//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Run & Hide // Story: The Scratch Ends Here // by TigerSwirl448 //------------------------------// Chapter 3 Run & Hide The next morning, Octavia woke up from sleeping on her bathroom floor. She sat up rubbing her sore back. She turned to see Vinyl with her chin still on the edge of the tub sleeping silently. She gulped and leaned over to Vinyl’s snout to hear irregular breathing. She’s still breathing! Octavia let out a sigh of relief as she scratched her head thinking of what to do. She heard a knock on her door. “Octavia are you decent?” A stallion’s voice asked. Octavia blushed looking down at herself to see the very damp hoodie she still wore from hours before. She sighed. “I’m decent Fredrick.” She said waking Vinyl by accident. Vinyl didn’t jerk awake but her eyes opened making Octavia stare. Her eyes were very yellow and her rosy irises didn’t shine like before, they were dull and lifeless. A tan earth pony stallion with a white mane and tail walked in the room then took a sniff and balked covering his nose. “Brass is right, phew what is that smell?” He asked. Octavia gulped. “Whatever Vinyl vomited earlier I guess.” Octavia said wearily. Frederick walked in looking quite shocked at Vinyl as she slowly looked up at him with no emotion on her face. “Oh my, she looks terribly sick.” “I know, so far the water is cooling her down some.” Octavia said reaching to Vinyl’s burning forehead to feel heat. Vinyl let out a moan and turned away from Octavia. She closed her eyes and lay down in the tub. “Brass told us what had happened last night. And the three of us came to a conclusion that it’ll be best that you should take care of your friend.” He gave her a kind smile. “We all know how much you care about her and it is only fitting.” Octavia gasped. “The concert!” “Now, don’t worry about it Octavia. We all know of your plans for retirement already and we all agree. We believe that probably after our tour here in Canterlot we’ll call it quits and retire happily.” Octavia let out a sigh feeling an enormous weight fly off her shoulders. She smiled and turn to Vinyl only to see her drooling in the tub again. Octavia groaned, rubbing her forehead. Fredrick gulped. “I’ll, um, leave you two alone for a while. We’ll be in the other room if you need anything. We’re making breakfast.” He paused turning to Vinyl. “Does she need anything?” Octavia gulped worried. “Please bring some water, she’ll need it.” He nodded and trotted away. A few seconds later he returned with a large glass of water. Octavia thanked him as she reached down to Vinyl and pulled her body towards the edge of the tub. Vinyl let out a painful moan and looked up at her. “Here, Vinyl, you need to have some fluids.” Vinyl numbly took a sip of water then rested her chin on the edge again. Octavia started to think fast. Should she take Vinyl to the hospital now? No, Vinyl keeps saying something about a He. Whoever this He is, Vinyl must know him well. He might have done this to her. Her mind keep tracing back to the scene she saw last night. Vinyl on the floor vomiting, her broken glasses, and the shattered shot glass on the floor and that opened bottle of whiskey. Octavia knew Vinyl can be a drinker at times but could drinking like this really be killing her? Octavia stroked Vinyl’s messy mane, trying to piece together what she felt and what she had witnessed. She watched as Vinyl’s nose scrunched up. She started to cough weakly and then spat into the tub. Octavia exasperated loudly, thumping her forehead. “Think Octy, Think!” She smacked her forehead again trying to jog something, anything. Suddenly a thought popped in her mind. “That’s it!” Vinyl moaned out from Octavia’s loud voice pressing her ears to her head. “Sorry,” Octavia whispered. She grinned reaching into her hoodie pocket to find her cell phone. She leaned over kissing Vinyl on her sweaty forehead. “I’m going to be outside this room. If you want me call me.” She didn’t wait for an answer as she quickly ran to her bedroom searching her call IDs for a particular number in her phone. She grinned finding the number and tapped her hoof on the floor waiting for some pony to pick up the phone. * * * * * * The phone rang loudly in the candy shop. It was a busy day today so the earth pony mare couldn't reach the phone. She opened her mouth to scream but another voice made her pause. “I got it!” A female voice called leaping