R3B0UNd

by Page Turner

A Bad Split

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and all related characters owned by Hasbro, Lauren Faust, and studio B
‘Party with Pinkie’ Image by TwilightSquare, used with permission.

Vinyl Scratch was in a bad mood. Mrs. Cake could tell because she wasn't as flamboyant as usual. That, and she was frowning, which was about as common as Celestia forgetting to raise the sun. She had entered Sugar Cube Corner nearly half an hour ago and ordered a dozen chocolate cupcakes. Now she sat at one of the round tables, staring into the box. She had yet to so much as touch her food. Mrs. Cake didn't like to pry, but this looked like it might be serious.        
        “Is something the matter dear? You aren't acting like yourself.” She asked hesitantly.
        The white and electric blue unicorn sighed. “Octavia kicked me out.”
        “Again?”
        The DJ threw the older mare a murderous look. “I think she means it this time.”
        “You say that every time”
        “I mean it this time.”
        “What makes you so sure?”
        Vinyl put her head down on the table. “She said... How did she put it? 'You self centered ego-maniacal pig! Why don't you go take a long walk off a short pier? Or better yet, lie down in front of an oncoming train!'”
        Mrs. Cake pretended to be shocked, but so far this sounded like every argument the young couple had had. “Oh dearie me...”
        “And then when I came back to get my stuff, instead of accepting my apology and taking me back like she usually does, she introduced me to her new coltfriend.”
        This time the shock on the Matronly Patron's face was not pretend. “Oh dear! I'm so sorry! The cupcakes are on the house.”
        “No they aren't! They're on the table!” said a voice from the doorway.
        Mrs. Cake turned to find the source of the voice. “Oh Pinkie Pie, you're back. Did you get the Daffodils?”
        “Yuppie uppie! Rose said she threw in a few extra too.” the bouncing pink pony replied. Hopping over to the counter, she put down a bag which she did not seem to have when she entered. Her attention then turned to the lone customer in the shop. Vinyl looked up to find the happy face of Pinkie looking back at her from the opposite side of the table. “Hi!” The blue haired unicorn nearly lost her sunglasses as she recoiled in surprise. “Why so downy wouny Scratchy?” inquired the party pony, reaching for the box of cupcakes.
        Vinyl straightened her shades and regained her composure. “Octavia kicked me out.”
        “Again?”
        Vinyl sighed heavily. “I think she means it this time.”
        “You say that every time”
        “I mean it this time.”
        “What did you do to make her so mad?” Pinkie asked through a mouthful of cupcake.
        Scratch's voice suddenly became defensive. “Nothing! Well, okay I might have kinda sat on her cello by accident and broke it just the least little bit...”
        “Oh my...” the swirly haired mare put a hoof to her mouth.
        “I know what you need!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“Gee. I wonder what it could be.” the DJ muttered darkly.
“A PARTY!”
“I am blown away by your originality.”
“Thanks!”
“I was being sarcastic.”
“Huh?”
“No offence Pinkie, but I’m not exactly in a ‘party’ mood right now.”
“And that’s when you need it most of all!” Pinkie Pressed. “Let me explain it to you in a song.”

Pinkie looked at Vinyl expectantly. Vinyl looked back at her for a moment before letting out a sigh of resignation.
        “Okay, I’ll give it a try.”
        “Woohoo!” Pinkie bagan pushing Vinyl towards the door. “Come on! We have to go invite everypony!”
“Okay, okay, I’m going! There’s no need to push!”
“Pinkie!” Mrs’ Cake called.
“Yes Ma’am?”  
        “You’re shift is about to start.”
        “Oh...” pinkie looked put out for a nanosecond before replying. “Can I have the day off?”
        “Now Pinkie-”
        “Pleeeease Mrs. Cake! This is a friendship emergency!”
        Mrs. Cake Sighed. “Oh alright then.”
        Pinkie was suddenly hugging her. “Thank you Mrs. Cake! I’ll stay extra late tomorrow!” and with that, both she and Vinyl were out the door. Mrs. Cake was shaking her head as she returned to work, but she was smiling.

