Stickers
Octavia was silently sobbing in her bathtub. Hot tears were soaked into her soft, smoky-grey coat. The steam in the bathroom from the shower she’d taken kept her damp, and her bangs lay nearly flat against her forehead. She forced herself to get out of the tub, grabbed her towel, and hurried across the hall and into her room. She collapsed on her bed, her mane a mess. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the pins and pictures on her desk. Vinyl's new CD lay there as well. A note read, "To my best friend Grey, thanks for being the one to hold my mane and listen to me!"
She sighed. Vinyl doesn't ever listen to me. The most she'd be willing to do as my “friend” would be to send me a signed CD of a genre of music I don't even like.
Rolling onto her back, her eyes started watering again. She felt around for one of her biggest secrets, and when she found it, she buried her face in its soft plush. The stuffed toy was shaped like her cutie mark, and was the exact same size and shade of purple. She'd bought it for herself a few years back in a moment of weakness. That had been the worst day of her adult life, she'd decided.
***
It was a beautiful day, so she'd decided to go for a walk. She was just out of high school, and looking for a place to live. She was also searching for a job, whether it made use of her meager cello skills or not. However, it seemed like every place she went to was already fully staffed or full of families. She frowned as she walked past her seventh attempt and continued on her way. She decided to stop in Manehattan's butterfly garden. Her eyes shined at the thought, and she smiled a little, getting to her destination with no hassle for once. She stopped just outside of the gates, where a beautiful pony was making and selling cutie mark plush toys. The mare did her work quickly, done with each in about five minutes. Octavia stared for a few minutes. A mother walked up with two young fillies at her sides. She ordered them the toys as the father walked up and gave the mare an affectionate nuzzle. Octavia’s heart tore as memories of home flooded her, but she shook her head, willing it to pass until they were gone. She walked up to the mare with her head down.
"Hello, dear! Are you going gift shopping? I've made many customers happy today!" The mare smiled.
Octavia hesitated.
"I... I'd like one... of my own cutie mark,” she said, making her voice strong and confident. If there was one thing she was good at, it was faking self-confidence. The mare shot her a pitying look, but worked on the toy with a smile.
"Well, there you are. That'll be... free."
Octavia frowned. She didn't want to take charity, but she did have limited bits... Her jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed slightly.
"I don't need your charity," she retorted, standing a little straighter. "How much?"
"Five bits..." the mare said, still giving her that infuriating look of pity. She glared, counting out the bits and pushing them across the counter. She took her plush toy, put it in her saddlebag, and headed for the nearest tavern.
***
Octavia pulled her blanket over her body, snuggling down underneath it. Her eyelids were heavy, and they stung from all the crying. The sounds of the Manehattan night filled her ears. She heard the taxis being pulled past, and the thumping bass from elsewhere on the block. Her eyes closed, and she fell into the dreamless sleep she'd perfected over the years.
--
Octavia stirred her tea half-heartedly. The early morning sun streamed through her window, highlighting her charcoal mane and warming up her body. She took a sip. It was lemon, and it tingled softly on her tongue, the heat giving her cheeks a soft, rosy tint. She smiled a genuine smile and gave a contented sigh. Standing, she walked over to her window, and glanced out toward the street. A dark blue car pulled into the driveway. She froze, eyes widening slightly.
"Oh no... Not today," she mumbled, burying her face in her hooves for a second. She knew who was going to be coming up the stairs any minute, and she definitely did not need that today. Sure enough, there it was: hoofsteps on the stairs.
Then the familiar knock. Her heart sank a little. She took a deep breath to gather herself as Vinyl stormed in with her signature shades on, her headphones blasting that so-called "music," and her head bopping almost violently.
"Grey!" she said with a grin.
"H-hello Vi-"
"What happened to you? You look all rough. Are you okay?"
"I-"
"Oh man, Grey, you missed it last night, me and Neon had this concert and he hired this unicorn to do lights and we had a HUGE turnout!"
"That's-"
"It was great! And we made so much mon- Aw man, this song!" Vinyl started bopping her head again.
"Vinyl! Why are you here?" This made the unicorn laugh and she tossed two tickets at the cellist.
"Those are tickets to my next show and I really want you to come, and maybe bring one of your Canterlot friends, they'd probably like my stuff right?"
So that's what this is about. She wants to use me to boost her career. Again. She sighed.
"We'll see, Vinyl." Octavia forced herself to smile. Vinyl nodded and bumped her hoof against Octavia's, and was gone just like that. It was amazing how fifteen minutes could make Octavia feel so bad...
Octavia sighed and went into the small room she was putting up for rent. It was a light lavender color with soft grey carpet. There was a window seat that had a lavender cushion that opened to reveal a compartment and the room had a sweet scent she couldn't place. It might have been her old cleaning products, since she hadn’t been in the room in months. Along one wall was a queen-sized bed that she'd bought when she'd decided to start looking for a roommate. It had soft white sheets on it, with a rather plain matching blanket, but she figured her roommate would get a new set of bedclothes when they arrived.
She sighed again. She didn't need to keep checking on the room, but she did. She turned to leave, then froze. How in Equestria could she have missed the stickers on the light switch?
Wait... stickers... She frowned. With a soft whimper, she left the room and closed the door with a click that seemed to echo through the rest of her empty flat.
--
Knocking echoed through the apartment. Octavia sat up in her soft bed with a sharp cry of pain. A headache had developed during the night, and now someone was rapping impatiently at her door.
