//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 - A Day to Celebrate // Story: Major and Minor // by Lady Froey //------------------------------// Over a year had passed since Claret’s condition had gotten worse. During that time, Claret remained home most days unless she had to go to the local hospital for her monthly treatments or checkups. Since her diagnosis, Claret had not been able to use her magic and with that, lost the ability to play the piano. Vinyl took her place on the bench and played a few pieces for her occasionally, but over time the piano only collected dust. She originally held back at having to give up her career, hoping things may get better. With her condition worsening however, and the piling of notices from her lack of submitted work, she had to eliminate her contract with the record company she had been with since she was an adult. Vinyl stopped going to her school entirely. Rumors originally went around that she was kicked out for hitting Coral, but they were soon forgotten like any other student drama. She spent a majority of her time by her mother’s side, accompanying her when she went to the hospital every month for her treatments. With each treatment she would get very sick, to the point she couldn’t take care of herself, hacking up whatever she had in her system, and staying in bed throughout her recovery period. Claret’s appearance had worsened over time as well. She had lost a majority of the hair from her mane and tail. Looking in the mirror she felt like she lost a major part of herself. Fortunately however she received a hat stitched by Rarity that covered most of her head. Not only did it keep her warm, but it was also in the color of her mane, making her feel more like herself. She had also lost a substantial amount of weight due to her lack of appetite from treatments. Often she would wear long sleeves to cover her thinning forelegs and a skirt or dress to cover her thinned out rear legs and tail. Each morning, Claret awoke half-hoping to discover that the past few months had been a dream, that she’d tell Vinyl about her dream and her daughter would laugh and give her a hug, telling her that of course she’d be around to see her girl grow up, get married, even get to be a grandmother. Those hopes tasted bitter, like her sugarless morning coffee. Today wasn’t much different from other days in fall; it was a sunny afternoon with scattered clouds, and the leaves had begun to change and fall due to the colder temperatures. To Vinyl, it was meant to be a special day, but with what was happening between her and her mother it was no surprise her mother wouldn’t have remembered. She was laying on the sofa looking at the ceiling. Her mother sat on the sofa across from her, reading a book. Throughout the room played a minimal ambient tune from a record Vinyl recently picked up at the store. “Vinyl?” Claret said. Vinyl didn’t hear her, still lost in her own thoughts. “Vinyl.” Coming back to reality, Vinyl heard her mother the second time. “Oh, sorry.” Vinyl sat up and rubbed the back of her head. “What’s up, Mom?” “I’m a bit thirsty, but I want something other than water. Can you go to the convenience store and get us something to drink? Maybe some more pomegranate juice?” “Sure.” Vinyl got up off the sofa and went over to the kitchen, grabbing her white jacket and side bag that was hanging on the chair. “I’ll be back soon, love you.” “Love you too, dear. Don’t catch a cold.” Claret smiled. Walking out the front door, Vinyl sighed. It was already the afternoon and her mother hadn’t made any mention of her 18th birthday today. This was meant to be a big moment in her life, entering the world as a full grown mare, and her mother had not addressed it once. Retrieving her cassette player out of her jacket pocket, she placed her headphones over her ears and began listening to whatever was in the player. Walking through her neighborhood, she went to the convenience store. Along the way she passed by some ponies who gave her a nod or a ‘hello’ but she kept to herself not giving them any attention. She soon made it to her destination. Walking inside, she saw an earth mare in the store by herself stocking the shelves. “Welcome to Ponyville Mart. Let me know if you need anything.” She said. Vinyl nodded and went to the back where they kept the cold drinks. Opening the door to the cooler she withdrew several bottled pomegranate drinks. Her mother had taken a liking to them for the past few months when she couldn’t eat or drink anything else. It was even said to help a ponies health. She walked up to the counter and placed the juice containers on it. The mare stocking shelves took notice of Vinyl standing there and went behind the counter. “Is this everything?” she asked. Vinyl thought to herself for a second. She could use an energy drink, but she had been consuming so much caffeine that it was beginning to affect her sleep patterns. Then she eyed the cigarette case behind the mare. “Uhh… Yeah, a pack of cigarettes.” “Umm, sure,” the mare behind the counter said, not sure if a small unicorn like Vinyl was even of the age to buy them. “Can I see your ID?” “One sec.” Vinyl withdrew her wallet from her other jacket pocket and took out the ID she’d had since the age of 13. She looked at the photo, reflecting back on when things were easier. She passed it to the mare at the counter. “Wow, this is definitely a bit old.” She looked at the