//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven // Story: Love and Music // by slade8283 //------------------------------// Chapter Seven "Are you sure you're okay with me slipping away for a couple minutes?" Vinyl whispered to Octavia, secretly hoping she wasn't okay with it. She had always wanted to dance with Octavia, but she couldn't just ask. She always reasoned that it would have to be Octavia who asked her, that way Vinyl knew Octavia would be okay with it. Otherwise, it may end in a very awkward encounter for the next few weeks, and would eventually result in her and Octavia losing their friendship, something she wasn't prepared to do. "Yeah, of course I'm fine with it." she said. Vinyl's heart broke; she wanted for Octavia to return her feelings so badly, and she just turned shied away from her. Vinyl couldn't think of anything to say, so she just did her best fake smile and walked away with Sapphire. Vinyl was distracted through the whole dance. Sapphire kept trying to start a conversation, but Vinyl kept brushing her off. She didn't feel like talking, she didn't even feel like being at the gala anymore. Vinyl felt like going back to her chariot and sinking into her "thinking chair". She wanted the whole world to melt away so she could be by herself again. Sapphire tried pulling Vinyl in closer, but she just resisted. Sapphire sighed, "Vinyl, you didn't really want to dance with me, did you? You haven't said a word, and you're keeping a distance that makes "conservative" look inappropriate." Vinyl avoided her eyes, "No I didn't. I'm sorry." "You wanted to dance with Octavia, didn't you?" She saw straight through Vinyl, who only nodded in agreement. "I could see straight through that fake smile of yours." She paused and the two were left in silence as the song ended. "I'm sorry I said anything Vinyl; I shouldn't have said anything. I always do this sort of thing. Can you forgive me Vinyl?" Vinyl answered by walking away from her, completely ignoring the question. Vinyl returned to where her and Octavia had been standing, only to find she was no longer there. Great, she thought, not only did Sapphire see through me, but Octavia did too. She must have left because she could see I have feelings for her. Vinyl sat in the chair where she was seated earlier, and watched the gala around her. Everypony was there enjoying themselves, and there she was wishing all of them away. "Vinyl Scratch," said an elegant voice behind her. Vinyl spun in her chair to be face-to-face with Princess Celestia. "I'm afraid you may have a slight problem." Vinyl tried to piece everything together as she sprinted through the castle, which was hard because she was unconscious last time she passed through it. So Celestia said Octavia was sitting around the corner crying. But I know it couldn't have been about me, there's no way. She was smiling when I left with Sapphire. Oh...Vinyl hit a conclusion so hard it almost made her fall, Octavia has feelings for Sapphire. That's what it has to be. Vinyl was so deep in thought that she almost missed their room. She skidded to stop in front of the suite and caught her breath, trying to decide exactly what she was going to say to Octavia. She stood there for fifteen minutes until she decided exactly what to say. Vinyl took a deep breath, and opened the door. Octavia walked into the room and fell onto the couch just inside the door. She had cried so much from her encounter with the princess that she couldn't cry anymore. She just lay on the couch, thinking about everything that had just taken place. It wasn't fifteen minutes before she heard knocking at the door. She knew who it was, but she didn't want to talk to Vinyl. Octavia just wanted to be alone. "Octavia, I know you're in there." came Vinyl's voice from the other side of the door. "Go away Vinyl, I want to be alone right now." Octavia said as she buried her face into a couch cushion. "Come on, I want to talk." Octavia sighed and stood up. She walked to the door and hit the handle, letting Vinyl open it. She walked back to her couch and laid down again. "What?" Octavia intended to sound bitter; Vinyl needed to know she was upset. Vinyl didn't move from her spot that was just inside the door, "Octavia, I want to say I'm sorry. I know I really hurt you and-" "Do you?" She said as she stood up, "You really don't know what you did Vinyl. You hurt me worse than you ever have before. What you did crossed a line Vinyl, and you think you can just walk in here and say 'I'm sorry Octavia'. I'm sorry, but I can't accept your apology." She kept her back to Vinyl during her speech, mostly because she couldn't bare to see Vinyl's face at that point, but Vinyl didn't need to know. "No Octavia, you don't understand. The only reason I went with her was beca-" "Actually, I get it," Octavia interrupted again, this time turning to face Vinyl, "I totally get it. You wanted to dance with Sapphire because she's this great, big, famous pop star, and I'm just some nobody cellist from Canterlot." She could see Vinyl's face was distraught, but she didn't care. She wanted Vinyl to feel bad for what she had done. "That's not it," Vinyl said, her voice shaking, "you aren't worse than Sapphire at all. Please don't be mad at her Octavia, it wasn't her fault at all." Octavia could tell Vinyl was starting to stumble over words, so she decided to jump on. "Oh you mean don't be mad at the pony that you just walked away? Don't be mad at the pony who asked you to dance? How can I not be mad at her?" Octavia was walking towards Vinyl now, staring into her eyes the whole time, "You don't understand how hard that would be. I can't think that it wasn't her doing, and I can't think you were a part of it." "Y-you're mad at me too?" Vinyl was visibly sweating now. "How could I not be mad at you right now Vinyl?" Octavia felt a tear run down her cheek, she knew should would have to finish quickly. "You just walked away with Sapphire; you left me standing there in the middle of the room like that. You have no idea what it's like for somepony you love to just walk out on you." Octavia caught herself as she finished her sentence. She had never told Vinyl she loved her, not even in the "best-friend-way". She could feel tears gathering behind her eyes and decided that it was time to go before she broke down in front of Vinyl. She pushed past the still-shocked Vinyl, walked out the doorway, slamming the door behind her, and ran down the hall. Vinyl stood in shock as Octavia slammed the door in her face. I was wrong, she thought, it was me all along. She would've smiled if the pony she wanted to be with most hadn't just slammed a door in her face. It took a few minutes for what had just happened to sink in. Vinyl went to the living room and sat down in the first chair she could find. She actually...she actually loves me. And I let her walk out that door. I let the pony I love walk right past me and out the door. The thought of loving Octavia dawned on Vinyl, it being the first time she had ever confessed it to herself. Vinyl lay sat in the chair for hours, listening to the sound of the gala die out beneath her. She still couldn't believe everything that happened only hours ago. She pulled out her notebook and began writing song lyrics down, still trying to fully comprehend what had transpired. It was the only way she knew to communicate: through music and lyrics. She sat in the chair writing until the sun came through the windows. She decided she put in a good nights work, got up, and left the suite, closing the door behind her. Vinyl walked down the hall towards the castle exit, when she heard a familiar voice behind her, "Vinyl, wait." She sighed, "What do you want Sapphire? You've caused enough problems as it is." Vinyl turned to face the star, who was still in her dress from the previous night. "I want to say I'm truly sorry for what I've caused, and that I hope everything turns out okay for you and your friend." Vinyl could feel the sincerity in her voice, but she could also sense the air of exaggeration in her voice, like she was sorry, but not as sorry as she actually let on. "No." Vinyl replied. A look of confusion appeared on Sapphire's face and she continued, "Just simply, no. I don't accept your apology. Goodbye Miss Shores." Vinyl turned on the spot and left a confused Sapphire Shores muttering to herself. Vinyl discretely boarded her chariot around the back of the castle, and was instantly met by her assistant, "Where to Miss Scratch?" "Take me to the music studio, I have a message to record." She smiled, "And please, call me Vinyl. No more of this "Miss Scratch thing."