//------------------------------// // Loose Knobs // Story: Hooves And Dials // by That Awesome Brony Guy //------------------------------// Loose Knobs “Vinyl... Hey! Vinyl!” a faint voice said. My senses felt very strange, almost as if they were dulled. I was unable to move and I couldn’t see anything. My rising panic subsided as I saw everything begin to melt into shape before me. There in front of me sat a much younger Octavia, no more than ten years of age. Right, well this is a very odd dream... quite a lucid one at that. But where is this? What happens here? “Come on! I need you to put this CD up here!" the young filly said. I didn’t move until everything had come into view, as my surroundings became clear to me I realized that I was in the CD library back when it was much different. I was sitting by the window with Octavia waiting for me by one of the CD shelves. I had been looking out at all of the ponies trotting around in the market as they opened up for business for the morning. “Equesfia to Viwil? Hewwo sweepy heaf!” Octavia said as she bounced around next to me with a CD in her mouth, muffling her words. I tried to move but I had no control, I hated these sort of dreams... completely acknowledging what was going on around me but unable to move a hoof. I finally began to move, but not by my own will. A sudden, horrible thought dawned on me, I knew that I had this dream before, but why? What happens here that is so important? I know that this is something from my past but... ...Oh no... “Come on! I need your help!” I was moving, but at an agonisingly slow pace, as if wading in a thick patch of mud. With my body frozen on the spot and my senses dulled, I could only watch as history repeated itself before my eyes. “Here! Right... woah!” Octavia was trying to point to where she needed me to put the CD, but in the process she leaned against the massive shelf and it began to topple over. “Vinyl! Help me!” I stood there immobile as Octavia looked up helplessly at the shelf that was soon to topple on top of her. The shelf fell over at a painstakingly slow pace. I felt weightlessness ensue around me as I floated around it, watching the CDs fall to the floor as if in slow motion, and Octavia shaking in fear. My horn came to life with a power I could not sense, I could only see the sparks flaring from my forehead from the magic that was fueled by my fear. I flung Octavia out of the way just in time as I watched the heavy shelf topple over at a faster rate, hitting its neighbor with a thunder that shook the whole room, falling ponderously at first but slamming into the next shelf, and then the next, causing a domino effect. I fell to the ground, suddenly having the dream’s effect of weightlessness ripped away from me, causing me to crash against the window where one of Octavia’s dolls sat. The sense of falling to the ground suddenly took over, I was sitting in the sill, not moving. But I had forgotten about the doll... “Where is Ms.Smartypants! Vinyl!” the young Octavia shrieked at me as the world slowly began to melt away from sight. “Vinyl! Octavia! What in Equestria... What did you do?!" A chill fell over me as I looked towards the library door where Octavia’s mother stood with my mother close behind. “Octavia! What did you do?!” my mother shouted. “No! My precious little girl would never do anything like this! Vinyl must’ve done it!” replied Octavia’s mother. Octavia and I shrunk away from our feuding parents, tucking our hooves in and hiding our faces in our tails. “Come on! We’re going home!” Octavia’s mother said. “No! Wait! Ms.Smartypants!” exclaimed Octavia. Her mother paid no attention to her yelling and dragged her away as Octavia began to cry. My vision blurred and the sounds of her yells began to echo even more. I was suddenly looking through the eyes of the doll as it slowly fell towards the ground. Time slowed down even more as I heard Octavia’s cries once more “Vinyl! Vinyl help me! Vinyl!" “Vinyl!” I was suddenly thrown back into my own body. Darkness and stiffness ensued as I felt a hoof shaking my head. “Vinyl! Come on! Your show started half an hour ago!” I rubbed my eyes with my hooves, trying to focus them onto the hopping pegasus in front of me. “W... what?” I said, shaking my head in an attempt to refocus. “Come on! Octavia left you to sleep and she took over your show! Dash 182 is performing in the studio in less than a minute! Get your flank down there!” Skippy prompted urgently. I felt blood rush to my cheeks as anger coursed through my veins, I dragged my head off of the table and stomped my hooves onto the ground.  