Vinyl Scratch waited at her house tapping her foot impatiently. She had been waiting for a good half an hour. What was Tavi doing precisely? Putting on makeup? She didn't need it. Doing her mane? She didn't need to.
Was she putting on a dress?
Vinyl gulped and couldn't help but imagine a flowing purple dress to match her eyes, graceful, yet teasing, showing off her curves in all the right areas yet leaving much to the imagination, teasing anypony who looked with only the briefest of glances...
Vinyl shook her head as she heard footsteps, and she saw the mare herself. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped nearly to the floor. She was wearing a dress! Exactly the way Vinyl had imagined it!
It was flowing like water, hugging her gracefully yet not too tightly, it was beautiful, and it matched her eyes perfectly. Vinyl still held the look of shock on her face, even as Octavia giggled and swirled, which didn't help her break out of her trance.
"Like it?" she asked, and Vinyl blinked, though Octavia couldn't see this.
Suddenly I feel very tacky Vinyl thought, and Octavia looked hurt.
"You don't look tacky Vinyl" she said, and Vinyl's eyes went wide, she had said that out loud!
"How could I not?" Vinyl asked and Octavia scoffed.
"Vinyl, you don't give yourself enough credit, you look fine just the way you are" she said and Vinyl blushed.
"Still, you're gonna be like a goddess wherever it is we're going, and I'm gonna look like a ruffian that just came along for the ride" she said dejectedly, and Octavia just shook her head.
"Vinyl," she said slowly, and walked up to her, nuzzling her cheek affectionately. Vinyl just froze as the warm breath ghosted across her cheek.
"Trust me Vinyl, okay?" she said and Vinyl just nodded as she pulled back. Octavia smiled and turned around, walking away and beckoning for her to follow, which Vinyl did.
"Oh, but you will have to something with your mane," Octavia said with a smile and a playful poke, Vinyl just scoffed.
"There is nothing wrong with my sexy look, okay?" she asked and Octavia laughed.
"Sure, and I'm Beethooven," she said, and Vinyl smiled at her.
"Well, the way you play you could be," she said softly and Octavia raised an eyebrow.
"What was that?" she asked, although she heard her perfectly, Vinyl just blushed and looked away, murmuring something about it being 'nothing'. They continued to walk in silence, unless somepony happened to wave at them or check them out. Rather, check out Octavia in her jaw-dropping dress.
"So where are you taking me?" Vinyl asked and Octavia just smiled and waggled her eyebrows.
"It's a wonderful place that's very under visited, and the wine is just to die for," Octavia gushed, and Vinyl chuckled, her signature grin spreading on her face for what seemed like the first time in forever.
"I hope they serve something stronger than wine" she said and they shared a brief laugh. Vinyl sighed and walked close to Octavia, who stiffened in surprise.
Easy, it's just a friendly gesture. It's no worse than you stopping one step short of kissing her for Celestia's sake! Octavia thought to herself, until Vinyl leant her head on Octavia's shoulder.
Then Octavia gulped, a blush just beginning to touch her cheeks as she felt her breath on her foreleg. She tried to regulate her breathing, and her racing heart that was pounding so hard that it felt like it would burst from her chest.
Vinyl just stayed leaning against Octavia, and seeing as how she made no attempt to get her to stop, she just stayed there, until Octavia nudged her and she opened her eyes, looking towards a small, yet well-lit and grand Café, the sign above it read; "Equine Eatery"
Vinyl chuckled at the name. "Cute," she remarked, and Octavia chuckled.
"Don't let the name fool you, this is a very nice café."
They walked through the door and it was, indeed, a very nice café. Crimson walls offset by orange lamps framed the wall, and pictures next to the lamps gave the place the feel of home, it was cosy, yet it wouldn't be out of place in Canterlot.
The waiter behind the desk smiled at them as they came in. Rather, he smiled at Octavia, and regarded Vinyl with a look she suspected he reserved for the lower-class ponies. Or the garbage.
