Octavia's Lesson

by Detrail

Chapter 5

Author's Note:

Warning: This story contains diapers, diaper usage, and AB/DL themes. If these do not appeal to you, then please do not read any further.

Vinyl aimlessly walked through her second floor hallway, musing over her plan. Shortly after Octavia’s departure she had turned off her music in order to concentrate, and began her thoughtful pace around her home. Okay. If I did this right, Tavi should have made it to Fluttershy’s a while ago. Those two should hit it off. Their personalities are about the same. Heck! For all I know they could be best buds by now. Vinyl, you are a genius! A huge grin displayed her excitement. Her thoughts complete, Vinyl idly stopped by the door just before Octavia’s room. The slight crack between the door and frame caught her attention. Whoops! I must have forgotten to close it after I left. I can’t have Tavi finding out about that. She hastily locked the door, thoughts of what would happen if Vinyl was to find out what was inside troubling her. Who knows what she would do to me?

Vinyl made her way back to the living room, drink in tow. She decided to wait for Octavia to get back and hopefully thank her. Lounging in her living room left Vinyl with feelings of boredom. Anticipating the look on Octavia’s face could not stop her mind from wandering, as she began to remember her youth. She thought about the days when she used to attend the Canterlot Music Academy. Her thoughts soon drifted onto her relationship with her former professor Frederick. Despite her excitement, her eyes grew heavy as she walked through the fog of her thoughts. Soon she was asleep.

***

“Ah, so you must be the prodigious Miss Vinyl Scratch, I have heard much about you. Welcome to the Canterlot Music Academy. I am Professor Frederick Horseshoepin, and I will be your personal instructor during your time here.” A light brown stallion with a white mane and emerald green eyes spoke, his voice amplified by the large auditorium he walked through. His cutie mark was fully visible; a pair of beamed reversed music notes, brown and black. He adjusted his red bow-tie as he reached the end of the corridor; a young filly stood before him and looked at the ground.

“Y-yes sir. I hope that I will live up to the standards of the academy and not disappoint you sir,” she said, her eyes focused on the red carpet that lined the floors. The filly had a white coat and a blue mane with lighter blue stripes running through it. On her flank was a newly acquired cutie mark not unlike that of the stallion. As she spoke, her voice and legs trembled.

The stallion looked sternly at the filly. “I would expect no less from you Miss Scratch. I was informed that you had recently acquired you cutie mark. Cherish it Miss Scratch. Cherish what you did at that moment, what you want to do now, and what you will do. Be proud, for today is the beginning of the rest of your life,” he finished. Yet through it all, the coldness of his tone remained.

“Yes sir,” she paused, before continuing. “I will never forget. And I am ready to begin studying under you as soon as possible,” the filly responded, never breaking her gaze with the ground. She was still uncertain, her mind filled with thoughts of the night that changed her life. The music she heard, and the excitement she felt. These were a constant reminder of what she loved. However, the way to achieve that love remained unclear to her. To her this academy seemed like the best chance she had of fulfilling her dreams.

“Very good, Miss Scratch. We shall begin your training tomorrow. Bright and early!” the stallion exclaimed, having turned around to leave mid-sentence, leaving the young filly lost in her thoughts and feeling empty inside.

Vinyl’s talent was apparent from a young age, known for being able to play many instruments with exceptional skill. Vinyl also developed quick mastery of the styles that were trending well. Her talent earned her an invitation and full scholarship to the academy, at a fairly young age. The excitement at this success and honor was great at first, but soon a different feeling took over. A discontinuity between the expectations of the academy, and her own expectations grew to a size that could not be ignored. Doing what the academy wanted without question was the only solution she found to her problems. Similar to a dog trained to be a tool for its master, she too became their personal instrument. No feeling or emotion filled her heart as she stood there playing on a stage for the amusement of the ponies. In her eyes they watched her as if she were a mere music box. The years passed, and Vinyl became exceptional at learning the many instruments she was expected to play. Her soulless obedience earned her notoriety in the academy, and the name Vinyl was well known within the upper circles of the Canterlot elite. Yet, the more praise she received, the more machine-like she felt. Vinyl neared the end of her instruction, and now a grown mare she began to ponder her life with more frequency.

Vinyl found herself staring blankly at her ceiling as she had begun doing with more frequency, her mind swimming in her sea of thought. How did it even reach this point? I used to love music so much as a filly, and now look at me. Her thoughts deepened as she rolled onto her side with a groan. Her mind began to scream at her with the many undeserved praises she had received. “Truly an inspiration to the students here.” “You exemplify what it means to be a true musician.” “You will be a great pony someday!” Her mind yelled at her, the noise filling her little head became too much. She lost control, and howled into the night in an attempt to alleviate her pain. “I AM JUST A JOKE! I am no better than the soulless instruments I play! What happened to me!” she despaired aloud, forcing herself into a pant.

