For want of a better title... (WIP)

Octavia, that was flawless

>Your compliment brings a smile to Octavia's face

>"This was nothing.  You should see me up on stage at the Royal Canterlot Theatre"

I really should get around to seeing that some day...

>You grin

But you'd have to stop giving me private showings like this.  You're spoiling me

>Octavia gives a delightful chuckle

>"I suppose you're correct..."

>"But, I'm afraid, this one must come to an end"

>You obligingly get up off her cello case and pull it open for her

Here, give me your cello

>"I can put it away myself"

No, I insist

 

 

>Octavia reluctantly hoofs the cello over to you

>You gently take it from her with both hands

>Then you carefully set it inside the case

>You remember the last time Vinyl broke one of these

>It wasn't pretty

>You hold out your hand when you've finished

Let's have the bow now

>Octavia extends the hoof holding the bow, and you reach out to take it

>For the briefest moment, you both have your respective manuplitory extremities on the b-

 

 

>BAMF

>An unexpected flash of green light blinds you

>There's something on your hand

>Something that wasn't there before

>It's warm and fleshy

>And it grips your hand on a series of spots

>You finally blink the whitness out of your eyes and look down

>There's a brown tentacle draped over your hand

>Your eyes follow the tentacle up its length

>It grips the bow for a ways, growing ever wider

>It terminates at a body comprised of seven other, similar tentacles

>And on top of that body is...

>Octavia's head

>Still wearing her white collar with pink bow tie

>Celestia's bowels

>How did this happen

 

 

>Octavia is rapidly blinking

>"What in the world was that?" She asks

Octavia?

>She finishes her blinking

>"Hmmm?"

Don't panic, but do you feel... different?

>"do I feel..."

>She looks down

>The bow clatters to the floor, no longer supported by your hand or her... tentacle

>"AUGH!"

>She gives exactly the sort of dignified shriek you would expect from her

>"I'm an octopus!"

>That's the term you were looking for

>"I'm a freak..."

>You start to pull your hand away

>"No!  Don't leave me!"

>And lands on your head, enveloping you in a desperate bid to keep you from running

 

 

>You feel tentacles work their way under the collar of your t-shirt

Octavia

>They drape down across both sides of your torso

>And out along your arm

Octavia, what are you doing?

>that's an interesting sensation...

>Then the suckers find purchase, and anchor Octavia in place

>You can't help but shudder just a little bit, fighting panic yourself

>When she's finished, you know exactly where all eight tentacles are

>Four drape on either side of your back, forming a loose J shape that terminates just above your belt line

>Two run out along your arm, all the way to your wrist

>And the final two are wrapped around your head

>Octavia's own head is situated to the left of yours, poking through the stretched neck hole of your poor t-shirt

>All in all, it feels like you're wearing a warm, heavy, fleshy blanket

>With suckers

 

 

>Octavia is crying

Octavia...

>"I'm a monster!"

Octavia

>"I can't play cello like this!"

TAVI!

>Octavia sniffs

You're panicking

>"What?"

I warned you not to panic

>You try to turn your head left

>Octavia removes the pair of tentacles wrapped around your head, shifting them instead down your right arm and out the sleeve

>"Anonymous, I'm scared"

And you have every right to be.  However, you can't panic

>She starts to lose it again

>"Why?  Why shouldn't I panic?  For all I know, I'll be stuck like this for the rest of my life...  However long that is..."

Relax.  We can fix this

>She looks at you with red rimmed eyes

>"We can?"

Yeah, I know just the p0ny for it; if there's anyone that wou-

>The door behind you interrupts your speech by opening

 

 

>You wheel around to face it

>It's none other than Vinyl Scratch

>She pulls down her signature purple goggles and peers at the both of you

>"Tavi?  Is that you?"

Yep, that's her

>"Are you an octopus?"

>"I-yes, I'm afraid so, Vinyl"

>"That's..."

>You feel the tentacles tense slightly as Octavia braces

>"That's AWESOME!"

>Good ol' Vinyl

>"Y-you really think so?"

>"Of course!  Octopi have all kinds of crazy abilities!  I bet you could crawl on the ceiling with suckers like those!"

>"well Vinyl, that's... good to hear..."

 

 

>You clear your throat

Octavia

>"Yes, dear?"

Would you mind getting off me?

>Octavia looks down and realizes what she's doing

>"Oh.  Oh my. Anonymous, I apologize-"

No, it's fine.  You were scared.  Here

>You yank your shirt up off over your head

If you can let go, I'll lift you off

>"I shall try"

>You feel the suckers attached all over your body weaken their grip

>You accordingly reach up underneath Octavia's main body with both your hands

>A pair of suckers the size of baseballs latch onto your palms as you lift her up and off your shoulder

>Then you set her down on the stool

>Her tentacles drape down over the framework and onto the floor

There

>Vinyl whistles

>"Wow Octavia, when you go for it you really go for it, don't you?"

