(Bonus) Chapter 23: The Only Pirate at the Party
Chapter 23: The Only Pirate at the Party
Octavia was positively giddy with excitement when Vinyl walked in the door. However, before the DJ could even ask why Octavia was dancing on the couch, her cellist wife tackled her to the floor.
"Vinyl, she's coming here! Omigosh, omigosh!" Octavia jumped circles around Vinyl, making the unicorn's jaw almost hit the floor.
"Dare I ask?" Vinyl said with a smirk as she pushed herself back to her hooves. "Who's coming here?"
Octavia stopped, suddenly blushing as she realized just how silly she was acting and how excited she really was. She cleared her throat, walking over to a letter, sitting on the table. "I got a letter this morning from none other than Symphonic Stomp..." Vinyl raised an eyebrow curiously. "The dancing violinist?" Vinyl shrugged. "... The face of genre-blending music? Vinyl, she's been one of my heroes ever since she hit the music scene five years ago. By Celestia, I played you her music before."
Vinyl blushed a little, but nodded. "Ooooh, yeah, now I remember... Sorta..." Octavia rolled her eyes. She motioned over to the table, where a letter sat open.
"She's on tour, coming to Ponyville and we've been invited personally! Oh Vinyl, I'm so excited!" Again, Octavia stated prancing in place, making Vinyl snicker.
"Well, anything that's got you this excited is okay by me." Vinyl walked past her wife, brushing her face with a flick of the tail. She made her way to the table, studying the letter idly. While she was glad to see Octavia so hyped, something was wrong. Vinyl kept up with the music scene, but she hadn't heard anything about anypony coming to Ponyville for a concert. She kept her uncertainty to herself, though. "Maybe we could get up on stage too. DubCello could be beastly."
"Or, it could be a disaster." Despite her words however, Octavia was staring at her cello intently. "I think we should play it safe, Vinyl. I want to enjoy Stomp's company, not blow it by trying some experimental idea and having it explode in our faces."
"This isn't one of my inventions, Tavi." Vinyl chuckled, moving to Octavia's side. She brushed her head alongside her wife's, flicking her with her tail. "It's music. It's what we do. Nopony can say we aren't good at that. So, why not? We'll do fine."
Octavia smiled, closing her eyes and nuzzling Vinyl back. "We can't. I'm just so nervous, Vinyl. Stomp is... Well, I was always too busy to see her play. She lives in Manehattan, so it's not like I've ever gotten the chance. I'm always so busy..."
"Well, now you've got your chance. What's the worst that could happen?" Vinyl recited the words with a smile, but Octavia paused, eyes a little wide with dread. It never boded well when Vinyl said those six words.
The concert was taking place on an open-air stage, with minimal decorations, from what Octavia could see. It was all a little underwhelming in that aspect. Pinkie was hosting the reception; of this, Octavia wasn't surprised. What did surprise her was that, apparently, everypony was involved.
As she looked around, Octavia noted Neon and Fiddle, the Pony Tones, Coloratura, just about every musical pony to be in Ponyville within the last several months was here, preparing for the stage. Octavia was at a complete loss for words. How could this have all been prepared on such short notice? Vinyl had said it was strange, but that was ridiculous. What was strange about a grand concert?
"Dad?" Vinyl's voice snapped Octavia from her confused pondering. The white mare trotted away from Octavia towards a smaller section, quartered off from the others. Here, Echo Scratch was preparing something, which was almost as nerve-wracking as when his daughter did it.
"Lil' Scratch!" Echo dove into a hug with his daughter, grinning like wild. "I missed you, little filly."
"Dad, stop, seriously."
"Sorry, sorry." Echo took to his own hooves, taking a few steps back. "So, how's married life treating you?"
Vinyl looked over to Octavia, who was just now joining them. The cellist smirked, winking. "Mind your words carefully, Vinyl. We do still have a couch, you know."
Echo burst into laughter right alongside his daughter, the two of them practically falling together in a heap. "Yeah, things are great, dad. Hey, what do you know about all this? The whole concert thing is... kinda sudden."