 
        There was a knock on the library door. Twilight Sparkle peeked around a large stack of books curiously. Who could that be? She wasn’t expecting anypony, and her friends knew to just let themselves in. Twilight concluded that it must be either somepony she didn’t know, or Pinkie Pie with an invitation to another party.        
She stood up and trotted to the door, bracing herself for the possibility of Pinkie. She didn’t flinch when she opened the door to a face full of confetti. “Hello Pinkie.”
“Hi Twilight! I’m throwing a great big feel better party for Vinyl!” the hyperactive equine exclaimed, throwing a foreleg around her companion’s shoulders.
“What happened?” Twilight asked the other unicorn.
“Octavia kicked me out.”
        “Again?”
        Vinyl facehoofed. “I think she means it this time.”
        “You say that every time.”
        “I mean it this time.”
Twilight decided not to press. The white unicorn was clearly not in the mood to elaborate. “Well alright then. I’ll be there.”
“Great!” pinkie pie enthused, “Actually, I also have a favor I need to ask you.”
“What do you need?”
“Well, this is kind of a last minute deal, so I have a lot to put together.  I have to reserve the venue, plan the events, book the entertainment... speaking of which... Vinyl, you feel up to doing that DJ thing you do?”
Vinyl shrugged “Well it is my party and I will only except the best.  And wouldn’t you know it? It’s me.”
“Well that’s one down.” Pinkie said. “Anyway, the point is I’m going to be super-duper busy, so I was hoping that you could send Spike to spread the word.”
Twilight nodded “I’ll call him.  SPIKE! PINKIE NEEDS A FAVOR!  He’ll be right down.”
Sure enough, the small dragon was by Twilight’s Side in a matter of moments. “Yes?”
Twilight turned to him “Pinkie needs your help inviting ponies to Vinyl’s feel better party.”
“Why does Vinyl need to feel better?”
“Octavia kicked her out.”
        “Again?”
        Twilight nodded. “She thinks she means it this time.”
        “She says that every time”
        “She-”
        “Okay, this is getting really old.” Vinyl cut in.
        “Sorry.” the purple duo replied.
        “Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie interjected. “We’re off to Sweet Apple Acres.  Applejack has a gajillion empty barns that I’m sure she wouldn’t mind letting us use.”
        Twilight frowned. “She has two, and one’s not finished yet.” But the two ponies were already gone.

Vinyl had no idea how they had gotten here so fast.  One minute they were in the library, and the next thing she knew they were in the middle of an apple orchard. She was beginning to suspect that the pink earth pony had some sort of weird teleportation power, or the ability to interrupt the space time continuum.  Either way it was unsettling, and awesome.
“Hi Applejack!” The excited voice of her companion snapped Vinyl out of her thoughts.
“Howdy Pinky. What brings y’all out here?” the orange cowpony replied.
“I need a barn.”
“What fer?”
“Vinyl’s feel better party.”
“Oh?  Why can’t y’all use Sugar Cube Corner like ya usually do, sugar cube?”
“This is gonna be the biggest party ever! And Sugar Cube Corner just isn’t big enough for what I have in mind”
Applejack nodded. “I hear ya. I guess ya’ll can use the barn where we had your surprise party that one time.”
“Perfect!”
“What’s Vinyl need cheerin’ up for anyway?”
“Octavia kicked her out.”
“Again?”
Vinyl lost it. “That’s it! the next pony who says ‘again’ is going to get it!” Pinkie and AJ exchanged a glance.
“Eh, sorry ‘bout that, I wasn’t-” Applejack began, but was cut off by the sudden appearance of her little sister.
“Wha’s all the ruckus out here? We could here ya all the way from the clubhouse.” the little yellow filly inquired.
“Octavia kicked Vinyl out.” Pinkie explained.
“Again?”

