“So, whaddya think, Tavi?” Vinyl asked as her and her roommate walked to the living room. “Too over the top?”
“Perhaps. It seems a little too fast-paced,” Octavia replied. “Maybe try slowing down some and have a bigger build up as you get toward the climax of your… what?”
Vinyl had doubled over with laughter while Octavia looked on in confusion. “I… I can't believe that… that you... said that,” she replied through her laughing.
“What? Climax?”
“No. That… I needed a bigger… build up to get a… a… better climax,” Vinyl answered, still laughing.
“I was going to say that a bigger build up is probably going to have a better payoff once you reach the climax that… oh, shut up. Ugh!” Octavia said, quite annoyed.
By now, Vinyl had fallen to the floor laughing so hard she was in tears. Octavia rolled her eyes and left the room to make a cup of tea.
“Hey! Can… can you… bring… me a… soda… with you… when… you… come back?” Vinyl managed to get out.
“Very well,” Octavia shouted from the kitchen.
I can't believe she worded her opinion of my plans the way she did, Vinyl thought as she tried getting her laughter under control. It was a futile endeavor, however, because every time she replayed Octavia saying “climax” in her mind, she started right back up.
A few minutes later, Octavia returned to the living room with her tea and a soda for Vinyl. “Are you and your dirty mind finished?”
“Just as long as you don't use ‘climax’ again,” Vinyl replied with a small giggle. “So what was your opinion before my mind went to the gutter?”
“Very well. I think that you should have a slower approach when you start. If you do that, I think you'll have a better result when you finish. Oh, my god. Now what?” Octavia said as Vinyl began laughing like a hyena once more.
“Vinyl! Fluttershy is here!” Octavia shouted as Vinyl exited the shower.
Vinyl cracked the bathroom door and shouted, “Okay! I’ll be down in five minutes.”
“How have you been, Fluttershy?” Octavia asked as she took Fluttershy’s coat.
“Pretty good actually. I've been looking forward to Scratchie’s surprise all day,” Fluttershy replied, smiling. “Do you know what it is?”
Octavia shrugged her shoulders. “Honestly, I don't know. She hasn't told me about anything special that she plans to do,” she lied.
“Oh, I see,” said Fluttershy dejectedly.
“Hey, whatever she's got planned its bound to be pretty good,” Octavia assured as she placed her hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder.
“You really think so?”
“I know so. Anytime Vinyl says she's got a surprise for you, she goes all out,” Octavia said the smile returned to Fluttershy’s face.
Vinyl entered the room in a tank top and gym shorts, still drying her hair, as the other two girls continued their conversation. She set the towel on one of the end tables and snuck up behind Fluttershy.
“BOO!” she said as she poked Fluttershy’s sides.
“AHHH!” Fluttershy squealed. “Scratchie, are you trying to kill me?!”
“Haha, no. I just wanted to surprise you, that's all,” Vinyl said before giving her girlfriend a kiss.
“That was the surprise you planned for me?” Fluttershy asked after parting her lips from Vinyl’s.
Vinyl let out a small chuckle. “No way. The surprise I have planned is way bigger than a couple small pokes.”
“Bigger?”
“Way bigger.”
Fluttershy’s eyes lit up in anticipation of whatever Vinyl had planned. She tried her best to guess her girlfriend’s plans but nothing she could think of would fit Vinyl’s style. Whatever it was, Fluttershy really hoped it would be worth the tease.
A couple of hours later the girls were lounging on the couch watching “Greet The Parents". Octavia had just stepped out for a date with her boyfriend, leaving the two of them alone in the apartment.
“Um, Scratchie? Why are you acting so… odd this evening?” Fluttershy asked suddenly
“What do you mean?”
“Normally you're hanging all over me or trying to pin me to the couch for a make-out session. Tonight, you seem to be content with sitting next to me like I was your mom or something,” Fluttershy explained as she put her arm around Vinyl. “Are you worried I won't like whatever you have planned for me?”
“Something like that,” Vinyl said quietly as she looked away.
“Scratchie, you know that I love you. Nothing will change that. Okay?” Fluttershy whispered as she pulled Vinyl’s face toward her own.
Vinyl nodded as a stray tear rolled down one of her cheeks. “Okay.”
“Listen, how about we take a break from the movie and you show me what you’ve been working on.”
Vinyl wiped her cheek and led Fluttershy to her studio. “It-it’s a new mix that I put together with Tavi’s help. I have a light show synced up with it. I…” Vinyl paused before taking a breath, “I made it specifically for you.” She pulled up the light show that accompanied the mix she was about to play, dimmed the lights in the room and started the beat.
A soft bass began thumping from the speakers as the fog machine pumped out a light pink fog. The mirror ball, which normally cast off white lights, was now reflecting red light as it spun on its axis. About a minute into the song, the lasers came to life. Pink, purple and red lines filled the room as an instrument could now be heard with the rhythmic beats.
