//------------------------------// // A meeting // Story: After the fight // by BronyAugustus //------------------------------// Vinyl sat in the loud mess tent, cheering with the others as the announcement was officially made. They had been expecting it ever since the messanger had arrived from General Rainbow Dash, but it still was good to hear: they were heading home! The unit's term of deployment was over! She was happy to serve equestria to aid Gilda's rebels, especially after twilight's assassination, but it had been a long deployment with a lot of losses, and now she could go home. It would be almost hearthwarming. She could see it already, her and Octavia troting through town, the light snow making the town even more beautiful, Tavi wearing that cute scarf, blushing slightly from the cold. She would take her out to dinner at that restaurant she loved and apologize for that fight when she volunteered... Oak spear, who sat next to her, nudged her out of her fantasy. "Hey, V, what'cha gonna do when we get back? Got any stallions ya got your eye on." with this he winked. "Nah, I don't look in that direction, if you know what I mean" He looked disappointed. "Hey now, I'm sure there's some mare that would be glad to have you, it's just not gonna be me." He perked up a little, maybe from her consolement, maybe because chef delivered a round of beer to the table. No pony knew chef's name, and he kept his cutie mark hidden. He was a chestnut colored earth pony with a slightly darker mane, a rather typical pony. The one major clue to the stallion's identity was the gold wedding band around his hoof. As chef walked away, commander greywing, leaning on the medic gentle hoof due to a recent injury, tapped his hoof on the table. A hush fell on the room. He cleared his throat and raised a beer bottle. "As you all know, we are to return home tomorrow. So tonight we celebrate! So now, despite my injury, which certain ponies, I'm looking at you, doc, have exaggerated, I now propose a toast: to the Princesses!" "HUZZAH!!!" He raised his bottle, but it never touched his lips. Instead, an arrow burst through the side of the tent, lodging itself in commander grey wing's throat. Then all hay broke lose... Vinyl woke with a scream, staring into the hot July canterlot night. She heard the approach of the 3:00 am train, clicking and clacking onward, past the empty building on it's way to manehattan, carrying cargo and the passengers who couldn't afford day service. Vinyl, who couldn't afford any service, groaned, and, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep again tonight, got up and got ready for the next day. It would be the usual Wednesday, beg at the street corner until 1:30, go too the welfare office to get her weekly veteran check, and spend most of it on beer to ease her nightmares. If she wasn't drunk when she went to sleep, like that night, then she would have nightmares all night... 12:30, Canterlot train station Vinyl ran after the jerks who stole her saddle bags. She didn't really care about the cheap bag, it was falling apart anyway, no, it was the medals in the bags that she cared about. She had earned them through sweat and lots of blood. This wasn't the first time these two had messed with her either. No, they were always playing all sorts of mean pranks, like throwing pebbles at her or droping a dead rat in her collections jar. But this, this was too far. She was so angry that she didn't even see the grey earth pony crossing the station until they collided, vinyl landing on top of the mare, who didn't immediately recognize her. The two theives laughed, and droped the bag, running off. "What's the rush, where are you headed Miss..." Then it hit her! "V...Vinyl, you look like a wreck, what happened to you!?!" Vinyl didn't answer, getting up to pack the bag. "Do you at least have a place to live?" Again, Vinyl didn't answer, but this time, she paused. "Ok Vinyl, You're coming with me." She then grabed Vinyl's hoof and drug her towards Uptown. She wasn't just going to leave her friend in a state like this... Canterlot heights apartments, 5 Minutes later. As Ocatavia troted into the apartments, Vinyl following behind, she was greeted by the doorstallion, a greying chestnut stallion. "Hey! Miss Melody! Who's this you've brought in here? "An... Old friend. "Ahh, I see. I take it you don't want your mom to know." "Definitely." "Alright, my lips are sealed." Octavia smiled and took Vinyl into the elevator. Vinyl then broke her silence. "I take it your mom is still as prejudiced and controlling as she was when we were together." "Yep. She has gone so far as to make sure she has somepony keeping an eye on me at all times. Thank the Princesses I got lucky this time. The doorstallion here was her spy, but he thinks differently than her. I usually can get away with just about anything. Still, I'm careful. You know how my mom can get." Vinyl shuddered, memories of the mare coming back to her. After a few seconds of silence, Octavia decided to change the subject. "So, what were you running after?" "Two jerks who stole my bags just for laughs. I don't care about the bags so much as the medals in them." The elevator doors opened, and the two walked down the hall. They stoped in front of apartment 715. Octavia opened the door and they both entered. The apartment was well furnished. It was small, but not too small, ideal for one or two ponies. Octavia turned to Vinyl. "Now, if you're going to stay here, I don't want you to drink. You can come and go as you please, but I better not find you in a bar." Vinyl opened her mouth to protest, and then shut it. She realized that Octavia was giving her a place to stay for free, and she couldn't watch her all of the time. "So, do we have a deal?" Vinyl paused. "Listen, Vinyl, I'm not going to try to change you like last time." "Octavia, we both know that's not what happened." "Well, do we have a deal or not?" Vinyl grasped her hoof and shook it. "We have a deal." Octavia pointed down the hall. "Bathroom's down there, you smell like you could use a shower."