on the cleaned glass of the viewing window just to reach the phone. The mare gasped. “Lyra, I just cleaned that!” She scolded out trying to balance one toddler colt and a sack of candy. The mint unicorn she was talking to scoffed waving her hoof at her. “I’ll clean it later Bonbon!” she called back and decided to use her magic to float the phone to her grasp. “Hello, Bonbon’s Candy shop, what’s your order?” She said with practice ease reaching for a notepad and quill with her magic. Bonbon shook her head, scolding the colt by patting him on the rump for punishment shooing him away then handed the bag of candy to a customer. “That will be five bits.” Bonbon said with a cheerful smile. The pegasus customer handed her five bits then left the counter. “Come back soon.” She turned seeing a pink pegasus filly reaching for a jar of peppermints. Bonbon opened her mouth to scold the filly for eating too many sweets but she heard an exclamation from her partner. “What?” Bonbon turned to see Lyra’s shocked expression. “Is she okay?” Bonbon could hear the gravel from the phone from her position. She placed a sack of taffy to the next customer in line watching Lyra’s face. Lyra pushed the pad and quill away nodding at the phone. “Of course, you are always welcome with us.” Lyra turned to Bonbon to see her mouthing the words, “Who is that?” Lyra shook her head at her, listening intently to the phone. She nodded at the phone using her magic to write on the notepad. “Uh-huh,” she said floating the notepad to Bonbon. “When are you coming?” Bonbon took the pad and gasped to see the word, OCTAVIA! Bonbon looked up in shock. Lyra gave her a look of concern then turned away again talking. “Of course, I’ll meet you.” There was another pause and Lyra smiled chuckling. “It’s no trouble at all. We have an extra room in the basement for you two.” Lyra paused licking her lips and gulped. “How bad is she?” Bonbon wrote on the notepad, “Who are you talking about?” and held it up for Lyra to read. Lyra placed her hoof over the speaker and mouthed, “Vinyl,” Bonbon covered her mouth in shock. The urgency on Lyra’s face made her worry more. “What?!” Lyra blurted out, scaring the three young foals from what they were doing. They never heard their second mother yell like that. The filly turned to see Bonbon biting her hoof. She didn't do that except when she was scared or about to cry. The three young ones walked over and sat down on the floor watching their mothers carefully. Lyra slumped against the wall with the look of shock on her face. “Well she’s still... alive right?” “What?!” Lyra turned to Bonbon after hearing her shouted whisper. Lyra placed her hoof over her lips and shushed. She jumped. “Oh no, not you, Octavia. I was talking to Bon. But yes, don’t worry I’ll meet you at the train station. Are you leaving now?” Bonbon sat anxiously by Lyra, swallowing a hard lump in her throat waiting with nerves. She felt a head butt her side. She looked down at the youngest of the three foals, a blue unicorn with a green mane; she hugged the unicorn colt to her. Lyra nodded. “Mm-hmm. Alright, I’ll be having Star to go and help you when you get here.” Bonbon turned to see the oldest of the three foals a filly unicorn. The filly is a teenager in age; her coat is a pale orange with a candy apple red mane. Her cutie mark is that of three peppermints. The filly called Star nodded noticing Bonbon’s look. “Okay, have a safe trip... No worries... I’ll tell her... Octavia, tell Vinyl that her pal Lyra will be there for her too. Oh, and um, Bonbon is there for her too. Bye.” She hung up the phone sinking to her haunches on the floor. Bonbon walked over to her nuzzling her cheek feeling wet tears on her muzzle. Lyra sniffed turning to her. “Vinyl’s... she’s very, very sick Bon.” Lyra closed her eyes crying. Bonbon held her in her embrace. She turned to the three faces watching them. “Star, take Rain and Racer home.” The unicorn filly nodded. She nuzzled the colt and filly towards the door. “What’s wrong with Mom and Momma?” The colt called Racer asked. Star levitated the two young ones on her back. “They just got some bad news from some friends. Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Let’s help them make the basement comfortable for our guests.” Star turned to see Bonbon smiling nodding. Star winked then trotted for home. Bonbon patted Lyra on the back. “What happened?” Lyra sniffed pulling away from her embrace. “Octavia thinks Vinyl was poisoned in her apartment.” Bonbon blinked in shock. Lyra sniffed and started to cry again. “She’s been throwing up blood Bon. Octavia is planning to bring her here to Ponyville.” Bonbon was shocked. “But shouldn’t she be taking Vinyl to a hospital?” Lyra shook her head. “That’s the thing, Octavia said that Vinyl might have been attacked by a stallion and possibly...” Lyra didn’t need to tell Bonbon of the fear. Bonbon nodded hugging the unicorn to her. “Everything will be fine.” Bonbon said trying to sound cheerful. But of course it was stale coming out of her mouth. She kissed her on the head. “Come now Lyra, we need to get the basement room cleaned up for Vinyl and Octavia. And we need to make sure Vinyl has everything she needs.” Lyra nodded sniffing. “Yeah you’re right.” She used her magic to swing the open sign to CLOSED. She burst out the door leaving Bonbon to lock the shop. * * * * * * Octavia struggled in drying Vinyl, she was unresponsive to her throughout the whole thing. Once that was done she reached for Vinyl’s hoodie and pulled it over her head. Vinyl suddenly opened her eyes and ran to the toilet to puke. Octavia turned away and left the room feeling sick herself. She leaned against her wall, sitting down trying hard not to cry. Brass entered her room to see Octavia crying. She turned to the bathroom hearing Vinyl vomiting. Brass hugged Octavia to her. Octavia smiled at Brass then reached for Vinyl’s gym bag and her suitcase. She groaned seeing her large cello case. “Don’t worry about it.” Brass said patting the case. “Once you are settled, I’ll send it to your place at Ponyville. Just worry about getting Vinyl there and getting her help.” Octavia nodded. “Thank you so much, Brass. I don’t know how to repay you for all the help you’ve given me all these years.” Brass smiled and shook her head. “Please Octavia, you’re like my sister. I will do anything for you and I know you’ll do the same thing for me if I was in your shoes.” Octavia sighed nodding. “I would, but I am serious about repaying you.” Brass sighed shaking her head again. “Octavia, take care of Vinyl first, then worry about repaying me. Keep us informed.” Octavia nodded hearing a crashing sound in the bathroom. The mares ran in to see Vinyl out cold again, the glass that was used for Vinyl’s water rolled to Octavia’s hooves. Octavia sighed and flushed the toilet and bit on Vinyl’s hood to get her to sit up so she could get Vinyl on her back. With help from Beauty Brass she put Vinyl in her bed for now as she continued to pack. Once she was finished packing the important things she walked to Vinyl on her bed stroking her mane. “Vinyl dear, you have to wake up.” Vinyl groaned opening her eyes slowly. Vinyl turned away closing her eyes again. “Vinyl you have to be awake and walking. I can’t be seen carrying you on my back, ponies would question why and we can’t have that and you know why.” Vinyl opened her eyes again and sighed looking at Octavia with a very small smile. Octavia smiled back stroking the strands of blue hair from her face. “There we go. Don’t worry, Brass is going to help us get you to the train station.” Vinyl frowned looking at her. “We’re going to Ponyville.” Vinyl blinked opening her eyes wider. Octavia grinned. “Lyra and Bonbon are giving us a place to stay until you feel better, aren’t you excited?” She asked nuzzling her cheek. Vinyl only grunted an answer, smiling. Octavia nodded. She looked over at her nightstand to take the picture and the disc case. She found her disc player and stuck it in her hoodie pocket to listen to later. She placed the disc case and her picture into her suitcase and closed it. She walked outside to see Brass waiting for her, dressed casually since she was not expected for practice for a couple of hours. “Ready?” She asked. Octavia nodded setting her suitcase by Vinyl’s gym bag by the door. Standing there is a unicorn stallion waiting for them. He was dressed as a bell hop. “You’re carriage is waiting miss, are these the only bags you’re taking?” He asked. Octavia nodded. “Yes and thank you, we’ll be down stairs in a minute.” The unicorn nodded and used his magic to float the two suitcases and the gym bag in front of him out the door. Octavia used a chair to keep the heavy door open then trotted to the bedroom. Brass was sitting by the bed, waiting. Octavia let out a sigh and walked over to Vinyl and shoved her slightly. “Vinyl dear, time to