Sisters at Heart

by Lunatone

Chapter Eleven: Our Lives Now

Sisters at Heart

Lunatone

Chapter Eleven

Our Lives Now

Las Pegasus was entirely different from what I had originally envisioned; it was nothing like Manehattan, though many of the places and townsponies here were luxurious and rich—something that we weren’t, not anymore. One month had passed since Vinyl, Dusty, and I moved to Las Pegasus. We were still adapting to the change, as life here wasn’t the easiest, especially if you were a single parent.

We were living in a two bedroom apartment, just west of the downtown core. It wasn’t the most appealing place to live in, but it was better than nothing. When we had arrived earlier in the month, we were greeted by our surrounding neighbours, all of whom invited us to a welcome party. It was odd to say the least, but it was a warm welcoming nonetheless.

The first week we came here, Dusty had managed to get a job at a convenience store, not too far from the apartment. Five days a week, Dusty conducted a twelve-hour shift of standing behind the counter, running the register, answering questions for customers, and refreshing the stock. Vinyl and I would bring him lunch every day, and he would be happy to see us. He would tell us about how his day was going, though it made for a short conversation as his manager would tell him to get back to work.

On the same exact day Dusty was hired, he, Vinyl, and I went to pay a visit to our eligibility officer in downtown Las Pegasus. His name was Mr. Coffee, a medium build stallion with green eyes, a brown coat, and a pen and paper as a cutie mark. He had told us that he was one of the best officials in the city, and he would do everything in his power to get the most benefits for us. He supplied us with food stamps, and even though it was embarrassing at first, it became clear that it was the only way we could get food. “Thank you so much, Mr. Coffee,” Dusty said. “I know I have a job now, but I have to get anything that will help me and my girls survive.”

Our officer blinked. Then handed Dusty the food stamps. “I’ve done this job for more than twenty years, and I have not seen one pony accept food stamps from me.”

Dusty looked at him, as if he were contemplating on whether or not he was joking. “Well, like I said.” Dusty looked at us. “Those two fillies are important to me. They’re my daughters. And if using these food stamps means to humiliate my pride, then so be it.”

Vinyl and I smiled at him; he smiled back.

§

Six years later, I graduated from high school in downtown Las Pegasus at the age of seventeen. It was a publicly funded school, through the taxes ponies paid, so it wasn’t putting any financial strain on Dusty. That day was so special to me.

I remember an hour before the ceremony, Dusty came into my room, gave me a gift. It was a treble clef pin, and he said it suited me quite well. “I remember when you were just a small filly. But now you’ve grown up to be a smart, sophisticated mare. And I couldn’t be prouder than to call you my daughter.” He gave me a hug, and then a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be downstairs waiting.” He left.

At the graduation ceremony, I remember losing Vinyl and Dusty amongst the crowd; there were so many students dressed up in blue gowns, photographers shooting off their flashy cameras, and the swarm of families walking around. I found them near the outskirts of the crowds, their eyes moving around in search of me. They appeared and then vanished behind the ponies moving between us. Dusty was wearing his black suit with a red tie, and Vinyl was wearing a sky-blue dress.

When they finally saw me on the stage, accepting my diploma, they waved and smiled. He got me to take my picture in front of the school. I smiled at him and Vinyl, and, in a way, this was my day, though it was their day too. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today, graduating with happiness. When the picture was done, Vinyl walked up to me, pulled me in for a hug, and kissed me right on the lips. I didn’t care that we were in a public place. Eventually, she pulled back. “I always knew you would be a successful pony. And I’m so proud to be yours.” Her eyes beamed with bliss when she said that, and I liked the look she had on her face; it reminded me of why I love Vinyl so much.

Dusty took Vinyl and me to a high-end restaurant so we could celebrate the occasion. We ordered way too much food, but it was worth it in the end.

We sat at a round table, and Vinyl was to my right, while Dusty was in front of me. I had disagreed with him for a while with regards to my post-secondary education as I didn’t want to put a dent in our savings; money was scarce for us, despite there being six years of savings, and I told him that I could get a job, help pay for the bills, save some money, instead of getting an education. But he insisted that I pick a college in Las Pegasus.

After we had finished dinner, Dusty took us to an ice cream shop, only a few blocks from the restaurant. The place was bright and lively, and the smell of waffle cones and cream filled the air. Ponies dressed in formal clothing stood in line making an order; fillies ran around, chasing each other.

We took a seat at a table, next to the front window of the shop, the glass clear as crystal. Dusty went to the counter to get us some ice cream. When he came back with the cones, he sat down, then said to everypony aloud, “I am very happy. Today, my girl has graduated from high school, and I couldn’t be more proud. Actually, I couldn’t be more proud of my girls.” He hugged Vinyl and me.

