The Equinox
“Is everything ready?” Octavia asked.
"Yes!" Mayor Mare gestured at the town square, now packed with vendor booths, carnival games, and a large stage. “Everything has been set up exactly according to your requests. All the food and decorations have already arrived, there’s not a cloud in the sky, and room has been set aside to allow Fluttershy to practice her new music.”
Octavia nodded and pointed at an open area just in front of the square. “That would be a good spot for the aeolian harp I mentioned this morning."
"The one Medley built?"
"Yes. The instrument is exquisitely crafted, and I imagine she would love to show off her work before the princess Herself.” Octavia smiled. "It will definitely enhance this Celebration."
“I’ll have some ponies talk to her and pick it up -- and I’ll mention it in the flyers we're posting around town!” Mayor Mare grinned. “A unique instrument... why, that will be a huge selling point, and I had no idea it existed. Thank you for finding out about it, Octavia.”
“You are welcome. And -- if at all possible, please spread the word that Medley, Fluttershy, and myself will be the only musicians.” Octavia had hesitated about this point, but in the end, it was unavoidable. She didn't much care for Bluenote, but she did feel a professional obligation to ensure that the tuba player didn't show up and embarrass herself with gimcrack tunes. Just because she wasn't that good didn't mean that she deserved humiliation in front of the princess. And the best way to prevent that was to ensure that she didn’t show up with a tuba at all. As for Vinyl... the further away her 'music' was from the celebration, the better. Cadance would likely be furious if Vinyl were allowed to perform anything at this festival, and Octavia would not be able to blame her.
“Yes, of course.”
“As for the food, I think we have agreed -- mostly healthy options, with a few sweets from Sweet Apple Acres?” Octavia examined the vendor booths. Upon examining the original vendor list, she had noticed that there was an overabundance of desserts, which of course would send the wrong impression. Princess Cadance would be more impressed by more wholesome food, and the refined fruits and vegetables of the Ponyville farms would work better with her message -- of sophistication, grace, and class -- than a bunch of candies.
“Of course. We wouldn’t want to offend our Canterlot guests,” said Mayor Mare.
“And regarding Fluttershy, you sent her the music I wrote out?”
“Oh, yes. As soon as you gave it to me, I had Ditzy fly it along.” The Mayor smiled. “And may I just say, I think you’re doing a splendid job as the Princess’s representative. The last time she was out this way, the representative barely did anything and just left us to handle all the logistics. Later, he complained that we didn’t do anything right.”
Octavia was a bit confused by her phrasing, as there seemed to be something off about it, but she had more important things to worry about. After all, she had to perform music so lovely that it could show an entire village what they were missing. “Your assistance was invaluable. Thank you.”
Mayor Mare bowed. “I’ll let you get on with your work, then. Have a great day!”
“To you as well,” said Octavia, bowing in return. She trotted back to City Hall to fetch her cello, and then -- pausing only to write the slumbering Pageturner a note giving her the day off; she wouldn’t need her services until the Celebration itself began -- began trotting back to the town square. She had to get on the stage as soon as she could to go over her music, make sure that she had properly adjusted for the acoustics of the venue, fix any problems, and practice, practice, practice.
“Alright,” she said, as she rounded the corner and approached the stage. “Let’s go.”
***
Octavia had a few very pleasant hours to herself. She checked the acoustics of the stage a few times, then retreated to a soundproofed booth (secured by the Mayor from Vinyl Scratch) to rehearse her music. Though the booth was small and cramped, Octavia didn’t even notice. She lost herself in her music, the sweet dulcet tones that she brought forth from her cello, and barely noticed anything else around her.
Her piece started off soft, simple, and inviting. It was just a simple melody, with only a few soft notes scattered around it to add a little richness, but nothing too taxing even for a novice. Only gradually, as the melody grew, changed course, sped up, and even doubled back, did the other notes begin to flesh out into full harmonies. Slowly, gracefully, the harmonies built up in fullness until they were almost secondary melodies -- but still easy to understand. They worked with the melody, filling in spots it couldn’t quite reach, reinforcing and strengthening it until it was as deep and powerful as a swift river, and drawing the ear in just as inexhorably.
Then Octavia got fancy.
