//------------------------------// // Her Love // Story: F.R.I.E.N.D.S of Equestria: Party Squad // by ChaseTheChangeling //------------------------------// Vinyl put her feet up on the table, a sigh escaping her lips. What a hard day. Vinyl reached fot the remote and switched on the TV, it's buzzing and image showing up in seconds. "-aeded Mistress Strings was unfortunately not stopped this time from her crime spree, as our heroes were stopped by a failure to complete a simple maneuver. They were caught in their own nets and let Mistress Strings get away with a large sum of money, estimated to be fifty thousand." The man on the news sighed and looked back down at his paper. "We can only hope that we can actually stop this menace and and put her behind bars forever." "You and me both brother," Vinyl whispered. The sound of a door creaking and footsteps leading to the living room revealed her roommate in a bath towel, too busy heading to the kitchen to notice Vinyl was in the living room. "Octavia?" Vinyl asked concerned. Octavia shuddered, dropping a few things on the ground before scrambling to pick them up. "N-not now Vinyl... I'm doing something..." came Octavia's reply, her voice shaking in fear. "Octavia? Are you okay? You sound shaken up? What happened?" "Nothing, Vinyl, I'm fine... just ran into some problems at my parents place..." "What happened? Did you get into an argument?" "No..." "The what happened?" "Nothing..." Vinyl walked into the open archway leading to the kitchen, her roommate on the floor struggling with bandages and ointment as her hand bled. "OCTAVIA!" Vinyl shouted rushing to her friend's side. "Octavia! What happened to you hand? Are you okay?" "Y-yes... I'm fine, Vinyl." Octavia tried her best to stay calm for Vinyl's sake. "Oh Octy..." Vinyl whined as she wrapped up the girl's hand and wrist. The blood soon slowing from the pressure. "Octy... how did this happen?" "The stove..." "Don't lie to me Octy, this isn't a stove burn. It looks like you were burned with fire or something, or like, a laser beam!" "NO!" Octavia shouted causing Vinyl to jump. Vinyl's eyes grew wide, although they were hidden behind her glasses, Octavia knew well that she had shocked the woman. "I-I mean... It was nothing..." "Are you sure? You don't want to talk to me about it? I won't judge you... I promise." Vinyl said, calming down from the shock and holding the girl to her chest. "Y-yes, Vinyl... I know you wouldn't judge me... but... I just can't..." Octavia whispered as another set of tears stung at her eyes. "It can't be that bad..." "It's worse..." "What is it?" Octavia raised her head, her tears now falling freely from their hold, a small smile creeping it's way onto her face. "It's nothing... honest..." Vinyl only held her closer, running her fingers through Octavia's long black hair, only to feel a small bit of rock fall from it. Vinyl looked down to see that is was a beige piece of ruble, like the one that was stuck to her hair from earlier. Vinyl shook her head quickly and dislodged the thoughts in her head. It was silly, it was dumb. It didn't need to be mention or thought about again. ---------------------------------- The house was silent that night, Octavia was unable to play her cello. She had tried, only to fumble with her bow and drop it. Vinyl sighed as the moon leaked in through her window, lighting up a small strip in her room. The bow she had found was in her closet, and she looked over at it. Vinyl would find out who the Mistress Strings was. Her hands ran through her blue streaked hair as she thought. More of the ideas popping into her head. What if? Vinyl shook her head violently again, dislodging the thoughts invading her peace of mind. She was too sweet. She loved her too much. Vinyl sat up in her bed, throwing her legs to the side of it and and lowering her head. This was dumb, all of it was dumb. Vinyl couldn't stop thinking, her thoughts rushing in as quickly as they went out, but one thought prevailed. Vinyl finally stood up, dragging her legs to the closet and sliding it shut. It couldn't be her. Octavia sat in her chair staring at the cello against her wall, the wooden instrument glaring back at her. She grabbed it back again, looking into the F-holes and reached in, pulling out a small piece of wrinkled paper. It was an obituary for two people. A man with a sweet and soft smile, and a woman with a straight face, her eyes cold as stone. Mr. Melody and Mrs. Melody, their birth and death dates written on the paper, 1945. Octavia let a single tear fall as she looked at them. It was after that dark year that she had met Vinyl, after that dark year that she found peace of mind and love, and realized that she would do anything to keep her by her side. --------------September 3, 1947 Canterlot University for Gifted Musicians--------------- "There she is!" A voice called loudly, a harsh voice, one that meant no good. The small girl shook as she heard it, knowing what would happen. It happened all too often. "Hey