A sigh crept past Octavia’s lips as she stood at the doorway, waiting for Vinyl to finish getting dressed for their big night. Octavia had gotten two invitations, from a musician she worked with, to attend a Nightmare Night party, but not just any Nightmare Night Party: this was a high class affair. At first, Octavia had her doubts about attending the party, but since her colleague sent her the invitations it would at least be polite to go.
Octavia had been all set and ready to go. She was wearing her orange eye mask and her orange bowtie that she wore for the autumn festivals. But there was one problem: Vinyl had agreed to get ready for what seemed an eon ago, and still Octavia waited. Waited. Waited in such a way that the tick tocks coming from the nearby clock amplified in her head. What was taking Vinyl so long?
Octavia climbed the stairs, with a spring in each step, and her ears flicked at the subdued sound of wubs. Oh, she is not… Octavia bashed through the door, and a stunned Vinyl, flailing her hooves around, fell off her bed.
“Vinyl, why aren’t you ready yet?” Octavia said. “The party starts in less than thirty minutes. Hurry up, or we’re going to be late.”
Vinyl got up to her hooves. “Whoa, chill out, Tavi. What party?” she asked, grinning, while plopping herself back on her bed.
A growl burst from Octavia’s throat. “Do you have short term memory loss? The rich affair.”
“Oh, no, no, no, I am not going to that snobby party.”
“But I thought you said you’d go with me.”
Vinyl let out a humorous-soaked huff of laughter through her nose. “When did I ever say that? You know how much I hate parties like that. And besides, I want to spend a nice night with my wubs and candy. Maybe even you, if you know what I mean…”
Tittering built up in Octavia’s throat. “Vinyl, you’re awful. But in all seriousness, Vinyl, you have to come with me, please,” Octavia said, taking a seat on the bed.
“But, Octy, it’s going to be a party with a bunch of rich snobs who I’ll never care about. Like, what are the chances of me seeing someone I know, huh? Zero.”
“Vinyl, you will have a good time if you at least try. And if I’m not mistaken, I—”
Vinyl jerked up, and her eyes widened at something that came to her. “Actually, now that I think of it, I heard this wicked party is goin’ down at a club across town. We should so go there instead of your lame, rich party. Whaddya say?”
“Please, Vinyl just consider going with me.”
“Fine, I’ll go,” Vinyl said, getting up. She gave Octavia a peck on the cheek. “You know, you’re lucky I love you.”
Tremors jounced from Octavia’s stomach to her extremities as Vinyl’s words registered in her head. She got up from the bed. “I love you too, Vinyl. Now go get ready. We have a big night ahead of us.”
“You mean a big, boring night ahead of us,” Vinyl said, bashing her closet door open. She reached in to grab her prized orange DJ goggles and a pair of headphones that had corybantic pumpkins for ear pieces. “All right, filly, let’s crash this party!”
Octavia facehoofed and allowed a sigh to creep past her lips. “Vinyl, we’re going to a party, not crashing it. Now let’s go; we don’t want to be late.”
Vinyl trailed her way to Octavia. “Tavi, you gotta chill out. Stress isn’t good for you,” Vinyl said, giving Octavia another peck on the cheek. “Let’s go to your lame party before I really put up a tantrum.”
“Yes, let’s go,” Octavia said, returning a kiss.
They descend the oak staircase and made their way to the door.
“Wait, Octy,” Vinyl said as she jumped in front of her path. “I gotta say something first before we leave.”
Octavia rolled her eyes, and a faint grunt rumbled under her breath. “What is it now, Vinyl?”
“I just have to say that you look sexy in that mask. And that orange bowtie is driving me crazy.”
“Well I guess you have to deal with my sexiness for the rest of night, won’t you? Come on, Vinyl, no more stalling.”
“Crap, even that won’t work,” Vinyl muttered to herself.
They both walked outside into the eldritch atmosphere of Nightmare Night.
§
The light from unicorn horns lit up the Canterlot streets; trick-or-treaters went door to door for their collection of either candy or tricks. There were Nightmare Night activities left, right, and centre. Despite the festive action, Vinyl and Octavia kept a steady pace, wading through the festive activities.
“Octy, can’t we play some of these cool games for a bit? Like, I know we’re almost there and everything, but I want to have some fun before I die of boredom, and—”
“For the millionth time, Vinyl, we don’t have time to stop and play games. We’re late as it is.”
Vinyl jumped around Octavia, as if she looked forward to attending the party with a bunch of uptight ponies, to make her plea more convincing. “C’mon, Octy. Why’s it so important that we go to this stupid party anyway?”
Octavia stopped in her tracks, and Vinyl froze in front of her. “Because when somepony sends you invitations to attend a party, the polite thing to do would be to show up,” Octavia said.
“For that one reason? You’re yanking my chain, right?”