She used trills, grace notes, arpeggios, and other ornamentations to accent the most important notes and to curve the melody in subtle waves. She added a brief pizzicato section to demonstrate the versatility of her instrument. She built in another melody -- this was the theme of one of Fluttershy’s pieces; when the yellow-coated mare performed it later, it would be all the more effective -- and showed how it meshed perfectly with the main line. She tapped her hoof on the ground to add an agogic accent, a use of percussion much more sensible than that of Vinyl’s wubs. Every note fit perfectly with the others. It was a paean, not to any pony or astrological event, but to the glory of music itself.
It was only when the last notes -- powerful, strong chords climaxing in several brilliant cadences that would send the whole crowd into paroxyms of applause -- faded away that Octavia opened her eyes. She glanced out the soundbooth’s door and saw, to her bemusement, that hours had passed while she practiced. In fact, the festival was just about to start. She had indeed spent hours to prepare a twenty minute piece. But it was all worth it. She would play perfectly, and the Celebration would go off without a hitch. Everything would be wonderful, and she would be able to show Cadance just how good she really was.
With a happy smile, she opened the door. She decided that she would visit the buffet first, and maybe eat a quick meal of local fruits and vegetables, before going into the crowd and trying to find the Princess. She took a few steps towards the front of the stage.
“Octavia?”
The cellist turned to see the Mayor running up to her, looking slightly panicked.
“We’ve been looking everywhere for you!" the tan-coated mare said. "There’s... there's something of a problem.”
Octavia was frozen for a moment, but she recovered. She told herself that, whatever this town could throw at her, she could overcome it. Whether it was Rarity forgetting some decoration or the Sweet Apple Acres food going wrong, she would find a solution. “I would be happy to help.”
“Good. Medley is furious, and--”
“Medley?” Octavia frowned.
“Yes. Hurry!” And Mayor Mare took off at a gallop.
Confused, and just slightly nervous, Octavia left her cello in the booth and followed.
***
“Medley! Medley!” called Mayor Mare as the two ponies made their way through the crowd. “I found her!”
Octavia almost tripped when she saw Medley, whose face was red with anger. The pegasus wheeled around on Octavia. “Did you promise them something?” she said, her voice a low growl.
“Promise who what?”
“Ponies arrived at my shop today saying that my harp was going to be used at the Celebration!” Medley’s wings flared. “Which is really weird, because I never told anypony I wanted to use it here! In fact, I never told anypony it existed except for you and that assistant of yours!”
Octavia looked around. Ponies were starting to gather at the scene. “I apologize, but you implied to me that it was ready to be used in performances. With your--”
“Even if it was, that doesn’t matter! It wasn’t for sale, you idiot, it was going to be my own possession! Mine!” Medley’s eyes flashed. “You had no right to take it without asking!”
“Think about this,” protested Octavia. “I -- this is a wonderful opportunity for you! You deserve the chance to demonstrate your skill before all! Just as I would not ask before pulling a drowning pony from the ocean, I had no idea you would possibly--”
“Yeah. You’re damn right you didn’t.” Medley stalked towards Octavia, and the cellist couldn’t help but back up. “Maybe I’m poor. But that doesn’t mean you get to decide that I need to give up something personal, something I worked for months on, something I wanted as my very own, and put it up on display for the whole. Damn. Town.”
“So you... would rather not display it for Princess Cadance?” asked Octavia, incredulous.
“Why? Just because she’s rich and powerful, I should be honored that she’ll look at all my things?” Medley turned on her hooves. “Go to Tartarus, Octavia.”
Octavia wasn’t sure what to say. She finally turned to the Mayor. “Fine. If that’s her view, don’t--”
“It’s too late!” protested Mayor Mare. “You made it sound like she would gladly assent to this--”
“I thought she would! Any sane pony would!”
“We’ve already advertised it, it’s on the flyers, the Princess has likely seen them. We can’t withdraw it now!”
“Whatever,” snapped Medley. “It’s too late anyway. Go have fun with all my things You want me, I’ll be at home.”
The two watched her go before Mayor Mare turned back to Octavia. “You assured me,” she said, her voice accusatory, “that everything had been worked out.”
“She is being unreasonable -- look.” Octavia put a hoof to her forehead, to try to calm herself down. “My performance will incorporate her harp, it will make the whole town love her. She will realize I was right soon enough. Now--”
“Octavia! Octavia!”
