“Octavia, do we really have to talk about this now?” The alabaster mare said to the mildly-peeved cellist leaning again the wall a few feet away. Vinyl Scratch continued to check over her belongings for the tenth time, guaranteeing herself that her computer, media player, spare sunglasses, and ‘wallet’ were all present in the backpack. Octavia always refused to remove the air quotes on ‘wallet’ because it’s really just an ID taped to a money pouch, in which there was rarely more than five bits present.
In actuality, the DJ wasn’t concerned with the contents of her bag; she’d assured herself over an hour ago that all her necessary items were in there. No, she was just trying to look busy. If she looked pre-occupied enough, perhaps Octavia would just give up and let the topic drop. Unfortunately, Vinyl Scratch has a notorious bad luck streak.
“Yes, we need to talk about this now. And every day for the rest of eternity, if we must. Vinyl, why can’t you see how much this means to me?” Octavia pleaded, taking a couple of steps toward her marefriend. Vinyl continued to busy herself, unwilling to meet the grey mare’s eyes.
“I know just how much it means to you, but why? All it is a piece of fucking paper! Who gives a shit if we have one or not! Really, what’s so important about it?” Vinyl replied, her voice unintentionally rising. Clearly, she was just as sick of the conversation repeating itself as Octavia was.
“It’s not just a piece of paper! It’s the idea behind it that matters. I want to know that you’ll be there for me when I need you,” Octavia said, trying to guilt the disc jockey into caving. Vinyl sighed and spun on a hoof, taking Octavia’s face in another.
“I already told you, I’ll always be there for you. What more do you need?” Vinyl said quietly, pulling her patented ‘Eye Shimmer’ that always made Octavia’s heart melt. Octavia backed away and shook her head, attempting to focus on just the argument at hoof.
“I need more because you’re you!”
Vinyl gritted her teeth and took a step forward. “Just what is that supposed to mean. . .”
“It means that you live a very wild lifestyle, and, even though we’re settled here in Ponyville now, you still have a habit of making bad choices,” Octavia said before thinking. Her eyes went wide before clamping a hoof over her mouth. Vinyl’s jaw dropped as she realized what Octavia had just brought in as ammo.
“Oh, not this again! Always with this! I told you, it was one fucking party! We’d both had too much to drink and I was tired, okay! It’s not like it meant anything, it was one fucking sloppy makeout with her and that’s it! Ugh, Celestia and Luna, I thought we were done with this!” Vinyl shouted, punching the wall angrily. Her hoof left a small crack in the wood, but she was far too outraged to notice. “We already talked this through and it meant nothing for either of us! And Applejack got over it with no problem, so why can’t you?”
Octavia snapped and slammed her hoof down. “She got over it because they’re married! Now you see why it’s so important?”
“Oh, so if we get married, you’ll finally shut the fuck up?” Vinyl hissed. The second she said the words, she knew she’d royally fucked up. Instead of backtracking, she stood her ground. “I didn’t. . . Know what, I’m done. I have a train to catch and a gig to do. I’ll be back in two days, and if you’re still on this damn thing when I get back. . . Well, we’ll have to figure something out.”
With that, Vinyl Scratch slipped on her backpack and walked out the door, slamming it behind her. Octavia was left standing there in the living room of their home, stunned. Her mind replayed those words over and over in her head. You’ll finally shut the fuck up? Finally shut the fuck up? Shut the fuck up. . . Before she knew it, her head was in her hooves and the tears were flowing like miniature rivers, slicking her grey coat wherever they touched. She’d been through this before, but never this bad, and the fact that Vinyl left like that left the wound open and stinging.
Like with most nights, the cellist pulled herself together just long enough to slump over to the kitchen table and grab the bottle of sleeping pills that had become her new lover. She thought about how Vinyl and she had grown apart because of this argument, which only stung more.
It began simply, as most arguments do. Octavia and Vinyl had been present at Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s wedding, and it was gorgeous. Rarity had sewn them both the most fabulous dresses Octavia had ever seen, and it made something in her chest burn. It was then that she realized what she wanted more than to become a famous cellist; she wanted to get married. As the night went on, her ache grew stronger. By the time she and Vinyl were on their way home, it was all she could think about. Truly, she didn’t know if she could marry Vinyl Scratch, perhaps the most talented and least lucky disc jockey Equestria had ever had the misfortune of forgetting.
And then, it happened. As they rode in their carriage back to their home, just the two of them, her anxiety from the day finally caught up with her. All her strength was suddenly sapped and she couldn’t even lift her eyelids any longer. As she started to drift off, her marefriend pulled her close, smiling sweetly. Vinyl kissed her forehead and leaned over to her ear, whispering, “I love you, Tavi.” Despite her excitement, Octavia fell asleep not two seconds after that.
