Between Bassdrops and Bowstrings

by Quillian Inkheart

Chapter 14: Once Upon a Time in Canterlot

Chapter 14: Once Upon a Time in Canterlot
[v]

The day of the Royal Wedding was here; a day Vinyl had been waiting for, ever since she got the letter seven days prior.

It had been simple enough; the groom had asked Vinyl to play at the after-party for his wedding. According to the sender, the groom – Shining Armor – had attended the school where Vinyl’s father had played at; where he went on his first date with the princess he was marrying. Vinyl had been awed by the way fate seemed to work. Her father brought them together and now she was sealing the deal. She didn’t let herself ponder if the groom would’ve called upon her father instead of her, were he here.

No, this was her moment of glory.

The implications of this party were far-reaching. She would be playing for three princesses, as well as a whole crew of Canterlot ponies. She was a bundle of frayed nerves and messy hair, but that was nothing new to her. She hoped, beyond hope, that she could finally speak with Princess Luna, her supposed reclusive royal fan.

The preparations were tedious and boring. She had asked Neon for advice on special effects, but she also stressed that she wanted to do this gig solo. Having her there was special to the groom, and she’d make sure it stayed that way. Now, however, she found the task incredibly daunting. She constantly wondered if everything was just right; if it was perfect. Part of her wished she had Octavia’s flair for classical, elegant beauty. It was all very unlike her, but this was no simple party.

‘All Three princesses,’ Vinyl thought as she levitated a few lights onto their stands. ‘I’m so totally doomed.’

At the thought of Octavia, Vinyl paused for a moment. She hadn’t told her friends about this request. She knew Octavia had a concert today at Carneighgie Hall and Vinyl didn’t want to dampen her friend’s mood by waving around a royal invitation.

As Vinyl connected two plugs, there was a spark of electricity and the lights flicked to life. One at a time, Vinyl tested the lights and their varying settings, wondering what would be the best combination for the party itself.

She had heard Twilight Sparkle and her friends were here, a fact that made Vinyl a little more relaxed. If she really needed to, she could always turn to Pinkie’s impromptu party powers.

What had really shocked her was why Twilight was here. She’d have never guessed she was related to the groom and the head of the Canterlot Royal Guard. She gave a small chuckle, considering fate again, and continued with her work.

One thing Vinyl was having trouble understanding was the defenses. She gazed up to the glowing barrier surrounding the city, somewhat awed by the power Shining Armor wielded. She genuinely hoped it didn’t put a damper on the wedding.

Time ticked away and soon, Vinyl saw the end of her long project. With a contented sigh, she began to wonder if she’d be able to swing down to Octavia’s concert. It should have only started a little while ago and Octavia always kept an open seat reserved for her. But, then again, how would she explain her sudden arrival in Canterlot?

“Eh. It’ll work out somehow.” Vinyl assured herself, giving the lights one quick look before heading out to the concert. However, as she was staring up, something strange caught her eyes. Stopping and turning, Vinyl gave up on checking the light.

“What the…?” Vinyl lifted her glasses, squinting into the horizon. The barrier made seeing things difficult, but she could swear a black storm cloud was coming straight towards Canterlot. Vinyl was certain it was supposed to be sunny; Princess Celestia had postponed the thunderstorm till the day after tomorrow, in honor of the wedding. But, there was no denying that cloud.

Vinyl sighed and groaned, dropping her glasses back over her eyes. “Aw, come on! Now I need to get a tarp or something…” As she went to turn, the cloud did something new; it began to split. Vinyl brought her head back around, taking her glasses off more completely this time. With a gasp, Vinyl realized the truth; it wasn’t a cloud at all. She dropped her glasses back onto her face as her spell sputtered in her shock. There was an army descending on Canterlot.

“Mother of Celestia…” Vinyl felt her heart clench in her chest, fear gripping her as the army of black creatures swarmed over the protective barrier. For a moment, they simply hovered or crawled over the shield, getting a sigh from Vinyl. Shining Armor wouldn’t let anything interfere with his wedding, not even an army.

