Octavia's eyes shot open. She yawned as she prepared for a new day, the sun peaking above the horizon welcomed her back to reality.
"I suppose today's the day I visit Vinyl and Acoustic in Ponyville. I must get ready," she muttered to herself as she reached for her favorite bow tie.
She combed her mane so that her bedhead laid down. Afterwards, she went and grabbed her cello case and her saddlebag, then trotted towards the door.
"Gonna be good to see my friends again. I just hope Vinyl at least tries to settle down with the 'wubs', as she calls them," she said aloud to nopony in particular.
As she exited her home, the charcoal grey mare with a black mane and tail took a moment to look around at the busy morning life of Canterlot. Ponies were headed to and fro, some on the way to eat breakfast, others galloping to their respective workplaces because they were running late. Not Octavia, however. She chose this day to visit Ponyville because it was clear on her schedule.
After greeting the ponies in the streets, Octavia began her trek towards Ponyville. It would be a rather long trot, so she hoped like Tartarus that her friends weren't busy. As she trotted, she passed several ponies in the streets, some were young parents carrying foals, others travelling alone, there were also elderly couples touching muzzles as they trotted. It was an interesting sight to see the diversity Equestria had within its borders.
After roughly an hour of trotting, Octavia heard the sound of a whistle blaring in the distance.
I knew I should've taken the train. But the scenery is beautiful. I guess it's fun to take the road less traveled, the mare thought.
She stopped long enough to watch it disappear around a bend, then kept going. She couldn't have been too far from Ponyville, right? Well, she was.
"I don't remember it taking this long to get to Ponyville, I always thought it was just down the mountain," Octavia sighed.
A stallion began to speak to her, and the voice startled Octavia.
"Hi, could you give me directions to Canterlot? A friend of mine moved there, but he never gave me directions," the stallion explained.
"Well, just keep taking this road, you'll see a huge mountain. I know I sound like a smartyhooves, but I'm being serious. You can't miss it," Octavia explained.
"Uh...okay. Thanks," the stallion trotted away, following the path Octavia had pointed him down.
Well, that was awkward, Octavia thought, and she continued trotting.
She could see an orchard in the distance. Apple trees stretched as far as the eye could see. It seemed as if they were racing each other to see who would make it to the horizon first. A giant wooden sign with an apple carved into it could be seen.
An orange mare with a large brown hat was talking to a tall red stallion with an orange mane. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. Near them were three fillies. One was a greenish yellow with a red mane and a large bow tied to her head,the second was orange with a purple mane, she was riding what seemed to be a scooter, and the third was white with a lavender and pink striped mane.
"I guess this must be Ponyville," Octavia smiled. She had finally made it to her destination. She began to explore the town. Ponyville was a lot larger than she had initially imagined.
The mare walked towards a large gingerbread-house-combined-with-a-cupcake-shaped building. It seemed to be very crowded, as if the entire town stopped by the bakery. A brightly painted yellow sign with a pink cupcake hung from a bar extending like an arm from the side of the building.
Well, I didn't eat breakfast, so I guess I can eat here, Octavia thought. Before she took another step, a bright pink mare with a frizzy, darker pink mane blocked the path in front of her.
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" she asked, hopping around Octavia like a bunny as she spoke.
"Well, I think I remember you interrupting our Classical number for your, um, 'Polka' music. I was quite angered by that," Octavia replied with a slight scowl.
"Oh, so THAT'S where I know you from!" the flamboyant pink mare laughed. Octavia turned to trot away, she was more concerned about visiting her friends than eating. Besides, she never really liked this mysterious pink mare anyway. Especially after what she did at the Gala.
"WAIT! Where are you going? Aren't you hungry? You were headed towards Sugarcube Corner, right?" the mare was rather persistent with her questions. Octavia turned back to face the pink mare.
"I'm on my way to visit my friends, I am a little hungry because I didn't eat breakfast, I was headed there until you spoke to me. Now, if you'll PLEASE leave me alone, that would be very much appreciated," Octavia felt slightly guilty for snapping at the other mare. But she also felt she deserved to put her in her place.
The pink mare frowned for the first time in she didn't know how long.
"You mean you don't want to be my friend?" she asked.
"I never said anything of the sort. I just said I was hungry and wanted to see my friends. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going to get some sort of muffin or something," Octavia retorted and she entered Sugarcube Corner. An orange stallion was standing behind the counter, giving another pony a cupcake. Across the room, a blue mare was putting a batch of muffins into the oven.