"You didn't hear? Some mystery pony has been writing all these musicians to come here. Something about a huge concert, I dunno. Personally, I don't see how a cappella is going to sit beside metal, but I suppose somepony has something big planned." Echo shrugged. "I'm just here to try and play the guitar with my gang."
As if on cue, the Blackened Slayers were there, talking among themselves, one of them carrying a hay sandwich like it was infected with something. "... just never understand pony food. I mean, apples are good and all, but—"
"Oh, shut your beak and quit whining, Guy. It's making my ears want to bleed." A female griffon roared from the middle of the group. Vinyl and Octavia had met her once before, after the show in Griffonstone. Her name was Gunnel – she was the smallest, but clearly the most fiery, with a spiked collar and bracelets on her claws and paws. "Eat it or trash it, but stop complaining already."
Guy gave the female griffon an injured look, but ate the sandwich. He made a face, but didn't say anything else about it. He wore bracelets similar to Gunnel – minus the collar – and his feathers on his head were slicked back in a wave.
"Yo, quit making a scene!" Gryo walked over to the others, giving the female griffon a stern stare. She puffed out her chest, meeting his gaze.
"I ain't sayin' sorry, so stop staring. He's been whining about the food since we got here." She clicked her beak at the end of the sentence, then looked around. "Ponies... All fluff and buttermilk, these ones."
"Look, Gunnel," Echo said, breaking away from Vinyl and Octavia to approach the griffoness. "I know ponies are kinda lame, but we're awesome in our own way. I mean, look at me, right?"
Gunnel gave Echo a sidelong look, then sighed. "Yeah, some ponies are cool. You an' your daughter are rockin'. I'm still convinced you might be half griffon, though."
The third griffon shook his head, making his feathers sway around. "Again with the hippogriffs, Gun? It's a stupid kid's myth; grow up already."
Gunnel rounded on him, growling. "I meant at heart, moron. He's a griffon at heart."
"Calm down, guys," Echo waved a hoof, trying to placate the angry griffons. "Relax. I know being in Equestria is weird, but don't go around biting anypony's head off, okay?"
"He's not anypony, he's a griffon." Gunnel growled, but relaxed a bit. "Sorry Echo. It's just... so weird here. Everypo—... All these ponies are just so... clingy."
Echo shrugged. "That's just how ponies are." Echo looked around, blinking. "Hey, where's Giomar?"
Gunnel barked out a laugh, which sounded vaguely like a roar. "Probably partaking in some of that pony clinginess. He'd rut with a tree, if the sap was warm enough." She looked over to the third griffon with a grin. "Who knows, maybe we'll see some hippogriffs after all, Gerwalt."
Gerwalt rolled his eyes, but grinned. Only then did he seem to notice Vinyl and Octavia, standing not far away. "Well well, if it isn't the space pony, come to ground to visit." He broke off from the other griffons, walking over and offering a balled-up claw for Vinyl to bump. "Long time, little noisemaker." He was a little older than than the others, with feathers covering one of his eyes and piercings in his ears and tail.
Vinyl bumped his claw enthusiastically. "You too, you old nesting crow. Still lead guitar, or did they replace you with my father yet?"
Gerwalt laughed. "A pony? Nah, your father rocks, but not that hard. None of you can rock like us griffons." He looked over his shoulder, grinning at the other members of the band. "What, do I need to do all your talking? Get over here!"
Octavia could barely follow the conversation that followed. The griffons, each more boisterous than the last, all wanted to talk at once. They asked for suggestions for sightseeing – but nothing too froofy, as Guy said. They plied Vinyl for the names of ponies of interest – females rule your kingdom? I could get used to this, was Gunnel's response. Octavia was content being an idle bystander, until Gunnel slid to her side.
"So, how'd the wedding go?" She asked, giving Octavia a nudge with an elbow.
"Very good, actually. Vinyl is a treat." Octavia replied, happily watching her lover banter with the birds.
