Vinyl and Octavia: Ponyville Duet

by generalsnaz

Chapter 29: Motion and Friction (An Old Story Pt. 2)

Vinyl Scratch bopped her head to the rhythm of the music playing in her headset as the train pulled into Ponyville Station. She knew the song well, she had played it in many clubs she had DJ'd in Manehatten. She casually waved her hoof to the melody of the electrically created noises. There were no words to this particular track, but she knew every note. She knew every change in tempo. She knew every time an instrument dropped out, and when it next appeared. She knew the timing of the climax and for how long the last note held. What she didn't know was the place she was traveling to.

As she stepped off the train onto the modest wooden planks of the small station platform, Vinyl took off her headset without pausing the music. She let it play, the music softly coming out the speakers, entertaining nopony else but her, as she looked around. Only two other ponies got off the train while a few were getting on. It was much less busy than the Manehatten train station she was accustomed to. She took the short trip down the stairs of the platform, past the train as it huffed out smoke. The visiting DJ looked down the train tracks as the steel and wood led to somewhere beyond the horizon. Further past that horizon stood Canterlot Mountain and the shining capital that set high upon its cliffs.

Squinting behind her sunglasses, Vinyl peered at distant Canterlot's towers. She couldn't decipher anything else, other than... it was white? She wasn't supposed to go there, anyway. Patched Hat had warned her. But Ponyville... it's close to Canterlot, but not that close, right? She'd probably be fine. At least, that's what she told herself.

Vinyl levitated her mixer and record case before seting out into the town. Never in too much of a hurry, she leisurely strolled down the roads, still bopping her head to the beat of her headset. A small fluttering in her stomach didn't stop her from looking around with interest. This was Ponyville. A certain filly she knew lived here. Or did live here. Or still does? Vinyl wasn't sure... It had been so many years since that encounter at McJazzer's. Did that pony even remember her? Would they meet? Would she be with somep... Shaking her head, Vinyl tried to push away the thoughts. She wasn't here for some sort of clandestine encounter. She probably wouldn't see her. She might not even be here.

The colorful shops and charming houses caught Vinyl's notice as she trotted around. The humble architecture emitted refreshing vibes that even Vinyl could pick up on, even though she wasn't interested in any sort of visual design. There was open space between every structure, ensuring each one had enough room to twinkle with originality. The buildings weren't crammed together so tightly that you felt like you were being squished along with them, like in a certain big city. There was even room to maneuver around street vendors that you had no interest in. (Manehatten's a Dump, Pt. 1.)

Vinyl took a deep breath. The air was clean. There were fresh white clouds above that were actually supposed to be there, instead of being left behind by overworked city pegasi. The park was well kept and trimmed without any overgrowth or decaying structures. An abundance of trees provided the town with fresh oxygen, clearing away the city smog from her lungs. And best of all, it certainly didn't reek like the back-alleys of someplace Vinyl knew. (Manehatten's a Dump, Pt. 2)

'Everypony here... is so chill!' Vinyl found herself thinking after catching notice of the citizens of Ponyville. Everypony she locked eyes with smiled or waved at her. They trotted around happily with contentment in their hearts and friendship on their minds. Fillies and colts played gleefully while old mares chatted long-windedly. Vinyl was even fairly certain she heard some ponies break out into a song for no reason. This was unlike the very busy and grumpy ponies Vinyl was accustomed to. (Manehatten's a Dump, Pt. 3)

However, Vinyl wasn't here to view the scenery, socialize or relax. She was here to DJ! She took out the map she brought with her, used town hall as a reference and followed its directions to the club she had been hired by. The flat building stuck out like a sore thu... hoof, amid the colorful town. A large banner read "Grand Opening Tonight!" as it hung from the wall. The Horseshoe wasn't as big or extravagant like the city clubs, but Vinyl was impressed by its modesty. She went inside to meet the owner, an old acquaintance of McJazzer.

"You must be the legendary DJ-P0N3!" the skinny middle aged stallion owner said as Vinyl greeted him.

"That's me!" Vinyl responded proudly. "Real name's Vinyl Scratch. Call me Vinyl. Nice to meetcha!" Vinyl had grown accustomed to meeting ponies during her years working with McJazzer. She began to show strangers her friendly exuberant side with confidence. Her popping attitude made her a favorite among customers. Once she had learned much about controlling music, she became a full-time traveling DJ. She went to several big cities and met all sorts of ponies. She was no longer that frustrated and scared filly in Manehatten. She had made a name for herself. (And she also made a very silly stage name for herself.)

Vinyl chatted with the owner, made him laugh a few times and got to work setting up her equipment. She ran checks, adjusted levels and other things that were probably important. This was the grand opening of The Horseshoe and the owner wanted it to go right. That's why McJazzer had recommended Vinyl to DJ. If there was any pony able to get an indecisive club bouncing, it was Vinyl Scratch.

The doors opened soon after Vinyl started to play. A small crowd of excited, but cautious ponies who were waiting in line outside came in. They seemed hesitant; this was Ponyville's first dance club, after all. Vinyl smiled to herself. She knew what to do. She picked the latest, the best and the most energetic tracks to get the dancing started. A few ponies perked up and timidly headed for the dance floor. As the music played, they started to move their bodies a little and they started to laugh. Their hesitancy had melted. Perfect! As soon as a few ponies started to enjoy themselves, the rest would follow. And that they did. The small crowd was almost entirely on the dance floor. Vinyl had them in the palm of her hoof. But it wasn't just them she wanted. She wanted the ponies passing by outside. They were the ones she needed to fill the ranks and make the night a success. Soon enough, curious heads outside turned towards the club. More cautious ponies came in, sometimes a single pony, sometimes a group. They all came regardless. Before long, there was a line to get in. Capacity had been reached! It was time to party!

Vinyl continued to play relentlessly throughout the night, never noticing the mulberry colored mare bouncing along in the crowd.

The last few ponies trickled out as the doors closed. The party was over, for it was too late to stay up and dance anymore. The everyday ponies of Ponyville had to get back to their mundane work tomorrow. Vinyl exhaled as her job was done. She was tired, but giddy nonetheless.

"That- that went pretty well! Right?" the excited owner exclaimed as he shuffled over to Vinyl. He had a broom in one hoof and his attire was disheveled. "Thanks so much for coming on such short notice, Miss Scratch!"

"No problem," Vinyl beamed as she started to unhook her devices. "Aaaand... I'm pretty sure I told you to call me Vinyl," she added playfully.

"Right, sorry! It's been so hectic!" the owner responded with an exasperated sigh.

"Heheh," Vinyl chuckled. "It's all good."

"Well, Miss Vinyl, e-either way you've made tonight a success!"

"Yeah, it's kinda my thing," Vinyl waved her hoof with faux superiority as she magically packed up her belongings. "But, honestly... This was pretty rad for me, too. First time at a grand opening of a club! It was... I don't know how else to put it: it was just awesome." She wasn't just making cheep small talk, Vinyl had felt a new kind of energy in helping an unsure crowd of ponies to learn to let loose and enjoy themselves. Playing for regular club goers is one thing; they know what to expect. But surprising this small town's ponies had been a new experience for Vinyl. (There's some more new experiences coming up, but we'll get there.) The DJ chatted with the owner some more before realizing she needed to get going to catch the train. "Anyway, congrats on the opening! Just let me know when you want me back!" Vinyl waved goodbye to the owner as she trotted out the employee's entrance in the back of the club. It wasn't the middle of the night, it was later than that. Any sensible pony would have been asleep for several hours by this point, but such is the life of a DJ in demand.