"Hey there. Welcome to Sugarcube Corner. My name's Carrot Cake. What would you like?" the orange stallion introduced himself as Octavia approached the counter.
"Oh, just a muffin would be fine. Blueberry, preferably," she replied.
"Okay, coming right up," Carrot Cake turned around and spoke to the blue mare, who Octavia assumed was his wife. She nodded and trotted over to a burlap sack labelled 'BLUEBERRY MUFFINS'. She took two out and went to the counter.
"That'll be one bit. We're having a buy one, get one free special on muffins of any flavor today. So you can have another one," she smiled.
Octavia fished into her saddlebag for a bit and paid it, she took one of the muffins and put the other in her bag.
"Thank you," she said to the Cakes as she made her way towards the exit.
"Anytime," Mrs. Cake replied and she went to take the next order.
Octavia had finished the first muffin, and she decided to save the other one for later, rather than eating both of them.
"Well, I ate breakfast. Now to find my friends in this little maze of a town," Octavia said to herself.
Octavia had all but given up searching for her friends when a familiar muffin-brown stallion with a medium blue mane and tail trotted out of a house, carrying his guitar case and his saddlebag. He seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere.
Octavia contemplated whether or not she should speak to him, but to her surprise, he spoke first.
"Octavia! Hi, it's great to see you. It's been a long time," he greeted his old friend with a smile.
"Well, if it isn't Acoustic Pulse. Good to see you too, my friend," she grinned back.
"How's Canterlot been doing?" Acoustic asked, sounding mildly concerned.
"Oh, it's fine. Things have been a lot better since the Changelings War," Octavia answered.
"Good, glad I could be of service. Being that I was born there, I couldn't just sit idly by as my hometown got invaded," Acoustic rambled.
"Well, I'm just sorry your father didn't make it out with you. He was a brave stallion," Octavia sighed.
Acoustic stared off into space, lost in thought. Octavia had triggered a flashback, which tends to happen often.
"ATTACK, MY FRIENDS! LET'S FINISH THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Acoustic shouted in an attempt to motivate his dwindling force.
"Acoustic! What are you doing?" his dad asked after a loud cheer from the Company (force of 100 stallions).
"Something I should've done 6 months ago," he replied, looking up at Queen Chrysalis, leader of the Changeling Army.
"Remember. We're in this together. Let's get her!" Acoustic's father shouted.
"Let's roll," Acoustic rushed at the Changeling Queen.
That was the last conversation Acoustic Pulse would have with his father, Electric Pulse. Queen Chrysalis killed him in that fight. Acoustic avenged his death by decapitating Chrysalis.
Octavia stared, bewildered at her friend. She was confused as to why he had frozen in place. It kind of worried her, she decided to try and talk to him some more.
"Acoustic, are you okay?" she asked.
Acoustic blinked and looked over at Octavia. He acted surprised as if he'd forgotten she was even there.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking," he replied.
"What were you thinking about?" Octavia retorted with another question.
"I-I don't wanna talk about it," Acoustic shot her question down.
"So, how's Ponyville?" Octavia changed the subject.
"Fine. Quiet. Peaceful," Acoustic's short responses kind of irked Octavia. She thought her friend would be more excited to see her.
"If you didn't want to speak to me, you could've just said so," she grumbled.
"When did I ever say that?" Acoustic answered with a question, raising an eyebrow.
"You didn't, just your behavior," Octavia replied.
"Look, I just don't want to talk about my past. Please don't try and force me to," Acoustic answered.
"Oh, I'm sorry... perhaps I've been inconsiderate," she concurred.
"It's okay, now what brings you to Ponyville on such short notice?" Acoustic went back to the original topic.
"I wanted to visit you and Vinyl Scratch. I've found you, now I just need to find Vinyl," Octavia said.
"Ah, I see. Well, I know where she's at. Let's congregate at her house then, shall we?" Acoustic offered.
"I would like that, sure," she replied with a smile.
"Alright, I believe it's this way," Acoustic led the way.
Octavia followed closely behind him.
The two friends trotted together towards Vinyl Scratch's house. She is a white mare with a two-toned blue mane and tail. Her cutie mark is a reversed beamed sixteenth note (♬). She wears sunglasses to cover her bright red eyes.