Octavia again turned, this time to see a purple-coated, yellow-maned foal bouncing up and down. “Yes?” she asked. “Who are you?”
“My name is Dinky Doo!” said the foal. “Oh -- and Miss Fluttershy said she had to see you right away! She said it was real real important!” Dinky waved her front hooves in the air. “This important!”
“Fine.” Octavia turned back to Mayor Mare. “Please talk to Medley, and make her see reason. I will talk to Fluttershy. I understand that this is her debut before the Princess; she is likely nervous. Please excuse me.”
And she ran off, grateful to get away from the Mayor and Medley. After all, she thought, whatever Fluttershy had to say, it couldn’t be worse than Medley’s tantrum.
***
“My birds can’t sing this!”
Octavia stared at the yellow-coated mare. “My music is perfectly adapted to their vocal ranges--”
“But it’s too hard!” Fluttershy was quivering where she stood. From the circles under her eyes, she looked like she had been working with her birds all day. “They’ve been trying all day, the poor little dears, but they just can’t do it!”
One of the birds managed a sad whistle.
“And if they can’t sing, they’ll look bad in front of all the ponies in Ponyville and they’ll be so embarassed! And I was hoping to adopt out a few of them, but nopony will want them!” Fluttershy’s eyes began to water. “I’m sorry we’re not good enough, but we can’t play this music!”
Octavia groaned to herself. The music she had written wasn’t that hard at all -- a foal could have sung it. What were the birds’ problems? But she had to go with it. “...fine. If they cannot sing the new music, we will make do with the old."
“But -- but I think Rosawing strained her voice trying your new music!” Fluttershy pointed a wing at a bird who had a little poultice tied over her throat. “I don’t know if she can sing at all!”
“Surely you have backups?” asked Octavia, beginning to sweat. It was a musician’s responsibility to maintain her instruments, but if Fluttershy had screwed up and let her birds injure themselves, she would be the one to be blamed. “You--”
“No, just them!” Fluttershy looked down. “I don’t know what to do!”
“Just -- alright. Play the songs anyway, without Rosawing. I’ll cover for her on my cello,” said a desperate Octavia. She debated telling Fluttershy to just go away and let her play the whole time, but Princess Cadance would likely object to that. “Can you do that?”
“I don’t know. We’ll try--”
“Good.” Octavia drew a hoof across her forehead; she realized that she was sweating heavily. “Just perform at--”
“Hey, uh, Octavia?”
The cellist turned, this time seeing a tan pony with an apple-based cutie mark. “Can I help you?” she snapped.
“There’s some kinda ruckus by the concession stands. AJ asked me to get you over there right quick.”
“But I need her here!” said Fluttershy.
Octavia froze. Part of her insisted that this couldn’t be happening, that she was skilled enough that no event she controlled could run into so many problems. But the princess was coming, so she had to keep going. “Look, I will -- Fluttershy, I will return in moments."
And she ran off again.
***
“Treason! Heresy! Outrage! In fact -- just RAGE!”
Octavia skidded to a halt in front of a large vendor booth and stared at Lyra Heartstrings, who, if anything, seemed even more energetic than the day before. “Now what?” she managed.
Applejack, behind the booth, turned to her. “Ah don’t know! Ah set up all ma stuff, same as every year, an’ then she charges in an’ starts rantin’ that her ‘Bonnie’ doesn’t have her booth an’ Ah must have taken it!”
Octavia had a sinking feeling. “And I am involved... how?”
“Well, Ah know ya had some of the concessions swapped around, so Ah sent Caramel ta get ya ta help us straighten this out.” Applejack turned back to Lyra. “If any booths got canceled, it was her doin’. Ah just know ‘bout ma own.”
Lyra wheeled around on Octavia. “Octavia! Did you tell Mayor Mare to cancel my poor sweet Bonnie’s booth?”
“Uh.” Octavia felt almost scared. “Well, um. We were worried there were too many dessert stands, it didn't go with the rest of the event, we want a somewhat refined--”
“Too many desserts?” yelled Lyra. “How can you possibly have too many desserts?”
“Preach it!” yelled Pinkie Pie, from somewhere in the crowd.
