The streets of Manehatten were devoid of the usual chattering crowds. Everypony was at the new circus that had just pulled in. But amongst the merriment, Vinyl Scratch trotted away in panic, wincing as she heard a shrill voice..
“Viiiiiny! Come back here!”
She kept running, picking up her pace without hesitation. Eventually Vinyl turned a corner a found herself glumly facing an alley wall.
“Vinny?” A concerned voice chimed, pulling her attention away. Vinyl looked back in horror, still in shock of what Octavia had become.
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Vinyl took a sip of her coffee and rubbed her eyes, still groggy. She couldn't’ fathom why Octavia wanted to hit the circus so early, but if that’s what she wanted so be it. Still, Tavi could have waited for her, at the very least.
Vinyl groaned, cracking her neck a little, “Where is she?” Vinyl was a patient pony, but waiting for an hour was not a radical time.. How were they going to continue their music fusion experiments now?
Vinyl huffed, if Tavi didn’t care enough to make it on time, then neither should she. She trotted to her office and she started mixing a few new tunes. Less than an hour later, she heard the door creak open, pulling her attention.
“Well Well Well.” Vinyl said, turning her head slightly,. “Did you enjoy the circ- What the hell happened to you?”
Octavia looked... different.. She was wearing a light blue dress, with a purple collar & cufflinks. Her hooves were covered by pink bow laced heels, her neck cradling a rainbow bow tie. Her mane had several small multicolored stripes adored on it, as well as on her tail, with a little pink clown nose on her snout as well.
Vinyl was shocked, this wasn’t Tavi, and yet it looked like her, but it couldn’t be her! That dopy, smiling, clown of a mare couldn’t be her best friend!...And yet….
“What do you mean?” Octavia asked, her bright smile complimenting a rather flirtatious tone.
Vinyl chucked, “This!” She pointed at Octavia. “You look like a celestia damn clown. That's so not you! What, Did Lyra dare you? Or did someone prank you?”
As Vinyl started to laugh, Octavia’s smile kept growing and she trotted towards Vinyl until they were face to face.
Vinyl stopped laughing and looked Octavia in the eyes, taking note of their change. Where two bright purple eyes sparked with life, Vinyl only saw a pair of lifeless pink
“Tavi, what happened to you?” she asked,putting her hooves on Tavi’s shoulders. “This is... creepy.”
Vinyl noticed something on Tavi’s back, a pair of shades just like her own, only rainbow dyed with a clown nose.
“I've been changed Vinyl!” Octavia cheered as she hopped onto a coffee cup on the coffee table, balancing perfectly on her back left hoof, she then preceded to pull out balls and began juggling them perfectly. “My body feels so nimble and I hold no fears!”.” Octavia giggled. “It's amazing! You'll love it.”
Vinyl’s heart began racing, Octavia has been brainwashed, and she didn’t like the look of those sunglasses.
Vinyl began backing up, She did NOT wanna look like an idiot,. “Does the circus do this to other ponies as well?”
“Yep!” Octavia chirped as she lept off the table, landing in front of Vinyl, holding the sunglasses out,. “Every other pony just gets a clown nose, but I had these custom made for you! Sasha was happy to do it,” Octavia’s explained in a loving voice.
Vinyl took note of the wind passing through her hair, realizing the door was left ajar. She pushed past Tavi and charged out, trying to remember the route to Canterlot castle. The princesses could help her, surely!
“Wait! Where are you going!?” Octavia cried as Vinyl disappeared into the city.
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Vinyl shook as she backed into the wall, desperately trying to find an alternate route of escape. Her shaking turned to trembling as Octavia stomped forward, squeaking with every step. She was trapped between a rock and a clown place.
“That, *Huff* wasn't *Wheeze* fair, Vinny.” Octavia huffed,. “But now you have nowhere to go”.
“T-t-tavi please don't do this...”
“Vinny, you'll love it, and I don't really have a choice. Everypony in Equestria will become a clown eventually”. Octavia said.
“Puh-Princess Celestia will stop this.”
