The Manehatten Chronicles: Book 1 of 3: The Manehatten Typewriter

by Shadow rift

Chapter 4 1/2: The Apple Barrel

The night of the application to Vinyl I find it difficult to sleep. The clock on my night stand reads about 12:00 at night, but it may as well just freeze there, and to a point I almost believe it is frozen. That time itself has completely stopped, and everypony else freezing with it.

Everypony but me.

As I stare at the plain white ceiling of my pathetic studio apartment, my mind runs in every direction. Thoughts of 'Why did you do that?' And 'Don't even think about going back there' are some of the most common of the lot. The thoughts are right. What was I thinking?! If I work at that establishment and get caught I'll never be able to work anywhere in Equestria again! But if I don't I'll never be able to get enough bits to move out of the city and get somewhere else. I'll have to move back with Mother and Father otherwise, a thought I dare not accept as reality. Then quit your stupid complaining and accept it! My mind tells me. Whether you accept it or not, your going to have to grin and bare it, especially with your finances being in the crapper right now.

But what do I tell-?

As though immediately on cue, the phone begins to ring. Quickly I levitate towards the phone, released to here the voice of Minuette say "Hello?"

"Oh, uh, hello... Minuette."

"Thank Celestia your okay! I haven't been able to sleep knowing that you've been all by yourself in that apartment at this time."

"Minuette, I'm fine. This isn't my first night here after all..." I say as cool as I can, desperately trying to avoid her hearing the stress in my voice. "I know, but still, you lying in your bed and getting hurt by an intruder is too vivid."

"Minuette, I swear nothing is going to happen to me. Especially with the... Defensive tool.... You gave me." I respond, her own response being a quick giggle. "I miss having you around at the center... It's just, you know... Not the same without you." She says, making my heart begin to accelerate at an amazing speed. Is she attempting to flirt with me? I think for a moment. "Speaking of work, did you manage to find a place to work?"

Moment over. Completely. Not only does the moment end, but I can feel my heart drop like a meteor dropping deep into the core of the plant. Fast and hard.

"Uh, yes... I did... But I really don't want to speak about it." You idiot!! My mind says as I mentally face hoof. What the hell am I thinking? Informing her that I received a line of work is one thing, but telling her that I don't want to talk about it is almost a dead giveaway that there is nothing good about it. "Why don't you want to talk about it? Is it really that bad?" Minuette says, the concern in her voice being ever so eminent. Come on, mate! Think of something! Fast! "Sort of... It's a job as a-" I stop as the lump in my throat begins to expand. How do you tell somepony that where you're working is going to be the most dangerous and illegal job to have right now? I may as well tell her that I'm going to be working as a thief. Both are illegal and dangerous, especially if you get caught. "Astra?" Well, what other choice do I have?

"I'm going to be working as a...." I begin, taking a deep breath in and out before continuing. "I'm going to be working as a... A plumber."

...

Dead silence. That's that there is on the other line as I finish my sentence. The only sound I hear on the other line is the static of the phone lines connecting to each other.

Then, out of nowhere, the silence is completely taken over by the sound of Minuette's hysterical laughter. She seems to be laughing so hard right now that she can hardly breath. Occasionally, I decide to chuckle, but only nervously due to my concern for Minuette. A long while passes before Minuette finishes laughing, and only after she finishes does she continue on in a gasping voice. "So... Wait...You... You got a job... As a plumber...?" She says, continuing to laugh as she finishes. "Heh heh, yes, that's right. I got a job as a plumber... Heh..." I say, hearing absolutely no response from Minuette other than her laughter. "Look, I need to get to bed, I start tomorrow and I need the rest. I'll call you tomorrow." I say, hanging up the phone and begin staring at the wall.

You lied, the voice in my head tells me as I slowly fade away into the realm of sleep.

***************************************

2 Days Later
***************************************

Two days have passed since my last conversation with Minuette, and I can feel every last bit of life fade from me as I work at the bar. For the past two days I have been working here at this bar from at least 5:00 to 12:00 at night, due to my new boss, Vinyl Scratch, informing me that the late hours are to avoid run ins with the local police force, not that there are much to begin with. As it turns out, the bar actually does, or rather did, have a name, The Apple barrel. It's apparently seen its fair share of business, however the real owners of the Apple barrel had to take this business underground to avoid confrontations with authorities.

