//------------------------------// // Acchā Or // Story: The Gentle Nights: Audience of One // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// The Gentle Nights Audience of One Chapter VII Acchā Or Octavia chewed on the tip of her quill, eyes on the letter before her. She'd reached the part where she could mention her new visits with Princess Luna… but should she? There was still a vague impression that they were meant to be secret, and even if that weren’t the case, Octavia wasn’t confident she liked the idea of spreading the news. She could just imagine being mobbed by ponies seeking favors. Besides, the whole arrangement felt very private. Frederick could be trusted, couldn’t he? He was a professional, after all. But what if some nosy pony read the letter along the way? That was a dumb idea, and she knew it. She wasn’t about to be paranoid over this. Maybe she should ask Luna about it? Nopony knew better whether this situation should be kept secret than her. The quill lowered, ready to scratch a few extra words, but her hoof froze over the letter as her mind began running circles again. Octavia was rescued from her mental maze by an invasive noise: music. It faded quickly, telling her instantly who was responsible. With a small smile, she stood up and approached the window. Another quick blast of music assailed her ears as she reached to open the curtain. Once again, her hoof froze. Her eyes had locked on the dresser in her bedroom, upon which sat the sheet music Vinyl had given her. She’d not even glanced at it since then, and it had been over a week. She pulled back from the window. Her ears went flat against her head as she lingered in the hall, the brief blast of new music making her wince. The papers seemed to glare at her. What to do, what to do? She turned away and made for her cello, her pace picking up with another musical assault. She didn’t know where to go, but she could always claim to have not been home at the time. It was a lie, but under the circumstances— A knock on the door made Octavia jump with a yelp. Her cheeks burned as she hurried to answer, pulling it open without thinking to ask who it was. “Hello there, Ṭaṭṭūsvatī.” Parish grinned and delivered a lazy salute. Her jaw dropped. “P… Parish? What are you doing here?” He spread his hooves, that lopsided grin still plastered to his face. “Visiting, of course.” Octavia’s entire body twitched as music briefly filled her room. “No, what I mean is… how did you figure out where I lived? Did Beauty tell you?” He smirked and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine, thanks for asking. Thanks for inviting me in.” “Oh! Umm…” The burn in her cheeks intensified as she stepped aside. “I… it’s not much, but come on in.” He stepped over the threshold, but paused halfway through the door to peer at her. She turned her face away and kept her eyes low. “Are you alright, Octy?” Another blast of music filled the room, this time catching his attention. “What the hay is that?” She glanced back towards the hall with wide eyes. “Oh, nothing. Just my neighbor. It’ll stop soon.” Please let it stop soon. “Huh.” He entered the room proper, his eyes roaming the dull walls and worn appliances. “So this is what you traded your old place for.” Octavia closed the door, her tail tucking between her legs and her head low. “Parish, how in Equestria did you find this place?” “I asked around,” he said, eyes still roaming the kitchen. “You’d be surprised how many ponies notice a hot mare in the area, even a homebody like you.” Her gaze roamed the room, noting all the little cracks and stains. “I wish you would have warned me you were coming.” Another wince as the music blasted the room. “Sh-she’ll stop soon, I’m sure.” Parish turned to study her with one eye, then lowered his head with a sigh. “Octy, you are so transparent. I thought you were proud of finally getting an Upper Level place.” She looked away and scuffed the floor. “I am. It’s just… well, I’ve seen your place. And Beauty’s.” He sighed and turned to her. “I’m sorry. I should have asked if it was okay instead of showing up out of the blue.” Yes, he most definitely should have. “No, it’s okay.” She did her best to smile for him. The silence between them was interrupted by another wave of music, and this time Parish looked over his shoulder at the window. “You sure you don’t wanna check that?” Octavia grumbled and walked past him for the window, doing her best to ignore the sheet music that still seemed to glare at her. She pulled open the curtains and the window and glowered at Vinyl, who grinned upon seeing her. “Oh, good. For a moment there I thought you were dead or something.” “I was busy,” Octavia replied. “Why are you trying to break my window this time?” “Rawr.” Vinyl raised her