She sighed, picking up a brush and running it quickly through the worst of her mane and tail. She had to keep up appearances after all; she didn't want to seem vulnerable. Her gaze moved up to the mirror. There were dark circles under her eyes. She took a deep breath, tearing her eyes away and moving to the door.
"Who is it?" she asked. Immediately, the knocking stopped and a cheerful voice answered.
"Hi! I'm Derpy!"
"I... I believe you have the wrong apartment, Miss... Derpy."
"But... You're Octavia aren't you?"
"Yes, I am..."
"Are you gonna let me in?"
"Oh! Oh yes, sorry..." She opened the door and Derpy entered, her mane and tail looking slightly windblown, and her cheeks tinged pink from the January cold. She had a grey coat with a cutie mark consisting of a trail of bubbles. However, the thing that caught Octavia's eye was, well, Derpy's eyes. They were pointing in different directions, but she could tell she had the other mare's full attention.
"I'm here for the room!" Derpy grinned, and it was then that Octavia noticed that she had a saddlebag full of muffins.
"Oh. Come sit down. Would you like a cup of tea?" She was hovering over Derpy nervously, but Derpy didn't seem to notice.
"No thank you! Do you have any milk?"
"Yes, yes I do."
"Yay, milk goes better with muffins!" Octavia smiled faintly. Derpy was charming and sweet, and Octavia was quite taken with the idea that this might be her new roommate. She showed Derpy to the kitchen, where Derpy sat down at the table, unpacking the basket and making two place settings of muffins on linen napkins. Octavia's smile grew a little more as she poured two glasses of milk and set them on the table. Taking a seat opposite Derpy, she looked up at the pegasus, who had broken apart her muffin and was dipping it in her milk.
"Is it good that way?" Octavia asked. Derpy beamed.
"Yup! You should try it!"
"Maybe I will, someday," Octavia replied, taking a bite of the treat. To her surprise, it had a chocolate center, and she chuckled. "Oh that's brilliant!"
"Those are my volcanoes! It's like lava cake, but a muffin instead!" Derpy explained happily.
"They're magnificent!" Octavia praised, taking another bite. "So why exactly do you want this room?"
"It's pretty and a bunch of people in the building said you were nice."
"Did they?"
"Yup! They also said you could use a friend, so..." here she paused to fling her forelegs out, "here I am!"
"Ah... Do you have any references I can call? Not to be rude, but you can never be too careful these days, especially here in Manehattan."
"Well, I came from Ponyville, do you mind calling there?"
"Not at all."
"Great! I once stayed with my friend Bon Bon!" Derpy reached in the other side of her saddlebag and pulled out a paper with said pony's number on it. She had come prepared, which Octavia respected.
"Okay. If you like, I can call now, so if you check out, you can start moving in right away."
"That'd be great!" Derpy exclaimed, helping herself to another muffin. Octavia excused herself and stood up, moving into her living room. She hurried over to the cordless phone she had on her coffee table, picking it up with one of her hooves and used the other to dial the number. After ringing a few times, a giggling, breathless voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Hello. May I speak to Bon Bon please?"
"Bon! It's for you!" The voice called. A few minutes passed, and then another voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Hello. My name is Octavia Melody, and a pegasus by the name of Derpy has dropped by to inquire about becoming my roommate. She cited you as a reference?"
"Oh! That's great! I was worried about the poor dear. There was a bit of trouble," the other mare trailed off for a minute, and then suddenly continued, "Not to alarm you though! It wasn't legal trouble, it was... Well, not to sound juvenile, but it was bullying trouble."
"That doesn't sound juvenile at all! How could someone poke fun at that sweet mare in my kitchen!?" Her voice rose angrily.
"I agree, but the problem is, she um... Her full name is Derpy Hooves, and it's for a reason. She's very clumsy and has a tendency to break things, kind of. But she's the sweetest, kindest person you'll ever live with!" Bon Bon sounded like she was trying to persuade her. Octavia nodded.
"I'll take her on. You have nothing to worry about," Octavia assured. She and Bon Bon exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then hung up. She went back into the kitchen, where Derpy had placed another muffin on her plate. The cellist went over and sat down.
"I've decided that you're the perfect roommate," Octavia said, a tiny smile appearing on her muzzle. "You can start moving in as soon as you like."
"Whoo!" the grey pegasus yelled, dashing out into the hallway and carrying in a single box.
Octavia stared.
"Is that everything you own?" she asked. Derpy nodded in confirmation, thrusting the box out to her. Octavia took it and put it on the table, looking at it curiously. Inside was a winter hat, a scarf and boots, a set of cheap watercolor paints, a sheaf of papers, and a couple muffin or cupcake tins.
Octavia frowned.
"Derpy, how did you get on with just these?"
"I had help." Her cheerful tone went slightly defensive, and Octavia decided not to broach the subject.
"I see. Here, I'll help you." She showed Derpy to the room, and started to help her unpack, making small talk. When they were done, she gave Derpy a tour, and later that night when Octavia laid down to bed, she thought to herself,
This all happened rather quickly... I hope it turns out well.
--
A month passed, and Octavia liked Derpy even more than she had at their initial meeting. Whenever the pegasus was around, she smiled, and they were genuine smiles, not the fake ones she put on everywhere else. She laughed more, and she felt all around lighter. Her nightmares slowly diminished and she didn't cry nearly as often. In addition to this, Derpy was always looking out for her. She made her a warm breakfast every morning, despite her initial protests, and kept up a pleasant flow of conversation.
This was the scene on one drizzly March morning, and Octavia listened happily as she drank her morning tea.
