• Published 9th Dec 2011
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Leap of Faith: Octavia Vs. Rave - Wolokai



Octavia learns the "Underground" side of life from her polar opposite: Vinyl Scratch, A.K.A. DJ-PON3

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Chapter Seven - A Musical Leap of Faith

Octavia sighed happily, sipping her tea and enjoying the light breeze that gently blew through the town. She was sitting outside the local eatery in the north side of town, enjoying a daisy sandwich and going over in her mind the events that took place at the club earlier. She had to admit, her opinion of Vinyl had greatly changed since she had given her Octavia's Triumph, the piece she could still hear in her head. She hadn't pegged Vinyl for a mare of taste, but then again she hadn't really given herself a chance to get to know her either. She took a bite out of her daisy sandwich, gently patting her lips with a napkin as she closed her eyes, savoring the sweet taste each munching of her teeth delivered to her.

"HEY TAVI'!!!" A voice shouted out loudly behind her, making Octavia gasp and suck back a large portion of her sandwich back into her throat. She gacked loudly, punching herself in the stomach and taking in heavy gulps of water from her glass nearby, trying to prevent herself from choking. A hoof patted her on the back as her throat cleared and a heaving breath of air was sucked in and out of her lungs. "Whoa..." the voice said, "Easy there, you alright?" Octavia's head snapped towards the voice and her jaw dropped, her eyes widening and an angry glare settling on her face.

She shouted loudly, making several ponies nearby turn their heads "VINYL!!! Are you out of your crazy little mind?! You could have made me choke! Is that your idea of greeting someone you ruffian!?"

Vinyl Scratch smiled, her purple shades glowing in the light of the sun and her headphones draped around her neck. Smiling, she gave a small shrug and said "Well you're still alive aren't you? What's the big issue?" She yelped in surprise as Octavia splashed what was left of her glass of water right into her face, sputtering "Hey, watch it! These headphones weren't cheap you know!"

Octavia scoffed and shouted "Well they're worth less then my LIFE, thank you very much! I was just trying to enjoy my lunch, and the nice, wonderful afternoon. But no, I can't even be given that!!!" Vinyl rolled her eyes and levitated a napkin over, wiping off her face and grumbling, making sure her headphones hadn't suffered any water damage. Octavia hopped off her chair, shaking her head and leaving a tip of four bits on the table. As she started to leave however, another voice called out to her...a voice which made her heart stop and her eyes widen.

It said "Ah, Miss Sharpe...good to see you out and about. Your vacation is going well I suppose?" Octavia's head turned slowly as she spotted The Conductor sitting down at a table nearby, opening the small menu in front of him but still looking at her.

Octavia gulped, chuckling nervously and giving a small wave. She exclaimed as Vinyl looked over towards the Conductor "Mr. Conductor! How...how lovely it is to see you! What brings you to this side of Ponyville today?" The nervousness in Octavia's voice wasn't hidden from Vinyl, her eyes narrowing and shifting over towards the Conductor who replied "Oh, I'm just taking a casual stroll...preparing to enjoy a nice salad...wondering why your cello isn't in the Orchestral Storage down at the office...."

Octavia let out a small squeak and was about to mutter an excuse when she heard Vinyl whisper in her ear "Hey...just follow my lead, alright?" Octavia blinked in confusion but suddenly yelped in surprise as Vinyl gasped, an over-dramatic tinge in her voice as she shouted "Oh, OCTAVIA!!! I do believe you have left the stove on from earlier!!! Do be a dear and go turn that off before the house goes up in flames!!!" For a moment, Octavia was stunned into silence, her eyes wide and an amazed look etched onto her face.

It wasn't until Vinyl punched her in the flank that she yelped "Oh my! THE STOVE, of course!!! Do excuse me Mr. Conductor, but I mustn't delay!" She quickly galloped away, leaving Vinyl to smile and stare at the conductor's dumbfounded look.

She smiled and continued to speak with her over-dramatic tone "Oh no...I think she forgot to tell you something Mr. Conductor! It's too bad she left before she said anything!" The conductor raised an eyebrow and she went on "Well...you see, I have this establishment down town, just across from Bon Bon's sweet shop, and she was just so ANXIOUS to tell you about something she wanted you to see later on today! I do hope your schedule isn't so full that you wouldn't be able to adhere to her request!" The conductor narrowed his eyes for a moment, but the small twitch out of the corner of his mouth confirmed it for Vinyl.