Contrary to Acoustic Pulse's guitar and Octavia Melody's cello, Vinyl Scratch is a DJ, her stage name is PON-3, and she is mainly the go-to-mare for party music. Her primary genre is Electronic Dance, but she's popular for her Dubstep as well. Acoustic Pulse is a solo musician, playing Acoustic and Electric guitars.
Octavia's parties are more formal. She plays classical music, and she's a very serious mare. Acoustic is laidback at times, but being a war veteran, his mood can change quickly. He can be laughing and cracking jokes one minute to completely shell shocked in a matter of seconds. Vinyl is just the party mare of the group, she's much friendlier and outgoing than her friends. She pretty much had to be, it was her job to entertain.
Many mares and stallions wonder how the three friends get along, given their contrasting personalities. They often ask questions like:
"How do a war veteran, a DJ, and a classical musician get along so well?" or "How do ponies which such contrasting tastes in music settle their differences?".
The group's answers are always the same:
"True friends settle differences and support one another, regardless of who they are. They accept each other and respect each other. Love and tolerance are good things, but acceptance is a whole 'nother ball game."
"Okay, we're here. This is Vinyl Scratch's house," Acoustic pointed to a recording studio at the edge of Ponyville.
"Now, how did I miss that coming into town?" Octavia laughed.
"Well, you entered on the opposite side of town, I think. Not sure," Acoustic shrugged.
"Looking forward to seeing her again. Going to be great to get the band back together, so to speak," Octavia smiled.
Acoustic and Octavia trotted up the front porch and knocked on Vinyl's front door. They waited for her to answer.
"JUST A SECOND!" she called from inside.
"Take your time, no rush!" Acoustic laughed.
Octavia smiled, shaking her head. The two of them climbed the steps. They got tired of standing.
Acoustic and Octavia sat in chairs on the front porch, waiting for Vinyl to come to the door. After roughly a minute or so, Vinyl came out. She couldn't believe who she saw sitting on her front porch.
"OCTY?! AP?! YO, IT'S GREAT TO SEE Y'ALL! It's been forever! I really wasn't sure if we'd ever get the band back together. THIS IS AWESOME!" she shouted over her obnoxiously loud music, greeting them by their nicknames.
"Yeah, it's been a while, bud'. How's the whole DJ business?" Acoustic asked.
Vinyl paused for a moment, went back inside to turn off her music, and came back outside.
"I'm sorry, one more time? Kinda missed that," Vinyl said.
Acoustic sighed and repeated himself, "I said: Yeah, it's been a while. How's the DJ business?"
"Great! I love every minute of it. Wouldn't trade it for all of Equestria," Vinyl laughed.
Octavia looked up at the studio and back at Vinyl, "Do you and Acoustic record together sometimes?"
"Are you kidding me?! He hates EDM and Dubstep. AP set up his own in a spare room at his house," Vinyl replied.
"Oh, wow. And how's that?" Octavia asked.
"Fine. I'm not signed with a label though, music should be a hobby, not a tool for money," Acoustic answered.
"You've always been a weird guy, AP," Vinyl chuckled.
"My parents didn't sign with labels either, they could've had millions of bits, but chose not to. I chose to do the same," Acoustic retorted.
"I'm sorry they're gone," Vinyl sighed, looking down at her hooves.
"His parents were always nice to my family. Any problem we had, they were the first to come and help us out," Octavia smiled.
"My mother was my true inspiration. Nothing that ever went wrong could bring her down. She was an unstoppable force and the immovable object," Acoustic said.
"What about your dad? Wasn't he your role model?" Vinyl asked.
"Of course he was. My mom inspired me to do what nopony else in her family ever did, which was finish school," he answered matter-of-factly.
"I never knew that, your mother was so intelligent, what made her drop out?" Octavia asked.
Acoustic was quiet for a moment, as if he was guilty.
"I was. She dropped out because she was pregnant with me," he finally spoke up.
"What about your dad?" Vinyl asked.
"He had just gotten his Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Canterlot University. My mother was a freshmare there. She never got her Associate's in Music," Acoustic explained.
"And what about you? What'd you major in?" Octavia asked him.
"I have a PhD in Meteorology, the study of weather," Acoustic answered.
"So, you're Dr. Acoustic Pulse?" Vinyl was surprised by that.
"Yeah, but not a Medical Doctor. I have a Doctorate Degree though. So they address me as Doctor Acoustic Pulse, PhD," he explained.