wake up.” Vinyl groaned opening her eyes as slits. “We have to go now. The train won’t wait.” Vinyl numbly pushed herself off the bed then crumbled on the floor landing face first on the floor causing Brass to make a strangled laugh. Octavia groaned in annoyance. Brass smiled but noticed Octavia’s glare. “I’m sorry... I shouldn't have laughed but...” She stifled her laughter from the scene. Octavia shook her head trying hard not to smile. Instead she sighed. “Vinyl always made the bleakest of moments humorous.” She said hearing Brass chuckling. Octavia leaned down kissing Vinyl on the head hearing a grunt. “Alright you had your fun, now get up.” She scolded. Vinyl shakily started to stand up. Octavia was there on one side while Brass stood close to the other side to keep Vinyl standing as her legs shook. “Alright dear, just one step at a time.” Brass said soothingly taking one step with Octavia. Vinyl limped forward with them. Octavia pulled the hood over Vinyl’s head to hide her mane and face from the public. She definitely didn't want any paparazzi to catch them. It was a very slow walk, it took them ten minutes to walk from the room to the elevator then out to the carriage waiting outside. The stallion sat up ready then noticed the hooded pony coughing and spitting to the side. “Is your friend alright?” He asked with concern. Octavia grinned. “She’s fine for now, we just need to get to the train station and get her home.” She lied. He nodded. “Alright,” he said watching as the three mares climb into the carriage. Octavia had to use her hooves to help Vinyl climb in. Once that was done the stallion pulled the carriage to the train station. Once there Brass rushed ahead to get the tickets while Octavia asked for a unicorn stallion to help with the three bags. He kindly helped as he magically floated the three bags to the conductor to pack away. Octavia had to keep Vinyl leaning against her so she can walk to the station. “Hope you’re friend feels better, miss.” The taxi stallion called. Octavia nodded to him. “Thank you.” The stallion winked then trotted away to the city. Brass came running to help on the other side. “I told the conductor you two are riding and he already punched the tickets for you and he gave you two a seat close to the doors so you two could disembark first once you reach Ponyville.” Brass said grinning. Octavia sighed with relief from that. “Thank you Brass. I greatly appreciate your help.” The three reached the train as the conductor called out for everypony to come aboard. Octavia and Brass helped Vinyl into the train then found the closest seat to the door. Octavia helped Vinyl into a seat and let her lay down groaning and covering her face from the morning sun. Octavia trotted to the window and pulled down the visor to block the sun. She turned to Brass and gave her a hug. “Call me when you reach Ponyville alright. We all want to make sure you are safely there.” Brass said with a kind smile. Octavia smiled back. “I will.” Brass smiled and stepped out of the train just as the doors close. Brass watched the train start chugging past her to the mountain tunnels. Once the train was in the dark, Octavia let out a sigh of relief. She got Vinyl in the train with no one the wiser, no cameras, no reporters, it was too easy. The conductor walked over to her just as the train left the first tunnel. “Ma’am I stuck your bags above your head just so you know.” He looked over at Vinyl with a raised brow. “Um, is she okay?” Octavia sighed. “She’s very ill so I’m taking her back home to Ponyville to get better care at home. You know,” The conductor nodded scratching his chin. “Well, I hope she gets better. Have a nice ride, ma'am.” He said tipping his hat walking away. “Thank you, sir.” She sighed and sat down next to Vinyl stroking her back letting her know she’s sitting next to her. She noticed something strange on Vinyl’s coat near her cutie mark. She stroked her fur to get a better look and gasped to find scars of some kind on her flank and back. Vinyl stiffened when Octavia inspected her back. Octavia felt the jerk and looked up to see Vinyl turning to her with a glare. “I’m sorry...” Octavia paused trying to figure out what to say. Vinyl lessened her glare and groaned, letting her head fall back to its position on her crossed arms. Octavia then noticed tears rolling down Vinyl’s cheeks. Octavia sighed, looking out the window hoping for the ride to Ponyville will be quick.