//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Comments in the Melody of Love // by The Cellist //------------------------------// Days passed, then weeks, until it was a few days till Hearth's Warming Eve. Octavia awoke on the couch wrapped in Vinyl's hooves. She smiled at seeing Vinyl and remembering of how she had tricked Vinyl into watching one of her favorite romance movies with her. She began to rub her eyes and looked around. She saw a small tree eloquently decorated with lights and ornaments and a half empty bowl of popcorn accompanied by two mugs sitting on the table in front of them. She quietly snuck out from under Vinyl’s grasp, picked up the cups and bowl from the table and slowly walked towards the kitchen. She sat them in the sink and looked out the window above it. Snow covered the street our outside of Vinyl and her house and some was still calmly falling. "Taaavviiii comeback to the couch." yelled Vinyl from the other room. "Vinyl, did you know it's snowing." Vinyl's jumped up from the couch and ran to the nearest window, then ran to her room and got her orange hat and boots. "Tavi come on let's go for a walk." "Okay just let me finish washing these dishes and then I'll go and get ready." Octavia went back to finishing the dishes while she saw Vinyl staring out the window with a huge smile on her face. "Taaaaviiii are you almost done" Vinyl yelled in a begging tune" "Yes Vinyl I'm coming just give me a few minutes to get ready" Octavia headed towards her room passing the small tree that stood beside it. She grabbed her old snow boots, wrapped her scarf around her neck, and then put on the hat Vinyl had given her on their first date. She began to walk back out of her room looked at the calendar next to her door and sighed. "Only a few days lay in between now and a day where ill either face disownment or complete acceptance, although I know ones acceptance I will probably never get it from the one who never accepted me...." "What's taking her so long?" Vinyl thought to herself. "I hope she's ok” Vinyl thought as she walked to Octavia's room. She slowly opened the door peering inside. She saw Octavia standing there and went to stand by her.. "Tavi... are you alright..?" "Why yes Vinyl I'm quite fine." Octavia lied trying not to ruin the mood. "Okay well come on Tavi if we don't leave soon it'll be morning." "Coming Vinyl." The two mares slowly walk out the door and into the winter wonderland that awaited them. Vinyl's eyes lit up like she was a filly again. Vinyl ran and started making a snow angel. She then trots back to Octavia with a big grin on her face. "How's that Tavi, pretty amazing isn't it?" "Yeah it is." She said as she giggled a bit. They continued to walk down the street with the snow continuing to fall at a steady pace. They started to slow when they both saw lights on the houses of other ponies. "Wow Tavi look at the lights there are so many of them." “Yes there are quite a lot of them." Octavia could only look and Vinyl and smile as they walked down the street. "No matter how old that mare gets I don't think she'll ever truly grow up" Octavia smiled at the thought as she looked away from Vinyl and back at the lights and then her eyes slowly drifted back toward Vinyl. She noticed that somehow the lights seem to reflect and shine in Vinyl’s eyes almost dancing in them bringing them to life. Octavia eyes drifted back to the lights watching them with Vinyl as they walked. "Hey Vinyl, you know it's getting close to Hearth's Warming might there be anything you want for a gift." The white mare stopped and looked up at the night sky. "Nah I've got everything I want right here." A deadpan expression shone arcross the gray mare’s face. “Vinyl I'm being serious. I really want to get you something. Please think of something. Anything." "Anything." Vinyl said a sly smirk slowly growing across her face. "Okay Tavi, I want some sexy lingerie from That-Flank." Octavia stood there with a shocked look on her face. She stumbled over her words, "y-you're kidding r-right." "You said anything and that's what I want." Octavia reluctantly had to agree she did say anything. The two mares walked a ways until Vinyl stopped, "So Tavi is there anything you want for Hearth's Warming Eve?" "I just want nothing to go wrong at the Hearth's Warming Party at our house with my family." "I'll be on my best behavior, but really what do you want for a gift." "Surprise me Vinyl. Just nothing that will embarrass me in front of my family." "Awe, but Tavi don't you trust me." "No, I do not trust you." As they rounded the corner to their street; Vinyl took off dead sprint for their house. "Vinyl you shouldn't run you'll..." Octavia's words were cut off as Vinyl began to slide on ice toward a giant pile of snow. The white mare plunged head first into the snowy embankment. Her legs started to flail about as she tried to get out. Octavia walked up to her. She sighed and then gave her friend a tug and pulled her out of the embankment. "T-thanks T-tavi, I-I would have died if you hadn't been here." Vinyl said as she shivered. "Over dramatic as usual. Come along you need to warm up or you'll catch a cold." Vinyl took the blanket that had been wrapped around her and wrapped it around both Octavia and herself. "Her treble-clef... Last thing I