming out of her mouth. "...so I got on the train to Ponyville to come find her..." 'Why are you saying this?' "...but she was on the train too. We struck up a conversation and she invited me to stay with her..." 'Stop!' "...but I have yet to tell her my reason for coming because I'm certain she will think I'm odd..." 'You need to stop!' "...and after desiring to be close to her I'm frightened she will push me away..." 'Oh, Celestia...' "...and that would be just dreadful because I really really like her!" '...' The two earth ponies stood in silence (awkward, awkward silence) before Octavia fell down on her flank. "Huh...? I- I'm, sorry I- I- don't-" Octavia wiped away a small tear that had formed without her permission. "I do not know why I- told you that. Forgive me, I must look like a mess." Applejack quickly rounded her stand, joined Octavia on the ground and planted the warmest of hugs on her. "Calm down sugarcube, it'll be okay," Applejack soothed Octavia, gently patting her back. Octavia accepted the cozy embrace without a thought: her mind was on other things. 'What in Equestria just happened? I told a complete stranger everything?' 'Well, almost everything...' the annoying little voice in her head sneered. A definite rumbling from Octavia's stomach ended their embrace. Octavia laughed nervously and rubbed her eyes. Applejack didn't laugh, but instead reached to her cart to procure a few apples. "Here you go, hun," Applejack said as she handed them to Octavia. "On the house." The starving cellist didn't need a confirmation on the price; she dug in. Applejack waited patiently and didn't seem to mind the unsophisticated way Octavia gobbled them up. "These are delicious," she sniffled after having two. "Thank ya kindly. Feel any better gettin' all that off yer chest?" "Yes... thank you." The two got to their hooves, but Octavia averted Applejack's eyes. She was right embarrassed. So many unusual things had occurred in the last 24 hours, and much of it hadn't been sorted out in her head. But, Octavia felt strangely comfortable talking to this market mare and the truth just came out. "If ya ask me..." Applejack said slowly after a pause, "you need ta tell all that ta Vinyl. Somethin' tells me you'll get the response yer lookin' fer." Octavia glanced quizzically at the orange pony as she rounded back to the vendor side of the stall. "Trust me darlin', they don't call me 'Honest Applejack' fer nuthin'," she said with a wink. "OCTY!" Vinyl suddenly called from down the road, much to the surprise of a shaken Octavia. "Vinyl?" Octavia desperately wiped away the remainder of her red eyed disposition. "Filly, I was looking everywhere for you!" Vinyl approached the two ponies with worry. "I thought you were lost! Oh, hey AJ. What's happenin'?" "Howdy, Vinyl," Applejack called. "Me and Octavia here just finished havin' a pleasant conversation." "Oh, you met AJ?" Vinyl beamed through her purple shades to Octavia, relieved to hear 'Octy' had been in capable hooves. "Yes, she... sold me some apples," Octavia said with a sweet smile. "Cool, I'm actually kinda hungry too. Hey AJ, put these on my tab." Vinyl magically levitated the last of Applejack's apples. She picked one at random and started to munch. "Yes, ma'am," Applejack complied pleasantly. "Come on Octy," the hungry DJ spouted through bites, flinging apple chunks as she spoke. "Later, AJ!" She wobbled one leg in the air as an ineffective goodbye gesture to Applejack. Applejack and Octavia met eyes and the country pony gave her a warm smile. "See ya'll 'round." Octavia returned the smile. "It has been a pleasure," she said softly and the two musicians trotted away from the apple stand. "So Octy, you want to hang out or somethin'?" Vinyl continued, flinging tiny bits of apple. "Honestly," Octavia started as she dodged the fruity projectiles, "must you chew like that?" "Yep! Aw, mare these are good," Vinyl answered, slurping up her drool. "Disgusting. You do know it is bad manners to speak while eating?" "Duh! That's why I'm doing it!" "...You are trying to annoy me on purpose, aren't you?" "Yep!" Vinyl jabbed, before breaking into giggles. Octavia just rolled her eyes and cocked a grin. Why was it so fun to argue with her? "Anyway," Vinyl continued, biting into a new apple, "you maybe want to hit up a movie or something?" "Not until you straighten up your chewing habits," Vinyl stopped chomping and turned to Octavia with bloated cheeks (and a tongue sticking slightly out.) She swallowed slowly and gave a sheepish grin. "That better?" Octavia giggled, "Much. I might consider it now." "Oh come on! What else are you going to- Wait... " Vinyl had a realization. "You never did tell me why you came to town. Do you have time to hang out? Is there someplace you need to go? Do you need help getting there? I can probably show you the way." "About that..." Octavia said as she glanced back at the farmpony fading into the distance.