Adverse Conditions
Octavia paced around the house, muzzle perpetually in the air as she eyed her surroundings. Music magazines and album covers littered the floor, one wall was nothing but speakers and the floor clearly hadn’t been swept in weeks. She heaved a sigh and turned to the white unicorn waiting expectantly by the couch.
“You’re not the cleanest sort, are you?”
Vinyl smiled and kicked some trash under the couch with a back hoof.
Octavia’s haughty frown turned deadpan. “Right.” She cast a glance at the cello case on her back. “I need a place where I can practice in peace and quiet. Judging by what I’m seeing, that might not be a common thing here.” The DJ booth in the corner earned a particularly high eyebrow.
With a shrug, Vinyl tapped the headphones hanging around her neck.
“I suppose that’s true, and the rent would be easy to handle compared to other homes in the area.” Octavia rubbed her chin, eyes roaming the room yet again. “Still, I’m just not convinced the two of us could get along.”
She watched as Vinyl sat back with a frown, patted her own chest and crossed her hooves.
“Yes, I’m sure you’re so easy to get along with,” Octavia said with a roll of her eyes. “When I heard there was another musician in Ponyville looking for a housemate, I was thrilled.” She waved a hoof at a discarded to-go box half-hidden beneath an end table. “But this is hardly acceptable. Even if the rent is cheap, I don’t think this place meets my standards for hygiene alone.”
Vinyl shook her head, still frowning, then turned and walked to the window. Octavia followed, watching the mare from over her raised muzzle. Vinyl stopped and used her magic to push back the curtain, then tapped the glass.
Octavia stared out at the dark, stormy weather. Rain had yet to come down, but judging by the lightning in the distance there was little doubt it would be coming soon.
“I see your point.” Octavia sighed and turned back to the mess of a house. “Well, in light of the storm, I suppose I could stay here one night, just to test it out. Who knows, maybe I’ll find it… tolerable.”
Vinyl flashed a smile and offered her hoof. Octavia eyed it as if fearing she might contract some horrible disease from the contact. Her hoof hesitated halfway up and she bit her lip. A glance out the window was just in time to catch the brilliant flash of another lightning strike. With a sigh, she reached forward—
A resounding crash filled the air, and suddenly Octavia and Vinyl were being buffeted by wild winds. The two ponies spun about to find part of a tree penetrating the roof. The pair shared slack-jawed expressions as a large assortment of animals fled the scene.
Two mares, one yellow and one blue, poked their heads through the hole.
“Oh m-my, I’m so sorry,” the first one squeaked.
“Yeeeah, that didn’t work out at all,” the blue one admitted.
Thunder rolled through the dark clouds that dominated Ponyville’s sky and rain was just beginning to fall over Fluttershy’s cottage. Rainbow Dash waited until Octavia and Vinyl had gone inside to tap her friend’s shoulder. “Are you sure about this, Fluttershy?”
“Of course I am.” Fluttershy turned to offer her pleasant smile. “They can’t sleep in their own home when the rain is in their bedrooms.”
“But it’s not your fault that tree fell on Vinyl’s house!”
Fluttershy bowed her head, half her face covered behind her mane as she traced a hoof in the dirt. “My animals got scared of the lightning and climbed the tree. It was overweight because I didn’t control them properly.”
“The wind blew the tree down.” Rainbow gestured to herself. “If this is anypony’s fault, it’s mine for messing up the weather schedule last week.”
“And how are they going to stay in your cloud home?” Fluttershy shook her head and took on as confident a pose as she could manage, muzzle raised high and one leg slightly lifted in a decent imitation of Rarity. “As the Bearer of the Element of Kindness, I’d be remiss if I didn’t do this. Besides, it’s only for a few nights while Vinyl’s house gets repaired.”
Rainbow frowned and eyed the storm above them; the rainfall had intensified and would soon be a proper shower. “Well, if you say so. But I’m coming by tomorrow morning to make sure everything’s okay, got it?”
Fluttershy regained her warm smile and nodded. “I’m sure we’ll be just fine. You go on, don’t want to be caught when the storm gets bad.”
“Hah! Who do you think you’re talking to?” Rainbow leapt into the air and cut a flip. She posed and rubbed her chest with her typical smarmy grin. “I’m Rainbow Dash! A little weather isn’t gonna bother me.” She winced as a crack of lightning rippled across the sky. “Buuut I probably should head back and make sure my place is secure. See ya, Fluttershy.”
Waiting until her friend’s rainbow wake had faded in the clouds, Fluttershy entered her cottage. The door closed just as the rain became a proper downpour. After a quick shake-off, she turned around to find Vinyl already lounging on the couch, head bobbing to her ever-present headphones, and Octavia casting a regal gaze at the kitchen. Vinyl’s mobile DJ booth sat by the window and Octavia’s cello case leaned against the wall beside it.
With a quiet breath for self-confidence, Fluttershy offered them her brightest smile. “So, make yourselves at home. I hope you don’t mind the mess, but I wasn’t expecting to have house guests.”