"And so Bonny says..." Derpy stopped to laugh, tears of mirth welling up in the corners of her eyes, "'I'm guessing Lyra's just too high-strung for the drums'!"
Octavia burst out laughing. “Oh Celestia that's hilarious..." She took a final sip of her tea and set it down.
"I have to go for practice today; I'll see you around lunch time?"
"Sure, I'll be here!" Derpy agreed, smiling brightly. Octavia nodded, and then contently left the apartment.
--
"Octavia!" Frederick called, dashing over to her. She quirked a brow, glancing over at him.
"Yes, Frederick?" He had changed since the time they'd performed at the Grand Galloping Gala. His white-blonde mane had grown out a bit longer, but to be fair, he was still very attractive.
"I was wondering whether or not you'd like to attend the Butterfly Social with me."
"We're playing at the Butterfly Social."
"I know, but there will be break times, as well as the various others performing."
"There will be others?"
"Of course. The Ponytones are showcasing their new member, and then there will be other instrumental bands like us."
"Oh, they are?"
"Yes." He pulled two tickets out of his saddlebags and showed them to her. "Everyone in the band gets one for a guest, and I figured if you went with me, I could give them away."
"Well... I..." she thought of Derpy, home alone knowing that she was going to an event that was shaping up to be beautiful. She frowned.
"I'm sorry, Frederick, I must decline. Possibly next time." She took her ticket and put it in her saddlebag, then used her mouth to carry her cello case home.
--
"Derpy?" Octavia called, stepping into her apartment. The pegasus was sitting at the kitchen table. When she heard Octavia's voice, she looked up, frustrated. Tear tracks glowed on her face and her eyes were red.
"Hi..." she replied.
"Dear, are you all right?" Octavia asked, rushing to her side. Derpy started crying again.
"No! I can't do this with this stupid paint and it was gonna be a surprise for you but now it's ruined!" she yelled, pointing with her hoof at the old set of watercolors she'd brought. Octavia's heart melted a little, and she nuzzled the other mare affectionately.
"You didn't have to do that," the cellist said, smiling.
"I know, but I wanted to!" Derpy protested, sniffling.
"I have an idea. How about we go out for dinner and shopping tonight, okay?"
"You wanna go out with me?" Derpy asked incredulously.
"Yes," Octavia said. Derpy wiped her eyes, and just like that, she was herself again. The two left the apartment, and Octavia filled Derpy in on the events of her practice.
"Beauty just couldn't hit her notes today, and the Butterfly Social is next week," Octavia groaned. Derpy poked her.
"Are you going to the Butterfly Social?"
"Yes, actually, and I was going to invite you to go with me." Octavia smiled. Derpy's eyes widened as Octavia handed her a shiny silver ticket with a pink butterfly on it.
"You're... You're really... Me?"
Octavia nodded and the next thing she knew, she was up in the air, and her heart soared as she felt the chilly wind blow through her coat and mane. Derpy's misaligned eyes were sparkling and Octavia realized that she herself had never, ever been this happy before. They spun around for a few minutes, before Derpy lowered Octavia to the ground, a blush on her cheeks.
"You're really strong," Octavia giggled.
"I used to be a mailmare," Derpy replied, nodding. The two glanced at each other and started laughing, then headed into the part of town with the best clothes. Derpy stopped and pointed at a display of beautiful dresses.
"I know who designed those!"
"You actually know Rarity?!" Octavia asked incredulously. Derpy nodded, beaming.
"I delivered some of her dresses!" she added proudly. She hurried Octavia into the shop and started looking around. Octavia followed her, righting racks of nearly overturned clothes.
"This one for you!" Derpy suddenly exclaimed. Octavia looked up, and her eyes widened. Derpy was holding a violet, long-sleeved silk gown.
"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, hugging Derpy tight. Derpy hugged her back, and for a few minutes, it was all okay. Derpy pulled out a package of stickers, pulling away from Octavia. She offered one to Octavia, who stared at her, frozen.
"Are you okay?" Derpy asked. She cocked her head and stared at her friend, confused.
"I'm fine," Octavia replied, putting on her usual fake smile. She helped Derpy pick out a dress for herself, the final choice being a sleek aqua number. Octavia hastily checked out, putting the dresses in her saddlebag. They went out into the street, where the spring rain had started again. Derpy shrugged and spread her wings out over Octavia's head.
"There we go!"
"D-doesn't the rain bother you?" Octavia inquired, trembling a little. Time seemed distorted, and wobbly. She needed to get home. She needed to take a bath, cry it out, and lay down. She needed to sleep.
"Nope!" Derpy smiled happily. Octavia stumbled slightly, and her heart started thumping. She glanced over at Derpy, who continued talking. But she couldn't hear her. It was as if Octavia had gone temporarily deaf. Her breath shuddered, and the rain on her head felt almost painful. Her vision swam, and her legs gave out as she plummeted to the sidewalk.
***
"Oh baby girl... baby girl..." Octavia cooed gently. The soft pink bundle in her forelegs shifted and a tiny head poked up. The foal was white, with a charcoal mane and purple eyes. She cocked her horned head, staring at her mother with an innocent smile.
Octavia opened the door to the pristine nursery. It was the only room in the house she bothered with, beside the bathroom. She tucked the foal in gently, kissing her forehead.
"I've decided to name you... What yet, I don't know. I bought you a sticker book to go with mine."
Octavia watched as the foal's eyelids fluttered as she slept. Sitting down in the rocking chair beside the cradle, she opened the little purple book that belonged to her. She glanced up at the foal.