hooves up and waved them as if she were a manticore. “Somepony’s fussy today. You read that sheet music yet?” The frustration faded in an instant. Octavia’s ears folded and she leaned back, glad Vinyl’s sunglasses made it harder to make eye contact. “Err… not yet.” “Seriously?” Vinyl rested her legs on the windowsill. “It’s been a solid week.” “I know, I know.” Octavia stared down at the street. “I’m sorry, okay? I just got distracted. I’ll look at it soon.” “Distracted? For a whole week?” Parish appeared behind Octavia, grinning and waving out the window. “Hey there, Vinyl.” Vinyl lowered her head to look over her glasses at him. “Oh, you got company? Hey there. You’re… remind me.” “Parish,” he called over Octavia’s shoulder. “Right, sorry.” Vinyl rubbed her chin… and grinned. Octavia’s eyes went wide and she waved her hooves. “No, Vinyl, It’s not—” “So that’s why you were distracted,” Vinyl said, rubbing her hooves together. “In that case, don’t mind me. I’ll just go back to my turntable and you two can continue to be distracting. Talk to ya later, Octy!” “Wait, you don’t under—” Vinyl’s window closed with a thunk, her smirk the last thing Octavia saw before the curtains closed. Parish snickered. Octavia facehooved as she turned to him. “Great, now she’s going to bug me every day over this. Parish, you are a royal pain.” His smile turned smug as he rubbed his chest self-appreciatively. “Well, if I’m going to be a royal something, I’ll take a pain.” She shook her hoof at him, but couldn’t resist a small smile. “You’re hopeless.” Parish’s smile faded, the ridge above his eyes narrowing. “I could say the same thing about you. When were you planning on telling us about your little rendezvous?” Octavia blinked. “Rendezvous? What are you talking about?” He poked her in the chest. “You came to us almost a week ago looking for advice on some super-secret fan who you were having one-on-one time with.” “Oh.” She rubbed her chest and shrank back from his glare. “I just… well, I went.” “We figured as much.” Parish rolled his eyes. “Come on Octy, we’ve been worried! You can’t come over and ask us about things like that and not tell us the outcome.” She tilted her head and rubbed her chin. “I didn’t even consider that. I didn’t think you were interested enough.” He groaned and rubbed his face with both hooves. “And you say I’m hopeless. Of course we’re interested! We’re invested in your wellbeing. It’s called ‘being good friends.’ Beauty and I have been on pins and needles all week, thinking maybe you were too embarrassed or maybe even too humiliated to come see us.” Octavia shook her head frantically. “It’s not like that at all! It actually went very well. I’m going to meet her again tonight.” His ears perked and his lowered his hooves. “You are? I mean… really?” “You sound surprised.” “I am!” He tilted his head to study her from several angles. “You were so nervous about meeting her just once, I didn’t expect you to be interested in doing it twice, even if we were really hoping for it.” “Well, I am.” Octavia regained her confidence and flicked her mane. “I like her. We’ve decided to make these visits a regular thing.” “Wow.” He leaned his head back and gaped. “That’s… that’s awesome. I mean, we were hoping you’d make a new friend, but this is better than either of us guessed.” It was her turn to cock her head. “Why?” “It means you’re getting out of this apartment. It means you’re meeting ponies, doing things.” He grinned and clapped his hooves. “Beauty is gonna be thrilled! So when do we meet this new friend, anyway?” “Oh.” Octavia’s ears flattened once more. “I don’t know. She’s a very private pony, I’m not sure she’d want this brought to light just yet.” “What? No fair.” He pouted. “You mean you’re spending more time with this new friend than you are with us and we don’t even get to know her name?” Octavia winced. “You’re right. I’ll ask her about it. Sorry, Parish.” He waved a dismissive hoof, though his head was bowed. “Don’t worry about it. Can’t blame her for wanting to hog a mare like you.” Then he straightened up and peered at her with a frown. “But you’re still in trouble for leaving us in the dark for almost a week. Beauty’s going to demand an apology, y’know.” “And I’ll be sure to give her one the next time I see her,” Octavia assured him with a smile. “Make it soon, Octy. Don’t wait until you see her again in three months. Go see her.” Octavia frowned at this order, but after a moment’s thought relented. “Fine, I’ll make a day of it.” “Don’t act too excited,” he grumbled. She flinched as if stung. “I’m falling into introvert mode again, aren’t I?” He eyed her for a couple seconds before patting her shoulder. “It’s alright, Octy. I get it. Well, I don’t, not really, but I understand that you look at this kind