Chapter 1: Discovering Destiny
Chapter 1: Discovering Destiny
“My name is Octavia Melody.” The filly stood tall under the curious eyes of her new classmates. Her teacher, Miss Glimmerstep, stood not far away, urging her on with a smile. "I just moved to Ponyville from Manehattan with my parents. The city was always filled with ponies, politeness and, above all else, class." Scanning over the classroom, she saw two of the three. Class was incidentally absent. She saw nopony of particular note, but rather, a sea of normality, which wasn't a terrible thing; just terribly boring.
Being the new filly in the neighborhood, everypony seemed to show an uncanny interest in her life. As she opened her mouth to say something in reply to all the good wishes, she became aware of the shivering she felt pressed up against her flank.
The light olive coat of her half-sister, Fiddlesticks, trembled against her back, as she hid as best as she could from all the curious eyes. Smiling to the class, Octavia stepped aside, leaning against her sister for support. “And this is Fiddlesticks, my little sister.”
Reinforced by Octavia and the polite welcome of the class, Fiddlesticks slowly uncurled, peeking out from under the bundle of her tail. The two of them styled their manes the same way these days and looked very much alike, all except for Fiddlestick’s hat; she wore it all the time, a white cowboy hat her father had given her. She was an Apple through and through, and while the two had different fathers, the pair of sisters were inseparable.
Fiddlesticks was a blank-flank, just like her; the two had been terrified about starting at this new school like this. It was with some relief that Octavia noticed a few other little fillies and colts that hadn’t gotten their Cutie Marks either. It wasn’t common, but Octavia was happy she and her sister weren’t the only ones.
A small filly with a white coat and a blue mane near the front of the class lifted her hoof, drawing Octavia's attention. "What kind of things do you like?"
"An excellent question, Rarity. Octavia, if you would, please." Glimmerstep looked to her with a matronly smile.
"What do I like?" Octavia was quiet as she thought, giving a nod to herself and a smile once she decided on what to say. "My mom is Melodious Pitch, a singer. She always sang lullabies to help me sleep. It was like listening to an angel. She always used to say that life is full of music. It's everywhere; she said it's the wind blowing through the leaves and the sound of rocks rolling down a hill. Music is… music is hard to put into words myself...” Her heart swelled with every word; even if many of them were taken from her mother's mouth, she felt them just as strongly. She was met by a stream of comments and compliments and – Octavia was pretty sure – one loud whistle and cheer from somewhere in the back. She couldn’t really place where.
When Fiddle was asked the same question, she just shifted uncomfortably and mumbled, but after some time and encouragement from Octavia, she gave way to shy and modest answers about the Apple family gatherings she enjoyed going to. Applejack, one of the other fillies in the class, hooted proudly at that, making Fiddle blush. Octavia would be sure her sister sat beside that one. Slowly, the country filly opened up even more.
"Octi's mom met my dad in Manehattan. My dad's Cameo Apple, a member of the Apple family." Fiddle stood a little stronger, bolstered by family ties. "He and mom moved here, hopin' to become a part of a quiet, simple place at Granny Smith's suggestion. I ain't much, but one day, I hope to be a great rodeo pony, just like my da!"
After a few more questions, which bored Octavia to no end, the two were permitted to take their seats. Octavia walked Fiddlesticks over to where Applejack was, happy to find an open seat beside her rowdy half-relative. After she saw Fiddle safely seated, she looked around. Rarity, the pony who had spoken up, had no open seats nearby and Octavia really hadn't taken note of anypony else. Just as she was starting to fret, a pony spoke up.
“There’s a spare seat back here, Miss Glimmerstep!” Octavia turned to find the speaker and was met by the sight of a flashy, wild mane on a short unicorn in the way back. Judging by her voice, she was also likely the source of the loudest of the earlier cheers, and was waving her hoof in an exaggerated greeting. Octavia tilted her head as she studied her, thinking. Why had she spoken out? She looked like an absolute ruffian, with her mane styled into wild spikes. But Octavia didn’t complain. She trotted over to the seat, sitting down quietly and preparing for class.
“Hey there!” The filly shouted much too loudly, given they were already side-by-side. “My name’s Vinyl. Vinyl Scratch.” She proudly puffed out her upper torso, beaming. Well, she certainly was confident that she’d impress. Octavia tipped her head in greeting, to which Vinyl snatched her hoof and gave it a little-too-hardy shake.
“Hey, hey, don’t be so stuffy!” Vinyl cheered, getting a few glances from the other students. "We're not so formal, here in Ponyville, you know. We're way chill! So loosen up a bit and relax, alright?"
"Shh." The colt on Vinyl's other side quickly blurted to her.
"Shh yourself." Vinyl looked to the speaker. "I'm just gettin' the new filly introduced to some Ponyville grade love-and-tolerance here!" Vinyl looked back to Octavia, but paused when she noticed Glimmerstep behind her, tapping a hoof and staring sternly. The wildcat pony smiled an immodest smile and Glimmerstep walked back to the front of the class to start the lesson. “Hey, find me when school’s over, okay? I really wanna talk to you. Please?” Octavia just sighed and nodded.
Well, Octavia thought as she picked up her pencil with her teeth. The first day is off to a real rocky start.
The bell rang to signal the end of class, giving Octavia the cue to try and sneak away. Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain. Vinyl had sighted her long before she had the chance to escape.
“Tryin’ to run away?” Vinyl joked. Octavia wasn’t laughing.
