The apartment wasn’t quite as cold as Trixie remembered it, but there may have been good reasons for that. As she lifted the covers from atop her, Trixie gazed around the room, the assorted posters and records scattered both across the floor and the walls. Trixie yawned as she sat up, her hoof finding rest on a bump in the bed next to her. She froze and, ever so slowly, turned to look down at the sleeping form of Vinyl below her. Trixie gasped, rolling out of the bed and crashing onto the floor with a large thump.
Vinyl moaned, rolling over to look to where Trixie had been. “Trixie?” she muttered, rubbing her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Trixie just- she, uh…” Trixie blushed, looking down.
Vinyl sat up and smiled. “Hey, don’t sweat, I’ve woken up to another filly in my bed more than once.” She pulled herself out of bed and walked towards the door. “How about some breakfast, huh?”
Trixie nodded, following Vinyl out into the living area, her cheeks still flushed. Vinyl walked over to the kitchen and swept the piles of pizza boxes onto the floor with an almighty crash, causing Trixie to wince. Vinyl grinned as she blew the dust off the stove, the fine specks swirling around in a cloud. Trixie coughed in the swarm, her eyes watering.
“Gee, thanks Vinyl,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Vinyl grinned bashfully, her cheeks flushing.
She stooped down under the counter for a moment, before reappearing, a frying pan grasped between her jaws. She threw it up in the air, and it landed on the stove with a clatter. “How about some pancakes?” she asked, turning to the fridge.
“Er, sure.” Trixie peered over Vinyl’s shoulder as the unicorn rummaged through the fridge. After a few moments she pulled up, a bottle held in her magical aura. She lifted it up so Trixie could read the label.
“Pancake… mix,” Trixie read, squinting at the label.
“You ain’t got none!” Vinyl shouted, throwing the mix up with a bound. She landed back on her hooves and glanced at Trixie. “Er, sorry.” Her cheeks flushed again. “I don’t know what came over me.” She flicked a button on the stove, and a steady flow of gas poured out from the top. “Alright Trixie, I think you should find some cover.”
“Why?” Trixie asked, trying to see what Vinyl was pulling from the drawer. The pony lifted out a red box, a picture of Spitfire, the captain of the Wonderbolts, printed on the side. Trixie gasped. “Vinyl, you can’t! That’s a death wish!”
“Well, it’s not my fault that the bloody sparker on this thing doesn’t work.” Vinyl opened the miniature drawer encased in the packet of matches and pulled out a spindly match. She struck it and tossed it at the oven. She then turned to Trixie, eyes wide, and screamed. “Run!”
The two bolted forward, leaping over the couch and onto the pile of pizza boxes behind it. After a few seconds of laying in the dark, their breathing heavy, the two pulled out and peeked out over the couch. Over at the stove was a small flame, as the gas had lit, but not exploded. Both mares let out a sigh of relief, sinking down. They glanced at each other, and let out a small chorus of giggles as they stood.
Vinyl ran over to the kitchen, grabbing the mix in her magical grasp. “Here, shake this, will you?” She proffered the container of white semi-solids to Trixie.
“Alright, so long as it doesn’t explode,” Trixie laughed, grabbing the container and starting to shake it. After a few moments of silence, she attempted to start another conversation. “So, where’d you learn to cook?”
“Believe it or not,” Vinyl started, her grin growing. “I used to be a fry cook.” She smiled at Trixie’s expression as she continued. “Yeah, I know right? Me? A fry cook? Who’d have thought?” She laughed, grabbing the mix from Trixie. “Yeah, I was only doing it part time, of course, I was still working on my DJ skills. But, you know, my partying wasn’t exactly raking in profits.” She stopped shaking the pan to ponder something. “At least, until you came along.”
“Trixie? What did she do?” Trixie asked, curious.
“Well, with your added talents.” Trixie blushed at this, but Vinyl continued, oblivious. “The clubs started to want to hire me more over the other DJ’s who were just doing the same boring thing as everyone else.” When Trixie looked confused, Vinyl attempted to reform her statement. “All DJ’s do the same thing, really, with varying degrees of skill. But, when I offer them a free lights show that could kick the ass out of their pyrotechnics show, well, they can’t refuse, can they?”
