Harmonic Cognition

by Jymbroni

Finding Home?

Jacen stared blankly ahead as Octavia waited impatiently for a response. It was a simple request, but he made it appear as if she asked him to raise the sun.

"I'm lost."

"It's a simple request," she replied firmly. "Take me to the statue."

"No, I get that." Jacen shifted as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not following why..." Jacen trailed off. "Ah, never mind."

"What?" She asked as her brow creased.

"Nothing," Jacen replied quickly before motioning for her to follow. "It's not too far away from here."

Octavia wanted to press him more, but she guessed there might be a better time and place for it later. Quickly falling in step with Jacen, the pair made their way down the main thoroughfare. As they ventured further downtown, the skyline became more crowded with buildings of various heights, styles, and colors. Trees dotted the sidewalk, adding a touch of nature to the brownish reds, drab beiges, and hazy grays that colored the city's center.

Octavia wanted to bask in the fall weather, which was a pleasant relief from the sweltering temperatures back in Ponyville, but her attention kept getting drawn back to Jacen. A grimace painted his face as he struggled with something in his mind.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," he answered quickly, keeping his eyes forward.

Octavia continued to study him as he fought to maintain a neutral expression. "You don't look like you're okay."

"It's nothing," he stated frustratedly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'm fine."

Octavia glanced back over her shoulder. "Does it have to do with Murr?"

"No!" Jacen's eyes flashed with anger. "Just leave it alone."

Jacen increased his pace, making her jog slightly faster to stay beside him, mindful of the leaves that coated the sidewalk. "I don't mean to pry..."

"Then don't."

Octavia grabbed his elbow, trying to get his attention. "Why are you acting like this?"

Jacen gritted his teeth as he dropped his head, continuing to barrel forward.

Octavia was starting to get irritated. "I'm just asking you a simple question."

"Octavia!" Jacen turned abruptly, leaning over like he was scolding a small child. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I just,"

"Leave it alone!" He said in exasperation. "Plus, aren't we suppose to have a truce right now?"

"Yes," she agreed, trying to keep up as Jacen took off again. "But where is the harm in getting to know each other a little better?"

"That's what I was saying earlier!" Jacen ground his teeth stepping off the curb onto the street.

As Octavia followed in hot pursuit calling his name, a railless train car appeared out of nowhere. It screeched to a halt inches from him with an ear-piercing horn blare. Octavia jumped at the noise as her heart and body froze. Jacen didn't react as he continued his trajectory.

"Jacen!" Octavia called out pleadingly.

Jacen's head whipped side to side before turning around to see Octavia still standing in the middle of the street. Rushing over, he grabbed her by the arm and escorted her toward the sidewalk.

As the pair stepped onto the brick pathway, the cold chill of death continued to flow through her veins. Octavia had little experience with life-threatening situations. That was too close for comfort.

"You okay?" He asked once they were safely on the walkway.

Nasueum saturated her thoughts as she tried to get a hold of herself. What in Tartarus was he thinking? Was he even thinking? Octavia spun on her heel, hitting him in the shoulder, causing Jacen to look at her in bewilderment.

"Am I hurt? You're the one who stepped out into the middle of the street!" She spat out, stomping her foot.

"I..."

"You almost got hit by whatever that thing was." Octavia flung her hand in the direction of the thoroughfare. "What happens if one of those things runs you over?"

Jacen closed his eyes, letting his head fall backward. "I didn't..."

"You have to be more careful!" She pleaded.

"I'm sorry!" He shouted, flaring his arms out. "God damn it, I'm sorry, okay."

Octavia stepped back, trying to calm the fear and anger swirling inside her. It had been a couple of nights since she was genuinely terrified, and it knotted her body up. She started to walk back and forth, shaking her hands to release the tension.

"There is no need to act in such a manner," she scolded.

Jacen pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a short burst of frustration.

"Then how am I supposed to act then, Octavia?" Jacen waved his free hand above his head. "Please regale me with how my mannerisms are unbefitting when conversing with someone of your station."

"First, I wouldn't knowingly put myself in danger. Second I would..."

"Stop! Just stop it already!" Jacen yelled. "Please stop making me feel worse than I already do!" Jacen's shoulders sagged as his head fell. "I can't handle it anymore!"

"I'm sorry," she said softly, rubbing her forearm. "I wasn't trying to make you feel worse."

Jacen closed his eyes, letting out a long breath. "I know."

"Jacen, please. I know things have been tense all day between us, but you mustn't let me bother you to this extent. Please do me the courtesy of at least telling me you're not feeling well."

"It's... it's not that easy," Jacen confessed as he started to fidget with his fingers. "It's just..." he trailed off.

