//------------------------------// // The Motif // Story: For Sonnets and Harmony // by The Wizard of Words //------------------------------// Luna was at a loss for words. That was not a feeling she was accustomed to having. She stared, eyes wide and disbelieving, the young Octavia before her. It was by no means an easy feat to render one of the princesses of Canterlot speechless, but this pony had succeeded in doing so by simply revealing herself. The nightly diarch eyed the gray mare, tracing her body for what felt like the umpteenth time. She saw the tall figure, reaching just barely beneath her own head. She saw the sharp horn, jutting out to an impressive length by normal standards. She saw the wings, unfolded yet wide at the mare’s sides. Luna saw something else, however. Something far more subtle than any other aspect of the mare’s body. Octavia’s lips were twitching. Her gaze was downcast. Her breath was shallow. She was either nervous or terrified. Neither would do, not in her court. “Please, be at ease.” Luna spoke her words with careful construction, wary of the new alicorn before her. Alicorn… it sounded out heavily even in the recesses of her mind. This pony, Octavia, paid the princess only modest attention. Her breaths became deeper, perhaps in an attempt to control her visibly stiffening muscles. It didn’t work. The other mare in the room, so-named unicorn Vinyl Scratch, recognized the signs as well. With a cheerful grin, she raised one of her alabaster hooves, lightly tapping at Octavia’s side. The flinch the cellist made at the contact was easily visible. “Seriously, Octy, relax a little,” Vinyl spoke in a highly casual tone. Whether it was intentional or not, Octavia did adopt a new expression, though Luna would hardly describe it as relaxed. No, now she saw narrowed eyes and puckered lips. It was much more like a pout. She didn’t know how to take that. “Vinyl, I recognize that… that this a highly unusual time, but…” Her gaze returned to Luna. She quickly averted her eyes again as she did so. It had taken Luna quite some time to see respect and not disgust in the action. She preferred mannerisms with a little more etiquette, but recognizing the absence of fear was enough for now. “But nothin’!” Vinyl had an impish look on her face when she tapped Octavia’s side again. Luna blinked in confusion. The unicorn turned her gaze towards the princess. “Look. Your highness, Princess Luna, whatever you prefer.” Luna felt her brows tighten at the unrefined words the glasses-wearing mare was throwing. There was relaxed and comfortable, and then there was simply rude. “Octavia’s not really the best mare for stepping outside her comfort zone. I’ve known that about her since day one. So… this,” she waved her hoof about the wings and horn. The glare the gray alicorn gave her friend was more than enough indication to show the action was not appreciated. “This is right next to worst case scenario for her.” Luna glared at the unicorn coldly, her wings rising to full height. Though she appreciated the information - as any to all was needed at this point - she did not appreciate the lack of manners. It reminded her too much of ponies that saw her as a secondary princess. “Ah…” Vinyl spoke dumbly upon seeing the dark alicorn’s stare. Luna wisely hid her grin. “Um, sorry if I sounded… rude? Yeah, rude.” Her head turned downwards, a near universal sign of apology. Luna took a slow breath of air to calm herself upon seeing the action. At least the DJ wasn't completely oblivious. She took another small moment to judge the situation once more. Even with a newly introduced alicorn in front of her, the unicorn appeared to be far more in control of the situation. Her guidance over Octavia was clear as Celestia’s sun, the gray alicorn’s begrudging acceptance to Vinyl’s words showed that it was a dance the two participated in often. It was impossible to judge for now, but Luna reminded herself to keep an eye on both alicorn and unicorn. Though one deserved far more attention than the other, it was unlikely she would gain the cooperation of one without the other. “It is forgiven,” Luna spoke to the unicorn, the smallest of grins on her muzzle despite the situation. She nodded simply before turning back to the gray alicorn. She had had plenty of time, but Luna still could not believe her own eyes. “Octavia, I can understand your fear, for even I am lost for words. But be at peace, I am only… confused.” In truth, there were no other words Luna could think to say. “Confused” just summed up everything she felt. The mare gave the taller alicorn a gaze caught between tentative and uneasy. Her head was still bowed, doubtlessly from the decorum of being in the presence of royalty. The cellist did look well groomed, even without the newfound… alicornhood. There were no tears in her eyes, but they were wide and cautious, a look that Luna knew only too well. Specifically, she recalled many scared ponies giving her such a look the first time she had appeared since her banishment. She did not enjoy the gaze. Fortunately, Luna had friends that had taught her what to do. She should not make demands or declare her law. No, instead, she replicated what her sister might have done. She smiled a warm and welcoming smile. The small blinking of Octavia’s eyes was all Luna needed to see to know that she had done the right thing. The mare’s mouth hung open slightly, either awed or surprised by the display. Either was far preferable to fear or terror. “As I said, young Octavia,” Luna began, her tone as warm as her smile. “There is no reason to be afraid. I will