Octavia strapped the cello to her back, the one she had never played before. It was one she held dear to her, one she did not want to soil. But it was time to finally put it to use. There was still a tag hanging off the top. Octavia looked at it briefly with a sad smile before tearing it off and putting it into her collar. It was going to be a long walk with the heavy instrument, but every step would be more than worth it.

As soon as she opened the door she felt the warm, summer breeze blow past, mane billowing as she inhaled the sweet air. It was near sunset, and most ponies had returned to their homes for dinner, but Octavia had other plans. She trotted along the path, each hoofstep making a gravelly crunch as she did so. She clenched a freshly rosined bow in her teeth, a determined look on her face as the path began to incline, eventually reaching a very steep slope.

Octavia pushed onward, her hooves straining to hold herself up, but she couldn't give into the pain, she could see the zenith of the hill, a bead of sweat dripping down her forehead. She finally managed to reach the top, giving an amazing view of the setting sun, but that was not her objective. What had driven her to the top of the hill was a small, rounded stone stuck neatly into the dirt. Engraved on it was a golden record.

It was a headstone.

Octavia set the cello down softly, holding it up as she smiled at the headstone. "We meet again..." She laid the cello down into the grass gently, and moved closer to the headstone with a sigh. "I can't believe it's been a whole year... a whole three hundred and sixty five days..." Octavia stroked the engraving with her hoof, tears welling up in her eyes. No... she couldn't cry... not yet. She sat silently for a moment as another warm breeze blew past, carrying a few leaves with it. One of them landed in front of the headstone, and Octavia picked it up gingerly.

"I guess... we're all like leaves in a way huh?" She laughed quietly to herself and let go, sending the leaf on its way, carried by the wind. "Just going wherever the wind takes us... good or bad." She looked up to the now yellow sky, as if she had thought something was above her... but there wasn't. "I... I hope you can hear me right now... because I have one more song for you to hear..." She finally stood up, taking the cello and bow in hoof as she looked down at the headstone.

As soon as she drew the bow across the first string, a tear plipped into the grass. She did not stop, however, and the beautiful sound of her music filled the air. It was a wordless lament in it's own right, telling a story. The music at first was rather generic, but then it sped up, getting a little more erratic. Octavia now had tears flowing down her face, but kept sawing away at her cello. The song slowed down, and she looked at the ground as a sad, somber tune rang out over the area.

She looked up to the sky, a smile on her face despite the tears that dripped off her muzzle. The song became triumphant, almost a march as she played on for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only a mere minute. The bow fell from her hooves and into the soft grass, and she leaned on the cello slightly. "I miss you... so much..." The tears did not stop, only intensify as she knelt before the grave, letting the cello fall into the grass as well.

"You... never expected it... and neither did I..." She continued smiling, pulling the tag from her collar as she wiped her eyes. "But... sometimes things happen..." She sniffled and stood up again. "It's too late to tell you how I felt... but I guess it's better late than never... I loved you. I loved you like a sister, and I still do. I'll never forget the time we had together... how much we shared... good and bad... but one thing I'll always regret is not coming with you to that concert... I should have been there... I-I..." She choked up and took a deep breath.

"I could have... saved you... you never would have been alone..." The tag slipped from her hoof, blowing along with the wind. Written on it in a sloppy scrawl was a message.

"To my bestest friend ever, 'Tavi.

Love, Vinyl Scratch, your bestest friend."