"Hello, we would like a table for two please," Octavia said, and the waiter nodded, motioning with his hoof towards a table in a booth, residing in the less crowded part of the restaurant, granted, the restaurant was secluded at best, with only the occasional couple having a romantic night out, but the place they were currently being led to was completely sealed off.
Octavia sat down first, and Vinyl got in across from her, flashing her a smile as the waiter gave them the menu's and cleared his throat.
"The special today is a Caesar Salad served with a dry Provence rosè wine..." he said, but Vinyl didn't pay attention as he waffled on about some kind of wine list and the specials, Octavia listened half heartedly until she nodded to one of the selections of wine and ordered it, and turned to face her. She was saying something but, Oh Celestia Vinyl was just lost in those eyes. She knew her face must've had a look of complete adoration because Octavia furrowed her brow and looked behind her, that gave Vinyl just enough time to bring herself to reality.
"Vinyl, are you okay?" she asked and Vinyl nodded with a fake smile.
"Yeah I'm fine," she lied.
Octavia narrowed her eyes at her and arched an eyebrow. That look was known to get somepony to break a Pinkie Promise about keeping a secret, Vinyl knew this because she had succumbed to it numerous times before. She, however, was able to hold her own quite well. Octavia was just about to say something when somepony across the restaurant at another table caught their attention.
"Well, well, well. Octavia. I never thought I would see you here, otherwise I wouldn't have come" he said jokingly, and Octavia smiled and scoffed, turning to look at him.
"That's rich coming from you, you dusty violinist!" she quipped at the shaggy gray coated, red maned colt, who stood just next to them. He laughed as well and scooped Octavia up in a hug, which she returned fondly. Vinyl fought down a stab of jealousy at the sight.
"Oh my, what are you doing in Ponyville?" she asked and he put her down.
"Well, all musicians need a change of scenery once in a while, and you got yours, so I thought I should get mine!" he said and Octavia laughed.
"So, Canterlot finally proved too much for you then eh?" she jibed and he waved his hoof dismissively.
"Nah, I was too much for them, they had to kick me out" he said with a wink and, despite the jealousy overtaking her, Vinyl smiled. This colt was a lot like her, and under different circumstances, they may have even become friends.
"So sis, you want to introduce me to your lady-friend here or do I just assume she's a vagabond you're treating to a night out?" he asked and Vinyl scoffed.
"I may be a vagabond, but at least my hair makes me look presentable!" she quipped and the colt chuckled again, extending a hoof. Vinyl suddenly caught wind of what he just said as she shook his hoof.
"Wait, you're Tavi's brother?" she asked incredulously, and the colt nodded; then exchanged a glance with Octavia.
"'Tavi', eh? Well, that's one I haven't heard before" he said, and laughed at Octavia's blush. He turned back to Vinyl and took his hoof away, taking a bow before the two mares.
"Tempest Strings, at your service milady," he said in a fake Butler's accent and Vinyl chuckled again. Strings stood up and pulled up a chair, looking at the two before he sat down.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked and they both shook their heads, so he took a seat.
"So, you're Vinyl Scratch I presume?" he asked and Vinyl nodded.
"Yes I am, and how did you know that?" she asked, and Strings smiled.
"Oh, TAVI here has been writing to me while I was in Canterlot, she never included a return address though so I had to guess where she was or use a personalized messenger to deliver letters back to her, anyway, she always seemed to mention you in her letters," he said with a smile, otherwise oblivious to the blush that spread on Octavia and Vinyl's cheeks. Vinyl chalked Octavia's up to the use of her pet name.
Tempest Strings seemed to notice this and quickly changed the subject, but already the analytical gears in his head began to turn, looking between his sister and the alabaster unicorn across from him.
"So, Vinyl, I hear that you're a DJ."
After a long conversation and a delightful meal, they just sat, all three of them, and talked. Mostly Strings brought up embarrassing stories from their childhood, but skirted around the issue of their mother if they could. Vinyl made a note of this and thought about asking either one of them when they were alone. Vinyl didn't answer any questions about her childhood, saying it was no different than anypony else's, which wasn't technically a lie once she made it to Ponyville and found work as a performer during some plays and concerts.