"Well, you are a Pegasus, after all. I expected that kind of thing from you," Octavia laughed.
"Yeah, but I've always been fascinated by the weather. I have all the qualifications to teach Atmospheric Science at any University in Equestria, but I don't want to do that. I've had enough school for one lifetime," Acoustic joked.
"You make a valid point there, buddy," Vinyl concurred.
"Getting rather bored, what would you two like to do now?" Octavia yawned.
"Well, it's around lunchtime, let's go out to eat somewhere," Vinyl offered.
"Sounds good to me. I haven't eaten anything today," Acoustic agreed.
"Alright, let's go get some Apple Pie from the Orchard," Octavia looked over towards the trees across town.
"That's a great idea! It'll give you a chance to meet my friend, Applejack," Acoustic smiled.
"Applejack? Is she that orange mare with the blonde mane and big hat?" she replied.
"Yeppers," Acoustic confirmed.
And so, the trio trotted towards Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack lived and worked with her family.
"I think you two will respect Applejack just as much as I do. She's an honest, hard-working mare. Got a bigger work ethic than even the strongest of stallions. Shoot, I bet she's even stronger than them," Acoustic joked.
"She seems nice. You make a lot of her, does she happen to be your significant other?" Octavia asked.
"No, but she's a darned good friend of mine," Acoustic answered.
"Well, I look forward to meeting her, I think I might've seen her at the Gala before," Octavia retorted, thinking back to the past Galas.
"You probably have, I was there with them," Vinyl laughed.
"Why didn't you go last year?" Octavia asked.
"Something came up, I was definitely planning on going, believe me," Vinyl sighed.
"Well, that's where I met Acoustic again for the first time in ages, now the gang's all here," Octavia smiled.
"Not everypony," Acoustic retorted.
"Oh, right, your friends aren't here. How've they been?" Octavia inquired.
"They've been great. Rainbow Dash is moving up in Rank for the Wonderbolt Reserves, as is Lightning Strike. Twilight's just being Twilight, and Pinkie Pie is the same happy-go-lucky mare she always has been," Acoustic laughed.
"What about Rarity?" Vinyl laughed.
"We don't associate much anymore, but business is doing well at her boutique," Acoustic replied.
"Ah, I see. So, what happened between the two of you?" Octavia asked curiously.
"Well, it's a long story. You see, what happened was, I walked in to say 'Hi' like I normally do. Something had happened, I don't know what, but she had begun accusing me of stealing the fabric she uses to make her clothing. I was confused because what would I need with her cloth? Come to find out, it was somepony else she knew, and she never apologized for her actions, and I simply don't want anything to do with her, so yeah. But I'm glad business is doing well. It's good for the local economy," Acoustic explained.
"Ha, classic Rarity," Vinyl scoffed.
"Yeah, but don't worry about it," Acoustic chuckled.
Octavia had a rather strange look on her face, as if something had made her extremely cross. She turned and galloped off towards Carousel Boutique.
"Octy, where are you going?" Vinyl asked as she zoomed by.
"To rectify the situation," Octavia replied and galloped on, Acoustic and Vinyl following closely behind.
"What about AJ? We were going to visit her," Acoustic wondered.
"Change of plans, I guess," Vinyl shrugged.
"Yep. Let's settle this little predicament the two of you have yourselves in," Octavia pointed at the Boutique.
The three of them entered Carousel Boutique, the bell dinging as the door opened and closed. A white mare with a curly, purple, mane and tail was sitting at her sewing machine, making new clothing to sell. She stopped on the pink satin dress she was working on, and approached the front door.
"Why, hello, welcome to Carousel Boutique, my name's R---Rarity... okay, what is he doing here?" the white mare introduced herself then questioned why Acoustic was there.
"Hello would've been sufficient," Acoustic scoffed.
"Alright, you two, we just walked in the door and you're at each other's throats already," Octavia sighed.
"All I ask for is an apology, Rarity. You know as well as I do that I didn't steal your fabric," Acoustic said through gritted teeth.
"Is that what this is about?" Rarity scoffed.
"Yes, that's it, then I'll leave," Acoustic assured her.
"Acoustic, you've been avoiding me all this time, I just figured you were the forgive and forget kind of stallion," Rarity clarified.
"Oh, really? What did you eat for breakfast this morning?" Rarity asked mockingly.