"...Woah!" Vinyl exclaimed as she stepped outside into the cold night air, but it wasn't the air that startled her. Above her there were thousands... hundreds of thousands... millions, maybe... of stars. They carefully dotted the sky in a benevolent spread that may have been put into place by some graceful celestial goddess, or perhaps created through the specific calculated efforts of an indifferent universe. Eyeing them with awe, Vinyl took her sunglasses off, a practice she never did in public; she couldn't help herself. The flickering lights were so brilliant, she had to see them without the darkening of her shades. They shone without interruption, without any pony's notice, all throughout the night.

The serenity of the stars complimented the muteness of the town around her. All but the distant trill of insects had been silenced for the night, creating an unfamiliar feeling for Vinyl. She was accustomed to hearing big city noises after a club gig on her return to her home or hotel. There's activity throughout the night there and it's not hard to hear it. Laughing, shouting... fighting... screaming... sirens... The sounds that terrified her as a filly as she trembled in the alleyways. (Manehatten's a Dump, Pt. 4) There was nothing like that here, though. The peace allowed Vinyl to admire the stars without interruption. They made you feel tiny, but they didn't make you feel insignificant. Instead, they naturally expanded your perspective, making you realize how much you've yet to see in the world in comparison. Stars are special in that way. They were also special because...

"You can't see the stars in Manehatten, can you?" a cool voice spoke, startling Vinyl into thrusting her sunglasses back on her face as fast as she could. She turned to face the voice: a voice that had once saved her in her lowest moment.

"Who-!?" Vinyl spurted out as a mare stepped into view. It was Berry Punch, of course. Only, this wasn't the filly Berry Punch that helped her out when she was younger, this was full-grown Berry Punch walking towards her.

Berry snickered a little as she approached and said, "Sorry! Didn't mean to startle you!"

"Wha-!?" a dumbfounded Vinyl sputtered out. "What are you doing here?" Her question was more about seeing the pony from her fillyhood right in front of her, but it must of sounded a little different to Berry.

"Oh. ...Sorry. Y-you must think I'm some sort of fanfilly," Berry said, a tad dejected. However, it didn't stop her from explaining, "I just- I have this feeling. ...I think we've met before? I thought maybe..."

"...Berry Punch," Vinyl stated plainly and softly without any prompting to do so. She hadn't said that name aloud in years. Berry brightened up immediately upon hearing her name.

"Hey! We have met! You even remember my name!" Berry said, elated. "Color me impressed!"

A suddenly frantic Vinyl almost slapped herself to stop herself from saying, "Color you purple." It was stupid. Why did she think that? Was it funny? Was she trying to make Berry laugh? She made other ponies laugh all the time! But suddenly, it was difficult. Her brain was on fire. It couldn't tell the difference between a good joke and an awkward phrase. She couldn't tell the difference between the mare she imagined Berry to look like and the mare before her.

"Yeah, we met back at uh, McJazzer's. Manehatten," Vinyl finally managed to say instead of the bad joke. "Back when we were hehfillies," Vinyl unintentionally released a laugh at the end of her sentence. (More indication she was no longer in "chill mode.")

"...That's right! In that record store. You... you got your cutie mark! I remember now!" Berry realized, finally filling in the missing pieces. "How have you been!? You're a DJ now! Miss DJ-P0N3!"

"Yeah, it came kind of naturally after getting my mark," Vinyl explained, embarrassed. "I've- I've been traveling all over Equestria doing DJ gigs. I'm k-kind of famous now." She didn't have to add that "famous" part, but she did anyway. Was she trying to impress Berry or just explain reality? Vinyl didn't know and wasn't thinking fast enough to figure it out. Her head was a blur and she was feeling hot despite the frigid night air. She was talking to Berry again after all these years. Only... she wasn't the same filly from her memories. This mare in front of her had matured and Vinyl had done some maturing of her own. Berry wasn't just cute anymore. She was... attractive and Vinyl had noticed, as the bead of sweat that fell down her face indicated.

"Oh, are you now?" Berry giggled at Vinyl's self-promotion. "I hadn't heard anything about the world renowned DJ-P0N3 coming to Ponyville," she jabbed, looking for more cracks to break in the ice.

"Well, you... might have only heard of me in the club scene. Heheh," Vinyl admitted, laughing a little herself.

"Well, that's great anyway! And I remember it was all because of me getting that record for my mom," Berry mused. "I suppose that sorta makes me famous too!" she added with a wink.

"You don't want to be famous with club ponies, BP. They're a little wild and crazy," Vinyl joked. The reality of meeting Berry had settled in and she was beginning to get used to talking with her. The typical charm that Vinyl was known for started to come out again.

"BP? ...Oh, Berry Punch! I get it!" Berry figured out quickly.

"Yeah. That okay I call you that?" Vinyl asked as she shuffled her hooves a bit. She was accustomed to calling everypony she knew by a nickname. She never really knew why she did it.

"Sure! I've never had a nickname before," Berry mentioned. They both giggled for a bit before Berry spoke again. "Hey, that was a great show! I've never danced like that before! You really lit the place up!"

"Thanks! That's what I like to hear!" Vinyl said with a mild gesture of brushing off her shoulders.

"I guess it's good you came, um... ..." Berry started before pausing her speech for a moment (that was just a speck too long) before finishing with, "...DJ-P0N3."

"Yeah, it- ...is? Hmm?" Vinyl hummed as she noticed what Berry just said. Something was off about it. Why did she pause that long? Maybe she...? No, surely not. Vinyl decided to test it. Mouth open in a smile, she slowly pointed her hoof to her face and cheerfully asked, "Quick question, BP. What- uh... What's my name?"

Berry straightened up in a sweat at the sudden inquiry. She glanced away with her eyes nervously shaking and said, "D-DJ-P0-"

Before she could finish, Vinyl interrupted with, "That's my stage name!"

"I-I can't help it! I don't remember your name!" a giggling Berry responded. "It was years ago!"

"Hey, I remembered your name!" Vinyl retorted, rolling her eyes, but Berry couldn't see the annoyance behind those thick shades.

"Well, forgive me if I don't have your fantastic memory," Berry spouted giddily. They were arguing like old friends already.

"It's not that great," Vinyl admitted before muttering, "It's actually pretty crummy..." Of course, the only reason she remembered Berry Punch so clearly was because she thought about her almost every day. She had wondered how that filly was doing. She wondered what that filly would think of her now. She wondered how that filly had changed... how that filly had grown. But why did she think about that filly she met so much? (You, astute reader, should know the reason why.)

Vinyl had stumbled upon the truth long ago. She had accidently seen two mares kissing each other during her first year of actually attending dance clubs. The sight gave her some... shall we say, "funny feelings." She asked her mentor McJazzer about it and well, he had to explain some things. After that, she figured it out pretty quick (unlike a certain cellist who is probably sound asleep in Canterlot at this very moment.) Though she had never had a fillyfriend of her very own, she knew she wanted one. She knew what she was inside and what that meant for her memories of Berry. Or at least, she thought she knew. But she could never be sure until, this moment: when she was face to face with her again.

