Encore

by Rainbowzillaz


Encore (alternate ending)

“Octy, please,” Vinyl begged. “Stop playing, talk to me.”
I could feel my own face, stained by tears. I could feel my aching joints, pierced by the curved needles and trickling blood as they guided me to play my song. My attempts to pull back from the cello failed. ”Can you give me a hoof? I can’t stop playing.”
Vinyl made sure we were making eye contact. “I love you, Octavia.”
”I love you too, Vinyl,” I cried. “Let’s ditch the cello and move to Ponyville.”
Vinyl reached for the bow, and the strings caused me to slap her in the face with it. She stood there in shocked silence for a minute while I resumed playing.
“Let me know what’s wrong. I don’t know what else to try.”
”Vinyl? Can’t you hear me?”
Vinyl gently placed a hoof against my shoulder and I continued to play the sonata.
”No, no! this is all wrong! Vinyl!” I screamed. “Vinyl help me!” I pounded against the strings with all my might, yet I did not budge an inch. I was powerless to move, so I focused on my voice and my eyes.
“Octy,” Vinyl wept. “Please, tell me you love me, that we can be happy, say something!”
”YES! Yes! Please Vinyl, look at me, it’s not me! You've got to help me fight it! Look me in the eyes!”
Vinyl stared right into my eyes. “Don’t choose the music over me. . . I . . . Please . . .”
I felt the strings tugging at my lips as a familiar feral grin formed.
”NO! NO! STOP IT!” I demanded. It couldn't end like this, after everything I couldn't let it end! “Vinyl! Save me! I Love you!”
Vinyl turned around and began to walk away. She turned her head to the side, and spoke. “I’m sorry, Octy. I don’t know what I did to make you hate me, but know I will always love you.”
Vinyl walked slowly to the exit.
”Celestia damn it! Get back here Vinyl! Help me! Stop!” I threw every bit of energy into snapping the strings. I could feel the strings tugging against my joints, and with the smallest of movements, the note faltered. Vinyl stopped and cocked her head to the side. I started using my emotions as my strength again, like I did with my parents, but instead of anger burning inside of me, hope was the dominating emotion.
I pushed myself to do something, ANYTHING, but play that blasted cello. A small squeak escaped my teeth, and my hope once again skyrocketed as Vinyl turned her head to look at me. She slowly walked over to me, and the closer she got, the more strength it gave me. I saw one of the lines holding my hand start to tighten and shake, and finally, snap. That was all the incentive I needed to try even harder. With the rest of my strength I pushed at the lines holding my body still. Vinyl approached me. She must have seen the tears, and the internal struggle, because she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.
"Octavia, what's wrong, you can tell me!"
I knew I couldn't answer her so I focused all of my energy on trying to break the the chains that only I could see. My body rebelled against every movement I made, though the shooting pain in my body paled in comparison to the hope I felt as I imagined all of the time I spent with my best friend. And one thing she said still rang in my mind louder than the music ever was, “Stick with me, and ill protect you.” I kept thinking that, and after a while, it became a mantra to fuel me. Vinyl once again started walking away. After all of those years of neglect from my parents, I wasn't ready to give up one my one chance to have a true friend. Using the last of my strength I pushed through the chains. I heard them shatter almost as if they were real. On the way to the floor three things registered in my mind. First, was that the music had stopped. The second, was that the nightmare was finally over. I no longer needed to deal with the horrors of my parents, nor the music constantly berating me. I don't know how I knew that, but I did. And third, that the power I used to break free of the mystical chains came from from somewhere that had been locked away in me for so long, because I never used it. My heart. And with that, darkness enveloped my vision, and i drifted into unconsciousness.

Epilogue:
I awoke, once again, in a bed that was not mine. A strange sense of Deja vu coming upon me, until in bits and pieces, I remembered the events of the previous night. I turned over on my side to see who’s bed I was in, even though i already knew. A small bit of blue hair peaked out from under the comforter. I sat up and removed enough of the blanket so i could see her head, and i felt something i haven't felt for anyone, because I've never needed to. Love. I had an energy in me that i've never felt before. Something that has been hidden from me my whole life. Her eyes fluttered open and i couldn't stop the thought before it entered my mind. “She is the most beautiful pony,I have ever met.” As her scarlet eyes stared up at me, i hoped that she returned the feeling.
“Hello, Octy. Hungry?” She asked, a small hint of something I couldn't place in her voice.
“you have no idea.”
After a breakfast of eggs and orange juice, we sat on the couch, and she asked the dreaded question that I knew I had coming: “would you like to talk about what happened?” And for once, I was ready. As i recounted everything that had happened since that first night at the bar, I started letting loose a flood of tears that mixed with those of Vinyl.
“Octy, i'm so sorry! Ill always be here to protect you from now on!” She sniffed. After a couple more minutes of crying, we stared into each others eyes, thinking the same thing, though I was the first to say it.
“Vinyl, I love you.” If Vinyl had smiled any wider, her mouth would have ripped.
“oh Octy, I love you too! Please never leave my side again.”
We both leaned in a little closer, until our lips finally touched. As her soft lips glided across mine, I finally felt contentment. I wish that moment could have lasted forever, but we dont always get what we want. When our lips parted, I lay my head on her chest, thinking not of the past, but of things to come.