"I actually haven't eaten at all today, thank you very much," Acoustic rolled his eyes in frustration. The thought of hitting a mare had never crossed his mind, but Rarity's aloof attitude had him ready to slap her silly.
"Look, I understand you're a busy mare and that you have a job to do. I understand holding grudges like this are rather petty, I just simply ask for an apology, I'll be on my way, and if it suits you, I won't speak to you anymore. Simple as that," Acoustic continued.
"AP, chill out, dude," Vinyl raised an eyebrow at him, she had been silent for most of the time.
"I'm perfectly calm, no hostility. Perhaps I've thought about it, but I won't do anything regrettable," Acoustic chuckled.
"Well, I apologize for falsely accusing you, Acoustic. Take the apology as you wish," Rarity turned and trotted back to the pink satin dress that was left unfinished on her table.
"Apology accepted. I'm sorry too. Have a great day, keep business booming, alright?" Acoustic smiled reassuringly.
"Of course," Rarity smiled back as she added the finishing touches on the pink satin dress.
"Alright, disaster averted, let's go to Sweet Apple Acres," Vinyl urged.
"Mind if I accompany you lot?" Rarity asked.
"Sure you can," Vinyl accepted her offer.
"I don't see anything wrong with it," Octavia added.
"Yeah, that's fine. We were on our way to get some apple pie from Granny Smith. I haven't eaten anything, as I said before," Acoustic agreed to make it a unanimous decision.
"Great! Let's go then, shall we?" Rarity smiled, knowing she and Acoustic were friends again.
And so Octavia, her two friends, and Rarity left the Boutique and began trotting back towards Sweet Apple Acres. She was curious, however, as to why Acoustic hasn't eaten anything today.
"Umm, Acoustic? You got a second?" she asked him.
"Plenty, what's wrong?" Acoustic replied with another question.
"What has stopped you from eating today?" Octavia asked worriedly.
"Been busy as a bee lately. Wonderbolts Reserves with Rainbow and Lightning, helping AJ and Big Mac with the apples, composing my music; The thought of eating hasn't really occurred to me, as funny as it sounds," Acoustic explained.
"Do you feel sick by any chance?" Octavia was getting increasingly worried about her friend.
"Octy, lay off him. Guy said he's been busy, give him a break," Vinyl sighed, raising an eyebrow behind her sunglasses.
"You're right, sorry for acting so intrusive. Just a bit worried is all. Make sure to eat some more. It's unhealthy," Octavia rambled.
"Alright, now stop your worrying," Acoustic chuckled good-naturedly, he was confused however as to why she was so worried.
Rarity, who hasn't spoken the whole time, remained silent and continued trotting with Octavia and her friends. Acoustic looked over in her direction and looked back ahead of him.
"Peaceful, isn't it, bud'?" he smiled.
Rarity looked up at him, "Huh? Oh, uh, yes, yes. It's very peaceful," she stammered.
"Something on your mind there pal?" Vinyl asked.
"No, just enjoying the walk," Rarity lied.
"Are you sure? You seem flustered," Octavia saw through the little white lie.
"No, really, I'm fine," she lied again.
"Octavia, stop. She said she's fine, let it go," Acoustic sighed.
"Sorry, Rarity," Octavia apologized.
"That's quite alright," Rarity replied, then sighed in relief.
Acoustic fell back a little bit so he was beside Rarity. He knew something was up, and wanted to get to the bottom of it.
"Alright, be honest, what's bothering you?" he whispered.
"Guilty conscience. Falsely accusing you like that, that was foolish of me," Rarity replied quietly.
"It's in the past now, no need to dwell on it. Trust me, I know from experience. Thinking about the past brings nothing but pain and sorrow," Acoustic replied.
"So you're not mad at me anymore?" her eyes lit up.
"Of course not, we're square now," he laughed.
"Good, I'm glad. That's the best news I've heard all day," Rarity smiled.
"I'm happy we got this settled. I owe it to Octavia, it was her idea to talk to you and settle our differences," Acoustic revealed.
"It was nothing, I'm happy to be of assistance," Octavia dismissed it.
"Well, look, I certainly appreciate your efforts," Acoustic smiled.
"So, Acoustic, what have you been up to lately?" Rarity asked.
"Been composing music, I'm have a lot of fun with it, but it's time consuming. I spend a lot of time alienating myself in my house," Acoustic laughed.