"It's just what?"

"It's just," he repeated, letting out a frustrated sigh before turning his head towards the sky. "I have thoughts that come to my head and they just consume me."

Octavia stopped her pacing as she looked quizzically at him.

"It's hard to explain." Jacen closed his eyes, fighting with his words. "Bad memories run through my head, repeating over and over again. Then the feelings start coming along, and it becomes too much to handle, so I just shut down."

Octavia's expression softened as her anger began to subside. "So, you just shut down and disregard your safety?"

Jacen scoffed. "It's not like I choose for it to happen."

"I understand that," she eased, walking closer to him. "But I still need you to remain mindful of your surroundings. Otherwise, you're going to trot into traffic."

Jacen said nothing.

"And it would've been my fault you got hurt!" She admitted softly. "I wouldn't be able to handle that! I'd hate myself if you got hurt because of something I did."

Jacen nodded weakly.

"So, what can I do? Is there something that will help?"

Jacen cocked his head. "Like what?"

Octavia fumbled around with the words in her head. "Like, do you need me to say something or to do something so you don't shut down like that again?"

Jacen studied her for a moment before his eyes fell. "Not really."

"That can't be true," Octavia eased, sensing his reservations. "Jacen, you gave me a place to stay while I'm trying to sort my situation out, and I want to return the favor. Please, let me help you."

Jacen turned his head skyward as his expression showed the turmoil plaguing him. "I can't; I'll just manage on my own."

"Almost getting hit by one of those monstrosities is not managing, " she countered, touching his forearm. "I'm worried if I upset you again, something worse may happen."

Jacen quickly stepped back, grabbing the place where she touched him.

"My apologies," she apologized as regret clouded her mind. "It was inappropriate to do that."

Jacen's features softened. "No, you're okay."

Octavia said nothing as they averted their gazes from each other. Even though Jacen said he was okay with it, the situation still felt incredibly uncomfortable.

"That," Jacen muttered.

"'That' what?"

Jacen shifted as if whatever he was stepping on was causing him immense pain. "That's what you could do for me."

Octavia took a couple of steps back as reservations about what he wanted stirred in her thoughts.

"See! That's why I didn't want to tell you," he blurted out, sensing her hesitancy. "It's stupid and weird, and I hate it."

The situation hadn't become less uncomfortable, but Octavia could see that he was struggling a great deal with it. "Can you be a little more clear about what you want? I'm not sure I'm following."

"No," he stated firmly. "You're just going to think I'm weird and creepy..."

"Just tell me, Jacen!" Octavia interjected.

"Touch." Jacen's head quickly fell as his shoulders sagged. "I just need you to touch me."

"Touch?" Octavia clarified.

"Nothing like inappropriate." Jacen threw his hands up defensively. "It's just a simple touch like on the back of the arm or forearm. It just tells me that you're still here, that you're still with me. If that makes any sense."

"That's all?"

Jacen nodded. "It means more to me than words and says a lot more too." Jacen turned his head away, rubbing his forearm. "You don't have to do it. I know it's uncomfortable for some people, and I've managed this far without it."

Octavia took a step forward, reverently extending her hand, and placing it on his forearm. "Like this?"

Jacen turned towards her with relief in his smile. "Yeah."

"I can do that," she confirmed with a toothy smile.

Jacen cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's take you to that statue now."

Octavia placed a hand on his forearm. "As long as you're going to be okay."

Jacen gave her the most relaxed smile she had seen. "Yes, I'm feeling better now."

She returned the smile as the pair started down the leaf-covered sidewalk. Octavia watched as the metal monstrosities buzzed past them, hoping that situation would happen again. Looking around, she noted that more buildings saturated the sky around them, suggesting that they were in the middle of downtown.

Jacen cleared his throat. "There's something I'm curious about."

Octavia cocked her head in his direction. "What?"

"You haven't really told me about where you live." Jacen stumbled over his words. "I want to hear more about it."

"Well," Octavia trailed off, trying to find the best way to frame the conversation without disclosing too much. "I currently live in a small town with my roommate."

Jacen placed a hand on his chin and hummed to himself. "Like this city or smaller?"

"Smaller, it's more on the rural side compared to where we used to live."

Jacen looked down at her. "Where did you live before?"

"Canterlot."

Jacen's eyes narrowed as he hummed to himself again.

Octavia turned her head upwards. "What?"

"Nothing," he said with a dismissive wave. "Just a unique name for a city. Is that where you went to that super fancy school, right?"

"You can say that." Octavia shook off the unpleasant thoughts. "But I don't think that institution is worthy of praise. It's filled to the brim with arrogant snobs that look down on everyone."

