//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 - The Bottom Drops Out // Story: The Best Time of Our Lives // by ThisIsMyFateNow //------------------------------// With money worries on her mind, Vinyl spends a long night tossing, turning and not getting any sleep. Grumbling to herself, Vinyl glances at the clock on the nightstand to see that it’s already 7:00 AM and she resigns herself to getting up. Swinging her legs over the side, she slides off the bed and lands on her hooves. Giving herself a quick shake, she heads towards the kitchen for the only thing that will cure her of the excessive tiredness gripping her whole self. Coffee. Using her magic, Vinyl scoops some coffee grounds into a paper filter and sets it in the awaiting basket of the coffee maker. Flipping the switch, she turns it on and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee permeates the air. Taking a deep breath, she lets the vapors swirl around her gradually starting the process of waking her up. As she poured the fresh brewed coffee into an awaiting mug, she downed the scalding liquid in one gulp before refilling the mug. Opening the door to the refrigerator, she removes the creamer, adding a bit to the second cup before adding some sugar. Mixing it all together, she takes a tentative sip of the second cup before sighing with contentment. A quiet knock echos through the small apartment. “Who in Tartarus is even up this early on a Saturday?” she wonders as she puts her cup down. Throwing the door open, she’s surprised to find Octavia standing there, one hoof raised to knock again. “Oh! You’re up,” the grey mare says a bit too cheerfully for such an early hour, “May I come in?”. Without waiting for an answer, Octavia steps daintily into the small, messy apartment, looking around. Picking her way carefully through the clothes and items strewn about, she stops uncertainly. “How can you live here? It’s so… small.” Shrugging, the white mare replies “It’s what I can afford. Not all of us can afford to live in a fancy mansion with servants.” Glancing around, Octavia notes the general state of disarray of Vinyl’s flat as well as once again, noting on it’s rather cramped size. “How is it that the legendary DJ-PON3 lives in such squalor?” Sighing with some pent up frustration, Vinyl rounds on Octavia “What is it that you want exactly?” she asks, words loaded with anger. Taking a step back, Octavia pauses for a moment before continuing “I was wondering if you would like to spend the day with my friends and I.” Figuring that honesty would be best here, she waits for Vinyl’s response eagerly, trepidation coursing through her. Rolling her eyes, Vinyl retorts “Why would I want to do that? All you and your “friends” ever did was to pick on me and make fun of me. What would suddenly make them accept me?” “Why, you’re DJ-PON3! Why wouldn’t they accept you?” “Ah. I think I see what’s going on. You want to bring me along like an accessory. Something to show off to demonstrate how much better you are. I won’t do it.” “What do you mean? I just want to introduce you to them.” “Octavia, you say they’re your friends, but are they really? If you were in jail, how many of them would be willing to bail you out?” Startled by the barrage of questions, Octavia hesitates before falling silent. “Why in the name of Celestia would I ever find myself incarcerated?” she pondered mulling Vinyl’s question. Looking at her, Vinyl can’t help but feel a pang of sorrow. “Here’s a mare that has everything at her beck and call and it seems that the one thing she needs the most, she can’t understand that she really doesn’t have it.” Sighing, Vinyl decided that Octavia might need a first hand demonstration. “Fine. I’ll go with you on one condition.” “Anything! Just name it!” “You have to apologize to Lyra for how you’ve treated her at school.” “Done! Now let me call my friends…” “Lyra first.” “Fine. But then I’ll show you that my friends are really my friends.” ~~~ Knock knock knock “What makes you think Miss Heartstrings will even be home, Vinyl?” “Because while you were busy talking to your ‘friends,’ I called to set up a meeting.” Fidgeting nervously, Octavia waited, not entirely sure that she even needed to apologize to Lyra. “It’s not like I’ve actually done anything wrong,” she thought. Still mulling this over, she doesn’t hear the door open or Vinyl begin to speak. “... Bon, is Lyra here?” Octavia is startled out of her musing buy Vinyl’s rough voice. Glancing up, she sees a mare she recognises from school but has never talked to. “She’s here. Come on in.” Following the cream colored mare into the well appointed house, Octavia looks around as they make their way into the sitting room. The room is