"I think I'll name you Stickers," she said, smiling sadly. She looked back down at the book. She'd been putting stickers in it for all her life up until now at age 18. Only one day was missing. Yesterday.
--
Her freedom upon arriving in Canterlot had been short-lived, after she realized her prideful ways at the plushie stand had only taken money that she'd need. Frowning, she stirred the straw in her water. The tavern she was in was called 'The World's a Stage' and as far as she could understand, it was a place to showcase local artists. She felt another kick in her belly and smiled down at it. It had been kicking a lot lately. She took a look at her plate. She'd bought herself a meal that, for a tavern, was rather good, but had cost fifteen bits, leaving her enough for roughly two months of cheap rent.
"Are you going to perform?" a voice inquired from two seats down. She looked up. A white unicorn with a blue mane sat there, drinking what looked like an appletini and pointing at her cello case.
"No, I don't think so..." Octavia replied quietly.
"I see. Shame though. Did you know that they had a band in here a couple days ago, a group from Ponyville called the Ponytones? They got snapped up by a company almost right away." The unicorn moved and sat closer to her, pointing at a tan pegasus on the other side of the room. "That guy's a talent scout. They're supposed to switch it up so that no one knows who they are, but I've seen him around. I spend a lot of time here, in case you couldn't tell.”
"Do they really pick people up that quickly?" Octavia asked.
The unicorn nodded. "The name's Vinyl. Someday, I wanna be the best DJ in Equestria. Do you have a music talent?"
"I play the cello... I'm not very good. My name is Octavia, by the way."
"I'll call ya Grey. Sounds cooler."
"I..."
“Number eighteen, you’re up” the bartender said, gesturing to the stage.
"Aw man, I'm up. You could come too, as long as you play fast," Vinyl said.
Octavia smiled. "You mean it? Really?"
"Yeah! If we make it, we could look out for each other in the music world. Come on Grey, we can do it!" Vinyl thrust her hoof into the air and Octavia giggled at the gesture, picking up her cello and following Vinyl onstage. To her surprise, Vinyl used a personal turntable, one that looked a lot more complicated than the generic one they had on the opposite end of the stage. Right away, she realized why as Vinyl started playing.
Picking up her cello, Octavia frowned. She could tell just by looking that it was out of tune. She sighed, deciding to do it anyway. playing a few notes, she grinned. The discordant notes on her cello mixed well with Vinyl's music, and before long they had almost all of the tavern clapping. Her heart soared and she lost herself in the performance, closing her eyes. The song rose and fell, and wobbled in a way that made Octavia think that the music was dancing. They ended with a long, wailing deep note from Octavia.
She opened her eyes and stepped down. The applause eventually died down and was replaced with murmuring.
"Grey you were great" Vinyl exclaimed happily. Octavia blushed.
"Thanks..." she answered softly, looking down, one of her hooves shuffling nervously. Suddenly, there was a flash of pain in her belly. She whimpered, legs buckling.
"What's wrong? Grey?" Vinyl asked, nudging her.
"I... I'm pregnant... I think I'm going into labor,” she said, flinching.
"Oh Celestia... Somepony call an ambulance!" Vinyl yelled. She must have passed out, because the next thing Octavia knew, she was in the Manehattan hospital. Everything was blurred and quick, but she remembered pain, and the doctor delivering her foal. One look into those soft purple eyes, however, and she was pulled back into reality. Tears fell from her eyes as she stared, her heart melting. The doctor took her away to clean her up as she signed the birth certificate. She didn't label a father. He was the last thing on her mind. She had this beautiful, innocent daughter to take care of now. Her thoughts were fragmented, but they kept coming back to the hauntingly beautiful gaze of her foal. The paper and pen fluttered to the ground and she watched them fall, smiling softly. The doctor came back and she hurried to hold her baby girl, nuzzling her gently.
"Ma'am? Do you have a name?"
"Not yet..." she replied quietly. Truthfully, she was so distracted that she barely heard him at all. He studied her uneasily.
"You are of age, so we cannot legally tell your parents, but do you need any help? Can we contact someone...?”
"No!" she said hastily.
The doctor frowned. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure..."
"Okay... Well, we'll move you to a temporary room while we check you out to leave, and I hear you have visitors. By the way, we took care of the wound on your shoulder." She was gently placed onto a gurney, then she and her foal were wheeled off to another room, and no sooner had she been laid down, Vinyl burst into the door.
"Grey are you okay?" she asked, and before she could answer, Vinyl rushed on. "The talent scout said that we were one of the best acts he'd ever seen! We're going to make an album as soon as you're up and about, so if you could hurry, that'd be great! Until then, he's offered you an apartment.”
"That's great Vinyl. Could you write the address down for me?" Vinyl gave it to her and headed back out, most likely to celebrate her own success.
--
"And that's where we are now..." Octavia mumbled to herself, two months later. Her eyes were closed in the rocking chair, and before long she had fallen asleep, clutching Stickers’ sticker book, which now had two months of pages filled in.
She woke up to the silence. Something was wrong. There was no light breathing in the background. She jerked up, and looked over at Stickers. Her baby, her precious foal had turned a light blue.
She screamed, and rushed over. She couldn't be choking on anything! She was still nursing and that had been hours ago! The moon flashed through the window, illuminating the tiny filly.
"Stickers, baby, no, no...,” she whispered, picking Stickers up and rocking her for a few minutes, tears gathering in Octavia’s eyes and overflowing. The foal didn't respond, and she couldn't see her stomach rise and fall either. She hurried out into the living room sobbing. She stumblingly dialed 9-1-1 with her snout, her precious child cradled in her arms.