But then, one of them smashed itself down into the barrier. Vinyl took a step back on pure instinct at the sight. Another followed the first, then another and another, cracks spreading over the protective bubble. Terror gripped Vinyl once more.

With a sound like shattering glass, the barrier was ripped away, exposing the city to the unknown invaders. The attackers suddenly bolted down towards the ground below like glowing green comets, tearing through rooftops, windows, and sometimes entire buildings. Vinyl felt a thought – a single name – run through her mind like liquid fire.

“Octavia!” Her voice was filled with fear, surprising even herself. Ignoring the chaos beginning to erupt in the city below, she abandoned all thoughts of caution and charged from the castle gardens, down into the city. She pushed herself harder than ever before, racing to be at her friend’s side.

Silently, she prayed to Celestia and Luna for protection.

The loud sound of shattering glass had dragged the concert screeching to a halt. Everypony sat in silence, staring up at the ceiling, where the sound had originated. A moment passed, a moment that seemed to drag for hours, and there was no more sounds. Then, without any warning, the first crash echoed through the Hall, making everypony jump. Another crash came, followed by one right after, like endless thunder. Before ponies could even get the chance to become frightened by the sounds, a flash of green light shot through the roof with a bang and tore a hole in the ceiling. The green streak landed on the stage, creating a crater and a ring of green flames not too far from Noteworthy.

The blue pony jumped back as a black creature pulled itself from the crater and gazed from him to the crowd. It reminded Octavia like nothing more than a pony-sized insect. It hissed, its arctic eyes flashing a lime green. Noteworthy screamed. Panic erupted through the hall. Ponies scrambled for the exits and, after only a second, the ensemble was alone on stage.

The fire of the creature’s entrance had quickly spread, consuming the dry wood of the stage hungrily. There was no way they were getting across to the main exits. Octavia glimpsed behind her, not turning her defensive stance from the creature, peering backstage and at her ensemble.

“Go! Run away! I’ll keep this thing busy.”

Noteworthy and the others were more than happy to save their own hides. Beauty Brass wasn’t so quick to run, stopping beside Octavia to be sure she was certain. The creature was staring at them now, seeming interested in Octavia’s sudden sacrifice.

“I’ll be fine.” Octavia explained quietly to her friend, who was looking worried and confused. “I promise. Between growing up with an Apple and Vinyl's self-defense lessons, I've got plenty of skill to protect myself. Just go, Beauty.”

With an ounce of hesitation, Beauty seemed to accept that. “… Just be careful, Octavia…” However, she was worried about more than Octavia. In fact, the cellist herself was sharing her fears. Those explosions were other creatures landing; it had to be. She could still hear the crashes as more monsters rained down on Canterlot. An army, she assumed, was attacking.

Beauty vanished, rushing after her ensemble-mates, leaving Octavia alone with her cello, the fire, and the monster.

As she examined the creature over again, she decided she found it disgusting; a bug, waiting to be squashed. The creature – studying her as she studied it – started to move around her, putting its back to the flames. Octavia braced herself with her cello, kicking the stool she’d been sitting on away.

Then, the creature charged her.

Time seemed to slow for Octavia. The creature was in mid-air, leaping from its previous position, mouth open to reveal a set of sharp, pointed fangs. Its curved horn shimmered with tainted energy, ready to blast Octavia from afar. As it soared through the air towards her, Octavia subtly shifted her hoof, holding the neck of her cello at a new angle. She kept her expression level, showing no fear or anticipation.

Then, right when the creature was close enough, Octavia swung.

Normally, Octavia would never use her cello for something so barbaric, but the situation, Octavia noted, was rather dire. The instrument collided with the creature’s torso, just below its neck, sending it soaring like a baseball off the stage, beyond the green flames its entry had created.

The cello bore a new crack in its wood, but nothing beyond repair. For a moment, Octavia stopped to inspect the damage, silently fretting over her instrument. It was one of four she owned, a new and not a very important one, but she’d just finished paying it all off.