        Octavia meant it this time, She could not believe how stupid she had been. She had given up her life and her livelihood to move to Ponyville with some crazy unicorn. Sure, they had had that radio show for awhile, but that had finally been booted off the air after five years. Octavia had sacrificed everything for Vinyl, and what had Vinyl sacrificed? Nothing. The ungrateful, tactless hooligan had somehow managed to draw her in with her bad filly routine and her hypnotic gaze. Silly little Octavia had waltzed right into her trap. Well, no more of that.  She was done with Vinyl for good this time. This time she had no intention of letting her stupid sentimental side send her running back to that Philistine.
        There was a knock on the door. “ Miss Octavia. Are you there?” called a deep, sophisticated-sounding voice.
“Coming!” Octavia called back, trotting quickly to allow her visitor entry. She opened the door to reveal a muted blue unicorn stallion with a silver mane and tail dressed in a fancy suit which covered most of his body. Octavia had no idea why he chose to dress himself so austerely, but she liked the air of professionalism it gave him. “Ah, Silver Bright, what did Tinker say?”
Octavia’s new manager and coltfriend sighed. “She said it would be cheaper to just buy a new Bass than to try to repair the old one.”
“I don’t care!” Octavia snapped. “That Double Bass has been my most prized possession since I was in school! I will not accept any other!”
Silver smiled “I told her you’d say that, so she gave me this.” His horn glowed brightly for a moment as he summoned a clipboard from which he extracted a slip of paper. “This is an estimate of how much it will cost to repair your Bass.”
Octavia took the paper in one hoof and looked at it. She cursed quietly. “That is a lot.” she admitted. “More than I can afford.”
Silver placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t you worry Octy, I’ll help you cover it since it means that much to you.”
“Don’t do that”
“Do what?”
“Call me ‘Octy’. That’s what she always called me.”
“Sorry”
Octavia smiled. That was a word she hadn’t heard in a while.  

“Okay, the next grownup pony who says ’again’ is going to get it.” Vinyl amended.  She and Pinkie were in the barn. The cotton candy pony had pulled a large cannon from... Vinyl couldn’t guess, and began firing decorations everywhere.
Upon request, the decorations were in black and white, complemented by florescent green, yellow, orange, purple and blue. The regular hanging bulb had been replaced by a black light, and smaller lamps were set up along the walls. A stage had been erected from loose boards and bales of hay, and covered in a midnight blue sheet. It wasn’t the most professional looking set up, but it was more than satisfactory on such short notice.  The stage was already set with Vinyl’s turntable and amps.
“This is going to be the best party ever!” Pinkie said happily. Firing the cannon again caused a board propped up on sawhorses to be transformed into a fully stocked refreshment table complete with a full punch bowl. All of these physical impossibilities were making Vinyl’s brain hurt. Still, she had to admit, this idea was looking better all the time. Vinyl turned her attention away from the logic defying decorations to the pony who was setting them up.  All of this trouble just for her? Why? Pinkie had thrown an incalculable number of parties before, but this was on a whole other level. Why go to all the extra effort? Could it be? No. That would be ridiculous.
There was a knock at the door. “Delivery for Pinkamina Dianne Pie.” a voice called.
“Oh! That must be the ice sculpture!” the party pony piped as she went to answer the door.
Ice sculpture?
“Sign here please. what’s this for anyway?”
“Vinyl Scratch’s feel better party.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Octavia kicked her out”
“Ag-”the delivery pony suddenly found a pink hoof in his mouth.
“Don’t say it! Trust me.” the pink pony warned.
The delivery pony nodded. and Pinkie removed her hoof. “Where do you want this?” he asked.
“Far end of the refreshment table please.” Pinkie pointed. 
The delivery pony disappeared and Pinkie looked over at Vinyl, who looked away quickly, looking slightly red in the face. Pinkie giggled. It looked like Vinyl was beginning to loosen up a little.