When she awoke, she found herself back in their bedroom. On her nightstand, were hoof-made breakfast and a note that read, “Tavi, sorry we didn’t get to spend the day together, but you know how difficult gigs are to come by for me. With how hard it is for you to go back and forth to Canterlot and Manehattan for work, I’ve been trying to work more to earn some extra bits, even if all the ones we have now are going to my hospital bills. I made you breakfast, I hope it doesn’t suck (but I made it, so it probably does. There’s cornflakes and milk in the fridge.). See you tomorrow, -V.”
As Octavia read the message, she realized two things. The first was that Vinyl had taken it upon herself to drag her marefriend up to bed instead of waking her up, as well as making her breakfast for the same reason. Octavia’s heart fluttered as she recalled the moment she realized that she could do that for the rest of her life, that she wanted to. The second thing she realized was that Vinyl put cornflakes in the fridge.
When the marble colored mare returned the next day, Octavia made the snap decision to tell her about her realization. It was the worst decision she has ever made. The argument started the same way it always did. That time, it ended with them going to be angry with one another and waking up in a much better mood. The next time, Vinyl ended up sleeping on the couch, and of her own accord. The time after that, they didn’t speak to each other for two whole days. Then, Vinyl went to a gig, a party hosted by Ponyville’s resident competition for Equestria’s ‘Wildest Partier’ award. There, the disc jockey had tried to drink her troubles away, which ended in a “sloppy makeout” with Rainbow Dash.
Once that had been ‘resolved’, things went most back to normal. And that brought them back to the present. Like most of her troubled nights, Octavia dropped three sleeping pills into her hoof and knocked them back. Leaning her head back, her silken black mane tumbled down the back of the chair and hung limply. Soon enough, her forelegs took on the same characteristic as she dropped into a deep slumber.
“Motherbucking. . . Damned Dash and her damned marriage. . . Piece of-“
“Hey, Scratch!”
Speak of the Devil. . . Vinyl plastered a fake smile on her face as Rainbow Dash caught up to her, smiling sincerely. There were no hints guilt or animosity towards Vinyl hidden in her magenta eyes. Thankfully, Vinyl’s own eyes were shielded by her shades, despite it being almost too dark to see as is.
“Hey, Dash, what’s up?” Vinyl asked through slightly clenched teeth. Dash’s smile fell and she swiped the glasses right off her friend’s face. Vinyl immediately looked the opposite direction to avoid eye contact. Unfortunately, a typical diet of a pizza or two a week and cornflakes for breakfast didn’t give her the strength to push through Dash’s outstretched hoof.
“Outta my way, Dash!” She snapped, staring daggers at the blue pegasus. “Don’t you have a wife to get back to?” Her ‘biting comments’ didn’t do enough to deflect her eyes from meeting Rainbow Dash’s. The instant she realized it, Vinyl looked away shamefully.
“Woah, Vinyl. . . Is everything alright? I haven’t seen you cry since. . .” Dash’s voice trailed off as her eyes grew wide. “Oh no, did you guys fight again?”
“Worse than ever. . . She brought up ‘that night’ and I told her to shut up,” Vinyl said regretfully. Dash shook her head.
“You two. . . You need to work things out. Like, now.”
“I just don’t get it! Why does it matter if we’re married or not? It’s just a piece of paper, a ring I can’t afford, and a ceremony we definitely can’t afford. Like, why the buck does she care so much!” Vinyl was once again gritting her teeth angrily as she walked toward the train station.
“Scratch, it’s the sentiment that she wants, not the ceremony or the ring. Octavia just wants to be sure that you’re going to be there for her no matter what,” Rainbow explained, but Vinyl only shook her head, frustrated.
“She already knows that I love her more than anything, even my music. Why do I have to get married to prove it? Can you honestly say you’re better off being married?” Vinyl growled. Dash walked in silence for a moment before it registered that was a legitimate question.
“Wha- Of course! Listen, Scratch, take a second to think about this. Can you honestly say you don’t want to be sure that Octavia will stay with you forever? I mean, look at me. I spent years working on becoming the best flier in Equestria. And then I fell for AJ. When I had to make the choice, it was obvious. And after I nearly left her for good, I knew that I needed to show Applejack that I had no intention of ever leaving her again. So I bought a ring and proposed. And you know what? It was the best damned decision I ever made.”
Vinyl’s gaze went blank for a few moments and just as she opened her mouth to reply, a train whistle sounded. “Oh buck! My train’s about to leave! Listen, Dash, I’d love to stay and chat, but this is my first gig in a month, so I really gotta take it. It’s in Las Pegasus, which usually gets me big tips.”
Dash smiled sadly, not knowing if her sentiment got through or not. “Well, you go get ‘em. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Rainbow poked as Vinyl took off running.
