In the Background

by Harold_Genhi

Chapter 12: Competitive Inspirations

Images of the world surrounded me. It terrified and shocked me as everything was cast in what seemed like the slow motion effects generated by strobe lights. I focused through the heartbeat like bass and through the crowd of faceless and colorless ponies. Where was I? How did I get here? A spotlight broke the darkness around me and illuminated a single pony, the only mare that had been on my mind this entire journey. My gift was still bulging at the pack tied around her waist, waiting to be opened.

“Tavi!” I yelled over the music that had blared up to a more distinct volume of bumping beats and booming bass. She didn’t hear me, but instead turned away from me and began to head toward the door.

A sudden panic filled me as I tried my hardest to break the wall of ponies blocking her and me, but for each step I managed, Octavia managed three strides. It only made me try harder which seemed to only slow me down as Octavia pulled away, exiting the light from the spotlight and becoming hidden in the darkness. I jumped the last bit of the way and landed in the light where she was standing and took a good three steps in the empty light when the music completely died and another spotlight turned on across the room. Octavia was standing in the light with Frederic Opus Horseshoepin, the greatest classical pony composer that Equestria has to offer that pales the abilities of Octavia and myself.

My heart dropped and skipped a few, each sending a red floodlight burning in the room with each beat. The bass also echoed with the heartache. I didn’t like what I was seeing as she slowly approached him, the bag falling from her back, my gift collapsing to the ground, easily forgotten. Frederic stared at her, enticing her, teasing her with his dignified eyes that I could never offer. I wanted to lunge and attack him, but every time I looked back at Octavia, I found that doing such would only further her separation from me. I wanted to do something, make my presence known, and make sure that she wouldn’t forget me. I didn’t want to be forgotten. Please don’t forget me…

They neared closer, the bass going faster as if a build up, the red lights creating their own strobe as I watched them nearing. Octavia seeing her dream getting closer as I saw her shrink away from me as if the floor they were standing on was moving away. Everything grew fuzzy as my eyes filled with tears and heartache. I couldn’t watch as their eyes began to close with the seduction of each other’s closeness, their lips opening just enough to meet with the other’s lips.

“Octavia!” I cried out. It felt completely unlike me. It felt girly and pathetic as if I was defeated. Tears were openly streaming from my face as I stared at her.

My shout held no bounds and was just as easily forgotten as I watched their lips meet. My world began to crumble around me my saw cracks climb up through my vision. It was only after a short while that I found that it wasn’t my world, but my glasses cracking. They broke from my face revealing a different scene. Octavia stood in the same location, except now she wasn’t graced in the presence of the white haired musical snob. She stared at me with a soft contemplation as I saw that white tint in her eyes. It was only in that sudden realization that I looked down and saw the shadow of the broken horned alicorn stretching from her legs. She wasn’t herself in either regard. I missed her more than I missed her music. I just wanted that silent smirk, to see her quietly ignore me or to tolerate my jokes and openness.

The shadowy form of Eyn rose from her, still cast in darkness under his hood, but those white glittering eyes still managing to shine through them. Octavia fainted as he exited her and took a few steps toward me. An unnatural breeze and lightning filled the air revealing the dead trees around us as his horn lit up, casting light on his hood, pulling it way from his face.

“I can also invade the dreams of those that need it…” He spoke as the final torn pieces of fabric fell off of his head revealing a once beautiful face.

Instead, it sat pale and torn with darkness and light. His fur was gray and mane flowed clear as a disturbance in the world around him. The effect was strange and mystifying as he stared through me with his eyes. It was only then that I saw how cloudy they were. He was blind along with the large scar slicing down his right eye. He didn’t seem the least bit hurt or disturbed, and strangely neither did I once I found that I had been dreaming. I tried to wake myself up, but found myself stuck, probably from the magic of Eyn trying to have a private conversation with me.

“My eyes weren’t as they once were and neither is most of me.” He stretched out the metal blades that had replaced his wings.

They creaked as they stretched out, but they moved back silently, completely integrated into his body and completely functional. He sighed as he limped forward with his metallic leg, giving him more strain than he let on before.

“I know what it is like to be tormented by the one you love. I can only try to imagine your circumstances in trying to cope with it being with her. Being on the same plan and being a bit more… traditional does make it easy, but you can see where love can get you. Sometimes you have to sacrifice more than your heart to get it, or better yet, to make sure they aren’t hurt by it.” The originally strong willed and cruel Eyn sounded weak and frail. He even sounded different from the time he had been talking through Octavia while looking at the moon. I had to question if he was able to see through Octavia’s working eyes. “Happily, yes. It has been forever since I’ve been able to look upon its glory and my creations.”