"Yeah, we were all super bummed that we couldn't go. We had a concert, and playin' without our manager was hard enough, you know? Gryo wouldn't hear it, even if it meant a new family member." Octavia turned to look at the griffon, who smiled – actually smiled – a strange expression on a griffon's face to be sure.
It was then that the Blackened Slayers began to make more sense. They were a family, a unit, and Vinyl was one of them through her father. And now, Octavia was one of them through Vinyl. "Well, knowing you considered it is all that mattered. I'm happy to be a part of your family."
Gunnel laughed, giving Octavia another, more forceful nudge. "Ah, don't lie. We're all a hot mess when it comes to you ponies. Ponies and griffons don't mix, that's the truth."
"Is it though?" Octavia asked, looking back to the others, rubbing where she'd been nudged. "Is it, really?"
The stage was set. The bands were gathered. Pinkie was partying with a bunch of ponies dressed as pirates and nopony could stop her. But Octavia still hadn't seen fore-hoof nor flank of Symphonic Stomp. She was just about to go to her seat when a familiar flash of metal caught her eye.
"Wait..." She whispered, making Vinyl, who was walking beside her, stop. "Beauty?" Octavia broke off from her lover and headed back towards the stage, where a new group of musicians was just arriving: her orchestra.
"Octi!" Beauty shouted with gusto, lowering her precious sousaphone to the ground with every ounce of tender loving care. "So good to see you! How's married life?"
Octavia swept her long-time friend up in a hug, squeezing her so hard that Beauty gave a small squeak. "It's... life." She said simply as she released her friend. "Wonderful, pleasant life. I can't imagine how I lived without it."
"Yeah, well..." Beauty chuckled, looking over to Parish Nandermane. "I'm hoping a certain somepony gets it in his head to propose to me someday."
Octavia blinked, looking between her two bandmates. "Wait, you and Parish are a item?"
"Heh, for about six months now. You've had your head in the clouds for so long, Octavia. We got together after your wedding; it just seemed... right." She sighed, giving her head a small shake. "He's such a gentlepony..."
"Well, that's one word for him," Octavia said with a smirk. She didn't dislike Parish – on the contrary, she loved his company – but he was a little stuffy, even for her. "So, what're you all doing here? Did you get an invitation too?"
"We did. Noteworthy told us we'd all been invited to this gathering of musicians and that attendance was mandatory." She said the last half of the sentence in a deeper voice, mimicking Noteworthy's deep baritone. She giggled at the end, shaking her head. "He's trying really hard to be a better pony, but he still has those moments where he tried to dominate us all, like a ruler of some kind. It's irksome, but we've come to appreciate it."
Octavia blinked, feeling the stirrings of sorrow. Her orchestra was moving on without her. She'd been so occupied by her marriage that she had been going to fewer and fewer concerts. All these changes, these little things, were starting to pile up and Octavia was just now beginning to realize that maybe she was making a mistake after all. Not in getting married, never that, but perhaps she'd made an error in her other friendships.
"Well, we've got to go get ready for the show. Will you be playing?" Beauty's eyes sparkled and Octavia felt the sorrow melt away. Beauty and the others would never judge her for her choices.
"No, I believe we are meant to watch. It seems we are the only ones not asked to perform." Octavia shrugged and smiled. "But we may, regardless. After all, Symphonic Stomp might be the master of genre blending, but my wife and I might just be better."
"I'm sorry, Symphonic who?" Beauty asked, raising her eyebrow. Octavia was confused, but before she could reply, Noteworthy called Beauty over to help unpack. Beauty apologized quickly, scooped up her sousaphone and darted off, leaving Octavia dazed and confused. If she'd been invited, how did she not know who was hosting the event?
The concert began in a way nopony had expected. Pinkie Pie's Pirate Party all started singing from the back of the crowd; a thrumming sea shanty that got hooves stomping. So many ponies were convinced this wasn't a part of the show that they ignored Pinkie and her crew. Then, out of nowhere, one of the ponies in the back pulled a violin out of a chest and began playing.