“Mess?” Octavia turned to her with a pleasant smile of her own. “This place is quite clean, especially compared to where I’ve just been.” She cast a glower Vinyl’s way, but the unicorn just kept bobbing her head. With a roll of her eyes, Octavia stepped towards Fluttershy and regained her smile. “Thank you so much for helping us in our time of need, Miss Fluttershy. We were in quite the spot.”
“Oh, it’s no problem at all.” Fluttershy glanced at Vinyl, who waved with a grin. “If you don’t mind my asking, why is a pony from Canterlot trying to move to a little place like Ponyville?”
“Inspiration!” Octavia raised a hoof high as if to indicate some great view only she could see. “Too long have I wallowed in the corridors of the big city. It is time I looked to nature for my muse. An artist must always be open to new things, after all.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Fluttershy clapped her hooves with a giddy smile. “In that case, I think you’ll love it here. Ponyville is such a nice, quiet town, though we have had our share of excitement.” She turned and made for the storage closet. “And you’re right on time to meet my friends. There’s no better way to get closer to nature than to meet the animals, don’t you think?”
Octavia raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Vinyl, who had abandoned the couch to walk up beside her. The unicorn removed her headphones and cocked her head as Fluttershy pulled open the door, revealing all kinds of food types. Almost instantly, the cottage came alive as creatures bounded out of cubbyholes, corners and other rooms.
“Oh my goodness.” Octavia hastily raised a leg as an opossum darted under her. She looked around with wide eyes. “You… live with all these animals?”
“I take care of them,” Fluttershy replied with a grin, already tossing some fresh vegetables to the creatures. “Most of my work involves taking care of the sick and hurt ones, but some just come to visit.”
With a smile, Vinyl walked up to Fluttershy and offered her hoof. Fluttershy beamed. “Of course you can help. Why don’t you offer the feed there for our little rodent friends?”
Octavia had stepped well away from the gathering of animals. A few birds attempted to land on her, and she shooed them off with frantic swipes of her hooves.
“You can help too.”
Fluttershy offered a bowl of fruit to Octavia, who looked at the bowl, then at the pegasus’s hopeful expression. She glanced over the pony’s shoulder to see Vinyl sitting amongst squirrels, mice, rats and other animals, many of which were crawling over her body. The unicorn seemed pleased as punch by this, and Octavia shuddered at the image.
Fluttershy’s smile slipped, and Octavia promptly took the bowl. “O-of course I can!” She offered a weak giggle and looked around. “Umm… which animal gets this?”
“That goes to Harry.” Fluttershy waved to a nearby, closed door. “He was just settling down for a nap, but should still be awake. Go ahead.”
“Okay…” Octavia went to the door, but hesitated. She glanced back and offered a fragile smile at her host’s encouraging nod, then pushed through the door.
She froze; there, lying in the middle of what appeared to be a study, was a bear. Her eyes went wide as saucers.
“Go on, it’s okay.”
With a gulp, Octavia pressed her back to the wall and circled the massive animal with cautious steps. She reached the front of it to see the bear lying with its eyes closed, seemingly sound asleep. Legs shaking, she slowly – so very slowly – placed the bowl of fruit down on the floor.
A lone eye opened, locking with hers, and Octavia became still as stone. They stared at one another for a few seconds, not a sound coming between them. Then the eye shifted to the bowl of fruit and a great paw snatched it up. At the sight of sharp claws Octavia bolted, moving as little more than a blur and slamming the door closed behind her. She pressed her back to the wood and heaved a few breaths.
A few more birds tried to land on her.
“Off, off, off, off, get off!” She waved her hooves manically, scattering the wild things. Once sure they would leave her alone, she looked over herself and found feathers tangled in her coat, mane and tail. She made a disgusted sound and tried to rub them off, but couldn’t manage to do much for her mane. When she looked up she found Vinyl giving her a dirty look, which she responded to by sticking her muzzle in the air with a hmmph.
When she looked to Vinyl again, the pony was right in front of her. She held a small pile of birdseed in one hoof.
Octavia pressed against the door with a wary look at the seeds. “What are you doing?”
Vinyl smirked, raised her leg and dumped the birdseed right on Octavia’s head.
“Hey!” Octavia shook her head frantically and shoved Vinyl back. “What did you do that for? Have you no sense of a mare’s dignity? Why I—” Feathers erupted in her vision. Octavia cried out as the birds came back with a vengeance, pecking away at the food scattered through her mane. “No, go away, shoo! Stop it!”
“Oh, look!” Just appearing from the kitchen, Fluttershy saw the commotion and grinned. “They like you.”
“Well I don’t like them!” Octavia galloped from the flight of hungry birds, seeds spilling from her mane. She jumped into a side room and slammed the door before any of the animals could follow her inside.
Fluttershy winced at the loud sound and pouted. “Oh, I hope she’s not too angry. They were only being friendly.”
She didn’t notice the smirk Vinyl sported as she plopped back on the couch, head bobbing once more to her music.
Octavia – mane and coat somehow cleaned within the span of a half hour – finished setting up her stand in the middle of Fluttershy’s living room. “You’re sure you don’t mind?”