As she collected her thoughts she recalled something her professor told her long ago. It was regarding her cutie mark, and what it really meant to her. That night was the happiest I had ever been in my entire life. The crowd may have been booing those guys out, but they looked like they were having so much fun. I want to have fun like that, I want to enjoy music. I want to… I want to see music like I did when I was little! Her thoughts reached a peak as she sat up in bed. Her mind was made up. I know what I have to do! He may not approve, but it’s finally time I stopped trying to please him, and think about what I want. She fell back onto her pillow in exhaustion, her outburst and racing mind giving way to a tired relaxation. Wow! This is the best I have felt in a long time. Vinyl looked over to the drawer on her night stand. I know I shouldn’t, she thought as she opened the bottom most drawer, but I want to. She looked intently at what was inside. “For the love of Celestia, I hope I grow out of this quickly,” she muttered. Then she was awake.

***

The loud sound of hooves assaulted Vinyl’s still fuzzy mind. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. That dream, she lamented, letting her thoughts fade as she tried to grasp the quickly fading memories. The thunderous sound of hooves grew, shaking Vinyl back from her distant state. “Argh! Who is that making all that noise!?” she yelled just as the door flew open, a winded Octave standing inside the doorway. “O-Octavia!? Are you okay?” Vinyl asked with concern. Octavia showed no signs of being aware of the question. The hyperventilation and chaos of the cello case and green bag hitting the ground, mixed with the slamming of a door. Octavia galloped into the living room, and with great abandon tossed herself onto the couch. She landed dead on, facing the hallway with her rear in the direction of the kitchen. She remained there motionless, her eyes closed and trembling.

Any thoughts of a successful plan left Vinyl’s mind, as she tried to find out what happened. “Hey! Octavia! Octavia, what’s up? Come on. I need you to tell me what happened,” Vinyl asked as she put a hoof on the silent and trembling mare. “Octavia, please. I need to know if you are okay.” There was no response to her question or gentle shaking of the mare. This continued for several minutes, with the hope of any response failing as the minutes went on. In a final desperate attempt to reach the distant pony before her, Vinyl decided to break a taboo. “Tavi. You can talk to me. Please tell me what’s wrong.” Octavia opened her once clenched eyes, those exact words piercing the barrier Octavia surrounded herself with.

The fog that once filled Octavia’s mind coalesced into memories and thoughts of her home. I missed you, mom. I am so sorry. I was just having so much fun. I didn’t mean to disappoint you. Her hooves reached out on their own accord, and made contact with something as she tried to pull it into an embrace. She began to cry, “Please don’t go. I promise I will do better.” Two hooves wrapped around her, finishing the embrace. Her face went flush, and a smile grew as warmth filled her. Her emotions overflowed, and her crying intensified. She cried without rest, stopping only for sharp intakes of air her burning lungs demanded. The wetness of her tears soaked her fur, and cooled the warmth of her cheeks. A hoof began to stroke her mane. She concentrated on the slow pace, and her breathing became deeper and slower to match. Soon her crying stopped, and only calmness remained. Those memories drifted away, and her eyes once again perceived the world outside. The rosy mist clouding her perception vanished, and the dawning realization of her situation caused her to panic as she withdrew her hooves from the embrace. Octavia finally noticed it was not her mother there, but instead Vinyl. Octavia’s actions dawned on her, and her face went red. ‘VINYL! I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I-I-I don’t know what came over me!” Octavia rambled on, a panic overtaking her.

Vinyl could only smile when she saw the worry on Octavia’s face. “It’s okay, Tavi. You just had a bad day. Could you wait here for a minute?”

“S-s-sure Vinyl, anything you want!” Octavia was happy to agree, wanting some time to compose herself and at least collect her thoughts.

Vinyl left the couch and walked back to her room, as thoughts of what happened began to wash over her. I have to be careful how I handle this. I know something is wrong, but this is probably only chance I’m gonna get! Inside her room she quickly found what she needed. She looked down at the night stand in front of her, and opened the bottom most drawer. As her hoof connected with the drawer, the world seemed to waver as a strange feeling overtook her. Whoa! Serious case of deja-vu. Shaking the feeling aside Vinyl opened the drawer, and surveyed the objects once locked and sealed away.

Inside the drawer was an organized stack of diapers and changing supplies that Vinyl avoided for the duration of Octavia’s visit. Although left with fond thoughts, she knew she had to be fast. She grabbed several diapers, collected her changing supplies, and turned to her bed to collect what she needed from the stack. In that motion without realizing it, Vinyl’s tail created a small gust that knocked a set of papers on her table into the open drawer filled with diapers. As they landed it was evident that one of them was the letter from Mrs. Melody, but the other was still concealed. She returned some of the diapers and supplies to the drawer, covering the letters that had fallen in. Before leaving, Vinyl kicked her hind leg sealing the drawer once again unaware of what had occurred. She quickly returned back to the hallway.

Without making her presence known, Vinyl quietly peeked into the room she left Octavia in. Octavia was still in the seat but now sat in a normal position. A few tears still lingered in her eyes, as she used her hoof to wipe her nose. Listening carefully, Vinyl could tell Octavia was sobbing again, but this time her sharp breaths were not as strong as they were earlier. Vinyl wanted to laugh over how cute Octavia looked trying to keep herself dignified, despite looking so pathetic. However, right now she had a more important task to complete.