“My Bonnie was looking forward to this! I saw her getting all her things together! I saw her laboriously putting all the little suns and moons on all her chocolates to make them appropriately themed! I watched as she carefully boxed everything up! I watched as she told her little sister Twist how she was going to sell a hundred candies this year and buy her a new mane curler and some gold flakes for her saddlebags!”
Octavia wondered if she could get out of this by having Lyra arrested for stalking. “Look--”
“But now it’s all ruined. Ruined!” Lyra stood on her hind legs, shut her eyes, put one hoof to her head like she was about to faint, and another over her heart like she’d just been stabbed. “Oh, does love move you not, Octavia? Does--”
“Lyra, this is an event for thousands of ponies! There are more important things than any one vendor!” snapped Octavia.
“Um.” Applejack coughed. “Ah hate ta intrude, but Ah don’t quite understand... why exactly did Bonbon an’ Pinkie an’ the other bakers get turfed?”
“There... there were discussions,” said Octavia, not wanting to get into how she was trying to turn the event into something refined and cultural. “Look, I am sorry--”
“Sorry? Sorry won’t heal the wound in my Bonnie’s heart! Sorry won’t ease the sobs of her poor little sister!”
“Mayor Mare signed off on everything; you should complain to her, not me!” snapped Octavia.
“Look,” interjected Applejack. “Here’s what we’ll do. Ah don’t really need all this space. Lyra, why don’t ya get Bonbon an’ have her put a few trays of candies an’ whatnot on this side of my booth? Ah’d be happy ta work with her.”
“Wait,” protested Octavia. “That would undermine--”
Applejack glared at her. “Ah don't recall askin' ya. Lyra?”
Lyra sniffed. “That... that might work. But don’t think this is over, Octavia Philharmonica! I shall spread the word of your heartlessness far and wide!”
“No!” protested Octavia. If ponies began telling Cadance how much of a failure she was... she did not want to think of that. “Look, I will make it up to you! I can--” She paused, not knowing what to offer. “I will write you a song to serenade Bonbon with.”
“Pah! I write all my Bonnie music myself. Besides, I wouldn’t trust--”
“Um, Miss Octavia?”
“What?” Octavia almost screamed. When she turned, she saw an orange coated foal with purple eyes.
The foal frowned. “I’m Scootaloo. Can my friends and I talk to you?”
“...yes.” At least a foal couldn’t possibly be as angry as everypony else was being. Octavia turned to the others, but Lyra was now discussing with Applejack exactly how much of ‘Bonnie’s’ goods could fit on the table. With a scowl, Octavia turned back and followed Scootaloo.
***
Bluenote was standing in the middle of the Celebration grounds, looking almost morose. About a dozen foals surrounded her.
Octavia sighed to herself. “Let me guess. You are mad because you are not one of the musical guests,” she said.
Bluenote frowned. “I wasn’t going to take away from your time,” she said. “I just wanted to do a few tunes for the foals.”
“We really wanted ta hear Bluenote!” said Apple Bloom. “She makes music fun!”
Octavia looked at all the pleading foal faces. “I... I am sorry, but I was just worried that, in contrast with all the other performances, ponies might deride hers,” said Octavia. To Bluenote, she added, “I was trying to help you.”
“I don’t care about what other ponies say,” said Bluenote, simply. “I don’t play for a reputation. What I care about is having fun, making some nice music... and passing on my love of music to the next generation.”
“Did you really stop Bluenote from playing?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Yeah,” said the orange foal. “Did you?”
“I...” Octavia shut her eyes. She couldn’t lie, not even here. “Yes, but--”
Her front left leg exploded in pain.
Yelping, Octavia opened her eyes to see that the orange-coated foal had kicked her. “Oww!”
Bluenote hurried forward. “None of that, Scootaloo!” she said. “This isn’t the end of the world. How about, after the Celebration, we’ll all head down to Sugar Cube Corner and I’ll play for you there?” A few of the foals smiled. “How’s that sound?”
“But we wanted to hear you here!” protested several of the foals. “You’re fun! You make music fun!”
“I can show you what real music--” began Octavia.
“Bluenote’s music is real music!” said Sweetie Belle, voice squeaking in rage. “It makes me feel happy! And like I want to dance! And laugh! And one time when I was really sad she played until I wasn’t sad anymore! That’s a lot more like music than some boring old sonata!”