The DJ had just enough time to look over her shoulder and call back to her friend, “Cool, so I can do anything I want!” Dash laughed and stuck her tongue out at the mare just as the air took on a strange crackling. In a grey flash, Vinyl was gone, leaving only a small burn on the road and the sound of teleportation. Dash smiled again and began to fly back home to her home near Sweet Apple Acres. She hadn’t flown for more than a minute before her guilt hit her like a lightning strike and she immediately changed course.
A knock at the door awoke Octavia much too early from her medication-induced slumber. Groggily, she slid out of the kitchen chair and pulled herself into the living room. She hadn’t taken but three steps before the carpet caught her hoof, pulling her to the ground. Lazily, she half-assed an attempt to stand up before rolling her eyes.
“Come in,” she called, a twinge of anger thrown in at her midnight visitor.
The door swept open quickly, revealing a silhouette of Rainbow Dash in the moonlight. It just barely caught the edge of her coat and mane, giving the mare a surreal, yet colorful, outline. Dash inhaled suddenly and galloped forward to help the fallen grey mare up.
“Octavia, what the hay are you doing in here?”
Sleepily, Octavia stood and leaned against the wall. “I- Sleeping pills- Chair-“ Her rambling was cut off back a backhoof to the face. “Oww, what in Equestria was that for!” She snapped at Dash, who just smiled.
“Good, now you’re making sense. Now, I talked to Vinyl and she said-“
“Oh, don’t even talk about her! I’m so mad at her I could just-“
“Do nothing because you love her too much?” Dash interjected, and the fire died out of Octavia’s eyes.
“Yes, I suppose you’re right. . . I just wish that-“
“Somepony would knock some sense into her?”
Octavia grinned. “Precisely. How do you know so much about these kinds of things?” Rainbow Dash grinned back and raised a forehoof. About four inches up was a golden band that fit perfectly.
“I’m married, remember? I know these things because I’ve been on both sides of this argument. Well, not this argument per say, bu-“
“Oh heavens, she told you about that? I’m so sorry she put all that on you, it really has nothing to do with you or Applejack, I just. . .” Octavia was silenced by Dash’s raised hoof, which then gestured to the couch. Once they were both seated comfortably, Rainbow looked at Octavia thoughtfully.
“Okay, let’s work on this from Vinyl’s standpoint. When was the first time you got Vinyl to do anything out of her own free will?”
Octavia had to think much farther back than she would have thought. “Umm, the first time Vinyl kissed me. I think that was the first time she did something she wanted that she did something that benefited us both without me having to force her to do it,” Octavia said, pulling back a smile at the thought of the tingling sensation on her lips.
“And you guys were already living at your old place by then. Granted, you both were drunk, but you see? Vinyl doesn’t like being forced into things for one. Second, she’s been living free all her life. When you met her, she was drunk to boot and basically told you to buck off after she got tossed out of her own party. Before that, lemme tell you, it only got worse. Filly, she must have had three arrest warrants out on her at all times and more mug shots than Applejack has family. Point is, she’s been doing whatever she wants whenever she wants to for her whole life, and now she sees you trying to change that. What if she told you that you couldn’t play the cello anymore once you married?”
Octavia swallowed uncomfortably as she realized how foalish she’d been. “But she knows that she can still live her life. Why would that change?”
“Octavia, do you remember the night when Vinyl and I showed up at your door, led by AJ, so we could tell you about what happened? Of course you do. Well, do you know why Vinyl was so hammered that night?” Octavia shook her head slowly in response. “It’s because she was scared. She’s never had good luck, you know that. And she was terrified that night because of all the fighting you guys had been doing. She told me that with her luck, you’d be packed and gone by the time she came home. Octavia, Vinyl was scared you’d leave her. And she was hurting. But she knew it was her fault. She doesn’t want to get married because if she messes up like that again and you still leave her, there’d be nothing left.
“I know I said she lived a wild life when she was younger, which is true, but she was never really happy,” Dash told the cellist, who furrowed her brow. The pegasus sighed before briefly clearing her throat. “Octavia, you love Vinyl, right? Of course you do. Well, you need to remember never to tell anypony what I’m about to tell you. . . When Vinyl was younger, she and I had a mean streak. We’d tear through towns like cyclones, getting in all sorts of trouble. I loved it, and so did she, but the in-between was. . . Well, it was bad. She was never happy, not really. She’d drink her problems away and sleep through most days. Once, she and this mare. . . They had a sort of thing going. We’d go back to her town every other week just so they could see each other. I thought maybe Vinyl had finally found somebody to stick with, but things just fell apart.