Octavia spoke quickly, before Vinyl could get the wrong idea. “Look, I don’t know what you wanted to talk abou—“
“That’s right!” Vinyl perked up, laughing to herself. Octavia sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. It was obvious this was going to be a longer day than she imagined. “I wanted you to meet my father!”
“Oh joy...” Octavia hoped she laced her words with enough sarcasm to breach Vinyl’s clearly thick skull.
“I know, right?” Vinyl said proudly, if obliviously. “Right when I heard you liked music, I knew you had to meet him.” With a tilt of her head, Vinyl started walking, leading Octavia along. Running wouldn’t save her, she knew. Instead, she used this time to sum up her unusually bright and noisy guide.
Vinyl was younger than most of the fillies in class, even Octavia. Despite this, a Cutie Mark was already visible on her tiny flank, making Octavia instantly envious. The mark was a symbol she recognized, a pair of bridged eighth notes. It was plenty to make her more curious than annoyed about Vinyl’s unusual personality. As they talked, Octavia found herself caught up in Vinyl's eyes. Even though they were just chatting about inconsequential nonsense, those magenta eyes were filled with energy. She had a feeling that life would never be dull with this filly around.
Curiouser and curiouser… Octavia thought to herself, keeping an eye on Vinyl, who simply continued to babble. While she wasn’t the sort Octavia would normally be seen with, she certainly seemed the most interesting within the school's usual lineup, insofar as her first day told her.
“You're one strange, hyperactive little pony…” Octavia lamented, eventually giving in. “So, who is your father?” Octavia asked, slipping the question into one of the pauses in Vinyl’s non-stop talking. She decided to tone down her sarcasm as well, not wanting to drive Vinyl away.
“Echo Scratch,” Vinyl replied, without a pause.
Octavia stopped mid-step, blinking several times. “Echo Scratch,” she mirrored. “As in the Echo Scratch. DJ X-Fader?” She felt her eyes widen. She couldn’t help herself. It was impolite to stare – she knew that – but nothing could stop it.
“The one and only!” Vinyl replied with a hint of triumph in her voice.
Echo Scratch, or DJ X-Fader as he was also known, was a musical legend of the last generation. He rose to fame overnight after advancing the technology used in turntables and revolutionizing the genre of electronica. He even played in Canterlot for several big events, often at the request of very prestigious ponies. Any music lover of any age worth half their salt knew about him. Octavia's ears drooped and she slumped her head slightly; here she was, looking down her nose at Vinyl and she happens to be the daughter of a musical revolutionary.
Vinyl seemed to read Octavia’s mind, stopping and smiling back over her shoulder. “I know I don’t look like much, but dad’s been raisin’ me on his music my whole life. Not too many ponies in Ponyville can spin a track like me!” Her voice wound down a bit as she added, “But, I don’t want to just copy my father. I want to be something different—” Octavia held her opinions on Vinyl’s uniqueness tightly, “—and blow the world away the world.”
A big hope, coming from one so young and small. Octavia smiled a warm smile. She decided she liked Vinyl, for all her flaws. She was a like a fresh pearl. She was not yet polished; but with some effort, she would really shine. Octavia only hoped she wouldn’t be dwarfed under her greatness, should Vinyl accomplish her goals. She would stick close and watch the creation of a star. And she would see it all from the best seat in the house.
Maybe she could learn something from Vinyl after all.
Vinyl’s home wasn’t entirely what Octavia had expected. For the master of techno, she had expected a manor, or at least something more retro. Why wouldn’t somepony as famous as DJ X-Fader live in the lap of luxury? But the home before her was nothing of the sort; a two-story affair with the same style as the rest of Ponyville’s quaint houses. Ironically, the house of possibly the loudest musician in pony history was right across the street from the town's library. The only defining features that set the house apart from the rest was a sign on the door in the shape of a vinyl record and a doorknob shaped like a turntable’s tone-arm. Within the ring of the sign were the words ‘X-Fader DJing Service’ in big, white font. When the door was opened, the needle of tone-arm was right above the record, a design choice that left Octavia smiling.
Vinyl hopped her way into the building, bouncing with every step. Every second with Vinyl made Octavia reconsider just how much energy could be stuffed into such a tiny body. While Octavia wasn’t much bigger than Vinyl, there was a canyon of a difference between their actions. After being invited in – a concept Vinyl didn’t seem to grasp entirely nor easily – Octavia stopped to wipe her hooves off on the rug before entering, while Vinyl bounded right on in, shouting at the top of her lungs.
“Daaaaaaad! I’m home! And I brought home a new friend! Come on, come on, come on! I want you to meet her!” Vinyl bounded around the stairs, calling up for her father.
Octavia flinched, suddenly aware of her pent up anxiety. She was about to meet a musical icon; a legend who crafted the genre of this generation with his own two hooves. What if he didn’t like her? What if he only proved her fears true; that she wasn’t gifted in music? That was the only reason she’d never picked up an instrument herself or tested her own musical talent. She feared the possibility of failure too much. She wanted to run, hide and forget all this ever happened. She wanted to tell Vinyl she had to go somewhere and slip out before any damage could be done.
But Octavia also felt like she was rooted to the spot. Her tongue was dry, sticking to the roof of her mouth and keeping the words from flowing. She trembled and whimpered, but if Vinyl noticed she paid no mind. She was too busy with her father. Octavia hadn't even seen him approaching.
Echo Scratch wasn’t an old pony. Yes, he had a daughter, but he was still so youthful and full of life. His coat was the same color as Vinyl’s, maybe closer to white than his daughter. His mane, a spiked tangle in the same style as Vinyl, was a flourish of red and crimson. He sported a golden earring and a pair of black shades, resting down on his nose as he looked over the two fillies with calm eyes.