"Oh, well, I hope that's going well for you," Rarity encouraged.
"Yeah, it is, I'm having a blast making this music," Acoustic confirmed.
"Oh, hey, it looks like we're here," Vinyl said as the quartet of ponies entered Sweet Apple Acres. The other three followed closely behind her. They were all excited.
Three fillies were playing in the yard, the same ones Octavia saw when she first came into town. They seemed to be devising some sort of plan.
Fillies these days, she thought.
Applejack and Big Macintosh were carrying baskets filled to the brim with apples of different shades of red, yellow, and green.
"Howdy, Acoustic, good to see ya," Applejack called when she saw him.
"Hey, bud'," he smiled and waved.
"Oh, hi, Rarity. I see you brought two other guests too. I ain't really familiar with y'all, but I know Vinyl," Applejack laughed.
"Hello, Applejack. This is Vinyl Scratch, and that's Octavia---," Rarity couldn't remember the rest of her name.
"Melody. Octavia Melody, nice to meet you," Octavia said.
"Hey, AJ!" Vinyl waved.
"Hi," she chuckled and waved back.
The tall red stallion approached the others, he hadn't said anything that entire time.
"Alright, some of you know him, some of you may not, but this is Big Macintosh, my older brother," Applejack introduced him.
"Eeyup," he nodded.
"He doesn't talk much, but he's a gentle giant," Acoustic whispered to Octavia.
"I forgot how tall this guy was, he's massive," Vinyl laughed.
Big Mac smiled, "Eeyup."
"Is that all you can say there, Big Mac?" Acoustic joked, hoping he'd catch on.
"Nope," Big Mac laughed, catching on to Acoustic's joke.
"Alright, so what brings y'all to my humble abode here?" Applejack asked.
"We were going to get some Apple Pie from Granny Smith. Sugarcube Corner's is good, but Granny Smith makes it fresh," Acoustic laughed.
"You sound like you haven't eaten all day, AP, you doin' alright?" she retorted with a question.
"I haven't, that's also why I'm here. You're not the first to be concerned over me, but I'm okay, I promise," Acoustic rambled.
"Alright, well c'mon in then," Applejack nodded towards the house and everypony trotted inside.
"Ah, visitors! Howdy, y'all," Granny Smith greeted.
"Hey, Acoustic, can I talk to ya fer a sec?" AJ asked.
"Uhh, sure," he replied, trotting over to her.
"What's gotten into you lately, bud'? You seem sick, you may be able to talk your way out of situations with them, especially Rarity, but not with me. Now, are you gonna explain to me, pardner, or am I gonna have to get Big Mac?" she jokingly threatened.
"Haha, no, that won't be necessary. Alright, I'll tell ya, but I don't really like talking about it," Acoustic agreed to explain.
"I'm listenin'," she beckoned him to continue.
"It's these dreams I keep having, of the siege of Canterlot from a while back. Every time I close my eyes, I see the explosions and hear the screams. It's maddening, I just--- I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't even think straight," Acoustic opened up.
"Sounds rough, I couldn't imagine what that must be like. But trust me, we're all here for you, pal. Don't lock yourself up in your house like that, been hearing ponies around town saying you've already gone mad," Applejack seemed sympathetic of his situation.
Acoustic nodded, "I'm not senile yet."
"What exactly are the dreams about? Would ya mind explaining 'em a little more?" Applejack wasn't a therapist, but she wanted to help her friend.
While Applejack and Acoustic were talking, Octavia and the others were sitting at the dining room table, eating apple pie and fritters.
"Alright, so the dream starts with Chrysalis's second attack. The one I killed her in, and the one my father died in. I look over at a nearby street. Fire as far as the eye can see, the stench of death filling the air. I begin trotting down that street, searching for survivors. I find a house, still standing, but it was burning. A mare was standing outside it crying and screaming bloody murder. I asked her what was wrong... and---," Acoustic paused, lost in thought.
"And what, AP?" Applejack tried to continue the conversation.
"And--- and... her son, a colt, he--- he was dead. He was about Apple Bloom's size. He was so young. Why? Why did they attack mares and foals? WHAT DID THEY EVER DO TO DESERVE THAT?!" Acoustic's voice rose higher and higher as the memory continued to haunt him.
"Acoustic, calm down, bud'. Try and relax, okay? I'm sorry for pushing you like that, and I'm sorry you even had to deal with that in the first place," Applejack was growing increasingly worried.