Jacen looked down at her with a confused look before his eyes lit up. "Ah, you're talking about the school before you went to the music school."

"Yes, to be more specific, the Royal Academy of Canterlot."

Jacen nodded. "What was the other school you went to, the one for music?"

"That one is Celestia's School for the Performing Arts."

Jacen said nothing as his eyes narrowed, causing his brow to furrow.

"What is it?"

"When did you start attending that school?" Jacen asked, ignoring her question.

"After my second year," she answered before turning her head towards him. "What was that hum for?"

Jacen glanced at her with a slight crease in his brow. "What do you mean?"

"You just hummed like you knew something." Octavia quickened her pace to make eye contact with him. "Have you heard of those schools?"

Jacen shook his head.

She watched as his eyes shifted about. "You know..."

Suddenly Octavia felt a bump to her body, sending her careening toward a lamppost. At the last second, she caught herself on the pole spotting Jacen skirting away in a fit of laughter.

"You're such a child!" she called out angrily.

"True," he admitted, still chuckling.

Octavia burned with embarrassment and anger as she stormed over to the smiling idiot. She pushed him with all her might, causing him to roar with laughter as he barely swayed.

"Why must you act this way?" She demanded, stomping her foot.

"Because it's fun to see you flustered," he admitted bringing his arms up to defend himself. "It's all in good fun, though."

Octavia folded her arms across her chest. "For you."

"Okay, I'll stop." Jacen patted her on the shoulder. "It's not the proper way to treat a lady."

Octavia let out a frustrated snort as she started walking away.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Jacen called out.

Octavia stopped as she took a quick survey of the area. Nothing around her seemed familiar to what she saw on the first night. She distinctly remembered being next to the water, but where she currently stood, it was just concrete and bricks.

"No," she answered, letting her shoulders sag.

Jacen came bounding up to her with a smile. "You were headed in the right direction anyways."

"How far away are we?" She complained as she was tired of dealing with this overgrown child.

"Just a couple more blocks," Jacen stated, pointing ahead. "Once we cut through that street right there, you will be able to see the water front."

Octavia said nothing, following the direction he was pointing.

"So," Jacen said weakly, breaking the silence. "How was it going to the music school versus the other school?"

"It was better."

"Oh, that's good." Jacen started fidgeting with his hands. "So what was different about this new school?"

Octavia turned in his direction, narrowing her eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious," he admitted sheepishly, putting his hands in his pockets. "I kind of wanted to know how things changed."

"Oh," Octavia muttered. "Well, I was among other pon... people that shared a common interest, so I didn't feel so out of place."

Jacen's head slumped forward as he nodded weakly.

"It wasn't easy for my parents to allow me to go there," she admitted, catching a glimpse of Jacen's defeated demeanor.

Jacen shifted his saddened eyes towards her. "Why? Did they not like the school?"

"They said it would be better if I remained where I was because it would allow me to secure a cushy job with relative ease."

Jacen's brow creased slightly. "What made them change their mind?"

"Well, after weeks of arguing, I reached my breaking point. The last one we had, I stormed out of the dining room and proceeded to lock myself in my room." Octavia chuckled to herself. "Should've known that my father would have the key."

"I was beyond displeased with him and my mum. It felt like they weren't even considering what I wanted and were forcing me to do something to better the family. But he did something I wasn't expecting..."

"What?"

"If you'll let me finish, I'll tell you," she joked as Jacen sealed his lips. "He came into my room and sat on the edge of my bed. At first, he didn't say anything, but I could hear him fidgeting and sighing. After a couple of minutes, he finally called my name, but I buried my face in my pillow, pretending to ignore him. I wanted to be left alone and hoped he would get the hint."

"One of the things that drove me mental about my father was he would talk non-stop about money. I loathed every minute of it because all the stupid foals did at school was brag about their parent's wealth." Octavia rubbed her arm, trying to quell the painful memories. "Coming home and hearing about it all over again made me think my dad was just another one of those pretentious elites."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jacen said sorrowfully. "What about your mom?"

"She was born into wealth," she answered solemnly, slowing her pace. "I expected it from her, but I always thought my dad would be better than that because he didn't grow up in Canterlot or come from a wealthy family."

"I'm guessing Canterlot is one of those cities with a lot of money," Jacen said, slowing down to match her speed.

"Yes," she admitted, refusing to meet Jacen's gaze. "He made himself what he is today and has helped many less fortunate than him. But they started to go to more social events hosted by elites, doing more business with them, and I thought he was changing in a worse way." Octavia wrapped her arms around her chest. "I thought I was losing him."

