*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*...Octavia...*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*
A gentle breeze flowed through, pushing just hard enough to skew my hair off to the side and annoy me in the slightest. The breeze was complemented by the comforting shine of the rising sun in the distance that gave my body just enough shade to be completely covered. The sky itself was filled with warm colors that all seemed to blend into a single shade that circled around the glowing sun. I myself was sitting under an umbrella outside of a cafe, simply staring off into the painting worthy scene that I could have watched for an hour or so.
Bu that wasn't going to happen.
I hadn't come here on a whim; last night when I got back from the bar, someone had apparently came by my apartment looking for me and gave a note to the desk mare. When I myself got the note I found it was from Beauty, asking me to come meet her here in the morning for something that she called "too urgent to write down".
Admittedly I was worried at first, but Vinyl managed to calm me down with a bit of effort. She said that it couldn't have been anything bad, as I hadn't done anything directly to Beauty. True as it was, most of my worry wasn't for my sake, but for Vinyl's.
Despite Beauty having gotten to the point that petty insults were no longer a commodity, I doubt she would be willing to drop Vinyl's case as my roommate so easily.
I stopped myself from thinking on it and let out a shaky sigh.
"There she is." A familiar, masculine, voice piped, startling me slightly.
I turned to see Harpo leading the way over to my table, smile shining, with Beauty following close behind him.
"Well if he's here I know that Beauty won't go too far. I thought, letting out a small smile at the sight of the two.
I got up and gave them both hugs before they settled down at the table with me. Harpo seeming to carry the mood for both of them while Beauty sat surprisingly silent; only adding into the conversation when called on. At first I ignored it, but as the conversation grew and she continued to stare at seemingly nothing I began to get a bit curious as to what could be rendering her so silent.
"So Beauty," I started, waiting for the jump of her brows as a sign of attention.
"you said we needed to talk? Something that was too urgent to write down?" Despite my questioning tone, it was more of a statement.
"Oh, yes." She said plainly.
I briefly wondered on what it was that could have gotten her this worked up - enough to put her so far off her typical mood that she was thinking hard enough to not talk. Had she found something out about Vinyl? Was I right to have assumed the worse? Or maybe it was something not quite as extreme; maybe she had only found rumors of Vampires.
"It's about your involvement with the Symphony." She said suddenly.
"What?" Was all I could say; I hadn't expected that of all things to be the topic.
"W-what about it?" I stammered, cautious of the waters I was now treading into.
"Well," She seemed to turn meek and began prodding her hooves together while avoiding my gaze. "it's just that you haven't really came to practice in more than the two weeks of sick and vacation days available to you and the conductor was beginning to get a bit annoyed by just leaving the seat open."
She stopped her prodding and her gaze dropped even more.
"He even announced that he was considering removing you." She mumbled.
I was frozen at this point, I couldn't even think of a way to react.
She finally raised her head to meet my eyes.
"I managed to get him to hold off his decision yesterday and told him I would try to get you to meet him this afternoon at one." She said solemnly.
It was eleven as of right now.
Thank-" I began to thank her, but she cut me off.
"Don't thank me. I don't care that you aren't showing up to practice - if you wanted to quit I would be fine with that and wouldn't stop you - but I know that the reason you're not showing up is because of that mare." She was beginning to get venomous, and Harpo but his hoof on her shoulder to calm her.
It worked; her nostrils flaring as she inhaled sharply in a vain attempt to calm herself.
"I'm not going to argue about this; show up or don't, I did this because I still have respect for you despite your dumb decision to house that pest."
My eyes narrowed on her.
I began to realize that not everyone had seen what Vinyl had done in the forest; it was limited to me, Vinyl and Shakes and her sister. In Canterlot's eyes she was still some lowly, forgettable street mare. It was angering, but I knew I had to keep quiet about it for all of us. She had saved me, but was still considered a pest.
Beauty got up after that, not another sentence muttered except for "I'll be waiting outside".
Once she had left, Harpo let out a sigh and turned to me.
"Sorry about that, she's still a bit torn up about that mare. I'm a bit amazed to tell you the truth; be happy she isn't putting as much effort into making her miserable as she is finding out new insults for her." He smirked.
"I see." I said curtly.
"Still, you should honestly consider seeing the conductor this afternoon; most of the orchestra is coming to see if you show...and if you don't, to take your place." He said gravely, letting his words sink in before getting up and heading towards the door himself.
A sigh of my own drifted from my mouth. It was too early for this nonsense, I hadn't even ate breakfast and I already had blackmail placed on me. And now with that blackmail, I wouldn't get any breakfast; assuming I was going to make sure I was still first chair suitable in two hours.
"Miss?"
In all honesty though, she didn't have to be so offensive about Vinyl; I hadn't even spoken to her much this morning and she was already on that case again. I had hoped she had grown up and let it pass by now.
"Miss?"
Speaking of Vinyl, I still had some questions for her from last night since Shakes was a bit evasive of my prying mind. I had brought up The Order once to her, but she seemed to laugh it off and escape me by drinking with Vinyl until she was too drunk to tell her left from her right. Either way, I was sure Vinyl would be a bit more inclined to tell me.
