Vinyl woke to a sandy feeling on her back and a soft, warm, slightly sticky feeling on her front. She smiled, remembering the night prior. Octavia was right… sex on the beach was a fun idea. As more of her mental facilities joined her in the realm of the waking, she realized that she desperately needed to use the facilities. She attempted in vain to worm out from underneath her marefriend without waking her as well, but failed.
Vinyl Scratch could not have asked for a more perfect failure.
Octavia’s eyes opened slowly, their deep, amethyst pools drawing the entirety of Vinyl’s attention away from her need to urinate. Octavia’s mane fell down around her face in frizzy strands, giving off an uncharacteristically unkempt look to the Canterlot mare. Vinyl Scratch giggled and kissed her.
“Good morning, love. Sleep well?”
Octavia’s only response was a grunt and a smile.
“Me too. But, dearest, I need to pee. Would you mind letting me up?”
Octavia grunted again, and, still smiling, rolled off of Vinyl and onto her back in the sand next to her lover. Vinyl gave her another quick kiss before trotting into the woods to do her business. Feeling the need to get the sand out of her fur, Octavia stood and sketched a quick “WENT TO WASH” in the sand, and walked into the woods towards the lake near her shared cave. She felt happy. Despite the circumstances, Octavia felt truly happy for the first time in as long as she could remember. She felt passion and happiness when she played her cello, but she hadn’t felt the true joy she got from loving the unicorn mare and knowing that she loved her too. Watching Vinyl run around and trip over a root only to fall head over hooves into a mud puddle, and her standing up seconds later and pulling the cellist into a hug, covering the both of them in mud. The alabaster mare’s inane babbling in her sleep. The way her mane fell when it was wet. Somehow, Octavia knew not exactly how, but somehow, she knew that no matter the circumstances, she could be happy if Vinyl Scratch was at her side. She wouldn’t go so far as to say she felt so happy she could die, because she knew Vinyl felt the same way, and Octavia dying would mean leaving Vinyl all alone. And that would just break her adorable little heart, Octavia thought.
Meanwhile, Vinyl had returned to the beach and found Octavia’s note, and began to trot through the woods toward the lake, intent on getting dirty before she got clean. Vinyl Scratch would have best described her feelings as “content.” She was with the mare of her dreams, hopelessly in love with that extremely talented and beautiful musician known as Octavia Philharmonica. The very thought that she was together with the cellist sent shivers down her spine, which culminated in a tingly feeling near the base of her tail. Her eyes… if Vinyl had to pick one part of her marefriend she loved the most, it would be her eyes. They were gorgeous. Deep, welcoming, joyous globes of the sheerest obsidian, ringed by what could have been mistaken for the most wonderfully shining amethyst. She could stare into those eyes forever, taken with the simple joy of being in love. She resigned herself to the pleasant thoughts and resumed the steady trot through the woods.
Octavia heard a rustling in the bushes behind her and turned to greet Vinyl.
“Oh Vinyl, I was wondering when you were going to get here,” she said, suddenly putting on a pathetic, faux-helpless tone, “there’s this spot on my back that I simply cannot reach on my own. Would you be so kind as to… you’re not Vinyl.”
A buff, chocolate-brown stallion wearing a long coat stood at the edge of the pool, covering his face with a tricorne hat. On one side of him stood a white stallion with brown spots all over his coat, looking like he’d just caught his parents in bed. On the other side stood a surly tan stallion with a gold earring and a cutie mark of a pair of barrels.
“I’m terribly sorry ma’am, I didn’t mean to intrude-” the one in the center began.
“Who are you? Where did you come from, why are you here? Where’s Vinyl? VINYL!” Octavia shrieked as she frantically tried to cover herself up, some animal part of her brain telling her she was naked, despite the fact that she almost never wore actual clothing.