Jacen said nothing, but she noticed he was walking closer, almost touching her.

"I heard the bed creak as he leaned back like he was getting comfortable. It was so tempting to buck him off the bed right then and there." Octavia gripped her arms as the memory stirred her resentment for him. "Then he asked if he had ever told me about growing up with Grandma and Grandpa in Trottingham. I groaned so loudly that I heard him chuckle."

Jacen turned to her abruptly as if he had a startling revelation. "Do your parents talk non-stop about how hard their lives were growing up too?"

Octavia giggled. "My father always made it seem like he had to scrape from the bottom and everypony was out to get him."

"My parents do the same thing!" Jacen's smile broadened. "You can't believe how annoying it gets. It's like, okay, I get it, but let's present practical information because not every school you go to is fifteen miles uphill and constantly snowing."

They shared a laugh at the expense of their embellishing parents as they continued to walk down the leafy sidewalk. She had almost forgotten the feeling of ease when sharing a story with a friend.

Friend?

Octavia turned her head towards Jacen, who still wore a goofy grin. Did she consider him a friend? Sure he was helping her out but so would others, given the situation. Most of her 'friends' outside of Vinyl were creative colleagues. Thinking about it, she didn't have many friends she'd made herself, let alone one of a completely different world.

"I can't imagine how much it would cost to go to such a trumped-up school," Jacen asked, breaking Octavia from her current train of thought. "They probably make you wear uniforms and be all prim and proper constantly."

Octavia tugged at her collar, remembering how uncomfortable those uniforms were; who thought sweater vests were a brilliant idea in the summer?

"They probably looked like the ones in those Harry Potter films with the capes and different houses," Jacen carried on before turning to her with burning curiosity. "Did y'all have houses?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about, Jacen," she admitted with a giggle. "Rest assured we did not wear capes."

"Aww, so you just wore the boring stuff like sweaters and ties," Jacen said, deflating slightly.

"Yes, it was quite tasteless, and I was fortunate that my new school did not participate in that."

"Between the classes, uniforms, accommodations, and, I assume, first-class dining, it probably set your grandparents back a lot." Jacen tapped on his fingers, doing some mental math.

"It makes it sound worse when you list it like that," Octavia admitted as she started to do the math for her tuition. "It's hard to believe that they could save that much money in such a short time." Octavia turned her head away. "My dad said it completely drained them."

"Wow," Jacen said softly, letting his head dip. "I wouldn't want my parents to do that for me. That's why I joined the Navy."

"Yeah." Octavia felt her stomach churn at the thought of all the wasted money her parents had spent on her attending that academy. "He felt the same way and told them they had made a terrible mistake, but my grandparents told him to trust their decision."

"Just like that?" Jacen scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I thought it would be a little more dramatic that 'Okay, thanks, bye." Jacen mockingly waved his hand. "Like, he didn't even refuse to go or at least put up a fight or do anything."

Octavia laughed at how invested Jacen was in her story. "He secretly dug through my grandparent's financial records and wrote down how much they had invested into him, and he swore that he would pay them back in full with interest."

"I guess that's a better way of handling the situation," Jacen admitted with a sheepish smile. "Was he able to pay them back?"

"Nope!"

Octavia couldn't help but burst into laughter as Jacen halted in stunned silence. "He had some welcomed complications, the way he put it," Octavia teased, smiling softly.

Jacen shook his head, still distraught by the information.

"Things don't always go the way we plan," Octavia reminded him, ushering Jacen to resume their way toward the statue. "But my grandparent's gladly let my father delay paying them back because he had more important things in his life."

"What... like... what is more important than paying his parents back?"

Octavia stepped in front of him, placing her hand on her chest and batting her eyelashes. "Me, of course!"

Jacen rolled his eyes as he let out a huff. "Yeah, you're pretty complicated to deal with in my experience."

Octavia harrumphed, turning her back towards him. "Don't sell yourself to highly their mister 'I walk into traffic.'"

"True." Jacen caught up to her, giving a subtle nudge. "I guess we're both pretty complicated."

Octavia gave a soft smile as she nodded in agreement.

"He made sure that my grandparents were at every important moment," Octavia continued, thinking about how they always played with her, took her to the many parks in Canterlot, and showed up with gifts. "I never knew any of this, so I sat up and leaned on my dad. He wrapped me in his forelegs, smiling at me. I couldn't help but feel bad for what happened to Grandma and Grandpa. He rested his chin on my head and told me he was running out of time and started investing heavily to make money, risking more than a sane pony should."

"Did he lose money?" Jacen asked as his eyes went wide.