"Well, what is your name, then?" Berry asked, curious to solve the mystery.

"No, I'm definitely mad at you," Vinyl stated as she turned pompously, yet playfully away.

"Oh, come on! That's not fair!" Berry pouted as she poked Vinyl.

"Nope."

"Come on! Please? I feel terrible, okay?" Berry conceded, enjoying the silly conversation, but also embarrassed at herself.

"Hmmm... I could tell you," Vinyl contemplated. "But that's no fun! Let's see if we can jog your memory, instead," Vinyl decided as she magically popped open her record case. Pulling out a sleeve at random, Vinyl retrieved the record from within and presented it to Berry. "Let's have a quiz. What's this?"

"A record," Berry answered, easily.

"Good!" Vinyl praised. "Now, what's it made of?"

After a moment, Berry hesitantly answered "...R-rubber?"

"Bzzzztt!" Vinyl mimicked a buzzer sound, gleefully. "Try again, filly."

"...Plastic?" Berry attempted again, squinting like it would help her identify the material.

"No..." Vinyl replied, before realizing her mistake. "Wait, I mean, yes, sorta..." she sputtered out. That wasn't the answer she was looking for. "I guess, it's- like a type of plastic. I think..."

"Your name is Plastic Record?" Berry guessed suddenly.

"NO! It's made of vinyl! My name is Vinyl!" Vinyl exclaimed, losing her cool for a moment.

"Vinyl Record?" Berry attempted again.

"No! It's Vinyl something else," a dumbfounded Vinyl explained before adding, "You're terrible at this!"

"Well, you're terrible at giving quizzes," Berry laughed in reply.

"That's why I'm a DJ, not a teacher!" Vinyl continued sweating in embarrassment. "Now, what does a DJ do with a record?"

"They play it! Your name is Vinyl Play!" Berry cheered, enjoying herself.

"Okay, no! That's not-! What's something else a DJ does with a record? When they move it?" Vinyl spouted, exasperated. (This was a terrible idea.)

"...That's playing it!" Berry protested at the obvious.

"No, when it goes the other way, it... ...?" Vinyl pressed.

"Spins! Vinyl Spins!" Berry cheered again.

"Scratches! It SCRATCHES!!!" Vinyl exclaimed, nearly fed up.

"Vinyl Scratches!" Berry guessed one final time.

"So close!!!" Vinyl threw up her hooves in defeat as Berry fell to the ground laughing. Vinyl didn't stay mad, however; her face curled up to a grin and she too was laughing. They held their sides in pain for a bit before they both regained their composure.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Berry said, "You're really fun, Vinyl! It's late, but... you wanna hang out?"

Vinyl's heart skipped a beat. Of course she wanted to, but it was a little too sudden and Vinyl was nervous at the prospect. "S-sorry, but I gotta catch the train back to Manehatten..."

"At this hour!? How long is that ride?" Berry asked, flabbergasted.

"It's pretty long," Vinyl admitted as she shrugged. "I'll be there by morning. Life of a traveling DJ."

"Wow. You can't just stay in Ponyville for the night?" As Berry asked, Vinyl started to levitate her belongings. "You could stay at my place? I've got room." Vinyl nearly choked as she heard that offer.

"Guh!!! Uh- Well... Thanks, but... I dunno..." Vinyl wasn't bright enough to think of a good excuse, but she quickly thought of, "I'd sleep in too late..."

"No, I'll wake you," Berry pointed out plainly. "Won't you stay? I'd hate to lose touch after reconnecting with you again."

"Oh, well..." Vinyl nervously tried to think of a new reason to decline, but came up short. Was it Berry's hopeful face that made it hard for her to think? (Yes. Yes it was.) Vinyl tried to turn away to avoid that friendly smile, and ended up glancing up at the stars again. They were so peaceful. The town around her that framed the stars was peaceful too. It wouldn't hurt to stay a bit longer, right? In this peaceful place... with the pony she liked... Finding enthusiasm inside her, Vinyl relented, "Okay, okay! I'll crash at your place. I can go home tomorrow."

"Awesome!" Berry jumped, excited at the news. "Come on, it's this way!"

Vinyl followed Berry back to her home. They chatted a lot, had a late night snack and got to know each other better. For Vinyl's part, she fell in love. She knew now that she had spent this time with her. As the night grew into morning and Berry fell asleep on her bed and Vinyl curled up on the couch, she was so in love she had made a brash decision. A decision about that peaceful town and that pony she loved that lived there.

It was months later that Vinyl Scratch and Berry Punch sat next to each other at the bar in The Horseshoe. Vinyl was off duty: the owner's son was playing some song on his perch above the dancefloor. Vinyl had been mentoring the up-and-comer for a few months, and though it wasn't as hype as her own performances, there was a modest crowd on the dancefloor anyway.

"No. I'm telling you, NO!" Vinyl said, playfully shrugging off Berry's question.

"But why!? I don't understand," Berry insisted, swinging her half empty mug of cider around as she questioned. "Manehatten's got big fancy buildings... and glamour and... clubs! We don't have clubs! We only have one club. There's only *hic* one club in Ponyville!"

"Yeah, I know, BP," Vinyl pointed out, rolling her eyes behind her shades.

"This place has nothing special! Our library doesn't even have a librarian!" Berry droned on. "Not that I don't like it here, it's just... I don't get why in Equestria you moved here!? *hic*"

"It's a secret," Vinyl hummed, blushing a little as she sipped her beverage. "A girl's gotta have her secrets."

"Ugh!" Berry uttered, defeated as she collapsed to the counter, miraculously not spilling the rest of her drink.

"What brought this on, anyway?" Vinyl asked, amused.

"I dunno," Berry admitted as she looked to her mug. "Probably the cider."

"Filly, it's always the cider!" Vinyl quipped.

"Oooooh!" Berry turned to Vinyl as if the unicorn's words had cleared everything up. "Here, have some!" she offered with grin. Despite the intoxication, she beamed a cuteness that Vinyl couldn't resist, but had to anyway.

"Ahaha. Naw, that's okay, BP," Vinyl turned down the offer with a hoof gesture.

"You never drink my cider *hic*," Berry mournfully retracted her mug after hiccupping again and looked down at the remainder of the liquid.

"No way! You'd get mad if I did!" Vinyl exclaimed with a smile.

"That's right!" Berry admitted, gleefully, before shoving the wooden mug at Vinyl again and saying, "I wanna get mad at you! Here, have some!"

This was not an unusual scene for Vinyl now. She had gotten used to Berry's contrasting behavior will drinking. Even though she was a polite and well-mannered pony, Berry became giddy and affectionate after a couple mugs. When Vinyl first moved to Ponyville, she attempted to join Berry in the revelry, but never took a liking to the alcohol, after some incidents in the restroom. Nowadays, she kept to the non-alcoholic selection.

"No, no. You can have the rest of it! I insist!" Vinyl maintained, pushing the mug back to her friend.

"Ohh! How nice!" Berry responded before she quickly slurped up the rest. Once her cup was empty, Berry stared pensively at it for a moment before sincerely asking, "...Have I had enough alcohol?"