The stage split, revealing a large pool of water, shallow enough to dance in. Pinkie and her crew, along with the unknown pony stormed the stage, hooting and hollering, as the violin sang out it's wooden heart. And then, the pirate playing the sweet refrain tipped her hat up – Symphonic Stomp was here.
The other pirates revealed themselves as backup dancers as Stomp went into full swing. Her hooves kicked and her body swayed as she played, difficult enough when you weren't dancing in water. Pillars of water sprayed up from the back of the stage, cresting well over the crowd, but not getting any of them wet.
Suddenly, when the music hit a fever pitch, the wind seemed to pick up as well, flapping the rear curtains on the stage. In a transformation that boggled Octavia's eyes, the red curtains became a black flag, complete with skull and crossbones motif. The pillars of water became a fine mist and, inside the mist, tentacles and flying fish swirled, as the sound of thunder rocked the stage in time with the music.
Octavia was on her hooves, staring in wonder, along with every other pony in the seats. It didn't feel like just her imagination; she could hear the sea; could see the fierce Kraken as it attacked a ship full of brave scalawags. She leaned forward, anything to be closer to the story unfolding before her. Pinkie, as the first mate, cheered on the captain, Stomp, as she battled with the Kraken, kicking and twirling, using her bow as a blade from time to time.
Then, with a dramatic flourish of music, Stomp drew the song to a close, finishing the dreaded Kraken and saving her ship. The ponies around Octavia sat in silence for a few seconds, before bursting into applause. The whole crew bowed – Pinkie more than most – and sauntered off the stage, vanishing behind the curtain.
Octavia sat back down, looking over to Vinyl, who was grinning like a foal in a toy store. "That was freakin' awesome!"
Vinyl was still charged from the last performance when the second one fired up. Stomp stomped her way out onto the stage, wearing an entirely new outfit, carrying an entirely new violin. This one was older, more worn, looking like something from the wild south.
The outfit matched, a southern style dress, with feathers in the hair and frill to match. Behind Stomp was Fiddlesticks and – amazingly – Concerto. All of them were dressed like Stomp, all of them looking like something fresh out of some Appaloosan tavern.
The music was a moderate, hoof-stomping beat. It almost made you want to clap along with it, to be a part of this performance. The three came onto the stage, all playing their instruments like fiddles, dancing like no pony was watching. Vinyl was impressed; Stomp was famous for this and she'd seen Fiddle at the Apple ho-downs before, but Concerto – a stuck-up pony if there ever was one – was really cutting lose. Her mane was wild, loose, and free, whipping around her head with every twirl.
At some point, somepony had entered from the other side. No, not only a pony; griffons. Two of the Blackened Slayers – Gunnel and a griffon they hadn't met earlier, whom she knew was the womanizer, Giomar – walked on from the opposite side of the stage, Echo Scratch at their head. The three were carrying guitars and were dressed similarly to the mares, decked out like southern cowponies. Cow-griffons?
Vinyl, who knew these griffon's personalities, nearly choked on her laughter. They were probably hating every second of wearing those get-ups. And yet, somehow, they pulled it off.
On some pre-determined signal, the fiddles were replaced by guitars, played by the griffons and Echo. There was less dancing on their side of things, but the music was incredible. Echo snapped his head towards Stomp with a confrontational look that seemed completely alien on her father's face. Well, except for his spin-offs. And right then, Vinyl got what was really happening. "Holy crap on a stick, it's a battle."
"Hm?" Octavia asked from Vinyl's side, not tearing her eyes from the show.
"It's a freakin' battle, Tavi. A battle of the genres." She leaned forward in her seat, suddenly even more interested as the guitars blared, issuing their challenge to the lighter, airier fiddles. The three mares stumbled, as if struck, when the loud chords hit certain key points – when it almost felt like a physical blow had been dealt. Then, it was the fiddle's turn.
The three mares kicked things up, dancing with more fervor. Fiddle kicked her hooves in a skilled jig, while Concerto showed off that she knew more styles of dancing than ballroom. All three snapped their hips, making ponies in the audience gasp and cheer. The were like a whirlwinds of hooves and hair, their manes trailing behind them like the tails of comets. Stomp jumped at the very end, sliding on her knees towards the griffons, and the three guitarists hopped back, Echo making a rather believable sound of hurt. With a snap of her hip and a wink, it was the guitar's turn again.
