Dame Vinyl

by Majin Syeekoh

Enter Lunarian

Octavia sat at her table at Donut Joe's, a local coffeeshop. She nervously sipped on her latte, looking around for her guest. The weather outside was sunny, thanks to the Pegasus Weather Patrol. She then saw Rarity approach. She sipped again, cradling the cup in her hooves to calm herself down. She didn't want to appear unladylike, after all. The purple maned mare approached her table.

"Are you...Octavia?" she asked, affecting a Mid-Canterlot accent. That accent has to be purposefully cultivated, Octavia noted to herself.

"Yes, I am," Octavia said, "would you like to join me?"

"Well, that's what I came for, isn't it?" Rarity said as she sat down, calling out, "could I have a five-shot caramel macchiato, please?"

"Coming up!" Donut Joe, the stallion behind the counter called back.

"Nice bowtie, by the way," Rarity said, "it amazes me how so little could do so much. I mean, my dresses are usually lavish affairs...but the bowtie works for you."

"Thank you," Octavia said primly, smiling inwardly at the compliment.

Rarity smiled as her drink was served to her, nodding her thanks to Donut Joe. She sipped it, a visible tingle going through her body as she did so. "Whoever invented caffeine should be given a medal. I couldn't get through my day without it!"

"Agreed," Octavia stated, sipping her latte.

"So Vinyl-"

"Dame Vinyl-"

"What? Oh-"

"Sorry, force of habit," Octavia said, grinning sheepishly, "she insists on being addressed as such. It's really getting on my nerves..."

"Titles are important," Rarity said crisply, "you of all ponies should know that,"

"I do," Octavia stated, "it's just that ever since she became Knight Commander, she hasn't shut up about it,"

"You know, that sounds like the opposite of my friend, Twilight Sparkle-"

"You mean Princess Celestia's personal protege?"

"The very same. When she ascended to Princesshood, she insisted we not call her 'Princess Twilight Sparkle' no matter however much we insisted upon it."

"From what I hear, she's a very powerful...alicorn, I guess. Vinyl told me that she was the conduit for that massive energy blast that sealed Sephiroth on the moon."

"Yes, and she almost gave out a few times. When the spell was complete, she passed out for three days."

Octavia shuddered at that. She was very happy being an earth pony.

"Well, it seems Canterlot's recovering nicely, barring certain exceptions..." Rarity said, motioning at the hole in the ceiling.

"Well, there's a funny story about that, you see. When Donut Joe came back to the store, all of his plates and glassware were vaporized...rumors say it was due to the sheer force of one of Princess Celestia's bucks. He had to spend a lot of bits on that."

"Well," Rarity said, sipping her coffee, another twitch vibrating through her being, "I should think that the Princess would be more than willing to recoup the costs if he just asked her,"

Octavia spit her coffee back into her cup at that remark. "Rarity, most ponies don't have the same...access to Royalty that you do. I've only spoken to Prince Blueblood on occasion, and that's only because he's my biggest patron."

Rarity snorted. "Twit."

Octavia giggled. "I agree."

Rarity chortled. "You know what he did to me? He made me pay for his food, used my cloak as a bridge over a puddle, then had the gall to use me as a cake shield! I got the last laugh, though, when I shook it all over him! Ha, I say!"

"I know, I saw that." Octavia said, "He tries hitting on me all the time, even though I've made it quite clear to him that I'm into mares.
He is a disgusting, boorish pig of a pony, and you certainly gave him his..." Octavia started giggling uncontrollably.

"Gave him what, dear?"

Octavia's giggling turned into chortling. "His...JUST DESSERTS!" and then they both broke out into hearty laughter after that, quickly collecting themselves after they realized they were attracting glares from the other patrons around them.

"Well then, now that we've had our fun, how about we go back to my place? I have certain questions I'd like to ask you in private..." Octavia intoned.

"Well, I'd be delighted! Lead the way!" Rarity said as she chugged the rest of her macchiato. Octavia cringed as a visible tingle thrummed through Rarity's body.