She spotted a flicker of movement from the corner of her eye and turned from her inspection. The creature was back on its feet, though it was wobbly and stunned. It shook it’s head and launched a spell from its horn; a green ball of energy that shot out of the hole in the ceiling and erupted midair into a burst of light and roaring sound.

Octavia only had a moment to question the point of the magic when another creature flew through the opening. Hovering, it hissed at Octavia, more of its unnatural kin following. Soon, four of the abominations were touching down on the stage, at varying distances from Octavia. She began to truly grow worried at the severity of this situation.

The first attacker, the one she had clubbed with her cello, dove at her, still dizzy from the first strike. Octavia simply ducked, letting the monster soar over her, tangling itself in the corner of the velvet curtains. It seemed it didn’t realize that charging hadn’t worked the first time.

Another dove at her from above, hooves extended out to tackle the mare.

This time, Octavia swung her cello up in an arc, the solid oak base of her instrument cracking into the monster’s chin. It flipped backwards once, dazed and confused, landing in a heap on the ground.

The last two creatures had worked their way to either side of Octavia, moving like predators stalking prey. They rushed from both sides, hoping to offset the value of Octavia’s strange weapon, but Octavia had her own ideas.

She twisted on her hoof, putting her cello between herself and the enemy on the left, bucking out with her hooves to the one on the right. As she felt herself contact with her first target, she heard the sound of splintering wood. The impact on the opposite side of her cello drove Octavia harder into the beast on her hoof, sending it flying back. Skidding to the ground, Octavia paused to take stock of her surroundings again.

In an instant, she noticed the stunned changeling she had struck in the chin was gone. Her first enemy was just managing to get itself untangled from the curtains. The one she’d just kicked was probably out of the fight, knocked behind the flames and rolling around in pain. And the last one…

The creature tugged its hoof from the cello suddenly, making Octavia jerk towards it and start spouting a string of not-very-refined things she had picked up. Vinyl, she decided, was a rather bad influence on her; even if she did love every second of it.

Suddenly, the creature darted around her cello, aiming to bite her. She introduced it to her hoof. The two kicked things off smashingly, Octavia thought. So much so, that she introduced them several more times, before the creature decided it would be wiser to stay down.

More of the creatures were coming into the auditorium and Octavia was starting to get the feeling that she would need to run very shortly.

Hearing a hiss from behind her, Octavia turned her head and was startled to see Beauty Brass standing between her and another monster. Thankful for the support, she turned back towards two more oncoming monsters. “Beauty, I told you to run. But, I’m not ungrateful for the help.” She backed up slowly, planning her next strike.

Bump.

Octavia turned, confused. Beauty was staring at her from mere inches away, her mouth open to reveal a set of sharp fangs, about to sink into Octavia's hide. The second monster, the one she had been standing off with, was right beside her, grinning evilly.

Octavia screamed, hopping back just in time and swinging her cello in a wide arc, warding the two monsters back. The one that still looked like Beauty rushed in, aiming to sink its teeth into her, but it failed to notice that the cello hadn’t stopped its movement yet. Having spun around Octavia once, the cello was now held firmly over the musician’s head. The creature gave one slight whimper before the cello smashed down on it.

The sound of cello meeting creature was satisfying, however it was accompanied by the finite sound of wood shattering. The lower half of the cello sailed across the stage and the neck snapped off at the base.

How it had lasted this long, Octavia had no idea, but she wasn’t shocked when the cello split. The vibrations shot up to her shoulders and sent the neck flying from her hoof, cracking a nearby creature in the face humorously.

Three down, an army to go.

Two fresh monsters approached from either side, flanking Octavia with malicious glares. They seemed rather upset that Octavia wasn’t just rolling over for them.

While she tried her best to keep an eye on each of them, this time she didn’t have the defense of her cello. Not wanting to be caught off guard, Octavia focused her hearing, a trick she’d picked up during years of musical practice, and listened for their hooves.