"No," she answered. "Right as he was about to start, my grandpa became ill and passed away a couple of weeks later." Octavia wiped away a single tear from her eye. "Then my grandma followed suit a couple of months later. My grandparents always joked about how they couldn't live without each other; I guess it was true," Octavia said, letting out a chuckle.

Jacen's head fell forward as his features saddened. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah..." Octavia trailed off, thinking about how much she missed them. "But then my dad hugged me real tight and said, 'I'm so sorry.'"

Jacen shifted his attention towards her as his brow creased slightly.

"He told me that he thought sending me to the school he attended would help me. He wanted to be like his parents and provide me with the best opportunities. But he admitted that he failed to consider that I might take a different path."

"Ah," Jacen muttered. "He let you go to the music school because he felt bad."

Octavia gave him a quick jab of her elbow. "Don't try to sully the moment, Jacen," she scolded. "We still had to convince my mom it was the right decision."

Jacen rubbed his side, looking down at her with a grin. "Then your mom is the bad guy in the story?"

Octavia scoffed, trying not to mirror his cheesy grin. "No, she just wanted what was best for her child. Let us not forget how much money they had already spent on me while I attended the Royal Academy."

Jacen nodded.

"I wouldn't be afforded the same opportunities in the other school." Octavia gripped her arms, remembering her parents' fight after their conversation. "I love my mom dearly, but she was raised entirely different from my dad, so how others perceived you always took the forefront with her."

Jacen rubbed his chin before his eyes went distant. "That sounds like a saying we have in the Navy."

Octavia turned her head upwards towards him. "Really?"

"Perception is reality," he said flatly, putting his hands in his pockets. "I hate it because you could be busting your ass all day and sit down for a minute." Jacen jutted his arm forward like he was scolding somepony. "Then someone comes in, sees you sitting, and immediately assumes you've done nothing all day. I hate to admit it, but it does make a lot of sense."

Octavia turned her eyes forward as she contemplated the phrase. "It does," she admitted, thinking about her mom. "I think she was just preparing us for the harsh realities of the noble life of Canterlot in her way."

Jacen grabbed her elbow, turning her down another street. Off in the distance, Octavia could see a large body of water cutting through the city. Recalling her first night, she remembered them walking next to a channel, but she could be wrong. Octavia hastily scanned her surroundings, attempting to find any discernible markings to help her find her way back here if she needed to go alone.

Jacen cleared his throat, letting go of her elbow. "How did your parents meet?"

Octavia smiled, recalling how her mom would light up talking about her dad. "It's nothing extraordinary like a romance novel, but just by chance. My mom was walking through the financial district for a reason she couldn't recall and ran into my dad."

"That's it? Talk about a let down," Jacen teased.

Octavia chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "I told you that it wasn't anything special."

"There's got to be more. Did he have dreamy eyes, dashing looks, and a winning personality?"

"None of those," Octavia said, causing Jacen's eyes to fill with confusion. "She would joke that if you were in a barn full of stallions you would forget he was there."

"So then why did she marry him?"

Octavia placed her hand on her chin. "I remember that it wasn't love at first sight for her, but something different."

Jacen turned his head down, looking at her with intrigue. "What?"

"Trust."

Jacen looked at her perplexed. "Trust?"

"Yes, my dad offered to walk her home since it was late, and to my mom's surprise, she agreed. On their walk home, she felt she could trust this pony with anything just through how he spoke to her. Finding a pony who was that honest and straightforward was a rarity in high society."

"That is interesting."

"I thought the same thing," Octavia admitted. "My mom told me when they went on dates; it felt like she was there with a friend she'd known her entire life. The conversation flowed so naturally between them that she realized something."

Jacen cocked his head.

"She was talking to her best friend," Octavia replied as a bright smile creased her lips as her mind wandered to Vinyl. "She told him everything, her wants, fears, desires, and everything in between. That was when my mom realized that she wanted to marry him."

Jacen turned his head towards the sky. "Man, I wish I could have something like that."

Octavia didn't respond as a warm smile touched her lips. At the time, Octavia didn't understand what she was talking about until she met Vinyl. She couldn't help but chuckle at how stressed she was about sharing a room with somepony else.

"What are you thinking about?" Jacen asked, his eyes studying her.

"Nothing of importance," she dismissed while searching for a way to shift the focus back onto Jacen. "Shouldn't we be at the statue already? It feels like we've been walking forever."

Jacen let out a muffled laugh. "If we'd been walking at a normal pace, we'd be there already." He looked down at her cocking an eyebrow.

"Pardon me for enjoying our conversation," Octavia huffed, turning her nose away from him.