"N-no?" Vinyl shrugged at the sudden question. "You can probably have another one before you start to... get weird?" she guessed after recalling previous evenings at the bar.

"Oh, thanks! Apple...Scratch!" Berry cheered.

"It's Vinyl Scratch, and you know that!" Vinyl laughed.

As the bartender handed the new drink to Berry, two handsome, eligible stallions came up behind Vinyl and Berry. One nervously shuffled his hooves while the other confidently strode up to the two mares.

"You two having a good time?" the brave stallion asked, loudly enough for Vinyl and Berry to take notice of him.

"Buck off, cheekbones. We're not interested," Vinyl spat with the thickest Manehatten accent she could produce upon seeing the stallions.

The brave stallion was taken aback, and stuttered, "H-hold on, I haven't even-"

"Pick up somepony else. I told you: not interested," Vinyl repeated, colder than before.

"I might be interested," Berry piped up.

"No, you're not," Vinyl said with a laugh as she turned Berry back around to her drink.

"Oh, you're right! I wasn't!" Berry admitted as she started to drink again, not noticing the two stallions sulk away. "Another round!" Berry hollered after finishing her drink.

"Wait, hold up!" Vinyl clamored, shocked, "BP, I said you're gonna get weird!"

"That's okay! *hic*" Berry cheered before her head plummeted down to Vinyl's shoulder. Vinyl jumped a little and became flushed at the unexpected contact. Berry began to breathe in and out slowly like she was asleep, but she was just taking a break and resting her eyes after her outbursts had drained her. The dance music continued to play on behind them with a tune that wasn't exactly complimentary to the sentimental scene.

Berry continued softly, "It's okay... because... you'll always take care of me, Vinyl." Her voice was quiet and sweet, yet Vinyl heard her clearly. Berry's loving words sent a sensual shock through Vinyl, but she resisted it. Vinyl had been living with her feeling bottled up these few months living in Ponyville. She didn't want to ruin what she had with Berry. After all, Berry had made it obvious she was into stallions. Just being friends with Berry hurt, but... being near her was worth the pain. "You'll always protect me... Won't you, Vinyl?" Berry asked, sleepily.

"Yeah. Always," Vinyl replied without hesitation.

"You won't let me go home with some bad pony, will you?" Berry breathed.

"No. I won't. ...Berry."

She didn't notice the dropping of the nickname, but Berry still looked up to Vinyl. Instead of smiling, Berry struck a funny face as she stared at Vinyl's glasses. "Those things look familiar," she said suddenly, ruining the mood.

"Uh... What? My shades? I always wear these?" Vinyl pointed out.

"No, like..." Berry leaned back, placing her hooves on her head, and muttered, "I think I'm receiving a vision from my fillyhood... It's a... a vision of purple sunglasses..."

"Um... You gave these to me when we met as fillies?" Vinyl explained, dumbfounded. She was fairly confident Berry knew this already. I mean, Vinyl had told her. ...Didn't she?

"Wait!? Those are the same ones!?" Berry recoiled in shock.

"Wait!? I never told you that!?" Vinyl flinched after realizing.

Vinyl rushed up to Berry, who was face down on a table in the park. "Berry! What happened?" Vinyl called out as she arrived. "I heard somepony say you were crying all alone out here!" She placed a comforting hoof on Berry's shoulder as she sobbed.

"V-V-Vinyl!" Berry stuttered out as she revealed her snot and tear-soaked face. Through gasps of air and misery she tried to explain. "It- it- it's- it's-"

"Filly, what's wrong!?" Vinyl asked as Berry grabbed ahold of her and squeezed out a comforting hug.

"We- we- we... BROKE UP!!!" Berry hollered for the whole park to hear.

"...Oh, that's- !" Vinyl had to stop herself from saying, "That's great!" Instead, she mustered out a slightly bemused, "Oh, Berry that sucks." To Vinyl's dismay, Berry had been seeing an uninteresting stallion for a few weeks. Although Vinyl was heartbroken, she supported Berry's romance as best she could without getting too involved. However, it seemed Vinyl's misery was at an end, and Berry's had just begun.

"He- he- doesn't want to see me any- anymore! Guh! Gnnff!" Berry sobbed, burying her head in Vinyl's chest.

"Just... let it out," Vinyl comforted, stroking Berry's poofy mane. Vinyl had no idea if the words she was using were going to help Berry or not. She never had to comfort a friend after something terrible happened to them. Berry was... well, her first friend. Sure, she was friendly with everypony, but nopony had gotten close as Berry had. ...Close enough to drop the nicknames. Close enough to be the pony they relied on. Without thinking about it, she ended up saying the words she wanted to hear herself, all those years ago, after Patched Hat died: "You'll be fine without him."

"No! No, I won't! My life is over!" Berry declared as she relieved Vinyl of the embrace. Viciously rubbing her eyes to try to clear those salty tears, she announced, "I need a cider!"

"Woah, filly, I don't think-," Vinyl tried to persuade at the mention of Berry's favorite drink.

However, Berry was having none of it when she interrupted with, "NO! Cider! Now!"

"Berry! I'm DJing tonight!" Vinyl continued, regardless. "I can't keep an eye on you! Not a good time for you to go overboard! You'll make a bad decision." The DJ had learned her friend's habits. When they attended the bar together when Vinyl wasn't working, Berry got a bit more liberal with her drinking. Her friend was there to protect her, after all. On nights were Vinyl was at the turntables, Berry never indulged too much. She normally had at least that much self-control. But now...

"I'm not going to go overboard! *sniff*" Berry pouted as she inhaled some loose mucus.

"Yeah, you are," Vinyl pointed out plainly.

"Guh! *sniff* Wa- waaaaauuggghh!" Berry burst into another crying fit after being blocked from alleviating her sorrows.

"Filly, don't make a scene!" Vinyl raised her head up in exasperation. There were indeed a few groups of ponies in the park. Most had noticed Berry crying, but only a few had considered going over to talk to her. They all opted not to interfere once Vinyl arrived. They went about their own business, planning decorations for the Summer Sun Celebration in a week. It was being held in Ponyville this year! (How fun and completely routine!)

"*Huff* *huff* *huff*" Berry breathed rapidly as she tried to contain her emotions. She swallowed some mucus down before speaking properly, though her voice was not its chipper self. "Vinyl... please... I'm not going to make it through the night without it..."

"...Oh, come on... ugh," Vinyl deflated with disappointment. She couldn't actually stop Berry anyway, only advise her as a friend, but she wanted to protect her anyway she could. "Okay, but can't you at least, you know, go home and drink there?"

"No, I want- *sniff* I want to go to The Horseshoe," Berry insisted.

"I can't keep an eye on you, filly..." Vinyl restated, her voice gentler and more persuasive. "You'd be safer at your house..."

"But... I want to be near yo-," Berry stopped herself abruptly. She looked away, eyes darting to and fro as she thought of the right words. "-ur music... Your music always cheers me up," she finally offered.

"Oh, well... I guess it would," Vinyl recognized as she contemplated this situation after the compliment.

"I'll feel better and then, I promise I'll only drink a little," Berry said, reaching out to grab Vinyl's hoof. She whimpered and pleaded with her eyes. "Please?" The last bit of sweet talk and hoof-holding turned Vinyl to her side.