“Of course not.” Fluttershy looked up from a magazine with her trademark smile. “I’m sure all my friends would love to hear you practice. Just try to keep it down so you don’t wake Harry.”
“It’s a deal.” Octavia turned her eyes to the window, where the storm was raging at full strength. She cocked her ears forward and took in the noise for a short time, then began tuning the strings on her cello. After a few tries she began to play a slow, soft tune.
Fluttershy perked her ears, a soft smile forming on her face as the music radiated through the cottage. She glanced around, noting how her animal friends were all emerging from their hiding places to listen intently. Eyes closed, Octavia swayed to the gentle tones of her instrument. Soon every eye was on her and every ear took in the delicate rhythm that flowed with the sound of the rain outside. Every creature present soon gained calm, peaceful expression as the music soothed them.
A thump broke through the sound. Then another.
Cringing, Octavia half-opened an eye to see Vinyl sitting at her DJ booth, studying the assorted knobs and buttons as if trying to solve a puzzle. A few more sounds rose from the speaker. Fluttershy cocked her head at Vinyl with a bewildered look, which all the animals shared.
“Excuse me, Miss Scratch,” Octavia huffed, pointing with her bow at the DJ, “but I was practicing first. You’ll just have to wait your turn.”
Vinyl waved her hooves about, making motions that had Fluttershy’s eyes swirling.
Octavia, on the other hoof, merely shook her head. “My music doesn’t need an accompaniment, and certainly not from that thing.”
The DJ leaned back and set her hooves to her hips with a scowl.
“I have no interest in trying it,” Octavia snapped, her muzzle once again raised. “I am seeking inspiration from nature, not your electronics.”
Fluttershy’s head drooped just a little. “Um, girls? Maybe we should—”
Vinyl slapped a hoof on the booth, which produced a random sound, and waved at Octavia.
With a gasp and a huff, Octavia pointed at the unicorn once again. “I most certainly am not a snob! I merely have my preferred musical taste, which has nothing to do with yours.”
“Umm…” Fluttershy looked between the mares, confusion and worry battling for dominance over her expression. “How do you know what she—”
At another round of gesticulating from Vinyl, Octavia rolled her eyes and set her bow to the strings of her cello once more. “Now you’re just acting like a child. I asked permission first, so I shall be the first to practice.” And with that she returned to her playing.
The situation seemed diffused; Octavia’s strained expression faded quickly and the graceful tones of her music once again brought a sense of serenity to the cottage. Fluttershy relaxed with a grateful sigh and sat back, joining her animal friends as a quiet, calm audience.
Vinyl sulked at her booth with hooves crossed and glowered at the cellist. Then she smirked, slipped on her headphones and got to work. None noticed as she manipulated the machine, occasionally glancing out the window to study the rain.
As soon as Octavia finished her first song, her impromptu audience chittered and chattered quietly in appreciation. Her eyes went wide when she noticed all the animals watching, but her surprise quickly faded to a delighted smile. “Why, thank you. I’m pleased you all enjoyed it.”
“That was lovely, Miss Melody.” Fluttershy clapped her hooves softly and beamed.
“My thanks, dear, but please call me Octavia.” The cellist flicked her mane with a confident grin and set her bow once more. “Shall we have another?”
“Oh, yes, please.” The animals hopped and chirped and hooted their approval. Quietly, of course.
Octavia nodded, took a deep breath, set the bow to the strings…
A deep bass filled the air, followed by a slow melody of electronic sounds. All eyes turned on Vinyl, who was now looking smug over her DJ booth. The beat wasn’t fast, though it outpaced Octavia’s earlier song, and had a certain flowing quality to it that many of the animals were already nodding to.
“Oh, I like that,” Fluttershy said. She eyed the booth. “I didn’t know you could make such gentle music, Vinyl.”
Vinyl’s shrugged, but her cocky smile hadn’t faded.
Hmmph.
All eyes turned to Octavia, who was casting a frown Vinyl’s way. “I’ll admit, it’s not bad. Even so, you are still going out of turn. I demand you cease this at once and let me finish.”
The DJ crossed her hooves and leaned against the wall behind her with a wry smile, her music going uninterrupted.
The two mares stared at one another. The air abruptly felt much thicker. Fluttershy could have sworn she saw ice shooting from Octavia’s eyes, and shrank away from the intensity radiating from the pony.
There was a long, intense pause.
“Umm… girls?”
Octavia abruptly began to play, her bow flying across the strings in a sudden and powerful melody. Almost immediately, Vinyl’s hooves danced across her booth, turning knobs and changing tunes. The music shifted back and forth between them, almost as if they were taking turns trying to outdo one another.
“G-girls!” Fluttershy stood and waved at them. “Please, there’s no need for… umm… whatever this is.”
Neither answered. Octavia increased her tempo, her entire body shifting to the new tune. Vinyl answered by adding some new sounds to her repertoire and making the melody more complex.