“Yeah!” yelled Dinky.
“YEAH!” echoed Beebop.
“I --” Octavia looked at them, but none of their faces gave her any support. Bluenote just looked a little sad, but the foals looked angry. “I didn’t mean--”
“Excuse me.”
Octavia, once again, turned. She saw the pony who had talked about making sales in the song the previous day. “Filthy Rich, I presume.”
“Yes.” Filthy frowned. He pointed one hoof at an earth pony foal who was wearing a tiara. “And I understand you’ve made my daughter cry?”
***
Octavia hurried into the backstage area and slammed the door behind her. “This is insane!” she gasped. Her finely styled coat, mane, and tail were all tangled and mussed. Sweat ran down her face. “Completely and utterly insane! None of this makes any sense!”
“Something wrong?”
Octavia turned, and her heart leapt when she saw the speaker. “Pageturner! Thank the sun and moon. You have no idea what kind of day I’ve been having.”
“I have a pretty good idea. Ponies have been asking me all day to find you. And when I couldn’t help them, some of them got mad.” Pageturner frowned. “Did you antagonize the entire town?”
“It is not my fault! None of this is my fault!”
“Really?”
“Yes!” screamed Octavia. “It’s not my fault the ponies here are not sophisticated enough to understand why I did what I did! I am trying to improve things, trying to show them what they are missing, but all they can see is... is trivialities!” She waved a hoof in the air. “What am I supposed to do now?!”
“Apologize,” said Pageturner. She frowned. “Now. To all the ponies you hurt.”
“Apologize for what? Trying to help them?” Octavia shook her head. “No. No, this does not matter. This cannot matter. They are not my audience; Cadance is. I will perform as expected, and not only will my music be good enough to ameliorate any anger they feel at me, but I will prove to Cadance what I promised her. I will prove that--”
“That you can work with other ponies?” drawled Pageturner.
“That I am a good enough musician that nothing else matters!” Octavia glanced at the clock. “The ceremony starts in a few minutes, I need to be ready with my cello. Help me--”
She opened the door to head back to the storage room with the soundbooth, but ran directly into another pony coming in. Yelping again, she fell on her flank.
Pageturner ran to help her up. “Mayor Mare!” she said.
Octavia’s spirits sank just a few inches lower. “Uh.”
Mayor Mare -- who had apparently been waiting in the backstage area -- was looking at Octavia, but she was no longer smiling. “I’m sorry. ‘Unsophisticated?’”
“I do not have time for this,” said Octavia. “Please--”
From the storage area another pony entered the room, one with wings... and a horn. Octavia froze.
“Perhaps,” said Cadance, voice tight with anger, “you should make time.”
***
“Princess!” said Octavia, bowing low. “I had no idea--”
“Enough,” said Cadance. She turned to Mayor Mare. “Did my student truly give you the impression she was here as my official representative? Empowered to make changes to the Celebration’s food services, musical entertainment, and so forth?”
“That’s what she said, Your Highness,” said Mayor Mare.
“I said no such thing!” Octavia’s eyes flashed. “I -- that is a lie!”
“I asked you if you represent the princess. You said yes,” said Mayor Mare.
“That does not mean that is my legal position! I was only giving advice and recommendations, not orders! I am only her student! Yes, my actions reflect on her--”
Cadance raised an eyebrow at that. "You should have kept that in mind, Octavia."
“But I am not a civic official!” finished the cellist. “I had no authority to order you to do anything, and--”
“But you gave her the impression that you did,” said Cadance. She turned to Mayor Mare. “Please accept my most sincere apologies. Know that I understand that none of this was your fault. Convey my feelings to the other gathered ponies. I will stay here a few more moments with my student.”
Mayor Mare bowed and left.
Octavia found that she was shivering. “Princess, please... I only wanted to help...”
Cadance shook her head. "I have been trying to teach you for years, Octavia." Her voice dropped. "Is this what you learned from me?"
"I learned music! My ability--"
“Does not matter, Octavia.” Cadance swept a wing out towards the stage. “The best musician in the world has nothing if nopony will hear her perform. Don't you understand this?"
Octavia couldn't find any words to speak.
