//------------------------------// // All I Have To Do Is Dream // Story: The Tunes Are A-Changin' // by ShadeJak //------------------------------// “Olivia, dear, don’t let your venison get cold,” my mother ordered as I stared down at my dinner. What was I doing back here? I was twenty-five I’d turned my back on my parents long ago. The massive dining table was filled with activity, populated by many of my father’s guests and friends as I sat to his left and my mother to his right while he took the head of the table. A great chandelier hung over the table, lighting the room and making me feel the lit candles on the table were rather meaningless. I fancy that my father just liked to show off as much as nearly everyone else here. As our servants moved about the table I couldn’t bring myself to eat any of my dinner. I was all dolled up in a fancy black gown my parents had chosen for me, my hair up and a diamond necklace around my neck no doubt ensuring that I was just another thing for my parents to put on display. Like a princess, how very true… I thought to myself as I stared down at my food. “I fancy you and I have something in common; we’re both pieces of meat put out for others to appreciate,” I muttered. “Mind your tongue, Olivia, those unseemly manners are not acceptable at dinner,” my mother said. “Is there something wrong with your venison?” my father asked. “N-no… I just…” I responded defensively. “Would you prefer salad or perhaps a bale of hay?” my father asked sarcastically, our guests giving those insufferable upper-class laughs. “Excuse me? What would I eat hay for?” I protested indignantly, slamming my hands on the table but hearing a loud clop sound when I did. Looking down, I realized I no longer hand hands. Or arms for that matter. Or even clothes. Black hair tumbled in front of my face and I brushed it back with a gray forehoof. Patting my face and finding a muzzle in place of my mouth, I realized I was that Octavia pony again, in front of my family and their friends. “What in the blazes…” I muttered. “I say, since when did you allow animals at the table, Mr. Ravensdale?” one of my father’s friends asked. “Well, it can’t be argued that when you have a horse for a daughter it can be a little embarrassing!” my father said with a hearty chuckle. “Though I suppose it is my fault, I should have remembered equines aren’t particularly keen on venison.” “They’d probably consider it bordering on cannibalism,” my mother said, covering her mouth as she chuckled in a manner most in their circle deemed polite. “I’m NOT a horse, dammit!” I protested. One of my father’s friends facepalmed and shook his head. “I admit it was hilarious years ago, Mr. Ravensdale, but I’ve been telling you all this time; you raise it like a human, it starts thinking it’s one.” “I AM human, or… was, but still!” I snapped, climbing onto the table and kicking over a candle. “Bad horsey!” my mother yelled, pulling a crop from seemingly out of nowhere and slapping it on the table. “Off the table when we have guests!” she ordered, looking at our guests. “Our apologies. She gets so worked up when she’s not allowed to enjoy a good gallop outside.” “That’s quite enough, Olivia. We tolerated you living with that other mare, but it’s time to settle down with your family again,” my mother said. “You never could be happy for me, could you? I always had to be what you wanted!” I yelled, slamming my hoof on the table angrily. “Right, that’s it. You’re going back to the stables,” my father said firmly. I blinked and suddenly we were in his horse stables, his prize stallions making a big fuss as my father stood there with me. “I gather it was a long shot to pair you off with a suitable heir, but it doesn’t mean you’re entirely without use to our family,” he said. “Judging from your attitude, it’s quite evident you’re going into season now, aren’t you?” Oh HELL no… “I’m not a bloody breeding animal, I’m your daughter!” I protested, trying to get away but toppling over. “Is there a difference?” my father asked as he looked down at me, his eyes suddenly becoming bright yellow with red pupils as he prepared a harness. Immediately I let out a scream, flailing my forehooves to get him away from me. “Ow! Hey! Stop it! Ow!” my father shouted angrily as I continued to hit him… ~ “Ow! Hey! Quit it, already!” Vinyl shouted as my eyes snapped open. “Babe! Hey, you alright?” she asked, her eyes wide with concern. “…Yes, I’m fine,” I said, sitting myself up and discovering I still had a very much equine body. “Bad dream.” “I’ll say, thought you were gonna bruise me up there good,” Vinyl replied. “…I gotta say, you got quite a bit’a power in those hits.” “Well, the show did imply… earth ponies I believe they’re called… have inherently greater physical strength then pegasi and unicorns. I imagine it makes sense, one would have to compensate for a lack of magic or flight,” I said. “So… what were you dreaming about? Anything you can share?” Vinyl asked, putting her forehoof on my back. My own personal issues with my parents… Discord… “I don’t remember,” I said. Despite what I’d said to Vinyl that night, there were things I didn’t want to admit to, such as how different our lives were going to be, especially when we left the apartment, and that despite everything, least of all did I want to admit I felt my conflict with my parents was still to this day unresolved. I didn’t need Vinyl to have anything else to worry about, not after I’d pulled her from such a state of despair. “Not everypon—” I sighed, trying to avoid a ridiculous slip of words. “Not everyone remembers their dreams, regardless of how frightening we recall them to be.” Vinyl sighed, pawing at the mattress with her hoof. I had