of thing a little differently. I just wish you wouldn’t look at visiting us as a waste of time.” Her chest tightened at his words and she glanced away. “It’s not a waste of time, I know that. I just… I guess my priorities are all messed up.” Parish managed to smile. “Hey, maybe this pony you’re meeting will help you overcome these issues. It could happen.” “I guess.” Octavia shook her head. “I’ll get better somehow, I promise.” “I know you will.” He reared back to wave his hooves at his surroundings. “So, why not give me the guided tour?” She blushed and felt her stomach do a flip. “It… won’t be a long one.” Parish took on his best elite posture and tone. “It is the home of my most distinguished friend and colleague. I assure you, it will be a most fascinating time.” She couldn’t help but giggle. “Okay, okay, I get it. Come on, then, allow me to wow you with the daring old look of Chateau Melody.” “Have you ever benefited from branching out of astronomy?” Luna watched as Octavia examined the bookcase. “I don’t think I understand the question.” Octavia turned to her, rubbing her leg as she did. “Perhaps I should be more specific,” she said after some thought. “I am throwing it out there, aren’t I?” “Specific would be nice.” Luna sipped her coffee with a small smile. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything?” “Not at the moment, thank you.” Octavia turned to one of the windows and stared out at the dark city. “I don’t know why I’m asking about this. Never mind.” Luna cocked her head with a frown before levitating her cup to the nearby table. “Please, Octavia, you’re not keeping your end of the agreement. If you want to ask, do so.” For a short time Octavia was silent. Keeping her eyes set on the window, she spoke, “I have an old friend. She’s… well, if I’m to give her due credit, she’s a musician. Her musical genre is a far cry from my own, though, and we agreed long ago to simply disagree on what qualifies as ‘good’ music.” Luna cringed. “I assume she prefers the more modern… shall we call it ‘material?’” Octavia chuckled and smiled from over her shoulder. “Yes, I hesitate to call it ‘music’ too.” With a chuckle of her own, Luna gestured. “Go on, tell me more.” “Recently, she asked me to take a look at some sheet music she wrote.” Octavia looked back to the window with brows furrowed. “She wants to work together on a project, for me to play a couple songs in her new album.” Luna nodded. “You do not think it will work.” “I’m not sure.” Octavia finally turned back to Luna, her eyes lowered in thought. “Can two things so diametrically opposed to one another actually form something beautiful? I usually don’t like her style. Every now and then she gets lucky… but to combine hers and mine?” “Ah.” Luna smiled and brought her coffee back to her lips. “She’s your Celestia.” Octavia looked up and blinked a few times. “My Celestia?” “Indeed.” Luna returned her cup before standing and walking for the window. Octavia stepped aside, but Luna beckoned her closer before gesturing to the half-full moon. “Tell me, Octavia, have you ever seen an eclipse?” “No.” Octavia shook her head with a blush. “I’m told there was one over Trottingham when I was little, but I was too young to remember.” Luna frowned and glanced away, fighting to ignore the grip on her heart. “I am not surprised. My sister rarely created eclipses during my banishment save for on special occasions. They were painful for us both, though I imagine she was unaware of my own suffering.” Octavia looked up at her with a small frown. “I don’t understand.” Luna looked up at the moon with a sigh. “As any pony does with a new toy, Celestia and I… ‘experimented’ when we discovered our gifts.” She couldn’t resist a smile as she closed her eyes. “Learning to create an eclipse was one of the happiest memories we have from our youths. I can see it now, how glorious a sight it was, the unbridled joy it gave me as the ultimate symbol of our sisterly bond.” She shook her head, quickly escaping her momentary reverie. She looked up once more, her smile gone. “To see her do it without me was painful for both of us.” “I see.” Octavia was looking away and chewing her lip. Luna studied her. Her smile came back slowly. “I believe it will be much the same for you.” Octavia’s ears perked as she turned back to Luna. “You see, Octavia, my sister and I are in many ways stark opposites.” Luna gestured flamboyantly to the moon. “Even our charges, the sun and the moon, are completely different. How can such things ever hope to exist in harmony or share in one another’s beauty? But in that moment, that glorious connection of brightness and darkness, there is a beauty that cannot be replicated by any dawn or dusk.” Octavia stared at her beaming face for several seconds, neither