“Creations?” The final word sounded wrong and mysterious.

“The power of the Cutie Marks. Lovely aren’t they. Did you know they weren’t always around? Everyone used to be a blank flank until I found the power of innovation, inspiration, and individualism. I worked with the ideas of the mind and the concepts of motivation, emotion, and devotion. The first two to gain their illusive marks were the two princesses, Celestia and Luna, after I told them of my discoveries.” He nodded in amusement.

I found myself engrossed in the story. Was this Equestria’s true history, or was it some elaborate lie? “If you were so great, why are you out here and so weak now?” I asked.

He simply smirked at me and shook his head slowly. “That story is for another time and one that has yet to be finished… yet to be finished.” Those words appeared to procure amusement as they left his lips. “But this does not concern you or your friends, only those responsible.” His voice grew harsh again.

“Who’s responsible?” I needed to ask.

Again, he only stared at me with his blind eyes as if he could see out of them. “Such matters do not concern you.”

I had to be grumpy about not getting any answers, but more were easily formulated. “Why have you invaded my dreams?” I snapped, feeling dumb as to not asking that first.

“I was curious as to why you were having such a negative dream. Octavia is safe with me, and she is still the pony you love. I know it is hard to see her being passed between so many different entities and not feel responsible, but she is in good hands now. Better me than him…” He groaned.

“How can such a… monster, be your brother?” I, again, felt inclined to ask.

“He isn’t a monster. He is in the same boat as me except he enjoys his fair share of mischief and royal attention from Celestia. He enjoyed getting a plethora of attention from his peers at the expense of others.”

His knowledge of Discord and the shear fact that he was Discord’s brother just wanted me to run a full background check on him, but such would never be so with Eyn who seems to hide every important fact about his life, except a few juicy facts about his family. I decided to stay ignorant in the matter.

I observed my surroundings and wished we were in a better location to have this little conversation about how my dreams mean nothing and that my worry is misplaced or whichever. In just a blink of an eye, I found myself sitting on the barstool of my favorite bar, with two cold ones sitting in front of me. Eyn sat next to me, the look of his face unchanging as he drank whatever he had. I sipped at the alcoholic beverage and remembered the times that Tavi would sit next to me and pester me about my ‘drinking problem’. I didn’t have a drinking problem, I just wanted to let my mind wander for a bit and not be restrained by the stresses of the day or simply bad dates with intolerable stallions.

“It has been a long time since I’ve tasted the poison of alcoholic beverages.” Eyn chimed, sitting his glass on the bar to be refilled.

“I needed a place to think. There just seems too much about you.” I sipped on my drink, feeling it warm my cheeks and clear my thoughts.

“I thought you came here to clear your thoughts, not to organize them into a coherent sentence.”

“I do that too.”

“Peculiar. Fascinating.” He spoke. “How has that worked out for you?”

“Not that well… but I can’t complain.” I picked up the second glass and downed it quickly, feeling the world begin to wobble slowly. I felt better considering I had just intoxicated myself inside of my dreams. “So why are you here?”

“I thought I explained this, you are beating yourself about nothing, and because you fascinate me.”

“Couldn’t you invade any of the other’s dreams?” I asked.

“I looked over the dreams of the others. Ditsy Doo is eating muffins with The Doctor and they are about to meet at the center. Doctor Whooves mind is clouded in an intelligence that I have not seen in a long time. Lyra is… well she misses Bonbon. That left you.”

“I know before you referred The Doctor as an Ancient. What does that mean?” I decided to start with some clearing up questions before I moved onto why he didn’t go to his dreams instead of mine.

“I don’t even think he remembers what he is now, but he used to be a guardian race of earth ponies that were to keep me locked in this prison of a forest. Most of them have died out and Doctor Whooves… he got to know me more than anyone and managed to have his life spared. I think it was some fluke of nature, but he managed to get his youth back, almost seemed to convert into somepony completely different. I watched him stumble away from his ancient post. I had already read the minds of those that had put him on that duty and knew he had been forgotten. I never understood as to why they had to suffer by guarding me, her shields already had me locked. I feel that it was their fear as to what I could do that made her do it.” Eyn nodded in agreement. “Those poor souls.”

“Why didn’t you join his dreams then?”

“…An ancient promise I had made.” His voice was low and solemn as he spoke.

“Your wings, horn, and leg?” curiosity began to take over.

“Clipped, broken, and lost. I can’t even describe the pain and the torment, but such was deemed necessary back in those times. As you see, I don’t need them anymore.” He smirked as the metal blades stretched out again, his posture straight and proud.