"You- ...ugh," Vinyl sighed in defeat. "Alright... What the hay," she relented, unable to argue with her friend anymore.

"Oh, Vinyl! Thanks!" Berry cheered as she squeezed Vinyl in a friendly hug.

"Looks like you're feeling better already," Vinyl mentioned as she returned the embrace as she always had. She held tight and with sincerity. She wished the contact would last longer, but Berry soon let go and she was forced to do the same.

"Well, it's because I have such a good friend to cheer me up," Berry replied, beaming brightly. She wiped the last of the tears off her face as her eyes were now starting to feel the post-cry dryness, so she didn't notice Vinyl turn away and blush.

"No problem," Vinyl replied as she scratched her head with embarrassment. "Come on, I gotta get back." They trotted off to The Horseshoe together. Vinyl had already been there setting up when she heard about Berry. Upon returning, there was a line waiting for the doors to open. With a few words, Vinyl was able to get Berry past the bouncer, who knew them both, despite complaints from the ponies in the line. It was opening soon, so nopony would be waiting long anyway.

Once inside, Berry gently tapped Vinyl's shoulder. "You have to finish getting ready?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah," Vinyl replied, nonchalantly.

"Okay, I'll be over at the bar. I'll see you afterwards?" Berry asked.

Vinyl studied her friend for a moment before responding, "Yeah, I'll see you then." Berry's demeanor had improved a great deal already. So much so that Vinyl began to think, 'Does she really need a drink? She doesn't really look like she "can't make it through the night." I guess that means she'll be fine?' As she returned to her stand to finish setting her DJ equipment up, she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she should have handled this whole situation better. Was she wrong to try to tell Berry what to do? To stop her from coping? Did she give her enough support? Maybe it was wrong to give in to her demands, instead? In the past she has certainly drunk more over less, so maybe bringing her here was a mistake? Vinyl couldn't assuage the worry in her stomach when she glanced over at Berry who was chatting with the bartender.

As the venue opened and ponies began their usual partying, Vinyl tried to keep an eye on Berry. However, the darkness and the distance complicated things. She frequently glanced towards the bar but all she could really do was check to see if there was still a vague silhouette with a poofy mane still sitting where Berry was. Luckily, Vinyl had a trick up her sleeve. With her special spell, she was able to coat her eardrums in a magic veil. Once she cast it, she was able to distinguish the voices of every pony in the club despite the intense, pulsating music. With each voice separated in her head, she was able to focus on the voice of the only pony she cared about. She checked to make sure the only words coming out of Berry's mouth were related to refilling her mug. The tension in Vinyl was like a wave. Every time Berry ordered more to drink, Vinyl shot up with anxiety. Then came the slow, lingering dread as she braced to hear some lame pickup line of some stallion hoping to score. It never came, so she began to relax until her nerves inevitably shot up once again at the next drink.

As she was concentrating elsewhere, Vinyl's DJing began to waver. Her mistakes began to pile up: forgetting to switch to a new track, stopping in the middle of scratching and even pulling out a cord. They were mistakes not even rookies made. Soon, she began to hear the voices from the crowd saying things like, "What's she doing?" and "What's wrong with this DJ?" Flustered from her own mistakes, Vinyl cursed under her breath and tried to focus on her job. But just as she did, she heard the words she had been dreading.

The words came from Berry and they said, "...Okay, I'll go with you."

Vinyl's stomach sunk into a pit. She felt like she was teetering on the edge of a cliff with those words. Her natural instincts were screaming at her to stop from falling, but instead she leapt. Without thinking, Vinyl bounded off the DJ stand to the floor below and pushed through the crowd. Her heart raced as fear and regret shot their venom through her veins. It took her a moment to breach the shallow sea of ponies, but, upon arriving, she saw Berry take the stallions hoof and start to walk towards the exit.

"NOPE! NUH-UH!" Vinyl shouted as she magically pushed the stallion and Berry apart.

"Hey!" the stallion cried as the magic abated.

"Sorry, bud," Vinyl said as she faced the stallion. "She's not going anywhere with you!"

"What gives?" the stallion replied. "She just said she would! Who in Equestria are you, anyway?"

"I'm her BEST FRIEND!" Vinyl shouted. "Now, back off." A few ponies had turned to watch, despite the music still playing without a DJ in the background. The stallion looked confused and hesitant before retreating to find other prospects. Vinyl huffed and turned to Berry who was on shaky legs. "Filly, you okay? I knew it! I told you it was a bad idea to drink tonight! You almost left with that guy!"

Berry just stared at Vinyl with a look of shock and... something else. "... Oh, sorry..." she finally said. "You- you're right..."

"Okay, we need to get you home... you shouldn't be here right now," Vinyl concluded. Berry agreed without any resistance. After apologizing to the owner, who got his son to finish DJing the night, Vinyl escorted Berry outside. The muffled thumping of the club faded in the distance as Vinyl and Berry shuffled slowly along. "What the hay was all that about feeling better?" Vinyl demanded, her concern and annoyance vying for control over her tone.

"I... don't know," Berry said solemnly, hanging her head in defeat. "I guess I had too much to drink..."

"You don't look like you've had too much..." Vinyl pointed out. 'And I was counting,' she thought secretly.

"Oh, well... yeah... I guess not," Berry admitted. Though she had plenty, she wasn't hiccupping, slurring her words or even wobbling that much. It was her normal amount.

"I don't understand," Vinyl started, as she halted their traversal to face her friend. "If you weren't completely out of it, why did you agree to go with that stallion?"

"I don't... ...know," Berry repeated, not answering the question. She hung her head with disappointment in a way that Vinyl had never seen her do before.

Trying to reprimand and comfort her at the same time, Vinyl said, "Look, I know he meant a lot to you... But... you can't just go trotting off with the first stallion that smiles at you just because you broke up." She placed a comforting hoof on Berry's shoulder. "It's not smart. And you're the smart one between us, so you should know that," Vinyl finished with a grin, hoping the playful compliment would cheer Berry up.

Berry didn't respond in kind and just muttered, "I'm sorry..."

Vinyl sunk and sighed in defeat. "Alright, well... We can talk about this in the morning." She turned to continue their trek. "Let's... just get you home."

Berry followed Vinyl for a few moments in silence before saying, "...I'm too tired... ...Let's go to your house... It's closer..."

"It's not that much closer..." Vinyl pointed out, unfazed. "Come on, you can make it."

"... ... ...I want to go to your house," Berry repeated, somehow being stern and pouty at the same time.

"Uh, what for?" Vinyl asked, turning to look at Berry who was still hanging her head.

"...Please?" Berry whimpered.

"...Okay, okay," Vinyl conceded. They didn't have to travel much farther to reach Vinyl's house. "You know how dirty it is?" Vinyl checked before unlocking the door and opening it up.

"Mmm..." Berry nodded. She'd been over many times and was accustomed to Vinyl's mess. The two entered the home as Vinyl turned on the lights.

"Go ahead and take the bed," Vinyl offered.

"Okay..." Berry muttered as she headed over to the stairs. Once she was about halfway up, she stopped for a moment. "Vinyl?" She called out to her friend, turning to look at her for the first time since leaving the club.

"Yeah?" Vinyl answered, hopeful Berry would say something to explain herself.

"... I... ... Nevermind. ...Goodnight," Berry muttered.