The one behind her charged first, confident that she was blind to it. Rearing back, Octavia met its charge with both hooves, sending it flying backwards, off the left side of the stage. The other one, seeing her momentarily distracted, rushed in and got a good bite into Octavia’s forehoof before she could beat it back.

The creatures were becoming dreadfully cautious now, playing with distract-and-strike styles of fighting. Octavia was making them afraid.

Confident, Octavia went of the offensive, charging the nearest monster and driving her hoof from the ground, up towards its chin in an uppercut. Octavia was many things, but she was not fast.

The creature blocked the strike. However, this placed the mare on her hind legs, a stance she’d learned to stand in, thanks to days and days worth of cello practice. She dangled her hooves in front of her, using them for balance, as she stared at the confused creature. Before it could really understand what she was doing, she jabbed out with her front hooves, punching it square in the jaw.

One; two; three times her hooves struck. The monster couldn’t predict the strange fighting style and Octavia finished it by slamming both hooves down on its head, standing on top of it like a stepping stone.

Just as she was getting confident, another monster tackled her from the side, bearing her to the stage. She flailed, pushing it back slightly with her hooves, keeping its snapping teeth from reaching her. She could see the other monsters closing in from the sides, thinking she was beaten.

She quickly revised their opinions, using a burst of energy to flip herself atop the monstrosity, driving her head down with intense force. She heard a satisfying crack, followed by a ringing in her ears as she smashed her forehead into the monster below her. She was dizzied, but watched as the beast slumped down, unconscious.

“Who else wants some?!” Octavia snarled, trying to not show her disorientation. “Come on! I’ve got all bloody day!”

A clanking sound drew Octavia’s eyes up to the hole in the ceiling. Entering was a new monster, clad in thick, dark-green armor. By its side levitated a spear, held by the sickly green glow of its magic.

It hissed slightly, like releasing a held breath, and leveled the lance into a striking position.

Octavia’s worry began to return. The bite in her leg was starting to numb her and she knew she couldn’t let her adrenaline fade. Charging at the new enemy, Octavia let out a war cry, praying to the Princesses for help as she did.

Changelings. Vinyl wasn’t sure who had screamed the name, but she didn’t think too much on it. The invaders, these Changelings, swarmed over Canterlot like some disgusting plague.

Vinyl ran through the streets, dodging small skirmishes – often leaning in the Changeling’s favor – that were breaking out everywhere. It had only been several minutes since the fighting began, but Canterlot was in chaos. The ponies of Canterlot, naturally, weren’t prepared for this kind of fighting. Here and there were pockets of effective resistance, but it was clear which side was winning.

Vinyl was in no mood to stop and help, though. She only had one goal; Octavia.

She rounded a corner, stopping outside Carneighhgie Hall, panting. The street was, more or less, abandoned. There was a massive crater just outside the Hall, and a hole where a Changeling had exploded through the second floor of the building, after tearing through the roof. Vinyl stared at the hole in the wall, fear pulsing through her blood. Slowly, she composed herself and moved to the double doors, forcing herself to push them open.

“Tavi? Yo, Tavi, you in there? It’s Vinyl!” Vinyl trotted into the entry hall, eyes searching underneath her glasses. It was completely empty. Without another word, she went directly to the specific auditorium that her friend was playing in, swallowing down bile.

The hall was completely trashed, seats thrown about, a ton of broken wood on the stage and a small fire burning through the whole place.

Broken wood… Vinyl’s eyes wandered back to them, and she gasped when she noticed the broken fragments of Octavia’s cello. She rushed towards the stage, but yelped when she kicked something that groaned among the seating.

The Changeling at her hooves was unconscious, only awake enough to groan as Vinyl kicked it again, lightly. When Vinyl saw even more fallen Changelings strewn about, she approached the stage with a certain degree of awe.