I still saw enough from his face to know that he wasn’t being sincere. An inner pain still burned in his eyes, or was it a fiery anger. I could only look at the once proud alicorn, knowing that his life had been much better in his youth. Twilight filled my head and I peered upwards to spot the moon. It glittered brilliantly and was much larger than that of if I wasn’t dreaming. Eyn stared at it thoughtfully, almost hurt in a way.

“I will always love the moon.” He cooed to himself before breaking his glance and looking down at me again. “I sometimes miss my sight for such pleasures, but having the honor of having a body with healthy eyes and seeing that the moon hasn’t changed has brought me a renewed happiness.”

I didn’t want to ask any more seeing him in that state. He wasn’t how I had expected such a mysterious alicorn to look. His appearance was wise and strong, but his physical form seemed weak and frail, though the defiance in his eyes argued against any such weakness. There was no glow in his presence and not a godly voice. Instead he sounded simple, soft spoken, and reserved. All of his actions seemed carefully planned and executed meticulously.

He turned his attention from me and focused on the darkness that surrounded us. In the short time that I had just watched his expressions and mannerisms, I had forgotten that I my dream still fluttered around me.

“Do you invade other’s dreams often?” The words slipped from my lips before my mind could stop them. I’ve grown used to just letting things slip by with Octavia and every other pony around me.

“I have to enact inspiration to those of Equestria through indirect means. I can’t ever exist like I am to you in their dreams, and just from natural desire to find answers for the strange powers that I use to inspire them, fairy tales were born. I never take a single form because I am viewed in the dream as the dreamer sees me. They’ve never met me so their minds create little bunnies, talking clouds, psychic flowers, and friendly ponies.” He explained in his regular long-winded fashion.

“So if I think hard enough can I change your appearance?” I teased.

He smirked. “If you desire such, this is still your dream.” The smirk became playful. “Dreams are the source of the greatest inspiration. I want you to think of a club and I want to hear an original song by you. If I like it, I will give you a gift, I am unmoved by it, then I shall make you forget this dream, make it cloudy and such.” His voice became casual and playful, a spark of competiveness flashing into his cloudy white eyes.

I had to admit, the thought had me apprehensive. I was still asleep and I had no idea as to how long I’ve been sleeping or if time worked differently here. Five minutes could have passed or maybe hours had already transpired. I closed my eyes and heard a faint chuckled from Eyn. I reopened them to see him staring at me.

“You do know you don’t exist right? I find your actions amusing that you closed your eyes inside of your mind.” He chimed playfully. “I’m sorry for disturbing you. I haven’t had any fun for a long time.”

It was almost like his personality had completely shifted again. His eyes glittered with a childish anticipation as to how I approached the challenge. The confidence in his eyes unnerved me. A short breath and my focus grew. The light we were standing in dissipated from view as I sat in darkness, imagining my best venue I had been a part of. Lights shattered the darkness and revealed the DJ equipment in front of me, a blank music list with a small sticky that read “Improv Techno”. I looked out at the faceless dark heads of the crowd and gave them my regular smile. I felt at home more than I had been for the past few days.

I quickly forgot that I was still dreaming. I turned on a solid beat and watched an intricate laser and light show begin to build as I heard the notes playing just as I thought of them. Everything began to come together as the endless mass of raving ponies jumped and moved around like a torrential sea, blown by the ocean of my bass. I had to close my eyes and feel the heat of the crowd beginning to rise. I listened to the music play, not even realizing that I wasn’t touching the controls anymore. Instead, it was as if it was playing directly from my skull and into the hearts of those enjoying it.

The more I listened to the song the more I realized that the song did lack something that I was still unable to add without a little help. My confidence began to falter as I thought about the pony that could help me.

“Octavia…” I sighed from my heart.

The quality of the music began to collapse around me. I caught onto it and struggled to get back to work, but my concentration was ruined. I could only see those purple eyes staring at me as if she was standing at the corner of my eye. I continuously looked toward that area thinking to see her standing there, but every time I looked there was nothing standing there except an amp or two. I hoped the wall of the crowd help me focus and peered out at the ponies again, but the lights had illuminated a single blind alicorn. He stared at me with both satisfaction and amusement.

I quickly remembered I was in a dream, but it was too late. The whole world began to descend into an uncontrolled nightmare. I stopped caring for the music. I didn’t want it. I only wanted her. Everything became short. Everything began to repeat. Everything began to repeat. I couldn’t stand listening to my thoughts. They echoed in my mind over and over again. I wanted Octavia. I needed Octavia. I needed her. I had never said I needed her before, but I knew it was true now. I had failed Eyn’s challenge, and I wouldn’t be able to remember this dream, but I held onto the dream for one final minute.