Vinyl gently approached the still recovering mare so not to scare her, and to obscure the items she had collected from her room. “Hey, Tavi. You doing a little better?” Vinyl inquired, genuinely concerned.

Octavia turned away at the surprise, and vigorously wiped her eyes in a desperate attempt to preserve some of her dignity in front of the mare. “I am fine, Vinyl. I don’t know what came over me, and I am sorry. If you would please excuse me I would like to get back to my room.” Octavia’s subtle turning of her head was not enough to conceal the redness in her face.

“Sorry, can’t do that,” Vinyl replied. “Right now I need to talk with you about what happened. Buuuuut… I can tell you aren’t doing so hot. So, um, just in case you pass out like you did last time in my kitchen I’m going to need you to wear one of these.” Vinyl revealed her hoof, using her magic to place a diaper on the couch in front of Octavia.

Octavia became enraged at the sight. “Ugh! Vinyl, you are disgusting! How dare you suggest I do something so humiliating after what happened! I am going back to my room!” the now fuming Octavia yelled. She began to pick herself off the couch but was swiftly interrupted.

Vinyl was worried; she knew she had to stop her from running away. Even if that meant she has to take drastic measures to do so. “No! As you instructor I demand you remain here!” Vinyl looked at her sternly. The sudden outburst scared Octavia enough that she fell back, her rear firmly planted on the couch. “Listen, I know you don’t want to talk about it, but you need to. You can’t keep running through life on your own, so please let me in.”

Octavia froze. Somewhere long ago she heard those exact words. There was sternness and softness then, just as they were right now. That person from back then was sad but she was too blind to see it. They wanted to be there for her, but she wouldn’t let them. It was a decision that left her with an odd feeling of regret; regret she could not explain. This time Octavia decided she did not want ignore that voice and be alone once again. “Okay, Vinyl. I will talk with you.” A few seconds passed before Octavia realized she forgot something important that was a more pressing matter. “B-but I am not wearing the diaper!”

Vinyl grew happy with this sign of success, but there was a matter she knew had to be accomplished. She needed an excuse, even if it meant telling Octavia something she knew would upset her. “Yeah… but you see, the thing is I really need you to wear them. I really didn’t want to tell you this, but you really aren't giving me a choice.” Vinyl looked extremely conflicted as she begrudgingly formed her words. “Back when you passed out in my kitchen, and I totally forgive you for that, you may have… sort have… left a puddle on the floor. So I may have had to clean up the kitchen, and then clean you up while you were unconscious. I don’t want to do that again. Please. I’m sorry but I really need you to.” Vinyl looked back at the grey mare, who appeared to have been freshly struck with a shovel alongside the head.

In a state of shock Octavia could only choke out the start of an incoherent question asking what she did. She slumped back into the seat trying desperately to cope with what she was just told. She didn’t just say that. She couldn’t have just said that. Why did she-, I-, we? Her mind continued to drift from one incomplete question to the next, confused even more by her attempt to remain calm. Try as she might Octavia couldn’t escape what she had been told. It all began to pull on the single strand of sanity she had left. The stress was too much as thread finally snapped. At this point she was broken, her mind now completely blank. She slowly moved her hoof over to the diaper, and brought it close to her. She slightly turned her head to her host. There was a certain dead quality to Octavia’s eyes. “Excuse me, Vinyl. May I please have some privacy?”

Vinyl swifty tossed the changing supplies on the couch and turned away. Before leaving the room she stealthily grabbed the other diaper that was still hidden. Moving into the hallway, Vinyl could hear Octavia noisily opening the diaper as she began the process of taping herself in. Vinyl, using her magic brought her own diaper close to her, grabbing it with her hoof. She used this short break to review how well things were progressing. Okay. She took that better than I expected. She was even willing to wear it. It played out exactly like she said it would. Sweet! Okay, Vinyl. No time for a celebration. You are not out of the woods yet. She carefully entered the nearby door to make sure Octavia would not leave. This room was a small bathroom simply composed of a cabinet, toilet, sink, and shower. Octavia gathered some foal powder hidden within, and began the task of diapering herself.

The act of diapering herself brought Vinyl back to the memories of the dream she had. That last moment where she reached towards the bottom drawer and her wish all those years ago stood out. Vinyl positioned herself on the diaper, smiling as she whispered to herself. “I guess there are some things you never outgrow.” She sprinkled the foal powder on herself, finding a joy she hadn’t felt ever since she stopped wearing for Octavia’s sake. Pulling the front up and closing the tapes, she was filled with a nostalgic warmth and security, even on that cold floor. Hearing that familiar crinkling of her diaper left her reinvigorated. She was ready to help Octavia confront her problems, whatever they may be.

Comments

[LPHooves]

Looks like this chapter is setting up a lot of things. I can't wait for the next one!

[Detrail]

Due to popular demand I have decided to give italics for thoughts a try in my most recent chapter. Let me know if this flows better,and I will go back and adjust my other chapters.

Edit: All prior chapters have been converted to italic thought format.

[UhhVFXoWU404]

4507884
I'd say it does, thanks for the new chapter!

[SuperPinkBrony12]

Well, at least it looks like Octavia has nowhere to go but up from now on.