I began to sprint as soon as I got up, my hooves slipped on the tile floor as I tried to gain momentum. I ran through the hall and down the staircase. I flung the first floor door open only to see Octavia whooping it up with Dash 182 as they were talking on-air. I paused for a moment, wondering if I should do this or not. The on-air light was shining brightly above the door and it was my time to be on, so why should I hesitate? A thought called out in my head “You shouldn’t! Now get in there!”. As I shoved through the on-air studio door, the entire band turned and looked at me with confused looks on their faces but Octavia remained composed. “So tell me, when’s your next tour?” she said as she attempted to regain the attention of the band. “Well uh... we’re going to Manehattan in two weeks to start off our tour, and then we’re off to Canterlot to perform for the princess herself!” My blood boiled as I thought about all of the work I had put into this. I had spent months trying to schedule this band and now she’s taken them right out of my hooves. “Wow! That should be quite an interesting show. Now, you came out with a new album recently so how about we play something from that?” she said as she smirked at me. She knew what she was doing to me, to my career, and she was having quite a good time destroying it. “How about track three?” said the bassist from the corner. I had been listening to their entire album for the past two weeks just so I could have some commentary before and after the song, but Octavia completely butchered what I had hoped to do with a very simple pre-sell. “Sounds good! Here’s Dash 182 right here on one oh five point three, The Horn.” I grit my teeth as I stomped over to the soundboard where she was sitting. “Yes Vinyl?” she said, completely ignoring the rage that was about to be released upon her. “Out of my chair. Now.” I said in a very firm tone. I was expecting her to move immediately but instead she just looked at her notecards for a minute so she would be ready for the next segment of the interview... Hey wait... those are my note cards! Did she really swipe those from my desk? “Octavia. Move. Now.” I didn’t like the idea of what I was about to do but I knew that it had to be done. She looked at me for a moment and then back at my cards. Well... she had it coming! I set my horn aglow and a light blue field began to form around her. She looked at me confused for a moment until she realized what I was about to do. “Vinyl don’t you-” She stopped mid-sentence as she waved her hooves in the air, trying to find a place to grip. I had picked her up and floated her over to the sill of a nearby window. In my fit of rage I would have happily pushed the window open and let her plummet into an unlucky demise of fruit and angry market stall owners. However I did have guests in the studio, so I lifted Octavia up to the ceiling and then let her drop on her flank a few short feet behind me. The band was somewhat appalled at my actions but didn’t seem to be too worried. After realizing that I only dropped her on the floor and that she was okay, they nervously sat back down and waited for their cue. “Sorry about that guys... on in thirty!” They nodded in agreement and moved themselves closer to the microphones while fixing their posture. I nodded back at them as I saw the track that was playing slowly reaching zero. “And that was the new single from Dash 182! This is Vinyl filling the air once again. The traffic in the markets this morning certainly was rough but I made sure to get here as quickly as I could!” The drummer snickered in the corner, quickly stopping himself as I glanced a death stare right into his eyes. “So tell me guys, what is this song about? What inspired you to make this?” “Well really we just wanted to rock out, that’s about it!” I always thought of this band as a deep thinking group... it sorrowed me to hear such a simple reply. I began to form words for a quick reply until the guitarist snorted and burst into laughter. “You actually think we’d act like that? No no no. That song is all about a beautiful mare that is soon to be my wife. And I know she’s listening in over in Manehattan! Hi darlin’!” “Well that’s a relief!” I said, my hooves still shaking from the thought of one of my favourite artists being a simple rock band. “So, we’ve heard it on CD, but how about a live rendition for all of our listeners?” Without even thinking twice, the band hopped off of their stools and got into position. I only had enough time to say a few short words before my dream of a personal concert was about to come true. “Well it seems like these guys don’t skip a beat! Here’s Dash 182 live in the studios of one oh five point three, The Horn!” I sat back in my chair and waited as they checked their instruments in the last few seconds of silence. I pulled my goggles off and beamed as they began their tune. Sadly, it ended as quickly as it began.   