smiling or frowning as she contemplated what she’d been told. Eventually she lowered her head and rubbed her chin. “So what you’re saying is… if Vinyl and I work together, the result could be our version of your eclipse?” “Very good, Octavia.” Luna beamed down on her guest. “I encourage you to try. You may find yourself in awe of what you can achieve together.” “I suppose it’s worth a go.” Octavia blushed and averted her eyes, though she smiled. “I have read the first few pages. It’s not anything extraordinary, but maybe when I hear it combined with her music?” “I’m sure it will be spectacular.” Luna turned and trotted for the couch, once again grabbing her coffee from the table. “If it is performed by you, I fail to see how it wouldn’t be.” “Please don’t,” Octavia replied, approaching her own couch. “It sounds too much like you’re putting me on a pedestal.” “I see no reason not to offer praise when it is due.” Luna settled on her couch and finished the last of her coffee. “Why must you doubt yourself?” Octavia paused to raise her muzzle. “I don’t doubt myself. I think I am a good cellist, I believe I am good. I just don’t like being treated as somepony special.” “As a wise pony once said: ‘Don’t be modest; you aren’t near famous enough for it.’” Luna chuckled. Halfway on her couch, Octavia paused and looked back with a raised eyebrow. “I’m not familiar with that one. Who said it?” “My sister,” Luna replied with a grin. “To Smart Cookie, if I recall correctly.” Octavia climbed the rest of the way onto the couch and shook her head. “That doesn’t sound at all like something I imagine Celestia would say.” “Perhaps I should introduce you,” Luna suggested, but then grimaced. “On second thought, that might be a bad idea. I can just imagine her hounding my tail for months about the progress of our friendship. She might even press me into writing ‘friendship reports’ like her protégé.” It was Octavia’s turn to chuckle. “She sounds like an optimist.” “She is, Goddess curse and bless her.” Luna rubbed her head with both hooves. “Looking at some of the things that have happened in the past thousand years, I must question how she kept this country from falling apart. The Great Divide alone should have doomed Equestria. It seems luck is eternally on my sister’s side, which is good because she needs it.” “You don’t have faith in her leadership?” Luna sat up and raised her hooves in a shrug. “She kept the country together for a millennium. I really have no room to judge. Yet, just between the two of us, I think a lot of this country’s past problems would have been resolved much more swiftly if Celestia had practiced less optimism and more realism.” Luna paused to stare wide-eyed at Octavia, who began to fidget. After a moment the princess glanced away with a blush. “Forgive me, I should not be saying such things to you. I am in truly no position to speak in such a way about my sister.” Octavia cocked her head before offering a smile. “Now who’s not keeping her part of the agreement?” At Luna’s questioning frown, she explained, “You told me to speak plainly, and now you’re holding back.” “I am not sure it is the same,” Luna replied, once again glancing away. “I should not be spreading seeds of doubt regarding my sister’s leadership. She’s truly a wonderful pony.” “If you need to vent, do so.” Octavia beckoned, maintaining her smile. “I won’t think less of you.” For just a moment, Luna considered it. She stared at Octavia with wide eyes, words dancing on the tip of her tongue and body tense with a desire to unleash words she’d been holding in for over a year. Her mouth remained firmly closed, lips set in a fine line as she shoved the desire back down her throat. “No… no, it wouldn’t be proper.” Octavia frowned, but nodded her acquiescence. “Okay, but if you change your mind, I’ll lend an ear.” “It is appreciated,” Luna grumbled, looking to the window with head held high, “but I do not think I’ll be accepting any time soon. I should be nothing but supportive of Celestia and her efforts.” Silence reigned for several seconds. Luna maintained her commanding stature, but it required all her willpower not to fidget. She felt as if she were under an intense pressure, though she had no idea of exactly why. “So,” Octavia finally said, “have you and Celestia considered performing an eclipse together since your return?” A slap to the face wouldn’t have hurt as much as those words did, and Luna winced from the mental blow. “N-no. I’m afraid neither of us feel up to such an event anymore.” “Oh…” Luna glanced to see Octavia shifting and looking at the floor. With a sigh, she turned to her guest. “Please, do not let it bother you. It is difficult to fix the rift of our past, but eventually we will be close once more. You need not concern