"Hey, I wasn't complaining," Jacen clarified. "I was merely stating facts."

Octavia watched him from the corner of her eye as his head dipped.

"I was enjoying it, too," he admitted softly.

Octavia burst into a fit of giggles. "Jacen, you don't have to take everything sop ."

Jacen scoffed in annoyance. "What? That's a bold statement coming from someone who demands to be treated like a proper lady."

"Yes." Octavia ran her fingers through her mane. "Your point is?"

"What... I..." Jacen stammered, trying to sort his thoughts. "You're no fun."

"Jacen, it's very unbecoming of you," she scolded, placing her hands on her hips. "You know I'm a delight."

Jacen laughed, trying to avoid her look of indignation. "Ah, yes, you've been the most pleasant person to deal with."

"Glad you agree." Octavia returned to her cheerful demeanor as the pair passed between two rusty brown buildings that separated downtown from the park.

Entering a tiny alcove secreted within the columns of bricks and glass, Octavia was met by a sparse smattering of trees planted to resemble nature. They were segregated by wide concrete pathways that cut through the patches of grass, breaking up the hazy gray atmosphere. How anypony would consider this a park was baffling to her. While the bland, uninspired venue stood out among the concrete jungle around them, it was nothing compared to what she was used to seeing in Canterlot, let alone Ponyville.

As they headed down their chosen path, Octavia noticed the little shops and restaurants lining the park's edge. People bustled about with idle chatter and laughter filling the cool air. If Octavia didn't hear the lapping of the water against the barrier, she wouldn't have believed that this was the same area Jacen had found her two nights ago.

"The statue is right there."

Tucked away behind trees was the marble structure circled by benches and plants. Octavia's heart hammered in her chest as she searched for the grotesque tribute to equine subjugation that these people thought should be immortalized in stone.

"You okay?" Jacen was studying her with deep concern.

"I'm wonderful." She dismissed him, trying to mask the trepidation clouding her thoughts.

Jacen laughed softly. "I guess we have different definitions of what wonderful means."

Her step felt heavier and heavier as they approached the statue, trying to ignore her body's desire to run. But she needed to see if the portal was still there. Octavia swallowed the unsavory thoughts as they stepped into the clearing surrounding the statue. Her fortitude instantly faltered as the rider locked eyes with her with his sadistic smile. Octavia froze in place as all the blood rushed from her body.

"You don't look so good," Jacen remarked, stepping in front of her. "What are you..." he trailed off as he traced her eyes to the statue behind him. "Is that what has you so bothered?"

Octavia nodded weakly.

"It's a statue, Octavia," he teased, patting her shoulder before turning to study the statue. "It's not going to come to life and hurt you."

Octavia balked at his carefree attitude. Her temerity was flushed out by bitter anger as she glared at him with indignation. "Doesn't that make you distraught?"

"What?" Jacen turned around quickly, brow furrowed. "The statue?"

"No," Octavia drew out the word. "I'm talking about your horrendous meat-eating habits—yes, the statue!"

"No?" Jacen answered, perplexed. "Should it?"

"Yes!" She blurted out, balling up her hands. "You're okay with people torturing a pony?"

As the words left her mouth, images of Vinyl being brutally bridled and wrangled raced through her mind. Quickly covering her mouth, the fear that had consumed her on her first night returned. She closed her eyes to dispel the thoughts, she needed to find answers, and this was the only way. Sensing Jacen's eyes fixed on her; she looked up at the behemoth whose eye darted between her and the statue.

"Don't look at me like I'm some mad mare!" Octavia stomped her foot in rage. "You're the one that thinks that is okay!"

Jacen shifted uncomfortably in place as attention from the other patrons of the park focused on them. He hastily stepped to her, grabbing the distraught cellist as panic filled his eyes.

"It's not like that," he whispered as his eyes looked past her. "It's a sport here."

Octavia's lip curled into a sneer, batting his arms away. "Torturing ponies is a game to you?!"

Jacen's eyes went wide with horror, lowering his body as he tried to shush her.

"Please, lower your voice," Jacen pleaded, taking a step back.

"No, I will not lower my voice, Jacen!" She retorted even louder. "How are you okay with this kind of abuse?"

Jacen's head wiped from side to side as desperation filled his eyes. "Please... look, I'm sorry... I... I'll do whatever you want, just please."

"Fine," Octavia conceded, adding a harumph for good measures.

Jacen remained silent as he wrung his hands together aggressively, taking a couple of steps away from her. Octavia was confused by his odd behavior before shifting her attention to the people surrounding them. Octavia's cheeks burned with embarrassment as an individual bounded towards them, his eyes locked onto Jacen.