The lights flickered above me and the computer consoles shut down. Just as I hopped up in surprise, I saw smoke billowing out of the tech room door from across the hall.   I glanced behind me to find that Octavia was no longer behind me, and that the studio door was ajar.   The band stopped and stared at me as I watched the power levels on the transmitter viewer drop to zero.   "What the... Octavia! What have you done!" I exclaimed as I leapt from my seat and ran down the hall.   I covered my mouth in a useless attempt to keep the smoke from choking me as I went to see what Octavia had done.   I was ready to buck Octavia right to the moon, I wanted to make sure that I never saw her again. Oh God Octavia!   Her body lay still on the floor, her mane frizzed and her hooves twitching.   I looked back up to see what she had done, only to find that she bucked the transmitter console and pierced through the housing straight to the power conduits.   I held her in my hooves as she lazily opened her eyes to look at me.   "Vinyl... Vinyl I am so sorry... I... I should have never treated you like this..."   Every word that she said made my heart melt, I felt so much sadness and sorrow well up inside of me but I forced myself not to show it.   "I just want you to know... I didn't leave you. Not on purpose..."   She looked at me like she did back when we still loved eachother... I never expected her to say anything like this... at least not under these circumstances.   "Octavia... stop saying such silly things. Now you aren't going to die, you only got zapped... but I need you to relax, okay?"   She nodded in reply before closing her eyes. I looked at her once more as a tear grew from the corner of my eye. I gently laid her head down and wondered what to do next.   "Skippy! I need you in here right now!"   I heard his familiar hoof steps coming down the hallway, I looked at him in astonishment when he walked in, wondering how he didn't smell the smoke or hear any of our conversation.   "Uh, is she okay?" he said, his eyes darting from Octavia to the transmitter and back to her.   "She's okay, but we need to get back on the air now. Can you fix it?" I said as I attempted to make the most desperate expression as I could. My emotions were officially shot at that point so it was all fake emotions from hereon out... “Yes, but I’m going to need a couple hours.” “A couple hours? We need to be back up and running now!” I shouted. This was just as much my radio station as it was Octavia’s. I hated the idea of unscheduled off-air time, especially with guests waiting in the other room. “Look, Octavia did a lot of damage to herself and the equipment. You need to get her to a hospital and I need to get all of this back up and running. Now do what you need to do and I’ll do the same!” Wow Skippy, didn’t know you had it in you to boss me around... I picked up octavia and slung her over my back. Skippy looked at me oddly but what else could I do? I galloped down the hall and out of the studio doors, the sun glared into my eyes and my hooves sounded like bombshells as they hit the cobblestone and dirt road. The hospital was several miles away but I needed to keep on going no matter what happened. I needed to know what Octavia was going to say to me. “Vinyl! What happened!” said a surprised lavender pony as she caught up to me. “Twilight! Oh thank Celestia. I need your help!” I skidded to a stop and gently put Octavia down onto the ground. “I need you to teleport us to the hospital! Octavia was zapped by the transmitter and needs help! Please!” I begged as Twilight looked at me with a stunned expression. I didn’t realize that my emotions had been bottling up so much. My emotions broke like a dam as soon as I tried to talk, sending waves of tears rolling down my face onto the dry dusty path. “The hospital? I don’t know how to get there! I’ve only been there once!” Twilight said as she looked at me, desperately wanting to help. “I... I don’t know what to do, Twi...” I wiped a tear from my cheek. She looked at me and smiled. “Vinyl... I know what we need to do. Come on,” she picked Octavia up and carried her on her back. “Let’s get her the help that she needs, and then go get a nice warm cup of coffee.” “I... uh...” how in Equestria did she calm my nerves so easily? She’s so collected, so kind... “What the hay, why not.” I said as I trotted alongside her. She gave me a smile every time I glanced at her. Why was I doing this? What compelled me to be lulled into her sweetness and just merrily trot along like nothing happened today? I glanced at Octavia’s unconscious body lightly