There was a long pause before they began and, for a moment, Vinyl wondered if the show was over. But, just when she was about to start booing the sudden end, a tarp fell away from what looked like nothing more than scenery, to reveal a pair of massive subwoofers. Vinyl nearly felt herself drooling.
This time, the guitarists didn't hold back in the least, rocking the stage with their sound. Vinyl felt like she was at her first Metal concert again, her heart thumping and sweat beading on her forehead. It was all almost too much; she wanted to get out there and mosh. She squirmed in her seat, mildly amused to see Octavia doing the same. With a large gout of flames, the guitarists ended their finale, earning a sudden roar from the crowd. They were winning.
But the fiddlers weren't done; now was their time to shine. The tempo increased. The ponies danced in almost flawless unison; Vinyl had to wonder how long they'd been practicing for this. The style became more furious, like the rage of a sweltering sun and the ferocity of a charging bull. She heard ponies around her – Apples, mostly – start stomping and clapping their hooves along to the song. Soon, everyone was doing it, urging the beat to new, untapped levels of greatness.
And Stomp delivered; by Celestia, did she deliver. She bent her body, snapped her hips, dancing like a dust devil or a tornado. All the while, her playing never faltered; not one error, not even a small one. Even Echo looked impressed, and Giomar was staring at her with a particular gleam in his eye. Vinyl almost laughed; he was so out of his league.
The song ended with uproarious applause for Stomp, leaving Echo and the griffons defeated. The six musicians bowed to the crowd and vanishing behind the curtains, even as a crew came out to prepare for the next set. Vinyl felt her breath explode out suddenly – she hadn't realized she'd been holding it – and looked over to Octavia, just as her lover was looking over to her.
"So, yo," Vinyl said, panting just slightly from the adrenaline of the music. "We're buying Stomp's CDs. Like, all of them."
Stomp was the first back onto the stage, but the way she arrived left the whole crowd speechless in anticipation. Dressed as a ballerina, lined with makeup to make her look like a clockwork creation, Stomp was raised onto the stage inside a massive snow-globe. She was perfectly still, slumped over like a doll with all her strings cut. The crew – dressed in overalls, smeared with grease and filth – all turned to face a mare wearing a cleaner outfit, almost as if waiting some order.
Coloratura was that pony, her aquamarine coat smeared around her cheeks and hooves with oil and grease, a pair of goggles holding her mane from her eyes. She waved a hoof and the other ponies began turning a giant brass key in the side of the globe.
Slowly, a haunting piano tune began as Stomp wound herself to life, raising the violin into the ready position. And then, only seconds after the bow met string, Coloratura sang.
She sang more like her old stage persona than her true self, but rather than the restrictive style of Countess Coloratura, this pony was a blend of the two; it was who the Countess was meant to be. The song was deep and resonant, washing over the awed crowd as Stomp slowly stepped off the revolving podium to explore her glass prison.
A single light shone down on her, as Coloratura sang about the fake face she'd worn; the lies she'd told to both herself and everypony around her. Octavia felt a stab in her chest at the lyrics, remembering all those wasted days, lying about her feelings. From the look on Vinyl's face, she was feeling much the same. Despite the sting of the past, the two mares drew closer, enjoying the music.
Another light found Stomp, as – during a pause in her violin – she placed a hoof onto the glass of the globe, staring at the world outside. With a growing determination, she drew back her hoof and slammed it into the glass, shouting silently in defiance.
The glass cracked, but held, and Stomp was thrown back, barely keeping her footing. She immediately began playing again, pacing and dancing through the globe, her eyes as wild as they would be if she were she truly trapped. More of Neon's handiwork became obvious as creatures began swirling around the globe; things from mythology and reality. Birds shifted into dragons, which shifted into bats and phoenixes. And Stomp, held apart from this world around her, cried.