help; this I promise you. So, please, will you allow me to help you?” A small moment of silence passed between the group, broken only by the light breathing of the mares present. “I… do need help, your highness. Can… May I have your help?” Octavia spoke with as much confidence as her quivering core would allow. Meeting royalty was not supposed to happen for another year or two, when she had finished her rhapsody. This was ahead of schedule, and not for a reason she was particularly glad for. Princess Luna, however, smiled upon her no differently than the gray alicorn had imagined she would. Octavia only wished it was because she had enjoyed her music. “Indeed you may,” Luna kindly answered the smaller alicorn. Realizing her wings were still extended from her earlier interaction with Vinyl Scratch, the Night Princess folded them back against her side. It reduced her stature from intimidating to regal. Octavia glanced back at her own wings with a bit lip, attempting to maneuver them herself. The most she managed was some crinkling and soft bending. Luna raised her brow, momentarily confused. “Here, let me help ya with that.” Vinyl didn’t leave room for Octavia to voice a complaint. She rarely ever did. No sooner did the unicorn speak then she put her hooves against the outer edges of the gray wings. Octavia felt a blush run through her cheeks. Leaning forwards, Vinyl pressed her weight onto the feathery appendages. The stiff muscles fought against it, but slowly, the wings folded back against the new alicorn’s body. Unlike the elegant folding of Luna’s wings, however, Octavia’s was far… rougher. That didn’t seem to bother Vinyl in the slightest. “There,” the DJ spoke with her usual grin. “That oughta do it. No need to thank me.” “Between the late nights you tend to keep and your penchant to destroy objects not bolted to the floor, I’d say you are the one who owes me.” The grin vanished from the unicorn’s face, replaced by a scrunched muzzle instead. Luna could only suppose that narrow eyes sat behind those dark lavender lenses. “C’mon, that’s not cool. At least I paid you back for everything I broke, right?” Luna did not miss the small coy smile that settled over Octavia’s lips. Whatever the relationship between the two, it was clearly of a deeper nature than mere acquaintances. They spoke as if they were sisters. As amusing as the display was, however, Luna could not forget the far more important matter before her. Clearing her throat, the princess almost immediately got the attention of the two before her. “I see you lack the knowledge of how to control your wings.” It was not a callous comment, merely an observation the alicorn did not wish to overlook. Though she needed little confirmation, it did support the story that this sudden transformation was recent, and likely unintentional. “May I assume you have only minor control of your magic?” “I, um…” Octavia stopped herself, likely in search of the right words to say. Magic was often a tricky matter to describe. It didn’t help that the mare had only just obtained the means to use it. “I have once already, but… I do not have confidence in the matter.” “She made a pillow float,” Vinyl, if Luna had to name one good part about her, did not share of Octavia’s hesitation. “It was all gray and stuff, but I don’t think she really wanted to make it float. I mean, it only happened after she hid herself underneath it.” The incessant bluntness of the unicorn aside, the information was useful to the dark alicorn. It was common for most foals to express some amount of magic, especially in their early infancy. While Octavia was clearly beyond such an age, she was technically a “newborn” alicorn. At such a stage, thoughts made acts of magic happen more frequently than concentration. It was curious to see how a mare in her prime handled such a thing. “I assume you have not attempted magic since then?” The questioned was posed to Octavia, who quickly shook her head. “No, your majesty,” she swiftly answered. “I did not want to attempt to use, well, either of my… new additions.” There were many reasons Luna could have assumed such a desire, but in the end none mattered. She had not attempted magic, and therefore, attempts were needing to be made. “Very well,” Luna responded simply. “Hold here for but a moment. I will return shortly.” Before either Octavia or Vinyl could respond, Luna began to trot down the grand hall. The sound of her hooves clopping upon the floor echoed about the stone room. She could faintly make out whispering from the mares behind her. She had no doubt said whispers were curiosities about what she was going to do. It took the dark alicorn little time to reach the hall’s end. They were shut, firmly at that, by her orders. Raising one of her crystal hooves, she knocked twice. Only a moment later did they open, revealing one of her royal guards. He saluted at the sight of her. “Captain,” Luna spoke the guard’s title with a commanding tone, far firmer than the soft words she had spoken to Octavia. “Please see my remaining guests out. I will be attending to a matter in private for the remainder of the night.” The guard bowed once before speaking. “As you command, your highness.” He trotted away without another word. Luna nodded, shutting door with a wave of her horn. It took only a second longer before she was trotting back to the mares in her court. From across the hall, she could see Vinyl whispering something to Octavia, that odd grin upon her muzzle as she spoke. Her hoof lightly poked the gray alicorn’s side as she did so. Luna wasn’t sure what the subject of the conversation