Fluttershy’s worried eyes went to the door to her study. She flew up and between the competing musicians. “Please, you can’t be so loud! You’ll wake—” The volume rose and an audio wave knocked her out of the air. She fell on her side in the couch and sat up, eyes swirling. “O-or you can keep on, if th-that’s what you want.” She promptly buried her head under the cushions and trembled.
Octavia’s hooves were flying. Vinyl’s blurred. Though they continued to glare daggers at one another, smiles began to form on the mares’ lips. The music grew louder, harsher, stronger, the melodies crashing over one another in a determined war for dominance. Neither mare gave any ground, their smiles growing into manic grins as they—
The door slammed open with a crash, and there was Harry the Bear. He emitted a roar so loud it completely drowned out the music. In a blink, Octavia and Vinyl were hugging one another in the far corner of the room. They shook like leaves as the beast stomped towards them, fangs glistening and growls coming unchecked from his throat. He loomed over them, rearing up and displaying fierce-looking claws.
“Stop right there!”
Fluttershy hovered before Harry, hooves on her hips and brow furrowed. The bear paused to blink at this new obstacle, and as soon as he recognized her he lowered his paws.
“I know you’re upset they interrupted your sleep,” Fluttershy said while leveling a firm look Harry’s way, “but that’s no excuse for shouting and acting like a cub!”
Harry rubbed his arm and looked at the floor with a guilty expression. Neither he nor Fluttershy heard the twin thunks of Octavia’s and Vinyl’s jaws hitting the floor.
“Now, they’re very sorry for waking you, and they promise they won’t do it again. Isn’t that right, girls?”
“Oh, y-yes.” Octavia waved a hoof with a wan smile and weak giggle. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Vinyl nodded so frantically her glasses bounced on her muzzle.
“Now come along, let’s head back to the study.” Fluttershy scratched behind Harry’s ear, prompting him to loll his tongue out with a dopey smile. He followed her to the door without so much as a backward glance at the two ponies cowering in the corner.
Octavia and Vinyl watched them go into the other room. “That was incredible,” Octavia whispered. Vinyl nodded. They shared wide-eyed looks, then looked down in unison; they were still holding one another in death grips. They promptly separated and exchanged matching glares.
“Sorry about that, girls,” Fluttershy said as she came in. “Harry’s just a little cranky since he didn’t get much sleep in the past week.” She blinked at the sight of Octavia staring out a window and Vinyl sitting on the couch, each determinedly not looking at the other. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, just fine,” Octavia managed through gritted teeth. “Right, Miss Scratch?”
Vinyl gave a single curt nod.
Fluttershy’s ears folded back and she lowered her head. “Oh, um… That’s good, then.”
“Oh, Angel, I just don’t know what to do.”
Fluttershy sat on her bed and watched the storm rage from her window. The world outside had become considerably darker, presumably due to the onset of night. Angel Bunny stood beside her, his crossed arms complimenting his typical sour expression.
“When Octavia said she might be renting Vinyl’s extra room, I thought we’d have a new friend in Ponyville. Now it looks like the two won’t survive even a single night together.” With a sigh, Fluttershy turned and flopped onto her barrel. “I want to help them be friends. Isn’t that what an Element Bearer is supposed to do?”
Angel hopped to stand beside her face and made a few wild gestures.
“It’s not that easy. You should have seen them! They annoyed one another while feeding the animals, got into a music… umm… ‘battle’ that woke Harry up, fought over who got to take a bath first and spent the entire evening just being rotten to one another!”
She reached over to stroke Angel, who fought to hold back his smile and maintain his authoritative pose. The tap of his foot on the covers gave him away, though. “At this rate, Octavia may go back to Canterlot. Why, she might think all of Ponyville’s bad! I know Vinyl’s a good pony, and I suspect Octavia is too, but how to get them to see it?”
The rabbit had lost all pretense, smiling giddily at her continued petting. Then, suddenly, he snapped out of it and knocked her hoof away. He made a few squeaky sounds and lifted her chin, leveling her with a harsh look.
“Oh, no.” She sat up and hid behind her mane. “I’m not at all forceful enough for something like that.”
Angel stomped a few times and waved his paws in the air.
“Th-that’s more likely to make them even angrier! I can’t have that, I need to be a good host.” Fluttershy raised her head, sucked in a long breath and attained a firm expression. “I just need to give this time, keep working with them. I’m sure that they’ll come to see the good in one another! I just need to be patient, that’s all.”
She hopped from the bed, her smile back in full force. She patted Angel on the head and ignored his skeptical frown. “Don’t worry, Angel, everything will work out just fine.” She left her room and headed downstairs, the little white furball following close behind. “Why, I bet they’re already learning the great potential they have to be close friends.”
Stepping off the bottom step felt almost like stepping into a freezer. Fluttershy paused, ears going flat against her skull. Octavia sat on the couch pretending to read a book, but her eyes were aimed at the other side of the room. There, pretending to stare out the window with her headphones on, was Vinyl. There was such intensity in the air between them that Fluttershy promptly backed up the stairwell with head low.
“Or not.”