"Ha!" she thought, "Hook, line, and sinker"


~~~


"Vinyl that was much too close for comfort! How can I even be here when the conductor is on this side of town!?" Octavia breathed, standing on the stage in the recording studio, her cello propped up against her shoulder and her eyes wide and fearful.

Vinyl scoffed, dropping another piece of sheet music on the music stand and muttering "Oh for Celestia's sake, you big sissy you. Can't you go thirty seconds without worrying about your silly career or what some fat-flank colt has to say about you? He doesn't own you Octy', so quit acting like his slave." Octavia grimaced at the way she spoke, shaking her head and shifting her weight as she stood on her rear hooves.

She muttered "He doesn't own me Vinyl...I work for him. I've spent a good part of my career at his establishment, and I don't need anything ruining that for me now, especially with the Grand Canterlotian Performance coming up at the end of the month!" Vinyl looked up at her, frowning and making Octavia whisper "What...it's true! I have to be ready for that performance Vinyl, it means the world to me!" Vinyl sighed and shook her head, gently face-hoofing and pulling her glasses off.

Her red eyes gleamed in the light of the studio as she said "Octavia...would you just listen to yourself for a moment? Music isn't something you just play to have judged, or play just for fancy, snobby ponies at their stuck-up parties. Music is life, it's freedom! Can't you see that it's not something you stress over, and that it's something you're supposed to enjoy without having to worry about your stupid career?" Octavia thought about it for a moment, frowning and staring at the ground as Vinyl glared at her.

The gray mare sighed and shook her head regardless, muttering "I'm sorry Vinyl...but it's just too important for me to-"

She was cut off as Vinyl scoffed loudly and walked slowly back to the booth, muttering "Whatever...just wait for me to signal you." Octavia frowned at this, sighing sadly and nodding towards the ground. She shifted her Cello into its upright position and waited, bow in hoof for Vinyl to give her the signal. Vinyl pushed her way into the booth, an annoyed look on her face. She suddenly stopped however, as she heard the sound of a door opening somewhere inside the club. Her frown was replaced by a wide smile, and she quickly made her way towards one of the electronic music-boards, holding a hoof up to signal Octavia.

Octavia waited, and once she saw Vinyl's hoof drop, she began to play the first lines of the sheet. The process was relatively the same: Play, stop, signal, play. It had all taken about maybe three quick minutes to do, and once she had finished the last line, she looked up to see Vinyl galloping quickly towards her with another sheet of music. She placed it over top of the other sheet and quickly muttered "Quick, place this the moment you see my hoof press the 'Play' button, ok?" Octavia nodded slowly as Vinyl levitated her T.V. remote over, placing it on the stage and putting a hoof over the button. With her peripheral vision, Octavia kept an eye on the sheet music and the remote as well, her hooves ready to begin. Vinyl nodded and pressed the button, signaling Octavia to begin playing the piece of music.

Immediately the song she heard of course consisted of her own cello's music melded together by Vinyl's editing, but now...it was Octavia herself who was playing the dramatic melody for the piece. She played flawlessly, her eyes closing as she got the grasp of how the notes were supposed to sound, her hooves moving across her cello elegantly, like a ballet-dancer moving about a stage. Vinyl, during this time, turned her head towards the entrance of the recording studio and smiled her widest smile, dipping her glasses down to show her eyes to the conductor, who had walked in with a stunned expression on his face.

Octavia finished with a happy sigh, muttering as she opened her eyes "Well...I have to say Vinyl that was actually pretty ref- OH SWEET CELESTIA!!!" Her voice had turned into a frightened squeal, her cry of panic echoing across the walls of the studio. The conductor glared at her, his head slowly shaking as Octavia stuttered, trying to find the words to explain the situation to him.

His voice was the first to be heard however, clear disappointment dripping in his words "Octavia Sharpe...I thought I told you no practicing, no playing! A week's vacation to yourself, that's what I said!"

Octavia gently set her Cello down, hopping off the stage and holding up a hoof in protest "C...conductor please let me explain, I-"

The Conductor cut her off, raising his voice and making the gray mare wince as Vinyl stepped out of the way of the two "I told you, very clearly, what would happen if I caught wind of you playing when you were supposed to be relaxing! I'm sorry Octavia...but I'm considering this you're resignation." Octavia's gasp echoed across the room as the conductor turned and started to leave.

Octavia's weak voice called out to him as he pushed his way out the door "W...wait! No! Please, you can't fire me!!! Mr. Conductor, wait!!!" She started to gallop after him, tears forming in her eyes as she made her way to the exit.

However, a firm voice shouting towards her back made her stop dead in her tracks "Tavi', STOP!"

Octavia's eyes were still focused on the door, but Vinyl's voice continued to echo through her ears "Don't you take another hoof-step...you hear me? I don't care what he says, I don't care what he thinks about your playing habits. What I just heard from you, out of your cello and your hooves, was magic. That was downright beautiful, and I don't care what some stupid conductor says about it. Just because he has his horn up his own rump and he can't see true music when it's right in front of his stupid face, doesn't mean you have to suffer for it! You want to know something Octy'? I'm the one who told that conductor punk to come here, to walk in on your playing."

Octavia turned her head sharply to Vinyl and whimpered, tears gently falling down her cheeks "Y...you told him?!"

Vinyl nodded and glared at her, muttering as she walked slowly over towards the gray mare "Yes, I did. Wanna know why? Because I'm tired of you taking your music for granted, and I'm sick of you treating your talent like it's some sort of lifeless sticker you slap on some bucking resume'! I asked you one thing last time you were in here, and what was that?!"

Octavia fell back on her haunches, sniffing and whimpering quietly "Y...you told me to take a l..leap of faith..."

Vinyl nodded, walking up and sitting on her haunches next to her and whispering "That's right...and I'm still asking you to take it. You've seen here that there's a lot more to music then just symphony's and orchestra's and performance's and all that other crap. You said you still want to go to that performance, right?" Octavia nodded and watched as Vinyl held out a hoof in front of them, whispering "Then take my hoof...take a leap. I promise...if you jump I'll jump with you. We can show that old punk what music really is about!"

Octavia sniffed, looking at her hoof for a long moment, going over the idea in her head and whimpering. Her life's work, gone. Her career, over. Even if she wanted to try and salvage what she could of her own life...it was pretty much gone now. She gently lifted a hoof towards Vinyl's, placing it gently in hers and smiling a little, sniffing and whispering "Ok...let's leap."

At this Vinyl smiled, getting up and bringing Octavia to her hooves and exclaiming "Yeah! Now we're talking!!! Come on, let's get you back up on stage!" Octavia smiled a little, heading back towards the stage with a new feeling rising in her heart. She felt...calm, at ease, but above all...she felt free. Free of stress, of the daunting concept of laborious rehearsals, and never-ending criticism for how her music sounded at times. She got up on stage and smiled as Vinyl levitated her cello into her hooves, hopping off the stage and heading towards a door on the other side of the booth. Confused, she watched as Vinyl opened the door and levitated a large, rectangular black case out of the room, bringing it over towards the stage. She gently placed it beside Octavia and hopped up on stage, popping open the clasps and opening the case. The gray mare gasped as Vinyl gently lifted an Maple-wood cello out of the case and levitated her T.V remote and a second music stand over.

Octavia stuttered as Vinyl reared back on her rear hooves and balanced herself against the instrument "Y...you play a cello too!?!? When were you going to tell me this?!" Vinyl simply smiled and whipped her head to the left, flinging her glasses off and letting them clatter away across the wooden floor.

She smiled and winked at her, her ruby eyes gleaming as she whispered "Just because I love electronic, dub-step, and techno, doesn't mean that's the only thing I can play!"

Octavia blinked in surprise but smiled none the less, asking "How...did you learn how to play?"

At this Vinyl rolled her eyes and muttered "Foster dad made me learn when I was younger...whatever though, I still prefer my music over...this."

Octavia raised an eyebrow and said "Oh this isn't that bad...and did you say Foster Dad? He seems like a pony of good tastes."

Vinyl scoffed and levitated two sheets of music out of the case and onto their music-stands, muttering "Yeah well...maybe I'll introduce you to him if you want...but not right now. I've been meaning to finish this piece for awhile, it's been kind of a side project that I keep putting off. I've already got a good portion of it pre-recorded with the sound editing...all I need now are two cello players." Octavia smiled as Vinyl winked at her, putting one of her rear hooves on the remote and gently tapping the button marked with a '>>' Symbol. "You ready?" she whispered, levitating a bow in her hoof and flipping open her sheet. Octavia nodded and got into position, smiling as Vinyl said "Alright, here we go!"