----

Octavia unlocked the door to her apartment, Rarity in tow. She opened it to complete blackness. She reached for the light-

"Don't touch that!" A voice called from the darkness.

"Why not, Vinyl-"

"Dame Vinyl," Vinyl corrected her, "titles are important!"

"Much agreed, Dame Vinyl," Rarity said, closing the door behind her, "but why the darkness?"

"Oh, you'll see," Vinyl said wickedly. Just then, a low thrum swept through the room, "Introducing...the Dame of Dubstep...the Knight Commander of Nightcore...DJ-Pon-3!" as the shadow of a unicorn was cast in the black and a torrential downpour of wubs descended upon the apartment, causing Rarity and Octavia to cover their ears. Vinyl then switched on the lights and turned off the dubstep. "So, what did you think of my new intro?" Vinyl asked with a grin.

"It was very...energetic..." Octavia offered.

"Well, I thought it was quite regal, to be honest, Dame Vinyl," Rarity opined. A loud knocking was heard at the door.

"I'll get it!" Vinyl shouted, "it's probably for me," she said as she opened the door, revealing a very angry orange stallion with a green mane, "Ah, Syko, how-"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LOUD YOU ARE, VINYL-"

"That's Dame Vinyl to you," Vinyl affected.

"Dame... Vinyl?" Syko asked.

"Yes, that's Dame Vinyl, Knight Commander of the Royal Equestrian Empire," Vinyl replied, "and a dear personal friend of Princess Celestia, to boot!"

Syko looked nonplussed, "Ok, have a nice day..." he said as he closes the apartment door ever so gently. Vinyl turned to her friends and grinned, "so what do you think of THAT?"

"I noticed that you failed to inform him that your title is purely ceremonial, Vinyl-"

"Dame Vinyl," Rarity corrected her. Octavia shot her a dirty look. "What? Titles are important." Vinyl nodded at that.

"You go, girl!" Vinyl cheered.

"Well, anyway," Octavia said quickly, "Rarity, I'd like you to come to my room with me. Now if you'll come this way..."

"No funny business, you two!" Vinyl called out to them, "and that goes double for you, Rarity, seeing as how Octavia is technically my property-"

"Shut up, Vinyl-"

"Dame Vinyl-"

"I KNOW!" Octavia shouted as she slammed the door behind her.

Rarity looked around the room. It was simple. A bed, a dresser, a closet, a mirror, a window, and a cello case in the corner. Octavia was standing by the door, fiddling with her hooves. Rarity was starting to get uncomfortable, so she spoke up.

"Darling, whatever are we doing in your room?"

Octavia had a pleading look on her face as she said, "Well, I was wondering, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, if you could..."

"Well, out with it, then-"

"I want you to sing your Lunarian music so that I can play alongside it!" Octavia shot out.

Rarity looked bemused. "Vinyl told you that I'm a Soosi, huh..."

"Pardon?"

"Lunarian. When I get my hands on her I'm going to have to teach her a lesson on privacy..."

Octavia looked embarrassed, "I'm sorry, is that something to be kept private?"

Rarity frowned, "You wouldn't understand, being a Canterlot Celestian. Back in Ponyville, I kept it a secret to avoid prejudice-"

Octavia looked confused, "But Equestria was built on harmony-"

"Not when you're thought to be in league with Nightmare Moon, it isn't,"

"But you don't seem to have been run out of town...in fact, Vinyl tells me your business is booming!"

"Well, I suppose I might have underestimated the power of friendship there-"

"But I heard you sing! Everypony heard you sing!"

Rarity looked bemused yet again, "When would you have heard me singing?"

"Over Canterlot! Through Vinyl's infernal contraption!"

Rarity chuckled, "That was my sister Sweetie Belle you heard, not me. I'm sorry..."

Octavia looked down, then back up, "If your sister knows the songs, then you do, too!" Octavia said with resolve as she removed her cello from it's case and propped it up, taking a standard position, "Sing for me, Rarity!"

Rarity looked down, unsure of what to do. She then looked up and nodded.

Al hanissin, v'al hapurkan-

Rarity stuttered as she heard the cello.