yourself.” Octavia looked up at her with a deep frown. “If you say so, Luna. I’m sorry I brought such things up.” “It’s alright.” Somehow, Luna managed to smile for her. “These things come—” She cringed as a spark ignited at the tip of her horn. Reacting on instinct, Luna closed her eyes and quickly cast her dreamweaver magic. The dream lines appeared in her vision instantly, surrounding her in a cascade of brilliant colors. “Luna?” “Please,” Luna hissed, “I need a moment.” Where was it? She pulled away at the lines, filtering them from her vision a little at a time. She had seen this happen enough times to at least follow a general direction, and soon she’d uncovered the first sign of trouble. It was a red dreamline, but it was more than just the color that caught her attention: the line literally vibrated with energy. The pulse that rose from its owner was rapid and heavy, a visible aura surrounding each wave and making Luna’s horn throb in time. The line shifted and seemed to go taut, the red darkening in a manner that twisted Luna’s heart. It wasn’t alone. Dozens of dreamlines surrounded it, rising to the moon like a series of pikes seeking to pierce the celestial orb. The sight of them sent chills down Luna’s spine. Luna opened her eyes, the dreamlines still visible as she looked to Octavia. Her guest was leaning back against the couch and staring with wide eyes, her mouth opened in a fretful gape. It was then Luna realized she had her lips pulled back in a sneer. She shook her head and forced herself into a neutral expression. “Forgive me, Octavia, but I must cut this visit short. Something serious has occurred and I must see to it immediately.” Octavia sat up quickly. “Is everything okay?” “Not if I don’t do something about this.” Luna climbed off her bed and turned for the door. “Do not worry about me, I will be fine. I hope to see you again next week.” “Oh, o-of course.” There was no time to be wasted on politeness; Luna trotted into the next room and immediately approached the balcony. She stood outside for but a moment, eyes following the dreamlines to a location in the east before she spread her wings and launched. As she rose towards her moon, she peered at the pulses and shifting auras of the ethereal strings. So many at once… but it wasn’t the worst she’d yet seen. “Alright, you monster,” she hissed, horn glowing in the dark, “I’ll make short work of you this time.” Octavia watched from the window as the princess disappeared in a wink of white light. She stood there for several seconds, just gazing at the air. After a while she turned away, looking around at the empty room. “Well… that was sudden.” She pondered what had just happened, curious about what terrible thing Luna had discovered. For her part, Octavia had noticed nothing. Perhaps it was some sort of magical sixth sense? Or maybe that was just an excuse. Octavia thought about the recent conversation and her stomach clenched. She quickly slipped on her cello case and fled the room as quickly as dignity would permit. Yet the walk home was a long one, and Octavia could spend the time thinking on nothing but what Luna had told her. Her pace was slow, her eyes on her hooves as unpleasant thoughts swam through her mind. She hardly noticed when she’d reached the castle gates, which were opened by a pair of indifferent royal guards. Luna had referred to her sister as an optimist, and it sounded like she considered herself a realist. Thinking on what very little Octavia knew of both of them, she could see it. True, she’d only seen Celestia once, but the princess had at least appeared to be a gracious individual. Luna, by comparison… Octavia paused in the street, looking back to the castle with a frown. She felt as though she were studying at a puzzle, one that appeared to have a complex solution when the real answer was right in her face. Should she have pressed the princess into talking? What if Luna didn’t take kindly to that kind of treatment? She wasn’t sure she could will herself to press Luna. After all, she was the princess; how do you tell somepony like Luna and of such rank what to do? It would have been laughable… if Octavia’s stomach would unclench enough to let such a thing happen. It was too late now, anyway. Octavia sighed and continued her trudging way home. She realized it had to be closing in on midnight – no wonder she had no energy. A glance at the moon reminded her that this would be a regular occurrence. Perhaps she should start sleeping in and going to bed later, just to accommodate her Wednesdays. Nearly all the events she regularly performed for took place in the evening, after all. She stopped to get her bearings, looking out upon pale brick roadways and pearly buildings. She was surrounded by cafés and restaurants, the