“Vinyl?” Octavia’s voice came from behind the curtain, leading backstage. Just as Vinyl was about to reply, Octavia emerged, carrying a strange looking lance in one hoof. She was bleeding slightly from a few minor wounds, but nothing serious. “Oh, thank Celestia. I’m glad you’re safe. These things are everywhere.” Octavia tossed the spear aside, giving it a disgusted look.

Vinyl, overcome with relief, hurried to her side. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? You’re bleeding.” She spoke quickly, looking over her friends injuries.

“I’m fine. Vinyl, just calm down.” Octavia squirmed and shifted, chuckling under Vinyl’s scrutiny.

“You did all this?” Vinyl looked around again, chuckling. “I’m impressed. Shame about your cello though.”

“Yes, well… It probably saved my life today.” Octavia gave a small laugh, trotting over to the cello’s remains. “Well, it’s not so bad.” She turned, opening her mouth to say something else. However, she slowly shut her jaw, staring at a point somewhere beside Vinyl’s head. Vinyl turned, but there was nothing there.

“Tavi, you alright? You didn’t, like, hit your head or somethin’?”

“I don’t believe I did, no.” Octavia gave her head a small shake, and then laughed a small laugh. “Say, Vinyl?”

“Yeah?” Vinyl watched as Octavia walked closer, her eyes drifting to a half-closed stare.

“It just dawned on me… You ran all the way here to save me, didn’t you?” Octavia’s smile and stare were far more than friendly. Vinyl felt herself blush and cleared her throat.

“Nah nah, I knew you could handle yourself just fine.” She took a step back, chuckling. “Guess I was right. I mean, I was in the area already, and—“

“—Wanted to be sure I was okay.” Octavia finished for her, now within hoof-distance from her. Vinyl gulped and nodded. What was with Octavia’s tone? She had to have hit her head on something.

“Vinyl… What am I to you?” Octavia tilted her head slightly to the side, her eyes melting Vinyl’s heart into paste. What was happening? “Am I a friend? Like a sister? Or perhaps…" The cellist leaned in, her muzzle close to Vinyl's, "... more?”

Vinyl could feel Octavia’s breath on her skin. She shivered and gave her head a slight shake, confusion burrowing itself in her mind. “Tavi, you’re actin’ really off. This ain’t like you at all.”

“Do you love me, Vinyl?” Octavia asked with a voice like frosted honey. Vinyl felt herself shiver, but tried to cover it up by backing away a step.

“N-nah, I wouldn’t want to… put you in a position like that, Tavi.” Vinyl struggled to make up some reasonable excuse. It was far harder than she felt it should’ve been. She was beginning to question everything she thought she knew about her cellist roommate. How did she feel about Octavia?

She was so busy, lost in thought, that she missed the spark of green light in Octavia’s eyes.

Far above, attached to the ceiling, the real Octavia watched the two, wrapped in the Changeling’s cocoon. She couldn’t hear a word of what was happening down below, but fear had gripped her the moment Vinyl had walked in.

The armored monster had knocked her out without any real effort and she’d woken up here. She’d watched the creature turn into her and had remembered a long-forgotten bit of lore; these bug-creatures were called Changelings. She had been too wrapped up in the fight before to recognize their power, but now…

Now, she stared down at Vinyl, watching the Changeling that was wearing her form walk towards her oldest friend. If anypony could tell this was a fake, it would be Vinyl. But as Octavia watched, the Changeling mimicked her convincingly; well enough to fool even her best friend. For a few moments, everything seemed disturbingly normal.

However, after a strange moment where the Changeling stared at nothing, Vinyl was on the defensive, backing away and looking confused – flustered even. What had the Changeling said to her? Vinyl shook her head, saying something else Octavia couldn’t hear. The two were right up to one another now. Octavia wanted to scream, to make Vinyl run and save herself.

And then the Changeling did something Octavia hadn’t expected. The Changeling kissed Vinyl.

