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// 66 Knowledge by BuckingPonderous 
// Story: Rhythm and Harmony: The Octascratch Prompt Collab 
// by lyra_lover777 
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Knowledge by BuckingPonderous



Vinyl sighed, lying on her couch and staring at the unconscious mare at her feet. She really should have known better. Octavia had a stronger will than her previous mates. She wasn't somepony that Vinyl could just cow into obeying her through force of personality. Octavia was intelligent, rational, and for the most part very calm and patient. It was honestly rather refreshing having a mate that didn't coo whenever she so much as glanced at her. Somepony who she'd have to be careful around if she wished to hide her true nature until the right moment.
Clearly she hadn't been careful enough. Somehow Octavia had been able to see through all her carefully rehearsed "personality quirks". Her shades to hide her telltale eyes. Her apparent phobia of blood to hide her hunger for it. Her skin condition to hide her discomfort in the sun. She saw through it all and even went beyond, discovering her original mortal name.
"White Ice." She echoed the mare with a tiny smirk. Nightmare, that wasn't a name she'd heard spoken in a very long time. That had to reach back over a thousand years at least. Just how long had she suspected her? When exactly did she slip up and hint at her true nature? Where in the hay did she ever find the link between her and that name?
She shook her head, looking over the unconscious mare again. The bleeding was superficial at most, tripping and falling backwards into a glass coffee table tended to cut a pony open. You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you Octy? Now you've left me in a predicament. You discovered my secret long before I was prepared to tell you and I can't just have you running off to tell everypony that my kind still exists.
She extended her fangs, able to smell the earth pony's blood over the broken glass. She knew she could feed on her right now without encountering any resistance. She knew she could drain her dry and dispose of her body and belongings, weave a story about how they had a big fight and Octavia packed her things and moved. She knew there would be questions certainly, but nothing she couldn't evade with some false anger, tears, and distance from everyone. It would be quick, clean, and much less painful than anything the vampire hunters would do to her if she were discovered. She knew that for certain.
Still, she found herself hesitating. Octavia was fun, hay, she was a lot of fun. She didn't indulge in the pleasures of life the way Vinyl did, but her poise and restraint were charming and it made those moments when it melted away and she "let her mane down" as the expression went, all the more special. There were days where they'd just relax together and talk. Just the two of them talking about their craft or what was going on in their lives.
It was silly to think about all those pleasant times when she was in such trouble, but it felt oddly appropriate when weighing her safety against Octavia's life. All those fun times, all those memories. It felt strange to think that they'd never occur again, that she'd never be able to have those talks again or see that soft glow on her face when she drank a bit too much. Now that her secret was out, Octavia might have to die so that the knowledge of Vinyl's secret would remain just that.
"I don't want to lose you." She admitted, and she realized she meant it. She didn't want to have to kill Octavia just to keep herself safe. She didn't want to have to lie and erase every trace of her from her life. But really, what was the alternative? Let her run off and try to make her escape? The Hunters would go on high alert and look for her. It would be another century before she could reenter the world of ponies, and that was being generous.
Perhaps she could get on her knees and beg Octavia not to reveal her nature to the world? Ha! As if. She had seen the primal terror in her eyes when she took off her glasses. As soon as she woke up and realized she was still alive, she'd start running and screaming., And even if she were wiling to listen; after all the lies she had no doubt unraveled to find out the truth Vinyl had no way to know if her pleas would fall on deaf ears.
She supposed she could put her under a compulsion to make her forget what she'd learned, but Vinyl had never been particularly good at that sort of thing and Octavia had a fairly strong will and memory which would make it even more difficult. There was no way to know what might trigger her memory either, since how exactly she had discovered the truth was a mystery.
Vinyl sighed again and stood, going over to her room. After some fishing through a drawer she found what she was looking for: an old coin. Polished silver, out of print and probably worth a fortune to a collector somewhere. A long time ago, one of her previous mates had told her that if you are ever in doubt, then simply flip a coin or roll some dice. No matter the outcome, you'll find out what it is you actually want. That advice had never let her down and whenever she was faced with an unsolvable problem, the coin always helped her pick.
"Hello old friend." She whispered, and let the coin spin on her hoof as she went back into the room where Octavia remained unconscious. Round and round it went, glittering in the moonlit window. "Tell me, what do I want this time?" She tossed the coin into the air. "Heads; I play it safe. Tails; I live dangerously."
The coin fell back into her hoof and she smiled at her answer.