Everypony eating at the table had stopped and looked at Acoustic. You could hear a pin drop in that room, it was deathly quiet.
"Sorry, I--- bad memories," Acoustic stammered.
"Ah, don't you worry, child. Come sit over here with us," Granny Smith pointed at an empty chair between Octavia and Vinyl.
"Alright," Acoustic took a deep breath and went to sit down.
"You okay, AP? You seem tense," Vinyl asked.
"Yeah, I was talking with Applejack. I got what was bothering me off my chest. Guess I just needed to talk to somepony about it," he replied.
"Well, great!" Octavia added.
"Yes, very good to hear," Rarity smiled.
Granny Smith passed him an Apple Fritter and a slice of pie.
"Eat up, young'un," she commanded. She wouldn't take no for an answer, so Acoustic simply obliged and took a bite.
"Thank you, Granny Smith, it tastes great like always," Acoustic smiled. It'd been a while since he had eaten, and it gave him a sickly feeling.
Everypony had finished. They said goodbye to the Apple Family and made their way back towards downtown Ponyville.
The trek back to downtown was a relatively short trot, only taking a few minutes.
"Well, that was a fun little visit," Octavia smiled.
"Yes, I agree," Rarity added.
"Hanging with AJ's family was pretty cool," Vinyl concurred.
Acoustic smiled and nodded, but remained silent. Octavia raised an eyebrow at this.
"Is there something you're not telling us, AP?" she asked.
Acoustic shook his head, "No, why?"
"Just wondering. You seem awfully quiet," she explained.
"Oh, well, I'm okay. I'm just a little embarrassed about my meltdown earlier," Acoustic retorted.
"Don't be. We're glad you got it off your chest," Vinyl said.
"So am I. That had been a nightmare that's bothered me for a long time," Acoustic smiled again.
"So what was it you spoke to Applejack about, dear?" Rarity heard bits and pieces, but not the entire thing.
"She asked me to be honest with her because she could tell I wasn't being very open about my problems. After the war, I just kind of closed myself into this almost unbreakable shell," Acoustic began.
"So the meltdown, that was you opening up about your problems, right?" Vinyl asked.
"Yes, I told her about this nightmare I had, it really did a number on my already dwindling psyche," Acoustic replied.
"Would you mind explaining it again?" Octavia asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"I don't want to, but I will, since I know you're trying to help me," Acoustic nodded.
"I'm sorry if I seem so intrusive. It's just that we haven't seen each other in ages and this is my attempt at making up for being gone so long," Octavia confessed.
"I respect that. You've always been a great friend," he smiled.
"Now please explain the dream," Rarity cut in, the curiosity getting to her as well.
"Alright, relax. Now the dream starts, I'm in Canterlot. It's under attack by Queen Chrysalis. Everything's burning and in shambles. I take off down a street to evacuate survivors. There's a house still standing, but it's on fire. A mare is outside screaming and crying. I ask her what's wrong and she points to the house. It was her home. I run inside, looking for other survivors, and there's a dead colt, her son was killed. The nightmare haunts me to this day, every time I close my eyes, the cold, lifeless eyes of that colt stare back at me," Acoustic had begun trembling, his voice close to breaking.
"My Celestia, that's terrible," Rarity gasped, staring down at her hooves now.
Octavia was at loss for words. There was a moment of silence before Vinyl speaks up.
"That's rough...I can't imagine how traumatizing that must be," she said sympathetically.
Acoustic nodded, "It's not easy."
"Another question, when I saw you today, you seemed like you were going somewhere. Where exactly?" Octavia asked.
Acoustic's pupils dilated, and he had begun to panic, "OH, NO, I COMPLETELY FORGOT! I was supposed to go to Baltimare. I had to meet a friend there, he owns a restaurant. He asked me to perform there, and I completely forgot. This is awful... he's going to be so disappointed."
"I thought you didn't perform for money," Vinyl raised an eyebrow.
"That's the thing. I offered to perform for free. Although if ponies wanted to donate bits, I'd gladly accept it," Acoustic clarified.
"Oh, goodness, you've gotten yourself into quite a fix," Rarity added.
"I have to leave now. I'll perform at the late night show, I guess. I'll explain everything when I get there. It was nice spending time with everypony. Hope to do it again soon," Acoustic spread his wings and flew off to the North as fast as he could.