“Hey, my lil’ Scratch,” he said, ruffling Vinyl's mane. His voice was smooth, using slang as freely as his daughter. “Who’s this?”
Octavia opened her mouth to try and introduce herself, but Vinyl spoke first.
“She’s my new friend, dad. Her name’s Octavia! Octavia Melody!” Octavia frowned at not being able to introduce herself, worrying that it would damage her first impression. She was plenty surprised then, when Echo turned his eyes to her and studied her with a knowing smile.
“Octavia Melody, eh? Nice to meet you.” Echo tilted his head slightly, observing her as some would observe a painting. He started pacing around her, humming thoughtfully. “Have you ever played an instrument before, Octavia?”
Octavia finally found her voice. “Y-Yes sir,” she lied, worried about failing to meet his expectations. After a second, she felt a twang of regret. “A-Actually, no sir. My mother loved to play and I her heard music all the time, but I was always… unable to play.” She looked down slightly, an action that didn’t go unnoticed.
The older pony gave a slight nod, stopping his observation to stand in front of her. “Have you ever read sheet music before, then?”
To this, Octavia could truthfully nod, with enthusiasm even. “Oh, yes sir, I have! I love reading the music. Sometimes I can even hear the songs in my head, as if my mother was playing them.” Octavia almost shocked even herself with the passion in her voice. Echo simply smiled. Vinyl might as well have not been there, for all her presence. Octavia saw nopony but Echo, a musical legend, smiling at her like she was more than a nopony.
“I wanna take a moment of your time, Miss Melody,” Echo smiled, lowering his head politely to the filly. Suddenly Octavia felt very unsure.
“I don’t want to disappoint, sir.” Suddenly, her sullen demeanor returned. “B-But please, call me Octavia.”
Echo gave another slight chuckle and just kept smiling. “Ah, the uncertainty of youth.” Echo shook his head as Octavia tried to wrap her head around all this. “When I look at you, I see possibilities, Octavia. I see a perfectly blank canvas, awaiting paint. I see a chance, a fork in the road, a little filly with a destiny. I’m curious: would you like to learn to play?”
Octavia felt her throat tighten. She kept her head down, struggling against her apprehension. Finally, she won over it and took a deep breath, letting it all out, along with her barriers. “Yes, if you would be so kind as to teach me.” As she spoke, she heard Vinyl let out a similar breath to her own. Octavia had completely forgotten she was there.
“Of course I would, or I wouldn’t have asked,” Echo responded, laughing after his statement. “Please, come this way.” He turned, heading down a hall into what Octavia assumed was the living room; she could only assume, because any furniture was buried under scattered musical equipment.
Turntables, speakers, a drum set, an experimental guitar and, resting over the fireplace, possibly the most immaculate cello Octavia had ever laid eyes on. Echo walked straight to the cello, his horn shimmering, levitating the instrument gingerly off its plaque. It hovered in front of him for a few moments, before he turned to start back towards the two fillies. With a flick of the head and a spark of magic, he pulled a stool over, placing the cello’s point in front of it, holding it up. “It’s a little big, but it’ll give you a general kinda feel.”
Octavia immediately began to battle with her reluctance. “S-Sir, it’s much too—“
“Call me Echo.”
“Mister Echo,” Octavia settled on, “that instrument is far too valuable. I’ve never seen one so beautiful…” She let her words trail, looking about the room and silently praying there was another, less glamorous cello for her to play. Of course, there wasn’t.
“Come on, Tavi; give it a shot, will you?” Octavia had, once again, forgotten Vinyl. Now, she turned her head, looking over her fellow filly.
“What did you call me?” Octavia raised an eyebrow, hoping she managed to look upset in all this chaos.
“Tavi. Yanno, a nickname. Octavia. Tavi. I think it’s a cute nickname.” Vinyl smiled widely. “Come on, play. I knew, from the minute I saw you, you were special. Just like dad said I had it, I can tell you have it; a gift for music.” She nudged her head towards her father. “Right dad?”
Echo chuckled a bit. “Yes. I was planning on not saying that till after she finished, Vinyl.”
“Oops.” Vinyl's grin was non-penitent, her eyes glimmering with mischief.
Echo sighed. “Yes, Octavia, you’ve got music in your blood. I can feel it, but I can’t let it out for you. Go on. Play.”
Octavia felt bolstered by the words of confidence and climbed onto the stool. With some help from Echo, she took a deep breath and began to play.
Her tune wasn’t anything special. On the contrary, she had no sheet music, so it was actually rather poor, she thought. But it was a tune none the less. The limit of her reach made some notes difficult or impossible to hit, but she made due however she could. A smile slowly crept over her face and she felt her eyes close. She lost herself in the simple music, so much so that she didn’t notice Echo leave her side to go stand beside his daughter. She heard him talking, but she didn’t comprehend his words. They had nothing to do with the music, so they were inconsequential.
Her melody drifted, like a flitting breeze, until it slowly trailed off. When Octavia opened her eyes again, Echo was smiling and Vinyl was trying, without success, to keep from crying. Octavia gave a frown, instantly worried about her new friend. “Vinyl?”
“Don’t worry,” Vinyl said, wiping a tear away. “Happy tears.”
“The cello suits you nicely.” Echo put a hoof over his daughter’s shoulder, giving her a small pat. “Not that one, exactly – a little too big – but you look very natural with a cello.”
Octavia felt inclined to agree. “I’ve never felt so… So full of…” The words escaped her. Floundering, Octavia worked her jaw.