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
"My baby... my baby isn't breathing! I need an ambulance right away!"
"Calm down please ma'am. Can you relay your address?"
"My... my address? My address..." Octavia spun about wildly, panicking, her breath coming in short violent gasps. She wracked her brain, stuttering.
"I-I don't know! I moved in t-two months ago and I d-don't remember it yet! Please I need help!" Her sobbing got louder.
"Can we track your number?"
"Yes, I don't care, hurry!" The line disconnected and she didn't bother to hang up, as she wrapped Stickers in a soft blanket that the hospital supplied. The sound of sirens started to grow louder and she rushed down to the lobby. Curious neighbors stared at her but she didn't care.
"Help!" she yelled, running over to the EMT's who had just arrived. They took a look at her, and then took Stickers into the ambulance. Octavia stepped in, reaching for her. Her sobbing turned into silent tears as she stroked the soft mane on her foal.
The ride to the hospital was a nightmare. They performed everything they could, but nothing could get her breathing again and she got colder with every minute. A hopeless feeling permeated the air.
A few hours later, the doctor entered the room she had been placed in to wait. She ran over to him.
"Doctor what's going on? Will she..." she swallowed, will she make it?"
"You may want to sit down," the doctor said, frowning pitifully. She collapsed into one of the chairs. The doctor looked down at his clipboard.
"We're afraid she didn't make it. The official cause of death is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, commonly known as SIDS." She froze, too stunned to cry. She would never again in her life be able to hold the one blessing from all her pain, her beautiful Stickers, ever again...
***
"Octavia?" The voice echoed in her brain and with a cry of alarm, she sat up.
"Wha- What happened? Derpy, where am I?"
"Um... We're in your room. I sort of carried you home." Octavia looked around. They were in her room, and Derpy had dried her off, judging by the towels hung on her bedframe, and tucked her in with her plushie. It was nighttime, and the full moon illuminated everything in a soft, almost surreal glow, but the streetlights hid the multitude of stars.
"Oh... Thank you... I..."
"Did I... Did I do something bad?" Derpy asked, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
"Oh no! Of course not!"
"Then... Why did you cry...?"
"I cried?"
"A lot," Derpy answered gently.
Octavia frowned, and she reached over, surprising herself by pulling the pegasus into a hug.
"I'm sorry," Octavia whispered softly.
"Are you sure it wasn't my fault?" Derpy's voice trembled softly, and Octavia nodded, nuzzling into Derpy's soft grey fur.
"Why would it be your fault?" Octavia asked gently. She received a quiet, breathy sob in reply.
"It's always been my fault. Mama always said so," Derpy whispered.
"Derpy..." Octavia murmured softly.
"Did Bonny tell you why I left Ponyville?"
"She said bullying because you were clumsy..."
"It's true. But I'm clumsy because when I was a filly, my mama used to drink, and she'd beat me. One night she got really bad and..." Derpy choked back another sob, "she came at me with a bottle... and she damaged my brain. So I have a hard time doing things that other people can do..."
Octavia's eyes watered and she squeezed Derpy even tighter.
"I'm sorry..." Octavia murmured gently, stroking Derpy's mane.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. And I'm still a good pony... I just have to keep telling myself that... No matter what Rainbow Dash says..." Derpy replied.
"You are a good pony. You've made me so happy," Octavia said, ignoring the fact that she had no idea who this “Rainbow Dash” was. Derpy looked up, and the moonlight glimmered in her watery amber eyes.
"Promise?" she asked, blinking tiredly.
"I promise," Octavia replied, and she lay down, pulling Derpy with her. Within minutes, the two were fast asleep.
--
"So you never told me what it is exactly you do," Octavia said, glancing over at Derpy, who was snuggled up to her. Rain streaked against the window, and outside leaden gray clouds seemed to go on forever.
"Well... I was technically part of the weather team... but that's not what my special talent is."
"What's your special talent?" Octavia inquired. Derpy blushed, and stood up from her position on the couch.
"I can show you... I mean, if you want to. You don't have to..." she mumbled.
Octavia smiled. "Of course I want to," she said, standing up.
Derpy walked over to her room and opened the door. The box she had brought with her was turned upside down, and one of her pieces of paper lay flat. A landscape of Canterlot in surprisingly good detail was painted on it. It was messy, but she assumed it was due to the quality of the watercolor paints she'd used.
"That's great!" Octavia grinned.
Derpy turned even redder, and kicked at the ground nervously. "It's not that good. I haven't had very much time to work on my skills..."
"I like it," Octavia stated happily. "So are you ready to get pampered tomorrow?" Derpy beamed happily as the headed back into the living room.
"Yes! I'm so excited! Nopony's ever treated me like this!"
"I hardly ever treat myself like this, but I feel since this is the first time I've played an event with a special friend, it'd be something fun to do together."
Suddenly someone knocked on the door.
"Who's that?" Derpy asked, looking over at the door. Octavia shook her head and went over to the door. Opening it, she was immediately assaulted with the strong smell of alcohol and apples. Vinyl stood there, blue mane flat against her head.
"Oh, hello Vin-"
"Shut up," Vinyl snapped. Octavia stared, stunned. Vinyl was rude, yes, but never that rude, at least not to her.
"Exc-"
"You heard me! I have something to say!" Vinyl stumbled into Octavia, pushing her aside in her haste to enter the apartment.
"C-Can I offer you a glass of water, you don't look so-"
"Oh now you're worried about me!" Vinyl yelled, focusing a glare at the cellist.
"Of course I am, you're-"
"Drunk? Yeah, I know. I went to celebrate after my concert that you just so happened to miss!"
