With gentle hooves, I remove the newly recorded vinyl from my suitcase. I turn about, trot across my foyer, and lay it out on the kitchen table before the mares.
Twilight Sparkle and her friends lean forward.
"OooOooOooOooh!" Pinkie coos. Her nostrils flare, and she smiles stupidly. "Fresh baked musical goodness! Heeheehee!"
"You... you made this all on your own?" Fluttershy asks.
"Well, naturally," Remarks Lyra, standing on the sidelines. "Even when she did mixes in my studio, I always felt just like an observer."
"This is outstanding, darling!" Rarity gapes at the other ponies, then at me. "All this time... you've been channeling your emotions and feelings into a brand new masterpiece!"
"None of us have even heard it yet, Rarity," Rainbow drones.
"Pffft!" Rarity tilts her chin up. "An artist can sense the aura of true genius from a fellow producer of creative expression, Rainbow. Besides..." She turns to look my way with a delicate grin, eyelashes batting. "I do believe I know who and what inspired her..."
I smile back at the mare.
"Vinyl..."
I turn to look at the princess.
Twilight Sparkle gazes back. "Is this what you were talking about earlier?"
I nod softly.
"Care to fill us in, Twilight?" Applejack remarks.
"Of course." Twilight paces across my apartment. "More than anything, Vinyl Scratch would like to have Octavia Melody listen to this album. Even if it's just a single piece of it! A sample!" She turns towards me, squinting. "And it's up to us to make sure this happens."
Bon Bon and Lyra exchange a soft glance.
I gulp hard. Nodding.
"But... like... why?" Rainbow Dash rubs her forelimbs together pensively. "I mean... I-I'm all for helping Vinyl make it happen! But... how's this going to help things in any way?"
"Silly Dashie!" Pinkie sticks her tongue out. "Music is medicine for the soulllll suck! Heehee!"
"It's... not that simple," Twilight remarks. "So don't feel bad for asking, Rainbow. If you must know... getting Octavia to hear the music is just one step. Two of three."
"What's the third step?" Applejack asks.
Twilight turns around. "That will be up to Vinyl Scratch. It would seem as though she has a plan in motion. What's up to us will be Step Number One."
"Uhm..." Fluttershy squints. "And that is?"
Twilight paces about. "Getting Octavia to come here."
"You mean so she can hear the music'n'such?" Applejack inquires.
"Exactly."
"That... uhhh..." Bon Bon winces. "That won't be very easy." She looks at me with a sad expression. "Tavi made it rather obvious that she... n-never wanted to come back to Ponyville ever again." She sniffles, hanging her head. "I still f-feel bad for losing sight of her."
My lips purse. I trot over and rest a hoof on Bon Bon's shoulder. When she looks up, I nuzzle her, and she smiles slightly—her eyes moist.
"Well, not to sound cold-hearted..." Rarity leans back, folding her forelimbs. "But I know a melodramatic temper-tantrum when I see one!" She snorts. "Somewhere inside that mare is a pony who wants and needs help! It is simply up to us to appeal to that soft spot!"
"Ugh..." Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes. "Please. You've got it all wrong."
"Huh?"
Rainbow smirks. "Look. I've had my off days." She fidgets slightly. "Mmmm... even my off months." She shrugs it off and continues. "Anyways, the one true cure for making a pony feel better is giving them a chance to be awesome again!"
"But Octavia is awesome!" Lyra states.
"Reckon she may not be feelin' that right now," Applejack says. "I'm with RD here. We gotta appeal to what she knows she's good at. Awaken that part inside her and use it to draw her back home." She smirks at the rest of us. "And we all know that this here is Tavi's true home, right?"
I nod vehemently.
"So then..." Twilight shuffles across the foyer, thinking aloud. "...we find something that will draw Octavia to Ponyville. We get her to hear some of Vinyl's new music like she asks. Then Vinyl will take the third and last step to reach out to Tavi—in the way that only she knows best."
"But just will bring Octavia back?" Fluttershy fidgets. "Maybe..." A slight smile. "Her love for Scribbler?"
Lyra drones, "If that was the case, wouldn't she have returned already?"
"Yeah..." Bon Bon nods. "This has to be something that's held a special part in Tavi's heart long before she even moved in here."
Lyra looks across the apartment at me. "Obviously Vinyl knows her best. If anypony can put together a list of things, it's her."
I tap my chin in thought.
"Yeah... but... like..." Rainbow gestures. "She can't even friggin' talk! How's she supposed to lure Octavia back?"
"Hmmmmm..." Twilight squints into the shadows. Suddenly, she brightens, and she pivots about. "Pinkie Pie!"
"Moshi moshi?"
Twilight smirks slyly. "Just how quickly could you throw together a party..." Her brow furrows. "A perfect party that would speak directly to Octavia's inner essence?"
"Huh..." Pinkie looks between Twilight and me. "So stop me if I'm galloping too far ahead." She points. "You want me... to work with everypony's favorite mute... to come up with the most ultimate invite to put all other invites to shame?"
"That would seem to be the case, darling," Rarity says with a nod.
Pinkie blinks. With a wicked grin, she pulls a red bandanna out of nowhere and wraps it around her forehead. "Baby..." She grips a pen in her muzzle like a pirate's dagger and holds up stationery. "I was born for this moment! Rrrrgh!"