a feeling she suspected I was hiding something, but wasn’t going to press. “If you say so,” she said, looking over at me. I gave a bitter laugh. “You know, maybe there’s a positive aspect to all of this. If I’m a pony, my parents have no use for me anymore,” I said, looking myself over in the dimly-lit room Vinyl chuckled as she turned to her side. “Wish I had that optimism. Best I can think of is what Jay said about how I’d be adorable at the turn-tables.” “Well, a lot of those brony fanboys seem to think so,” I replied, smirking at the admittedly quite adorable image of a miniature white unicorn with a wild blue mane working the sound stage. “No way, not appealing to that crowd!” she protested. “Being Vinyl Scratch, you don’t have much of a choice,” I said, bopping her muzzle with my hoof. “You adorable little mare, you,” I teased. “Hey, watch it!” Vinyl said with a laugh as she rubbed her muzzle. “Look… babe…” she began, “As much as I’d love to go back to how things were, with me about to… well… point is, I wish things could be that way again, but with all we’ve found out, you made a point. Denial’s not getting us anywhere, and I think I know what I wanna do next when we get the chance.” “And what might that be, pray tell?” I asked, worried about what she’d say. “I gotta see my folks. I need to tell them. I’m their son after all, and sure we’re not the most…” she paused a moment and put her hoof to her chest as she tilted her head up. “…savory lot…” she said in a dialect that sounded more like a poor attempt at cockney then the RP dialect that existed in my family for more generations then I desired to remember at this hour. “But I’m certain you remember them fondly enough to not mind paying them a visit, right?” Vic’s family was certainly outside the element I was used to; Mr. and Mrs. Spencer, not to mention Vic’s older sister and her twins… sweetest little girls I’ve ever met, they were… my parents would have called the steamed crab they made the first time he brought me over a ghastly commoner dish by comparison to anything their wealth could put on the table, but there was a warmth in that family that made me feel more loved and appreciated then I ever did at a single dinner I’d had with my own family. “If we find a way to drive a car, I see no problem with that, Vinyl,” I said, avoiding getting too lost in thought though now I couldn’t help but imagine how giving them the news their only son was now a second daughter, and a small talking horse from a television show. I suppose the fact that his girlfriend had met a similar fate may help reduce the tension if we were fortunate enough. Who knew how my parents would take it if they learned of this. At best they’d disown me completely and I needn’t worry about them again. “Hey. Yo. Tavi?” I heard Vinyl saying, causing me to turn and face her. So much for not getting lost in thought… “Yes, Vinyl?” I asked. “It’s gonna be so weird; drivin’ like this, I mean. Wonder how we’d be able to,” she mused. “I don’t think either of us can reach the pedals anymore, and steering’s gonna be be rough without hands.” “As soon as we’re feeling bold enough to leave this apartment, we can worry about that,” I said, and admittedly even if it was the home we’d made, in this state it felt more and more like a prison of some sort; one I wouldn’t mind getting out of when we could. “I… guess…” Vinyl muttered, I could tell she was getting sleepy. Feeling my own drowsiness returning as it was according to our digital clock 3:43 in the morning, I quietly snuggled up to the mare next to me. After that last dream, being as close to her as I could be made me feel a little more relaxed and hopeful whatever dreams my follow would be far kinder to me. ~o~ “Amy… Alicia… I’m serious, you let me go right now,” I ordered, but the two young girls didn’t seem to be listening, oh, no; my nieces were too fucking busy giggling away like the little children they were as they circled around me, putting ridiculous amounts of makeup on me and shoving me into some ridiculously girly dress that’d put that thing they dressed that pony Twilight in at the end of Season 3 to shame. “You’re so cute, though!” Amy said, suddenly now brushing my mane out. As good as it felt, I for some reason was completely immobilized where I stood, unable to move or even so much as get my magic working. My blue mane had been brushed out to the point it now hung straight and silky just past my chin with all the perfection of a shampoo commercial model. “I’m not putting that on!” I pleaded, but for some reason my body obeyed as Alicia put my forehooves through the sleeves. I don’t know where they got this dress, why they had it, or why it seemed more intent for a pony then a human but God almighty, I didn’t want to see what I’d look like by the time they were done with me! How the hell did I get here, anyway? I was just suddenly here, my twin nieces hugging me and saying how excited they were that Uncle Vic sent them their own little pony as the best birthday present ever. Nevermind their birthday wasn’t for another four months, nevermind I sure as hell wouldn’t have sent them ME in my current state even if it had been that time, and nevermind that right now I just wanted to get as far away from them as I could but time just seemed to skip ahead whenever I thought I had a chance. Such as right now, because next thing I knew I was suddenly in front of my older sister, Amy and Alicia hugging onto either side of me. “Mommy! Isn’t she just the prettiest pony ever?” Amy asked excitedly, petting my head, which wouldn’t flinch no matter how badly I tried to jerk away. “She’s our pretty little pony princess!” Alicia giggled. “Oh she is, girls!” my sister said, a