Elemental Duet

by Limescale

Chapter 6

With a spring in his step yet a somewhat concerned expression on his face, Harpo exited the elevator on the resort’s 5th floor, turning to again approach the double doors of room 501. The previous night had been nothing short of heavenly to him, but returning to Octavia’s boat in the morning to find it unmanned had quickly put a dampener on things. Even if Octavia had stayed behind to look after Vinyl, he knew she’d never leave her prized boat (and their primary means of transportation) unsupervised all night, thus that meant something was up. He only hoped he could get some lead on where the grey mare had gotten too by asking her charge.

As he quickly found upon knocking several times on the door, he wouldn’t need to look far. Octavia opened the door wearing a white cotton robe on her body, and a look of quiet contentment on her face.

“Oh, morning Harpo. How’d it go with Beauty Brass?” She said, giving the bewildered stallion a wink as she walked over and flopped into an armchair.

“Erm…uh…quite fine…actually that’s what I was hoping to talk to you about…erm…though I was expecting to do it on the boat.” The stallion stepped into Vinyl’s suite still scratching his head in confusion. “Did you really stay here the entire night?”

Octavia looked down over her friend, letting a smirk cross her face.

“I did as you did apparently…considering you’re still wearing the same clothes from yesterday….” The smirk faded as realization struck and Octavia looked horrified. “Which means neither of us returned to the boat and…”

Harpo sighed and shook his head. “I checked on it before I came back. No one’s touched any thing, but I made sure to lock it up.” He said while leaning on the back of the couch. “I’m just curious how things went here if you weren’t able to make it back yourself…”

Octavia looked to the bedroom door as it slowly swung open. Vinyl appeared, dressed in another robe, wobbling about like she was still drunk.

“Hey Tavi…oh and uh…Harpo….uh, just wanted to ask, if you’re going down to the restaurant could you grab me something from the buffet? I’d go myself but…oooh, my legs still feel weak after that last….umm…well you know what. Not sure I can trust them to carry me to the elevator just yet.”

Octavia winced as a deep blush came to her cheeks…along with a very jovial smile.

“Sure, I’ll get you some eggs and haybacon…along with more coffee if you want it.” She said. Vinyl stumbled forward, throwing her arms around Octavia and kissing her on the cheek.

“You are such a peach, Tavi. I think I better lie down till my legs recover.” The unicorn giggled as she clumsily walked back to the bedroom. “Don’t worry though, Harpo, I’ll make sure we’re ready for my set today if you feel like taking Beauty Brass out on the dance floor with ya! Tavi will be joining me so that’s double the incentive!”

More giggles ensued as the unicorn disappeared into the bedroom again, leaving a still blushing Octavia and an utterly shocked Harpo in her wake.

“Wuh….uh…okay…first off…do I even want to know? And second off…are you going to fill me in?” He asked, feeling the corners of his mouth turn up as Octavia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“We fell into talking once she woke up. Worked out a special surprise for tonight….the planning got…um…intimate…” She said, biting her tongue as Harpo nodded dumbly.

“And then….?” He hesitantly asked, getting another deep breath.

“Then…well….” Octavia paused, letting the silence slowly drag as she wondered how exactly to word her response. “I believe the most polite way of putting it would be….I bucked her shit up.”

The mare slapped a hand to her mouth, her body shaking horribly with giggles.

“It was….so very…..VERY memorable.” Octavia concluded, trying not to stare at Harpo as he frantically tried to pull his jaw from the floor.

“You…she…but….oh sweet Celestia….and to think I could’ve bet money on that!” He groaned, finally making it impossible for Octavia to hold in her laughter.

“Oh like you’re one to talk! I’m sure you and Beauty just had dinner, a nice chat and you just happened to hang around here all night and never went back to change.” The mare shot back, giving herself a mental applause as Harpo glared at her in disdain.

“Touche Octavia…touché.” He said. “So are you going to spill or just leave me to fantasize about what could have happened?”