was, but it must have been something of some importance to Octavia, for no sooner did Vinyl’s lips stop moving than did Octavia give her friend a heated look. Were it not for having already heard their names, Luna would have sworn them from the same litter. “Please follow me,” Luna lightly spoke to the pair, guiding them towards a spare hallway with her head. The alicorn turned, beginning to lead the way, the clopping of hooves following behind her. “Um, your majesty, if I may ask, what of your other court seekers?” Octavia voiced from behind Luna. The Princess was quick to answer. “I have given instructions to my guards to see them out. They will be given another time to converse with me.” Though Luna hardly knew the mare, she could already tell without checking that Octavia was uneasy about the sudden favoritism. “Worry not of them. If their problem was of any true urgency, they would not have made a meeting at my latest hour.” They stopped momentarily, a door blocking their path. Luna gave a small whisk and flick of her horn, lighting the wooden barricade and swinging it open. It made hardly a sound against its hinges. Beyond the door, a new hallway could be seen. It was not nearly as extravagant or large, but still lacked nothing in detail. A red carpet was draped upon the ground, a hard-yet-pleasant contrast with the gray stone of the halls. It stretched along the length of the passageway. Few windows could be seen along the halls, as it was mostly illuminated by chandeliers. They did not hang high over the hall, but they gave enough room to allow passage to a mare as tall as Luna. Octavia would wager Celestia could manage fairly easily in here as well. But unlike the great hall from before, this hall had decoration aside from the chandeliers. Elegantly carved wooden cabinets were placed along the walls. Small busts and floral decorations stood atop the oak furniture, each carved in the shape of some historical figure Octavia couldn’t name. She didn’t even think to ask Vinyl. Something else still plagued her mind. “Is… Is this alright?” Octavia asked tentatively. She asked the question with an earnest effort to control her wings. She did not want to knock over a priceless artifact. Though the party of ponies kept moving, Luna looked back towards her. “I mean, I understand the importance of this matter - clearly I do. But is it appropriate to simply dismiss those who have been waiting for you for so long?” “Do not worry about them,” Luna instructed with a gentle tone. “My guards will deal with them as is appropriate.” “This is preposterous!” A noble pony cried, interrupting his escort to the door. “I have been waiting for the princess all night!” “I’m sorry, sir, but Princess Luna has requested all her meetings for the rest of the night to be dismissed.” The guard escorting the noble from the room didn’t dare make eye contact with the pony. He was afraid the noble would notice his snarl of distaste. “You have been given first council with the princess in one week’s time.” “B-But I prepared weeks ahead for this! What could possibly be more important than me?!” The guard bit back the obvious taunt waiting at the edge of his lip. He chose instead to adjust the wings on his back as he shooed the noble out the door. “Please come back at the time we specified. Have a nice day, sir.” “Okay, ah, then… As long as it is appropriate.” Octavia spoke to the princess politely as she could, falling behind the dark alicorn. The new alicorn followed respectfully behind the princess. “Whoa,” the unicorn broke the silence, awed by a particularly decorative set of armor. It was far more detailed than any properly armed forces would allow. “Hey, Octy, you think I could ask the princess for one of those? I could call myself the Iron Mare during my gigs.” The new alicorn didn’t have to look to see the cheeky grin her friend was wearing. “I would be remiss to ask the princess for anything right now.” Octavia’s voice bordered on a hiss, kept away only by the teachings of etiquette. “Can you please act appropriately for the remainder of the time we are here?” Vinyl gave her friend a look of utter confusion. “What do ya mean? I’m on my best behavior!” Octavia stared at her friend disbelievingly. There was only sincerity in the unicorn’s expression. “Here, watch this.” By the time Octavia had processed the unicorn’s words, Vinyl was already passing the gray alicorn to trot just behind Luna. Octavia felt her limbs, wings included, shiver. A sinking sensation in her stomach soon followed. “Um, excuse me, your highness?” Vinyl spoke the introduction as a question, clearly unused to the words. Princess Luna turned to the unicorn with a raised brow. “I wanted to ask you a question, if you’re cool with it.” It was only because Octavia was still trotting that her hoof did not immediately connect with her forehead. “… You may,” Luna responded cautiously. “It is… cool.” Vinyl gave a cheeky grin large enough to each and every one of her teeth. Octavia knew the unicorn long enough to adopt an appropriate sense of dread at seeing that expression. “Sweet. So, I’ve been wondering ‘bout something for a while now.” Octavia felt her stomach fall as the unicorn spoke on. “When you were sent to the moon, were you like trapped on it. Or, like, were you inside it?” Anatomy was the only thing keeping Octavia’s jaw from hitting floor. Luna found herself much the same. Vinyl’s question permeated the hall with a deathly silence. Both alicorns had wide eyes upon the young DJ, who was smiling in turn, trapped in blissful unawareness. Luna’s wide eyes were matched only by her vacant