She remounted her podium and began to play more furiously. Dubtrot blended with her violin with every pivotal stroke of the strings, and the crack spread with it's powerful bass. Coloratura shouted her song, begging for help – for freedom – as the glass of the globe continued to break.
Octavia leaned forward, mystified by the story in the song. It resonated with her and Vinyl, spoke to them at the basest of levels. Octavia almost predicted what came next, though no other pony in the audience – not even Vinyl – would have made the same call. Stomp's makeup began to crack, like porcelain, as the facade was damaged. A light shone from underneath; her true self, finally seeing the light of day. Octavia felt pretty sure she was about to cry.
Stomp stopped, looking at her hoof – at the glowing cracks spreading over her skin. She looked worried, then suddenly certain. With a confidence that can only be reached by those willing to cast aside their fears, she began to play again. She accepted the risks – even embraced them – as she played louder, faster, ripping her false prison asunder. Accompanied by Coloratura's voice, she played her tiny clockwork heart out.
All at once, everything shattered. Coloratura – up till now tinkering idly as she sang – snapped her head up, not breaking her song. She rushed up to meet the stumbling Stomp as the false face fell away. The glass turned to dust and the world spread out before her. Stomp and Coloratura sang and danced in unison then, like two lovers at a ball. Octavia felt a lump fill her throat as she began to truly understand something about this entire concert.
It was meant for them; her and Vinyl. Why, she wasn't sure, but she could see it now. She was Stomp and Coloratura was Vinyl; one living in a pretty lie while the other lived in ignorance of the truth. Thrown together by happenstance, the world opened up to them both and they were both allowed to cast aside their masks and don their real faces.
Octavia did cry then. She leaned into Vinyl, closing her eyes and letting the happy tears flow, even as the music wound to a close.
"Tavi? You okay?" Vinyl's concerned voice was clear as day and was like a balm to an aching wound. "That was... a really pretty song."
Octavia laughed a little, sniffling and wiping her eyes. She hadn't expected Vinyl to catch the subtle contrast to their lives – as much as she loved her wife, Vinyl was no master of the subtle arts – but the song certainly had been pretty. It was beautiful, yes, and moving. It held a narrative as well as it held a tune, delivering more than music, but a performance as well. Music was a medium for more than music itself; it can be something far greater than the sum of it's parts.
"Really pretty," Octavia agreed, nuzzling into the crook of Vinyl's neck. "I love you, you goofball."
Vinyl put a hoof around Octavia, pulling her closer. "I love you too, Tavi." She kissed the top of Octavia's muzzle. The two were so wrapped up in the moment that they missed the finale. Neither seemed to care, though. When they finally looked back to the stage, Countess Coloratura and Stomp were gone and the crew was clearing the stage.
"I'm sure some of you have been wondering – why?" Stomp walked the stage, speaking into a microphone that was set onto a headset. Several other bands had played, from an a capella with the Pony Tones, to a Metal song with the Slayers, but now the show was winding to it's conclusion.
"Why me? Why Ponyville? Why all these different musicians?" Stomp paced along the stage, addressing the silent audience. "Well, it all began with a letter. Not too glamorous of a beginning, but one that certainly caught me off guard. See, the letter was from one of my oldest friends, a mare I knew from way back when. She had a request for me; play today to celebrate an anniversary. That part was easy. The hard part was getting all the musicians together."
She motioned to the side, beckoning somepony onto the stage. "Give it up for her, everypony – if she hadn't gotten a hold of me, none of this would've been possible."
Octavia had been expecting the part about the anniversary, though she couldn't for the life of her think of what it was. Nothing lined up with the date. She was expecting somepony she knew from Canterlot to walk onto the stage – Neon or Beauty – but she was shocked when Lyra was the pony who walked onto the stage. Ponies around her stomped their hooves and Vinyl whistled loudly, but Octavia was so shocked, she had to strain to hear what was being said.