Octavia brushed her mane back and stared at her friend in cheerful mirth. “Didn’t you come in saying you had something to discuss with me?”

Harpo whinnied at the denial of juicy gossip but nevertheless sat down on the couch.

“Right…well…yes you’re correct my night with Beauty went down a similar route…and…assuming my audition for her goes well…I may not be going with you when the time comes for you to set off…” He said. “I mean, I’ll still be booking passage back to Canterlot soon after, but she’s offered me a proper means of staying here if I so desire. We’ve agreed to give it a test run for a few weeks and see how it works out.”

He hesitantly looked at Octavia, fearing he’d see the same disappoint as she’d cast at him the previous time he’d bought this up. Instead the grey mare remained looking at ease, accepting what she was hearing for what it was.

“You really believe you’ll be happier out here than back in the big city?”

Harpo shrugged. “I’ll still get to do what I love, I just won’t have to be raked over the coals on a daily basis for it, not to mention I’ve given 20 years of my life to Canterlot and the elite. I think that’s enough sacrifice for me to be square with those who paid for the right to demand what they want to hear from us.”

Octavia thought about this and heaved a sigh.

“I suppose if you feel that strongly then I have no right to try and convince you otherwise. We gotta do what we believe will make us happy after all.”

Harpo nodded with a resigned smile. “Which means you’re still going to be heading back, even after what you’ve found out here?” He nodded to the bedroom door, and the unicorn resting just beyond it. Octavia followed his gaze and rose out of the armchair.

“I believe I have what I came to the islands for, Harpo. It’s time for me to put it to good use where it matters…well…after one more critical bit.” Octavia checked the time and shuddered. “Like Vinyl said, tonight will provide the test to see if what we’ve come up with is ready for the big scene.”

Harpo looked at the multiple sheets of paper covering the coffee table, all of them riddled with lines of musical notes. He picked one up, played the tune in his head, and smiled as he got a sense of what mastery had been made possible by Octavia and Vinyl putting their heads together…as well as other parts of their bodies apparently…

“Well, if nothing else, I think this is going to definitely get some attention!” He lauded.

***

Carefully tuning the strings of her violin, Octavia waited in tense silence backstage, her ears straining to catch what they could of Neon Lights’ set, hoping the loud, thumping cacophony might drown out her worries. The stallion was definitely on fire tonight, as much with his brightly glowing suit as the intensity of his beats, but still he knew his part was merely an intro to the main event, that which had seen the resort’s dance floor packed to the gills with ponies for the last night of the kanikapila.

That which fell to her to either make the finale something to remember, or a sequel to the humiliation that had come at the Grand Galloping Gala.

“Don’t suppose I could interest you in a coconut rum before we go out?”

Octavia jumped and turned to see Vinyl holding two glasses of sparkling liquid.

“I know it’s not going to have the same punch as your St. Galloway, but you look like you need something to still those shivers.”

Octavia blushed as she gave her instrument another tuning, checking for the umpteenth time that every string was perfect.

“It’s…well…an interesting contrast to my usual performances. Seems when I actually have something new and innovative to show off I no longer have the safety net of knowing at least some portion of the audience will love what they hear. When you’re playing the old classics you can rest assured it’s going to be fine, unless you deliberately put in the effort to screw it up. When you’re doing your own stuff…well…”

Octavia looked to the offered glass, snatched it out of Vinyl’s hands and proceeded to drain its contents in one go.

“Yes…oooh…yes I’d say a little liquid courage is definitely helpful!” She nervously grinned. Vinyl sighed and reached up to adjust her bow tie.

“Just remember I’m here with you. Worst case scenario I’ll have to rescue you with my wubs and we’ll have a laugh over it later. Otherwise, we’re going to go out there, and we’re going to wow every pony within earshot like nothing they’ve ever heard before!” Vinly replied while kissing Octavia on the lips. “And you’re going to look fabulous! Specially in that get up!”

Octavia looked down over her modest but eye-catching ensemble of a brightly colored tropical dress paired with her trademark pink tie.