want is my favorite mare being turned into a pony-sickle..." Vinyl said looking at Octavia giggling a bit and smiling. Octavia blushed as Vinyl giggled but tilted her head in curiosity "A pony-sickle Vinyl. Me? You’re the one who slid head first into a mound of snow." Octavia said giggling a bit as Vinyl blushed in embarrassment from the realization that Octavia was right. Vinyl leaned back on the couch sighing a bit and looked at Octavia. "H-hey Tavi, do you wanna watch a movie. I mean since we're up and all." Vinyl said looking at Octavia. Octavia looked up at the clock and sighed as she leaned back onto Vinyl laying her head on Vinyl's shoulder. "Sure, why not. But what movie should we watch; I think we’ve watched all the movies we have..." Octavia said looking a blushing red faced Vinyl. Vinyl raised a hoof rubbing the back of her head "well, we could watch A Hearts Warming Carol." Vinyl said as she used her magic to pick up the movie case and levitated over to herself and Octavia. "Why not..." Octavia said smiling as Vinyl used her magic to set up the movie and start play it. As the movie played and the two mares sat there in each other’s embrace watching the movie. Shortly into the movie the lights in the house began to flicker and dim. Octavia looked up at the lamp next to her and Vinyl as it flickered. "Vinyl.... Did you pay the electric bill?" Octavia said looking at Vinyl with a curious look on her face. "Of course Tavi... How could I forget about the thing that lets me practice my music?” Vinyl said as the lights flickered a few more times before going out completely. Octavia sat up on the couch as Vinyl cried out "Tavi I can’t see anything..." "I can’t either... I'll be right back I’m going to get a lantern from the kitchen." Octavia said as she got up and began to walk to the kitchen as the two mares heard the whistling and whirling winds outside of their home. Octavia grabbed a small lantern and walked back to Vinyl. "There, it is not very bright but at least there is a little light." Octavia said as she sat the lantern on the table in front of Vinyl. "Oh no, our movie went out to." Vinyl said as she looked at her dark reflection in the black screen. "Vinyl, you do know there are other things we can do like just take time to talk..." "About what..." "Well, you've met my parents, one of them. Tell me what your parents were like..." Octavia asked Vinyl as she sat back down next to her. "W-well...." Vinyl said as she sighed and looked at the ground with a look of mixed emotions on her face and then continued. "My parents were kinda of like yours... When I was a filly my family was kinda like a little slice of Heaven. We weren't rich by any means but we made enough to get by but we had money to spend here and there throughout the days. When I was 10 my father lost his job. He fell into a habit of trying to drink his depression away, but it never worked and at times it made him into a pony that. No pony should be, and when I was 12 I had made the choice to run. I packed some of my things and just walked out the front door. I never went back. I had to steal food from the venders around town." Vinyl sighed as she looked at the flame dancing in the lantern. “Oh my.” "I never did like doing that no matter how hungry I was, but even though I was alone I still managed to pass school barely though and after a while I had made enough money to go to college and that's my family and how I got here I guess." Octavia looked at Vinyl with compassion and sadness in her eyes as Vinyl looked at the flame dancing in the lantern and then at the ceiling. "I-I’m sorry Vinyl." Octavia said as she reached over and hugged Vinyl. Vinyl returned the hug holding Octavia tightly. Vinyl’s eyes started to tear up. She looked for an excuse to get away from her friend. “Well Tavi it’s getting late and I don’t think the power is going to comeback anytime soon, so how about we head to bed.” “I suppose so. Well night then.” Octavia said as she slowly walked away turning back once to see a melancholy white unicorn sitting and looking at the flame dancing in the lantern. The sun pierced through Vinyl's blinds she hadn't gotten very much sleep since she was freaking out over what to get Octavia for Hearth's Warming Eve. She had tried to play it off like she would get a gag gift but she really wanted to get her something nice. "What the buck should I get her, maybe a new bowtie and cello stick thingy, no that seems too cheap? She probably already has a lot of those, hmm." The phone in the kitchen started ringing Vinyl got up and walked to the kitchen. “Sup, Vinyl Scratch speaking.” “Howdy, this is Fiddlesticks. Sorry for calling so early, could I possibly speak ta Octavia.” “Yeah let me go get her.” She walked and knocked on Octavia’s door. “Tavi are you up.” No response came. She pushed Octavia’s door open and slowly walked in. “Tavi.” She whispered. She saw Octavia sleeping, slowly creeping up to her friend’s bedside. A red pen wrapped in a white aura floated over to her. She opened it and began writing and drawing all over the sleeping mare. Then she took a deep breath. “OCTAVIA, There’s a phone call for you!” The grey mare jumped and fell out of bed startled. “Vinyl you don’t have to yell! Who is it?” “It is somepony named Fiddlesticks.” “I wonder what