The Academy

Reminiscing

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The holidays were always a time that a lot of ponies cherished, spending time with family and friends. Snow trickled down from the sky with cold air blowing the snow onto houses and businesses, covering the roofs in a thick, white blanket of soft snow. School and most businesses were closed for the day, allowing the students and employees to take the rest of the day off.

Octavia sat down on her bed with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Sitting comfortably in her sofa chair, she blew the whiff of steam from the hot beverage, and took a sip from the cup. She glanced up at the clock on the wall, thinking to herself exactly where Vinyl would be at this hour, late at night.

The cellist licked her hoof and flipped through the pages of her newspaper. “Mmm-hmm,” Octavia murmured to herself, pleased with the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra making the front page of the Canterlot Newspaper.

Canterlot Newspaper - Page 1
BREAKING NEWS: Octavia and the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra have sold out a total of 78 shows all over Equestria, surpassing their previous record set last year in selling out 55 shows. We sat down with Octavia Philharmonica in an interview, to know what inspired her on pursuing the musical career as a cellist.
Daily Bulletin leaned back in her leather chair, she held a microphone up to her mouth.“Welcome everypony to the Canterlot Musical Lounge, where we interview musicians to share their thoughts with us. Whether it’s their childhood, relationship, or the future of their career. So, let’s get started!”
Octavia crossed her forelegs professionally. “You may ask the first question.”
Daily nodded her head, and whipped out a small notepad with a pencil. “First question is, what was your childhood like?” She held the microphone up to Octavia, she gave a sheepish grin.
Octavia cleared her throat. “My childhood was a very simplistic life for me growing up, my parents pushed me to do everything at the best of my abilities. Academic success and music were the first two priorities for me to follow, there was no time to make friends or be social in high school.”
Daily raised an eyebrow and twiddled her hooves around. “It must’ve been hard for you right?”
Octavia took a moment to analyze the question. “Not entirely, I did meet a unicorn who was the the polar opposite of me in every way: her looks, ambitions, and what she wanted to get out of high school. I attended the Manehattan Academy of Music on a musical scholarship, met a lot of nice teachers and students, Vinyl Scratch was the one who stood out the most. Her grunge and tumble look gave her a unique feel.”
Daily jotted down the questions along with the answers, to remind herself if she forgets to submit this interview to the Canterlot Newspaper. “Are you in a relationship with the well-known disc jockey, Vinyl Scratch?” She pressed a button on her sound remote as the crowd oohed together in harmony, “Ooooooh.”
Octavia giggled at the sound effect. “My parents never approved of her at first, but she is starting to grow on me up to the point where I’m used to her. Shenanigans and her overnight music blasting could make my blood boil, but you need to know that, when accepting your differences, it could spark something new for both of you.”
Daily rolled her eyes and smiled. “Last question, Octavia. Are you up for it?”
Octavia narrowed her eyes at Daily, the cellist gave a confident, sly grin. “Fire away, Ms.Daily.”
“You got it!” Daily said enthusiastically, pressing her muzzle against the notepad. “What are your plans for the future?”
Octavia tapped her hoof against her chin, she shuffled her hindhooves along the black and white colored marble floor. “I don’t know what my future holds for me, it could give me many opportunities to enhance my musical craft or maybe travel the world. For those ponies out there who want to pursue a career in music, be aware of what you want to do and play music that makes you happy. Can’t have a grumpy musician.” She stifled a giggle and retracted back to her professional self.
“There you have it, folks! Thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to join us, Octavia. Join us next time as we interview, Bass Melody. Same time, same channel!”

Octavia eyes looked away from the article. An abrupt interruption broke her concentration, she heard a familiar voice hiccuping behind the door. “Oct-hiccup!-tavia, let me in.” Vinyl’s head rocked back and forth against the door, before Octavia opened the door and Vinyl fell on the floor at her hooves.

“Let me guess, you stayed up late at the bar and got hammered?” Vinyl rose up on her hooves steadily. She lost her balance and fell into her marefriend’s forearms, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Octavia closed the snow-covered door behind them, retaining the warmth inside. The icicles dangled from the roof of the house, they shook slightly under their own momentum after the door was closed. She dropped Vinyl down on the sofa near the warm embers of the fireplace, the DJ rubbed her temples while a splitting headache started to settle in. “Agh, this cider hangover!”