jaw, moving up and down dumbly in the hopes of forming a sentence at some point in time. Every so often it closed, trying to recover, only to open once more. Octavia felt her already-cold body freeze when the alicorn did recover. The kind and empathetic gaze she was offered upon her grand reveal was gone, replaced with a cold stare that foreboded undesirable consequences. Vinyl’s blissfulness seemed to seep away beneath the stare. “Vinyl Scratch,” Luna spoke the unicorn’s name with nothing but malice. “I know not nor care not why you have posed such a question to me. The reasoning for it is meaningless.” Octavia was speechless. It was Vinyl’s rare silence, however, that truly terrified the gray mare. “You have been invited into the halls of this castle by my will, done so because of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding your friend, who has truly been appropriate in all her mannerisms.” Octavia wasn’t sure how complimented she could feel, given that the praise was spoken coldly, and towards Vinyl. “Do not assume such to mean you can pose questions as despicable and intolerable as the one you have dared to utter.” Luna’s wings slowly unfolded with her words, taking up more and more of the hall. The dark blades of feathers soon reaching across the stone passage. Octavia felt herself shrink. Vinyl appeared to be frozen, as if petrified. “Be wary that you are reaching the thresholds of my tolerance, and I will not allow you passage in these halls if you continue to speak in such a way.” The dark alicorn stood above the mare, looking down at her with a cold gaze. It was then that Vinyl found her voice. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” The unicorn rapid-fired the words and back pedaled with great speed. It took but a moment for her to be far behind Octavia. “Your highness, your majesty, your royalness, all those things, I seriously didn’t mean to offend you! I mean, like, I didn’t think it was a bad question. Honest!” When Luna’s cold gaze remained unchanged, the unicorn adopted a different tactic. “Look, I’m sorry, seriously sorry.” Vinyl bowed her head as she spoke. “It’s not like I came here to just make you mad. I talk to Octy like that all the time!” Though this was the very definition of being thrown into the spotlight, Octavia could not let her friend be subject to whatever the potential consequences were. Vinyl had good intentions, just poor execution. Besides, rent was hard to pay alone. “In her defense, your majesty Luna,” Octavia began, lowering herself to the floor with eyes shut in submission. “She does speak as such to all around, myself included. I believe she was more hoping to become your friend than adversary.” Though her words rang with confidence, her form did anything but. Octavia’s wings shook against her sides, terrified of what Luna might do to the pair. However, her fears were unnecessary. Slowly, the elder alicorn’s wings receded against her side, her gaze softening. Her lips remained upturned, however, maintaining her careful poise. “I see,” Luna began with a softer tone. “I apologize for my cold words. But be aware, young Vinyl Scratch, that the matter you callously spoke of is one I do not wish to relive. Speak little of it, and we may yet find common ground. Is this clear to you?” Vinyl nodded her head hard enough to almost dislodge her glasses. “Yeah, crystal. No problem at all!” Her half-enthusiastic, half-terrified response appeared to be enough to appease Princess Luna. The alicorn smiled slightly, nodding her head towards the pair. “Good. Now then,” she spoke with a turn, “let us continue on. It is not much further.” The alicorn began to move again, not casting back a second glance as she moved down the hall. Octavia released a breath of air she wasn’t aware she was holding. She heard another being released beside her. “Okay, you were right,” Vinyl admitted to her newly transformed friend. “I may need a lesson or two. That, or a gurney.” While dismissive of the cold joke, Octavia was at the very least glad to hear her friend’s change of heart. Small changes were often the most important. The remainder of the journey was spent in an absolute silence, one that Octavia wished for all her heart could have been comfortably broken. She would have far preferred the blaring of a night club’s speakers than to the deafening hollow ring of the hall. Luna walked ahead of Octavia and Vinyl with a great stride, one that required the two to step up their pace to match. The cellist reminded herself to scold Vinyl each night for the next year. Said unicorn, however, appeared to already be forgetting her own daring question. Her head swayed left and right, directing her eyes towards more and more interesting pieces of art. Every so often, Octavia heard the mare whisper about how “cool” something would look on a set, or how “awesome” it would be have it on a rave strobe. It was to the Octavia’s great relief when they stopped once more, this time before a new door. It was not as large as the great wooden barriers in the main hall, nor was it as meticulously detailed, but the gray alicorn could call it nothing short of marvelous. It was golden in color, outlined with stripes of white and purple. They were three colors Octavia had associated with regality since her foalhood. They swirled amongst one another, never blending but neither clashing. Instead, it mixed together in a purely harmonious manner. It warmly reminded her of the motif in Bahm’s thirteen seven prelude, where the cellos would lift up the high chorus of the violins. It almost always made the audience shiver with