"... long time since I'd seen her," Lyra was saying into a microphone of her own. "I wasn't sure if she'd even remember me. I mean, It'd been years since I'd lived in Canterlot, but she responded to that letter quick." She laughed a little, looking around the crowd. "I got this little performance together for a very special reason," she continued, pacing now. "See, today is a very special day, though most ponies wouldn't know it. I bet only one pony here really knows." When she said that, Lyra stared directly at Octavia.
Then, it his her. This wasn't about her relationship with Vinyl; it was about their friendship. "Oh..." Octavia blinked away her tears, but was still forced to wipe one away with a hoof. "I'd... forgotten about that."
"Hm?" Vinyl asked, looking over. "She looked at you, so I figured you'd know what this was about."
"Heh, well... I didn't, till now." Octavia looked up to Lyra, smiling as her friend winked at her. "Today's the day my family moved to Ponyville. I met you on this very day, years ago." She felt herself choking up again, her eyes threatening to water.
"Oh... You're right." Vinyl looked over to her, then smiled warmly. "That was a day that made both our lives, didn't it? It shaped us." Octavia went to reply, but was cut off by another voice on the microphone.
"Now, I ain't one for a lot of words; if'n ya want that, listen to Neon rant. But, if there's one thing I can talk about, it's my big sis. My sister, she ain't one to let ponies know her feelin's." Fiddlesticks had joined the other two, looking over the crowd. Octavia was having trouble linking the Fiddlesticks of today to the scared little filly who couldn't introduce herself to the class without help. "All us Ponyville ponies were there for her weddin'. We all saw it comin' before even she did. But my sister, she ain't one to even let herself know what's in her heart.
"She likely didn't want something special fer today, but I said horseapples to that." Fiddle blushed just slightly, but didn't slow down. "She's Ponyville's best cellist and the best sister a mare could ask for!"
Octavia cheered right along with the ponies around her, feeling the occasional pat or getting the odd smile from ponies who noticed her. Vinyl was snuggled up close, nodding in agreement with Fiddlesticks's words. She opened her mouth to speak, but clicked her teeth together suddenly. Vinyl was speechless; Neon Lights was on the stage too.
"I'm not a Ponyville pony. I can't claim that; not in a thousand years. But I know Vinyl; I know Vinyl better than almost anypony, and I gotta say that I loved her. I still do, but..." he trailed off, looking to Fiddlesticks with a smirk. "More like a sisterly thing." He looked back out, finding Vinyl in the crowd. "She's loud, blunt, not the brightest bunny in the bushel, but she makes up for it with spirit. Anypony who's anypony knows her knows that.
"Nah, the big thing to talk about is her start. You all lived with her, but I dated her. Sorry Ponyville, but I one-up you when it comes to facts on the DJ." He laughed, along with some in the crowd. "She told me once that, if it hadn't been for Octavia pushing her to become great, she never would've reached the stars." He shifted to look at Octavia, eyes hidden behind his specs. "I guess we all owe her – big time – for making Vinyl who she is today."
Vinyl snuggled in closer and Octavia could tell she was forcing herself to not cry. Memories were finding them both unguarded, their hearts open for assault. Octavia nuzzled in close to her wife, listening to the cheers as Neon gave the stage over to somepony else.
"Standing out on purpose is one thing, but doing so without effort takes a surprising amount of energy and confidence." Symphonic Stomp held the microphone again, looking out over the crowd. "Some ponies might ask why – even if I knew Lyra – I came here for two ponies I've never met. Why I helped these ponies stage this concert for them." She smiled, looking around until she spotted Vinyl and Octavia. "But I did know them. Maybe not directly, no, but I know them in myself. In my friends. I see passion and beauty and I want to raise it up.
"I've been following the careers of these two ponies since their debut; first as a fellow musician and then as a fan. Their love for music moved me to become more than I was, drove me to new heights. Yes, I think Octavia needs to tone down the orchestra face and smile a little while she performs," Stomp winked in Octavia's direction and continued, "but that doesn't make her any less of a great musician.
"Life is kind, and full of great moments, but I think the greatest moment of our lives is always ahead of us. And, when we reach it, there will be another, greater moment to come.” Stomp lowered the microphone, then passed it off to a stagehand, who exited with it. Just as Octavia was expecting the curtain to fall – as Stomp turned away to depart – other ponies filtered out onto the stage.