"The concert was tonight?"
"No, last night!"
"Oh Celestia, you've been drinking all day haven't you?"
"Maybe!" Vinyl nearly fell again, catching herself on the table as she sat down.
"Octavia? Who is it?" Derpy peeked her head into the kitchen. Vinyl turned to look over and her eyes narrowed darkly.
"Oh is that why you missed my show? Because you were shacking up with the retard pegasus?"
Octavia's nervousness turned immediately to frothing anger. "Excuse me?" she asked.
Vinyl ignored her, rambling on. "After all that I've done for you and you abandoned me for her!"
"All that you've done for me?"
"Yeah! Without me, we wouldn't have gotten that record deal and you would be stuck somewhere out on the street!"
Octavia's heart sunk. Vinyl was right after all... The cellist willed herself to say what she'd been thinking.
"But I've done so much for you! I've found you drunk and taken care of you countless times, you've crashed here, you've shoved band merchandise in my face so I could promote you and I have! You're on top right now and you still hang around and expect me to do whatever you ask me to do! Yes, you got me my big break by accompanying you on that deal, but that doesn't mean you get to lord yourself over me forever!" Octavia started crying, but she was past the point of caring. On the inside, she was a jumbled up ball of regret and pain and she was tired of Vinyl being a half-assed friend. She didn't need that anymore, now that Derpy had shown her what a true friend was. A true friend did things like tell you secrets, trust you, and help you home. A true friend cared about your feelings. Vinyl stared at her, and then stood up, wobbling.
"All I want is for you to be there for me and be my friend," Vinyl said, frowning.
Octavia took a deep breath and looked at Vinyl. "Then you better start being a real friend," she replied, escorting Vinyl out. It was only then that Octavia realized that Derpy was gone.
--
After a quick search in the apartment, Octavia found Derpy in her room, curled up in a ball. Octavia hurried over to the pegasus and cuddled up behind her, holding her close.
"Are you okay?" Octavia asked. Derpy shook her head.
"Am I... Am I r-really retarded...?" she whispered.
Octavia frowned. "Of course not!"
"Then why does everypony hate me?"
"Not everypony hates you. I, and from what I can tell, Bon Bon, love you to pieces."
"You love me?" Derpy asked incredulously, looking up at Octavia, her eyes wide and sparkling.
"Of course I love you!" Octavia exclaimed, pulling Derpy close. "You're my best friend... I haven't been this close to anyone since my mother..."
"What happened? Why aren't you close to your mother anymore?"
"My mother... she left." Octavia frowned, looking at her hooves. Derpy gasped and rolled over to nuzzle Octavia.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's okay... I'm okay, knowing that you're here for me," Octavia replied, smiling gently. Derpy blushed.
"You mean it?"
"I mean it. Now come on, let's get some rest before our day of getting ready tomorrow.”
"Okay, " Derpy agreed. The two snuggled closer together and Derpy soon fell asleep, her steady breathing filling Octavia's ears. The cellist pulled the comforter tighter around them, trying to fight off the tears that threatened to spill out of her every time she was asked about her mother. She closed her eyes, and nuzzled Derpy softly. She smelled like muffins. It reminded her of their breakfast times. She smiled, closing her eyes and falling asleep.
--
"Oh my gosh! This place is huge!" Derpy exclaimed. Octavia felt a small flutter of pride in her chest. The spa was a beautiful place designed in white with turquoise accents. They were equipped with the best working machines and masseuses.
"Aw, Mistress Octavia, can we get you your usual?" A light blue pony with a braided mane and tail waved at them from behind the reception desk.
"Not this time, dear." Octavia smiled as she led Derpy over. "This is my friend and roommate Derpy Hooves. Derpy, this is Gentle Touch. She's in training to be a masseuse but right now she's a receptionist."
"I'm going to Manehattan University to get a business degree as well." Gentle grinned happily. "So what can I do you for?" she asked, immediately refocusing on Octavia.
"Um… hoofcare, your mane-tail-coat combo, facials and the like, and a massage for each of us. Then we're off to the salon for makeup and styling."
"Busy day?"
"I'm performing at the Butterfly Social."
"Oh wow! That's so cool!"
"It's a wonderful opportunity. I just hope those six crazy ponies don't show up from Ponyville again," Octavia grimaced. Gentle nodded and chatted her ear off as she penciled in their requests. "You'll be getting the best of our masseuses, River Bend and Babbling Brook.”
"Oh I love River Bend! His hooves work magic, seriously!" Octavia giggled.
"Derpy will get Brook then," Gentle said hastily. "You'll have massage room 11. And Mistress Octavia..."
"Yes?"
"Here!" Gentle shoves a wrapped package in Octavia's hand, blushing.
"Thank you dear," the cellist replied and led Derpy down to the massage rooms.
"You know she likes you right?" Derpy inquired.
"What?"
"That mare. Gentle Touch. She likes you."
"Well, I like her too, she's very sweet."
"No, she like likes you!" Derpy laughed at the dumbstruck look on Octavia's face as they entered the room.
"What do you mean, she like likes me?" Octavia squeaked. Derpy shook her head, pulling her into the massage room.
Two hours later, they were so clean they were practically shining, coats soft and shining, hooves polished to perfection. They giggled about their two cute masseuses to each other, waving to Gentle as they left the spa and headed to the salon.