delight. Even Vinyl was completely silent. It made Octavia ask a simple, but necessary, question. Just what was beyond this door? Could it be some grand artifact that would reveal the mystery of her transformation? Perhaps a collection of history books where they may find the secret to this mess? Whatever it was, she was prepared for it. Luna answered the unspoken question without hesitation. “These are my sister’s chambers. We can converse with her in here.” Octavia was absolutely wrong before. There existed no metaphor to properly describe the magnitude of what the dark alicorn had said. They were about to enter the bedroom of the most powerful alicorn in all of Equestria, likely all time. Nothing could compare. Luna must have noticed the shock upon Octavia’s features, as her brow rose and her lips moved to voice her concern. “Are you well, young Octavia?” The princess questioned sincerely. The smaller alicorn needed to swallow on the saliva pooling in her open jaw before she could respond. “Y-Yes! I… I-I just presumed we were meeting in a… a small room, perhaps. Not your sister’s bedroom.” In truth, Octavia wanted to shout, but her dutiful raising had taught her many reasons why yelling at Luna would be seen as inappropriate. Said pony being one of the Princesses of Equestria did carry a significant amount of weight. “This is most likely the safest location to discuss this matter. No guards make rounds within this room, and my sister is among the most understanding and empathic mares to ever grace the land. You needn’t be wary.” There were no falsehoods in the words of the alicorn, but Octavia suspected she didn’t quite understand the problem at hand. Fortunately or not, Vinyl was able to voice said concern. “I think what Octavia is really nervous about is waking up one of the rulers of Equestria in her bedroom. I mean, Octy here was raised since she was a foal to not disturb a sleeping mare. Kinda learned that one the hard way since I met her.” Octavia remembered well the limp Vinyl had had the morning after. She had no guilt regarding the affair. Vinyl should have known better than to wake her with blaring speakers in the wean hours of the night. “Your concern is valid, but for now unneeded. Celestia and I share an agreement that should an important matter has come to pass, one is required to wake the other.” Octavia watched carefully as the princess drew in a slow breath of air. “That happened with the whole Tirek thing, didn’t it?” Vinyl was as kind with her words as she could have been, but it still sounded as if she were throwing mud. Luna took it in stride. “Indeed.” The princess wasted no more time for the matter, instead turning towards the door and alighting her horn with magic. The chamber doors were instantly imbued with the same glow, shimmering as a low ring filled the hall. With but a small flick of her head, they opened to the trio. The room was dark, as both Vinyl and Octavia expected. Just as much they expected the elegant and lavish detail through it. Though it was hard to see most of it in the darkness, they could clearly see the many dozens of pillows scattered throughout the room, the bedroom window large enough to qualify as a doorway, the tall ceiling painted with a lavish mural, and, of course, the impressive bed at the far end of the room. Though the light was low, they could clearly see the four posts of the bed extending upwards to hold together a large piece of silk that sat above the covers. It was enormous, being so large it easily would have taken up Octavia’s bedroom. Despite this, what truly captivated the mares was the slow rise and fall of the bed sheets. Before either Vinyl or Octavia could move forwards, Luna began to walk towards the bed. Despite the personal space they found themselves in, her movement kept all of the elegance she had shown thus far. She reached her sister’s bedside in the length of time it would have taken Octavia to walk her entire home. It was difficult to see in the darkness, a fact not aided by Luna’s dark coat, but Octavia could just make out the rising of the princess’s crystal hoof. It touched down on the bed sheets, dimpling into the covers slightly before, it was settled over a much larger shape in the bed. She made note to not address such an adjective with Celestia again. “Dearest sister,” Luna whispered into the covers. “You must rise.” A groan was the reply that followed. Octavia heard Vinyl stifle a chuckle next to her. It was far better than the usual bellowing laughter the unicorn gave, so the gray alicorn let it slide. Besides, she was far more focused on adjusting her eyes to the darkness of the room. A random thought made her wonder if Luna could see in the dark already. “Celestia, there is a matter of great importance. You cannot slumber any further.” Those were apparently the magical words. No sooner did Luna whisper them to the slumbering princess than did the bed sheets begin to rise. An alabaster hoof pushed the top sheet and blanket away, revealing the regal alicorn beneath. Well… regal may have been too kind a word. The normally ever billowing mane of the princess was matted and frayed, split ends marring the multi-colored fibers. They twisted against her coat, forming knots that Octavia could sympathize with having. Any more of the princess was kept from the gray alicorn’s gaze, however, due to the low light of the room. The problem was swiftly remedied, but not how Octavia expected. The waking princess lit her horn with a golden light, illuminating the room. It lasted for but a moment, but what it did was instantaneously recognizable. The