Trixie looked down at her hooves, scuffing them against the floor. “Trixie isn’t that good Vinyl.”
“Oh, quit being so modest,” Vinyl said, pretending to punch Trixie in the shoulder. “You’re amazing! All of those lights, the way you control all of them at once. I’ve seen you do hundreds at a time! All of them different colours and everything!” Vinyl’s eyes took on a sort of misty look. “And… and the way they shine on your mane… so…”
“Er, what?” Trixie asked, turning away from the pancakes.
Vinyl blushed, turning away. She let out a loud cough. “Oh, uh, did that last bit sound like words?” She coughed again, her cheeks growing even redder.
Trixie shook her head, but before she could enquire further, black smoke began pouring from the pan. “Vinyl?”
“Mmm?”
“Should the pancakes be smoking like that?”
“Not really.” Both ponies turned to look at each other as flame erupted from the pan, frightened looks spread across their faces.
“Run!”
****
“So, Trixie, where to first?” Vinyl asked as the two stood at the entrance to Manehatten’s main street.
“Trixie still doesn’t understand what the two of you are doing.” Trixie gazed around at the assembled shops and cafes, her expression one of mixed curiosity.
“Oh come one,” Vinyl began, turning to make Trixie face her. “Don’t tell me you’ve never been shopping!” When Trixie replied with a blank look, Vinyl toppled over backwards, a hoof pressed to her forehead in fake despair. “Oh, you are a disgrace Trixie! What ever are we to do with you?”
Trixie giggled as she helped Vinyl up. “Still, what are we supposed to do while we’re out, er, ‘shopping’?”
“Well, buy things of course!” Vinyl shouted, startling some passers-by who shot the pair dirty looks. “So, what do you want to go buy first? Clothes? Music?” She glanced back into her saddlebags, the flaps opening as she rummaged inside.
“Trixie doesn’t know… clothes?” Trixie closed her eyes hesitantly.
A high-pitched squeal resonated from Vinyl as Trixie said those words, and she grabbed Trixie’s hoof with her own. “Ooooh~!” she sang, pulling Trixie towards the closest store. “Get ready for the hour of your life!”
The two crashed through the door, and instantly barrelled into a large pony who grunted as they collided with his chest. Trixie was up instantly, apologizing profusely and trying to get Vinyl to do the same. As Vinyl stood, the large pony broke into a huge smile, his face literally lighting up.
“Hey, Vinyl! Long time no see.” He smiled, wrapping the much smaller unicorn in a hug.
Vinyl returned it, smiling as well. “Heya Leaf! How’ve you been?”
The two broke apart, and the larger pony looked down at Vinyl. “Not too bad, got a steady job here at the boutique, and I’m about to be a dad!”
“Haha no way!” Vinyl punched him playfully in the chest. “You and Crystal finally went all the way, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess we did.” Leaf smiled, before turning to the door. “Catch ya later Vinyl, I’ve gotta get back to work.” He waved as he pushed through the door, and Vinyl waved back.
“And that was?” Trixie asked, turning to Vinyl with a sly smile.
“A friend. We met at a club where he was being a bouncer. I was playing later that night, and we had nothing better to do, so we just hung out.” Vinyl shrugged, before turning back to the inside of the store. “Anyway, this here is one of the finest stores in Manehatten. They import dresses from all over.”
Vinyl started to pull Trixie through the store. The two passed large racks with different saddles, dresses and other forms of clothing. They stopped in front of a large display with the words ‘Rarity’s fashion holiday!’ imprinted in bold.
“Remember that pony from the party? The white one with the really curled purple mane?” Vinyl eyed Trixie questioningly as she looked over the stock.
“I think so. I remember ruining her mane as well.” Trixie smiled sheepishly as she walked past the first row of dresses.