“You really think this isn’t too much? I mean the tie is kind of my lucky charm but for this sort of environment…”

“It’s perfect, just like these babies are for me.” Vinyl snapped open her sunglasses and slipped them over her eyes. They provided an interesting compliment to her own ensemble of denim shorts, a loud colorful t-shirt and glowing wrist and ankle bands. “Come on Tavi, where’s the confident, sexy and lecherous mare that was sweet talking me all morning while she made me feel like heaven on Equestria?”

Octavia looked down at her empty glass and blushed.

“A few more drinks and she’ll probably come back…” She said, getting an uproarious laugh.

“Afterwards, you little minx. Take the stage with me, make it ours, and I promise I’ll buy the rounds all the rest of the night if you want.” Vinyl said as Neon Lights slowly brought his track to a smashing conclusion.

“Alright ponies how was that? Enough to get you all amped and ready for more?” The stallion said into his microphone. A great cheer rose up from the mass of equines…to his apparent disappointment.

“Was that a yes? I can’t hear you! I said are you all ready for more?” He yelled, smirking as the stage rumbled and the flashing lights rattled from the deafening cheering and frantic stomping of hooves.

“Alright then, that’s better! We want to make our star duo feel welcome, and yes, I say duo. Tonight, for their first ever performance together, I give you a truly special treat: our own DJ-PON3, together with the Canterlot beauty herself, Octavia Philharmonicaaaaaah!”

Neon dragged the grey mare’s name out like a boxing announcer. Octavia rolled her eyes and contemplated if she should get a shorter, punchier stage name herself. Maybe something like DJ-M3L0DY….erm…no, her respect for the English language was too great to debase herself down to that level!

Gripping the neck of her violin for confidence, she let Vinyl take the lead, prompting the crowd to again threaten to bring down the entire resort with their cheers and hooves.

“HOOOOWWWWWZIT my island party ponies? Sorry to have missed you all last night, but, as you’ll see, it was for good reason. Found myself a new friend here as you can see…”

An arm was wrapped around Octavia to pull her close to Vinyl for a nuzzle and a kiss. Octavia frantically begged the microphone to not pick up how hard her heart was beating, or how much she was trembling.

“We decided to shake things up a bit for this last night of the kanikapila. Pay tribute to that which has made Moku Mau Loa the most desirable vacation spot out of all of the Bali islands!” Vinyl started up the turntables, mercifully releasing Octavia so she could bring her violin up as an improvised defensive barrier. “You all respect the harmony of the elements, the forces of nature that have given you this paradise. Well tonight, Tavi and I have a treat that we hope will do the same. Let’s see some bodies moving and some hooves clopping to this, our own Elemental Duet!”

As Vinyl started up the opening beats, Octavia took another deep breath. This was it, all or nothing!

She placed her bow across her violin strings, starting off the piece that weeks of repeat attempts and one night of torrid passion had made possible.

To her horror, the crowds of ponies did not immediately start to move with the music as they had previously when Vinyl was playing by herself. Quickly Octavia assured herself that this was just because the piece started out with a light tempo and a slow rhythm, a little ease in to the main part.

Vinyl added more bass to the mix, prompting Octavia’s next part with increasingly deep thuds from the speakers around them. With her heart pounding just as hard, the grey mare drew her bow across the strings, raising the pitch and the fever of her music with that of the unicorns. Many ponies now began to move, to feel themselves again be commanded by the strange combination of dubtrot and classical. Octavia played with renewed energy, closing her eyes and letting her violin dictate which notes to bring forth. She may not have had much time to rehearse, but honestly she didn’t need it at this point. Vinyl’s part of the duet helped remind her what they had composed, and she knew her strings too well to need any instruction on understanding them. This was what she needed, natural, pure, untamed energy, perfectly translated into an all together new kind of symphony! Something never heard nor imagined in any part of Equestria, until now!

