//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Trust // by Wheller //------------------------------// Chapter 5 They had wandered into Manehattan late in the afternoon, Vinyl Scratch had insisted that she had something that she needed to do and left the group of nine at her flat. Now here she was standing in the lift of the Imperial Tower, the tallest building in Manehattan, which housed the radio station that held Octavia’s day job, alongside the flat that she lived in that she had been given as part of her job. It was a long ride to the top and it put Vinyl on edge. She hadn’t worked out exactly what she was going to say to Octavia yet. She originally wasn’t going to worry about it until the return trip. Rainbow Dash had forced her hoof though, and now here she was. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. “Well... Bob’s your uncle, right?” Vinyl said to no one in particular, she stepped out and trotted over to Octavia’s door and knocked on it. The door swung open. “Vinyl Scratch?” Octavia’s voice said, cutting through the darkness. “Hi... Oct...” Vinyl Scratch began, but she did not have the chance to finish. For she felt Octavia’s hoof slap across her muzzle. If there was one thing she had learned, it was that Octavia had a strong backhoof. “I deserve that...” Vinyl said simply as she turned her head back towards Octavia. “Actually? You should probably do it again.” Octavia obliged her, smacking her across the other side of her muzzle. It stung horribly, but then, Vinyl knew that the pain she was in right now paled in comparison to what she had done to Octavia. “Okay, now that that’s out of the way...” Vinyl Scratch began again, but was interrupted by another slap from Octavia. “You should have seen that one coming, and you don’t even bother to defend yourself. Why?” Octavia asked. “Because I didn’t see it. I don’t see anything anymore,” Vinyl said. “That... that isn’t funny Vinyl,” Octavia said. “Who’s laughing?” Vinyl asked. She pulled her goggles down around her neck, exposing her eyes towards Octavia. “Go ahead, see for yourself. Try and make me flinch.” Octavia responded by bopping Vinyl right in the face, sending the mare to the ground. Octavia let out a shriek in terror. “You were supposed to block it!” Vinyl felt at her nose, she felt the warm sticky feeling of blood touching her hoof, tears began to flow from Vinyl’s eyes, and they rolled down her face and onto the ground. Vinyl then felt herself getting to her hooves; Octavia was helping her up and began to lead her inside, and gave her a box of tissues to help stop the bleeding. “You... really can’t see can you?” Octavia asked, Vinyl could tell that she was waving her hoof in front of her face, trying to get her eyes to follow it. “Vinyl? What happened?” “You kicked the snot out of me, that’s what happened,” Vinyl said with a grin, but she immediately stifled it. “Sorry... I told myself I was going to be serious about this, I mean it. Octavia... I came to say I’m sorry.” “I’ve heard that before,” Octavia said with a sigh. “I know. I mean it this time though, I quit drinking. I’m off the drugs. Hell, I even stopped having one night stands with ponies whose names I never bothered to learn. I don’t even remember when the last time I got laid was.” Vinyl said. She was including old world information into that, since that was where most of her memories came from anyway. “So... what?” Octavia asked. “You want me to forgive you, let everything go back to normal and watch as everything falls apart as they always do?” “No,” Vinyl said. “You can never forgive me for what I’ve done. I won’t let you. I just... wanted you to know, I’m trying to get better.” “What happened to you Vinyl?” Octavia asked. Vinyl Scratch could only smile at her. “I grew up.” “I wouldn’t believe it if I wasn’t looking at it,” Octavia said. “But... you really have, haven’t you?” “Well... as grown up as I can possibly be,” Vinyl said with a grin, causing Octavia to giggle. Vinyl gave her a smile, but then she frowned, remembering what else she had to tell her. She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t lie to Octavia, not anymore. “Octavia? There’s something else,” Vinyl said. She grasped at her mane and pulled the wig off. Octavia let out a gasp. “Vinyl...” “I’m... dying, Octavia. I’ve been told I’ve got a few months at most. There’s one hope left... but if it doesn’t work...” Vinyl said; she didn’t need to finish the rest. “Vinyl...” Octavia said with a choke. Vinyl could tell she was crying. She took her hoof and made her best attempt to wipe away the tears from Octavia’s eyes. She missed several times, but it was the thought that counted. “Don’t cry for me,” Vinyl said. “I’ll be fine! I’ve had worse things happen to me,” Vinyl gave her a small smile and placed the wig back on her head, doing her best to straighten it, clearly failing miserably in the process. “Oh, here, let me!” Octavia said, she reached over and made sure it was straight. “Now give me that stupid grin of yours.” Vinyl couldn’t help but oblige her. “Perfect...” Octavia said quietly. “I should probably go,” Vinyl said. She rose from the sofa and bid Octavia farewell. Vinyl did not get more than a step before Octavia leapt at her, locking her lips with hers, and pinning her to the ground. Vinyl’s eyes grew wide in surprise. She struggled and broke the kiss as quickly as she could. “Oct... Octavia! What are you doing!?” “Something I should have done a long time ago,” Octavia said, pulling Vinyl close to her and continuing their kiss. Vinyl Scratch soon enough found herself helplessly being dragged away. Clearly, there would be no escape. ... Vinyl Scratch found herself lying awake in Octavia’s bed, the earth pony was fast asleep, holding her tightly and resting comfortably on her shoulder. Vinyl had no idea what time it was, she figured it had to have been late, though. Octavia began to stir, and rose her head off her shoulder. “Something on your mind, Vinyl?” she asked. “Yeah...” Vinyl said. “I have to leave soon.” “Do you?” Octavia asked. “Yeah... I do,” Vinyl said simply. “You’re not coming back, are you?” Octavia asked. “O, I think if we’ve learned anything, it’s that I can’t make good choices, and this city? It’s got too many bad ones... and not enough good ones,” she said nuzzling her friend. “You could always come with me, you know, Ponyville is a nice place!” “I’ve been,” Octavia said. “I stopped there for a short time before playing at the Grand Galloping Gala last year, not my kind of place, not your kind of place either.” “I know... but the way I see it? I’ve got to make it my kind of place,” Vinyl said with a smile. “I’m... going to miss you,” Octavia said. “I’m going to come back and visit you, I promise. I’m going to be selling off my flat here, I’ll need to move all my crap out after all,” Vinyl said with a grin. “You haven’t been very good with promises in the past, Vinyl Scratch,” Octavia said. “I know, I’m working on it,” Vinyl said, giving Octavia a gentle kiss on her muzzle, and rising from the bed. She slapped her goggles back over her eyes. “I ever thank you for giving me these?” “If not? I think we can safely consider the last seven hours as thanks enough,” Octavia said mischievously. “Goodbye Vinyl.” “Goodbye, Octavia,” Vinyl said. She showed herself out, stepped onto the elevator for the long ride towards the ground. Vinyl began to grow anxious about the task that she had before her, and she popped another anti-radiation sickness pill. They needed to hurry, because she was beginning to run low. She had enough for another few days at the most, after that... After that, they’d be going nowhere fast. Her friends would insist on dragging her to hospital. They’d take her to a doctor who couldn’t help her. If they didn’t make for the St. Germain soon, Vinyl was as good as gone. Vinyl began her walk back towards her flat, where she and her friends were staying the night, it was a good twenty blocks from here to there, just perfect for a late night stroll where one could stop and think. She couldn’t help think about Princess Luna, and what she had told her about where they were going. Vinyl could only hope that it was going to work. Because if it didn’t, that was it, Vinyl Scratch would be as good as gone. She finally reached her building, taking a stroll inside and headed on up towards her home. No, this flat wasn’t home. Her home just happened to be staying here the night.