Dusty finished his cone in four bites and ordered another. He had four before Vinyl and I finished our first. I could tell by his actions that he was truly happy, or so it seemed. I’d never seen him be so ecstatic before, especially since our lives were difficult and challenging; perhaps I helped him escape my father’s curse—and I freed him, just like I did myself, from the tainted views my father had. Maybe the love I had for Vinyl changed everything.

When we left, everypony in the shop was unhappy to see us go. He told them that we would come back again sometime. We walked back home under the moonlight. Dusty was drowsy from all the work he had done today, and he was lagging behind Vinyl and me. We helped him walk to our apartment, and, once we got inside, Vinyl and I put him on his bed, tucked him in. It was a little weird tucking in a grown stallion. But he sat up when Vinyl and I were about to leave his room and said raspily, “Open my closet, Octavia.”

“Why, Dusty?”

“Please, do it. There is a case in there, and I would like you to open it. Vinyl will help.” I went to his closet, then opened it. I saw a black case with golden latches that sealed it. I pulled it out to the front of Dusty’s bed with Vinyl’s help. Vinyl and I exchanged looks, and then we opened it together. Inside, it was a brand new cello and bow. I was speechless, as was Vinyl.

“You’ll need it to go to college,” Dusty said.

I went over to him, and squeezed his hoof with mine. My eyes welled up and I was glad to have him in my life. “Thank you, Dusty.”

“Don’t thank me. Vinyl was the one who picked it out. She knew what size would be perfect for you. Now, run along now. I need to get some sleep.”

“Sure thing,” I said. “C’mon, Vinyl. Let him rest.” I wanted to say more, tell him how I was moved by his act of kindness toward me, how much I appreciated everything he had done for me up to this point, and everything he would be doing in the future. He smiled at us, then fell asleep.

Later that night, Vinyl and I were snuggling in bed, kissing each other on the lips, pulling each other close. Our bodies were pressing up against each other, and it felt good.

“You know, Octy, I’ll soon be dating a college mare, if you decide to go to college,” she said with a cheeky grin. “You know what that means?”

I laughed. “I have no idea what that means, Vinyl. But do tell.”

“It means that it’ll raise your already sexiness to a crazy amount.”

“I like the sound of that.” I kissed her on the lips, pulled her close. “I love you, Vinyl.”

“I love you too, Octavia.”

And then, mercifully, darkness.

§

The next day, I told Dusty and Vinyl I would attend a community college come autumn. It was breakfast time, and he was sipping on some black tea, and chewing on almonds.

“I’m thinking of going into the history of classical music,” I said. A smile crossed my face as I waited for one of them to say something.

“So. music?” Dusty replied.

“I think so, yes. That’s what I’m good at, right?”

“I think you should take that, Octy,” Vinyl said, smiling. “I mean, you’ve been playing the cello since you were a filly. I don’t see why you shouldn’t go pro.”

Dusty nodded. “Vinyl does have a point. You should go professional in the music industry. But…like anything, there are drawbacks for careers like that.”

Vinyl intercepted my speech before I had a chance to respond. “Like what, Dad?”

“Well, it may take Octavia a while to become noticed once she graduates. There are many musicians out there with a ton more experience. It’s a competitive industry. It’ll be tough, but I know she can do it.”

I couldn’t take my eyes away from him. “You really think so?”

“Of course I do.”

“Oh, wait,” Vinyl said. “So, let me get this straight. You’ll study music for a few years to get a degree in music, and then you’ll become the best musician in all of Equestria?”

“Well…I mean, I could,” I said to her. “You’re too flattering, the both of you.” My cheeks burned from embarrassment after I had said that.

“I know you can do it, Octavia. You’ll always have us for support if you ever need a nudge here and there, right, Pop?” Vinyl nudged him on his hip.

“Always,” he said.

That night, Vinyl and I went for a walk—our heads close, smiles on our faces—for an hour or two, from our apartment to downtown Las Pegasus, through the grand park, and back to our place. We had been out for many strolls together since our move, and our favourite place to be, by far, was the grand park at night. We would walk on the park’s cement path, find an empty patch of grass, and lie down on it. Often times the park was deserted during the night, so we weren’t afraid to be affectionate.

Vinyl snuggled up to me, wrapped a hoof around me, and pulled me close. We gazed up at the stars and moon, thought about their mysteries. Then we witnessed a shooting star right in front of our eyes.

“Look, Octy, a shooting star. Make a wish!”

For a few seconds, I pondered what I should wish for, but it eventually became clear to me. “I wish that Vinyl would be my wedded bride one day, that she and I would be able to spend the rest of our lives together in bliss. Forever.” At that moment, Vinyl grabbed my head and kissed me on the lips. Neither of us let go until we absolutely had to. And when we did, I witnessed the biggest smile I have ever seen on her face.