--
Later that night, they arrived at the Butterfly Social, completely dressed up and extremely beautiful. They had been provided transportation in a sky carriage, which was like a ground carriage, but flying, with protective shields over the windows. The pair was beautifully made up, and their manes and tails were styled impeccably. Octavia's mane and tail were down in smooth waves and Derpy had a fashionable updo in her mane that ended in a simple, yet elegant curl, and her tail was curled to match.
"I'm so nervous!" Octavia whispered to Derpy as they entered the gates to the Social.
"Me too..." Derpy giggled as they approached the gates to the Canterlot Butterfly Garden. Octavia smiled and they walked in. The garden was full of trees that had fairy lights strung on them, and clouds of butterflies flew past. Derpy gasped, spinning so she could see everything.
"It's beautiful...,” she whispered.
Octavia smiled. "It is. I'm going to go check on the band, okay?"
"Okay!" Derpy exclaimed happily. Octavia approached the stage where she could hear the Ponytones performing their hit "Find The Music In You." She hurried past them, and backstage her band was prepping their instruments.
"Octavia! There you are!" Frederick ran over to her, dressed in a black bowtie.
"Ah... Hello Frederick..." she said hesitantly. His gaze traveled over her slowly.
"You look beautiful," he said.
"Th-Thank you...”
"And that was the Ponytones with their hit "Find The Music In You!" Next up we have the Manehattan Classics Quartet!" somepony announced. Respectful applause sounded, and Octavia led the way onstage. Taking position, Frederick played their starting note on the piano, and then she lost herself in the music.
Music was something extra-special to Octavia. When she was playing, she was alone in her own mind, in her memories, but it didn't hurt. It didn't hurt her to be alone; unlike she was at the plushie stand. She didn't have to be her own family, or lover, or buy herself anything. No one pitied her for being alone, and it felt amazing.
--
"Octavia! Your performance was so beautiful!" Derpy exclaimed, smiling. Octavia blushed.
"Thank you, but it was all of us." She smiled, blushing softly. The next group of performers stepped onstage. They had a singer, who serenaded the Social with a gentle soprano. Her accompanying band played a waltz. Derpy's eyes sparkled with excitement as she downed a flute of champagne she had taken from one of the passing waiters.
"Wanna dance?" she asked. Octavia smiled and nodded. Derpy moved close and stepped up on her hind legs, pulling Octavia close. Octavia wrapped her hooves around Derpy's neck, instinctually letting her take the lead. Suddenly a silver butterfly flew over them, taking refuge on Derpy's head. Octavia gasped quietly, eyes lighting up. The two smiled at each other, and Octavia did a small twirl.
"You know that this isn't a waltz, right?" Octavia whispered. Derpy nodded.
"Who needs to waltz when we get a dance with a butterfly?" she replied, dipping Octavia slowly before pulling her back up. Octavia's mane flowed around her, brushing across her back. The song continued and the two kept dancing. The butterfly remained on their heads for the whole dance, but they didn't notice anything beyond the glow from the moon, the music, the garden, and each other.
The violin uttered out one final note as the song ended. Derpy and Octavia dropped back on four legs, hugging each other. The butterfly jumped off Derpy, seemingly in alarm, and a bunch of glittery powder fell over the two mares.
Derpy sneezed, knocking herself off-balance. She tripped over her hooves, stumbling into a waiter. Champagne splashed and the sound of glass breaking rose above the sound of the band's next song. Everypony turned to stare, and Derpy laughed nervously, reaching up for Octavia to pick herself. Her hoof gripped onto Octavia's dress and she slipped, falling back down. With an audible tearing sound, Octavia's dress ripped open. Derpy's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm so sorry...,” she whispered. Octavia reached out for her, but she had bolted for the gates and next thing she knew, their sky carriage was gone.
"Oh no..." Octavia whispered, running out after them. She jerked open the door to the closest carriage and jumped in. Slamming the door, she looked up at the driver.
"Hurry. I need to get to Manehattan."
"Miss, this isn't your assigned-"
"I don't care! Hurry!" she snarled. The driver hastened to start flying. Octavia stared out the window at the sparkling stars. They seemed duller now.
--
"Derpy!" Octavia yelled as she stormed into their apartment. "Derpy are you here? Listen, it's okay, I'm not mad! I'd never be mad about that!" She didn't get an answer. Only silence. "Please Derpy... You're my best friend, if not my only... Please..." She heard a light cough coming from the bathroom and hurried in, only to freeze. Derpy lay on the tiled floor, muzzle stained with vomit.
"Oh love..." Octavia whispered, sitting down next to her, holding Derpy's head in her hooves. Stroking Derpy's mane gently, she whispered soft encouragements until Derpy fell asleep in her forelegs. Her temperature was extremely high. Tears started to fall down the cellist's cheeks, and she willed herself not to fall asleep. She would stay awake in case Derpy needed anything.
It's probably just the champagne, Octavia thought, starting to hum a hint of a lullaby.
The next morning, Derpy woke up to a watchful Octavia.
"Oh thank Celestia you're awake," Octavia whispered. Derpy smiled weakly, then doubled over, coughing. "Derpy you're burning up..."
"I'm cold Octavia..." Derpy said quietly. Octavia picked her up, stumbling out of the bathroom on her hind legs. She carried Derpy to her room, wrapping her tightly in a blanket. Derpy shivered. Octavia climbed up beside her.
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
"No... may I please have some water though...?" Derpy mumbled with eyes half-closed.
"Yes, love," Octavia replied. She left the room and came back with a glass of water, and her plushie. Derpy reached for the cup, forelegs trembling. She gulped down the whole glass. Octavia took the cup and put it on the nightstand. Looking back, she saw that the pegasus had fallen asleep. She curled up next to her and tucked the plushie in with her, trying not to cry again. It hurt her to see Derpy so sick.
