Let’s start from the beginning. I was a filly born in Canterlot to a wealthy family who wanted nothing more than for me to be a famous painter. I learned the lyre instead. Alright, I know Tavia wants to say this isn’t important to the story. The story being what happened to me and my fillyhood friend. Her name’s Vinyl Scratch, I’m Lyra Heartstrings by the way. I know what BonBon’s thinking. We know this, we know who you two are, but the humans don’t. The human’s know my name, and know I love my Bonny very much but they don’t know me. They don’t know that I was gonna be an artist. That I grew up in Canterlot, and by Luna this might be the only chance I get to tell somebody.
This isn’t just Octavia’s story. This is our story. A story about three ponies and a changeling just trying to make it in the world and frankly I want my story told, but never mind. It isn’t really important who I am, or who’s story this is. What is important is what happened to me and V after we left the apartment building.
That story starts with me rushing out the door yelling, “Hey V wait up! Lyra’s coming out to party! Woo! Woo!” She was a bet skeptical at first. Who wouldn’t be? I haven’t really partied hard in months. I totally get it. After a little convincing she let me tag along though. She always did.
If V had a gig her right hand mare was always there to snag us some fine fillies, or maybe some hot stallions, or maybe some good looking griffons. We did have that one night. It was epic, and involved all three. Ahh, memories.
Now where was I? “Alright V?” I asked bumping my flank into hers, this was going to be just like the old days. It would have to be. I needed to remind Vinyl that the old days sucked. They sucked hard. They were a blur of drugs, booze, and Celestia knows how many other ponies or whatever we slept with. Most importantly I need to remind Vinyl we are no good for one another.
Some ponies think I’m just some ditzy mare who gave up her dreams and settled down with some candy maker. You know what they say though, getting married young’s like leaving a party early. Some ponies might be up for that long ass party but not me. Not any more. I need to help Vinyl see that she left the party a long time ago. Heck, she left before I did, even if she doesn’t know it.
I smirked at her, she didn’t look amused. Her eyes were blood shot. I’m not stupid, even if she was wearing those stupid shades I bought her I can tell when the mare I’ve known longer than anypony else has been crying. “Aww now come on V, buck up. Where we going?” I asked as we went down the stairs.
“You know where.” She said with a huff. I did know where. There was always one bar me and Vinyl would go to when we were bummed out. It’s this really old place on the south side. That’s the bad part of Manehatten in case you didn’t know. Then again several people reading this wouldn’t know.
I probably should stop breaking that forth wall everyone keeps talking about and get on with the story.
So Vinyl and I went to our usual sad spot. That old tavern on the south side called Pub. We were told it was named Pub after the original owner Pub O’Hare. He was apparently a rabbit. Nobody’s too sure if that’s true or not but they go this picture of a rabbit on the sign so everyone believes it.
So, V and I go into Pub and they have our usual spot at the bar free as always. It was like the current owner always knew when we’d be around. We never did learn her name, but she had a chain saw as her cutie mark. Frankly, I don’t think I want to know her name, or piss her off.
Vinyl and I take our normal seats at the bar and chainsaw butt takes out drink orders. Two hard ciders. She didn’t even bother asking us what we wanted. It was we always got when we came here. Vinyl rests her head on the bar top with her forelegs around it.
I put a comforting hoof on her back and rub gently up and down. “V…” I say sounding concerned. “Wanna tell me what’s up?” She just moves away from my hoof groaning. “Come on Vinyl, we’ve know each other since fillyhood. You know you can tell me anything. Right?” I move closer. “V?” I practically sing the name. “Tell your aunty Wyra what’s wrong.” I sing in a childish tone. She smiles a bit.
With a smile on her muzzle, but a glare in her eyes she said, “I’m older than you.” True enough, but who’s gonna split hairs over a few months. Besides I’ve always been more mature then Vinyl…then again a month old foal is more mature than Vinyl. She sighed heavily as she looked down into her drink.
Neither of us touched a drop. I didn’t want to, four months sober after all. I didn’t want to go and break my record now. I’m not sure why Vinyl didn’t drink. That’s what Vinyl did when she was depressed, or happy, or just bored. She drank, or at least the Vinyl Scratch I knew drank when she was all those things.
My smile faded, “Come on Vinyl. Seriously, tell me what’s wrong. If it’s between you and Octavia I can help.”