"Miss!"
I shook a bit as I turned to face one flustered looking barista.
"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I was bit a lost in thought..." I trailed off, not bothering to speak too much.
"That's fine, but I'd just like to know what you would like to order." She said simply, obviously still a bit annoyed, as she readied her pen and notepad.
I smiled sheepishly.
"I've actually got to be getting somewhere. Thank you." I said curtly, getting out of my chair and making for the door before she could form a comment.
I could only imagine her either dumbfounded or angered look.
*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*
"She said what?" A voice from the living room asked, tired and slurred slightly.
I sighed at having to repeat myself again.
"She said that I need to be at the orchestra today at one or else I'll lose my place as cellist. Which also means I'll lose my income." I said, placing a bag of tea inside a batch of boiling water before trotting into the living room to see the collapsed white form that was Vinyl.
She actually sat up after she hear me say that, maybe that time it actually got through to her.
"Sounds like fun! I've never gotten to see you preform that much, so this'll be a treat; When is it?" She asked, the excitement rising in her voice by the second.
"A-are you sure about that Vinyl?" I stammered, imagining what might happen if Beauty met with Vinyl again. I thought back on the first time, when Beauty actually managed to make her run off into the streets for a day or so.
I shivered at the thought of that happening again.
"Of course I'm sure. I'm pretty much the reason you're even at risk of you're spot aren't I?" She asked, almost sounding rhetorical for once.
I mustered a smile.
I sighed and took a seat next to her, thinking hard as silence began dominating the room.
"I was worried at first she had found out about you..." I spoke suddenly.
She raised her brow at me, cocked with perplexity.
"About my what?"
Her innocence had yet to stop amazing me and brought a small smirk to my face.
"You being a vampire Vinyl, what else?" I asked, not realizing how broad that question could have been.
"Well, that would've sucked if she did..." She said, ending it at that; but I took this as the opportunity to bring up another question.
"Would she have sent those ponies after you?" I asked, my tone had lost most of it's amusement by now and seemed to be as slate as stone.
"Who?"
I could tell she knew who I was talking about.
"Those ponies that we saw in the forest; the ones you attacked before almost attacking me. The ones that were called "The Order" or something along those lines." I thought my knowledge of them would have at least put Vinyl off int he slightest, but she only put her hoof to her chin as if trying to remember them.
"Or maybe she doesn't" I inwardly sighed.
"Oh yeah!" She said, proud of herself for remembering. "She may have though, I'm not really sure how popular she is on the streets."
The room went silent again; my eyes burning into her, begging her to say more about them. But she simply stared at the wall with the smallest of smiles on her lips. I hadn't a clue why she was smiling.
I decided to give her a moment of respite and go get my tea.
As I went into the kitchen and climbed up on my hind legs to get to the top cabinets where the tea cups lie I found my mind was rather set on finding out more. Vinyl seemed reluctant, something she normally isn't, and I was pressed to find out what could make even her a bit nervous to talk about. But more than anything I was starting to get a bit agitated with asking and I honestly think it was beginning to take a toll on my mood. Ever since Shakes avoided me I had been acting this way and I didn't want to take that out on Vinyl.
I grabbed the cups and brought them down to the table, pouring two cups, and walking back out to find that Vinyl hadn't moved an inch with the willingness to try and make gaining this information more of a privilege.
"Tea?"
"Can we do this after your performance thing? I'd rather not have this eating at you during that." Was she whining? On top of that, she gave me this look that was almost pleading, and I just couldn't find the will to say no.
Not only that, but she managed to read my intentions exactly.
"Fine," I sighed. "but you better tell me after that." I said, trying my hardest to sound happy with that as I picked up my tea cup.
She chuckled.
"You're cute when you get flustered Tavi." She smirked, seeing right through me.
I blushed a little and my grip unconsciously tightened on the cup in the slighest as I tried to avoid her gaze, despite it being hid behind her glasses. Though I may have gripped it a bit too tightly.
My hooves collapsed in on the cup, crushing through the delicate exterior, followed suite by the sound of shattering echoing through the room while pain shot through my hooves.
"Wh-what?" I stammered, cringing through the pain, looking to Vinyl for confirmation.
Her head peaked up from behind the couch that she now hid behind, only going up high enough so that the top rims of her glasses were showing. She had actually gotten scared enough from the sound to run for cover.
"H-how did.... I didn't-" I stammered more, only to be interrupted by Vinyl.
She chuckled, but stayed behind the couch like a filly hiding in a pillow fort.
"W-what?" I said, keying in on her laughter.
"Well, remember back at the castle? When the stallion gave you some vampiric traits?"
I nodded. I could remember it in bits and pieces, and fill in the places that I couldn't with what Vinyl had told me about it. I had always been a bit curious about that - with what that stallion was trying to do. He had said something about making new vampires and I wondered if I were his experiment.