At night, more specifically anywhere from 6:30 to 10:45, the bar see's most its activity. Everypony from the average working stallion to the most disgusting stallions come here and drink their hearts away, the revolting smell smoke on their breaths as they asked for drink after drink. Working behind the counter as well showed me that Vinyl actually had a double barreled shotgun in a shelf, at least 4 buck shots accompanying the weapon as well.

In terms of entertainment for the drunkards of the night, I've seen about two performers. A lounge singer who recites poetry and sings, and a white and black pole dancer who garnered her own pole. When she finishes her 'routines' the stallions will either buy her drinks or attempt to purchase her, both actions equally disgusting. Vinyl has told me quite a bit about the mare as well, although neither one of us both with a name. Supposedly, she was here since the beginning, and only really took interest in her 'career' after her coltfriend left her. She's a giant flirt, and will apparently do so with anypony willing to buy her a drink or pay her. I try as often as possible to keep a distance from her, but every time she finishes her shift, she gives me the same seductive gaze or often grabs my attention by throwing her balled up sock at my head.

I don't like her. And every time I complained about her, Vinyl would always give me the same, "Oh yeah? Wait'll Octavia gets here. Stallions go nuts for her." Response. "Who's Octavia?" I would ask, and her response would be "You'll see. Let's just wait till she gets here Friday..." She would say, a smile at the end of her response. I had no idea what she was talking about or who she was talking about, but if this Octavia was like this other mare, or worse... Then I was going to have to quit this job sooner than I had hoped.

The rest of the seemed to fly by as Friday approached sooner then I had expected. My day mostly consisted of me getting my clothes properly cleaned and my coat cleaned with them. Today, My attire consisted of a white collar shirt with my coat acting as a sports coat for it. Placing on my tie as quickly as possible and the gun in its holster, I checked the clock, now reading about 4:30 in the day, and quickly began to make my way to The Apple Barrel.

When I arrive, Vinyl sits on the countertop, drinking away a small glass of crimson red wine, downing it quickly and licking her lips of the wine remaining. Tonight, Vinyl wears the same attire as the night I met her, a purple collared shirt with a black unbuttoned vest, with a pair of black sunglasses resting on her horn. "Hey hey hey! You look all gussied up tonight. You must be really excited to see Octy tonight..." She says, smiling as she hops off the countertop and makes her way to me. "Hey Ausi, I've been talking a lot about you to Octy. I think that she's interested in you."

"I hope you know I don't have the desire to starts relationship in the nearby future." I say, walking towards the other side of the countertop, making it in, and rinsing off a couple glasses from the night before. "Yeah right..." Vinyl says as she sits upon the stool, arms placed at the table, "Again, we'll hear you say that when she performs."

"Just out of curiosity, what will she be doing here anyways?" I ask as I begin rubbing off the access wine from her glass. Smiling, she proceeds to answer my question. "Thought you'd never ask. Octy is a performer here on Fridays, only working here when she wants. She's a cellist around here, and I'm her partner in crime." She says, now beaming with pride.

"Okay... So what do you do?"

"I'm a pianist. Although I used to be a DJ."

"Used to?" I ask, placing the cup down, now cleaned of any wine or other substances. "Yeah... Used to be pretty good. But the Police Commissioner busted me like he did to you. Screwed up my career and I could get work anywhere but here. I'm happy though, Octy brought me here and I've been working here for the past two years. We've been through a lot, she's like a sister to me..." She says, the tip of her hoof forming a circle on the table.

I can honestly feel for her. I know what it's like to always have somepony watching out for your wellbeing for no other reason than because you've seen a lot with each other. Reminds me of my brother...

"Look, to be honest with you, I really have been putting in a good word for you with Octy. She's a good pony, but she has a tendency to have a cold shoulder. No matter what, promise me you'll make the effort to be nice to her. I like you around here, and the last thing I want is for you two to get off on the wrong hoof."

"I understand..." I say, "From what you're telling me, Octavia doesn't seem that undesirable, or as conceded as that pole prostitute. I'll make the effort." I say, making Vinyl smile at my gesture towards creating a bridge between Octavia and I. To a certain extend, I'm doing this for Vinyl. I've grown quite fond of her as well.