majority of them closed for the night. The market district was just down the road – a heinously misnamed area of town considering the ‘market’ consisted of high-fashion boutiques, air-yacht vendors and similar such excessive businesses. It wasn’t all bad, though; there was a small music store where she could go to buy new strings and all the kinds of albums she preferred. Albums. Octavia turned to a side street, one she’d very rarely gone down. She stared between the tall buildings, and though the path was no different from any other she couldn’t help feeling a sense of foreboding at the thought of going that way. Yet there was one locale she knew about… Luna’s advice echoed in her mind. The words made Octavia wilt; how could she even think about helping Luna with her sister when she wasn’t even prepared to deal with her own friends? For a long time she stood, shifting from hoof to hoof and fighting with indecision. She still had five blocks to go before she got to her apartment, and did she really want to take the detour? Vinyl might not even be there. It was an unplanned visit, and how would Octavia feel if she was visited unannounced? She only needed to think of Parish’s arrival that morning to get her answer. Yes… yes, it could wait. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t talk to Vinyl from the window tomorrow, or— Octavia paused, half-turned away from the street. Her eyes had gone up, and so she saw the moon. She stared at it for several seconds, body stiff and mind blank. At last, with ears flat and head low, she turned back for the path. To the most insulated elites, this area pressed against the cliffs of the Lonely Mountain was referred to as the ‘bad side of town,’ even though it was visibly no different from any other neighborhood in the Upper Level. A number of cocktail lounges dotted the area and at least three specialty wine brewers lined the very first street. The only business Octavia might have called ‘shady’ was the extract shop on the corner, its windows tinted black to prevent wandering eyes from gazing upon what she imagined were rows upon rows of poison joke products, perhaps not all legal to sell within the city limits. A few of the stores were still open, with young ponies wandering about or talking in small groups nearby. A few were drinking right from their bottles and Octavia saw more than a few with extract sticks, the smoke rising into the air to act as cover for their raucous laughter. The majority were around Octavia’s age or younger, youths who thought they were being rebellious or avant-garde because they knew how to puff on a stick. If they knew what rebellious young ponies did in the Lower Levels – or even Octavia’s hometown of Trottingham – they would slink home in embarrassment of their own lackluster performances. Octavia had never been the kind to get into that kind of trouble, but her brother Chalk Board… A wolf whistle brought her out of her daydream. She spotted a trio of stallions eyeing her and promptly retreated down the street. Her stomach tied in knots and cheeks burned at the cat calls, but she held her head high and took on her high-brow manner. Hopefully they’d think her stand-offish and not pursue. She was glad to reach her destination, a squat building that seemed to be hiding between two of its larger kin while pressing tight against the mountain. Above the plain front entrance was a darkly lit sign, The Lonely Beat. The door was guarded by a bouncer, a tall and imposing green unicorn in a black suit and sporting a frown as hard as his face. Octavia walked right past the doors. It took a great force of will to make herself stop, and a little more yet to turn around. Butterflies flitted in her belly as she avoided looking directly at the bouncer. How to approach? What to say? Should she say anything? Maybe it would be better to just go home. She shook her head with force; she’d already come all this way! Steeling herself, she approached the door. The bouncer wasn’t blocking the entrance, but by the way he leveled his hard eyes on her it was clear he’d do so if she tried to go in. “You don’t look like the usual clientele. Ya got a name?” His gruff voice matched his appearance perfectly. She flinched at his tone. “O-Octavia Melody.” His horn glowed dimly and a small clipboard rose from the vest of his coat. He flipped a couple pages, Octavia fidgeting and wondering if this wasn’t a mistake. “Well, you’re on the list.” Her head jerked up. “I am?” “Yep.” The clipboard slipped back under his vest as he nodded for the door. “Go on ahead.” “Oh… uh, thanks.” Octavia promptly went through the door, her mind running circles as it tried to make sense of this. Her ears were instantly assaulted by a pounding beat. She was in a stairwell going down and