I drove everything from my mind leaving only darkness. I could feel the warm tears beginning to fall from my eyes as I focused on what I wanted from this final minute. Octavia walked from the darkness. The setting switched back to our house, her entering my room. I felt more at home than before. My heart wanted to beat through my chest as I stared at her, locking eyes as she acted just as how I remembered her. She turned, I stared, she took a step forward, and I turned my music off. It was only twenty seconds, but I knew what was approaching and steered my dream to it, I had to know if I was correct about my feelings. I just had to feel it at least once, even if it was only in my dreams.

“Tavi…” Even in a dream the words weighed heavily in my nonexistent throat.

“Vi…” My nickname held so much of a stronger meaning this time, as if the same weight was in her throat.

I blinked and found us standing so close I could feel her breath. It felt comforting and soothing and at the same time it made me stiff and nervous.

“I wanted to tell you something that has been on my mind.” I spoke, feeling the heat rise from cheeks. I questioned if she could feel it.

I heard her gulp. “And?” Her voice was shaky and natural sounding.

“I…” I was barely conscious of why I could never finish my sentence. A warm and wet embrace of her lips on mine was enough to wipe my mind clean. The venue around me dissolved as a solitary alicorn took a step forward looking down us. Emotions that I believed I never had began to unlock as tears began to mist my eyes and eventually fall down my cheeks again. I cracked my eyes slightly to see Octavia still there, tears in her eyes as well. I closed them again trying to keep everything together, knowing of the alicorn looming over us. I wanted to hold some memories of this dream whenever I awoke and I wasn’t going to let Eyn take them from me.

The next time I cracked my eyes opened, I found myself lying on my moss pile. I blinked my bleary eyes at the blue sky. It seemed more peaceful than I had remembered it from the time that I had gone to sleep. I rose and looked around to see that I was no longer resting at the base of the mountain. Everyone was nowhere to be found. I looked around in a panic before; from around one of the nearby trees, Octavia stepped out, the white glint in her otherwise deep and meaningful purple.

“Where am I?” I demanded.

“Well… I couldn’t have you waking up the others with your mumbling and crying, plus I have a gift for you.” Octavia spoke with the dialect that only Eyn possessed.

“But I lost. My music sucked.” He didn’t seem to notice my words as the broken horn appeared out from Octavia’s head. It glittered with energy that I have not seen any alicorn including Princess Celestia possess. I turned away from the bright light that blinded me. I looked back to find a small familiar box sitting in front of me.

“But my music wasn’t moving at all.” I shot at Eyn. “And is that the gift I gave Octavia?”

I looked at the nice wood finish of the small box, a tail of light crawling inside of it before it slammed shut, killing off the glittering light.

“When Octavia is not pay attention, I want you to slip this inside of her bag where she has stored it the entire journey. I’ll keep her attention focused on something else while you do it.” He smiled in her body.

“What about now?” Seeing as this discussion would counter what Eyn had planned, but he smiled thoughtfully.

“She is still sleeping. To get back to the camp, just walk that direction for five minutes. I’ll clear the way.” The shattered horn sparked again as Octavia vanished in a teleport and the trees parted in the direction I needed to travel. I questioned why he wouldn’t just give us a safe path to him, but I found that he always seemed to know something that I did not. I began to suspect him of something. My trust to him shook and dwindled as I looked in the direction to return.

“He’s up to something.” I knew an alicorn with that much power even given his disabilities could rival that of Princess Celestia from the times I’ve seen her raise the sun. I wouldn’t want them to ever clash if that was even a probable event. I couldn’t quite place my hoof on it, but the meticulous and carefully execution by Eyn seemed more and more sinister every day that he was around. I picked the box up by the string around it and walked through the bent trees and raised ground. Now, I wondered what was in it…

Comments

[Harold_Genhi]

118721 Now. HA! I am glad you are enjoying it. Enjoy the next chapter as well. Thank you for the compliments.

[KrippleStix]

118785 Was just about to head to bed but decided to check if anything updated. Yay! But yeah really loving how this is coming along. So much.. well, more has been put into this that a lot of other fics lack. I'm pretty bad at all that description kind o' stuff but lets just say that losing sleep because of this is totally worth it!

[Silence]

So, uhm, long story short, this fan fiction now holds a special place in my heart. I love the thought of Vinyl Scratch and Octavia being together. Masterfully written and beautifully portayed emotions. Exquiste work (:

[happynoname56]

this song just feels right for this story not sure bout anyone elses veiw but yah...
-happynoname56