The rest of the time goes on slowly as countless Stallions fill up the bar, eager for their drinks like fillies and colts for candy. To an extend, I can understand why. A hard day of work, a craving for a cure for that hard day, it's understandable.

Just disgusting...

"Ladies and Gentlecolts, may I have your attention please?" Vinyl says atop the stage, to which every stallion turns their attention towards the stage. "Please make give a warm welcome to our performer. You all know her, as she is our most popular performer her at the old Barrel. Please put your hoofs and wings together for Octavia Melody!"

The crowd begins to cheer and whistle as Vinyl finishes her sentence, waiting patiently for the famed Octavia Melody herself to arrive onstage. It first grows quiet as the lights dim themselves to near darkness, the only sounds being the occasional stallion coughing or whispering to his fellow degenerate. But soon, the curtains bring themselves back, only revealing the body frame of a mare, possibly wearing some type of dress in the darkness.

And then, the lights return.

My heart stops.

And the crowd begins to clap for the mare known as Octavia Melody.

The mare herself stands there, surrounded by the stallions, watching as they all applaud her with a regal face and a nonchalant look. She is just as every bit as beautiful as Vinyl had stated, everything from her black as charcoal mane to her stormy cloud gray coat. She wears a simply black dress that reveals her cutie mark, a purple treble clef.

She continues to stare at the crowd with her nonchalant attitude, the lights dancing off her purple eyes that make them seem as though they are twinkling like a star in the night sky. Eventually, the mare makes way to the cello on stage, taking up the bow in her right hoof, and the instrument itself in the left, beginning her song with Vinyl playing along with her on a piano that is more or less out of view.

The song itself hypnotizes the audience along with I, with its rhythmic patterns and constantly dragged out lines. It's dark and mysterious aura it emits completely takes us all by surprise, but especially me. The mare in the black dress has her eyes shut, all of her concentration being placed into the notes that she plays.

She's obviously played this duet before. But when and with whom?

The beat changes tone almost immediately as the notes pick up, now seemingly telling a story with each passing note played by both Vinyl and Octavia, although the music is mainly focused on Octavia. Vinyl seems to take front stage soon after Octavia as her piano picks up in tempo, almost as though it is bouncing.

If it is, she is definitely showing signs of bouncing with the music as she bounces from the twin seat of the piano.

Octavia soon takes place among Vinyl, and the happiness of the tempo seems to shift straight to almost depression before shifting back to mystery as soon as Vinyl's piano takes front place. The mysterious tone seems to carry itself into the next section of the song as it switches back to almost near happiness.

Whatever this duet is, it's a certain whirlpool of emotions, I think to myself as the sadness once again appears. Through the entirety of the song, however, I notice that Octavia's face bears no emotion to it, a complete oddity considering how it has had a complete effect on the audience as most of the stallions now have tears in their eyes.

One giant pause occurs, and nothing but silence is in the air as Octavia holds her bow in the air and her eyes open only slightly to look upon the audience.

And then to me. Time stops itself as her sparkling eyes watch me from atop the stage as she begins looking me from head down. The rest of the crowd seems to disappear into a black abyss, and before I know it, her expression changes.

She smiles at me.

The song continues as Octavia closes her eyes and works continues to work with Vinyl, concluding the song as soon as it had begun, slowly dwindling it down. As soon as the song ends, the audience explodes into celebratory applause for these two. Solemnly, Octavia sets the cello upon its rest on the stage and rests the bow upon the instrument, bows, and then proceeds to trot off the stage and behind the curtains.

I, on the other hoof, am completely still, my mouth open and eyes bulging out of my head at what I had just witnessed. To reiterated my original statement, Vinyl was not lying in the least when she had said that Octavia was in fact better than the mare from Wednesday's disgusting display of her body. Octavia was far more beautiful then I could have ever anticipated, and her performance on the stage only made gave her the trait of remarkableness. Octavia is a beautiful, remarkable, and highly talented pony, the only thought that was currently running through my head. What is interesting is why such an incredible mare like her could've possibly wished to play at a low down establishment such as this when she could clearly be playing at orchestras all over Equestria. Could she have possibly been accused of a crime she never committed? Or was she never interested in joining one? What am I saying? How could she not be interested in joining one of the finer orchestras of Equestria? She clearly has the skill and look for it, so why did she not?