--
"You can't be serious! This is the Canterlot Hospital! You're really saying there's nothing you can do?!"
"We're sorry ma'am, but your friend has an illness we haven't even seen before, much less found a cure for. However, we can get Princess Celestia to take a look. She always does in cases like these."
"Great! Get her over here! My friend has been ill for an entire month!" Octavia glared. The doctor opened his mouth but she turned away from him and hurried down the hallway and into Derpy's room. Derpy lay on a hospital bed, her body tucked into a sea foam green hospital gown. Forcing a smile, Octavia sat down beside Derpy, grabbing one of the pegasus's hooves. Derpy smiled.
"I missed you,” Derpy said quietly. Octavia's eyes watered.
"I missed you too," she replied.
"I love you so much," Derpy whispered into Octavia’s ear.
"I love you more," Octavia replied. Derpy shook her head.
"No you don't. Lay up here with me?" the pegasus requested. Octavia nodded, climbing up behind her, holding her close.
"You can sleep if you want," Octavia said gently. Derpy nodded, and within seconds, she was asleep. Octavia nuzzled her gently, pressing a kiss to her burning temple. She calmed herself in the familiarity of Derpy's scent and coat.
"You're wrong… I love you more than you could ever know," she whispered. She held Derpy in her embrace for roughly half an hour before there came the knock on the door. She eased herself off the bed and opened the door, and in walked Princess Celestia. Octavia knelt at her hooves, and then got up, looking into the eyes of the Sun Goddess.
"Please save her Princess..." she pleaded. Celestia frowned, and then walked over to Derpy's sleeping frame. Her horn lit up and Derpy started to glow. For ten, agonizing minutes Celestia examined the pegasus. Then, with a heavy-hearted sigh, she turned back to Octavia.
"I'm afraid I cannot save her. There is no remedy, and the creature that did this to her is ancient and magic-resistant."
"No..." Octavia growled. "You're lying!"
"I wish I were, my little pony. She only has a few hours left, and then the powder will infect all her organs."
"Powder?"
"Yes, powder. It comes from a legendary monster called the Spirefly. They look like butterflies. The powder can be inhaled, or absorbed through a pony's skin. It only targets ponies. Our theory is that King Sombra had them made as part of his crusade against the Crystal Ponies. I had thought we'd quarantined them all, but thanks to a foolish mistake by one of my scientists, three of them escaped. One is in Ponyville and has infected several ponies there. The other two are still in Canterlot."
"So she's going to...?" Octavia's eyes watered and she looked at her best friend, surprised to see that she was awake.
"I'm going to die...?" Derpy questioned. Octavia's heart raced and she gathered Derpy in her arms again.
"Unless we can transfer the illness into another living pony," Celestia replied. Her honey-like voice sounded like she was choking back tears of her own.
"Then give it to me!" Octavia demanded. "Not her!"
"No!" Derpy protested. Octavia turned to look at her.
"You were honest with me. I'm going to be honest with you now." She took a deep breath. "When I was a little filly my mother left me with my stepfather to marry one of the Canterlot elite. He started drinking, just like your Mommy." She grabbed one of Derpy's hooves and held it tight. "Instead of beating me, however... he took one of the things that I had a choice to give. He took my virginity, my happiness, and my social life. He molested me and raped me at every chance he got. The only thing I had was my music. But then I got pregnant and finally summoned the courage to run away. He chased me and shot at me, hitting my shoulder... But I managed to make it here to Manehattan. The baby didn't make it... She died of SIDS only two months after she was born..." Octavia was fully sobbing now, but she choked them back to continue.
"I had named her Stickers, because when I was a foal, my mother bought me a sticker book. And I filled it in dutifully, every single day I had it. It was the most precious thing in the world to me. Even with the hell I went through, I kept at it. And I wanted to pass it on to her. It didn't work out as you can imagine. I was so alone afterwards. Vinyl used me to further her own career and she really didn't care about me. But you did. You came into my life and you saved me from being so sad, so lonely..." She smiled through her tears. "You loved me unconditionally, and were always there for me. You trusted me. I love you so much, and I want to take this for you. There's so much potential in your future, and I believe in you. Please let me do this for you.”
"But... but I don't wanna be without you... I'll miss you..." Derpy sniffled. She was crying as well. She buried her head into Octavia's chest and whimpered.
"I'll miss you too. But you're gonna live for both of us. You're gonna live for Stickers, and all the others just like us. Because you're a survivor, just like I was. Okay? I also want you to have my sticker book to remember me by."
"But..."
"No buts. I love you so much more than I could ever show. But I have to do this now. I have to take care of you. But I won't leave until the very last minute. I promise. But you have to promise to live and be happy."
"Please don't... I'm not worth it..." Derpy begged. Octavia smiled.
"But you are. You're worth this and so much more." Holding Derpy close, she nodded at Celestia.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Celestia asked. Octavia nodded.
A golden glow filled the room, and Octavia found her body being filled with the illness. Right away, her temperature climbed and she began shivering. She was vaguely aware of Derpy pleading with Celestia to stop it, and being told it was too late. But all she could see were white fluffy clouds and a grey filly with a charcoal mane waiting for her, holding a sticker book in her mouth. She moved into the bright light that called to her. However, she took one look back. Derpy held tight to her, as Octavia herself had done over and over again for Derpy.
That's what true friendship is... Octavia thought, and she turned back to the filly. She kept going forward, and before she knew it, she couldn't see Derpy anymore.