Octavia recognized her orchestra – Parish and Beauty and Concerto and Frederick and Symphony – but they were wearing costumes, rags that made them all look destitute. And they played; their instruments resembled little more than garbage, fancied up into instruments through both craftsmanship and ingenuity. The music was haunting and beautiful, speaking of change. Stomp played with them, forgoing her normal eclectic dance style for more reserved ballerina-esque motions. As the crowd watched, the band's clothing changed, their instruments becoming beautiful works of art – instruments so fine that only one artist could have produced them; Maestro.
The orchestra played their hearts out, bodies swaying, eyes closed. Octavia could practically hear them sweating as they poured their souls into the performance; a performance, she realized, for her and Vinyl. She had never really included her orchestra in her relationship with her wife. She had felt a strange disconnect between those two worlds, given Canterlot's bigotry. But here, in front of her, she saw those two worlds merge, forming a perfect whole.
Before this, Octavia had thought herself complete. Now, with tears in her eyes and music in her heart, as the encore wound to a close and the curtains finally fell, she realized just how wrong she'd been.
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Nice, chapter title is a reference to Lindsey Stirling's book?
EDIT, read the author's notes and saw the songs...
9085199
Eeyup.
And Symphonic Stomp is a ponified Lindsey Stirling.
That was a fun bonus chapter.
To be honest, I was worried the writing quality of the chapter might have gone down with you being away for so long. But this chapter blends seamlessly into the others that it feels like you never took an extended break. I’m sorry for doubting you.
Wow, just wow.
I’ll make sure to pop in and read the next bonus chapter when it comes out. Also, it’s good to have you back!
9085525
Heh, to be fair, I was afraid of the same thing. I got a long time reader - Stela Regis - to read it over and give me his opinion on if it followed the same spirit and flow as the original. So far, it's going very well.
Great bonus chapter, it fit in well with the story, showcased the characters well and had some fantastic imagry! Can't wait to see what else you do with the new chapters.
As for unique songs, I imagined the griffon band to have a sound similar to Pantera. Either that, or I've just been listening to them too much since Vinnie Paul died. Anyway, I'd check out some of their live songs/videos from the 101 Proof album just for kicks at least.
Cheers!
9087399
Where do badasses get their bread?
PANTERA!
How do they get there?
WALK!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY VI AND TAIVE
Cant wait till more of your work man.
This was quite beautiful. Once again, I am met with the feels.
9091790
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
i haven't read this in a long time
but i remember most of it now
im gonna have to re read this fic
9101014
Well, I'm happy for your repeat patronage.
9104235
Thank you very much. Stay tuned; I'm still writing Bonus Chapters, a sequel following Fiddle and Neon, and two possible spin-offs following Dolus the Mite and Echo in the Griffon Empire.
Great chapter, love it
9108354
It's relieving to see such a positive reception to it. I was nervous when I published it.
Danke!
Oh shit I missed this chapter. Just as good as the rest.
Many many more
!!!
Damn, I can't believe I almost missed this! This is a fantastic bonus chapter, although I feel like I need to go back and re-read this story because I feel my memory about this has slipped. Can't wait to see more.
9440571
Do eeet~!
Thanks for enjoying my story.
This has linsley Stirling all over it. Her performances in her music videos (ponyfyed) is what I picture for much of the performance of Symphonic Stomp. So I wold say you did her good.
Delightful chapter.
Good chapter as always. It's always sad to see such a wonderful story end, but I know this story will always remain in the hearts of the readers, and in the heart of the one whom put so much time and dedication into it. Here, I am thinking my own story Second Chances was long, but this just blows it completely out of the water. Keep up the good work.
9636701
Several years later, and I notice I never replied to this. It's been quite a long time; I've been taking a very extended hiatus, but I'm trying to get back into the groove. And that means finally working on the sequel to this story and getting the ball rolling on the re-write and side stories, as well as the other bonus chapters. Time is words, and I need to get back into sorting them.