"Keep going," Octavia assured her, "I'm just here for accompaniment,"

With that, Rarity continued.

V'al ha'gvurot v'al ha'tshuot
V'al hamilkhamot sheasitah, sheasitah lavoteinu
Bayamim hahem(bayamim hahem)
Bayamim hahem(bayamim hahem)
Bayamim hahem, ba'zman hazeh, ba’zman hazeh

Rarity sighed as the cello winded down, repeating the last phrase.

"So, what do you think?" Rarity asked, "I mean, I'm certainly no Sweetie Belle, but I think I do hold my own..."

"I thought it was beautiful," Octavia said with tears in her eyes, "I have no idea what the Lunarian was, but the tune itself spoke to me of hope. Not fleeting hope, like of wanting a certain patron to sponsor you, but of a true, deep hope of those who had been enslaved from being their true selves, of having to hide the beauty in their souls which can only be let out through song." Octavia sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes, "That was a prayer, wasn't it?"

"Um, yes. How did you happen to divine that?"

"It was the deliberate tone with which you sang it in, as if it were hammered into your head by years of rote, as opposed to a song somepony might sing out of the blue. Could you tell me what it means?"

Rarity was set off guard by the earth pony's piercing analysis, but went on. "You weren't that far off the mark. It's actually about miracles. It says, ' We thank you also for the miracles,​ for the redemptio​n, for the mighty deeds and saving acts, wrought by you, as well as for the wars which you waged for our fathers in days of old, at this season.'"

Octavia sat on her haunches, taken aback by the translation. "What a sorry state their civilization must have been in to be thankful for war, even in the past tense. You realize that this prayer predates Equestria by a large margin..."

"How do you figure?" Rarity asked.

"Equestria hasn't really seen war. The best example that comes to mind is the Changeling Invasion, but that wasn't really a war. Most major battles in Equestria are just that, battles. Wars are long, horrid drawn out affairs that sap a nation's resources to their breaking points."

"How do you know all this?" Rarity asked worriedly.

"I studied Pre-Equestrian civilization. When Equestria was formed, they instituted a proxy system for war that sent out champions to fight on a nation's behalf. And since Equestria has a God-Empress, we haven't really seen any competition."

"I see. Shall we try another song, then?"

Octavia got up into playing position and nodded. Rarity began singing, Octavia playing along.

Col od b'levav penimia
Nefesh Yehudi homiah
Ulfa'atey mizrach kadima
Ayin l'tziyon tzofiah
Od lo avdah tikvateinu
Hatikva bat shnot alpayim
Li'hiyot am chofsi b'artzeinu
Eretz tziyon v'Yerushalayim
Li'hiyot am chofsi b'artzeinu
Eretz tziyon v'Yerushalayim

Octavia repeated the last phrase again as Rarity finished, tears welling up in Octavia's eyes yet again.

"So...beautiful..." Octavia mused, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I suppose you'll be wanting the translation. Well, here it is-"

"Wait," Octavia said, holding up a hoof, "I just want to bask in the song for a little bit," as she softly played the end of the song yet again, "ok, I'm ready,"

"Well, then. The translation:' As long as deep in the heart,

The soul of a Jew yearns,

And forward to the East

To Zion, an eye looks

Our hope will not be lost,

The hope of two thousand years,

To be a free nation in our land,

The land of Zion and Jerusalem.'"

Octavia mused, "No wonder they were praising war before, these poor souls didn't have a land to call their own! And it's no mystery why their music is so beautiful...home is where the heart is, as they say, and they also say music comes from the heart. Their proverbial home must have been their music, which leads me to peg them as nomads, but these songs are older than Equestria, which leads to a very strong oral tradition, which would make them learned, or at least their elders...but nomadic lifestyles don't really lend themselves to the types of ponies one would consider 'learned'...oooh, this is so confusing!"

Rarity stared at Octavia, worry taking over her face, "You're beginning to sound like a socially adept Twilight...why don't you get some rest, I'll see myself out and we can meet up tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Octavia said, playing back the first song on her cello, "g'night..."

"Very well, good night." Rarity said as she left the apartment, leaving Octavia to her musing.