bathed in warm sunlight pouring in through the large windows. Seated on the couch is Lyra sitting in an unusual position as she levitates a cup of tea towards her face, daintily sipping the steaming beverage within. “Hello,” she says neutrally. “Hey there, Lyra. Octavia here has something she wishes to say to you,” Vinyl says as she steps aside, letting Octavia through. Tracing a hoof along the floor nervously, Octavia mumbles something unintelligible as she stares at the ground. Not hearing anything in response, she looks up to see the three mares staring at her with expressions ranging from frustration on Vinyl’s face to doubt on Lyra’s. Sighing, she takes a deep breath before shifting and facing Lyra. “It’s been brought to my attention that I haven’t been, uh, the nicest of ponies,” she trails off, hoping that Vinyl wasn’t serious about this. Looking to the white unicorn, she was unable to gauge the blank expression looking to her. Fidgeting uncomfortably, she paused a moment before continuing “And that I have been especially mean to you Lyra, just for talking to DJ, er, Miss Scratch here and trying to be her friend. For my transgressions, I humbly ask for your forgiveness.” Even uttering those words galled her. “Honestly, I don’t see what I did wrong to warrant this,” she thought bitterly. Growing up, she was always in the right. Why is this any different? “You still don’t see it do you Octavia?” Vinyl asks, a hint of sadness in her voice. “Even now, you’re just interested in doing what you need to in order to bring DJ-PON3 to meet your friends.” Sputtering words of protest, Octavia is quickly silenced by Lyra trotting over and smiling gently. “I forgive you, but only if you’re being genuine about that apology,” she says before pulling a rather surprised Octavia into a friendly hug. Uncertainty painted across her face, she returns the gesture, a strange feeling of warmth spreading through her. Stepping back she gives Lyra a tentative smile “Thank you,” she says simply. Shaking her head, Vinyl sighs “Well, you’ve held up your end of the bargain. Time for me to honor mine.” Heading towards the front door, she pauses briefly motioning for Octavia to follow. Leaving Lyra’s modest dwelling, she pauses to let Octavia take the lead. Grinning, Octavia gleefully takes the lead as they head into the upper class district of Canterlot. “I’ll show her that my friends aren’t just using me,” she thinks as they make their way into one of the city’s nicer parks. Standing near the back of the park, Vinyl saw Octavia’s friends. The same ones she hung out with at school. Sighing inwardly, she puts on her signature smile, quickly hides her cutie mark with magic and slips her shades over her eyes. “Hey guys, as promised, I’ve brought DJ-PON3 with me,” the grey earth pony says, glee ringing in her voice. Gasps resound throughout the small group as they all rushed right past Octavia to swarm around Vinyl. Grinning, Vinyl slips into DJ-PON3’s “fan mode,” allowing her to feel more in control of the conversations and the swarming of fans. “How’s everypony doing?” she asks in her gravelly voice. The gasps of adoration from the other ponies helps keep Vinyl’s smile going. As much as she might not like this batch of ponies, she is in her element as DJ-PON3. Octavia stands there, floored by the fact that her friends have just blasted by her, ignoring her completely for the new arrival. Taking a deep breath, she remembers that this is the legendary DJ-PON3 and that her friends are all just star struck. Grinning, she struts over to the group and listens in to the babble of conversation. Watching her friends fawn over Vinyl was nice, but surely some would have at least talked to her? Or thanked her? The doubts that Vinyl had mentioned earlier start to make their presence known in the back of Octavia’s mind. “Surely these are my friends. They must like me for who I am… right?” Unable to shake the thought, Octavia just watches. As the day continues, Octavia starts to feel distinctly neglected. Not once have any of her friends even come to thank her. Sitting despondently, she continues to wonder about the validity of Vinyl’s claims. Deciding to take matters into her own hooves. Getting up and brushing herself off quickly, she trots over to the group and puts on a winning smile. “How about we all go grab a bite? I know this lovely little Phrench Bistro…” she starts to say before being cut off by Vinyl. “Actually we were all about to go get some hay burgers,” she says with a cocky grin, as if trying to drive her point home. Turning back towards the entrance, Vinyl heads off, taking the group of fawning fans with her. None of them notice as the tears start leaking down Octavia’s face.