"...Oh. Okay. Goodnight," Vinyl replied. She sat down on the couch on top of some old loose boxes. She listened carefully as Berry's hoofsteps upstairs ended and the muffled squeaking of her bed signaled that Berry had laid down. She sighed. It was way too early for her to go to bed herself. Her heart was racing anyway, so it was doubtful she'd fall asleep anytime soon. She couldn't work on her keyboard (which hasn't been damaged by a magical explosion, and probably never will) or it'd disturb Berry. She couldn't clean up downstairs because... well... You know. She didn't want to. She wondered briefly about the club. Her DJ protégé was probably doing fine... she didn't really need to return. Her stomach sunk at remembering how badly she was doing anyway.

'He'll be fine,' Vinyl thought, trying to reassure herself of anything at this point. '...Which is more than I can say for Berry...' With a groan Vinyl got up and headed to the bathroom. With sunglasses off, she splashed her face with water. She stared at herself in the mirror. Unable to look anywhere else, she glared at the reflection of her vibrant red eyes. Her vision started to get blurry and she started to feel dizzy. An annoyance, but nothing serious. This was the extent of their power over herself. She didn't know what it felt like for other ponies to see her eyes. Patched Hat had described it as... horrible. Painful. That's all Vinyl really knew. Shaking her head, she wasn't thinking about her cursed eyes, she was thinking about Berry.

Did Vinyl do everything she could have? Had she been the best friend she could have been? Being a friend was still unfamiliar territory for Vinyl. She began to doubt her own actions. Berry had been upset at the park, but now she was just... Solemn? Sullen? Somber? Though she didn't know those exact words, Vinyl knew the emotions they represented. ...Was something else wrong with Berry? She was acting so unusual. Vinyl groaned at her own anxiety. It was so unlike her to stress out like this. But... for Berry... caring about her came before selfishness, or music, or anything else in life.

'This isn't right...' Vinyl thought as she dried her face. 'Berry's never been this sad before... I need to... check... I can't just... leave her alone if something else is wrong... She was about to tell me something...' Determined to be a good friend, Vinyl resolved to check on Berry once more. Without any more hesitation, she hurried upstairs and peered into the dark bedroom. She softly called out, "Berry?"

"Mmm..." was the muffled sound Berry made in reply. "Vinyl?" she answered weakly as she peered up over Vinyl's covers to see her friend's silhouette in the backlight in the doorway.

"Uh, yeah," Vinyl awkwardly started, shuffling in her place just outside the room. "Look, I know I said we'd talk later but... Like, you seem like you wanna say something, I mean... You were about to, you know, on the stairs there..." Vinyl was fumbling her words out, unsure of what exactly to say to coax an answer from Berry. "If, like, you do wanna say something, you know I'd listen... So... Like... Well... What I'm trying to say is: can we talk?" She waited as patiently as she could for Berry to respond as she peered into the dark room.

"...Come here..." the soft voice from within called.

"Okay, cool. *ahem*" Vinyl cleared her throat as she headed inside. "I'm turning on the light." She didn't give much heads up before she did. Berry shielded her eyes from the dim lantern's glow as Vinyl came up to the bed and stood stiffly beside it. "Okay, so. Is there anything, you know, that's on your mind? Or, you know, anything to tell me or, you know, ask me?"

"...Could you get in the bed?" Berry asked innocently as she pulled back the covers and patted the spot beside her.

Vinyl shot up at the suggestion. "I don't- I don't think that's a good idea..." she sputtered out, despite every fiber of her being suddenly catching fire and begging her to do it.

"Oh," Berry sighed, looking dejected. "...It'd make me feel better if you slept in here with me..."

"In that case: okay!" Vinyl found herself blurting out after the burning within her became too much to bear. After lowering her ears in embarrassment at her unexpected outburst, she tittered out a laugh. Berry responded with a short teehee of her own. After Berry patted the bed again, Vinyl shuffled onto it beside her, mirroring her as she laid back down on the pillow. The pillow was soft enough, but it still pressed Vinyl's glasses into the side of her muzzle, becoming very uncomfortable. However, the joy of laying down next to Berry, faces so close, staring into her best friend's eyes, numbed the pain of the shades.

"Hee-hee," Berry giggled quietly as she pulled the covers over both of them. "This is like a slumber party. I feel like a filly again."

"Oh, heh heh," Vinyl chuckled, "Is this what they're like?"

"...Oh, right," Berry remembered. "You were homeless as a filly... I'm sorry, I didn't..."

"It's okay," Vinyl dismissed with a shrug. "That's behind me."

"...You started with nothing, yet you accomplished so much..." Berry mused quietly. She smiled weakly at Vinyl and said, "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks!" Vinyl grinned. "I did work pretty hard, you know? It wasn't easy getting my cutie mark later than everypony else. Working for McJazzer, when I hadn't even gone to school. Learning how to- Hold up! Wait a minute!" Vinyl stopped her spiel once she realized what she was doing. "I'm not here to brag about me!"

Berry laughed softly at Vinyl's little impromptu biography. "Heehee! You're so much fun Vinyl. ...That's what I like about you..."

"Well, I try," Vinyl mumbled sheepishly. "But enough about me, already! I'm worried about you," Vinyl said as she took Berry's hoof under the covers. The broken-hearted pony's disposition had improved again, but Vinyl still had her concerns. "Are you okay? I'm asking seriously here. And I want you to answer seriously."

They held hooves for a moment as Berry privately wrangled her own thoughts. She wore an expression of exhaustion and worry as she did. But, once she took a good look at Vinyl, relief and acceptance washed over her instead. "...You really do care about me..." Berry whispered to herself, so inaudibly that Vinyl couldn't hear it. Berry's eyes then darted back and forth between what she could make out of Vinyl's eyes behind those sunglasses. She had heard the sincerity in Vinyl's voice and saw the earnestness in those eyes. As Vinyl held it, Berry pushed her hoof slowly towards Vinyl's body. She rested it on Vinyl's chest and felt the rapid thumping of the burning heart within.

"Hmm?" Vinyl hummed, as Berry hadn't answered her question and instead just touched her.

With her other hoof, Berry touched her own chest. She could feel what she already knew: her own heart was beating just as fast. The rhythmic pounding of the two hearts brought a calmness over Berry as she exhaled and smiled.

"Uh... Berry?" Vinyl pressed. She didn't understand what Berry was doing, though she was quite happy with how Berry was touching her. She was still holding the hoof on her chest and didn't know whether to release it or squeeze tighter.

Without another word, Berry sat up in the bed and pulled off the same covers she had just put on moments ago. With delicate grace she flowed over to Vinyl and put herself above her on the bed. Berry lifted Vinyl's hoof, and though her eyes were locked on Vinyl's face to watch her expression, she slowly brought it to her mouth and gently pecked a kiss on it.

"B-Berry..." Vinyl gasped out. 'What the-! She's never done anything like that before!' Vinyl thought, frantically. 'Why would-?' Her thoughts were cut short as Berry raised her hoof again. This time, Berry closed her eyes as she made numerous kisses on it. Each press of the lips caused the hairs on Vinyl's body to stand up, like a frightened animal. Vinyl could feel her chest start to tighten. 'This can't be happening!' When Berry was finished, she looked to Vinyl again. Once she had, Vinyl finally saw the desire in Berry's amorous gaze. She understood what was about to happen. Vinyl's breaths became shallow and rapid. Every noisy insect outside was muted by the unreal ringing in her ears. There was no more room for blood to flush her blushing face.