ID, eyeing the birth date. “Well, happy birthday.” She frowned, looking back and forth between the cigarette case and Vinyl. “Um, are you sure you want to start these? They tend to be—” “Can I just get my cigarettes? Please?” Vinyl interrupted her. “S-sure, sorry.” The mare’s ears fell. “What brand do you want?” “What do you usually go with?” Vinyl asked. “Me? I don’t smoke. Really, you shouldn’t be on these things.” “Look, lady,” Vinyl said sternly, “I see you smoking occasionally at the side of this place when I pass by. I know you don’t want me to be hooked like you, but I could care less what they do to my health. Now, can I have my fucking cigarettes?” The mare sighed and grabbed a pack of cigarettes and placed them on the counter. “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” “Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind,” Vinyl said, cooling down a bit. The mare rang up the register. “That will be twelve bits total.” Vinyl withdrew twelve bits from her wallet, and placed them on the counter. “You know you also need a lighter for those, right?” she said, raising her eyebrow. “Already got that covered.” Vinyl pointed to her horn. “Lucky mare.” She smirked, placing the drinks into a bag. Vinyl nodded, placing the pack of cigarettes in her jacket pocket, and then the bag of drinks in her side bag. “Look, sorry about being a bit of a bitch. Things have just been rough for me.” “It’s fine, I just hate seeing young mares like yourself get on these things. Take care.” “Thanks.” Leaving the store, Vinyl walked through the alley beside the store until she came upon an intersection. She placed her bag to the side and sat up against the fence. Withdrawing the pack of cigarettes from her jacket, she opened the pack and pulled out a cigarette with her hoof and placed it near the tip of her horn. “Let’s hope I don’t start any fires.” Vinyl focused her energy on her horn, conjuring a little spark at its tip. She pressed the cigarette gently against it, then lowered it and placed the other end between her lips gingerly. It slipped out, so she caught it and clenched it in her teeth. It tasted like old library books smelled, with an aftertaste of cotton swabs from the doctor’s office. This is what I’ve been missing out on? she thought with a grimace. She shrugged and inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with smoke. Immediately, she gagged and fell into a coughing fit, her eyes watering. I thought these things were meant to take stress off. Vinyl put her headphones back on and rested her head up against the fence, looking up at the sky. She tried again, taking little puffs like sips of hot coffee. Soon she got used to the idea of inhaling and exhaling smoke. Happy birthday to me. She sat there until she was done with her first cigarette. Getting up, she kept her headphones on and grabbed her bag. She then withdrew her pack of cigarettes again, looking inside the nearly full pack. …I could use another. She withdrew another cigarette, lighting it up and placing it in her mouth. She put her jacket’s hood over her head, then went back on her regular route home, hoping no one would be able to recognize her. Her mother would probably ask what took her so long, but Vinyl figured she could just tell her she ran into a classmate along the way. Making it home, Vinyl opened the front door and walked inside. Looking around she found not a trace of her mother. “Mom?” Closing the door behind her, she went into the kitchen and placed her jacket and bag back on the chair. She looked at the kitchen table and noticed there were several wrapped boxes. Reading the tags, they were titled ‘to Vinyl.’ “Surprise!” Vinyl jumped and saw her mother, Derpy, Rarity and a pink mare standing in the living room. “Uhh… Hey, what’s this about?” Vinyl asked. “Vinyl, it’s your birthday. Don’t you remember?” Claret said. “Yeah, but I mean this.” Vinyl said, pointing at the gifts and everyone in front of her. “It’s your eighteenth birthday, we should celebrate.” “But—” “No buts Vinyl,” Claret said sternly. “Today you are officially an adult, and we are not going to miss this celebration due to my health issues.” “Bu—” Vinyl stopped and looked at the gifts on the table. It looked like they did put some effort into the party, it shouldn’t just go to waste. “Yeah, sorry everyone.” Vinyl sighed. “I’m just a little bit on edge.” “I hope you like the party,” Derpy said, fidgeting with her hooves. “I helped organize it.” “You organized all of this?” Vinyl asked. “Well, I had some help from Rarity and—” “Oh and me!” The pink mare interrupted Derpy, raising her hoof. “I did the cake and gift wrapping!” she yelled excitedly. “Um, thanks?” Vinyl raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, but, who are you?” “Oh, I’m Pinkie Pie, but most of my friends call me Pinkie. I work at the local bakery Sugarcube Corner and my friend Rarity asked me to help out with this party.” “I couldn’t do much, unfortunately. My workload keeps piling up.” Rarity placed her hoof over her forehead, “and Pinkie knows more than me when it comes to parties.” “Well, I appreciate it, everyone. Thanks.” Vinyl smiled. “Hope you have a good party then Ms. Vinyl. I have to head back to Sugarcube Corner and handle another party. Busy, busy!” Pinkie hopped out of the house. “I don’t know how she does that.” Derpy said. “For all the years I’ve known her, neither do I, dear.” Rarity sighed. “Let’s all sit down. I’m sure Vinyl wants to open her gifts.” Claret sat at the kitchen table, with Derpy and Rarity sitting across from her. Vinyl sat next to her mother and looked at the gift boxes; they were all wrapped in bright shiny pink paper with a bow on top. Grabbing the first one, she looked at the card. It read ‘from Derpy.’ Unwrapping it and opening the box, Vinyl pulled out a large book titled ‘The Art of Studio.’ “What’s this?” “It’s a picture book with a collection of studios from famous musicians, producers, and composers. I figured if you are going to get into music you would need to upgrade your studio, so I thought a book like that may give you ideas.” “Hmm.” Vinyl turned through a few pages, finding a lot of high quality photography of both high-end and run-down studios. “This is really cool, thanks.” Derpy smiled and nodded. Vinyl then grabbed another box titled ‘from Rarity.’ “You didn’t get me a dress, did you?” “I could have.” Rarity chuckled. Next to Vinyl, Claret chuckled as well. Unwrapping the box, Vinyl opened it to find a white long-sleeved button-up shirt, and a black vest. “Wow.” She lifted the garments out of the box with her levitation magic and looked at them in full view. “I didn’t know you made stuff like this.” “I usually don’t, but your mother said you needed some dress clothes, and I know you don’t have a liking of skirts or dresses, so I went with something a bit more… Neutral?” “It looks great. Thanks, Rarity.” “No problem at all.” She smiled. Last, Vinyl grabbed a small thinner packaged titled ‘from Claret.’ Opening the package, it was the back of a black frame. Turning it over revealed a very old photo. It was a picture of her mother as a young mare in her early twenties. She had a shoulder-length mane with her signature red-wine color. It was dull and matted, like it hadn’t been washed in over a week. Her eyes were underlined with dark half-moon bags. She was sitting in a chair, holding a sleeping white foal in her forelegs. Its head, topped with thin blue fuzz, was resting against Claret’s collarbone. The foal was wrapped in a familiar lilac-patterned blanket. She was looking down at her daughter with that gentle smile of hers. Despite her visible exhaustion, she was at peace. “Damn, Mom. This is… something.” Beginning to tear up a bit, she looked up at her mother who was crying and smiling as well. “When was this taken?” “I was twenty-two when that picture was taken; you were born a few weeks before. That was your first day out of the hospital and back at our apartment in Canterlot.” “Who took it?” “…Your dad. We divorced a few months after this was taken.” Claret wiped away her tears. “But before that, I remember throughout my pregnancy your father dedicated most of his time to taking care of me. Kind of like you right now.” Claret pulled in Vinyl and hugged her. “You have grown so much since then. I’m so proud of you, Vinyl.” “Thanks, Mom,” Vinyl looked over at Derpy and Rarity. They were tearing up as well, seeing the display. “You’re the best mom a daughter could ask for.” They all stayed in the kitchen throughout most of the afternoon, while having cake and coffee, the four mares talked of past stories throughout their lives, having the occasional laugh. When the evening came, they decided to head out to the local pizzeria for dinner. Leaving the restaurant, they all exchanged hugs and soon had to return to their homes. “Oh Claret, I wish we could spend more time together,” Rarity said, hugging Claret tightly. “When my schedule is a bit more open, I will be sure to invite you and Vinyl over for tea.” “That would be grand. Give us a call anytime.” Claret smiled. “Will do.” Rarity then quickly hugged Vinyl and let go. “Happy birthday again, Vinyl. It was great spending time with you gals.” “I appreciate it.” Vinyl said. “I’m going to tag along with Rarity,” Derpy said, hugging Claret. “The adoption house is along the way to her boutique.” Derpy then let go of Claret and looked at Vinyl. “I’m happy you liked your birthday party.” “Thanks again.” Vinyl smiled and wrapped herself around Derpy. “I’ll be sure yours is just as good.” Vinyl then let go of her. “I’ll hold you up to that Vinyl.” Derpy winked. “Derpy, we should go; it’s freezing out here.” Rarity said, wrapping her jacket tightly around herself. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go.” They both waved to Vinyl and Claret, and then walked off. “Let’s head back home Vinyl.” Claret said, wrapping her scarf tightly around her neck to stay warm. “I’m tired from today. I need some rest.” “Yeah, I’m surprised you were wanting to go out for once.” “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Vinyl nodded. “Sorry about that.” Claret sighed. “It’s just the treatments… I’ve been so weak lately.” “Well, maybe this is a good sign?” Vinyl smiled, looking up at her mother. “Hmm, maybe.” Claret smiled along with Vinyl, keeping herself bundled to stay warm. She kept her optimism, hoping things would turn out for the best. Even with her scarf and jacket Claret shivered along the way home. Vinyl quickly took notice: she took off her jacket and placed it over her mother's back. “Vinyl, that’s not necessary.” “It’s not much of a walk for me, I’ll be fine.” “Are you sure?” Claret asked. “Yeah, worse thing is I catch a cold and I share some hot soup with you.” Vinyl smirked. Claret returned a smile and wrapped Vinyl’s small white jacket around herself. “Thank you.”