Vinyl was surprised, but she didn’t jump back. She relaxed, feeling the blood rush to her face. She leaned in, adding her own feelings into the kiss, hoping to express when she didn’t understand herself. This kiss felt nothing like any of the ones Neon had given her. It was… It was…

Vinyl’s eyes snapped open as she felt a surge of something profoundly wrong in her. Her strength drained and she pushed Octavia away, panting heavily.

Octavia’s eyes were a blazing green color; the same green that Vinyl had seen all over Canterlot, burning around craters and shimmering on the horns of the invading Changelings. Suddenly, their name made a lot more sense.

The pseudo-cellist leaned her head back, sighing out a pleasured sigh. “Yesssssss…” The Changeling hissed out, looking back to Vinyl with Octavia’s eyes. “The Queen will be very pleased when I bring you to her. You have so much love inside you. You and the other one.” The Changeling dropped the act, but didn’t remove Octavia’s form. With a twitch of it's head, the spear it'd discarded skittered back across the stage and floated beside it, coated in it's magical aura.

“Where is she?” Vinyl demanded, fear and desperation filling her body with adrenaline. She stood strong, staring down the beast that wore her friend’s face.

“You wish to know where she is? Become my prisoner, and you’ll find out.” The Changeling grinned, then rushed Vinyl, the spear spinning beside it in a distracting flurry.

Vinyl jumped to the Changeling’s side, opposite the spear, her horn shimmering as she picked up stray objects for projectiles. The Changeling quickly redirected, smashing its body into her. It was hard as metal, as if it was wearing armor. Vinyl gasped as she was toppled, but rolled back into a standing position quickly.

The Changeling stood tall over Vinyl, on top of a destroyed piece of the stage. Its grin made Octavia look vicious. Vinyl silently vowed to make it pay for giving Octavia such a disgusting expression.

One by one, Vinyl flung objects at the Changeling, but the creature just batted them away with its spear, as if the objects were just so many flies. What did get through was insubstantial enough to be totally useless. Vinyl was starting to realize that she would need a new method of attack. If the Changeling really was wearing armor under Octavia’s form, she wouldn’t hurt it by throwing rocks at it. She needed to fight smart.

Something that was sure to hit. Something that was impossible to block. Something that would make that armor more of a burden than a help.

An idea made her mirror the monster’s morbid grin. This time it was her that led the charge, her horn shimmering with magical light. About halfway to the Changeling, the light broke off and drifted to her throat, vanishing. Still flinging small objects, Vinyl kept the creature occupied, keeping it from noticing what she was really doing. Closer. Closer. Just a little closer.

Vinyl dropped down to her haunches, ducking under a swipe from the spear. The world slowed, with the weapon moving directly over her head. Now!

“Drop it!” The words, cranked up to eleven, blasted the air around her. The burst of sound, her own voice amplified with magic, shook the stage under her. The spell was stronger than Vinyl had planned, causing the Changeling to screech loudly, flinging its weapon into the air. Propelled by the Changeling, as well as the sonic blast from below, the spear shot off towards the ceiling, striking something with a soft thunk and sticking up there.

The Changeling stumbled back, having trouble maintaining Octavia’s shape. It was distorted until it vanished completely. “What is this magic?” The Changeling hissed, spitting out the words like acid.

Vinyl stood proudly, smirking. “The Magic of Music!” She shifted her glasses on her muzzle with a little flick of levitation magic, then re-powered the vocal amplification magic. “Now then,” she said, cracking her neck, her voice loudly ringing through the auditorium. “Are you ready for these Wubs of Destruction!”

♫𝄞♫𝄞

When the fight had begun, Octavia had been cheering for her friend. She knew Vinyl couldn’t hear her, but she hoped, somehow, that her words would reach her. She was amazed to find that, in truth, it was Vinyl’s words that reached her first.

“Drop it!” The words shook the small cocoon Octavia was imprisoned in, breaching the layers and reaching her ears. Vinyl’s voice was so comforting right then, Octavia started to sigh in relief.

Then the spear struck the cocoon right in front of Octavia’s face.