she wants this close to Hearth’s Warming Eve.” She got up and trotted into the kitchen. “Hello, Fiddles are you there.” “Howdy, Cous. I was just wondering if you might happen ta want ta go shopping with me today.” “Yeah I was planning on sneaking out of here so Vinyl couldn’t follow me. Why? Aren’t you in Dodge City?” “Naw, not right now, I came ta Baltimare ta find a present for Braeburn.” “When and where do you want to meet?” “In an hour in the Northview Hay King.” “Okay in the Hay King.” She said with a loud sigh. “Something wrong Tavi?” Fiddles asked? “It’s just the last time I went to a Hay King it was a nightmare.” “See ya there. Love ya.” “Love you too Fiddles.” She said as she hung up the phone. She walked to the bathroom showered, brushed her hair, got dressed, wrote a note for Vinyl, and headed out the door to the bank. Vinyl walked out of her room expecting to smell pancakes being made in the kitchen, but she didn’t smell any. “Tavi, are you here?” She saw the note that Octavia had left for her. She began reading it. “Dear, Vinyl I’m going to the Hay King to meet my cousin. I’ll be back in about 3-4 hours. There are leftover pancakes in the fridge if you get hungry. P.S. I’m going to get you back for writing on me this morning it took me almost an hour to get all the ink off of me.” “Jeez Tavi you’re like my mom.” Vinyl paused for a second as she remembered what her life used to be like when her parents treated her right. “Snap out of it Vinyl.” Vinyl headed out the door. Octavia made her way to Hay King walking down the street passing house after house as she got further and further away from her and Vinyl’s. She wanted to get away as quickly as she could just incase her friend had any more crazy ideas that her friend would think up randomly. She thought to herself while she walked to meet her cousin Fiddlesticks “What am I going get Vinyl for Hearts Warming Eve. Surely nothing to simple nor anything to extravagant. Well she is a simple one.” Octavia continued to walk down the streets of Baltimare looking in shop windows as she goes. Seeing things from extravagant dresses, to shimmering jewelry, and a few old record sitting idle through inside their glass casing behind the windows along the way. Octavia could see Hay King a little farther down the road as flashes of her horrors began to flow through her mind “I will never understand what Vinyl sees in that hell hole.” Octavia thought to herself as she reached the restaurant looking for Fiddlesticks. “Now where is she?” Octavia’s gaze went from left to right as she searched until her eyes fell upon a mare inside Hay King waving at her with a heartwarming and welcoming smile on her face. She was a simple looking light yellow mare, who wore her sapphire blue mane strait but a bit of curl had started to develop at the end. She wore a grayish white cowpony hat that was adorned with mud stains all around, and a faded red handkerchief tied around her neck. Octavia smiled at the sight of this mare and walked inside Hay King. As they approached each other they both gave the other a hug, and then sat down. “Do ya want anything ta eat Tavi?” “Thanks, but I already ate.” “Oh horseapples, Tavi where’s that appetite ya used ta have when we were fillies? You used ta eat four large servings of horseshoe fries.” “You must be thinking of Octet. I never had the appetite that you think I had. I always eat until I’m not hungry anymore and then I stop.” “Awe, well okay if ya say so Cous.” Fiddlesticks said as she got up and trotted over to the counter. Octavia glanced at the other ponies sitting in the restaurant, she felt rather out of place, because all the other ponies were overweight. “Oh my Celestia, Vinyl is going to look like that if she keeps eating this every day. I’m going to have to ask her to stop eating out all the time.” Fiddlesticks walked carefully back to the table and sat down across from Octavia. “So Fiddles, what are you getting Braeburn for Hearth’s Warming?” “He always wears the same ole hat day in and day out and ya know I think he needs a new one. It’s getting kinda worn around the edges.” “Oh I bet he’ll like it.” “What are ya getting yer marefriend?” Fiddlesticks asked after she had taken a sip of her soda pop. “I-I umm… She said she wants me to get her some sexy lingerie, but I can’t possibly get that for her so, I don’t know what I am going to get her. She seems like the kind of pony who would want some stupid gag gift.” Octavia said as she rubbed her temples with her hooves furiously. “Just calm down cous, I’m sure ya’ll pick something good out fer her. What kinda things does she like? “She likes dubstep, alicorn toys, alcoholic beverages, and lame Deathpony horror movies.” “Well ya should get her the Deathpony movie collection at Movies-R-Us.” “Are you sure that’s enough? Perhaps I should get her an alicorn toy as well.” “If ya reckon she’ll want that then get her it.” The two mares headed out of the Hay King and toward the vast crowded parking lot. It was filled with carriages coming and going in a hurry. They were almost too the mall when a carriage rushed passed, it narrowly missing hitting Fiddlesticks. “Watch where the BUCK yer going! Ya’ll gonna kill somepony. They should have their license revoked.” screamed Fiddlestick at the carriage. End of Chapter 7.