Cadance stepped closer to her student. "Octavia. If you go onstage now, ponies will leave rather than listen to you play. And if they do stay, they will associate your music, however skilled, with what they know of you, and they will hate it... as they hate you." She sighed, looking down. "This was partially my mistake, Octavia. I had no desire to see this happen to you, and I should not have allowed you this opportunity. But..."
"But what?" whispered Octavia.
Cadance's gaze grew, if possible, even more stern. "How many times have I urged you to seek out friends, Octavia? Did I not give you a personal assistant in the hopes that she could help you to bond with other ponies? But you refused, and you insisted that all you needed was musical skill. And now the inevitable has happened.” She shook her head. “This was to be a time of joy, Octavia. Can you honestly tell me that any of them are having fun?”
“I can fix this!” Octavia protested, unable to meet her teacher’s eyes. “I -- I will play. My music will be so beautiful none of them will be angry! I can do it, Princess, please, let me try!”
“Even now, rather than apologize, you--” began Cadance.
Cringing as she was, it took the cellist a few moments to realize that the Princess had stopped talking. “...Princess?”
“No,” she heard Cadance whisper. “No, no. It can’t be true. That prophecy...”
“I’m sorry?” Octavia looked up -- to see that Cadance was staring up at the ceiling, eyes wide and legs shaking slightly. “What did--”
“No!” Cadance sprinted for the entrance to the stage itself. Octavia and Pageturner looked at each, then raced after her onto the front of the stage.
“Get back -- now!” insisted Cadance. Her voice was stern and powerful -- that of a ruler commanding her subjects. She turned to the square before the stage, now packed with ponies ready to hear Fluttershy’s music. The princess of Equestria glowed with a magical light, which illuminated her in the early dusk hour. “Everypony! Return to your homes immediately! This is an emergency, and--”
The sun flashed in the sky, a bright yellow blast of sound and color -- and, across from it, on the horizon, there was an answering flash of darkness.
Ponies began to scream.
There was another blast, this one much closer and sending Octavia stumbling into Pageturner. With a cry, she fell down, losing her sense of orientation for a moment. “Pageturner, I--”
“LOOK!” screamed Pageturner.
Octavia turned back to the stage. Cadance was there.
So were two other alicorns.
And they looked mean.
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Can we have an Amen! Hallelujah!
Yikes.
I know Octavia hasn't been a 100% class act, but I wasn't expecting her to become the town's whipping pony in the span of one chapter, and I certainly wasn't expecting that sort of reaction from Medley. Good thing she gets a chance at redemption...
2612824: On the one hand, yep, Medley does have some anger issues. On the other, it's still probably a good idea to ask someone before you volunteer their stuff. :-)
I'll be traveling abroad, but I do hope to have the next few chapters up over the next week or so.
2612749
As a hobbyist baker, I wholeheartedly agree.
Burn the heretic!
My God, Lyra is approaching M-Rarity levels of overacting
Congratulations Octavia, you made a whole town hate you in less than 48 hours, and even made foals cry, that takes real talent.
Luckily two evil gods just turned up to take the heat off of you.
Wow. That was a real mess.
It was almost a relief that those two showed up at the end for Octavia. Can we say tomatoes/rocks thrown at her?!
Please be a little careful with the slam over our heads music stuff. While you write the musical stuff wonderfully it seems to be a bit too big a part with intricate details that while I assume would be very nice for music buffs falls a little flat for those of us not so into it. That's not to say it's bad, and your passion for that material is truly infectious, I'd just tone it down a notch or two. Other then that though this really looks to be shaping up nicely. Very good work.
Eep. This just went from bad to apocalyptically worse. That was a nicely dramatic but understated entrance from our two villains, and I will be very interested to see how they play out from here!
Anyway, Octavia...
That's not your job, Octavia! It's a festival for the Equinox and for Cadance! It's not The Octavia Show!
Octavia's arrogance and narrow horizons really come through here. Rearranging Fluttershy's music? Requisitioning Medley's harp without consultation? Excluding a trained classical tubist (it's a word, I looked it up) just because she doesn't meet your standards? Way to show you can work with other ponies, Octy. No, there is no amount of "musical brilliance" that will fix this. Go and apologize. Or find the Elements of Harmony and save the world from Nightmare Moon and her equally crazy sister, I dunno.
