//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9 
// Story: Beats of Life 
// by NightsongWrites 
//------------------------------//

Vinyl closed her eyes as they trotted down the beaten path leading to Sweet Apple Acres, a smile crossing her lips as the scent of apples reached her nose. The day was very sunny, and the sky had been cleared the night before, revealing the brilliant sky blue. It surprised alot of ponies to find that Vinyl Scratch really did like the daytime, despite her mostly nocturnal job. What did they think she did between gigs? Bird-watching, thinking over her music schedules, daydreaming… The DJ gave a small sigh. At least, she used to do that. 
“Look there, Vinyl,” Octavia chirped up suddenly, making the morose pony glance up in surprise.
Several ponies were sitting around a picnic table, their laughs and chatter blowing in on the light breeze through the orchard. An orange and blonde mare sat beside a massive red stallion, the pair of them sporting the rough, weather-beaten features Vinyl expected from Apples. On the other side of the table sat a pair of pegasi: a tall, somewhat older mare in what appeared to be, after Vinyl thought about it for a moment, a Wonderbolts’ uniform. She had a wing wrapped firmly around the smaller mare to her side, a cyan-coated pegasus with a brilliant mane of every color of the rainbow spilling down her back. Recognition flashed in Vinyl’s eyes.
“R-rainbow Dash?” she blurted out, surprise arcing through her like lightning. 
All of Equestria had heard the news of the death of the beloved mare, the Element of Loyalty. Some kind of break in gone wrong, most said, but no one had ever found the body. The story had saddened Vinyl as soon as she heard, and her set that night had a bit of a subdued feel to it. Vinyl had heard of Rainbow Dash’s exploits, and felt she was something of a kindred spirit. Living life to live, pushing herself to new heights… 
But when this mare turned towards the newcomers to their picnic, and her magenta eyes flicked up to meet ruby, time seemed to stop. The pain shining in Dash’s eyes was the same that Vinyl saw in the mirror every morning and night; the hint of self-loathing, the slight panic at a newcoming pony. The slow realization that said newcomer knew her pain in a far more intimate fashion than the others around her ever could, bar horrific circumstances. 
“Y-you’re… Vinyl S-scratch, right?” Rainbow asked softly, causing the orange mare beside her jerk, seemingly in surprise, “The DJ?” 
“Yeah, that… t-that’s me,” Vinyl replied lamely, eyes having been drawn down to the gravid belly of the rainbow mare.
Pregnant. A hoof slowly lifted to her own barrel, and she blushed at the understanding that flowed over Rainbow Dash’s face. Was she truly so easy to read? A fair amount of shame clouded Vinyl’s mood. Here she was, moping and hating herself, and this mare was definitely going through it worse than she. Had been, most likely. She looked… what? Six months along? She struggled to remember some of the old lessons about anatomy from her high school classes. It was… difficult, and the feeling of self-loathing started to return. Some cool mare she was. One stupid night, and now she couldn’t even keep her thoughts straight. 
Vinyl spared a glance back at Octavia before drooping slightly, closing her eyes again. She didn’t deserve her. Not that smile, not those beautiful amethyst eyes, or her badass skills. Everything she had done for Vinyl… for a stupid, idi-
“D-don’t… don’t do that.” 
“W-what?” Vinyl asked in surprise, wincing at her own tone and opening her eyes; the interjection had come out a little sharp.
Rainbow Dash was watching her sadly, one corner of her lip being worried by her teeth. After a moment’s thought, she trotted away from the orange pegasus’ protective wing, slowly approaching Vinyl and Octavia. A slim, warm hoof slid over Vinyl’s withers, and she gave the tiniest of trembles, leaning back against Octavia. Her rock. Her anchor when everything was spiraling away. She closed her eyes, ears splaying at how she must look to Rainbow. A second hoof, somewhat larger and trembling ever-so-slightly, rested on her shoulder.
“D-don’t e-ever let go, M-miss Scratch,” she whispered, though the conviction in her tone was clear and heated, “F-friends are the best thing w-we have. ‘specially when they want to t-take care of us. But… but it’s r-really hard for them to help us… i-if we can’t help ourselves. Trust me.”
Vinyl opened her eyes. Rainbow was smiling softly, left ears folding slightly towards a proudly smiling orange pegasus. Lover? Maybe. Or maybe just a great friend, like Octavia was to her. That was all. Right? 
“B-but she’s a-already-” Vinyl began, only to blink as Rainbow shook her head, just once. 
“W-when they decide to stick around with p-ponies like us, it’s…. it’s special,” Rainbow explained, shyly looking down, “They c-care. If this o-one’s-” 
“Octavia,” Vinyl replied immediately, blushing at how ingrained it was, wanting to hear that name.
“If Octavia has stuck around this long… and through t-that…” 
A flash of a smile crossed over Rainbow Dash’s muzzle, and she reached to bump hooves with the thoughtful DJ. 
“Then n-never let her go, Miss Scratch.” 
*****************

Well. That was certainly unexpected! Octavia thought with a faint, inner chuckle, But quite welcome. 
Directly after Rainbow Dash’s pep-talk, a delighted Applejack had invited the pair of mares to join them for dinner. 
“Nonsense!” Applejack interrupted as Octavia had begun to protest, “Ya’ll’re family, Tavs! Been too long since ya come around, and we’d be delighted ta have ya. Still like the pie?”
Pie. Well, Octavia was trapped. Three hours, and two pies later, Octavia was settled warmly down on her side in the soft grass of the Apple Acres carefully manicured lawn, pleasantly surprised to see Spitfire taking an acoustic guitar out of a previous hidden case. 
“I didn’t know you played music, Spitfire!” she had exclaimed cheerfully, grinning at the embarrassed blush on the Wonderbolt’s captain’s face. 
“Yeah, learned how a few years back,” she sheepishly replied, running a hoof through her slicked back mane, “Good for when you’re out in the field, to keep the spirits up. You should see Soarin’ on the bass, or Fleetfoot singing.”
“Ya’ll should put on a concert!” Applejack called out from the barn, currently rolling a now-emptied cider barrel back into its holder, “Got the whole unit here, don’tcha?” 
That… was certainly news to Octavia. 
“The Wonderbolts are all in town? Why?” she asked curiously, tilting her head. 
Spitfire’s eyes… seemed to darken a bit, and tenseness ran through Octavia as she watched the mood in her and Rainbow change. Something bad was going on, here. 
“Protection,” Spitfire answered after a long moment of seemingly deep thought, “Some… things are looking for Rainbow, and the Princesses thought it would be best to keep a guard unit here, to protect everyone.”
She gave a tight, proud smile, “Best of the best, we Wonderbolts.” 
Octavia raised an eyebrow, grinning slightly, “Oh, is that so?” 
With a small giggle, she carefully slid the Guard Reserve badge from her saddlebags, clipping it to her bowtie. When the cellist looked back up, she was pleased to see the stunned faces of Spitfire and Rainbow, while Applejack and Big Mac merely smiled proudly at their cousin.
“Knight Errant Octavia Philharmonica, at your service,” she explained cheerily, smiling broadening as she felt Vinyl’s warm weight settle on her side. 
“Knight Errant?” Spitfire breathed, shaking her head and chuckling softly.
When she met Octavia’s eyes again, they held a fierce light of comradeship. 
“Noble and an officer? I bet you can kick some serious flank.”
Vinyl snrked, a hoof over her muzzle when they all looked to the previous quiet mare. The attention had her blushing quickly, but it didn’t lower the smile, nor the proud, devoted look she gave to Octavia. Octavia’s heart, just for a moment, soared.
“T-trust me, filly… you’ve got n-no idea.”