Octavia walked into the kitchen, she began to pour Vinyl a mug of hot chocolate, added the final touch with a thick layer of whipped cream on top and a juicy, red cherry. She brought the tray out, one mug of hot chocolate for Vinyl and placed the tray delicately on the coffee table. “There ya go, drunky.”

Vinyl’s nostrils took in the hot, sweet aroma of the hot chocolate. Her long tongue wrapped around the juicy, red cherry and captured it in its slimy, wet grasp - it crushed the small, defenseless cherry into a small ball. Her tongue extracted the juice of the cherry as she tasted its sweet juices, then she began to spit out the remains onto the coffee table, “That was one sexy cherry, almost as sexy as you, Tavi.”

Heat began to build up in Octavia’s cheeks, she blushed from Vinyl’s teasing. “I highly doubt that I could be compared to a small fruit.”

Vinyl giggled and rested her hind legs on the coffee table, she laid back with her forehooves propped up to support her head and neck. “Can’t wait to taste this hot chocolate. I know you made it with love and wubs.” She kicked the tray up in the air while the hot beverage was catapulted above her head, she opened her mouth as wide as she could, hot chocolate dripped down onto her tongue and rolled down her throat. She licked her lips with pleasure, smacking her lips and pursed them at Octavia.

“You like what you see, Tavi?” Vinyl winked at Octavia, she lapped the rest of the hot chocolate with her tongue.

“You could say that. Do you feel warm now?” Octavia sat down on the sofa next to Vinyl, draped her foreleg over her friend’s back.

“Now that I’m with you, my heart is always warm,” Vinyl scoots herself closer to Octavia and nuzzled her muzzle against her chest, “this reminds me of the day we first kissed in Manehattan’s Academy of Music.”

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The rampant activity out on the football field bustled with the Manehattan Academy’s marching band and students who made underground music as a hobby, sooner or later it would become their professions. Most students never enjoyed being a member of the marching band, the principal usually gave them either detention or being forced to join the band just to teach them a lesson, in humility that is.

The marching band director sat back in her director chair, pulling out a megaphone and yelled loudly into the megaphone. “No, no, no. Do it again and from the top!” She sparked a small flame from a lighter that she removed from her black zip-up jacket, lighting the tip of her cigarette.

Octavia figured that the band director had some anger management issues, but mostly drugs caused her to go ballistic at times. Thank Celestia, today was not one of those times. She marched along the field with the band, blowing and playing their respective instruments that they spent years practicing to hone in on their craft. They tripped over a long black cable that was stretched across the field by the technician team, the band fell on the grass as their instruments came crashing down with them.

The director flicked her cigarette off her face and stormed over to the fallen band. “That was pathetic! I’ve seen dead chickens do a better job than you guys!”

Most of the band members hung their heads low, disappointed in themselves except Octavia Philharmonica, who was the first member to stand up to her. “It’s not always our fault you know, if you didn’t spend your time getting high then maybe we would be more prepared!” Octavia snapped at her, gritting her teeth.

“That’s not my fault!”

“Well, maybe you should get your act together before you try telling us to!” Octavia threw her cello down on the field.

“Yeah, Octavia! Stick to the man!” Vinyl Scratch called out from the stands near the football field, throwing a can of soda at the director’s head.

She felt the can bounce off her head with a clang, the director held her forehead and winced in pain. “You little reckless pot head, what gives you the right to do that to me?”

“It’s a free country. I dress differently and act differently than everypony else, trust me you’re not the boss of me. Octavia, you did a good thing, don’t ever let anypony like your director tell you any different.” Vinyl buttoned the buttons on her red and black striped flannel shirt, walking down the stands onto the field.

The marching band director wrote down on a small pink-colored slip. She stamped the slip on Vinyl’s shirt with a stapler, “Detention, after school.”

Vinyl rolled her eyes and chewed her bubble gum. “Pssh, detention means nothing to me. The principal already gave me detention six times already.”

Octavia stepped in front of Vinyl, glaring daggers at the director. “If she’s going to detention, I’m going with her.” She never had a pony stand up for her against authority figures, still left flabbergasted that Vinyl, of all ponies, would defend her.

The director stapled a detention sheet on Octavia’s marching band uniform. “Philharmonia, you have detention, too. With Ms.Scratch, after school.”

“Good. Oh and by the way, I quit the marching band.” The former marching band member tossed her hat off into the air as the strong winds whisked it away, maybe some poor sucker would wear that hat. She turned her back with Vinyl in tow, whipping her tail in her face.