After one too many wines, Octavia needed to visit the little filly's room, and once she was out of earshot, Strings turned onto Vinyl with all the ferocity of a lion protecting his cubs.
"Listen to me Vinyl, and listen good, because I am only going to say this once" he said pointedly, startling Vinyl with his seriousness and how he could switch between the happy colt who had sat with them, to this.
"Octavia has had some serious trouble before, colts and fillies, her childhood wasn't exactly the most normal, and underneath your calm, cool exterior, I'm guessing it wasn't normal for you either" he said, and Vinyl blinked, wanting to say something witty, throw him off, but a hoof to her lips silenced her.
"But Octavia has had heartbreak before, I've seen it destroy her. It's actually why she moved away. Some jerk called Noteworthy used her, badly, and she was devastated. She ran away, not telling anypony where she was going, not even me. She trusts you Vinyl, so if you break her heart, I will kill you," he said with the touch of a smirk just to let her know he was half joking. She nodded.
After a period of silence, with Strings gently sipping his wine, Vinyl sighed.
"I actually thought I hid it quite well," she said dejectedly, and Strings perked up.
"Pardon?" he asked, and Vinyl looked up. Even with the shades, Strings knew she was having a hard time not crying.
"I said I thought I did a pretty good job of hiding it," she repeated, but Strings was still confused.
"Hiding what? Your feelings for Octavia or your past?" he asked and she sighed.
"All of it. Now I know that I'm quite transparent."
Strings lay a hoof on hers comfortingly. "Nah, I'm just too smart for my own good. I'm not gonna be all cliché and say 'Oh it's obvious and if she doesn't know she's dumb' because that stuff only happens in books. But, I think she likes you, too," he said, and hope flared within Vinyl's chest. She was about to question it further before Octavia returned and took a last gulp of her wine before calling for the check.
"So, what now sis?" Strings asked.
Octavia raised a hoof, wobbling as she did. Her voice was, sort of slurred, but she wasn't drop-dead drunk. Yet. "I *hic* was about to try and convince this a-one" she said, pointing at Vinyl, "to take off those damn glasses." Strings raised an eyebrow and looked over at the nearly panicking Vinyl.
"All right then, why not? C'mon Vinyl, take 'em off," he said, and she just shook her head.
"No, she said 'try and convince.' That doesn't mean I'm gonna do it"
"What's the matter, Vinyl? Is the sexy DJ chicken?" Octavia asked, and Vinyl fought down the blush with the anger. Then, resignation.
"Yes," she answered, lowering her head. Both of them were shocked, how could Vinyl Scratch, one of the most confident ponies in Ponyville, be scared of such a small thing as taking off her glasses? Sure Strings hadn't known her for long, but she was the mirror image of him when it came to confidence and wit, so how could she have this whole other aspect of a personality that even Octavia seemed shock to see, and she had been in Ponyville a lot longer than he had.
"Why?" Octavia asked, suddenly sounding much more sober than she was a minute ago. Vinyl shrugged.
"I don't like showing my eyes in public," she all but whispered, and Octavia decided to do something then that would change their friendship. She scooted over in the booth and sat next to Vinyl, and cupped her face, turning it so that Octavia looked at where her eyes were. She offered a gentle smile before she took the glasses in her spare hoof and removed them. To Vinyl's credit, she didn't try and stop her, what she did do however, was keep her eyes firmly shut.
Octavia sighed.
"Vinyl, please, let me see them," she asked softly, and Vinyl shook her head. Octavia put the glasses on the table and once again took her face in her hooves. "Please?" she whispered again.
Octavia was met with the same shake of the head and a quiet "no."
Strings watched intently, almost feeling like a voyeur watching this unintentional display of affection. After about five minutes Octavia sighed again and lifted the shades from the table, opening them up and placing them on Vinyl's face again. Vinyl offered her a smile and Octavia returned it warmly. "Someday," she said, and Vinyl nodded.
"Someday, but not today."