The white mare burst from the trees a moment later. “Octavia! Are you ok, what’s wrong?” Vinyl couldn’t see anything wrong with her marefriend, and began to follow to where her hoof was pointing – and spotted the three stallions standing on the other side of the lake. In a flash, Vinyl was in the lake and at Octavia’s side, one hoof over her shoulders, positioning her body between her friend and these unknown stallions.
“I’m sorry, ladies, I did not mean to intrude. Allow me to introduce myself and my crew – I am Captain Swashbuckle, owner and commander of the Silver Star. This here’s Spyglass,” he gestured to the white and brown stallion, who nodded his head in assent, “The navigator and cook. This lump of muscle on my right is Cooper. He manages supplies and discipline issues. We of the Silver Star are a humble bunch, sailing not for profit but for pleasure, helping those in need of assistance, and perhaps, on occasion, receiving assistance from those who need it less than others. If you’d be so kind to share with me the names of two lovely mares such as yourselves?” he said with a wink. His smile seemed genuine, but there was something off about him. Vinyl thought so at least, but Octavia seemed rather taken by his manners and the emphasis that he owned a ship. Then Vinyl realized why Octavia was so interested in what he was saying – there was a way off this island.
“My name’s Vinyl Scratch, and this is my marefriend, Octavia Philharmonica!” the DJ declared proudly, pulling Octavia in for a quick kiss, an act which caused the gray mare to color considerably, though she didn’t object. As she’d faced away and blocked Octavia’s vision, neither mare could see the look of revulsion that overcame his face momentarily at the kiss. He’d recovered his composure before the two had returned to face him.
“The DJ and the Cellist? I thought you two went down with the Harmonious,” Captain Swashbuckle said in flat disbelief, for it was the truth. It had been an unprecedented tragedy – three hundred and ninety-three ponies had lost their lives. Not even the magic of the Princesses or the Elements of Harmony could do anything to change that, and not for lack of trying. The poor Princesses had been working themselves to death, almost literally, ever since the accident, trying to do something, anything to bring back the ponies they couldn't save whose deaths the sisters blamed themselves for.
“Well, we didn’t, miraculously. How many other ponies made it off?” Octavia asked, eager to hear some good news.
Captain Swashbuckle’s head fell. “I hate to be the bringer of bad news, ladies ladies, more than three hundred and fifty ponies perished in the accident. Thanks to quick thinking and powerful magic, the Royal Sisters were able to save more than nine hundred, but... not all of them.”
Octavia’s eyes widened in horror. Vinyl cursed and held her marefriend tighter, willing the tears not to come, but finding herself unable to hold them back. Both mares wept. Captain Swashbuckle gave the mares the time they needed. He was a gentlecolt, or at least he fancied himself one. Others would not agree. All the same, he waited the adequate time to let the mares’ crying end. When he felt like enough time had passed to break the silence, he spoke.
“You mares look like you’re in pretty dire straits. I could give you passage to the nearest port, but it’s a few days away by our small, humble Silver Star. If you’re willing to deal with some rather cramped living spaces for a time, then we may just be the answer to your prayers, ladies. What do you say?”
Octavia said nothing, but looked at Vinyl, who nodded weakly. Octavia in turn looked to the sailor ponies and nodded.
“Ok, then. I’ll leave you two alone for a while and get the ship ready to leave. We’re on the east end of the beach. I’ll see you ladies in a while,” Swashbuckle said, turning and exiting into the woods with his crew.
Octavia looked at Vinyl Scratch, eyes red from crying, yet at the same time full of excitement. “We… we can go home, Vinyl. We can go back to Canterlot, or Ponyville, or even Manehattan or Los Pegasus or Stalliongrad… we can go home, Vinyl, we can get a home, we can… we can have a life together!”
“Moving in together? Don’t you think we’re taking this a bit fast?” Vinyl chuckled. “Aww, who am I kidding. I couldn’t think of a nicer idea. But I dunno, Tavi. Something about this guy… I don’t trust him. I don’t know why, but something is telling me he’s got something bad planned.”
“Oh, Vinyl, he was such a gentlecolt. How can you say that?”