mane about the alicorn extended up and outwards, lifting and untying itself from the knots that had formed with Celestia’s coat. The split ends swiftly recovered as well. Simply, Celestia’s spell restored her regality. It was very likely the darkness of the room that kept the older alicorn’s gaze from the unicorn and young cellist, but her eyes were upon Luna in a moment. She voiced her concerns immediately. “What is wrong, Luna?” She asked the question in a tone Octavia had not heard before. She had never seen her princess worry, even when the Changeling Queen was upon her. “Has something happened?” “Yes, sister, something has.” Luna nodded with her words, an action noticeable only by the sparkling stars in her mane. Octavia and Vinyl were as still as they were silent as the darkness around them. “But you must rise. You will understand once you see our guests.” And all at once, Octavia was terrified once more. “Guests?” Celestia dittoed, her purely questioning. Octavia lowered herself to the lavender carpet beneath her hooves, feeling her wings instinctively tuck tightly against her body and her head bow low. Her stance must have hidden her new appendages well in the dark, for Celestia sounded anything but surprised. “Oh, my apologies. I did not see you there.” With her head bowed, Octavia couldn’t see, but she could hear the tall alicorn rise from her bed, the sheets sliding off of her and landing upon the cushiony bed beneath. She couldn’t see her wings unfold, her head rise, or her kind gaze looking down upon her, but she failed to imagine Princess Celestia doing anything else. “No problem, your highness,” Vinyl responded from beside Octavia. The mare was thankful Luna’s warning seemed to stick with Vinyl. “Sorry for barging into your room. But, to be fair, this is kinda big deal.” In what was one of a few times, Octavia completely agreed with her friend. “Truly?” Celestia returned. “May I ask what happened?” “Yeah, we could tell you,” Vinyl spoke easily. Octavia didn’t take kindly to the cheery tone in her words. “Buuuuut, it would be easier to show you.” Despite knowing something bad was going to happen, Octavia couldn’t stop her unicorn friend. The DJ quickly but lightly tapped the gray mare’s sensitive underbelly, prodding a tender muscle. The reaction was instantaneous on all ends. Octavia’s new wings extended outwards with a feathery gust, forcing her to take up almost twice the space she did moments before. As if the sudden explosion of her new appendages wasn’t bad enough, her horn lit with unfamiliar magic, creating a gray glow about herself. It was bright enough to illuminate the entire room, surrounding no fewer than half of the pillows. It lifted them into the air as if gravity had forgotten about them. All of the magic surrounded one horrified expression worn by Octavia Harmonica. The first thing she saw was Princess Celestia’s wide gaze, the solar regent’s hooves lightly trotting backwards against the sudden and horrifically unrefined display. Whether it be from the shock, instinct, or the reminders of some sort of schedule, the alabaster alicorn’s own horn began to glow with her ethereal magic. Nothing in the room glowed back however. Instead, the sun began to rise. Silence took residence in the room. Octavia was beginning to loathe it. A million and one feelings passed through the cellist as she looked up into Princess Celestia’s eyes. She felt terror, being before both Regents of Canterlot with wings and a horn that were not supposed to be hers. She felt her own level of shock, still half-hoping, half-wishing that this entire dreadful experience was nothing but a dream. Then she felt sorrow. Celestia saw every one of those emotions in the younger mare. “Please,” the alabaster alicorn spoke down to the gray mare, her voice full of empathy. It made Octavia swallow on something hollow in her throat. “Take no offense to my shock. I am… merely stunned.” “Those sound like the same thing.” Octavia was seriously beginning to question the merits of taking Vinyl with her. She had done little more than cut through formalities. Thankfully, neither alicorn gave notice to the words. Instead, Luna merely walked to her sister's side, illuminated by the newborn light creeping in through the window. Her crystal-clad hoof lightly touched her older sibling’s side, earning the elder’s attention. “Do you… know how this happened?” Celestia posed the question to her sibling, multi-colored mane waving with the turn of her head. Luna merely shook her head. “There is much to speak of, sister,” Luna spoke with a notably less-formal tone compared to conversations earlier. It still gave the commanding urgency Octavia has come to expect, however. “Let us tell you what we know.” “This is… incredible.” Though neither Octavia nor Vinyl had been in the presence of Princess Celestia frequently, they could tell the focused state of the mare was anything but common. It had taken little time to fully explain the details to the alicorn, but the mares present were more than ready to clarify what they knew. She was quiet and focused, listening to Luna explain, asking questions of Octavia and Vinyl only when they were needed. Her surprise never waned throughout the dialogue. Octavia was significantly disheartened to see that this was as much of a shock to Celestia as it was to Luna. “Indeed, sister,” Luna spoke. “There is little idea of where this originates from, but there is no doubt that what has happened to the young Octavia is genuine.” Celestia took a deep breath at the words, shutting her eyes and focusing her mind. Octavia was afraid to try