"Miss, is he bothering you?" The stranger called out as his counterpart trailed behind him.

Octavia glanced at Jacen to see his expression drained of life, taking a couple of steps back as the man approached them. Before Octavia could respond, the stranger positioned himself between them, keeping his eyes on an increasingly troubled Jacen.

"It's alright," the female soothed, placing herself between Jacen and her. "We just want to make sure you're okay."

Octavia felt her heart drop into her stomach as the man continued to leer at Jacen, who looked like he was about to bolt at any second. Jacen's head fell as words unspoken tore him down.

Right before her eyes, the behemoth of a man wilted until all that remained was a hollow husk. Everypony would pass him without realizing how strong, proud, and kind he was. Then her eyes locked with his deep brown eyes begging, pleading for her to help. That cry for help had always been there, but she ignored it.

She'd messed up badly.

She turned away, unable to stand the look that ravaged her soul. Vinyl would be so disappointed in her. All the ideas she had elevated herself above, believing wholeheartedly that she was better than those snobbish nobles, came crashing down. She was in a freefall, unable to slow her dissent as all the conversations and fights berated her.

As she looked up at Jacen, the desperation he had held in his eyes was all but gone. What was left was a distant hollow gaze as if he had realized that she was not coming to help.

She wanted to yell and scream that she was right here with him, but the words died on her tongue. Without realizing it, she had built a wall between them, and her cries would go unheard. Panic flooded her body at the thought of losing him. She needed to tear down the wall she had constructed, or she would forever be doomed to walk alone.

"No," Octavia finally spoke up; she couldn't take it anymore. "It was my fault; he was just trying to help me."

The female turned quickly, placing her hands on Octavia's arms and eyeing Jacen suspiciously. "He's not telling you to say that is he?"

"No!" Octavia fumed at the asinine statement. She broke away from the stranger's hold and rushed to Jacen. "Thank you for your concern, but we merely had a heated debate that escalated beyond what it needed to be." Octavia placed her hand on his, giving her best reassuring smile; she wasn't going anywhere.

Octavia let out a weak laugh as the couple looked at each other, unsure of her response. "Are you sure?" The female probed.

"Absolutely certain," she replied, glancing back up at Jacen, who was staring distantly at the ground. "It's quite alright. Thank you."

The couple muttered something to themselves, giving Jacen an abhorrent stare as they walked away. Octavia let out a sigh of relief before turning to Jacen, who had remained silent throughout the exchange.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, refusing to meet her gaze.

"No, no, no," she assured him, gripping Jacen's hand and trying to snap him out of it. "I'm the one who should apologize. I caused all of this; I put you in that position. They had no right to treat you that way because of how I acted. I hope you can forgive me."

Jacen said nothing.

Octavia sighed; she knew it was a stretch for Jacen to forgive her. "Are you still interested in looking around the statue with me?" Octavia asked tepidly, attempting to find something to get his mind off what had just occurred.

Jacen nodded.

"Okay," she answered with some cheer. "It shouldn't take long."

She hoped.

As they turned around, a shiver ran up Octavia's spine as she locked eyes with the rider again. Forcing down the thoughts, she turned to Jacen, who was still in his defeated state.

"You can tell me if somethings wrong," she eased, noticing Jacen's grip tighten on her hand.

Jacen shook his head.

Octavia forced a smile. "We can talk about it later."

A faint smile parted his lips.

"Okay," she announced, letting go of his hand and taking a step towards the statue, trying to ignore the scrutinizing gaze from the rider. "All I remember is falling out of the base of this and landing on the grass."

Jacen shifted his focus to the grass around the statue but remained silent.

Octavia continued stepping onto the grass and kneeling at the base, placing a hand on its surface. "This is where I came through."

Jacen followed her motions, knocking his knuckles on the solid marble before looking at her with uncertainty.

"I know it sounds preposterous to you, but it's the truth! What would I gain from lying to you."

Jacen shrugged his shoulders.

Octavia let out a frustrated huff. "Are you going to be silent throughout this process?"

Jacen's eyes fell as his faint smile disappeared. "Maybe."

"Jacen, I'm not mad at you. I'm just not too keen on this." Octavia pointed upwards. "You don't need to be quiet."

"Yes, I do." His tone was dark. "I don't get in trouble if I don't speak."

"Jacen, I still welcome any input you have."

"Ha, input," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Look at where my input got me; if I kept my mouth shut, they wouldn't have come over here in the first place. Not to mention all the fights that we had because of me."

"That is the furthest thing from the truth."

Jacen turned his head. "Do the math, and you'll see who the common denominator is."