Octavia, Vinyl, and Rarity waved goodbye as he disappeared over the horizon.
"Well, now it's Mare's Night Out, I suppose," Rarity chuckled.
"Actually, I have to work on new music too. I was almost done with the mixing for my beat tape when AP and Octy visited this morning," Vinyl replied, not wanting to seem rude.
"Oh, that's quite alright. Best of luck," Rarity smiled.
"Thanks, Rarity," Vinyl smiled and galloped back towards her studio.
"I suppose it's just us now," Rarity turned to Octavia.
Octavia nodded, "It would appear so."
"What shall we do?" Rarity pondered.
"We could go eat dinner," Octavia had begun munching on the other muffin she had packed this morning.
"It would appear you've already started without me," Rarity chuckled.
Octavia shook her head, "Well, I was going to give it to Acoustic, but then we went to Sweet Apple Acres."
"Wasn't that your idea?" Rarity's chuckle had become more of a giggle.
"Yes, it was my idea," Octavia confirmed.
Rarity stopped laughing and nodded, "Oh, right then. Any place you have in mind?"
Octavia pondered for a moment, "I don't know this area very well. I suppose I can just go back to Canterlot and eat at home."
Rarity nodded, "If that's what you want to do, feel free. I was think of going back to the Boutique and starting on a dress made of Black Silk."
"Sounds like it'd be beautiful. Perhaps I'll come back here to buy it when you finish it," Octavia smiled.
"I'll save it for you then, darling. Have a safe trip home," Rarity smiled.
"Thanks, you too, I'll see you soon," she waved before trotting towards the train station, not wanting to make the same mistake twice.
Upon reaching the station, she sees that the next train would be the last on the schedule.
"Just in time, thank Celestia," the grey mare breathed a sigh of relief.
A few minutes go by and the train pulls into the station, the brakes squealing as it came to a stop, steam billowing from the funnel. Octavia was always fascinated by Steam Locomotives.
The conductor leaned his head out the window of the cab, "All aboard!"
Octavia and a myriad of other ponies boarded the train. The passenger car was full by the time everypony had found a seat.
The conductor took everypony's tickets. Octavia realized she didn't buy one and became worried. He had reached her seat.
"Your ticket please, Miss," he said with a smile.
"Sir, I'm terribly sorry, but I forgot to buy one. Is it okay if I give you the bits for the ticket?"
He nodded, "That'll work, yes. No need to panic. It'll be 3 bits."
She fished into her saddlebag, retrieving 3 bits and giving them to the conductor.
"Thank you, miss, enjoy the trip," the conductor smiled again, and moved on to the next passenger.
After he had collected everypony's tickets, he went back to the cab and shouted 'All aboard!' one last time.
Once he was sure that nopony else was coming, he began to move out of the station.
Octavia stared out the window as the mountain came closer and closer into view. She missed Ponyville already, but was happy to be heading home.
It was around midnight when the train pulled into Canterlot Station.
"We're here, everypony. Thank you for choosing Equestria Railways," the conductor open the doors to release passengers.
Octavia exited and trotted toward Canterlot Café. She sat down at an empty booth and began to read the menu.
A mint green mare with a blonde mane and tail approached her table. She was wearing a black apron with the words 'Canterlot Cafe' sprawled across in blue ink.
"Hi, my name's Apple Tarty, and I'll be taking care of you this evening. What would you like to drink?" she introduced herself.
"A glass of Apple Cider please," Octavia replied.
"And for supper? Or would you like some more time to look at the menu?" Apple Tarty asked.
"A daffodil and daisy sandwich with a side of hay fries please," Octavia requested.
"Coming right up, I'll be back with the Cider," Apple Tarty trotted away.
She returned with a cup of cider, as promised.
"The sandwich is almost done, would you like it toasted?" Apple Tarty inquired.
"Yes, please," Octavia nodded.
Apple Tarty left and came back with a plate.
"Here you are, enjoy," she smiled and moved on to the next table.
After she had eaten, paid, and left a tip, Octavia finally made her way towards home. She was thankful that the Café was open 24 hours on weekends.
With a full stomach, she began to feel rather sleepy.
After a lengthy trot across Canterlot, she had made it home. She unlocked the door and opened it, trotting inside. She closed it behind her and locked it back.
Octavia went up to her room and collapsed onto her bed. She had a wonderful day, and drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.