Fluttershy stood at the door to the kitchen, noting the continued silence between her guests. She chewed her lip before speaking. “S-so, who wants dinner?”
Octavia looked up from her book. “I suppose I am starting to feel a bit peckish.” She set the novel aside and stood, stretching as Vinyl turned to Fluttershy with a smile.
The two ponies started to follow their host into the kitchen, but paused when they both reached the door at the same time. They shared scowls, but then glanced inside. With a look of determination, Octavia stepped back and waved for Vinyl to go first.
Instead, Vinyl mimicked the motion, a strained smile on her lips.
There was a moment’s pause as they stared at one another. They both stepped at the same time, nearly walking into one another. Another pause, then they started to sway as each tried to figure out who would go first. When they almost banged heads again, Octavia leaned in close and spoke through clenched teeth. “Remember our agreement; we have to be good guests and tolerate one another for the rest of the night.”
Vinyl merely sneered.
“Is everything okay, you two?”
The pair stood at attention and shot Fluttershy smiles far too wide for their faces. Though standing at the opposite side of the kitchen, Fluttershy still leaned back warily at their expressions. “Oh, uh, g-good.” She turned quickly back to the counter, where she was cutting up some lettuce.
No sooner was her back turned than Vinyl shoved her way past Octavia and entered the kitchen, earning a seething look at the back of her head. She walked up to the counter to examine Fluttershy’s work, then patted herself on the chest. This earned her a questioning look.
Octavia stood just behind them. “You want to help cook? This should be quite the sight.”
“Of course you can help.” Fluttershy regained a bit of her earlier energy and pointed to one of the cabinets. “The bread’s in there. I was going to make sandwiches, that is, if that’s alright with you.”
“Sandwiches sound lovely.”
Octavia watched as Vinyl levitated a loaf of bread from a top shelf and took a knife proffered by Fluttershy. Her first slice was thinner than the second, and the third as big as both of them put together. With a roll of her eyes, Octavia stepped up beside her. “You really don’t know what you’re doing, do you?”
Vinyl frowned, finished off one last slice and offered the knife. Octavia took it and the bread and then, with great care, cut two perfectly equal slices for herself. “How many will you want, Fluttershy?”
“One will be fine.” Fluttershy noted her work and smiled. “You’re really good at that.”
Octavia shot Vinyl a smirk as she cut another slice. “I’m a pony of many talents.” Just as she was about to cut again, a magenta spark knocked her hoof, resulting in an angled slice. Octavia gasped, then sulked and finished her cut. Vinyl eyed the ceiling with an innocent expression.
Fluttershy was rummaging through a high cabinet. “Oh dear, it seems I’m out of pepper.” She floated to the kitchen door and shot a smile at her house guests, who immediately offered broad smiles. “I’m going to get some out of the storage closet. Be right back.”
She crossed the cottage to the closet and roamed by shelves containing all sorts of backup items, mostly supplies for taking care of the animals. She began looking through the supplies with a critical eye. “Let’s see… I know I bought a pack of those boxes. Now where did I— oh, Angel.”
The rabbit had appeared seemingly from nowhere on a shelf just at her eye level. He waved at the door behind her with a frown.
“It’s not so bad,” Fluttershy said as she continued her search. “They’re working together, that should help them bond a little more. Ah, here it is.” She pulled a box of pepper from a case in the corner. “Besides, I’m only leaving them alone together for a minute or two. How much trouble can they get into in that kind of time?”
Bang!
Both their heads turned at the sound of something falling and a shout. With a whimper, Fluttershy set the box in her mouth and ran for the kitchen. What she saw stopped her in her tracks entirely.
The kitchen looked as though the storm outside had somehow found its way in. Vinyl stood on one side of the room, covered in lettuce, tomato slices and bread. A chair hovered before her, acting as a makeshift shield as more ingredients were lobbed her way. Opposite her, floating condiments surrounded Octavia, who waved her hooves wildly against the assault of ketchup, mayonnaise and other such ingredients.
The box fell out of Fluttershy’s mouth as she gaped. “W-what are you doing?”
“She started it!” Octavia ducked a shot of mustard aimed at her head and tossed a ball of cabbage, which smacked against the bottom of the chair. Vinyl sliced a hoof along her throat and pointed at Octavia.
“Girls, you don’t have to—”
A tomato projectile zipped across the room.
“Th-that’s really not—”
The box of pepper flew at Octavia, making her sneeze violently.
“Please, y-you shouldn’t—”
A jar of jelly smashed against the chair.
“Oh, that looks dangerous…”
A spatula smacked the far wall.
“Stop!”
Fluttershy landed between the two ponies, both of whom were poised for another attack. They stood stock still for a second or two, then slowly dropped to a proper standing position. Vinyl set her chair down and looked at the floor sheepishly. A blob of ketchup rolled off Octavia’s cheek and went splat against the floor, the sound loud in the abruptly quiet cottage.
“Oh my goodness.” Octavia looked around at the state of the kitchen. “This is… I didn’t mean to… I am so sorry!”
