Songs of Innocence

Chapter 12: Overture (the Second Movement)

Sun's house, Ponyville

It was hard for Avalonia to feel like she belonged in Sun's house, and it was hard for Sun to feel at ease with Avalonia around. Sure, she was reformed now, but it just felt weird to Sun to have another person living in her house. It was also because she just liked her alone time when she was at home. Luckily for her, although Avalonia was still restricted to being close to Sun's body, she could move around Sun's entire two-story house. The length of the bicorn's invisible leash was surprisingly generous, fortunately for both her and Sun.

Although, even from just a few days of living together, it was clear that Avalonia was a little lacking in the personality department now that she couldn't hurl venomous insults at Sun. Not that she necessarily wanted to insult Sun anymore, since her opinion of the unicorn has almost entirely changed since her transformation. She simply lacked any hate for her anymore.

"I'm gonna go out to get some groceries." Sun said as she walked down from her bedroom, which was located in what was essentially her attic. "I'd ask if you'd want anything, but you literally have to come with me, so... Also, do you even eat?"

"I feed off of your positive emotions, actually." Avalonia replied. "Although, it does let me taste whatever you do, so... maybe get some sushi?"

"Good idea. Hopefully I can afford it... I'm not running low on bits or anything, but I only have so much before I have to get a job, y'know?"

Avalonia transformed into a shadowy, spectre-like form, allowing her to enter Sun's body just like back when she was trapped in it as Ultra Violet. The two left the house, and headed for the market. As odd as it sounded, the two radiated an aura akin to a friend hanging out with their friend's younger sibling. That's not to say that Sun thought that Avalonia was annoying, but like the relationship just described, Sun had to be the bicorn's chaperone because she literally could not be on her own.

Although, her walk through the town served as a good distraction from her possibly eternal job of foalsitting an evil spirit. At one particularly odd point, it even briefly turned into a sneaking mission. To elaborate, while walking, Sun suddenly locked eyes with who she recognized to be the mare who offered to play music for her back when Pinkie Pie broke into her house. Thinking quickly, Sun did her best to dodge the very idea of interaction by swiftly hiding herself behind a building to avoid being seen.

"What's wrong?" Sun heard Avalonia ask, perhaps telepathically. Sun wasn't sure how, but she was able to reply telepathically, "Remember the first night you gave me nightmares? Y'know, when Pinkie Pie tried to have that party at my house? Well, that mare over there offered to play me a song, and I said she should do it later, and now I don't wanna deal with it!"

"Why not just tell her you don't want her to do it, then?" Avalonia asked in response. 

"No. It'd make me feel bad."

"What? But you're just being honest. And avoiding the problem's not gonna do anything good. I should know."

"Yeah, but, like..." Sun just wanted the conversation to end, because she didn't feel like admitting she was completely abysmal at being social with strangers, or even just people she didn't know very well. Although, Twilight did tell her to try making friends with new ponies, so she knew she'd need to suck it up eventually.

Without bothering to properly end the conversation, Sun began to make her escape from the vicinity of the British-accented mare, trotting away in a hurry. However, the Fates absolutely loved to toy with her, and she realized that as soon as she heard her name being called by a familiar, British-accented mare from behind her.

Sun whipped her head around to see the exact pony she hoped she wouldn't see, along with a familiar white unicorn with raspberry sunglasses a two-toned bright blue mane, and ears covered by headphones (just in case you needed both a reminder and an obvious hint as to who she is). A whisper of a swear left Sun's mouth as she realized that the mares were right behind her, contrary to what she assumed from how far the grey pony's voice sounded.

"I've been wondering if I'd ever see you again after that night." the mare started. 

["Overture (Part 2)" from Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon]

"Speaking of that... My name is Octavia Melody, and this is my partner, Vinyl." She pointed to the white unicorn before quickly moving on. "Now, I don't know anything about you, but I can assume you know nothing about us. We're both fairly big deals in the music scene, and it's very hard to get us to play for... small events. But you're a friend of Pinkie, and she convinced me to play for you for free." Octavia wasn't trying to be condescending, but she felt she needed to have it set in for Sun.

"Uh, what do you mean?" Sun asked.

"Oh, nothing. I hope you understand what you're throwing away, is all." It was obvious that Octavia was trying to get Sun to change her mind, and it wasn't exactly subtle, but it was working.

"Oh, well... I-I'm sorry. Would you be willing to, uh... play for me another time, then?" Sun was successfully convinced, and Octavia smirked, knowing she'd succeeded. Vinyl continued to barely be present.

"Well, maybe I could... Any suggestions?" Octavia was rather playful with Sun, practically poking at the timid pony with her own confidence. Sun thought about what to respond with carefully, trying to think about what songs she liked that could work being played on a... well, whatever Octavia's instrument was. Sun knew nothing about instruments, so all things that sounded or looked like a violin to her were a violin, and just a violin. 

"Uhm... Moonlight Serenade? How about-- Wait, that's not what I mean... I mean the song just called Serenade, like the one by that guy, Horschubert? Yeah, that..." Sun felt her brain melting just trying to speak, and it became crystal clear to Avalonia why Sun was so reluctant earlier.

"Serenade, you say! That will work just fine. I'll get started learning to play it. I'm glad there's another pony who enjoys classical music in this town... I never would've expected you to like it, because of your appearance. No offense, of course." Octavia indirectly complimented. Sun didn't really enjoy that much classical music besides a select few pieces, but said nothing to correct Octavia as to not make this interaction even longer.

"I'm so glad you're giving me a second chance. Consider this my real first impression." Octavia added rather confusingly. Throughout her entire conversation with our protagonist, Octavia always had a sense of meaning behind what she said, as if she wanted this to be her first real interaction with Sun, and she wanted this to be the "first impression" she'd make on the unicorn. 

But to Sun, Octavia was coming off as weirdly-fixated on getting to play a song for her, and it felt a bit overwhelming. And by "a bit" I mean "pretty". But luckily for her, this seemed to be the conclusion of the conversation. 

"I'll see you when I've practiced it to perfection, Sun. But for now, goodbye." Octavia said, bidding her farewell as she and Vinyl trotted away.

"Well, that could've gone way worse. Right, Sun?" Avalonia asked. It wasn't just something she said to make her feel better, but also because she agreed with Sun that her social skills were abysmal. However, they were not as bad as the bicorn expected.

"I'm not sure about that. I don't think I'll ever forget this experience, and obviously it's not gonna be for a good reason." Sun quipped in reply. She knew what the mental image she would have of the interaction would be: herself, trembling with nervousness as Octavia, her face practically stuck in a playful smirk, asking her simple questions which Sun was too anxious to answer without stammering and stumbling over her words. Although, her habit of stuttering wasn't something she was ashamed of, as it was just something that happens to her everyday.

Avalonia said nothing in reply, and Sun thought that that had meant the conversation had died. So, she began to finally resume her walk to the market, and she could only hope she didn't have to be pulled into another interaction like the one she just had. She'll never be able to forget that one, after all... The memory was going to play over and over and over again in her head, and it began to distract her from the world around her. And because of it, she was completely oblivious to the fact that someone was watching them, just out of their sight...