“Creation. So full of the ability to create.” Echo plucked the words right from her heart. She nodded, smiling warmly. "Well. My daughter brought you to me. Now it’s my turn to drag you around Ponyville.” Echo walked to the stool, plucking up the cello with his magic as he went and returned it to its plaque with such care that Octavia just had to ask.
“Is that cello yours? You don’t really seem the classical sort,” Octavia asked, quickly adding, “no offense, naturally.”
Echo hesitated to reply, turning to look from the cello to Octavia and finally, Vinyl. “It belonged to my wife, Cellia Goldenchord. Vinyl’s mother.”
Octavia gasped. With her family's history, Octavia recognized the name. Cellia Goldenchord was a savant with the cello, one of the greatest classical musicians to ever walk on Equestrian soil. She left the music industry to raise a family, but Octavia hadn’t known with whom. She remembered a few years earlier, when news of Goldenchord’s passing reached her mother’s ears. Her mother had played Cellia’s albums for weeks, in memory of her.
“And you let me play it? It was improper of me to handle a memento like that.” She felt herself frown, shifting on her hooves. Echo just shook his head.
“It’s fine. She’d have wanted it played, not left to sit and collect dust, y'know? Besides, I bet she’d have been real happy to know her cello was being used to spark off the next generation.” Echo grinned at the end of his statement, trotting back over to the kids, then past them into the hallway. “Come on, slowpokes. Time’s a-wastin’!”
This was the first real walk Octavia had taken through Ponyville. Yes, she’d seen her neighbors and walked to school, but she hadn’t gone around meeting anypony yet. The town was alive with midday activity. Octavia took in the sights as she went, gathering her own understanding of a daily life in the town of Ponyville.
She saw Granny Smith and Big Macintosh, two ponies her step-father had talked about on the way here, selling their wares; succulent looking apples. Apparently, the Apple family was among the first ponies to settle Ponyville, a fact that her step-father mentioned over and over again to Fiddlesticks, who would always beam with family pride. Octavia, for one, was just glad her sister was happy.
She noticed Sugarcube Corner, testing her self-restraint as they passed. The building tempted her with the smell of freshly baked delicacies, and Octavia nearly started drooling. The group hurried along, passing several more shops and landmarks before winding up at their destination; Pitch Perfect, a music store. Octavia was whisked inside before she even had time to wonder why they were there.
The building was wide and well kept, giving off a welcoming aura. A counter at the far end of the room separated customers from some of the more expensive products – finely crafted masterpieces that had more zeroes in their prices than Octavia knew how to deal with. Also behind the counter was a door, a display case, and a very old looking unicorn. His coat was sea blue; his squinted eyes a well contrasted green. Whatever color his mane had been was replaced with wisps of grey and white, clinging desperately to his scalp.
“Yo, Grandpa Maestro!” Vinyl’s loudness caught Octavia off guard, making her jump. She wondered if she would ever be used to Vinyl’s bright, boisterous personality. The shopkeeper, Maestro, blinked once, rising from his seat.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite little customer.” A smile creased Maestro’s weary face. “What brings the two of you here? Oops! Pardon my old eyes. The three of you. Who might this be?”
Once Vinyl had, yet again, announced Octavia before she could introduce herself, she started to introduce the pony behind the counter. It was Octavia’s turn to catch her off guard. “You’re Maestro. Your more expensive instruments are sought after all across Equestria,” Octavia spoke matter-of-factly. “My mother has a cello with your seal on it. It’s always played the most beautiful symphonies, though she only ever takes it off the mantle on special occasions.”
This brought a bigger smile to Maestro’s face, while Vinyl was looking a little huffy about being shown up. Echo was just shaking his head and laughing.
“You also helped make the first turntable. Your partnership with Echo completely changed the music world. I hadn’t realized you were related though.” Octavia looked between the two, proud of her knowledge.
“Huh. This little filly has done her homework. We aren’t related by blood, though.” Maestro laughed a weak, yet heartfelt laugh. “I imagine she’s the reason I’ve been blessed with a visit from you both today?”
“Perceptive as ever, you old stallion.” Echo trotted over to the counter, resting a hoof on it. “Lil’ Melody here is a natural with the cello.” Maestro offered a curious look at Octavia, accompanied by a gleeful smile.
“Oh, is she? Wait right here. I have just the thing.” With a fresh spirit in his hooves, Maestro hurried to the door behind him, shutting it behind him. Octavia took this time to look over to Echo.
“Why are you doing all this for me? Cellos are very expensive, Mister Echo.” She was a little uncomfortable, accepting a gift with such a high price tag, but she also didn’t want to offend Echo Scratch by turning it down.
“Price ain’t a problem.” He waved a dismissive hoof to that, giving a shrug at the same time. “As for the why, there are a few reasons.” He motioned with his head to his daughter, who was eyeing a turntable with shimmering eyes. “For one, you’re my daughter’s friend. New friend or not, I don’t really care – you get the best for making her smile.”
Octavia suddenly regretted all her negative thoughts about Vinyl up till now. Seeing her father’s smile made Octavia realize her passion was his passion, amplified. She couldn’t fault that, even if Vinyl was a little… much. “And secondly,” Echo continued, “your musical talent needs to be cultivated. You could become famous, with dedication and skill. You’re brimming with potential, Octavia, and I want to see that potential bloom.”