Gee, music that exists solely to exposit and glorify its own merit in isolation from the world around it lacking in even the barest pretenses of a context or subtext... yeah, sure, no worries that will only end up sounding pretentiously pompous and concede.
Oh, and I love how you are using so many technical term throughout the narrative at this point to help sell Octavia's overzealous sophisticated elitism.
This train-wreck merits a tub of popcorn.
...
Yup, this disaster was exquisite; locked away for hours practicing in a soundproof booth, leaving her forced to frantically scurry about at nearly last minute to fix all the problems her "improvements" created, never once realizing that she's the problem or taking appropriate responsibility. Oh, and then there is this little gem...
Though if I had one ~complaint~, it's that nowhere in her breakdown/rant does Octavia utter the ever famous line, "All the ponies in this town are CRAZY!" She comes close, very close, but misses the mark.
...
On a minor note about Bluenote, it strikes me that her instrument is not actually a tuba, but probably a sousaphone, seeing as it wraps around her body. Also, I think that fits better with her character motif of making music fun, as it's a somewhat silly sounding word that would no doubt make the children laugh all the more so.
2616794
Um, sorry to bother you at the bottom of this post, but I think that was intentional in this chapter. G&C2 doesn't normally use so many big/technical terms, at least not so densely packed on top of each other. Rather, I believe this was to further drive home just how much Octavia is overemphasizing form over substance in her performance. Her attitude is alienating her potential audience, her music while intricately precise is inapproachable by any but the most high-class aficionado, and this is reflected in the way her solo scenes are written.
2622910
Speaking as a Tubaist in high school days, Tuba and Sousaphone are interchangeable fingering wise. Intonation with a Tuba can be better than that of a Sousaphone (due to the presence of 4th or 5th valve on fancier models)
The timbre is not exactly the same. Sousaphones are more prone to overtones (making it go fwoomph), and not so 'round' as you may get with a Tuba.
Looking back at the way how Octavia had reacted to Bluenote, I am starting to think that Octavia cannot accept Bluenote being so cavalier and squandering her talent with the instrument, when she clearly could reach the level of a performing professional in an orchestra. Bluenote's action could be an affront to Octavia's search for perfection, and as such is intolerable to the Cellist to bear.
Very nice, however.
'Sophistication', you missed an 'o'.
And so Ocavia's lack of ANY social skills leaves her in a horrid position. Seriously, even Twilight knew better how to socialize.
I'm getting flashbacks to "Longest Night, Longest Day" in the Lunaverse where Trixie basically does the exact same only she had a rank with which to do it
2618516 They might very well be screwed... At least Twilight, in canon, knew what they were geting into and thus could explain it to the rest of the Mane Six, but here...!
Octavia, you dunce!
This train wreck was amusing. I loved how Octavia was trying to do what she thought was right, but being self-centered ended up making her hated just before things go to Tartarus in a hoofbasket.
Go have fun with all my things You want me, I’ll be at home.
1. I feel as if a word is missing before this. She probably meant; If you want me, I'll be at home.
3812928 Feh, being self-centered makes everything work out just fine!
Look at how great the housing market in the US in 2007 worked... out...
4480113
Now I feel even worse for Tavi [living in florida when that happened].
This story is starting to get really exciting...
As I said, I think Octavia started off worse than Trixie in the Lunaverse. Mainly because Trixie at least had least five mares at her back when crud went down, Tavi has at least...one and that is only because I don't think Vinyl would hate her at all. And that is coming from a big character flaw that I am excited to see her overcome. Her own idea that everypony must be suited to her taste and that there is nothing else that is good enough. It must be her, and this kind of shows an ego that Trixie would be proud of. Actually, at least Trixie would say that the food is good an she liked the music.
Cadence's appearence here was also a great scene. We see a whole range of emotions (though anger is not one I would ever expect to see) dissappointment, anger, and sadness at her student. It felt like a mare who was watching her greatest pupil fall hard. However, it also felt supportive, like she was trying to teach her a new lesson.
The breakdowns and rage from each of the other bearers was also finely done. It feels real and it also feels like the characterbeatdown in a musical
What a mess she made. When did she go wrong?
This is an understatement. And it does not really convey the implications of the return of Luna and Celestia.