After a long, tired breath, Fluttershy nodded. She couldn’t help having a small bite in her tone, though. “I have leftovers in the fridge, we’ll make do with those. Then we’ll clean up this mess and… and call it a night. Okay?”
“Of course. I apologize, I really don’t know what came over me.”
Vinyl nodded emphatically.
“It’s… alright. Just head into the living room and I’ll bring out some salads.”
Her house guests trudged out of the room, heads low and ears tucked. She didn’t miss the brief glower that passed between them at the door. As soon as they were out of sight, she turned back to survey the mess that was her kitchen. Angel hopped over and looked up at her with an ‘I told you so’ frown, a piece of asparagus hanging out of the corner of his mouth.
Fluttershy’s head drooped almost to the floor. “Oh, Angel, I don’t know if I’ll get through the night.”
The three mares trudged out of the freshly cleaned kitchen. They were so sleepy that Octavia and Vinyl weren’t even bothering to bicker, though there was still an almost visible tension between them. Fluttershy eyed the two of them with a combination of fear and weariness, her ears folded back. “Um, th-thanks for helping me with the kitchen, girls.”
“Please, don’t thank us,” Octavia said after a long yawn. “It’s our fault the place was wrecked as it was. You should have let us handle it.” Vinyl nodded her agreement.
“Oh, it’s alright. I didn’t mind.” Fluttershy glanced away and whispered under her breath, “Besides, I had to minimize the damage.”
“What was that?”
“N-nothing!” Fluttershy stifled a long yawn. “Well, I think it’s time we all went to bed.” She paused, considering the two of them, then glanced at the ceiling.
Vinyl shook her head forcefully, and Octavia followed the motion up with, “Don’t even think about it.”
“Think about what?”
“If you think we’re worried about having a bed, you’re wrong.” Octavia waved to the furniture around them. “We’ve got a perfectly good couch, and a chair or two. We’ll make do.”
Fluttershy offered a weak smile. “O-oh, right. I mean, if you’re sure? You two could share the bed, I don’t mind.”
Vinyl waved her hooves in a denying motion and pointed up the stairs.
“For once, I’m in agreement,” Octavia said with a nod. “I’ll just settle for the couch and—”
Moving so fast she was a blur, Vinyl crossed the room and dove onto the couch, promptly taking up as much space as she could with a pleased smile.
Octavia stared at the pony, then grimaced and stomped over to her. “Excuse me, but if you’d have permitted me to finish—”
Vinyl rolled over so her back was to Octavia and set her headphones to her ears.
“Why you… you impertinent…” With a snarl, Octavia grabbed a mouthful of blue tail and gave the kind of tug only an earth pony could manage. Vinyl promptly fell off the couch, legs splayed and glasses akimbo.
“At the very least, you could try negotiating with me over the couch!”
Vinyl jumped up to press her muzzle to Octavia’s.
“Don’t you give me that look.” Octavia pushed her back. “I have been working hard to put up with your… your… uncouth manner, and I’m at my wits’ end!”
The DJ sat back, crossed her hooves and shook her head. She patted her chest and waved a hoof at the ceiling.
Octavia balked. “What? You most certainly have not! Everything you’ve done has been designed to get on my nerves.”
Vinyl thrust a hoof in her face.
“Of course not!” Octavia flicked her mane and raised her muzzle high. “I am a above such petty things. Why would I antagonize you?”
More wild hoof-waving, then Vinyl pointed at herself. Her final gesture was aimed at the kitchen.
“Well it’s hardly my fault, and might I remind you that you were throwing things around just as much as I was?”
Vinyl’s lips curled back, teeth gritted. She pounded her hooves together and raised them high.
Octavia gasped. “Y-you take that back!”
A shake of the head.
Octavia stomped and pressed her muzzle against Vinyl’s. “I don’t care how cheap it is, there’s no way I could possibly stay in the same home as you! You’re arrogant, stubborn, inconsiderate, and your choice of music stinks.”
Vinyl’s jaw dropped, but only for a moment. She shoved Octavia back and struck an exaggeratedly haughty pose, muzzle turned high.
“I told you, I am most certainly not a snob!”
The taunting continued, Vinyl taking a moment to mime playing the cello before covering her ears with a grimace.
Another gasp burst from Octavia. “The music I play was created and appraised by history’s greats. How dare you insult centuries of acoustic legacy! I have half a mind to buck you back out into the storm and let you take your chances.”
Vinyl bounced back to sit on the couch and stuck out her tongue, then waved a hoof to Octavia’s side.
Octavia nodded firmly. “You’re right, we should let…” Her words died on her lips as she looked behind her to find the room empty. “Miss Fluttershy?”
She turned a circle, but the pegasus was nowhere to be seen. She found Vinyl standing beside her, and the two shared a concerned look. “Oh, dear. Where did she go?”
The two quickly began to search. Octavia disappeared in the kitchen, Vinyl went to the storage closet. They circled the entire first floor of the cottage and found no sign of their host. Vinyl even risked the storm to check outside around the chicken coop, but upon returning she shook her head.