Octavia was rendered speechless. Echo Scratch – the Echo Scratch – had just told her she had potential. Octavia was starting to think this all might just be a dream – that she might just wake up to find out she fell asleep at her desk at school and drooled all over herself. But no matter how much she blinked, she wouldn’t wake up. She felt like she needed somepony to pinch her, just to make sure this was all real. However, she was afraid that, if she asked, Vinyl would be all too quick to fulfill her request. But she got the feeling she wasn’t dreaming.
Maestro returned, levitating a small cello in the air beside him. It wasn’t his finest work, but it was still beautiful, crafted with the same care and love as every other instrument around them. “For the little one.” He lowered the cello onto the counter just as Echo drew out a pouch for bits.
“How much?” Echo opened the pouch as he spoke, but Maestro held up a hoof.
“Free of charge. Even if you weren’t family, you’re the reason my music has spread so far. You’ve helped fill every corner with beautiful sound. Besides,” He turned, looking at Octavia. “I want to see her blossom just as much as you.”
Octavia lost her breath to his kindness. She felt tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Sir.”
Vinyl, not overjoyed about being forgotten, took this chance to get back into the spotlight. She bounced over in her usual manner, grinning wildly. “Tavi, just take it and let’s go play! You ‘n me! I know the perfect place!”
Octavia struggled to keep her excitement from showing. She couldn’t have dreamed this could happen. As Vinyl asked her dad if she could use his turntables, Octavia eyed the cello she was being offered. Offers like this didn’t come more than once in a lifetime. Taking a gentle breath, she took the instrument and started out behind Vinyl.
Echo watched silently as the two fillies departed, letting out a sigh of contentment. He was seeing a time long ago; a different little filly with a different cello, going off to embrace her own destiny.
“She reminds me of my little Cellia.” Maestro’s voice startled Echo from his memories. “That’s why you’re helping her so much, isn’t it, son? It's at least one of the reasons, yes?”
Echo thought on that a moment, then shrugged. “Am I really that easy to read, old man?” He was right, of course. Octavia’s drive and desires reminded Echo of a small, yellow-coated unicorn with music in her hooves and passion in her eyes. She never needed her magic to play; her hooves were her greatest tools.
“She’d be happy to see you like this, Echo. I think she’d like that little one too.” Maestro waved a hoof towards the door. “Go on. Tell me how she does.”
With a smirk, Echo trotted out to see if a star was being born.
Vinyl trotted ahead of Octavia, carrying a stool on her back and her father’s turntable with her magic. It seemed Vinyl’s "perfect place" was one of several possible places. This one in particular was the fountain at the center of town. So far, they had stopped outside her father’s home, at town hall, and in the marketplace; all the places Vinyl dubbed "too loud" with an irony that Octavia found it hard to not comment on.
It seemed the fountain was her final choice. The legs on the floating turntable flipped open as it lowered down to rest. Vinyl moved along beside it, setting the stool down just to the left. Octavia’s twittering nerves were back. She moved to Vinyl’s side, but Vinyl shooed her off with a hoof while she climbed onto the stool.
“You should be in front. After all, this is your show.” Octavia felt a rush of blood to her face, warming her instantly. She lowered her head to hide her nervous blush and wordlessly set up her cello.
The instrument fit smoothly in her grasp, like it was made specifically for her. She trailed her hoof over the fine craftsmanship and felt her blush fade. She was finally getting to play!
Peering around, she saw ponies going about their daily lives. Some had taken an obvious interest at the sight of two fillies with instruments, making Octavia shaky all over again. Then she heard Vinyl start up a gentle tune. It was a simple beat, easy to augment with her personal touch. She closed her eyes, imagining that she was standing at the head of the class again, ready to introduce herself to the world for the first time.
“I am Octavia Melody. And I am a cellist.”
And then Octavia played.
The music was more full – more wholesome – from a cello her size. No note was beyond her reach, no pitch beyond her comprehension. She was the music and the music was her. Rocking her body slightly, she moved to the haunting melody she produced. She imagined a thin stream – like water – flowing over her cello, fluttering into the air and taking flight as her music. She felt as if she were adrift on that flow of musical waves, floating through the air over Ponyville, over all of Equestria, basking in her own majesty and grace – the grace of the song. She was, for the first time, truly alive.
She didn’t hear Vinyl’s music stop. She missed Echo approaching the two. She certainly didn’t hear the crowd around her, ponies who had abandoned their chores or tasks to watch this little pony make glorious music. All she heard was her composition; her very first composition. Slowly, but with haunting certainty, the last note drew out over the strings. And then there was silence.
Octavia’s breaths came out in ragged gasps, as if she had been running full-tilt. Her hair was slightly disheveled and, when she opened her eyes, she realized she had been crying. Fixing her hair and wiping her eyes, she steadied her breathing and returned to normalcy. It was only then that she became aware of her surroundings.
The streets of Ponyville were dead quiet. Eyes from all around focused on her, more than ever before, waiting for her to either continue or bow. Windows had been drawn open, ponies leaning out to find the source of the beautiful harmony. Vinyl and Echo stood among the crowd, side by side. Echo looked to be close to tears while Vinyl was bouncing excitedly, the most frantic movement in the entire square.
“That. Was. Awesome!” Vinyl shouted, hopping even higher to punctuate the last word. "And look! Look!” The excited pony pointed with a hoof to Octavia, or more accurately, her flank. A mark had appeared; a smooth, flowing, purple treble clef rested as her Cutie Mark. Octavia’s prim-and-proper demeanor melted away into pure joy. Bouncing with excitement, Octavia spun in circles, trying to get a better look at the Mark. Her Mark! She had her Cutie Mark!
“W-When did—? How did—?” She was having trouble finishing her questions.