It wasn’t until she heard Vinyl start up the bass again that Octavia became aware she’d been largely carrying the duet on her own. That was meant to happen, a means of evoking the sense of air and the power of the wind, but still, it had been a shock. Vinyl had turned down the beat, letting her turntables provide only a background motif to the grey mare’s violin, and not one bit of impact had been lost. The crowd weren’t just moving but were now truly dancing to their combined tune, completely under the spell of the two musicians, and neither had actually gotten to their definitive part yet!

Now feeling adrenaline surging through every inch of her body, Octavia whipped her head back as Vinyl really cranked her wubs. Even if she was meant to be providing half of the music that didn’t mean she couldn’t let herself be guided by the other half, specially not when it had been tailored specifically to suit her.

As hooves clopped down on the floor below, Octavia’s clopped along with them, her fingers and bow flying across her strings as the duet segued into the fire section. They were paying homage to the chaos and intensity of flames, coaxing the tiki torches lining the floor to dance with the throngs of ponies between them. Vinyl spun and whirled her beats with heat, and Octavia provided the airy franticness of light given physical form. The latter’s charcoal black mane flowed around her head with the grace of both smoke and water, signifying the passage from fire to its opposite element. The earth mare held her next note, giving Vinyl a chance to cool off her decks. This next part was meant to evoke the power and the soothing nature that water brought with it. While there were many aspects about it that could still prove dangerous, both ponies meant to bring out the inherent beauty that lay in all forms of the blue element. They took their duet from a simple stream to a rainstorm, playing it up into a warm, tropical downpour.

As if taking this as their queue, several ponies held up open bottles of water and began spinning them around, letting their contents fly over the throngs of dancers to give them a physical sensation of the element as well as an emotional one. Octavia played like the raging skies themselves were letting loose with their tides, while Vinyl slapped the volume on her decks up to max, providing a backdrop of thunder to complete the scene. From where she was preparing drinks, Sea Breeze cautiously looked up at the sky, breathing a sigh of relief that the stars were out and there wasn’t a cloud to be seen. The music was lovely but she wasn’t so sure having the weather actually answer its siren call would be welcome. Fortunately Vinyl and Octavia soon ceased to tempt fate. The wubs were lowered and the violin quieted. The storm had passed, and where the fire had reduced all to ash, the water would now bring forth new life.

Earth was now evoked in the steady growing of both beats and strings. New life bursting forth from the soil, nurtured by the quickening pace of the two mares’ duet. Octavia slid her bow back and forth across her violin as her body swayed back and forth across the stage. Vinyl let a most intrigued grin spread across her face as she spun her records faster, adding more bass then going to just observe how freely Octavia moved with the pace of her music. It made for an interesting comparison to the ponies moving about across the floor. They danced because the music told them to, and they cared not for how they looked while doing it. Octavia by contrast, danced because she wanted to, because she not only had to play the music but also feel it through every fiber of her being, to become the elements that she worshiped with every note from her instrument.

As the earth segment drew to an interlude, the grey mare slowly let her bow fall from the strings. She looked almost disappointed to have to do so, but the next bit required Vinyl to take the lead and build up the beat again.

Octavia finally opened her eyes, finding herself gasping for breath. She felt…well…how could she describe this? It was something more thrilling than mere excitement, a greater high than the simple rush of adrenaline. This…this was what it was like being truly ALIVE! To live as the embodiment of her music as she offered it for the masses to share in.

But all too quickly the moment passed. Vinyl was spinning up the beat again and that meant Octavia had to get back on cue. The freshly bloomed plants and flora would be nothing without the return of the wind to propagate their numbers.

Octavia slid her bow across the strings with a light yet strong fever, a gust needed to carry the seeds of life across the land, bringing them to settle in new soil where they could birth another myriad of nature’s fruits and beauty. Vinyl dropped more wubs into the mix, bringing back the thunder and the rain. Octavia played them both up for all she was worth, spinning herself around on the stage with the music. With her eyes now closed again, and all sensory input focused on feeling every note, the grey mare failed to notice when the crowds slowly ceased their own dance. Not because they were getting bored with the music, far from it, but because they realized this was a phenomenon that they needed to witness, something they couldn’t do while getting their own moves on.