“Oh… you don’t think we took things too far, do you?” Octavia looked towards the stairs, biting her lip.
Vinyl shook off the rainwater and, her ears folded back, nodded and pointed at the stairwell.
“Well, I didn’t want to. It’s her room, after all, and there’s privacy to consider.”
Vinyl nodded. She gestured to Octavia, then to herself, then knocked her hooves together lightly.
Octavia heaved a sigh. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. Together, then?”
The two tread the stairs, Vinyl taking the lead. At the top they found the door to Fluttershy’s room ajar. Octavia knocked on the door, which swung open with a creak of hinges. “F-Fluttershy? Dear? Are you in there?”
No answer came. After a shared look of worry, Vinyl led the way into the room. They found it empty. The two walked to opposite sides of the bed, Octavia even bothering to check under it, but there was no sign of Fluttershy. When she turned back to Vinyl, the unicorn offered only a shrug.
Angel hopped onto the bed and waved his paws at Vinyl, who cocked her head. Octavia stared as the two of them performed a wide range of motions; paw thrusts, nods, shrugs, limb waving and a few things defying description. Her eyes began to roll about as the two conversed. “I can’t keep up…” She fell to her haunches and shook her head forcefully. “Where did you learn to speak rabbit?”
Vinyl’s horn shined and she produced a small badge from… somewhere. She floated it over to Octavia, who read the stitched wording. “Filly Scouts Junior Nature Guide? You were a filly scout?”
The badge disappeared… somewhere, and Vinyl nodded. She set a hoof to her lips.
“I get it,” Octavia replied as she regained her hoofing and stood. “A reputation to keep, right?” She glanced at Angel, who was tapping his foot at them. “So what did he say?”
A hoof at the rabbit, then a hoof at a closet door. The two ponies pressed their ears to the wood and were rewarded with the sound of whimpering. They shared a distressed glance and stepped back.
“Fluttershy? Are you in there?” Only more quiet crying. “Please, we’re sorry we got into another fight.”
Seconds passed, but Fluttershy didn’t respond. Octavia sat and covered her face in her hooves with a groan. “What have we done? How could I have let myself get that carried away?”
She felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked up to see Vinyl offering a sad frown. The unicorn shook her head and gestured to herself.
“No, don’t say that,” Octavia replied with head bowed. “I should have been more tolerant. I can’t believe I permitted myself to get so worked up over such small things. It was so very improper.”
Vinyl mimicked her sagging form and waved to herself. She pounded her hoof to the floor a few times, pointed at Octavia with a grim frown, then leaned back to offer a shrug and a shake of the head.
Octavia huffed a weak chuckle. “Yes, I suppose we were both rather foolish, weren’t we?”
After a slow nod, Vinyl pointed to the closet.
“You’re right. Fluttershy’s been nothing but kind and patient.” Octavia snorted and turned her face away. “And all we ever did was bicker and take advantage of it. I guess we don’t make much in the way of house guests, do we?”
Vinyl touched Octavia’s leg, then smiled and offered her hoof.
Octavia returned the smile. “Yes, I think starting over is a great idea.” She pressed her hoof to Vinyl’s, then gasped as the DJ wrapped her in an abrupt hug. For a moment she just stared at the wall, but then her smile returned and she hugged Vinyl back.
Once they separated, they turned back to the closet. The crying had stopped. Vinyl shot Octavia a raised eyebrow and knocked on the door. There came a short wait, but then the door opened and Fluttershy stepped out with head hanging low and a teddy bear in hoof. Her face was damp and her eyes bloodshot as she looked up at them from behind half her mane.
The house guests gave one another solemn looks, nodded, then stepped a little closer together. “Fluttershy,” Octavia began, “we’d like to apologize. Really apologize this time. We’ve both been acting like spoiled fillies.”
Vinyl nodded, face half-turned away.
Fluttershy sat and rubbed her eyes with one hoof, the other still clutching the teddy bear to her chest. “I-it’s okay…”
Vinyl stepped up to set a hoof to her shoulder. The DJ shook her head and looked to Octavia.
“It’s not okay at all,” Octavia said. “We caused you all kinds of trouble you didn’t deserve. Other ponies would have kicked us out by now and been justified in doing so.”
“But I couldn’t possibly do that.” Fluttershy glanced towards the window, body still low. “I m-mean, it would just be mean to leave you out there in the storm.” She flinched when Vinyl stomped, the DJ pointing at herself then making a wide, cutting motion with both legs. “Umm…”
“I agree,” Octavia said. “Storm or no storm, I wouldn’t have tolerated having guests behave in such an uncouth manner. Why, I’m almost tempted to vacate the premises on my own for what I’ve done.”
“Oh no, please don’t!” Fluttershy finally stood to her full height, grabbing Vinyl by the shoulders and looking her in the eyes with an imploring gaze. “The storm’s dangerous, and neither of you have anywhere else to go.” She turned to Octavia. “I wouldn’t want you to punish yourself like that. Besides, you’ve both decided to be more tolerant of one another, right?”
Octavia and Vinyl gave one another thoughtful looks, then nodded.