and imagine what the near-immortal alicorn was thinking. When she opened her eyes again moments later, the pink irises were focused on the musician. There was no disdain or judgment behind them, only unrestrained curiosity. “I am sure you most likely have already thought of this, but are you sure nothing… unusual has happened as of late?” There was a prodding sense to her words. Fishing, more like. “No conversations with ponies you are unfamiliar with? No antiques you have recently acquired?” Those were the first questions that Octavia had asked herself this morning. The answer was only too easy to respond with. “No, your majesty,” she responded dutifully and politely. “My schedule has deviated little from my normal activities in the past few months. At the very most, the only changes have been due to the fluxes in my orchestra’s practice.” Octavia kept her head bowed as she spoke. It was not something Celestia was proud to see. “Please, raise your head.” Octavia did so with a slight hesitation. She was greeted with a relaxed smile from the princess. She wondered how long the alicorn must have practiced that smile to make it appear so… normal. “Were there any new goals you set for yourself? Perhaps a desire or wish for something you did not believe you would be able to achieve?” Once more, Octavia shook her head before she responded. “No, your majesty,” she parroted her words from before. “I have only ever strived for goals that are within my grasp. I have always set goals before my dreams.” “And that’s what’s keeping you a stick in the mud,” Vinyl voiced from behind the gray alicorn. Octavia felt a sigh work through her lips at the words. She was no longer annoyed by such sentiments from the unicorn, just wearied. “Vinyl,” Celestia spoke the DJ’s name with direction. Octavia saw her friend give the tall alicorn her full attention. At least, she assumed so beyond those opaque lavender lenses. “Have you brought anything home that has been… unusual?” Where Octavia spoke with a controlled tongue and careful words, Vinyl threw her sentences together the way she did her music. It was, as the DJ had described herself once, dirty. “Nope. Not aside from what I usually pick up from my gigs. The usual amount of bits, some cider to keep the mind loose, maybe a few numbers from a few desperate stallions. A couple of rubbers, once.” Octavia felt her cheeks warm with a blush. She lifted her hooves to hold them down. “Oh! I did snag a half-eaten cheddar bread sandwich, but if that made Octy go all super pony, we’re gonna want to get that recipe from the bar.” Octavia perfectly predicted the silence that followed. “Yes, well…” Celestia spoke before her sister, clearly unused to the brash nature of the unicorn. To her credit, Octavia nearly bucked the mare the first time they met. “I suppose we can say this is likely the act of some yet-to-be-seen force.” “Wait,” Octavia spoke before she could stop herself. Her voice fell immediately following the word, though the eyes of the alicorns and her friend were still upon her. She chose her next words with far more caution. “Does that mean you have no idea why I’m like… this?” Her hoof motioned over herself, horn, wings, and all. The alabaster diarch shook her head, eyes closed. “We do not yet know why you have become an alicorn,” Celestia began, “All who have ascended before you have done so because they have maintained the balance of harmony in times where it was threatened to break.” “Then, am I to assume that must mean this is an…” Octavia raised her hoof, using it to poke at the horn on her head. “An accident?” Celestia was quick to shake her head. “No, not at all.” The alicorn was adamant with her assurances. “I am saying that there is a reason, but it is not one we can yet judge. In time - hopefully soon - we will know why you have changed. In the mean time, there is much more we can do.” Octavia felt the feathers in her wings bristle. If either alicorn noticed, they did not comment on it. “It is no secret that alicorns are held in very high regard.” Luna finished. Octavia took a moment to observe just how powerful the two looked side-by-side. Even alone they were majestic and imposing. Together… Octavia still couldn’t believe they needed help with anything. “Though a princess you are not, you will undoubtedly be judged against us in the eyes of other ponies.” “It is an unfair light to cast upon you, but it is one that cannot be kept away.” Celestia’s voice had a kind of empathy Octavia couldn’t ignore. It made the cold news she was being told easier to swallow. “Do not fear this, young Octavia,” Luna spoke after her sister. “For no matter how unforeseen this gift may be, it is a gift nonetheless.” The gray alicorn wasn’t aware when the sister had unfolded their wings, but it was impossible to miss them now fully extended. Just behind them, the dawn of the new day was reaching its adolescence, the full sun broke behind the mountains, fighting away the last of the night. With it shining from the window and hallowing about them, their majesty made the jaw of the youngest alicorn fall loosely. “We will be here to aide you, in every and all ways we possibly can.” Celestia slowly began to trot towards the cellist, her smile warmly-glowing. “You are not the first to experience this, and I am certain there will be more to come.” “But you are not alone,” Luna agreed with her sister, smiling down upon the youngest alicorn with sincerity in her eyes. “You are bestowed with a chance to show great promise. You only need to chose what you will now do.” Octavia let the moment seep in. This was, all at once, far