big beaming smile on her face as she somehow took out a full-length mirror from behind her and held it in front of me. “I gotta say, little brother, you sure got a lot more adorable since I last saw you!” ~ I shuddered and sat right up, taking several deep breaths trying to get the over-feminine, dolled-up-as-all-hell display that my nieces had made me into in that sick dream out of my head. “Good morning, sunshine,” Octavia said, walking into the room. “Bad dream as well?” she asked. “As I’ve said for years, for someone as expressive as you tend to be awake, you are positively unreadable when you’re asleep.” “Well, you’ve always said you take that over me snoring,” I replied sheepishly. “Just a tad worried how my nieces are gonna take finding out they got a new aunt if they see me.” “Well, I do seem to recall from the times I’ve met them, they would probably be rather taken by you,” she replied, smirking. “That’s what I’m afraid of,” I deadpanned. I let the response hang for a moment before changing the subject. “So, how does breakfast sound?” “Sounds delightful, Vinyl,” Tavi replied with a smile. “Especially with the fact that I’m not quite the cook I was with hands.” “Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to experiment a little,” I said, climbing rather clumsily out of bed and falling front-first onto the floor, my back end up in the air propped against the side of our bed and my tail hanging in my face. “No laughing.” “Oh I wouldn’t dream of it,” my girlfriend replied, turning her head and giving a mock-innocent look as she turned and walked away. I always hated to see her go, but I loved to watch her leave, and even as a pony she had not lost that graceful stride and way she carried herself. Turning and letting my back half hit the floor, I stood myself up and followed, prepared to start our second and hopefully less painful day as ponies. ~o~ I am certain there had to be a better way to do this, or possibly there would be if only Vinyl could figure out her magic a little better. In the meantime I had to clean up two broken eggs off the floor and struggle with trying to hold glasses straight with my hooves while Vinyl attempted to pour milk into them. After several trials and errors, however, she had gotten better with it, as though some long-lost skill were gradually returning to her. Fortunately, we’d been able to settle for frozen waffles in the toaster and fried eggs with sliced apples on the side; not the most stellar breakfast but far from the worst… for the most part. “Vinyl, must you tease me, so?” I asked, staring as she calmly floated her fork to her food and back to her mouth. “What?” she asked. “Oh, I get it!” she said, a big smile on her face as her horn glowed once more, and my waffle floated from my plate and up to my face. “I’m not entirely sure if I find this more, or less dignified then leaning forward and putting my face into my food,” I muttered. “C’mon, babe! Here comes the big, tasty flying saucer!” Vinyl said with a grin. “Woowoowoowooowoooooo!” Definitely less… I thought to myself as I gave her a glare and opened my mouth, taking as big a bite as I could to get this over with more quickly. I somehow doubt she noticed my tail flicking back and forth in irritation. Fortunately I didn’t have to rely on Vinyl for the apple slices, which I was able to fit between my hoof and what I suppose was now an ankle given I had four legs and bring it up to my mouth, allowing me to talk with her for a moment with some semblance of dignity. “How are you feeling, Vinyl?” I asked before eating another apple slice. “Mmmff?” Vinyl asked, her mouth full and prompting a facehoof from me. “Vinyl, what have I told you about talking with your mouth full?” I asked. Vinyl’s eyes widened and she quickly did a few more chews of her waffle and swallowed. “Sorry. How am I feeling?” she asked. “I can at least say I’m glad I can put breakfast together now without ruining the kitchen!” “I suppose that’s something to be pleased about, I meant you… about, well… everything. When we talked last night, what we’ve gone through?” I asked. “Oh, that, yeah…” Vinyl replied, rubbing the back of her head. “Thanks again for that. I was a total wreck back there, wasn’t I? Way embarrassing.” “Vinyl—” I paused, attempting the name I’d known her by to get my point across. “Vic… what did I say about all this manly pride thing? Mare or not, it’s not shameful to feel afraid of something that goes completely beyond control.” “Sorry,” Vinyl replied. “Just wish… I could be back at my turn table, mixing tracks, wowing the crowds. Other stuff, too,” she added, looking at me. “I understand,” I said. I wasn’t exactly going to fit in at the orchestra anymore, or any orchestra short of one that featured livestock but I found it unlikely there were many of those. Even if this was the real us, so to speak, it couldn’t be argued that both of us would have liked to hold on to the lives we were used to as much as we could; after all, we’d both worked hard to get them. “I can’t promise we can get all that back, but we still have each other,” Vinyl smiled a little. “I guess that’s true,” she said, floating her plate and trotting into the kitchen. “Look, I think we gotta see my folks like ASAP. Soon as we clean up, we call ‘em up and tell ‘em we’re coming over!” she explained, trotting back into the living room and pushing open our window curtain. “Vinyl, perhaps it’d make more sense to bring them here?” I asked. “We don’t exactly know how to drive like this.” “Uh… babe? I don’t think we’re gonna have much of a choice…” Vinyl said, gesturing to the window as she stared through it, prompting me to come to her side and spot the police car pulling into the parking lot.