babe," the voice said again before the girl was aware of the large arm wrapping around her shoulders, "you miss me?" "No..." the frail girl mumbled. Her long black hair draping over her large shaking violet eyes. "Sure ya did!" "Leave me alone Noteworthy..." "Or what? I thought we were in love?" The man walked in front of the girl, holding her shoulders in his strong hands and looking at her over his sun glasses, "You can't tell me you're just going to stop seeing me! What, did you fall for someone else?" The girl shook free holding her books close to her chest as she tried to make her way down the halls. "I met you the other day," the dark haired girl whispered, "I don't know why you think we're in love..." "Octavia, baby, we can make this work," Noteworthy said in a mock begging voice. "I said leave me alone..." as the girl tried to raise her voice she made it out to the courtyard, its vast grassy field reflecting the sunlight perfectly, and the trees blowing in rhythm to the wind. "What do you want me to do? Want me to give you gifts? I have money you know." Noteworty walked in front of her again, preventing her escape to the peaceful scene outside. "Why don't you just leave?" Octavia whined trying to walk past him. Noteworthy growled, and pushed the frail girl to the wall. Octavia let out a small yelp and whimpered under his strong hold, the rigid textured brick wall scratching into her soft skin. "I'm trying to be nice about this, but if you want me to be a jerk about it-" before Noteworthy could finish he nearly fell from an impact from behind. "She said to leave her alone, take a hint loser!" another voice said as Notewothy turned to see who had hit him. A young pale girl, her frizzy free hair a bright electric blue with highlights. She wore a black, short sleeve D34D H0R53 shirt and long black trip pants, the chains rattling as she moved, her eyebrow and ears were pierced, purple shades covered just above her eyes, and she her face said that she wasn't going to go down easy. "You stupid bitch!" Noteworthy hollered as he charged her. The man reeling his fist back about to hit her before she dodged and gave him a swift kick to the back. He toppled over like a bag of bricks as he tried to stand up again, his face contoured in pain. "You wanna try that again? Looks like you lost your footing their pal." The blue haired girl taunted as the man fell over again. "I'll get you for this..." he gasped as he fell to his chest again. The strange girl walked up to Octavia, wrapping her arm around her and gave her a cocky grin. "How ya doin' there? You okay? That creep didn't hurt you did he?" she asked looking over the frail girl's body for scars. "N-no, I'm fine, thank you... um..." Octavia trailed off, looking to the girl to offer her name. "Oh! How rude of me!" the girl let go of Octavia and put out her hand, "Name's Vinyl Scratch, I'm here for modern music. I'm gonna be the best DJ this side of Equestria!" Octavia smiled and shook Vinyl's hand. "Pleasure to meet you Miss Scratch, my name is Octavia Melody..." "You can just call me Vinyl, I prefer it actually, calling me Miss makes me feel old." Octavia nodded saying nothing in return, leaving the two in awkward silence. "Sooo...." Vinyl tried as she rocked on her feet, "you from around here or..." "Oh yes, I'm from Canterlot, but I'm staying at the dorm." "Why not just stay with your parents? Wouldn't that make life easier?" "Oh! Well... they always tell me to go out and live my own life... so I decided this would be the best way to do that." Octavia felt bad for lying to someone who had just helped her, but it would be socially unacceptable to come right out and tell her about her late parents. "Ah, I see, have you met your dorm mate?" Vinyl asked, ignoring the sound of Noteworthy still groaning on the ground nearby. "Uh... no actually, she was away or something, but she should be back today. She had a lot of technology in her room, computers and keyboards and things." Octavia gave Vinyl a small grin as she finished. Vinyl nodded and looked up at the sky. "Huh... what kind of keyboard? I have a Yamaha." "I think that's what it's called. I have a cello..." "Huh... does this roommate have a turntable with records on them?" "I think so..." "Blink-182 poster over the bed?" "Yes..." Octavia began to feel a bit nervous, how did she know about all of this? "I'm going to go on and guess you're the girl in room T-78?" "Y-yes... I am..." "Oh cool! You're my roomie!" Vinyl wrapped her arms around the thin girl, making her whimper a bit as she relaxed. "Yes, I suppose I am..." "Aw don't worry, I'm super chill, you'll love me!" Vinyl walked towards the door as she saw Noteworthy begin to stand up. "I'm heading to my room before grabbing dinner out on the town, you wanna come with?" Octavia's eyes grew wide as she heard Vinyl say this. "Uh... s-sure..." "You must be a serious wall flower." Vinyl laughed as she held the door open for her roommate. "I'm not! I'm just... shy around new people. Not to mention my