more important and far more horrifying than any symphony or orchestra she had ever experienced. She did not presume that this amount of tension would ever be put upon her, not even when she was planning to compose her own rhapsodies for the sisters. And yet, this was happening right here, right now. She was no longer a musically gifted earth pony, born to great musicians in a line of violinists and composers. She was now an alicorn, one of the most gifted, magically astute, and regal ponies in all of the land. “Wow, that got heavy fast.” If there was one solid fact that Octavia could always depend upon, however, it was Vinyl Scratch. Fortunately, Princess Celestia seemed to be rather amused by the DJ’s comment. It was a trait that neither her sister nor Octavia held. “Indeed,” the Sun Princess agreed, chuckled lightly under breath. “Though, to be fair, I think it is much more appropriate to hide nothing in matters as… heavy as this.” Vinyl put on her cheeky grin, gazing up at the princess. Once more, Octavia knew the unicorn was giving half-lidded eyes to the alicorn. “Octavia,” Luna spoke the young alicorn. The mare offered absolute attention to the diarch. “The next course of action is obvious. You are clearly refined, and possess a great deal of propriety when it comes to manners and etiquette.” Octavia did her best not to blush. Judging by Vinyl’s chuckling, she was not successful. “I… thank you, your majesty,” Octavia averted her eyes, but she felt her wings ache at her sides. She wasn’t sure what that meant., but doubted that it was a good thing. “However, you are clearly lacking the in the mechanisms of magic and flight.” Octavia took no offense to the observation. She never believed she had any skill in something she had never done before. She wouldn’t dare to say she was any more skilled in magic or flight than she was in tuning a guitar. Magic was something Vinyl used to annoy her in the late hours of the night. She didn’t know how to pick up a feather with her new horn, let alone do anything else with it. At least with a guitar she could approximate the tuning. “Then… are you going to teach me?” It was an innocent question. At least, Octavia hoped it sounded innocent. She couldn’t imagine another way to ask it. The unchangingly kind smile Luna gave told the mare she did not speak out of place. “If you so desire it, though I am not the only one who may be able to teach you.” That raised a few questions in Octavia’s mind. As always, Vinyl spoke a few first. “You mean, like, Celestia is going to teach her? Or is that new princess down in Ponyville. Twilight, right? Oh oh! Or are you going to ask that Crystal Princess to help out?” Though tact was as barren from Vinyl as water was remove a desert, her question was nevertheless worth asking. Celestia answered the unicorn as kindly as she had spoken before. “If she so chooses, perhaps.” Before she spoke on, the alabaster diarch turned towards the gray alicorn. “But what my sister and I mean is that we do not have to be the ones to teach you. In fact, neither does it have to be an alicorn at all.” “B-But I thought you were going to help me.” By the slight look of panic that quickly overtook Luna’s features, Octavia knew two things immediately. One, she had clearly sounded far more desperate than she hoped to. Two, her fears were unfounded. She was embarrassed by the first, but thankful for the second. “And help you we shall, that will not change with any amount of time.” The dark diarch was commanding with her tone. “But please, do not misunderstand. We merely thought you may wish to learn from another astute with magic.” Celestia spoke up as her sister finished. Octavia took a moment to appreciate how in-sync the two were. Octavia was certain they didn’t have time to practice, but, being an only child, she did not know the ways of sisters. “While there will always be debate about those best at teaching ways of magic, or any other skill, it all depends upon who the student agrees with more.” Octavia was focused on how succient the alabaster mare was with her words. “For example, I would not think you would enjoy listening to a professor full of his own devices.” That was true, in ways the princess probably didn’t know. Octavia had had a tutor such like that when she was young. She learned more about that stallion’s growth and sway regarding the field of harmonics than she did about playing the cello. Fortunately, her parents were wise enough to dismiss him early on. “But please be wary, young Octavia,” the dark alicorn went on. “For now, your change is unknown to us. There have been neither prophecies nor devices working to possibly hint towards such a radical alteration. My sister and I will work as diligently with uncovering the reason for this change as we do our own courts. All we ask is that you take this time to also learn.” The gray mare nodded her head, ending with her eyes shut towards the diarch. “I understand,” Octavia spoke, bowing her head. “I apologize for presuming too much.” Luna dismissed the words with a wave of her crystal adorned hoof. “You thought logically with what little we have given you.” The words did Octavia some good. “However, the initial conundrum still stands. You must learn at least some small form of magic. The only question is from whom will you learn.” Poll Question 1: Who should Octavia talk to first about her magic? A) Princess Luna B) Twilight Sparkle C) Vinyl Scratch D) Discord All answers will be tallied and counted within two weeks of this chapter's posting. The decision will decide the next and future chapters. Think carefully!