“Octavia, we met him thirty minutes ago. How can you say that?”
“I… ok. I know. But… we can go home, Vinyl.”
“Yeah. I’m excited too. I don’t see any reason not to trust him, but just… be on your guard. Especially around that beefcake Cooper. I didn’t like the looks of him at all.”
***
Barely contained fury seeped from Captain Swashbuckle.
“Those… heathens. Those filthy, disgusting, Celestia-damned fillyfiddlers. How can they live like that and pretend that it isn’t a violation of everything our good Princess stands for? It’s wrong, it’s vile, it’s… ARGH!” Swashbuckle growled and fumed, muttering curses every few seconds.
“We’ll show them tonight… tonight we’ll show them how they’re supposed to live. Spyglass, I know you’ve never really held as strong a feeling on this, so Cooper and I will take care of it. Cooper, you take the Cellist. But that DJ dyke? She’s mine.”
***
Hours later, the two mares had joined the Captain and his two crewmembers aboard a rather cramped sailboat, though neither was going to complain. A ticket off the island was a ticket off the island. Evening had rolled around and the Captain had invited the couple to the mess hall for dinner.
Vinyl and Octavia sat in the cramped dining hall on board the Silver Star. Spyglass had turned potatoes into a surprisingly delicious meal, and both mares felt more satisfied than they had in days. They thanked the stallion heartily for the meal, and as Vinyl excused herself, Captain Swashbuckle spoke up.
“So how does it feel?” The tone of his voice made Vinyl’s blood run cold.
“W… what do you mean?” Vinyl asked, attempting to keep her voice steady, and failing miserably. She looked at Octavia, who had an equally fearful look upon her face.
“How does it feel… to throw back in Celestia’s divine face everything she stands for, everything Equestria holds dear?”
“I… I’m afraid I don’t follow…” Octavia said weakly.
Captain Swashbuckle slammed his hooves down on the table, scattering dishes and silverware, which Spyglass hastened to clean up, before grabbing a towel and cleaning the spilled drinks as well. “Doesn’t it bother you? At all? To know that your… heathen, disgusting lesbian lifestyle is a detriment and a threat to every pony you come in contact with! Celestia damns you! You know that, do you not? Yet still you stray!”
Vinyl was on her hooves now as well, shouting. “What gives you the right to judge us? Celestia passed the law decades ago that homosexual relationships were to be legal in all of Equestria, and never in our history have they been nationally outlawed! Why are you even saying that Celestia forbids it? She endorses it, our Princess wants nothing more than her subjects’ happiness, in any form that it may manifest!”
“Vinyl, please…” Octavia tried to interrupt, but was cut off by Captain Swashbuckle again
“That’s not our ruler! The Changelings have infiltrated the highest echelons of our society and government before, it is a safe assumption that they have done so now for this so-called ‘Celestia’ to pass a law legalizing homosexual marriages! It’s… it’s barbaric! It’s wrong! It’s immoral! I’ll give you this one chance. Renounce your evil ways now like a good, honest Celestian, and I shall bring you back to port unharmed. Refuse… and I will be forced to try more convincing methods.”
“As if. I love Octavia more than anything in the world, and that’s never going to change,” Vinyl stated, glaring at the captain, a look of unbridled hatred in her eyes.
“And I love Miss Scratch similarly,” Octavia added.
“Very well. That is your final decision. That is… regretful. Mr. Cooper?” The huge, barrel-chested and barrel-flanked earth pony hooked his forelegs around Octavia’s neck and back legs, restraining her completely.
“OCTAVIA!” Vinyl screeched, whirling back to Captain Swashbuckle, “If you so much as think about hurting her, I swear to Celestia I will fucking kill you,” Vinyl said, the icy daggers in her voice failing to pierce the armor Swashbuckle had erected about himself.
“Thoughts are the least you should be worried about. Mr. Cooper, you may now show Miss Octavia the pleasures of heterosexuality.” Octavia’s eyes shrunk to pinpoints as she realized exactly what was about to happen to her.