Strings paid for the meal even though all he had was a salad, and much to Octavia's persistent attempts to get him to do otherwise, Vinyl paid for the most expensive wine. 30 bits just for a bottle, oh, but it was worth it in the end.
At the door Tempest bid them farewell with a fond hug from both of them. As he hugged Vinyl, he pulled away and smiled. "Take care of my sister" he said, but the look in his eyes said something different; Don't break her heart.
Vinyl nodded as he left and then looked to Octavia who smiled at her and started walking. Out of some sense of manners or common decency Vinyl walked with her, catching her if she stumbled as she was still a bit tipsy.
After her third stumble she began to giggle like a school filly, and after a while, Vinyl joined in too. Anypony watching them would've seen two drunken mares, when in reality it was one tipsy mare and one very love struck one.
Vinyl kept on walking with Octavia, the pair making idle chatter until they reached the door of Octavia's house. Vinyl opened the door for her and Octavia stepped inside, turning to Vinyl who stood on the doorstep.
"Thanks for walking me home" she said with a smile and Vinyl nodded.
"No problem" she said, and Octavia cocked her head to the side.
"You know, I think I'm starting to like this New Scratch. Before you were, well… kinda distant, but now you're actually willing to HELP me," she said smiling, and Vinyl laughed.
"Okay, that's the wine talking right there" she said, and Octavia just leant on the doorframe.
"No I mean it, you have the manners of a Canterlot mare now, and yet the persona of a country hick," she said, then covered her mouth with her hooves. They shared a slight laugh.
"Okay, I'm going to overlook that statement," she said, and they grew silent, but the smiles were still on their faces. Octavia once again cocked her head to the side slightly, and furrowed her brow.
"Vinyl, what's wrong?" Octavia asked, and Vinyl furrowed her brow.
"What do you mean?" Vinyl asked, and Octavia took a step forward, echoed by Vinyl taking a step back.
"You seem sad," she said, and Vinyl sighed. If only you knew she thought to herself.
"I'm fine Tavi, just a little tired is all"
"Liar," Octavia stated pointedly, and Vinyl shook her head. Octavia just grabbed her in an embrace and hugged her tightly. "V, you can tell me whatever it is that's bothering you, you know" she said, stroking her mane gently and tenderly, the way a mother would a foal, or a lover would a traumatised life mate. The last thought brought a blush, and tears to Vinyl’s eyes, and she lifted her shades to wipe them away, sniffing as she did so.
"I knew it. Something's upsetting you!" she said, pulling back and barely giving Vinyl enough time to get her shades back into place. She fumbled with them, and Octavia huffed irritably and grabbed them, throwing them off into the darkness. Vinyl watched them go, then turned back to Octavia, closing her eyes as she did.
"Tavi! What in Equestria is wrong with you?" she yelled.
Octavia sighed. "I want to know what's upsetting you. And unless you look me in the eyes without those damn things I don't know if you're lying or not. So open your eyes and look at me!" she said.
Vinyl shook her head violently. "No!"
"Why not?"
"Because you'll see me like them!" Vinyl said, nearly sobbing, and Octavia hugged her tightly again.
"Like who?" she asked tenderly, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Vinyl opened her eyes to the real world, seeing it without the distortion of the nearly opaque glasses. Octavia did not see. Vinyl sniffed again.
"Get me a pair of sunglasses and I'll tell you," she said, closing her eyes once again as Octavia nodded and brought her back out of the embrace.
"Okay," she said, letting her go and walking back inside. Vinyl felt empty without her by her side, she felt hollow without the mare's embrace. Then, and only then, did she want to truly recognize the deep seated yearning in her heart that threatened to overcome her soul as love.
She heard hoofsteps and felt a pair of glasses being put onto her face. She opened her eyes and saw the smiling face of Octavia.
"Can you see them?" she asked and Octavia shook her head sadly.
Vinyl smiled a bit before she walked into the house. Octavia shut the door behind her and they both sat on the couch, as Octavia listened to Vinyl's story.
"I wasn't born here in Ponyville..." she began, and went on to tell Octavia almost everything...