“While you were playing.” Echo spoke softly as he approached. “Looks like you’re every bit the musician I thought you would be, lil’ Melody.” Octavia felt her throat tighten again, joy stealing her breath. She started to cry, but held it in, clearing her throat and fixing her posture. This was her time to shine!
“I need to go tell my family. They’ll all be so excited.” While she had reigned in her excitement, she couldn’t contain her smile, which spread over her face.
“Of course.” Echo looked around the crowd and made a little motion. “Let the little filly head home, everypony.” After a second to overcome the trance this event had put them in, the crowd parted for Octavia as she started to run off.
“Hold on!” A new voice rang out – one of the spectators. Looking towards the speaker, Octavia saw a light-coated filly from her class. Octavia remembered her name as Bon-Bon. She was pointing back towards the fountain with her hoof, drawing Octavia’s eyes.
“Ah! My cello!” Octavia had left it behind in her haste. Shouting a thank you to Bon-Bon, Octavia sprinted back, snatched up the instrument and turned to head home. She stopped to thank Echo and Vinyl again before hurrying on her way. She couldn’t wait to tell her parents and sister the good news.
Echo put a hoof over his daughter as Octavia rounded a corner. The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving them nearly alone in the square. He patted her fondly, nodding and turning to look at her.
“You did good today, squirt.” He told his daughter, a sparkle in his eyes.
“You did too, dad.” She responded with a small, radiant smile. He felt his heart swell and turned to look at the spot where Octavia had vanished.
"Yeah..." He said with a soft sigh.
Well, there is chapter 1; [Insert nervous fidgeting here] 
Between Bassdrops and Bowstrings has been a labor of love of mine for a few years now, spawning from my love of music and respect for the musical artists of this fandom. With time, I grew to love the musicians of Equestria, Ponyville specifically, and decided to write a story following their lives.
Yes, I confess, I'm a bit of a VinylxOctavia shipper, and yes, you will see romance in this story. I try very hard to make it seem genuine; not wanting to give into cheap cliche and stereotyping. If anyone has anything to say, please do. I'm always open for critiques, even if I may fight my points with you. This is, after all, my first real story here. I'm a little nervous and I bet I'll be a tad defensive. Bear with me, please.
-Inkheart
Header and (Soon) Footer artwork done by Thespiritshift
Music Inspiration: Made Me Realize (Gravity Falls Theme)
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Just read the first chapter! I loved it but you should look it over; there are a few grammatical errors.
A few grammar issues, and I did have a hard time figuring out the speaker due to the paragraphs being so close together, but nothing major. This is quite the interesting story you have here. You've caught my attention, and I'll continue reading sometime soon!
Where to begin? I adore the concepts I'm seeing with Fiddlesticks and Octavia. Along with the current setting on the fic. Your descriptions are also very captivating, at least for me. I greatly look forward to reading more and was glad I found the time to check this fic out.
just read this first chapter and its fantastic the backrounds for both Vinyl and Octavia are great and well thought out an what a great way for Octavia to get her cutie mark bravo
Damn. I should've read this sooner. It's really great.
*High fives*
7364637
Thank you for the praise! I'm glad you're taking the time to read now.
*Low Fives*
-Inkheart
From the first chapter alone, I know this story is going to be good. A few grammatical errors, but nothing serious.
"Offence" should be offense and "Mackintosh" should be "Macintosh".
7376036
Sheesh. Even after three or four editors eat through it, there are still errors people missed. Thank you for the love. I hope you enjoy the entirety of my story.
-Inkheart
Alright, finally got to reading the first chapter. And I feel like giving you, at the least, a review for the first chapter. I'll eventually get to the other chapters. It's been a long time since I've done a review, so sorry if it's not the best. I hope you'll at least consider some of the things I talk about.
So, to start off, I'd have to say over all this chapter was pretty good. It started off with a good, while slightly cliché, introduction. Moved on to set up other characters, gave a fairly good amount of character development in a short amount of time, and introduced new characters (mainly Vinyl's dad) that the readers aren't familiar with quite well. Points for creating a character that could totally be Vinyl's dad. While I do feel that Vinyl's parental units suffer from a little Mary Sue/Gary Stu-ness from what they've accomplished, I do think it was still believable if you know enough about Vinyl.
My main problem, plot-wise, was the fact that Octavia, without any other prior experience with an instrument, was able to handle and play the cello so masterfully right off the bat. Twice actually. Sure, I get that it's, almost literally, her specialty because of her cutie-mark, but what about before she got her cutie mark? When she first handled the cello, nothing happened other then some really good playing. I know that she's just supposed to be naturally good at it, but it still irks me that she automatically is able to perform without any prior instrumental handling experience right off the bat, and then perform with Vinyl a whole show.
Since, I'm on things that irk me lets talk about your formatting. Sweet Baby Luna, does it hurt my eyes to read with it like that. It takes me out of the moment. All those times that you've got a new, like, piece of material, you need to have a space in between. I'm not crazy, real authors do it. Look at a random, published, book and you'll see that they don't have their paragraphs or dialogue touching. It just isn't aesthetically pleasing. Honestly, if you went through your whole story and just went to the ends of your paragraphs and dialogue and pressed enter twice I'd be eternally grateful. Just off the bat, I can say that it'll look better.
So, probably last bit of kinda pointing out the flaws and I'll go back and give you some things I liked about this chapter. But first, lets talk about some of the, lets just go with grammatical errors, of the chapter. Numero uno, would be the actual first sentence.