“I don’t even know what that means, Vinyl.”
“Ugh, let’s just go to this redonkulous party and get it over with,” Vinyl said, walking ahead of Octavia.
They continued their trail along the aglow streets until they arrived at the party, which had been held in a private park, in the midst of the city. Guards secured the premise from recalcitrant trick-or-treaters trying to prowl their way in.
They walked up to a guard dressed in a red uniform. A spear levitated by the guard’s side, and he didn’t move an inch.
“Ooo-oh, is this a guard that won’t move or say anything even if you tease him?” Vinyl asked. She stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at the guard.
“Vinyl, stop that now!” Octavia said, pushing Vinyl away from the still guard. “My apologies, sir.”
The guard raised an eyebrow before speaking. “May I see your invitations, ma’am?”
Octavia handed over the two invitations. “Here you are, sir.”
The guard’s eyes riveted on the card stock invitations. “Ah, yes, Miss Melody and Miss Scratch, please do come in.” He opened the large gate.
They trotted in, and neither of them believed what they were seeing: a large pop up canopy stood in the middle of the park, an array of tables had assorted refreshments on trays, an ensemble played on a makeshift stage under the canopy, and ornate Nightmare Night decorations embellished the place.
By the time they got to the canopy, the soft melody, coming from the ensemble, nauseated Vinyl’s stomach. “I already hate it here,” Vinyl said. “Can we leave now?”
“Absolutely not, Vinyl. Why don’t you go get something to eat while I go look for my colleague. Please try to enjoy yourself, Vinyl.”
“Fine, I’ll try. But only for you,” Vinyl said, going in the opposite direction.
Can’t believe I agreed to go to this stupid party. At least there’s food. And drinks…
Vinyl squeezed through the small crowd of mouthy snobs, but none of them made it easy for her; they danced to the music and bumped into her as she tried to get by. After she had gotten through the crowd, she went to a nearby table for refreshments, but, when she gazed at them, they put a doleful frown on her face.
Out of everything this party could have had the host, of this party, decided to put wizened haysticks, naked apple slices—which had browned—and raw pumpkin seeds. So much for this opulent affair.
Ugh, this party just got worse. I didn’t think it would be this bad...
Vinyl gnawed on the nearby provender; the muscles in her face twitched at the horrendous taste, and, within a short time, she spat out bits of food from her mouth.
Where the hell are they keeping all the good stuff? Nightmare Night is all about the sugar to get buzzed all night.
“Excuse me, madam, may I interest you in a glass or glasses of champagne?” the waiter asked Vinyl.
“Hell yeah,” Vinyl said, taking all the glasses from the waiter’s tray.
“Please enjoy your stay, madam.” He walked away.
Maybe this lame party won’t be so bad after all. Plenty of drinks.
Within seconds, Vinyl gulped her first glass of the fizzy champagne; it dehydrated her throat as it slithered its way down, yet Vinyl tolerated the parched liquid. That had been her first. Then she started her second. And then her third. And then her fourth… Hiccups built in her throat, and illusory bubbles blurred her vision.
More…
Vinyl tracked down other waiters that were away from the noisy crowd; she whipped her head around, scanning every inch of the place. When she found a wandering waiter, she ran over and took all the glasses of champagne that were on the tray. The waiter glared at Vinyl after she took all the glasses. Vinyl had been to a party like this before, yet she never had a waiter glare at her for taking drinks; besides, they were there to drink, not admire.
Just as before, Vinyl quaffed her bubbly champagne, each following glass distorting her sight more, until she had double vision. Several burps crept through her mouth, as did a sigh a few seconds later.
What’s the point of drinking if you don’t have someone to do it with? Wait… Octavia will drink with me. I gotta go find her.
Vinyl hustled her way over to the crowd, where Octavia might be, and, on her way there, she bumped into tables; glasses fell to the ground and shattered. When she reached the crowd, she pushed her way through, albeit with less strain this time. She wormed her way out, and her eyes caught Octavia standing outside the canopy, near a table with a classy mare.
There she is.
Nearby snobby attendants commented on Vinyl’s uneven steps, yet she ignored them. Whispers of “What an embarrassment” and “What a lowlife” carried among them. Vinyl took periodic sips from her glass as she got closer to Octavia.
“Hey, Octavia, come have some drinks with me,” Vinyl said, staggering. She finished her glass of champagne and collided into the table, near Octavia. The table collapsed, and an enormous cake went with it; the cake splattered on Vinyl’s face, and, once that happened, everything inside and outside the canopy stopped.
“Whoa, wicked landing,” Vinyl said, getting up to her wobbly hooves. She wiped the cake from her goggles and flicked them up, but had that been the best idea? “Hey, Tavi, know where I can snatch some darts around here?”
The attendants crept closer to the scene and formed a semicircle.