“I wish for that too, Octavia,” she said to me.

We went back to our apartment later that night without exchanging a word. We kept stealing looks at one another, the occasional grin crossing our faces, but never said one word. When we got home, we saw Dusty sleeping on the couch with a newspaper on his stomach. He looked exhausted, but, luckily for him, he had tomorrow off. He really deserved it.

Before Vinyl and I went to bed that night, we put a blanket over him. Said goodnight to him.

Then we went to our bed and succumbed to the mercifulness of sleep.

§

The following spring, I finished my first year in college at the age of eighteen, and we moved from our old apartment to an expensive loft near the Las Pegasus beach. Dusty quit his job at the convenience store and found work at the local police station. He was in charge of all the paperwork that got sent in for the conviction of the captured criminals, and he seemed to like the job; it certainly paid more than his previous job, which allowed him to get a mortgage, specifically for our new home.

Built on a rocky mountainside, the loft was made entirely from wood and glass, constructs designed to withstand the winds the ocean would bring. It was a two-story place, and there were two bedrooms on the upper floor; Vinyl and I shared a room together while Dusty had his own. In the living room, there was a cobblestone fireplace and a chesterfield made from oak. A sliding glass door lead to the deck which faced the ocean, and you were able to reach the kitchen from the deck.

Some mornings, I would get up at dawn and go for a solitary walk to the lighthouse that was near the Las Pegasus beach. I would situate myself in front of it, lean against the metal railings, and watch the water currents move in the wind until sunrise. The way the currents moved in the wind made me feel sorrow; the ocean was like a river, roaring in anger at the unfortunate past it had experienced, and I could submerge myself in the water and let my past drown, filter out all the anger I still had deep within, and let it carry me to a far away place: Somewhere where there would be no hint or memories of the life I once had.

It was times like these when I wished I were isolated from the world, away from everypony, including Vinyl and Dusty. My life was bliss, no doubt about it, but often times you can never find happiness without experiencing a form of anger, which was something I still had a lot of. And I couldn’t afford to show them just how much fury and bitterness I still had within. So I came to this lighthouse to mourn all the negativity out of me, even though I knew it would only be a matter of time before my past caught up to me.

But for now, this would have to do.

§

By the time I had gotten back home from the lighthouse, the sun was already past the horizon, and I could smell freshly brewed tea as I walked in. When I made my way into the dining room, I saw Dusty and Vinyl talking to an unfamiliar pony.

“Octavia,” Dusty said, motioning me over, “I want you to meet our neighbour, Houser. He offered to help us with any maintenance issues we may have with the house in the upcoming years.”

He had a wispy white mane, a grey coat, and a house as a cutie mark. He also wore glasses. I could smell some sort of fragrance on him, and he wore a navy-blue suit.

“Such a generous introduction of me,” he said, his voice raspy. He seemed well witted and intelligent. “Hello, Octavia, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I said shaking his hoof.

“So what do you do, Octavia, if you don’t mind me asking?”

I was going to answer his question, but the intervention of Vinyl’s speech beat me to it.

“Octavia is going to be a the world’s best musician,” Vinyl said. “She just finished her first year of college and earned all A’s and B’s in her classes!”

“Community college,” I corrected her while nudging her cheek.

“How wonderful,” Houser said. “Will you be writing music or conducting it?”

“Both writing and playing professionally. But right now, I’m learning about the history of classical music,” I said, pondering some of the interesting facts I learned in my first year of college.

“Ah, so you’re trying to preserve the history and art of the classics?” Houser said. “There needs to be more ponies like you. There has to be somepony to teach future generations about the lost art of the classics.” He put a hoof on Dusty’s shoulder. “It was nice to meet you and your family, but I best be going. Don’t want to keep the mistress waiting. Best of luck, Octavia.” He looked at me, then left with a smile on his face.

§

I was lying awake in bed later that night, thought about the walk I had taken earlier today, wondered if I would honestly prefer to be away from the ones I love most. I thought of Vinyl’s pointy nose, the way she smiled at me when she saw me, and the way her luminous eyes had held mine. My heart beated faster at the thought of not having her in my life. But at the same time, I could very well lose her if she saw how bitter and angry I really was. Yet, I knew, deep within, there would be no chance of me losing her. Not possible.

She would forever be with me; and that was all that mattered.

Comments

[Lunatone]

6185753

Hey, thanks for spotting those errors out. I corrected them. And to be honest, you're not wrong with Celestia letting something like that fly so easily, but you have to remember, it's a story and how you interpret it. It doesn't necessarily have to abide by the canon rules completely.

[Misty Horse]

So octavos holds some sort of resentment for her father which can easily be transferred to vinyl and dusty.