Seeing Vinyl's body react was all Berry needed. She let her knees buckle and laid her lower body onto Vinyl's. The warm contact made them both shiver a little at the change in temperature. Berry then took Vinyl's head in her hooves. She couldn't see well behind those shades, but Vinyl's eyes were wide and white. "Vinyl..." was all she said before she closed her eyes and went down to where Vinyl's lips were. Vinyl's shock stopped her from returning the gesture at first, though her body was burning her to a crisp as Berry kissed her. All she could do was open her mouth in slack-jawed awe. Berry took the opportunity and pushed her tongue into Vinyl's mouth.

"Mmmmff!" Vinyl squirmed at the unexpected presence in her mouth, closing her eyes and arching her body. Her tongue shook and jiggled as Berry rubbed hers against it. The sensation was incredible yet completely different from what Vinyl had imagined it to feel like. She instinctively grabbed Berry's forelegs as they held her head. She finally tried to return the kiss, making her own motions as she did, but she had no idea what she was doing.

After a moment more of pressure, Berry finished and raised up her head, a thin strand of saliva hanging from her mouth. Her face was blushing now as well, as she caught the intimate liquid from her lips on the back of her hoof and sensually lapped it up.

Vinyl couldn't speak. She couldn't even utter any sounds. She had just been kissed by her best friend. Her first kiss had been with her best friend. Her brain was obstructed with the multitude of thoughts. The thoughts tried to race by, as there were so many of them, but they became cluttered. 'That felt so amazing... She feels so warm laying on me... Why is she doing this...? I can't believe she stuck her tongue in... Why did I squirm like a filly...? Is she going to kiss me again...? I don't understand... I want to kiss her again... I want to push her down and kiss her... Are we going to have s-?'

"I broke up with him because..." Berry interrupted, unprompted. "...Because when I was with him... I couldn't stop thinking of you..."

Vinyl took several heavy gasps before being able to form a sentence. Her voice wasn't a loud upbeat one that sought attention. It wasn't an awkward one that didn't know how to talk to an old acquaintance. It wasn't a worried sisterly one that tried to comfort a friend. It was timid and quiet, yet brimming with anticipation: a voice scared that it had finally reached the very edge of getting everything it ever wanted. "Are you... serious?"

"Hmmhmm..." Berry responded with a little nod. "I think I love you, Vinyl..."

Vinyl didn't wait another moment. She burst on the inside. The pressure from refraining blew apart whatever remained of her restraint. She rocketed up and grabbed Berry and forced her down on the end of the bed. Berry squeaked a little at the unexpected strength. Vinyl's whole body shook as she tried to mimic the position Berry had taken above her, resting her lower body on Berry and taking her head in her hooves. She breathed heavily above Berry, waiting for something romantic to come out of her lips, but nothing did.

Berry ended up taking the cue, and said, "I like it better from down here anyway."

"Berry... I..." Vinyl managed to say after being spoken to.

"You don't need to say anything," Berry assured. "You just need to kiss me..."

So, Vinyl did just that. She went down to the pony she held in her shaking hooves and planted an unconstrained kiss on her. The passion in her body caused her to twitch uncontrollably as she smacked her lips against Berry's. Vinyl knew she was inexperienced. She had tried practicing on a pillow while thinking of Berry, but nothing had prepared her for the real thing. Luckily, Berry didn't mind Vinyl's imperfect motions. "Mmmph..." Vinyl let out her first moan, prompting Berry to do the same.

"Mmmm..." Berry responded as she continued to kiss. She reached her hooves up to wrap around Vinyl's neck, and pull her tightly down. She had been in this position before with a few different stallions. But, Vinyl was different. She was a mare. She was equal in size, not overbearing. She was smooth, not rugged. Her voice was light, not deep. Berry began to love all these things in a way she never thought was possible. She never imagined she could love a mare before. But, with Vinyl, it seemed so right.

After making out for a while longer, the two ponies separated mouths for a moment. "Berry... I wanted you for so long..." Vinyl admitted through gasps of breath. She finally had clarity and, though she been focused on kissing, she had time to think. She wanted Berry to know. "Ever... ever since we were fillies, I knew I liked you..."

"Ever since I gave you these," Berry noted as she reached up to touch the rim of Vinyl's sunglasses. "You can take them off, you know," she instructed as the ridiculous looking things ruined the mood.

"Ugh!" Vinyl reacted a bit at the suggestion. Her ears turned down in shame. "...I can't do that..." she said.

"Oh, I know, I know. You've told me," Berry complained as she rolled her eyes. "You have some weird eye scar. Whatever. Just leave them on." With her hooves wrapped around Vinyl's neck to support her, she pulled herself up to Vinyl's face and whispered, "We can work around it..." as she placed a new kiss on Vinyl's lips.

Those two ponies made love that night. They didn't rest until they were both satisfied and they drifted off to sleep.

Berry Punch woke up, but unlike normally, she was not the least bit hungover. (Hooray!) Recalling the events of the previous night, she looked down to confirm that Vinyl was still sleeping next to her, stupid shades still resting on her face. Berry giggled.

"We finally did it, Vinyl," Berry whispered as Vinyl snoozed. She snuggled up to her new love. After a few minutes of just breathing in sync with Vinyl, Berry poked her head up again. "It couldn't hurt... to take a little peak," she mused. She carefully reached over to Vinyl's sunglasses and lifted them off the sleeping pony. She had always been curious. Vinyl never took the things off herself. She said she had an eye scar that she was embarrassed about, but Berry wasn't convinced. She could sort of see Vinyl's eyes through those glasses and they appeared normal enough. It was time to find out for sure. Setting them aside, she positioned herself over Vinyl's body like she had done last night and leaned in close to her face. Squinting carefully in the morning light, she took her hooves and delicately raised both of Vinyl's eyelids up.

RED.

It HURT. It BUCKING HURT. How? How could just the sight of something hurt SO BAD!? Her brain couldn't handle the sensation of every nerve in her body firing off, over and over and over AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN PAIN. What should have been a small dull red pair of eyes became an exuberant and all-encompassing sky that slammed into Berry's vision. The enormity of it crushed her. Her body struggled as it was crinkled, each bone popping apart so it could be compressed further down to the smallest atom. As her body collapsed as it was being squeezed, her throat began to fill with a pressure that expanded, ripping her cells apart, choking her with the force.

It lasted so long. Pain should eventually dull, but this... this kept getting worse. Each brief interval of time multiplied her agony exponentially. It kept hitting, harder and harder than before. A body shouldn't even be able to register pain on this level, yet it kept coming, breaking the limits of physical anguish each time. Stronger. Stronger. Stronger still.

Berry couldn't move. Her body frozen as her hooves held up the eyelids that revealed her torturer. Berry didn't have any thoughts. She couldn't think. If she could, they would have been horrible thoughts. Thoughts like, 'Why won't it end!? Why can't I blink!? Why doesn't Vinyl ever blink!?!? It's been hours! WHY HASN'T SHE BUCKING BLINKED!?!?!? I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!! I CAN'T BUCKING TAKE ANYMORE!!! KILL ME!!! KILL ME NOW!!! PLEASE!!! SOMEPONY KILL ME!!! SOMEPONY PLEASE BUCKING KILL ME!!!'