time here hasn't been the most peaceful considering the males here see me as some kind of status prize." Octavia swept her bangs from her face as she rushed back into the building, now free of the annoying boy. "Well you seem a lot more outspoken now." "I guess so." "I have that effect on girls, don't worry about it." Vinyl put her hands behind her head as she walked giving Octavia a crooked grin. Octavia only responded with a light blush and turned her head quickly. "I-I'm sure you do..." -------------------------Present Day-------------- The door to Octavia's room creaked open, her eyes focused on the shadow that leaned against the door frame. "Hello, Vinyl, what are you doing up so late?" Octavia asked moving her paper to the desk. Octavia took a breath as the memories from her times with Vinyl during collage flooded back, making her feel better. "How is your hand?" Vinyl asked with little emotion. "F-fine... are you okay?" "Y-yeah... I'm fine, can we talk?" Octavia sat down on her bed, abandoning the chair she had been in for so long. She patted the side of the bed, welcoming Vinyl to sit. Vinyl didn't hesitate and moved over to the girl swiftly. Sitting on the bed, Vinyl looked up at Octavia, the darkness of the room only slightly stopped by the moonlight freely roaming the room bathing it in a light blue glow. Vinyl sat quietly holding her breath as she looked at Octavia, this wasn't a face of evil. "Vinyl... please talk to me... are you okay?" Octavia placed her left hand on Vinyl's shoulder. Vinyl said nothing as she lifted her head again and bit her lip. Octavia was confused, what did Vinyl want? Was she okay? Before another thought crossed her mind, Vinyl had wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close. "Octy... I'm so sorry," Vinyl whispered. Octavia was even more confused. But her being so close to Vinyl had made her concerns and confusion fade. Octavia couldn't explain it, but she felt safe, like nothing else would happen to her, nobody could get to her. Octavia moved back and looked into the DJ's uncovered eyes as they shook, there was something there, but Octavia couldn't quite place it. "Vinyl... it's okay..." Octavia didn't know what she was accepting an apology for, but it might have been the only thing to make the DJ feel better. Vinyl smiled as she heard the words nodding and looking back down again. Octavia's heart began to race as she thought about how close she was to Vinyl again, they hadn't held each other this close for this long before. What if it meant something? Before Octavia could do anything, Vinyl stood from the bed and messed the cellist's charcoal hair, smiling down at her. "Thanks..." with that, Vinyl turned and left the room, leaving the emotionally confused girl to be on her own again in the dark, seemingly empty room. It was cold to Octavia now that Vinyl had left her without contact, and it was infuriating. Octavia soon wondered what would it have been like if she were that damn White Unicorn character Vinyl loved so much. "I'm sure she would have seen her and jumped into her arms in a heart beat..." Octavia mumbled angrily. She crossed her arms, the image of Vinyl kissing the hero and wishing that they would always be together crossing her mind. "They can't be together if that stupid overly cocky ass is dead..." Octavia paused for a moment, and tried to think about what she had jest said. If she killed the White Unicorn, Vinyl would be devastated, and she would hate Mistress Strings even more than she had. What if she acted more like the White Unicorn at home? Octavia grinned to herself at the prospect, Vinyl would have to love her then, not that Vinyl didn't already love the girl, but it was a friendly love, not what Octavia would have hoped. "You would think that after so long, she would fall for me, we've been friends for years, and my feelings for her have grown tenfold, yet, she still seems like she just wants to do chummy things like hanging out at bars and playing card games." A tear fell from the cellist's eyes. "I can't wait for the day where she asks me to cuddle with her, kiss her, comfort her, to be her one and only..." Octavia slid further into the bed, laying just so as to avoid hurting her hand any further. "I'll have to mend this with that blasted shadow spell..." It had been a number of times she had been injured during "work", and the first time had been the worst, a large hole in the gut she had to wrap. Luckily for her, that wound was never shown to the DJ, as she had been away for a gig. It took the shadow until the next day light to heal her, the fine print for this magic was never read. Octavia sighed, happy at least that the wound would be gone, but upset that she would have to come up with another borderline lie to keep her identity a secret from her love. "I don't think I could ever tell her the truth about me..." Octavia turned in bed, the water in her eyes still falling over olive cheeks, and the soothing feeling of emotional release sending her off to sleep.