Fluttershy beamed. “Then you’ve learned to be friends! I think that makes all the trouble worth it.”
“Friends?” Octavia blinked, then flinched as Vinyl wrapped her in a tight, one-legged hug. She sighed and smiled. “Oh, fine, we’re friends.”
“This is wonderful!” Fluttershy clapped her hooves. “Just wait until I tell Twilight about this! Maybe she’ll want to send a letter to the princess.”
Octavia blinked and cast a questioning look Vinyl’s way.
“Who’s Twilight?”
The morning sun peeked through the hole Rainbow made in the clouds, streaming a plethora of colors to the world below through her multi-hued wake. She flew an arcing path for Fluttershy’s cottage, concern plastered on her wind-streaked face. Her passage scattered the dew on the trees, which smattered the moist earth with cool droplets.
Fluttershy’s cottage looked no different from usual, save perhaps for the bear lounging on his belly in the garden out back. Rainbow landed at the bridge nearby and took in the sight, lips pursed. “Well, everything looks normal.” She trotted up to the front door, ears swiveling forward to the sound of music. It was a soft but lively stream of synthetic sounds, coming out muffled from the windows and doors. Lacing through it was a slightly louder cello.
Cocking her head, Rainbow rapped on the door. “Fluttershy? You in there?”
The door opened, revealing the beaming face of her yellow friend. “Good morning, Rainbow! How are you?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Rainbow leaned sideways to look over Fluttershy’s shoulder. Octavia and Vinyl were set close together, each playing along with the others music. Rainbow rubbed her eyes. “Are those two playing together?”
“They’ve been experimenting all morning.” Fluttershy led her inside and smiled at her house guests. “They finally found a way to sync their styles. Isn’t it great?”
Rainbow listened, her ear flicking to the beat, then nodded. “Yeah, they actually sound pretty good.” She glanced around the cottage. “So… no problems last night? They didn’t cause any trouble?”
“Oh, there was some at first, but they’ve learned to put aside one another’s differences.”
The music stopped and the two musicians turned to the door. “Oh, good morning, Miss Dash,” Octavia said with a friendly wave. “Come to make sure we didn’t walk all over your friend?”
“Noooo…” Rainbow crossed one leg over the other and glanced at the ceiling.
Vinyl leaned over her turntable and pressed a hoof to her cheek.
Octavia shrugged. “Can you blame her? We did behave pretty poorly at first.”
Sitting up, Vinyl frowned and pointed at the couch.
“Excuse me? I believe you are the one who started that mess, and need I remind you of the food fight?”
Rainbow blinked, then glanced at the giggling Fluttershy. “Food fight?”
Vinyl turned her hoof to a nearby doorway, then at her turntable.
Octavia flinched and blushed. “Okay, yes, I suppose I did overreact a little.”
The frown slipped to an understanding smile as Vinyl waved dismissively.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Rainbow jumped to a hover to better examine them. “You two are like totally different mares.”
“They just came to understand one another a little better, that’s all.” Fluttershy stood between the two ponies and smiled up at Rainbow. “Once they learned to accept their differences, they got along like old friends. Octavia’s even decided to move in with Vinyl.”
“Wow.” Rainbow landed before them and shook her head. “Fluttershy, you’re awesome. After how they argued so much yesterday when I left, I didn’t think even Twilight would be able to get them to see eye-to-eye.”
Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her mane. “Oh, I didn’t do anything, really.” She flinched and looked up when Vinyl set a hoof to her shoulder.
“Don’t be modest,” Octavia said with a flourish of her bow. “You put up with quite a lot, and we are very appreciative.”
“W-well, if you say so.”
“Well, that’s great then.” Rainbow looked to Vinyl. “Because I went to see Crafty Crate this morning and explain the situation about your place. He said he can have it fixed up in a few days.” Her eyes turned to Fluttershy. “I hope you can put up with these two for a little bit longer.”
Fluttershy beamed. “It would be my pleasure. You two are welcome to stay as long as you need.”
“Delightful!” Octavia set her bow down and turned to the others. “Well, how about some tea? I have a special blend from a favorite Canterlot shop in my case.”
Vinyl shook her head and indicated something small with her hooves, to which Rainbow and Fluttershy shared a questioning look.
Octavia, on the other hoof, reared her head back and stuck her tongue out. “Soda? That’s terribly unhealthy for you, Vinyl.” Vinyl set hooves to her hips and smirked, prompting Octavia to sigh and smile. “Oh, very well, if that’s what you want. Tea for Fluttershy and me, soda for you. And Miss Dash?”
Rainbow hopped to Vinyl’s side with a grin. “Soda’s good for me! Unless Fluttershy’s got some cider lying around?”
At her hopeful look, Fluttershy giggled and shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t keep any like you do.”
“Drat.” Rainbow kicked the floor. “Alright, soda it is.”
“Come on, we’ll have a nice picnic in the garden.”
As Fluttershy led them out, the room went quiet. Everything about the cottage was as it should be. The only new addition was the DJ booth in the middle of the room and the cello at its side.