Vinyl couldn’t have prepared for everything. She certainly hadn’t planned for Octavia being within ‘flying spear’ range and stuck to the ceiling. The pointed tip of the weapon sliced through the thick membrane of her prison like a hot knife through butter. Feeling the cocoon start to give way, Octavia stood very still and shouted out to her friend.

“Vinyl! Vinyl, I’m up here! Be careful!” She pushed on the spear, trying to dislodge it while keep her weight off the damaged part of the cocoon. It was a long way down.

Vinyl heard her, looking up in joy. She snapped her eyes back to her enemy, violent eyes hidden behind her glasses. “Wub-a-dub-dub, motherbucker!” She shouted, charging the creature. She blasted it with sonic cheers, knocking the Changeling from one side of the auditorium to the other, deafening it with her own degree of awesome.

Octavia watched, amazed. She felt a blush crawl onto her face, now that she had a second to think. Why was Vinyl here? Had she come to save her? She didn’t even bother to wonder why Vinyl was in Canterlot. She didn’t care. And the kiss… Octavia was fairly certain Vinyl hadn’t fought back until the Changeling revealed itself. Was she just seeing what she wanted to see, or…

No. She had hope again.

Down below, the fight continued. Vinyl was winning, but quickly growing tired. The new spell used up far more power than something as simple as levitation. After about the tenth blast of sound, Vinyl felt her legs tremble in weakness. Standing was a chore. Her vision was starting to get blurry and her lungs felt like they were collapsing. She needed to end this, fast.

Octavia leaned out from the cocoon, curiosity making her reckless. “Vinyl? Are you okay?” She couldn’t help but ask a stupid question. She was starting to grow very uncomfortable, dangling this far off the ground.

Luckily for her, the cocoon fully understood her plight and split wide open in an effort to return her to the ground.

Octavia heard herself scream, the world spinning around her as she tumbled down. She flailed her hooves, praying to find something, anything, she could hold on to. Unfortunately, she was hanging on open ceiling, leaving nothing between her and the floor below. With nothing to hold herself up with, Octavia fell.

“Octavia!” Vinyl’s adrenaline and fear charged her friend’s name with power, smashing the Changeling back away from her, off the stage and into the seats. She jumped over the monster – which hissed in anger – but she didn’t care about it right now. All thoughts were on her friend, plummeting down from the ceiling. Vinyl felt her body regain some strength, desperation bringing energy to worn and battered hooves.

Octavia’s screaming, flailing form slowed, glowing with a faint blue aura, until she plopped down onto a chair harmlessly. She kept screaming for a second longer, before she realized she'd landed safely.

As Vinyl collapsed, spent, Octavia rushed to her side. “Vinyl! Oh, thank you, Vinyl!” She pulled her friend up for a hug, squeezing her tightly.

"Don't," Vinyl huffed, her eyes heavy behind her glasses. "Don't thank me yet..." She closed her eyes, shivering all over.

Looking over her friend’s shoulder, Octavia watched the Changeling push itself up, furious. It had landed not far from where its spear had landed, and it quickly snatched it up, eyes burning with rage.

Octavia felt her stomach tighten. They were both far too weak to fight the Changeling any longer. It would capture them, if they were lucky. If not… Octavia could easily picture that spear running through them both, just as easily as it had torn up the cocoon. She held Vinyl tighter as the Changeling walked towards them.

“You were very courageous, Vinyl.” She ran a hoof over her friend’s mane, hoping it was comforting. “I’ll always be grateful.” The look in the Changeling’s eyes told her she wouldn’t live to be grateful for very long. She closed her eyes and kissed Vinyl on the cheek.

“I love you, more than anything, Vinyl.”

The sound was difficult to describe. At first, Octavia flinched, thinking it was the sound of the spear, flying towards them. When she heard the Changeling scream, however, she opened one eye to see that the auditorium was completely empty. The green flames had gone out. The defeated Changelings weren’t on the floor any longer. The captain and his pointy weapon were nowhere to be seen. She looked up at the hole in the ceiling just in time to see black specks, careening off into the distance.