"Well, I tried to get most of that stuff out of you. You kinda passed out though so I wasn't sure if it worked or not and I didn't want to drain much more or else you would've died."
"He said something about pure bloods being the only ones to make new vampires, right? So what was he doing?" I asked.
"Well, he's right on that one I think. I'm not really an expert on that stuff but from what I know it's that pure breeds are the only ones that can turn other ponies into real vampires. It looked like he was trying to get past that rule when he somehow transformed you; kinda like a pony with vampire traits."
"I wouldn't be too worried about a little bit of extra strength though, it might just be the last of the venom her messed with getting out of you and it should be over with by maybe a few days from now. That stuffs likes to stick around. He also said that your blood was still the same, so your still pony. If you started growing fangs, then we should probably be worried."
"So what about me?"
"Well, you basically just got a big dose of vampire tier steroids."
I was hardly even holding the tea cup as was, simply letting it rest on my hooves for the most part, but the second I had applied a little pressure the cup had broken.
I looked back at the shattered remains of the tea cup in my hooves, catching sight of the piece of porcelain caught in my hoof with a bit of red rimming around it. I pulled it out quickly, watching as the stream of red seemed to pulse from the wound.
I realized what exactly had happened and quickly looked to Vinyl, who seemed to not have picked up the scent. Either that or she was good at masking it.
"Hmm. We'll probably have to get you in control of that sometime soon; unless you're fine with breaking somepony's spine next time you pat them on the back." She said, looking at me as if I was considering it, only to be turned away by a quick shake of the head.
"Thought so." She murmured.
A thought hit me square in the face.
"Vinyl, how am I supposed to play? I'll break my cello!" I said, beginning to panic as I looked at my hooves that housed the remnants of my cup. "I-I'm going to lose my place in the orchestra..."
I felt a hoof on my back and found that Vinyl was beside me, leaning her head down with a big smile.
"Guess you're going to have to take me now." She gleamed.
"B-but how would that-"
I was cut short as she simply pointed to her horn.
"I'll play for you with my magic, you just rest your hoof on top of your string thingy and I'll make the music while your hoof just enjoys the ride." She said smoothly.
"String thingy? You mean the bow?" I asked.
"I guess." She shrugged, her nose twitching a little before she turned away and plopped back on the couch.
I looked at her for a while, sitting dumb founded at my sudden situation.
"Might wanna go get that cello of yours if you wanna make this look realistic." She said, smiling joyfully at me. "Try not to break it when you get it out."
*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*
The extent of my "strength" wasn't as extreme as I thought, though I knew that I wouldn't be able to play my cello without ruining all the strings of the bow with my first few pulls. Though it was significant enough to make getting onto my back two hooves easy enough that I fell on my back a few times. I suppose if I had actually been practicing for my Orchestra I would have noticed these strengths sooner, assuming they had been present since then. Vinyl also suggested not leaning too heavily on my cello at the fear of having it break under me.
Vinyl, as I found out, could be just as delicate and precise with her magic as she could be destructive; she matched the bow up with my hoof and moved it along in a way that looked at least somewhat normal.
She could also play very well considering the circumstances; though she never really played an actual piece of music since most of the time from when we began to now had simply been me adjusting my posture and balance so that holding my bow and my cello looked natural. I also noticed that standing on my hind legs hadn't rendered my sore despite doing this for nearly an hour and a half now. I was still unsure the extent to what Vinyl could do, or how she would hide her magical intervention from the others that were going to be present.
Vinyl herself had simply remained on the couch the entire time, seeming to nearly fall asleep every now and then while I adjusted. I guess she wasn't really supposed to be up at this hour by Vampire standards; though she wasn't exactly the average Vampire. Not to say I'm an expert though, so I wouldn't really know.
She finally let out a yawn and smacked her lips together.
"I think we're about done here, time to see if it was worth it." She said, raising up from the couch and trotting over to me with her horn sparking.
Her nonchalant attitude about this was almost unnerving.
She packed my cello and bow up with her magic, making quick and safe work of keeping them unscratched.
As I fell off my back hind legs, hitting the ground felt normal - like I had no extra strength at all. Vinyl said that I wouldn't have noticed since I was walking all the time, and I suppose that would make sense, but I would have at least expected to feel something different about how I walked. Like feeling lighter on my hooves or something.
As for my injured hoof, I had completely forgot about it. I had let it slip my mind in the confusion, but it didn't seem to harm anything but the neck of my cello, though blood can be washed off easy. And by now, the bleeding had stopped and a trip to the bathroom hid my hoof as if nothing had happened at all.
Vinyl levitated the case onto my back and made sure it was secure before trotting over to the door with me not far behind. My stomach was churning a little in nervous anticipation.
"Don't worry Tavi," Vinyl said suddenly, opening the door. "it's too late to worry, unless you'd rather just not go." She tempted, most likely knowing that I was still going to go regardless.
"You're not the one with your job on the line." I mumbled, closing the door as we stepped out into the hall.
"Well, maybe after this we can be jobless together." She said with authentic happiness.
"You're not helping Vinyl."