~~~


Shake yawned, gently pushing his way into the club's iron door and looking over towards his bar counter. Work wasn't supposed to start until way later in the evening, but he had to do inventory and make sure everything was ready to go for the night time, thus, his early arrival. He was about to head behind the counter when the sound of cello music reached his ears. He frowned, wondering if he was hearing things and blinked as a steady drum and cymbal beat suddenly followed the cello. He looked over towards the door to the recording studio and whispered "No way...no way in Celestia's Mane is that..."

Quickly trotting over, shake pushed open the door to the studio and stepped inside, the sight before him making his eyes widen massively and his jaw drop. Octavia and Vinyl Scratch were back to back, hooves swiftly moving across a cello of their own, filling the room with a sweet, harmonic melody. He fell back on his haunches as he listened, blown away by the sheer beauty of the song, the fluid, intense movements of a pair of gray and white hooves. Eyes shut in peace, the two of them pressed against one another, the sweet harmony of music flowing around them and enveloping them in a warm blanket of happiness and joy. Tears started to spill out of Octavia's eyes as they hit the crescendo, her heart throbbing with overwhelming joy as Vinyl met her notes perfectly and flowed through the song with her. When the piece was finally over, he clapped his front hooves together and shouted loudly "That...was...AWESOME! Holy hay Vinyl you never told me you played cello! Sweet Celestia that was freaking rad! Bravo!!! Bravo!!!!" Octavia blushed and turned her head to Vinyl, who looked back at her with a wide smile.

For the first time, in a long time, Octavia felt happy, relieved, and free. She couldn't care less about her broken career now, but instead, heard only the sweet melody and harmonic music that her and Vinyl had played. She stared into Vinyl's red eyes of gleaming rubies, lost in her mesmerizing gaze. It was her, a simple DJ, who had opened her eyes to a world she thought might never have existed. A mare who taught her the freedom and joy that music could really bring to her life, and proved that she could really be free. She took a leap of faith...and landed just perfectly next to the white mare...

...The mare they call Vinyl Scratch.