I assume that you're trying to do the thing that some authors do in books where the first letter is really big, but I gotta say, this doesn't look good. It just automatically interrupts the flow of the story. If you're trying to do what I mentioned, just make the text larger and see how that looks. I recommend just taking the bolding away and leaving it as regular text. This next tid-bit is just grammatical.
Right here you make it sound like Octavia and Fiddlestick's new classmates and teacher are Miss Glimmerstep. Don't worry, this is why we have commas. Throw a comma right after classmates and you'll be good as new! Next is something that's also grammatical, but I guess wouldn't necessarily have to be changed.
After would, I recommend a comma. It just helps the story flow better. Let's it become more pleasing to read and should flow better. Another quick grammar error here:
Since, and this is kinda my opinion, she's referencing 'mother' in replacement of her mother's actual name it should be capitalized. That's really the best explanation I can give other then, "because it should be". Next!
This should be italicized. 'Cause it's written in the sense of a thought process. Thoughts are always italicized. Which leads me to my next one.
She's thinking, not quoting someone or something, or making air quotes. This means it should be italicized and not single quoted. Also, curiouser is not a word, try something different. More curious should work, but honestly I'm not a hundred percent sure what you're trying to write anyways. Last one is in need of something.
This one needs a comma after the first two ons. Or you could put it all together without spaces and italicize it, that would work too. Kay, on to the good stuff!
I gotta say that there were two, that I can think of, moments that I particularly liked and those were these two:
The first one is quite impactful and only slows down at the very last sentence. I just like how it kind of implies that Echo could've done a whole speech, but just shortened it to those few sentences. The second one was good, really just cause it provided a nice chuckle. It gave a small dose of comedy to the chapter.
To close, I'll say that, overall, I liked the chapter. But, because of no double spacing, I don't think I enjoyed it as much as I could've. It really took away from the flow of the story. But the story, the plot, was good enough to immerse me a little when I wasn't stopping to grab things for this review. The characters were enjoyable, for what little time the actually had, since it's only the first chapter. Also, props for indenting your paragraphs. If this had been the only chapter, so far, I would've said I would gladly look forward to more.
Scoring (so far):
Story: 7.5
Characters: 8.0
Grammar: 9.0
Enojoyablility: 8.5
Overall Score: 83/100
7421682
Urg... The formatting of this is the bane of my existence.
There was a point where I seriously battled over how to space this. In the end, I went with the same format used in novels. You see, I use the paragraph gap later as a means to show a shift in perspective, without a passage of time. It's most prominent in the chapter, Once Upon a Time in Canterlot, but there are flashes of it in earlier chapters. I'm not quite sure what to do with those parts, if I were to double-space my story... Could you offer some advice there? I want to keep it looking aesthetically pleasing, while keeping the reader engaged and not confusing them too much.
As for Octavia's skill with the cello, I had planned on her being choppy at first, but then I considered Cutie Marks and their impacts on the ponies who have them. For instance, take Cutie Pox. Now, I know this isn't a Cutie Mark, per-say, but it is supposed to mimic a slew of Cutie Marks, making the pony in question act erratically. Without any prior knowledge, Applebloom suddenly became skilled in a score of odd traits, without ever having done them previously.
This becomes an issue again in Applebloom's dream episode (The name escapes me now) wherein she finds that, after having her Cutie Mark removed, she's unable to perform the talents she could previously. Again, this is a dream and not an accurate representation.
Then there is Magical Mystery Cure, of which I pondered on quite extensively. See, at first glance, it appears to contradict the prior idea that a Cutie Mark grants proficiency, as the Mane 6 couldn't perform their tasks, despite having another pony's Cutie Mark... But I believe that was due to a contradiction in their destinies. The song 'What my Cutie Mark is Telling Me' lies heavily on the concept of destiny, that one is simply just good at what they do, as would be a prodigy.
My primary support actually comes from Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow and Fluttershy, interestingly enough.
In 'The Cutie Mark Chronicles' those four of the Mane 6 discover their talents in interesting ways. Starting with the least solid and most obscure, would be Rainbow. She never knew a Sonic Rainboom was a possibility. In fact, it's implied that she's the only one who could possibly do it. So, the fact that she was able to do it, completely on accident, as a filly is a nod towards the concept of destiny. The same goes for Pinkie, who had never known a smile. However, after seeing the Rainboom, she was able to understand all the inner workings of a party, without ever having experienced one before. While Pinkie is the best party pony, I doubt she was the inventor of the party, so it begs to question, how the knowledge got in her head.
The strongest evidence comes from the ponies with the most unusual abilities; Fluttershy and Rarity. Neither of them had any prior knowledge of what they could do. In Rarity's case, her destiny literally dragged her by the horn until she reached it and discovered her talent; the magical power to discover gems and the talent to make good use of them. As for Fluttershy, she literally fell into her talent; the ability to talk to animals. It is implied in her song 'So Many Wonders' that she'd never been to the surface before, so how did she know she could talk to the animals?
I used these facts, as well as a few others, to make a decision and I decided that Destiny would be guiding Octavia's hands. Or hooves. Whatever. Her skill was less her own and more the result of her Cutie Mark, sparking up in a flash of fate. Perhaps it's a little cliche, but I feel that it's part of the magic that resides in all ponies; the guiding hand of their Cutie Marks, pushing them towards one specific talent.
You'll see next chapter that it isn't always so easy though. Vinyl has some troubles, as her actual obtaining of her Cutie Mark was... odd.
Oh and, you might be pleased to know that Echo Scratch is actually only an average musician. His talent isn't so much playing as it is creating. He is a musical revolutionary, bearing a talent of bringing great change to the musical world. He invents new instruments and genres, even if he's not automatically proficient with them. His talent in Techno came from years of practice, unlike Octavia, where she was directed by her Talent.