Fluttershy stood in awe as she suddenly realized that the bass in the music had the same rhythm as a heartbeat. What is going on? Fluttershy thought as her heart began making it's way to her throat.
Vinyl set the mix to repeat and left the controls with something in her hand. “What do you think?”
“It's wonderful,” Fluttershy replied.
“Thanks. I made it just for this occasion,” Vinyl said as her nerves began hijacking her thoughts. “Listen, the past few months, we've both grown together mentally and emotionally. We've been able to help each other move forward and overcome what has hurt us in the past. Personally, I've never felt this strongly about anyone or anything before, which is why I've been acting odd tonight.”
Is she doing what I think she is? thought Fluttershy as her heart began to race.
“Fluttershy, this is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. It's harder than DJing for a high profile wedding. Fluttershy, my Critter Lover, would you do the honors of becoming my wife?” She got on her right knee and a kissed Fluttershy’s hand before opening the jewelry box she had been holding. Inside was a 20K diamond engagement ring with butterflies and music notes engraved into the band.
Fluttershy began crying for joy as she saw the beautiful piece of jewelry. “Oh my gosh… Scratchie. It-it’s beautiful…” she said before tackling Vinyl with a hug. “YES! Oh my gosh, yes! I love you so much, Vinyl. Thank you.”
“I love you too, Critter Lover,” Vinyl said just as Fluttershy pressed her lips against hers for the most passionate kiss she'd ever had. As they kissed, Vinyl touched her watch which changed the lights that were lit. “Look at the wall behind you,” she said as the two ended their kiss.
“Wow,” Fluttershy gasped when she saw the image that was projected; a pink butterfly and a purple music note surrounded by a red heart.
"Vinyl?!" Applejack said with her eyes wide in shock. "Yer the mystery person that Fluttershy's been keeping a secret?"
"Sure am," said Vinyl with a huge smile.
"Scratchie's been with me almost every day with me since I got the letter that Sunset wrote to me before she... well, you know," Fluttershy said as she hugged Vinyl. "I don't know what I would've done if she hadn't found me under the bleachers the day of the rally. I mean, I don't think I'd go as far as Sunset but I would at least have locked myself in my bedroom for a long time."
“Well, Ah’ll be… C’mon in and join everyone else in the den, “Applejack said as the three girls went inside.
Vinyl looked around the house as they made the way to the den. “I love your pad, AJ. You don't mind me calling you AJ, do you?”
“Not at all,” said Applejack, “and thank ya kindly for the nice words about the house," Applejack said as they entered the den. "Hey y'all, look who’s here!”
“VINYL?!” Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Rarity simultaneously said in shock.
Rainbow Dash made a letter " T" with her hands. “Timeout! You've been the one to finally get Flutters to mellow out?” she asked.
“Yep. I thought about maybe becoming a psychologist or therapist and give up on the DJ business,” Vinyl said, giving a wink to Fluttershy. The other four just sat in shock to Vinyl’s announcement. However, it didn't last long as a huge grin appeared on Vinyl’s face. “I'm just messing with you guys. If I ever leave the music business, it's because I've become too old or too rich to continue.”
While everyone had a laugh at Vinyl’s joke, Rarity’s acute vision locked onto Fluttershy’s left hand.
"Um, darling? Wherever did you get that ring?" she asked.
"Oh, Scratchie proposed to me the other night," Fluttershy beamed. "It was so romantic. She had this soft beat playing on her turntable with the most beautiful light show. She kissed my hand and then presented the ring to me. I was so surprised and happy and... oh my, I'm getting really excited thinking about it."
“Excited how?” Rainbow Dash asked as her eyes got wide.
“Like when you know you're about to go on vacation or something,” Fluttershy responded.
“Oh. So what did you guys do after that?" Rainbow asked with a smirk.
“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity hissed. “Whatever is your problem?”
“Let Dash have her mind in the gutter, Rares. Truth is, all we did was cuddle on the couch and watch TV before sleeping together for the first time,” Vinyl said as Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up again. “I don't mean that way, either. We're not going to be doing that until after the wedding.”
“Speaking of which,” said Rarity, “Have you decided on what you're wearing; two gowns or two suits or a gown and a suit?”
“Or a suit and a gown?” Pinkie chimed in.
“Uh, Pinkie? That's the same thing,” Applejack said.
“Oh, right. Silly me.”
“We’re only a few days into our engagement, Rarity, but we're thinking a gown for me and a suit for Scratchie,” Fluttershy responded.
“Gowns ain't really my thing,” Vinyl added.
“Very well. I'll be needing some measurements from the both of you before the night is out,” Rarity said with a huge grin.
Fluttershy and Vinyl looked at the enthusiasm on Rarity’s face and then each other. Fluttershy pulled five dollars from her pocket and gave it to Vinyl as the two of them shared a laugh.