"Excuse me...?" A heavily British accented mare's voice says, making me shake my head. How long was I looking at the stage? I ask myself as I notice now no more then 3 or 4 stallions remain. "Please excuse me... It just... The performance..." I begin, turning my head to see the regal Octavia sitting in front the countertop staring right at me, her eyes half lidded as she looks me down from top to bottom. Don't freak out...! I think to myself as a single bead of sweat begins to form on my head.

"Yes...?" She says, her half lidded eyes now staring at my own deep blue eyes, "What was it you were about to say about the performance...?"

"Eh hem. I was just uh, going to say that the performance was..." I begin, her eyes growing in anticipation for my response, "Very enjoyable... Your skill with the cello up there is very evident..." I conclude with a smile, attempting DESPERATELY to not either pass out, have a heart attack, or sweat. Her eyelids fall only slightly as her lips form a smile at my compliment to her. "Thank you." She says almost happily, as her gaze falls to the countertop.

"Would you like a drink...?" I ask, grabbing a cup and beginning to run away at it to prepare for her request. "I'll have a red wine, thank you. How much will that-"

"Don't worry about it." I say, her eyes now shifting their attention towards me. "I'll pay for it. On account of your performance." I say, another small smile and a "Thank you" as her response. Pulling down a bottle of the red wine, I pour her a quick glass, pass the glass over to her, and quickly check a nearby clock before pouring myself one as well. "To a wonderful performance..." I say as I raise my glass in the air, watching the earth pony raise her own, tap her glass against my own, and simultaneously down the wine in a single swallow, the bitter liquid going down my throat burns, but it feels good to be doing it with an attractive mare like her. "It's Astra, but the way. Astra Aquaduct." I say, placing the glass down as well as trying desperately to keep the liquid from escaping my body. "I'm aware of your name Mister Aquaduct, Vinyl has told many things about you..."

"Was any of it too bad?" I ask. "No..." She in a calm composure, setting down her glass and turning herself to face the stage. "Most of it were actions I find noble, and I almost never heard anything too terrible of you."

"Well, that's good. I'm glad to hear that you-"

"However seeing you now, I know exactly what to think of you..." She says in a cool tone, instantly making me nervous to hear what the mare will say next. "So... What do you think of me?" Idiot!!!

"I think that though there are aspects of you that are rather kind and, too a point, noble. I can clearly see that you're afraid..." She says, her eyes half lidded again as she showed almost no indication of emotion. Afraid? Yes, I suppose that word would fit correctly. "What are you afraid of? Mister Aquaduct?" She asks, to which I simply let out a chuckle and attempt my damnedest to play it off like nothing. It doesn't work. She wants an answer, and I need to give her one. "I suppose I'm afraid of all of this. Moving deeper into this crime ridden city, working here with being caught and arrested being my ending here, always carrying a gun with me..." I say, pulling out the weapon from my coat and examining it closely. The pistol, as it appears, has also grabbed Octavia's attention as well as she looks upon the black metal weapon. "Dying... Every day since I was thrown out of the center I've never felt any comfort, and moving here only brought forth more danger. Miss Octavia, I'm afraid of what my end will be after all of this... And I'm afraid of dying..."

Silence rolls through the bar as I soon discover that it is only us who remain in this desolate area. I can feel the air pass me in almost a rhythmic way. It's soothing...

"Then let me help you get over your fear..." Octavia says, taking my hoof in her own and bringing my attention to her. Electrical sparks fly straight into my eyes and hooves, running through every fiber of my being as I begin to lose myself in those beautiful amethyst purple eyes. I wish to bring her into my arms, bring her lips to my own and refuse to let go of an embrace... But even I know how far fetched the idea is, and refuse to take any romantic advance towards her and instead simply smile and say "Thank you" to her offer. She smiles slightly, leaving the building and taking the warming atmosphere with her. The bar grows cold, and I find myself staying here a bit before returning home that night...

Author's Note:

Wow. That took a while!

Black and White OC belongs to Revolver