She looks back at me, I knew that behind those shades were the eyes of somepony who had been crying all day, somepony who needed a friend, somepony who was so scared of breaking down again. Luckily for Vinyl she needed somepony like me. She seemed to be struggling with the words she wanted to say. I knew what was coming though, “Lyra…Tavi’s a…she’s a…” Come on Vinyl I don’t have all day, and neither do the nice humans reading this. Get on with it. “Octavia’s a changeling.” She whispered it, but I still herd her loud and clear.
I smirked, “That’s all?” I said sounding arrogant as could be. The bar was empty save for the chain saw marked bar tender, and a lonely drunk here and there. The bartender was so numb she likely didn’t care what we had just said, even if she herd us. I doubt she herd us though. She was at the way other end of the bar after all. The other drunks were either too intoxicated to make heads or tails of us, or too far way to even notice we were there. Good place to tell somepony a secret. Now you guys know why Vinyl and I liked this place so much.
Vinyl looked beside herself, “That…That’s all!?” She yelled. Some of the other ponies in the bar rustled, the bartender looked our way. I singled her to turn around, it wasn’t any of her business, a few more bits on the bar convinced her of that.
Vinyl stared me down hard, grabbing me by the shoulders. “Do you even hear yourself when you talk?” She yelled visibly shaking. “I just told you my marefriend, the pony I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, is a changeling and all you say is “that’s all?” I mean Luna and Celestia…no, hell, Cadence even! How does this not shock you? I nearly killed Tavi when she told me and then I tell you and nothing. That’s cool, she’s a changeling you say? She must be awesome in bed. Well she is…but that’s beside the point.” I chuckled a bit, Vinyl always went on weird tangents when she was mad. It some how always came down to things that happen behind closed doors.
“Calm down,” I tell her, smile still plastered over my muzzle. “She told me.” Vinyl’s eyes went wide, she looked about ready to go back to her rant. Alright Lyra you can’t let that happen so lets start talking before she does, “Vinyl,” I started with. I think it was a good start. Saying her name gets her attention and makes her realize I’m in charge of this conversation. “Octavia was freaking out. She wanted to tell you first but, you weren’t home. I over herd her talking to herself and she showed me.” Vinyl nodded as I explained things, she didn’t interrupt, didn’t make faces, didn’t touch her drink. She just nodded.
I continued on, “First she turned into me, and well I didn’t believe her. I thought it was some parlor trick. Soooo….she turned into you, and-” I paused. I couldn’t exactly tell Vinyl that Tavia made the moves on me as copy of Vinyl. That’d be weird…weirder would be if I told her about the part where Tavia looked just like Bon Bon and I almost…uh…never mind. “And after that I believed her. Couldn’t really be some parlor trick if she was you right? Octavia’s not magic after all…she can’t do any fancy spells or anything like that. I mean she can, because she’s a changeling and all but…” And now I was the one ranting. Nice going Lyra. “Short version, she was worried, I helped, we agreed she needed to tell you, she told you, you guys fought, we are here.”
That was difficult. More difficult then I expected it to be. “She told you first…” Vinyl sounded heart broken. “She didn’t even care enough to tell me first.” She set her head on the bar and stared at the foamy mug of cider. She used her magic to remove her shades, and closed her eyes. She just looked so distraught.
“Vinyl…she didn’t tell you because she was worried.” I said as I took that first sip of cider. I didn’t mean to. It was just out of habit really. Me and a bummed out V sitting at our sad sack bar, I just kind of sort of took the drink with out thinking. It tasted great though, oh well seven sober months down the drain. I quickly polished off my drink. Hold it together now Lyra your friend needs you. “I mean really V what’s changed?”
Vinyl looked up, she looked puzzled. What had changed? To be honest, so much had changed since the last time we were at this bar, on these stools, drinking almost this exact same cider. I’m married now, Vinyl has settled down a lot, I had seven months of sobriety until today. We’ve both grown up and changed so much!
I smile at her, “The only thing that changed with Octavia is you know.” I was right of course. “She’s always been a changeling Vinyl. The only thing that’s changed is you know what she really is. You know who she really is and frankly that’s kind of what happens when you get really close to someone. You learn everything about them. What they like, what they don’t like, what their scared of, the fact that their a changeling.” I laughed with that last part. I remember laughing with that last part. Vinyl still looked worried. “Think of it this way V, she trusts you enough to show you who she really is. I’d also bet that changelings are awesome in bed.” I grabbed Vinyl pulling her over closer to me, out stretching a hoof for dramatic explanation I say, “Just think Tavi could fulfill every weird fetch you have, if you have any. No judging here buddy o’ mine.”