After Vinyl had told her about her father, her step father, the beatings she got and her mother receiving abuse, Octavia looked ready to cry, but Vinyl wasn't done.
"I promised myself that I would tell the Metriponytan Police about my step-dad, and I did. He was put in jail, and according to the papers, he was serving a sentence of twelve years. He got out during a prison riot, and, well, he..." she stopped, tears falling down her muzzle as she buried her head in her hooves.
"He killed my mother!" she wailed, and Octavia gasped, unsure of what to do then. She knew she should comfort the mare, so she put her hooves around her and let Vinyl just lean on her for support.
"But, the piano..." Octavia began.
Vinyl sniffed. "Left to me in her last will and testament. My step father was killed by a Police Colt when he was involved in a bar fight. The Police Colt got prosecuted, but I feel it was justice" Vinyl said, and Octavia held her close.
"My step dad told me he only started drinking because of me, because I was a freak, just because of my eyes. I was a witch, a devil, a daemon, you name it, I was it. And the ponies at my school..." she paused, breaking away from Octavia's embrace to part her hair, showing her a scar where a rock had hit her on the head from an eternity ago.
"They weren't afraid to show me how much they hated me," she finished, and Octavia did cry then, tears flowed freely down her face as she held Vinyl close again, kissing the mare's head right where the scar was.
"There," she said, stroking up and down her mane gently. "All better."
Vinyl laughed. "If only it were that easy" she said, and Octavia sighed, leaning into the embrace.
"My mother died very early on too. I never knew her, after that my father, he became overprotective of me and my brother. When I first brought home my boyfriend, Noteworthy, He didn't like him. Thought he couldn't be trusted. I should've listened."
"What happened?" Vinyl asked, and Octavia smiled.
"He used me to get back together with his ex marefriend. Enough said" she said and Vinyl sighed, leaving an air of comfortable silence between them as Octavia's hooves stroked through Vinyl's hair. They were both silent, both their pasts now in the open.
"But, no offence to you Vinyl, but this is all in the past. This is not what got you upset tonight, was it?" she asked suddenly, and Vinyl sighed and shook her head.
"No, it isn't, but it's a small part. Because of the bullying, I got it into my head that I was good for nothing. And because of that, I feel I can't exactly approach ponies about how I'm feeling, one mare in particular" she said, and if Octavia was fazed by this, she gave no indication.
"I love her Tavi, and she doesn't know it, I don't know how to approach her because I don't want to ruin what we have," she wailed, and Octavia just held her closer than ever, ignoring the pain and the jealousy she felt.
"Who is it V?" she asked, and Vinyl sniffed.
"You," she whispered, and time froze, for just a split second, blending into an eternity, there was silence, shock became etched on Octavia's face as she pushed Vinyl away, not violently, but not entirely gently either, misconstruing this as an act of hatred, Vinyl looked away and began crying again.
"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry Tavi!" she wailed, and glanced at the door, then at Octavia again, who had tears running down her face still. Vinyl made a half choked sob and dashed for the door, throwing it open and running into the night.
Vinyl got to her house and slammed the door, throwing herself down on her couch and letting the tears freely come. She then got up and went down the stairs to her recording studio, nearly slamming her head on the console. She picked up the CD she had made earlier, and sighed as she put it in the machine, pressing play. If that was all she had left of Octavia, then so be it...
PRESENT DAY:
Vinyl was shocked, why was Octavia there? Didn't she hate her? Didn't she never want to see her again? She was watching her, those violet eyes holding such depth, such emotion, that Vinyl could hardly stand it. Octavia sniffed once, and Vinyl realised she had been crying. Vinyl was glad she was wearing shades, otherwise Octavia would've known she had been crying too. She had picked them up off of the floor just before she opened the door. She may have been broken, but she wasn't stupid.
"May I come in?" she asked, her voice shaking, and Vinyl nodded, stepping aside and watching as the mare walked inside and took a deep breath. It still smelled vaguely of Lavender. Octavia turned and Vinyl watched as she smiled.
"V, we need to talk," she said, and Vinyl's heart plummeted to the floor, shattering into a million pieces. She knew what was coming. She was a heartbreaker herself, anypony could've told you that.