"If that's the case, then there's a common numerator as well." Octavia reached out, placing a hand on top of his. "Stop belittling yourself, Jacen. You have done more things for me than any other people have. Yes, we do get into fights every once in a while, but that's because we're different people. The difference is that friends work it out."

Jacen looked at her in a way that she had never witnessed before. "You consider me a friend?"

"Well... I..." Octavia stammered but seeing how Jacen began to falter, she regained her composure, holding her head high. "Yes, I do. Despite the circumstances, I'm glad that you were the one to find me that night."

A faint redness colored his cheeks as he looked away from her. "Thanks, that means a lot." Jacen cleared his throat. "But let's see if we can find something about the statue."

Octavia nodded as she began to search the base for anything that would trigger the portal. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jacen doing the same thing, she couldn't tell if he was genuine or just going through the motions, but it made her happy that he was at least trying. There may be a chance that he would believe her.

There had to be something here.

Octavia ran her finger along a crack in the stone, hoping to trigger a reaction, but nothing. Pressing her fingers into the corners of the molding that surrounded the blank space of the base yielded the same results.

"What am I doing wrong?" She whispered as she pressed emphatically into anything to open the portal.

"Please!" She begged, pushing up against the solid stone as tears threatened to sting her eyes. "Just let me go home!"

She slammed her hands into the marble as desperation clouded her mind. She was right here! On the other side, her life, her home, and the mare of her life. But even though she was right there, Octavia had never felt so distant. As her head pressed into the stone, she knew that Vinyl was somewhere on the other side.

"I'm so sorry, Vinyl," she whimpered.

"Hey! I'm not finding anything over here," Jacen called out, walking around the statue. "You okay?"

"No! I'm not!" She shouted as her voice cracked from the unbearable truth.

"I'm sorry," he answered tepidly.

Octavia gripped her head, trying to calm her raging emotions down. "Don't apologize! I'm sick of all of this!"

Octavia spun around, pressing her hands into her eyes. She was done. She wanted this little adventure to be over. She has had enough of the out-of-body experience to last her multiple lifetimes.

"We can try something else," Jacen suggested, taking a seat next to her.

"What pray tell do you have in mind?" She huffed. "Do you have some spell, an ancient rune, or an over-the-top magical device that can create portals out of thin air?"

"I'm just trying to help."

"I know you are, but without magic, there's simply nothing here!" Octavia flared her hands up as if she were pleading with the princesses. "I can't go home! Not to mention you don't even believe me."

"I'm trying to!" He defended as he looked at her defiantly. "Jesus, Octavia. I'm trying my best, but you must understand it's a lot to take in."

Octavia took a sharp breath. Did she hear him correctly? She closed her mouth as his stare remained resolute. A flicker of hope burned in her chest, not because she would find a way home. It was because she was not alone in the endeavor.

"I'm sorry," she muttered with the pain of guilt. "I know you're just trying to help."

"It's fine," he dismissed with a soft huff. "That's what friends do; they fight and make up, right?

Octavia felt a smile touch her lips. "Yeah."

"So do you want to continue looking?" Jacen asked, patting the wall behind them.

Octavia turned her head, spotting the rider with a mocking smile, looking down at her. "No, I don't think we will find anything."

"If you say so." Jacen rose to his feet and extended a hand towards her. "If you want, I can take you out for lunch."

Octavia grasped his hand as he pulled her up to her feet. "That sounds nice."

"Excellent!" Jacen announced, walking away from the statue. "I know a place close by that caters to your unique taste."

Octavia followed behind Jacen as her legs became heavier, leaving the only way home. Looking back, Octavia felt her heart sink as the notion of seeing Vinyl again started to become a figment of her imagination.

Octavia shook her head, clearing out the depressing thoughts. Despair would get her nowhere. She needed to be brave and steadfast like Vinyl would be. She clung to the image of Vinyl playing their song at the club and how much help she needed to get there. This time, she didn't have Vinyl to pull her up, but looking up at Jacen, at least she wasn't alone.

Author's Note:

If you find a simple mistake in the GSP (Grammar, Spelling, or Punctuation), please let me know through a private message rather than leaving it in the comment section.

Comments

[Alchemik]

What, I wonder, is Twilight doing on the other side? Is there such a time differential that Octavia's absence would not yet be noticed, or has the search begun? The cello was left, if I remember right, and given that the mirror was clearly a designed contraption, one would expect Twilight to follow that to its conclusion, at least eventually. Unless, of course, the music changed the destination. That would be harder to discover.

[Jymbroni]

1151525
I had considered adding that, but it took away from Tavi and Jacen's development, and future events. It will all be explained in due time.