“Vinyl Scratch!” Octavia said, whispering. “Get a hold of yourself! You’re embarrassing me in front of my colleague and all these ponies.”
Vinyl shook her head to clear the distortion in her vision. “I’m nothing but an embarrassment to you aren’t I, Tavi? Say it. Say it in front of all these shit snobs! Tell them how much of a drunken idiot I am, and how much of an embarrassment I am to you.”
The ponies in the semicircle gasped at such language; they whispered indecipherable mumbles under their breath until they were able to digest the scene.
“Vinyl, please, you’re embarrassing me,” Octavia said, sweat dripping down her temples. “Go home, before things get out of hoof. Pretend like you were never here, so this party can go on.”
“So you admit it then? I’m nothing but an embarrassment to you, right?”
“I’m saying that you should leave before this party is tarnished any further.”
“Well, fine. I’ll leave then since you apparently don’t want me here in front of your shit friends,” Vinyl said, making a beeline for the exit gate.
“Vinyl, wait,” Octavia said, still standing where Vinyl stood a few seconds ago.
Vinyl ignored Octavia’s desperate pleas and continued on. The crowd parted its way as Vinyl walked closer to the exit gate, Octavia still yelling in the distance. She abandoned the party and got away from it all.
§
The unicorn light of trick-or-treaters still lit the Canterlot streets as they continued their collection of sweet treats. The festive activities were still up for action, but Vinyl had no interest of participating in any of them. She passed each and every one of them, without any consideration of engagement. A nearby street bench sat alone, near an alight streetlamp, on the warm autumn night. Vinyl went to go take a seat.
How could she do that to me? That was so uncool of her. Like, what was going through Tavi’s savvy brain when she saw me leave?
A tightening of Vinyl’s heart, and a sharp intake of breath foretold the explosion of emotion, which, to date, she had kept deep inside. The realism of it all had been too gut wrenching and powerful to hold in check; the shredding of her soul had been too compelling and energetic to contain. Sobs and pent-up love coursed down her cheeks, and its power rose: Vinyl’s body shook, and her lungs got heavier with every breath she took, yet she had still been able to stay conscious.
After some time had gone by, Vinyl stabilized herself, and her ears flicked at a familiar voice calling from afar.
“Vinyl!” Octavia said, running toward her frail friend. “We need to talk about what happened.”
“What’s there to talk about, Tavi?” Vinyl said, getting off the bench. She flicked her goggles up, exposing her cerise eyes. “I’m nothing but an embarrassment to you, right? Like, be real here, Octy. Do you care more about me, or more about that stupid party, huh?”
“Vinyl, I…”
“You, what? Say it aloud!”
“Of course I care more about you than that party. And you’re not an embarrassment. I am,” Octavia said, stepping closer to Vinyl. “If I hadn’t made you go to that party, we wouldn’t be in this quandary, now would we? Everything that happened tonight is my fault.”
Vinyl moved back a step. “Oh, it’s all your fault, eh? Why did you make it seem like everything was my fault back there? Was it because you wanted to play hero and save the party in front of those shit rats, rather than help your best friend out?”
“No, Vinyl, of course not.”
“Then what the fuck is your problem? You know how much I love Nightmare Night, but, no, you had to fuck it up by pressuring me to go.” Vinyl slammed a calloused hoof against a carriage parking metre, putting a small dent into it. If lava escaped her pores, she’d be an erupting volcano.
Octavia flinched at Vinyl’s volatile reaction, yet she still slinked closer to her volcanic friend. The silence around the two confronting ponies hardened like obsidian.
“Vinyl, you have every right to be mad,” Octavia said. She took a seat on the bench and removed her eye mask. “Look, I’m sorry if I ruined your Nightmare Night. I just wanted to do something different with you.”
Vinyl, still having an inferno storm inside her, walked to Octavia. “It makes sense, Tavi, but why the hell does doing something different with me involve making me look like a fool in front of everypony?”
“Vinyl, stop being so belligerent. I’m only trying to reconcile with you,” Octavia said, getting up, pushing Vinyl out of the way. “If you’re going to be like this, I’m going back to the party.”
“Fine, I’m just gonna go back to the house and cool off.”
“Good thinking, Vinyl. And when I get back, we have to finish this,” Octavia said, ambling back to the park.
“Actually, you know what? No.”
Octavia froze in her tracks and looked back at Vinyl. “Wh-what do you mean by that?”
“We need to take a break for a while. I may not be home when you get back,” Vinyl said, walking in the opposite direction.
“Vinyl, please, you’re not being rational!” Octavia said, running after her. “I’m sorry for everything!”
Vinyl stopped in her tracks upon hearing those words. She turned around to face her pleading friend, standing in front of her. “Me too.”
Without another word, Vinyl ran off, vanishing into the crowd.