"Tavi, I know what you're going to say. How we can't be together and how it's better we remain friends, but I can't do that," Vinyl said pre-emptively, and Octavia just stood there, brow furrowed in confusion.
"So, before you say anything about us remaining friends, know this, I love you. And seeing you every day, and knowing that you know, would just eat away at my soul, until there would be nothing left. So before you break my heart anymore, go," she said simply, and sat on the floor. Octavia wanted to say something, but no words came. Nothing, just blank.
So she walked out the door. As soon as she left, the door closed and she heard sobbing, and hooffalls as Vinyl walked away.
Vinyl dejectedly walked down to her basement/Recording studio, once again submerging herself in the darkness. She glanced offhand at the piano in the corner and sighed, walking towards it.
"This is for you mom" she said quietly to herself, and for the first time in many years, she sat at the piano, and played...
Octavia was about to begin to walk away when she heard something, music, not just any music though, piano music. It was beautiful, and she knew instinctively that it was played by none other than Vinyl Scratch.
As she listened, something clicked in her mind, she was going to say no to the mare, despite what she wanted and believed. But now, hearing the music, she could hear the hurt, she could hear the emotion, the love, the frustration, the pent up guilt that she must have felt.
And it hurt her to hear it.
She decided then, something that would end their friendship entirely, and push them over the threshold of love. She turned away from the door and drew up her hind legs, pushing them out violently. The door was bucked open, but the music didn't stop playing. Octavia ran to the top of the stairs and walked down, hearing the music intensify.
She turned the corner and saw Vinyl playing beautifully, her hooves moving across the piano keys with grace and poise. Octavia silently walked up to the pony and wrapped her hooves around her, Vinyl jumped and struggled, until she was turned and came face to face with a pair of intense violet eyes.
"Vinyl, I love you," she stated, and Vinyl's mouth dropped, before her lips were sealed in a kiss, Vinyl mustered all of her self control before she could become lost in it, and pushed her back.
"Why?" she asked, before Octavia moved closer and began to kiss her neck passionately. Vinyl moaned out loud and felt her knees buckle, and knew she would've fallen were it not for the piano stool.
"Because you are kind... beautiful... caring... and I've been in love with you for a while now," she said, punctuating each word with a kiss.
"But... But... Oh Celestia... Why would you love a freak?" she asked, and Octavia stepped back, anger on her face, but not at her, at the glasses that blocked her eyes. Annoyed, Octavia grabbed them and crushed them in her hooves.
Vinyl's eyes were shut, yet again, and Octavia sighed. She leant in for a kiss and kissed her passionately, snaking her tongue between the alabaster unicorn's lips and eliciting a moan from her. Their tongues danced and Octavia pulled away suddenly.
"I won't kiss you, until you let me see your eyes," she whispered in her ear, and Vinyl shuddered as she felt the hot breath caress her ear.
"Promise me you'll still love me..." she asked, pleaded more like, and Octavia smiled.
"I promise, I will love you no matter what," she said, and Vinyl slowly opened her eyes, revealing two, sharp, brilliant eyes that were crimson, the colour of rubies. Octavia gasped at the sight. They were beautiful.
Octavia reached up a hoof and caressed her cheek. "They're beautiful V," she said, and Vinyl smiled.
"Really?" she asked, desperately wanting to believe her, and Octavia nodded, smiling, kissing her on the lips.
"Really."
Vinyl threw her hooves around Octavia and kissed her forcefully, all tentative thoughts ceased to exist. Octavia picked her up and knocked over the piano stool as she sat her on the keys, a monotone sounded out as the perfect way to celebrate their union as the two tongues battled for dominance. Octavia's surprisingly won as her hooves snaked through Vinyl's hair and lifted her head so Octavia could kiss the supple flesh of the neck. Vinyl moaned out in brilliant resignation that was as much music to the gray mare's ears as the piano Vinyl was playing earlier.
For the next half an hour the two celebrated their love, and I'll leave the rest to your imagination.