lit by dim lights in the walls that flickered like candles. She began to descend, barely able to hear her own hoofsteps over the constant thumping. The passage was small, almost claustrophobic in the dark. With every step the beat got louder, the synthetic tones washing over her like an audio wave determined to drown out all thought and logic. It felt almost poisonous to her mind, yet also seductive. She ground her teeth and put great effort in not letting her tail swish to the beat. Then Octavia reached the bottom and found herself staring at a seething, writhing mass of flesh. Legs, tails, manes, sweat, smoke and the fierce scent of hard liquor all combined in a sickening entity before her wide eyes. In the spinning lasers and flashing lights, she finally came to understand that what she was looking at was an army of ponies on a dance floor… if anything they were doing could even be remotely referred to as ‘dancing.’ Octavia stood in the entranceway for some time, just staring at them. It was downright disgusting, the way they ground against one another. Their bouncing matched the rhythm, but everything else they were doing was blasphemous to her sense of propriety; the touching, the lewd looks, how they kissed randomly for no apparent reason save perhaps to do it. It all progressed under a blanket of smoke that left the room reeking. Octavia was tempted to bolt. The emotional intensity of the place frightened her and she found herself gasping for air. She turned for the stairs, took two steps— Something caught her by the shoulders. She jumped as if the touch were electric and tried to flee, but whoever had her didn’t let go. Somepony was speaking, but the voice was drowned out in the din. Panic began to fill Octavia at the very thought of getting caught in that wretched hive of sin and she lashed out, elbowing her aggressor in the shoulder. That was enough to let her break free. “Octavia!” She stumbled and almost fell on the bottom steps of the metal stairs. She turned about swiftly, eyes wide and heart pounding. An electric blue mane. Pale coat. “V-Vinyl?” Vinyl was rubbing her shoulder as she studied Octavia through narrowed eyes. Her horn shone and her sunglasses rose from the floor to settled on top of it. She approached and set a hoof on Octavia’s shoulder and shouted, her voice barely audible. “What are you doing here?” Octavia’s lips worked soundlessly as her eyes went back to that multi-ponied monstrosity on the dance floor. All she could do was shake her head. Vinyl studied her for a couple seconds with a taught frown, but finally nodded and pressed Octavia towards the stairs. They climbed up together, Vinyl’s leg over Octavia’s trembling shoulder. The music continued to pound in Octavia’s ears and the smoke seemed to follow them all the way, carrying with it the hideous stench of sweat and arousal. They reached the door, and when it opened Octavia could swear she felt wind on her back. She spilled out, feeling just a little like a dragon had just spit her onto the Canterlot pavement. Trotting out to the road, she sucked in fresh air and the poison in her mind gave way to a calm, pristine night. She promptly dropped to her haunches, chest heaving as her moment of near-panic faded. “You okay?” She looked up to find Vinyl watching her with a hoof on her shoulder. “Y-yeah… I think I’ll be fine now.” “Good.” Vinyl’s frown became a glare. “What the hay are you doing here? What were you thinking?” Octavia stared at her hooves and felt the butterflies coming back, but now for entirely different reasons. “I was looking for my Celestia.” “What?” “Nothing.” She sighed and shook her head. “I thought I’d come by and listen to your music. I read your material, but I still didn’t understand how we were supposed to make a song together.” “You mean you came all the way out here in the middle of the night just to listen to my songs?” Vinyl gaped at first, but then shook her head. “That’s… Octy, you didn’t need to do that.” “Yes, I did.” Octavia turned to her, head and ears low. “I felt so guilty. A promise was made, and then I ignored it for a whole week. Then this morning I was forced to admit that and I realized it was wrong of me that I was avoiding you and… and… I just felt so guilty.” “Calm down.” The hoof on her shoulder made her jump, and she realized her breathing had become erratic. She shook her head and wrapped her legs about her shoulders with a shiver. “I’m sorry, I d-don’t know what came over me.” She allowed herself a few moments to get her breathing back under control. “Hey, look at me.” Vinyl was smiling. It was a sweet smile, the kind that almost never touched her lips. “I get it, Octy. We were roomies for four years. I know how your mind works.” She patted Octavia’s shoulder. “To be honest, the