bouncing on Twilight’s back. I only hoped that she would be okay and that all of this would be over and done... she might keep on yelling at me and hating me, but I still couldn’t shake my feelings for her. A good portion of the journey was... quiet. I never thought about how even with her cheerful disposition, Twilight could still be very, very mature when needed. Her stance was strong and her mind was focused while we walked along the winding path that led to the hospital. As we walked out of town, I looked up at the trees and the birds. I had mostly kept inside during the day and such beauty was never visible at night. The way the outskirts of Ponyville looked in the daylight was simply amazing. The birds chirped as little fillies played in the tall grass and the farmers plowed their fields. “Wow, it’s really just over here?” Twilight said. I lost my focus on the natural beauty around me as, to my surprise, we walked up to the hospital. We rushed up to the emergency room door where two stallions were waiting to help anyone in need. They gently placed her into a sling and rolled her away. It felt like an eternity before a doctor came out with a clipboard in his hoof. “Hello! I am doctor Redlife and I will be treating your friend... what is her name?” “Her name is Octavia... can I stay with her please? I want to be there for her when she wakes up.” “I’m sorry ma’am but you have to wait while we get her comfortable. You can wait in here while you sign the paperwork,” he said with a very stern voice, his words not helping the tears that were reforming. Twilight nodded to the doctor and dragged me inside. I took a seat and began to write everything. I was hoping for peace so that I could collect my thoughts, but Twilight would have none of it. “So... what happened?” she said. “She took over a show that I’ve been working for two months to prepare for...” I felt my emotions begin to well up again. “So you electrocuted her?” “No, no no. She was angry when I dropped her on her flank. So she snuck off to the transmitter room and took the station off the air... taking herself out in the process.” I lost myself in quiet sobbing until Twilight put a hoof on my shoulder... strangely bringing a sense of comfort I haven’t felt before. “I doubt that you two have always been like this,” she said as I attempted to recollect myself. “No... she and I were brilliant together. But then, after the best nine months I’ve ever had... she just... walked away.” “What ever happened between you and Octavia?” she said as a more serious look came across her face. I would have loved nothing more than to trot away, but instead I felt compelled to reflect on my buried memories. “We... we grew up. I wanted to keep on partying but Octavia took the route of classical music. I loved her cello music but I didn’t think she’d take it so far! I started mixing dubtrot and... that was the end of it. After all of our emotional hurdles and rough patches, it was the music that finally ended us.” My train of thought crashed into a wall when Twilight quickly slouched in her chair with one hoof over her mouth and another holding her sides. “You think that my emotional scarring... is funny...” I felt every ounce of respect I had for Twilight begin to melt away. I had poured my heart out... okay, so I summarized but still... she should’ve been a little more supportive. “Oh no no! I feel horrible for you, really I do... but I have never heard of a couple breaking up because of dubtrot! It really is one of the silliest things I have ever heard... I’m sorry Vinyl, really I am. I should’ve been a little more subtle instead of breaking into laughter like that.” She can read minds too? I blinked at her, wondering what to say next. I had been so focused in my music and in my party life that I have never really thought about the big picture... She left me because of dubtrot? Before I could reply to Twilight’s comments, she hopped up and pulled me by my hoof. “Come on! Let me buy some coffee for you to make up for laughing like that... ohh! I know! Let’s go to Fluttershy’s shop! She has a sale today on my favorite herbal blend!” Well, that works... She grabbed the clipboard from next to me and put it on the nurses desk. Then, while exchanging oddly devilish grins, we set back off for Ponyville. I wonder what Fluttershy’s shop is like... -End of chapter 4 -Author’s note Well... that just happened. Vitwi? Twiscratch? Something... Fast paced chapter for fast paced Vinyl. Poor mare... helping the one who hates her after getting zapp’D. Conflict of interests... -I’d like to thank my pre-readers and editors Dawn Fade and frozenpyro for helping me with all of my derps and mess-ups! Thanks guys. -Chapter 5 next Monday!