“I tried to cheer her up, but she spiraled out. She was always drunk, hay, I found her drinking vodka instead of milk in her cereal one time. And she was still depressed about it. Not a single moment was happy for her. And then, one day. . . I found her sitting on top of the town’s clock tower. I have no idea how she got up there, but she was just sitting on the ledge, completely sober for the first time in Celestia knows how long. She told me to come sit with her, and I could tell she’d been crying. She never cried about anything, so I couldn’t say no even if I wanted to. We just sat for the longest time in silence, but she finally told me why. She was about to jump, Tavi. She was about to kill herself because she had nothing left to stay for. Well, we put her on some anti-depressants and she cut the alcohol for a while. She went her way and I went mine, which landed her in Manehattan, where she met Derpy and the Doc and finally found what she called peace. Look, what I’m saying is, she never wants to get hurt like that again, and if she does, it’ll be the death of her.”
Octavia suddenly felt her breath coming in short, rapid bursts. She’d never heard of Vinyl’s past before, and she had no idea that it was so troubled before she came along. Her eyes focused on nothing as she realized that she had just left Vinyl on her own after the worst fight they’d had yet. She didn’t even feel as Dash grabbed her shoulders and turned the cellist to face her again.
“Octavia, snap out of it! I’m sure she’s fi-“
“I need to go. I need to get a train, I need to pack, I need to- To- To. . .” Octavia’s voice failed her as she realized that Vinyl was off, alone, upset, and probably drunk in Las Pegasus. “Dash, what am I going to do!” She cried, grabbing Rainbow Dash’s cheeks in her hooves.
“You’re going to calm down and wait here for Vinyl to get back in two days, and then, when she gets back, you’ll talk this through and finally stop arguing,” Dash ordered. “In fact, I’m gonna stay here with you. Just a short stay, maybe I’ll have AJ lend a hoof, too. You’re not going anywhere.”
Octavia sighed heavily as she realized there was no way out of her situation. Exhausted, she gave up and closed her eyes, finally hoping to get some sleep. Off in the distance, under the rising sun, a rooster crowed. Her eyes bolted open instantly at the sound. Swearing under her breath, Octavia pulled herself off the couch and started for the kitchen. . . And promptly landed muzzle-first on the carpet. She would have been in intense pain, had she not fallen asleep before hitting the ground. The cyan pegasus on the couch started to try and help her friend up before stopping herself and smiling.
Well, it’s not like she’ll be going anywhere soon. Might as well let her sleep it off. Dash walked toward the front door and looked back to where the stairs led upward. Scratch did say that their bed is really comfortable. . . I wonder if AJ would mind testing that out. . . Dash thought with a smirk before taking off toward home.
“Hey, mind if I sit here?”
Vinyl Scratch looked up from her computer, her eyes bloodshot from working on a set list for the upcoming gig. Standing in the doorway was a handsome colt with a short-cropped black mane, two ear rings on the left, a gap in the edge of the right one, a small vertical scar under his left eye, and a tattoo of stretching vines on his neck. His eyes were a purple like a late evening sky, something that Vinyl was sure wooed all the mares.
Grinning politely, she held out a hoof, gesturing for him to sit across from her. His light brown coat shined as he walked into the small room and laid himself on the seat. When he looked up, he grinned at her, showing a set of stunningly white teeth that oozed an overconfidence that only comes from the beds of several dozen mares.
“So, what’s a mare like yourself doing on a train to Las Pegasus at this hour?” His smile practically seemed to twinkle, even in the poor lighting of the train. Vinyl had to suppress a chuckle.
“Going to do a gig. I’m a DJ. You look like the kind of pony who enjoys a good DJ,” she commented, which seemed to spark something in his eye.
“Oh, believe me, I enjoy all sorts, not just a good DJ. . .”
She couldn’t help herself. She let out a long wave of laughter, which ended with her wiping the starts of tears from her eyes. “Oh colt, that’s rich. . .” The stallion seemed both uncomfortable and wounded by the event, but Vinyl waved her hooves to stop him from leaving.
“Hey, hey, chill out. Sorry, I’m sure that gets all the fillies tripping over themselves, and if that doesn’t, I’m sure your look sure does,” she poked, which caused him to look away bashfully. “You’re just barking up the wrong tree.”
He looked up at her and cocked his head to the side. “Steady coltfriend, eh? Well, can’t say I blame you. Sometimes, I wish I’d gone that route.”
“Ha, nah, wrong team, buddy,” she corrected with a grin. He raised an eyebrow in response.
“Ah, into the mares, then? Can’t say I blame you. Something about them. . .” She nodded in agreement, leaving the sentiment open. “Can’t say I haven’t had my share of ‘wrong team’ encounters, though.”
“Oh? So whose side are you on?”
The colt shrugged casually, like most things he probably did. “Sex, that’s which side. Sex is sex, fun is fun.”
Vinyl grinned devilishly at him as her computer screen lit up her face. “I think this may be the beginning of a very nice friendship. . .”