>"What's that supposed to mean?"

>"Well look at him!"

>Octavia gasps

What

>You look down

>Your torso and arms  are covered a vaguely swirling pattern of red spots

>The spots get larger as they approach your left shoulder

Oh...

 

 

They're on my face too aren't they

>"Yeah"

Wonderful

>"Anonymous, I'm sorry... I didn't know..."

I'm fine, I'm fine

>You reach down and pick up your shirt

>The neck is now stretched pretty bad

>but it's still wearable, so you put it on

>Vinyl approaches Octavia and pokes one of her tentacles with her hoof

>"How did you become an octopus anyway?  I want to try!"

>BAMF

>The same green flash goes off

>You reach up and rub your eyes

>When your vision returns, your fears are confirmed

>Vinyl Scratch is now on the floor

>She holds one of her new tentacles up to her face

>"Woah..."

>Then she begins swishing them back and forth across the floor

>"COOL!"

 

 

So Octavia, how DID you become an octopus?

>"I... well, honestly, I have no idea.  One moment I was handing you my bow, and the next I was... well..."

Interesting.  Vinyl?

>"Hmmm?"

>Vinyl pauses her swishing and looks up at you

Do you think you could change her back?  Or for that matter yourself?

>"Pffft, nah.  Music is my specialty, remember?  If I tried anything Tavi'd probably end up with even more tentacles.  Or a built in set of speakers...  Actually, that WOULD be pretty aweswome... But I'm guessing she doesn't care to become the world's first octowub"

>"Most definitely not!"

>"Octowub... That'd be a good album name..." mutters Vinyl

>"No, if anyp0ny in p0nyville could fix this, it'd be Twilight Sparkle"

That was my first thought too.  How about this

>They both look at you

I'll go get Twilight.  You two stay here and wait for me.  Sound good?

>"Works for me"

>"I agree"

Alright.  See you both in a bit

>You turn and head out of the room, closing the door behind you

>On your way out, you stop in Octavia's entryway and don your trench coat

>It's still raining out

>And you don't intent to add "Wet" to the list of things you're feeling right now

>Finally, you head out the door and into the downpour

 

 

>The trip to Twilight's housebrary is relatively uneventful

>There aren't many p0nies out and about

>And you can't say you blame them

>It's just one of those wet, dreary days better spent inside with a cup of something hot and a few friends

>You press onwards through the rain and finally come upon the massive oak tree that is the P0nyville library

>Then you raise your fist and knock

>"Come in!"

>Slipping quickly through the front door, you close it quickly behind you, shaking the rain out of your hair

>Twilight is, surpise surpise, reading a book

>She lowers a lightly steaming mug of something to the table and turns to face you

>"Oh, hello Anonymous!  How are you doing?"

>You step forward into the light

Twilight, I need your help

>Her expression switches from one of pleasant surprise to questioning concern

>"Anonymous, what happened to your face?  Did you get into poison joke?"

What?  No, what's poison joke?

>She opens her mouth

Actually, don't answer that.  I need you to come with me; it's rather urgent

 

 

>Twilight sets her book down

>"What's the problem?"

You wouldn't believe me if I told you.  I have to show you

>"Is it magic related?"

I think so...

>She sighs

>"Very well, I will come with you"

>She gets up and goes to a closet, retrieving and donning saddlebags and a p0ny rain slicker

What's the bag for?

>"Magical emergency kit"

You have those?

>"With all the malarky that goes on around here, it wouldn't make sense to not have one.  Let's get this over with"

You're right

>You turn right back around and open the door, stepping back out into the rain

 

 

>Twilight doesn't say anything as you lead her through the rain-soaked streets of P0nyville

>Nor does she say anything when you pull open Octavia's front door and beckon her inside

>She does raise an eyebrow though

>You both pause to remove your respective bad weather gear

>"Can you tell me now, what exactly it is I'm supposed to help with?"

You'll see in a minute

>You lead her to the practice room and pull the door open

>It's empty

>"Yeah Anon, that's a really magically distressed music stand there.  I'm so glad I'm here to help"

>She's just piling the sarcasm on

>You can't say you blame her

>She's got a book waiting for her

>You step inside the room

I don't understand.  They were r-

>SPLAP

>Something warm and fleshy swings down and impacts your forehead

aaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

>"AAAAAAAHHHHH" Screams Twilight with you

>The mass peels off your forehead, and you almost fall over backwards

>You look up towards the ceiling

>Right above you is Viny Scratch, having herself a nice hearty laugh

>Next to her is Octavia, who looks apologetic

>You turn to Twilight and gesture towards the ceiling weakly

See?