Vinyl seemed oblivious to the last part of Trixie’s sentence, and she continued. “Well, these are her dresses.” She motioned to the large display. “Some of the best in Manehatten!” She turned to face Trixie, a gleam in her eye. “So.” she started towards Trixie. “Want to try some on?”
“Oh no.” Trixie backed away slowly as Vinyl advanced. “No, no, no. Trixie does not want to.” Vinyl’s smile grew sinister, and Trixie gulped. “Well… alright.” Vinyl squealed. “But only a few,” Trixie warned. “Trixie doesn’t want to spend all of her money.”
Vinyl nodded. “Oh this is going to be so fun!” she pulled Trixie into the closest dressing booth, a large amount of dresses floating behind her.
Trixie gulped at the size of the pile. “Trixie is going to have to try on all of those?”
“Oh, this is just the beginning!” Vinyl’s eyes lit up behind her glasses. “There’s so many more we could try!”
Trixie rolled her eyes, groaning simultaneously.
****
Two hours and two hundred dresses later, Vinyl stood back to admire her handiwork. A velvet red dress entwined around Trixie, it’s large hemming at the base flourished and exaggerated, whilst at the neck of the dress, the stitching was tight and neat, giving the dress an altogether mixed look. Trixie strained her neck from side to side, trying to see the entire dress all at once. Vinyl held up a mirror, and Trixie silently thanked her, looking over the dress.
“Oh, one second!” Vinyl disappeared out of the curtains, reappearing a few seconds later, a tiara wrapped in her aura. She placed it on Trixie’s head, then stood back again, catching her breath. “You’re… perfect.”
“Pardon?” Trixie asked, looking back up at Vinyl.
“Uh, er, the… dress, it’s perfect!” Vinyl mentally facehooved. “Yeah, it looks great!”
Trixie smiled. “Do you really think so?”
“I know so, it looks awesome.” Vinyl opened up the curtains as Trixie removed the clothes, folding them back up neatly and floating them over to Vinyl. “All right,” Vinyl said, heading over to the counter as she pulled the clothes from Trixie’s grip. “Let’s go buy them.”
Trixie pulled her purse out. “How much are the-“
Vinyl held up a hoof, silencing her. “No, I’ll be paying.”
“But Viny-“
“No buts.” Vinyl smiled at Trixie. “My treat.” She spun around to talk to the clerk, as Trixie started to wander the shop. The show mare eventually found herself at the front, near one of the large display windows. She looked outside at all of the passing ponies living out their boring, uneventful lies. She knew she shouldn’t think like that, but she also knew it was the truth.
Trixie jumped as a hoof clasped onto her shoulder, spinning to see who it was. Vinyl’s dark glasses and obsessive smirk answered Trixie’s question before she’d even got it out of her mouth. “C’mon Trix, let’s go get some lunch.” Vinyl opened the door and pushed out and onto the street, Trixie following in her wake.
“And where, exactly, are you and Trixie going to eat?” Trixie asked, eyeing the back of Vinyl’s head suspiciously.
“Oh, it’s a small café that I used to go to regularly.” Vinyl shrugged as she led Trixie through the crowd of ponies.
“Used to?” Trixie asked as she was squashed up against a rather large mare who shot her a dirty look.
“Well, I had a falling out with one of their employees,” Vinyl said, glancing back to smile at Trixie.
“Falling out?” Trixie asked.
Vinyl shrugged as she squeezed through another group of ponies. “You know, she didn’t really like my music, or the way I acted. So I dropped her. I mean, if you can’t act yourself around a pony, why should you be around them at all?”
“But you want to take Trixie there?” Trixie let out her breath as the two emerged from the large group and she smiled as they walked up to the front of a café.
“Well… yeah.” Vinyl pushed open the door, and the two walked inside. The café wasn’t a large one, but what it lacked in quantity, it made up for in character. The wooden frame of the room was painted a deep black, whilst the main parts of the walls were white. Framed pictures hung from every inch of wall possible, and small, black tables surrounded by equally as black chairs filled the main floor.