“Thank Celestia…” She felt relief wash over her as she leaned back from her friend. Vinyl was dazed; groaning and rubbing her head.

“Tavi? That you?” Vinyl flinched, then quickly pushed off her, putting distance between the two of them. “P-prove it’s you!” She leveled her horn at Octavia, but she was clearly in no position to use any magic.

“Of course. You’re Vinyl Scratch. You live in Ponyville, in your father’s old studio. You like your eggs sunny-side up and make the most adorable squeaking noise if somepony pokes you just right.”

Vinyl blushed at the last comment, lifting her head. "Okay, okay. I believe you.” Vinyl smiled, but started to show her exhaustion.

“And,” Octavia continued as she closed the distance. “You are the most amazing pony I’ve ever known. Thank you.” She kissed Vinyl’s other cheek, giving her another hug.

Vinyl hugged her back, chuckling. “Aw shucks, Tavi. Don’t give me all the credit. You whooped all kinds of flank before I got here.” Her voice was hoarse and she seemed to be having trouble standing, but she made a show of not being weak.

Octavia laughed, nodding a little, just enjoying the calm after the storm and Vinyl’s company. After a second, she cleared her throat. “Vinyl… did you hear anything I said right after you saved me?” Octavia asked, swallowing a fearful knot in her throat.

“Huh? Oh yeah, bits and pieces. I was really out of it. I’m sure it’ll come back to me eventually. Why, was it something important?” Vinyl leaned back from the hug, looking a little worried.

“Oh no, no, nothing like that.” Octavia forced a laugh, waving a hoof. Part of her was relieved Vinyl hadn’t heard her. Part of her, however, was crushed. Fidgeting, Octavia rushed to change the subject. “Well, it seems I was wise to buy extra cellos.”

Vinyl shrugged. “This is, what, the second one you lost? You're gettin' reckless with these, Tavi. But don't worry, I’ll help you pay off a fresh one.”

Octavia smiled, then paused. She thought for a moment, as an odd question came to her mind. “Hey, Vinyl…” She tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow as she stared at her friend. “What were you doing in Canterlot anyway?”

Vinyl flinched and chuckled. “Oh. Hehe… Nothin’ much.”

Author's Note:

Woo! Fight chapter!
So, as an author of a fantasy novel, I like to think I do okay fights. I try to make them easy to visualize, while maintaining a strong continuity. All the while, making it interesting for the reader and keeping them hooked.
Now, I adore this chapter. It's among my favorites, not because of the action, but because it's where the VinylOcti relationship really gets started. Now Octavia isn't the only one who's confused.

Look forward to the next chapter, in which Octavia meets a wish-granting creature:
Wish I May, Wish I Mite

-Inkheart

Musical Inspiration: Swing! Tavi Swing! by Joaftheloaf

Comments

[GamerTag]

Great chapter!

I loved the action but I was mostly happy that the OctaScratch stuff is starting! I think I scared my friend with how much I freaked out

I can't wait until the next chapter! Keep up the good work!

[Frozen Quill]

That fight was epic! Loved every second. Also yay *shipping noises*

[ThePieBeam]

WOO!!
this thing has way to little praise.
Ide put this up there with some of the best fan fictions.

[Golden Fang Ryu Shenron]

“Of course. You’re Vinyl Scratch. You live in Ponyville, in your father’s old studio. You like your eggs sunny-side up and make the most adorable squeaking noise if somepony pokes you just right.”

I would love to hear what that sounds like!

Epic chapter !

[Nailah]

Fight scenes are always so taxing to write, but a lot of fun too! And woot! Finally, it begins. Ship it to the moon!

[Dashie04]

Nice, action-packed chapter.

Also, you used Swing! Tavi, Swing! you’ve officially gained all my musical favor.

[Quillian Inkheart]

9714557
Of course I did! No battle other battle theme suits the Canterlot Invasion to me anymore, ever since I saw Once Upon a Time in Canterlot.