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Vinyl and Octavia walked out of the detention classroom, they smiled at the school’s bulletin board on the wall.

Manehattan Academy of Music’s marching band director, Ms.Knightley, has been fired after one of the teachers caught her smoking in the hallway and uttering racial slurs at a fellow unicorn student, the student has asked us to remain anonymous.
We send our apologies to all students and faculty members, whose self esteem was affected by the former band director.

“Serves her right, that lady was like the living embodiment of a witch.” Octavia giggled as the two friends walked down the hallway, and pushed the double doors open.

“I’m so glad that I stood up for you. I couldn’t let that venomous snake sink her fangs into your high school permanent record, she would’ve reported you to the principal.” Vinyl stated, resting her foreleg over her back.

“We should hang out more often, so that I can repay you someday.” Octavia smiled gleefully, resting her head against Vinyl’s white chest.

“It’s a deal!” Vinyl jumped in her forelegs. Octavia struggled to carry and support her weight, walking off of school grounds and into the sunset. The sun’s radiant glow washed over them looking into each other’s eyes, they pressed their lips together and sealed this perfect day with a kiss. A blush edged across both of their cheeks, never to forget this day again. The kiss felt like fireworks, a passionate glow from the flames of a campfire, and the snow on a little puppy’s nose searching around in the snow for a bone to cherish.

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“It’s ironic how you said that you would repay me someday. The repayment was dating you,” Octavia hovered over Vinyl, who fell asleep on the couch and snored very loudly.

She got off the couch to grab a woven blanket, draped the blanket over Vinyl, and slid herself in next to her. The grey mare leaned closer to Vinyl and whispered in her ear, “I love you and good night.”

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THE END

Author's Note:

Thanks again to Cog for editing for me. Listened to Maps and Misery by Maroon 5, which inspired me to write this story down and piece it altogether.

Anyway, take care! We are going back to the regular writing schedule!

Tips, criticism, and constructive feedback are appreciated!

Next up:

Don't Let The Fire Die

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Comments ( 23 )

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Mariacheat-Brony

Mariacheat-Brony #1 · Aug 14th, 2014 · 2 · ·

a bit too short, but still pretty sweet

Gleaming

Gleaming #2 · Aug 14th, 2014 · · ·

4849314 Thank you! It was shorter than the last romance story I wrote, I should've made it longer.

Takarashi282

Takarashi282 #3 · Aug 14th, 2014 · 2 · ·

Even though shipstories aren't quite my cup of tea, this was actually pretty cute. Out of all the ships I've seen, Octavia x Vinyl intrigues me the most, the whole polar-opposite thing, not as a separating point, but as a converging point between the two is a very interesting prompt.

I've really nothing against this one, nor any errors I picked out. But, a fun thing to do with onomatopoeia within dialog, especially with interruptions in it, ("Oct-hiccup-tavia") is to play around with its intensity, namely by either italicizing or CAPS LOCK-ing it (probably even both!), even though in the case shown above, the hiccup doesn't seem to absolutely kill her diaphragm. Italicizing 'hiccup' in the interruption, maybe even with an exclamation point, gives it a little more flavor:

("Oct-hiccup-tavia" vs. "Oct-hiccup-tavia", even "Oct-hiccup!-tavia")

But, that's my opinion there.

But this was a nice, relaxing read, to a person who likes to be pushed to the edge of his seat. You done good!

Gleaming

Gleaming #4 · Aug 14th, 2014 · · ·

4849465 Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. I'll be sure to add the exclamation point and italics.

Gleaming

Gleaming #5 · Aug 14th, 2014 · · ·

4849519 Thank you, Grey! Glad that you enjoyed it!

FamousLastWords

FamousLastWords #6 · Aug 14th, 2014 · · ·

Awh, I like it.

Gleaming

Gleaming #7 · Aug 14th, 2014 · · ·

4849774 I'm glad that you do!

Spider8ite

Spider8ite #8 · Aug 14th, 2014 · 1 · ·

Awwwwww... How you can do that with me little sis? That's just so cute. And was inspired by Maps? I really like this music. Thank you so much for this sis! You just put a smile on my face!

Gleaming

Gleaming #9 · Aug 14th, 2014 · · ·

4849826 You just made my heart soar with that compliment, big sis. I listened to Maps and Misery beforehand for my inspiration to kick in, I'm glad that I made you smile.

PonySage86