“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” Vinyl roared, lunching across the table at the Captain stopping short as a flash of steel caught her eye, and suddenly there was a sword at her neck. Unable to move without slitting her own throat, Swashbuckle flashed her an evil smile and motioned for her to get down from the table.
“You, you blasphemous whore, are going to learn just as your ‘marefriend,’ over there. Only I will be your teacher. If either of you want to survive, you will not resist and you will enjoy this. Mr. Cooper? Escort Miss Philharmonica to your quarters and do with her as you see fit. Miss Scratch?” The white unicorn glared down her nose at him, with nothing but murder on her mind, “Would you be so kind as to accompany me to my quarters?” It was not a request. It was a command.
“Octavia. I’ll figure something out. I promise. I’ll get us out of this. I love you.”
Cooper had not yet left the room, and still held Octavia firm in his massive forelegs. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she swallowed hard, nodding. “I love you too, Vinyl Scratch.”
And with that, they disappeared out of the mess hall.
“Come, Miss Scratch. My quarters are the other way,” Swashbuckle instructed, motioning with his saber for Vinyl to exit out the other doorway in the room. “Thank you for the meal, Mr. Spyglass,” the Captain said, tipping his hat as he moved through the passageway.
“You’re very welcome, Captain,” Spyglass said, emotionlessly.
***
In Mr. Cooper’s quarters, Octavia was re-living the nightmare of the Royal Wedding. She was trapped, with nowhere to run and her only other option being death. Whatever happens… I have to see Vinyl again once this is over with. I have to persevere through this.
She was thrown roughly to the bed, which was nothing more than a small, barely padded cot, and felt a weight on her shoulders as Cooper pressed them down, leaving her rear lifted in the air, exposed for the world as he roughly pulled her tail aside. Octavia closed her eyes and prayed that her lover would rescue her again, save her from this violation of her fidelity to Vinyl, tears descending like a waterfall from her eyes.
The door swung open.
“Oh, Mr. Spyglass, so good of you to join us,” Cooper said, before directing his words at Octavia. “Open your mouth, wh-”
A glint of steel.
Cooper’s speech cut off abruptly with a gurgle and a rush of air as Spyglass suddenly stood over her. Octavia felt warm, sticky liquid pour onto her back.
Octavia screamed.
Celestia, why, please… no...
Wait.
This isn’t...
Suddenly, Cooper’s entire weight collapsed on top of her, his bulky body pressing Octavia flat against the cot. Octavia opened her eyes, saw blood, and promptly shut them again.
“Miss Philharmonica,” a gentle voice said. She dared open her eyes again, and saw the smiling face of Spyglass, who hauled Cooper’s body off of her. “While I cannot say I approve of your lifestyle choices, I am in no position to judge. I have not approved of Swashbuckle’s leadership for some time now, but this is so much worse than anything he’s ever told either of us to do. I’m so terribly sorry it took me so long to gain the courage to act. You’re not hurt, are you?”
Hurt? AM I HURT? I WAS JUST ALMOST RAPED YOU FUCKI- he’s apologizing. He just walked into this room, killed his crewmate, and told me his captain is wrong. He’s helping me. He’s saving me.
“I… I’ll recover…” Octavia said, rising unsteadily to her hooves.
“Come on, let’s go get your… marefriend,” he audibly struggled with the last word.
He’s really… I can’t believe he’s doing this.
The pair exited Cooper’s quarters and onto the deck, the night sea air bitter and heavily salted. They rushed through the mess hall and into a small storage room between the dining area and the Captain’s quarters. Spyglass wasted no time rushing in.
***
Vinyl Scratch heard the scream from the Captain’s quarters at the aft of the ship.
“Fuck. You,” she hissed through gritted teeth.