Vinyl perks up a bit, “Thanks Lyra…I…I think I needed that.” She drank her cider and we order another round, hell I think at one point I ordered a round for all the a sad sacks in the bar, even chainsaw butt had one or two.
Everything was going great, Vinyl was laughing and smiling. She even said, “I’m going to ask her to marry me again. I think I love her Lyra…I think I love her more than anypony else I’ve ever met.” Everything was going exactly like it should.
Until we left the bar. I was a little drunker than I’d like to admit. Come on seven months with out any in my system at all…I went over board. So, this parts a bit fuzzy for me but I’ll try my best.
V and I left the bar in high sprits. I was clinging to Vinyl for support when we suddenly ran into an old friend of ours. Happy Pills.
Happy Pills was a funny little earth point, he had a shaggy bright neon green mane and tail. His fur was a tanish, burnt orange color. His cutie mark was an insane looking smiley face and frankly all of that suited him. Pills was known for making, supplying and taking several powerful drugs. In our old days he was a blast to have around but like I said before Vinyl and I have grown up. Pretty sure we’ve out grown Pills.
In his manic tone he shouted at us, “Vinyl! Oh, look and Lyra too. Too much fun tonight Ly? Eh? Eh? Huh? Where am I? Oooooo! Lyra! Vinyl! Long time no see! How’s my two best clients?” I’m pretty sure this pony is insane, but something seemed off.
Vinyl smiled at our old friend, “Not much pills. Just had a few drinks, talked about life, the universe and everything.”
“Forty-two!” Pills yelled going into a manic fit of laughter.
“Eh…yeah.” Vinyl continued. “We were just heading home.” Pills didn’t seem to like the idea of us heading home. Didn’t seem disappointed, seemed more angry and suspicious.
“Awww come on girls you can’t do this to old Pills.” He didn’t sound right. Something about all this just felt off. I didn’t like it.
I forced myself off of Vinyl’s back and tried to stand up straight. Oh Celestia why did I do that? Everything started to spin right away and one Happy Pills became two. “Come on Lyra think. Think of something quick. This is obviously not Happy Pills.” I thought trying to keep my balance.
I stared at Pills hard. I stared for a long time trying to think of something. Then it hit me. I laughed grabbing Happy Pills by the neck in a half cocked embrace. “Hey Pills…” I said still laughing a little bit. I was nervous, and still a little bit tipsy. “Remember that one time you and I got so shit faced drunk that we started making out?”
I see Pills face grow red as he reflects, a huge, creepy smile spreads over his muzzle. “That I do girly. That I do.” He laughed with me.
I stop laughing, “Yeah…except I never made out with Happy Pills. Even if I did Pills would be too out of his mind to remember. I don’t know who the hell you are but you sure as Luna raises the moon aren’t him!” I pushed Pills on to the hard concrete and he changed right before my eyes.
“Aww crud he’s a changeling!“ I thought. “Awww more crud! That means Happy Pills is probably dead in a ditch some where or in a cocoon. What ever changelings do to the ponies they replace.” Then again it was just Happy Pills. Don’t get me wrong Pills was my friend but he’s kind of a jerk. So if anypony could be replaced by changelings and not really be noticed it’d be Pills. Damn, well played changelings.
“Hey, Lyra a little help!” The changeling was on top of Vinyl who was doing her best to keep him at bay with her magic. She was tired, and a little drunk, and her back was to the wall. If I didn’t do something fast that thing was going to kill her.
Thinking quickly I head butted the changeling, and then got my horn stuck in the wall. Not my best plan. I quickly shook it off getting my horn unstuck, Vinyl was on the ground and the changeling was after me. I set one warning zap past his head and-
“And?” Octavia asks me in her fake Canterlot accent, I should know I am from Canterlot. My story is winding to a close, can’t say I’m gonna miss it. That is harder than Tvaia makes it sound, keeping you humans entertained and all.
I smile, “That’s it. The changeling ran off after that, I scooped up Vinyl and ran right here. Tavia fixed us up and I started telling my story. Got a little off track for a while but that’s it. Short version, V still loves Tavia, changelings suck, no offense Tavia, the end.” I can see a lot of lights going off in Tavia’s head. She’s thinking really hard about something, I don’t envy her right now. She looks at Vinyl. I don’t know how I’d react if it was Bonny and me like this. I just don’t know what to do, I’m scared for my friends. I smile trying to hide all that crap, “So Tavia…whatcha gonna do?”