“Looks pretty good, huh?” Vinyl asked, pulling Trixie towards the front counter.
“It does have a certain… quaintness, yes.” Trixie agreed, peering inside the counters fridge.
She looked up as a large, dark blue stallion propped himself up at the counter. “How may I- Hey! Vinyl, long time no see.” He grabbed her hoof in his and shook vigorously, his smile growing ever wider.
“Hey, Berry! It’s been a while,” Vinyl replied, returning the shake before setting her hooves back down on the counter. “Me and Trixie here were just looking for some lunch, do you guys still make those great quiches that I love so much?”
“You bet we do!” The stallion reached into the small fridge before pulling out a large platter, covered in small pastries. “The Vinyl special, see, we even named it after you.” He smiled, before proffering them the platter. “Here, on the house.”
Vinyl grinned and grabbed two of the quiches with her magic, motioning with her head for Trixie to do the same. The mare complied, her magenta aura lifting the pastries into the air. Vinyl waved to ‘Berry’ before leading Trixie towards a table. The two each pulled out chairs and sat down, plates appearing before them in small flashes of white. Trixie placed her food down before glancing up at Vinyl. The DJ had already stuffed her face with her food, and she chomped down, tearing the pastry apart as if she were a wild animal and the quiche her prey.
Trixie giggled despite herself, before adding. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”
Vinyl flashed her a pastry filled smile, before swallowing her food in a single gulp. “Trixie,” she started, thumping her chest loudly. “We’ve been living together for the past what, five months? And you still haven’t gotten used to how I eat?” She chuckled, already lifting her next victim towards her mouth.
“Five months… has it really been that long?” Trixie lifted her own quiche to her mouth, nibbling at the edges. Vinyl nodded in response, biting off half and swallowing it within seconds. Trixie shook her head, before doing the same, which managed to pull another smile from Vinyl’s lips.
“See, I’m rubbing off on you. You already like my music, and you eat in the same manner. All that’s left now is your sexuality.” Trixie’s food caught in her mouth at these words, and her cheeks instantly flushed a deep red.
“W-what?” she managed to hack out after swallowing her mouthful, tears in her eyes.
Vinyl sighed, turning to look up towards the counter, where the large stallion sat. She went to speak, but was cut off by the sound of the bell above the shop’s door. She glanced up from Trixie and her smile dropped. The colour in her face instantly drained, and she began to sink lower into her seat. Trixie glanced around in interest, and came face to face with a rather small mare, whose eyes glowed with rage.
“Who’s this then?” she asked, her voice teething with anger. She glanced towards Vinyl, who had almost disappeared under the table in an attempt to hide. “Your new marefriend?” She seemed to spit those last words directly at Trixie, who flinched in shock.
Vinyl lifted herself up slightly and looked down at the table. “H-hello Belle,” she stammered, her voice small and weak.
The mare, ‘Belle’, didn’t seem to hear what Vinyl had said, and kept her eyes locked with Trixie’s. “So, where’d you pick this one up, the brothel?” She moved her face closer to Trixie’s, her eyes darting across the showmare’s face. “How much is she paying you?” she asked.
Slowly, Trixie pushed her chair back and stood up from the table, her face slowly changing. Trixie had been fine before, she’d been happy and interested and most of all, content. But now, now she was angry. This mare had just walked in, intimidated her friend, and then compared her to a prostitute(Which, by the way, is a totally great profession, no offense meant.). “What did you just say?” Trixie began, her voice adopting a steely edge.
Belle paused for a moment, as if deciding which action would be the best to take here. “I said, just in case you’re ears aren’t functioning properly, how much is she paying you?”
Trixie stepped forward, her hoof coming down hard on the other pony’s, and effectively trapping her there. “No before that, where did you say Trixie worked?” The other mare started to speak, but was cut off by Trixie’s raised hoof. “Be very careful about what you say next.” Trixie warned.
