//------------------------------// // Tambourine - definition: Holy Terror, Adorable // Story: A Tale of Two Mares // by CharmingChaos //------------------------------// Octavia found herself shaken awake in the middle of the night, urgently. Vinyl's breath was hot on her muzzle, and her white fur shone in the pale moonlight. The mare had a look of worry on her face, and her crimson eyes showed a flash of unshed tears. Octavia groaned. "What are you doing awake right now? Tamby's not crying, you should be asleep." "'Tav, I, uh, I had a bad dream," Vinyl said sheepishly, looking both embarrassed and frightened at the same time. Octavia hugged her tightly, planting a comforting kiss on the other mare's cheek. "Don't worry, Sweetie. It was just a dream." "I know, Octy, but--" she opened her eyes even wider, letting a tear slip down her nose. "What if they take her away from us?" "Why would they do that? Celestia already passed a law saying that fillyfoolers and coltcuddlers could have foals." Octavia frowned. It wasn't like Vinyl to mention things like that. "But not bad parents. Celestia hasn't passed a law saying bad parents can keep their foals," Vinyl said bitterly. "What? Vinyl, that's the most ridiculous thing you've ever said. We're not bad parents." "I know, but in my dream we were... We were fighting again, only outside, and then these ponies came and sort of surrounded us. They said we couldn't take care of Tamby, that we were an unstable family. Then one of them came and took Tamby's pram, but I couldn't move to get her back. And all the while poor Tamby was crying her little heart out because they were taking her away. But then they took you away too. And I couldn't do anything. It was just awful!" Octavia stroked Vinyl's mane soothingly, keeping a hoof around her shaking shoulders. "I-it was awful, 'Tav," Vinyl repeated, keeping her eyes on the filly's crib as is she might disappear. "What if that really happens? What if the take her away, and separate us, and I can't do anything?" "They won't, Vinyl, darling," Octavia said, letting her distraught marefriend bury her face in Octavia's mane. " They can't without Celestia's consent,mand I'm sure that if she sees us when we aren't angry, she won't Let them." Octavia felt Vinyl nod her head, her face still hidden. She gently pushed the fuzzy blue head out of her mane, changing position slightly so Vinyl could nestle into the crook of her body, much the way she did with Tambourine. "Go back to sleep, Sweetheart. They won't take her away, I promise." "Okay." Vinyl kissed Octavia's nose, making her sneeze. "Thanks for taking care of me, 'Tavi." "Goodnight, Darling. I love you." Octavia reached an arm over Vinyl, keeping her safe. Vinyl sighed and pressed her face into her marefriend's side. "I love you too." "You're quiet this morning, Babe," Vinyl observed over a breakfast of impossibly colorful cereal. Octavia, currently half covered in baby food, merely nodded and continued prodding Tambourine's stubbornly closed mouth with a spoon. "Aw, let me do it." Vinyl pried the spoon out of her marefriend's hoof and turned to her filly. "Open up, Sweetie. Here comes the flying chariot!" Vinyl made a whizzing noise as she moved the spoon slowly toward Tambourine's mouth. The filly opened her mouth wide, giggling, and Vinyl swiftly pushed the spoon in, grinning smugly. "Ya gotta make the noises, 'Tavi." "That's your way. I have other ways to do it," Octavia said stiffly. "Well, whatever you were doing wasn't working as well as my carriage, was it now?" Vinyl arched an eyebrow, provoking her. "My way works fine, and you know it." Octavia took the bait, her cheeks flushing as she engaged in the playful argument. Vinyl was silent, watching her prey. Finally, unable to contain herself, Octavia practically shouted, "What!?" "Nothin'" Vinyl leaned forward, tongue poking out of her mouth. "Just, uh, you gotta little somethin' on your face." She leaned forward, licking some of the splattered baby food off of Octavia's cheek. "Ph-tooey!" She exclaimed, spitting it into her hoof. "No wonder Tamby didn't want to eat. This stuff tastes like shit!" "Don't speak like that in front of Tamby," Octavia spoke sternly. Then she grinned. "However, I'll admit it does taste pretty terrible." "Well, I gotta go." Vinyl stood up, kissing the only part of Octavia's face that wasn't covered in greenish sludge. "Being Pinkie Pie's go-to mare for music means a lot of day jobs-- but at least she pays well. By the way, enjoy your facial, Babe. It comes free with creation of any colt or filly." Octavia giggled. "Thank you. I will." Vinyl slipped her head through her bulky grey sweatshirt, the only thing that kept ponies on the street from recognizing her as the famous DJ Pon3. She shouted her goodbyes as she closed the door behind her."Bye. Love ya, Babe!" Octavia sighed. She loved taking care of their filly more then anything else in all of Equestria, but Tambourine barely ever ate for anypony but Vinyl, and if she wasn't home, Octavia was going to have one hell of a time trying to convince her to even consume one bite. "Open up, Tamby," she said timidly, picking up another spoonful of mush. The filly refused to comply, shutting her mouth with a determined snap. "Tamby, please," Octavia pleaded, desperate. "You're going to have to eat sooner or later." Tambourine shook her head stubbornly, an adorable but still determined frown plastering itself on her face. She couldn't talk yet, but it seemed then picky foal had learned basic ways of communicating her own likes and dislikes. "Okay. I guess I'll have to do this the Scratch way." Timidly, Octavia began mimicking her marefriend's highly illogical buzzing chariot noises, bringing the spoon toward Tamby hopefully. Tambourine gave her a six-month-old's rendition of her mother's are-you-bucking-kidding-me look, which made Octavia want to laugh as much as it made her want to cry. But the filly still kept her mouth shut tight, refusing the green mush Octavia held in the spoon. Octavia sighed, putting her head in her hooves. It was going to be a long day.