Wind blew the pouring rain, lightning struck some trees and brought forth fire once again. All of the elements now swirled together in perfect harmony, embodied by the two mares playing their hearts out on their respective instruments. Dubtrot exploded form the speakers every other second, the violin carried it along in its tune as its owner pounded her hooves as if to try and prolong the repeated blasts of energy.

When at last the duet came to its end, it was all Octavia could do to stop when she had to. Neither she nor Vinyl could think of a way to fade the music out properly so they settled for just ending it on a properly light note. It wasn’t like they could ramp things up anymore and, as the unicorn had said, it always paid to leave the audience wanting more.

Vinyl hit the stop button on her turntables, Octavia slammed both hooves down and let her arms fall like two lengths of dead weight. Despite her ragged, hasty breaths she didn’t feel the least bit exhausted. No, truly she had never felt more pumped than in this moment! The grey mare looked out to the silent throngs of ponies, feeling her heart skip a beat as they stared blankly back at her. A tense moment passed as Vinyl checked her equipment then grabbed the mic.

“So…how was that huh?” She said, hearing a stunned murmur from the ponies. “Come on now, don’t be shy! We want to know what you thought.”

Another tense moment of silence passed, and then Octavia feared she was going to fall over, not from fainting but from the sudden ground cracking intensity of cheers and cries of “HANA HOU! HANA HOU!”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Vinyl said in triumph. She turned to give Octavia the thumbs up, only to then find herself having to vault over the turn tables and catch the grey mare as she promptly gave herself over to gravity. “Whoa there, Tavi! I know praise can be overwhelming but let’s not try to injure ourselves in the process!”

Octavia grappled for purchase on the unicorn, letting out another strangled gasp as she felt a magical aura envelop her and slowly lift her back to her hooves.

“That…was….oh….my….” Octavia pressed a fist to her chest, finding her heart was still going a mile a minute. “Is…is this sort of rush normal?”

Vinyl giggled as she stepped back and confirmed the earth pony was capable of standing on her own again.

“Yes, but you get used to it after the first couple of times.” She smirked. “Seriously, wow! Just when I think I’ve seen every example of how a pony could move to the music you come round and show me something new. I’ve never seen anyone become one with the beats like that.”

Still panting like mad, Octavia brushed her mane back and smiled as the crowd kept cheering.

“Well, you and I wanted to embody the raw elemental energy….it looks like we succeeded.” She looked out to the crowd. “They….they love it!”

Vinly nodded. “Told you they would. Question is, do you feel up to giving them more? They are asking for it after all.”

Octavia looked confused, but then realization began to dawn.

“Is that what ‘hana hou’ means? A local variation on the cry of ‘encore’?” She asked, getting a smug nod.

“You hear that at a kanikapila and you know you’ve earned your place in the hearts of the locals.” Vinyl explained. “So you think you’ve got another in you? We did come up with a few follow ups to try out if our main collab didn’t knock ‘em all down.”

Octavia looked at her violin, tightening her grip around the neck with fresh determination. “Heck yes….let’s….let’s do the one about shadows!”

Grinning like a maniac, Vinyl walked back over to her turntables.

“So, you all want more huh? Not going to stop till we deliver?” She said into the mic. The cries of ‘Hana Hou’! just doubled in volume. “Well, if you’re going to be that kind to us then who are we to say no? Let’s get some lights up, cause for this one we need two of each of you, yourself, and your silhouette!”

The overhead lights were cranked and caught the entire dance floor in their maximum intensity shine. Long, writhing shadows stretched out all across the terrain as Vinyl started up her turntables and Octavia promptly began playing again, feeling like she was going to end up dancing on Princess Luna’s moon if her mood rose any higher.