Vinyl blinked as she roused from her slumber. "Mmm... Berry?" Vinyl mumbled out as Berry stood above her in the same position she had been trapped in for two hours. "Hm! Berry!?!?" Vinyl shouted at seeing Berry's dilapidated form.

Berry Punch was absolutely soaked wet with sweat, as was the whole bed. She had grown thin, like she hadn't eaten in months; the bones from her ribcage pushed out skin that had become wrinkled and pale. Every muscle in her body kept spasming randomly as strands of hair from her mane and tail fell out. One of her eyes was dilated beyond what was normally possible while the other was impossibly constricted. A mixture of tears and blood rained down from those ragged eyes, accompanying the blood leaking out from her sealed lips. Her cheeks were full and bulging, her throat heaving. Having finally been released, Berry collapsed, rolling off the bed to the floor below.

"BERRY!?" Vinyl shrieked as Berry hit the wood planks and released the red liquid stored in her cheeks. She spat up a mouthful of blood on Vinyl's piles of clothes, as she finally closed her eyes and held them down tight. Berry immediately began to cough and cry. "BERRY, WHAT HAPPENED!?" Vinyl screamed as she hopped off the bed to her friend's side. She tried to pick Berry up, but the pony's weak body just collapsed back to the floor.

"WAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHHHHHH!!!" Berry cried. It wasn't the crying of a broken-hearted pony. It was the crying of a pony who had almost died.

"Oh, Celestia, what do I do!?" Vinyl screamed, panic flooding her. All she could think to do was hold Berry and try to comfort her. "You'll be okay! You'll be okay! I swear!"

Berry began to make her first movements, pushing against Vinyl to try to get away from her. However, Vinyl just held tighter. She tried to make words, but nothing but burnt coughs came out. "*COUGH!* *COUGH!* Y- *COUGH!*"

"What's wrong! What happened!?" Vinyl continued to cry out as her own tears began to well up and slide out.

"*COUGH!* Y- *COUGH!* You-!" Berry managed to get out, her voice bleak and ruined, but Vinyl heard it nonetheless. Vinyl's stomach dropped at hearing it. She reached up. Her sunglasses were gone.

"NO! You saw them!" Vinyl twisted around, shutting her eyelids as quickly as she could.

"You- you- *cough* *HUUURP-BLEEEUUUGGHH!!!*" Berry continued, before vomiting more blood, this time all over the legs of the pony holding her.

"No! I didn't mean to-!" Vinyl sobbed as she frantically felt around the bed for her shades, her hoof dabbing the sweat-soaked covers with bits of Berry's blood. Finding them, she put them on and turned to face Berry, though the suffering pony turned away. "Berry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"SHUT UP!!! *HURP*" Berry suddenly screamed before stopping herself from vomiting again. Vinyl shook at the outburst. Strength was gradually returning to Berry. She began to be able to talk, albeit through gasps of air. "You- you- *cough* lied! You- lied- to- me-!"

"F-filly!? What!? We have to get you to the hospital!" Vinyl cried.

"You- lied!" Berry continued, her gasps of air becoming less frequent, as she regained more autonomy over her body and her speech. "You said- you'd protect me-! You said- you wouldn't- let me go home- with some bad pony!" Berry pushed harder against Vinyl who let go at the accusation. As Berry freed herself from Vinyl's hooves, her face shriveled up to prevent new tears from forcing their way out through her sealed eyelids. "You're the bad pony, Vinyl! YOU'RE THE BAD PONY!"

Vinyl paced across from Ponyville's hospital as she had done all week. She hadn't heard from Berry since she rushed her there. Berry had asked for no visitors, so Vinyl had been left in the dark. Although she had been assured by the annoyed receptionist that Berry was recovering after being asked dozens of times.

Vinyl certainly cried like she hadn't in years after dropping Berry off at the emergency room. She managed to keep her composure when transporting the injured pony, but after seeing Berry disappear behind a swinging door as she was whisked away, Vinyl collapsed into a despair driven lament. The hospital staff that tried to comfort her had no idea that the tears Vinyl was shedding were for her own guilt. Oh, how she had hurt her friend.

On this day, Vinyl's pacing would finally stop as during one turn, she caught sight of Berry stepping out of the hospital. 'Berry! She's out!' Vinyl thought. Her heart became elated for a brief moment before sinking. 'Is she still mad at me? There's no way she's not...' Berry had called Vinyl more things than just "bad pony" on that morning. Each word she used ripped like a dagger plunged deep in Vinyl's heart as she tried to help her friend to the hospital.

Even from the distance she was at, Vinyl could tell Berry had recovered. She could also tell the expression on Berry's face was not a pleasant one. It... looked neutral, maybe slightly annoyed. Vinyl wanted to rush up to Berry and hug her. She wanted to cry and apologize again and again. ...But she couldn't move. Her ears lowered in shame. Berry unexpectedly walked towards her, instead. The stride of the pony was slow and methodical. The jovial trot of the pony Vinyl knew was gone, and instead the cold steps brought an unfamiliar face up to Vinyl.

Berry stopped a few feet from Vinyl as the unicorn grimaced and braced for an attack that never occurred. Vinyl's breath became rapid, preparing her for the worst. She hadn't figured out what to say to Berry at all. And... Berry's eyes... they burned with malice as they stared, not at Vinyl's face, but at her essence and... it was clear they bucking despised what they saw. Vinyl opened her mouth, short gasps of air came out as she tried to speak.

"Come with me," Berry ordered shortly. Without a motion to follow her, she turned and walked away with the same meticulous steps. Vinyl followed, a great distance behind. She was the one that hung her head in shame this time, a reversal of the roles they both played that night. Their pace was slow, but they eventually arrived at Berry's house. Berry took the few stairs up to the door, unlocked it, opened it and stepped inside. Vinyl raised a hoof to climb the short stairs, but Berry turned around and bluntly stated, "No. You stay out there."

"Okay," Vinyl squeaked.

Berry took a deep breath with her nostrils flaring, before addressing Vinyl. She spoke with a motivated anger that had been tempered and disciplined. The week of laying in that hospital had turned her boiling hatred and rage into a cold and efficient blade that she intended to drive right into Vinyl Scratch's heart. "Vinyl Scratch, you are deplorable. How dare you break your promise to me. How dare you take advantage of me. You knew I was straight, yet you sexually abused me in my moment of grief. You used me for your own disgusting pleasure. You raped me and I will never forgive you. We will never be friends again. Do not speak to me unless I speak to you. You are not allowed to be happy again. If I find out you are in a relationship with anypony, I will not allow it. I will tell everypony what you did to me. I will make sure every bucking pony in this town knows that you raped me. They will hate you, Vinyl, as I do. Now, get out of my sight." With that, Berry slammed the door and locked it tight. She headed into the dark house without turning on any lights. She did what she wanted. She did what she knew would hurt Vinyl more than anything: Don't make it about what she did with her eyes. Make it about what they did the night before.

Vinyl could not speak. She could only weep.

She didn't even notice the chariot that landed down the road or the purple unicorn and tiny dragon that hopped out of it.