The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Twenty-Four

Someone to Watch Over Me

***

The rhythmic din of the train resonated in Octavia's head as she half-lay in Vinyl's lap, looking at the ceiling. A lonely fly made its way across the ceiling, running in small circles, trying to escape from the prison of its own device. Always running away... Octavia thought, melancholy seizing her mind. We are all trying to run away? What for? She raised her hoof to smash the insect, but stopped. They killed Cornelio... killed him like this fly; he was trapped, unable to escape, he fought... Terrible images filled her head, and she shook it with a groan, just to get rid of the feeling. There was so much darkness in the world, and so little light. So little love. So little freedom. Why can't we just be free? She tapped the fly lightly and opened the window. Sensing fresh air, the insect flew away, out of the window, leaving no trail of its presence.

Octavia needed to occupy her head with something; something other than war, or death. She sighed, feeling Vinyl hug her tighter. Just to get her mind off the darkened areas, she needed to talk. She needed conversation, badly. She needed to talk to Vinyl, to talk about something, anything at all...

"I didn't tell you how I got my cutie mark, did I?" she asked her mare, who yawned and shook her head weakly.

"No, Tavi, but I'd love to hear it," Vinyl replied with a soft smile, making Octavia wonder whether the pianist was listening to hear with interest or just out of blind desire to make her feel better.

"So, as you're going to see my mother soon, there's a thing you need to know..." Octavia began in such a tone that led Vinyl's mind to reel. Wait, what if... she's a vampire? Or a werepony? Or a vampire werepony?! the pianist thought in fear.

"She is a unicorn, as my whole family," the cellist began her story, drawing Vinyl's attention, while Tom was looking out of the window, lost in thought. "But I was born different. I was born an earth pony, and while the doctors said it was perfectly normal  from the viewpoint of genetics, my parents were rather... shocked." Seeing Vinyl's quizzical expression, Octavia waved her hooves in the air. "They were happy, and they hold nothing against earth ponies, or pegasi, mind it! Just..." The cellist exhaled and closed her eyes. "They were really confused as to what my special talent would be." The grey pony smiled. "Mother always wanted my calling in life to be connected with music; she told me that I would always sing some tune when I was a little filly, and in perfect pitch at that. But..." Octavia shrugged, making Vinyl loosen her grip. "Since I was a earth pony, my family thought there was no use teaching me to play any musical instrument, since I had no magic and all. So it was either vocals or business for me. And Father was strongly for business."

Vinyl nodded knowingly, remembering Alexandro's devotion to his occupation; but she also thought of his devotion to family  - a ceaseless devotion, but not a blind one: he really loved his family, and he had the responsibility for them.

"Until one day, I found Mother's violin and bow and tried to play it. Or, to be honest, play with it." Octavia chuckled, shaking her head. "I was a foal - what can I say. But something magical happened... Well, I don't remember exactly - but what I remember for sure is that it felt as if Celestia herself helped me play and guided my hoof across the strings. I played for minutes, or hours, until I finally felt tired." Octavia opened her eyes and looked at Vinyl, who was deeply involved in the story. Wow, Tavi sure had an interesting foalhood... the unicorn mused, a tiny bit of jealousy crawling into her soul as she considered her own miserable past. No, Vinyl. You do not feel jealous of your marefriend, she warned herself, banishing the feeling to the Moon.

"When I opened my eyes, I saw my shocked parent's faces, and, well, a treble clef cutie mark on my flank," Octavia concluded. "Violin music is usually written in treble clef. So you can say that my calling in life is music, not just the cello, just as yours is not just the piano."

Vinyl nodded, her mind processing the information. Something was bugging her; something seemed off, something so distant...

"Wait a minute, Tavi. You said that your whole family are unicorns, except for you?" Vinyl confirmed.

Octavia nodded. "Yes. Why?"

The unicorn extended her hoof, pointing it towards Tom, who was still fixed in the same pose, much as a petrified statue. "But... Tom's an earth pony." She raised her brow in confusion.

"That's because I'm not her real brother," the stallion replied, not turning his head towards the mares, his hoof propping his chin as his eyes were fixed on something in the sky.

What the... Vinyl blinked in confusion, but before she could ask anything, Tom turned his head towards her, his gaze bland and tired.

"Cornelio found me when I was just a little colt, and introduced me to family," he said, inspecting his hoof closely. "My parents kicked me out; I was a burden for them..." Vinyl gulped at the resemblance to her own life. "At first, I didn't entirely like him, but, you know, living in a house is better than living in the streets, you know?" The stallion chuckled sadly.

"I know..." Vinyl whispered. "I understand only too well..."

"But I soon learned to like him," Tom carried on, having missed (or pretending to have missed) Vinyl's remark. "And soon, I really began feeling a deep connection with the family. Alexandro became my father, and Sofia became my mother, just as Cornelio has always been..." He gulped. "And will always be a brother to me. And when Octavia was born, I embraced her as my sister."

Octavia rose from her seat and approached Tom, hugging him. "And you have always been my brother - my real brother, Tom," she said and buried her muzzle into the stallion's fur.

The brown pony tapped her on the shoulder, his gaze fixed on something outside, just out of the window, out of reach. Octavia raised her head, while Vinyl was already watching.

The sky was dark; but it was not covered with clouds, as Manehattan usually was. Countless pegasi were flying in the sky, manoeuvring and forming strict figures, flying in one common direction - the East. The border with Zebrica. The mares watched in awe and fear as those trained, armed-to-the-teeth soldiers marched in the sky to achieve their common goal.

"To save our country," Octavia whispered, speaking her thoughts.

Vinyl shook her head sadly. "To save our rulers." She knew better than to believe in all of this patriotic propaganda. After all, wars were fought for oil; spending souls for oil had become a terrifying tendency lately, she mused grimly.

Tom looked at the two musical ponies and eyed them for a second before speaking.

"To kill."