***

“Well, clearly someponies really stand by the mantra of saving the best for last.” Sea Breeze commented as she slid another bottle of water over to Octavia. The grey mare duly drained its contents in one go and set the empty vessel down next to the three others she’d drank. “Feel about ready for something stronger? I think you’ve earned it.”

Octavia pushed the bottles away, folding her hands around her muzzle as she slowly got her breathing back under control.

“Well…your coconut rum is actually quite good, but just make it just one for now. I honestly don’t think I need anything to make me feel better than I currently am.”

Biting her tongue hard, Vinyl hid her tears of mirth in her own drink.

“That’s putting it lightly. Seriously is that the stage lights reflecting off your dress Tavi, or are you actually glowing?” The unicorn teased as Octavia snorted and took a deep breath.

“Maybe….maybe a bit of both? Seriously that….what we just did was….incredible.” A grin filled with the same excitement as a foal on Hearth’s Warming morning stretched across the grey mare’s face. “Just think what’ll happen when I debut our collab at Canterlot….Celestia I can barely wait!”

Vinyl looked back at the throng of ponies still dancing away under the return of Neon Lights’ own brand of musical mastery. Draining the last of her rum, she looked to Harpo and Beauty Brass who were likewise taking a break, having worked up quite the sweat and the thirst dancing to her and Octavia’s smash new beat.

“I’m sure you can’t Tavi, buuuuut at the same time that’s then, this is still now, and now has revealed some other quite exciting prospects. Specifically, if you can carry yourself off so well in a solo dance…how are you with a partner?”

Harpo promptly snickered.

“That is the six million bit question. I’ve never gotten Octavia to dance, even at grand balls!” The stallion smirked as Octavia shot him a scornful glare. “Whatever you did to make what happened on the stage take place, that’s apparently more than any of her friends could manage.”

Vinyl ran her finger across the rim of her glass, her ruby eyes sparkling with delicious new ideas.

“This true, Tavi?”

The grey mare averted her gaze, deliberately staring into her drink.

“I…just…before tonight it’s never really felt…right. I prefer listening and analyzing music. Moving to it just throws me off. I never get the sensation that I’m really feeling the music like I did tonight…more I’m just going through some pre-planned steps that have nothing to do with what’s being played….” She sipped her rum and winced. “Erm…if that doesn’t sound like a lame excuse.”

Vinyl slid her shades back over her eyes, standing up and taking Octavia’s hand.

“Sounds like you either didn’t have the right tune to guide you, or the right partner to be with. Fortunately we can put both to the test right now.”

Octavia meeped as she was dragged to the dance floor, just as a very sensual, trance piece was spun up.

“Come on, Tavi. If you can’t find it in you to move to this, while I’m here to get you in the mood, then I promise I won’t make you do this again.” The unicorn replied as she spun the mare around. “Just remember how you felt on the stage, let go of all the rigidity and fancy schmancy steps they teach you in Canterlot. Just do what the music tells you.”

Octavia swallowed as she was pulled to the unicorn, Vinyl deliberately pressing hard on her back so she had to let herself fall into the DJ’s hold.

“You…are so going to get it after this!” The earth mare hissed, getting a sultry smile.

“That had better be a promise too, Tavi. Cause I’m counting on it!”

Vinyl twirled the earth mare around, stepping with her in tune to the wubs and guitars. Neon Lights seemed to have read his fellow DJ’s mind on what would make the perfect dance tune for two ponies on the floor for the first time. The rhythm wasn’t anything too fast or too slow, just a perfect pitch to slowly work the same magic that had previously entranced Octavia.

Slowly but surely the mare began to follow Vinyl’s lead, no longer resisting and actively pressing her body to the unicorn’s. Through the thin fabric of their clothes they could feel each other’s heat, the soft curves of their breasts, the frantic beating of their hearts.

Octavia began breathing raggedly again, her moves no longer forced or restrained by fear. She was dancing as every pony danced now, totally under the spell of the beats. With her magic, Vinyl raised her shades, letting Octavia stare deeply into her eyes. A look of utter bliss again overcame the celloist’s face, her eyes half lidding as her hands gripped Vinyl’s tighter.