“I said you worked in a bro-“ The last part of Belle’s sentence was cut off by her voice suddenly giving way. She floated roughly two feet above the ground, her legs dangling below her. A magenta aura surrounded her entire body, trapping her in the air. Trixie’s eyes glowed with rage, and her mouth almost looked as if it were foaming. A twisted smile formed on the showmare’s lips as she moved the pony backwards in the air.
“I,” Trixie began, punctuating the word with a sudden fling of the pony in the air. “Am not.” She turned until the pony was directly in front of the door. “A prostitute!” She flung, and Belle flew through the air, her torso crashing through the door and sending her out into the street. Vinyl rushed towards the door and peered outside, a smile forming on her lips. Trixie panted heavily, her smile disappearing as it was replaced with a look of exasperation.
Vinyl spun around to look at Trixie, her smile growing wider by the second. “That,” she started, grabbing Trixie by the shoulders. “Was awesome!” Trixie smiled in response, lifting her money bag out of her saddlebags and placing some coins on the counter, next to the stunned stallion.
The two then walked out the door, and straight passed a dazed Belle, who was rubbing her head, and looking towards Trixie, a look of terror on her face. Trixie smirked, and Vinyl grinned at Trixie’s expression, before pulling her across the street and towards the closest shop.
“We’ve still got so much to do!” Vinyl shouted, dragging Trixie through the door.
****
The lights in the room darkened again, and Trixie felt herself grow giddy with anticipation. She stepped out onto the dark side of the stage, and felt Vinyl’s side brush against her as she copied the motion. Even through the pitch-darkness, Trixie could feel Vinyl grinning her trademark grin, and this somehow comforted her. But, when the lights finally did flash on, she noticed she stood by herself. Vinyl stood on the other side of the stage, a microphone floating next to her head.
Trixie shot her a questioning glance, but Vinyl smiled and shook her head, before starting the music off in the background. A soft cord progression, no doubt made from some form of insane synth that Vinyl had concocted, floated in, as Vinyl slowly lifted the microphone to her lips.
You changed me, girl you gave me,
A reason to be happy.
Vinyl lifted her head up to look at Trixie, a small smile playing on her features. Trixie felt shocked, and she showed it. Vinyl’s smile grew wider, and she continued with the lyrics.
Never thought I would find something as real as this,
Heartbeat skips with all the time each and every thing.
Vinyl stepped forward, her hooves shaking despite her common bravado. Trixie did the same, and the two continued on in time with the music.
And I like it babe, don’t fight it,
You’ve got me so excited.
The music dropped, and, what Trixie had learnt over her time with Vinyl, was call a ‘build up’, started.
From the moment we met, girl I already knew,
Both Trixie and Vinyl stood in front of each other, Their eyes locked.
It would take all my strength to stop me falling for,
The music dropped, and silence filled the room.
You.
Vinyl brought her head forward, bringing her lips into contact with Trixie’s. The room stood silent, as did Trixie, at the sudden movement. After a few moments, Trixie’s eyes closed, and she pushed back into Vinyl, her lips moving in conjunction with Vinyl’s. Moments passed before the two broke apart, in which no pony spoke. Then, when the embrace ended, the crowd roared. Trixie and Vinyl blushed before dropping their gaze and turning to face the crowd.
Vinyl nodded her head, and the music kicked back in. Trixie laughed and her magic started, spraying dazzling light in every direction. The room erupted into dance and cheering, and Trixie couldn’t help but join in.
And, for the first time in her life, she felt complete.
And Trixie loved it.
A/N: Well, there we go, the first part of the ending is complete. Due to exams, it was slightly delayed, but it’s here now, and that’s what counts. Hope everyone enjoyed it.
And now, the list.
This chapter was written to the cool sounds of:
· Truth - Tristam
· Wake You Up – Koven
· 010, Conquest – Monstercat album
· and episode 70 of the Going Quantum Podcast
And for anyone who’s wondering, the song used at the end of this piece, wasn’t actually written by me, but by Dodge & Fuski. I just decided to use it, as it fit with the story (kinda). The lyrics were slightly edited to reflect the story, but you can still find it on Youtube.
Th-th-th-that’s all folks!
-Taranasaurus.