“Ah ah ah! That’s no way to talk to your master. Although, soon enough, you will be,” he said, his voice a chilling sing-song tone. Vinyl knew he was touched in the head – anyone who so much as considered Princess Celestia to be a changeling had to be completely deranged. Perhaps it had been one too many days under the ocean sun, or perhaps he had always been a fucking psychopath. Vinyl was leaning towards the latter, as he still had his sword pointed at her throat.
“Now roll over, onto your stomach,” he commanded, making a small circular motion with the tip of the blade. Vinyl Scratch obeyed. It was degrading. It was rape. All she wanted was for it to be over.
“Lift your rear.”
Again Vinyl complied.
“Oh look at you, you dirty slut. Keeping your tail short so any passing floozy can get a look at the goods, eh? Well I’ll change that. You will be so used up not even that whore of a cellist will want you.”
Vinyl felt hooves on her shoulders and an unpleasant pressure beneath her tail. She grit her teeth and screwed her eyes shut.
Suddenly the pressure was gone. Vinyl looked over her shoulder, but Swashbuckle had disappeared.
Despite hearing the door open, and the clop of hooves against wooden flooring, Vinyl left her rear obediently raised in the air, swishing her short tail to the side, presenting for Swashbuckle upon his return. If she was going to go through with this, she’d at least make it as easy for him as possible.
“Vinyl, oh Celestia what did he do to you…”
“Octavia?” Vinyl whirled around, suddenly finding the energy to leap to her marefriend and kiss her passionately.
“Ladies, please…” Spyglass said, eyes darting nervously about. “Now is not the time. Where’s Swashbuckle? He should be he-” Octavia heard his voice cut out with a mortifyingly familiar gurgle. Both mares looked back in time to see the saber withdraw from the back of Spyglass’ neck.
“That’s ‘Captain’ Swashbuckle to you. Well, not anymore you mutinous scum.”
Swashbuckle wiped his sword on the sheets before slowly making his way to the two mares.
“You know… I’ve never been with two mares at the same time… twice the conversion from sin! You’ll be begging for more when I’m through with y- ARGH!” Captain Swashbuckle fell, screaming in agony, blood flowing from just above the heel on his back right leg. Spyglass, still on the ground and lying in a pool of his own blood, wheezed a single word.
“Run.”
Both mares obeyed, running past the dying stallion and the incapacitated Captain, out through the kitchen and onto the deck. A small dingy was attached by ropes at the back of the ship. Vinyl hastened over to it, adrenaline overriding the fatigue in her body. Unfastening the knots and watching the boat descend to the water with a splash.
“Octavia, come on, get over here! Let’s go!” Vinyl yelled at her marefriend. Octavia obliged, and Vinyl helped her into the boat, noticing the blood on her back for the first time. “Celestia above, Tavi, what happened to your back?”
“Not mine. Let’s go,” Octavia said, eyes still wide, drawn to pinpricks, and leaking tears.
Vinyl joined her in the dingy, pulling at the oars before losing her grip on them, her hooves shaking too badly to hold the glorified wooden planks. As she made the first stroke in the water, a roar of guttural rage emerged from the ship, the Captain’s brown form launching from the aft of the vessel. In a split second, Octavia was perched on her back hooves, holding one oar like a baseball bat. She swung.
The oar connected with a mighty crack, Swashbuckle’s head and neck turning at a wholly implausible angle, and his body fell into and under the water. Octavia still stood in the dingy, chest heaving, hair a mess, eyes unfocused. Her knees gave way, and she fell into her marefriend’s lap.
“It… it’ll be ok… it’ll all be ok, Tavi… we can… we can get back to the island… we can pretend this never happened… oh Celestia Tavi I’m so, so sorry… I’m so very sorry…” Vinyl’s voice broke, becoming sobs and wails of regret.
“No… it’s my fault. You know what, though? I still love you. No matter what, right? I love you,” Octavia replied, her breath slowing as the adrenaline left her system.
“I… love… too…” Vinyl managed to choke out. Uncaring for anything but each other in the moment, they fell asleep in each other’s hooves, hoping to wake up from this nightmare, to find out it was all a bad dream.