The two moved as one as the song entered its main part. When the tune dramatically paused for a second, so did they. When it then crashed back with a flourish of strings and thudding beats, they were there sweeping their hooves across the floor as their bodies turned and bowed in unison. Around them the tiki torches flared and burned, weaving their light in with the flashing colors of the stage lights. A rainbow of hues decorated the two mares as they spun each other then pulled each into another embrace. All throughout it, Octavia’s gaze never left Vinyl’s, feeling as if she was no longer looking at just another musician with a passion. She thought back over what she’d said to the unicorn during their morning of intimate exploration, the talk about Vinyl being her key to unlocking new sounds, her element to act as the catalyst for who knew what manner of wonderful harmony. Were such words really uttered in the heat of the moment…or perhaps was Octavia speaking from a deeper feeling? Something that desired for a more permanent bond?

When at last the song did end, she decided to take a risk. She dropped Vinyl, catching her just as her body was parallel to the floor. With her hands clasped as tight as they were around the DJ’s waist and other hand she had no trouble supporting her weight, not even when Vinyl lifted a leg off the floor as if to make their pose complete.

“Okay…I think that proves that yes, you can dance Octavia…which unfortunately means I’m going to have to insist we do it again. Neon’s got plenty more tracks like this that I’m sure will have the same affect.” Vinyl smiled as Octavia’s breathing grew lustful.

“Is it truly the music that’s affecting me? Or something else?” The grey mare asked. “I felt this way before, when there was no music, no throngs of others, no atmosphere of energy. Just you and you alone.”

Vinyl’s smile vanished, to be replaced by a look of shock, and cautious hope for Octavia to keep talking.

“Much of what I said this morning, yes it was done in the heat of the moment, but honestly I belief I may have voiced some other feelings at the same time. Feelings that persist even now.” Octavia’s voice wavered, gaining a note of pleading. “Is this something more that’s developing between us, Vinyl? Is this, love?”

Silence held despite the commotion of those around them. The two mares held each other in desperate want for the other to please answer, to give them some confirmation on what else was being revealed in this moment.

“Celestia Tavi, I sure hope so!” Vinyl finally replied before throwing her arms around the earth mare and kissing her with all the passion she could muster. Octavia’s eyes shut tight as she pulled Vinyl back to her hooves, possessively holding her as she put everything she had into the kiss. Now the two’s tongues danced as their bodies shuddered in pure joy. Though their minds might still have been conflicted on how deep did their feelings run, in this moment, this night, it didn’t matter. They had each other, and the fruits that had come from their combined labor. They had found what they needed on Moku Mau Loa. Nothing that came after could tarnish how things had at last come together.

“I could get used to being in love with a sexy minx like you.” Vinyl snickered when at last the two had broken for air. “And you are Tavi!”

The grey mare thought to look offended, then decided a mischievous, sinful glare was better suited.

“I am, and damn proud of it!” She declared while kissing Vinyl again.

Author's Note:

Annnnnd finally we get the next, and biggest part of this series out. Only took me...*checks date of last update*....two months? Yeah sounds about right.

Wanted to wait till I got the preceeding seperate clop chapter done before I posted this (link pending), as well as get a fair bit of real life drama settled and over with before I resumed my writing. Muse doesn't cooperate well when things ain't all right with the world.

This is also the chapter where I finally showcase the choice music tracks that lead to the inception of this series. The instant I heard Lindsey Sterling's 'Elements' I pretty much knew that was what a duet between Vinyl and Octavia would sound like. It's just such a perfect balance of the two's chosen genres I had to do a story based around it, and thus, here we are. The aforementioned's track 'Shadows' was a close second so I decided it could do with an honorable mention.

And as for Kylie Minogue's inclusion? Honestly I always saw that as the perfect track for a romantic dance scene. Weave all three together and hopefully we have a chapter well worth waiting for!