I hope that's not too... Eh... It was meant to be a subtle thing, but perhaps I made it too subtle.
So subtle, no one will catch it... Whoopsies...
Thank you for your kind words about my story. This has been a labor of love, forged over two years of careful planning and preparation. I don't claim it's perfect, but I at least hope it's enthralling. I want to write a story that readers will enjoy.
-Inkheart
But he did say something similar.
Nice first chapter, man!!
I really the rest of the story is as good as that chapter.
Reminded me quite of a line of one of my favorite musical artists, Celldweller. "I am Klayton and I am a Cellout." -> Cellout (Winter Mix 2012)
Cheers
\m/
This story is so good I just had to come back and read it again.
I just love this story and for anypony else who has red this knows where I'm coming from.
For anypony who is just starting the story u guys are going to love it
Daawww..
Ok, first off I'd like to say I'm into the supportive Echo Scratch. It's become a bit of an expectation of mine to see Vinyl as a rebellious young mare attempting to distance herself from unsupportive/overbearing parents, or just an orphan. By the same token, I'm used to Octavia's draw to the friendship being her overly stuffy and perfection driven upbringing, and how Vinyl brings her out of that shell.
While a supportive parental figure may seem cliche to some readers, my interactions with other musicians usually showed that they received support in their passions as well.
Also, given the music magic in Equestria, it doesn't seem too farfetched that a filly with indications of perfect pitch and an ability to already read music take to her instument abnormally quickly.
I'm looking forward to this one, cheers!
Very adorable start to their relationship. Moving on to chapter two...
Wow.
Have to admit that I wasn't sure at first, then came out of chapter one thoroughly impressed. Octavia's initial performance actually brought a tear to this old man's eye, and that simply doesn't happen very much. Having said that - full disclosure. I am a hobby-musician myself, and have tinkered with writing music, so that scene and some other quotes about creativity really got to me.
Yes! Yes, that is how it feels...
Especially when you get into a groove and that groove keeps you up all night!
I agree with 9043490 in his point about supportive parents. Unfortunately it is more common to see edgy backstories and unrealistically horrible parents among many stories on this site. Thank you for going this route. It was a welcome breath of fresh air.
I've never seen "you know" written like that as an auditory contraction. I've always seen "y'know" instead.... That threw me for a bit.
All in all, a delightful start. Much better than so much of the sarcastic and inane drivel that can be found on this site at times. Onward!
S.C.
9086942
Onward and upward!
And thank you. I'm not a musician myself, but only because I lack the time and money to learn/rent an instrument. I want to learn the Cello and someday, I will. But for now, I simply love music. I adore what it does for me and for other people. It's more than a medium, it's creation, pure and simple. Music is beautiful; it's the universal language. So I wrote about it. Simple answer, yeah?
This first chapter was great. The emotions could be felt while reading. I can't wait to read more. I look forward to seeing what happens next and this story truly has the magics.
9098231
Well thank you. Having tha magicks is the highest praise!
You know you love it Octavia
.
Vinyl and Echo have my condolences, along with Octavia's Mom
.
Oh don't we all feel like that...
.
Somepony get Octavia a cuteceniara stat
!
You both did
!
lemon-yellow/lime-green ?
9174321
)... Seems I need to update. *edits* There. Light olive is more accurate. 
Thanks for the catch.
Huh, you know, originally the Wiki had Fiddlestick's coat as 'lime-yellow' (I don't try to understand the strange color names, I just use them
I could've sworn that was Twilight with all the purple leaking out of that sentence.
9236017
I'm not entirely sure if that's good or bad.
Hey there, Quillian!
As promised, I read your first chapter and, overall, I liked it quite a lot! You managed to capture what it feels like to play music (or, really, to be a part of any creative pursuit at all). That's a magical thing!
I do see where Okemos is coming from on the too fast / too slow thing. This is a lot to happen in the first chapter! It seems to me that there were three major events: Getting to Ponyville and meeting Vinyl, meeting Vinyl's dad and getting her cello, and getting her cutie mark. That's a lot for a little filly to handle in so short a time!! Honestly, it could be three chapters. You're setting up a lot for the future of your story, and it's okay to take your time with it and spread things out.
THAT SAID, I've only read this first chapter. If this much happens in every chapter, then I'm game!
Your characterization is amazing! I already love your portrayal of Vinyl and Octavia so much!
Your prose is great! Very rich and detailed. It was very enjoyable to read!!
Other than that, there's only little mistakes here and there (an extra comma, a misspelling, that sort of thing). Having an editor go over your work with a fine toothed-comb would clear that up in no time, as it's very infrequent (I only noticed two things while I read, and only one of them really interrupted my reading experience).
I'm excited to read the next chapter!
9237531
Thank you~!
What was the moment that pulled you from the experience; I'll fix it right now, if you can remember.
9237541
I'm not sure what exactly you meant here, but I don't think it was 'included.' Deduced, maybe?I am a fool with a reading comprehension of zero, and Quillian is a very smart person
9237546
Oh, no that meant that Vinyl was younger than even Octavia. I'll reword that.
9237546
Hehehe. No worries. Mistakes were made and quickly forgotten.
Beautiful first chapter. And I couldnt help but think of some of the more beautiful classical pieces I've heard
9509121
Thank you, friend! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story just as much.
Aww, this is such a cute and heartwarming first chapter. I'm loving it already! Eager to see where it goes from here.