fact that you came out here is amazing. I’m touched.” Octavia’s ears rose just a fraction. “Really?” Vinyl tapped the side of Octavia’s head with a grin. “Super-homebody drags her flank out of the safety of her apartment and comes all the way to the bad side of town in an attempt to make up for a slight that only exists in her head? Yeah, really.” “B-but I thought you were mad at me,” Octavia confessed. “The way you talked this morning—” “Aaaah, don’t worry about that.” Vinyl bumped Octavia’s shoulder playfully with her own, making her flinch. “Like I said, I know you. If I don’t give you a push every now and then, you won’t do anything. It was just a little motivation.” Octavia sighed, the butterflies in her stomach finally finding someplace else to flutter. “All that fretting over nothing.” She glanced back at the door, the bouncer eyeing them curiously. “Vinyl, how do you work in a place like that every night?” “That? That’s nothing.” Vinyl waved a dismissive hoof. “You should see what goes on at the clubs on the Lower Level. I could tell you some crazy stories! Those ponies are whack.” “Come on,” she said as Octavia let out a long yawn, “let’s get you home.” “Oh? But don’t you have to work?” “Nah.” Vinyl turned to the bouncer. “Hey Beau, could ya go let Girly know that MC Candy can take over the rest of my shift? She needs the bits more than I do anyway.” The bouncer offered a half-hearted salute before disappearing inside. “See? Nothing to it.” Vinyl tugged on Octavia’s tail and gestured down the road. “Come on, little lady. It’s way past your bedtime.” “I’m a year older than you,” Octavia grumbled, but did as she was told. They walked in silence. It gave Octavia a chance to assess her situation, and the first thing she noticed was how incredibly tired she was. Her legs almost dragged on the bricks and her posture was low. Funny, she hadn’t felt so worn out before. Perhaps it was that terrible place she’d just visited. It was so energetic, so loud, so… wild. She shivered at the memory, having absolutely no intention of ever visiting Vinyl’s place of business again. All Octavia wanted to do was forget what she’d seen and heard and smelled. Vinyl was glancing about the road as if not sure what to look at. After a while she looked to her companion. Not at her eyes, but at Octavia’s chest. “So… um, I know it looks bad. What you heard back there? That’s not my music, y’know? I just DJ for the place.” She scuffed the bricks and looked away. “It certainly wasn’t good,” Octavia grumbled, eyes on her hooves. “It’s not bad.” Vinyl stole a quick, wide eyed glance at Octavia. “N-not that I’m saying I make music like that, I mean. That was trance and techno. Those ponies aren’t the audience for my albums, y’know?” “I don’t know, Vinyl.” Octavia shook her head and wouldn’t look her friend in the face. “I’m not sure this idea of yours will work.” “It will!” Vinyl slipped a little closer and lowered her head, trying to catch Octavia’s eye. “I promise. Come by my place, you’ll see. That’s not the kind of music I make. I only DJ there.” “You said that already.” For a moment Vinyl was silent again, but then she moved in front of Octavia and sat before her. She grabbed Octavia’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “Please, Octavia. Give me a chance to show you. That’s all I ask. Please.” They stared into one another’s eyes for a long time. Octavia wondered if this was how Luna felt sometimes while dealing with her sister. She felt that this cause was hopeless… and yet, as she was struck by those imploring red eyes, she couldn’t help but crack under an unfamiliar and not altogether welcome pressure. “Okay.” Vinyl’s ears perked and a grin spread across her face. “Really?” “Yes.” Octavia smiled back, but it was a feeble one. “I’ll try. I can’t promise to go all the way with this idea, but I’ll give it a shot.” “Yes!” Vinyl hoof-pumped and embraced Octavia, who promptly stiffened and locked her legs lest she push the pony away. “Sorry.” Vinyl backed away with a chuckle and a blush. “S-sorry, got carried away. You won’t regret this, Octy, I swear!” Octavia relaxed, shaking off the unpleasant contact. She might have frowned if she weren’t abruptly assaulted by a deep yawn. “We shall see. Can we please go home now? I hear my sheets calling my name.” “You got it!” Vinyl bounded about like a schoolfilly who just got asked out by her dream date. “Heck, I’ll carry you if ya want!” Octavia couldn’t resist a chuckle at that mental image. “No, thank you, I think my legs can handle the journey just fine.” They pressed on through the Canterlot night for home. Vinyl was all energy and excitement, and Octavia tried to remain cheerful. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was wading into dangerous territory.