Octavia giggled. “Princess Celestia, as well as the Elements of Harmony have already joined the circus”.
That set off a major alarm in Vinyl, she began scanning the area hoping to find a weapon so she could get past Tavi & find a resistance group. The alley was a dump, trash cans were strewn about everywhere. Vinyl spotted a cracked soda bottle on the ground and immediately grabbed it with her magic. “Tavi, stay back, I don't want to hurt you”.
“Vinny, don't be silly. You won't hurt me.” Octavia said smugly, approaching Vinyl. “I know you won't. That's one of the things I love about you.”
“Just stay ba-Wait what?” Vinyl lost focus and dropped the bottle, it completely shattered, but Vinyl didn't noticed, despite several shards piercing her front hooves. “What do you mean by that?”
Octavia blushed as she reached Vinyl. “I didn't want to say it until after you became a clown.”
“You didn't want to say what?”
In one swift motion, Octavia pushed Vinyl up against the back wall and they locked lips. Vinyl’s eyes went wide while Octavia closed hers. Both mares had deep blushes on their faces.
After about five minutes, Vinyl separated the two and pushed Octavia off her. “What...In the HAY was that?!”
“I………. I love you Vinyl, Like I said, I got the custom glasses made just for you.” Octavia confessed, twitching nervously.
Vinyl’s eyes somehow went wider, a confession of love was not what she expected on top of the apparent Clown-ifacation that's spreading across Equestria, and she didn't really know how to feel.
“T-Tavi…………. I don't really know what to say.” Vinyl said while rubbing the back of her head. However, an idea sparked. “However, I'll be willing to give you a shot.”
“What? Really?” Octavia smiled, getting really excited.
“Only if you drop the whole clown thing.” Vinyl added, with a smug smile on her face.
“Wha?”
Octavia’s ears dropped, and she sat down, her happy demeanor vanishing, “Bu-But why? Vinny I want to spend the rest of our lives together.”
Vinyl opened her mouth to speak but Octavia kept going. “I dreamed the day we can have a club where we can play Classical Dubstep, we could get married and ponies won't judge us. Sasha &
Princess Tharja are even working on a spell to fabricate foals for Fillyfoolers & Coltcuddlers.”
Tears began rolling down Octavia’s face, making Vinyl grimace, breaking her best friends heart made her feel guilty, even with the clown thing.. Vinyl sighed,“Tavi………..” Vinyl extended her right hoof and put it on Tavi’s shoulder, causing the clown to look up.
“This isn't you.” Vinyl stated. “You're no clown, you've said yourself you're a lady of music.” Vinyl pulled the clown nose of Octavia’s face. “I would love to have a romantic relationship with you, but I don't want to be a clown. Plus, you've been hypnotized!” Vinyl lied.
“And?” Octavia retorted. “I love this. I feel so free, no more stress, I just want to spread Happiness, Laughter, & Music and if I've been hypnotized, then I don't care. I feel amazing and I don’t want you to miss out!! And I'm still somewhat myself, it's just hard to focus with all this...filth around me,.” Octavia stood back up and pulled out the rainbow sunglasses. “Now come on Vinny, let's end this.”
“I'm not getting out of here, am I?” Vinyl asked, glumly taking her glasses off, “Just get it over with.”
“I'm glad you came around Vinny.”
Vinyl shoved them onto her face, a sudden warm feeling overwhelming her, rainbow streams of magic began flooding out of the clown nose and began surrounding & changing her. Vinyl felt something form around her neck and spread down her body. What eventually formed was a cute lime green dress with white polka dots, complementing two pink dots on her cheeks. A purple & green hue was added Vinyl’s mane. Finally, A huge burst of rainbows flooded Vinyl’s eyes, her mind became filled with with Rainbows, jokes & laughter. When her eyes cleared up, her irises were completely pink and her pupils completely disappeared.
Octavia gasped, clapping her cheeks with starry eyes., Once the rainbow disappeared, Octavia charged and tackled her into a hug.
“Well Vinny, How do you feel?” she asked, a giggle in her voice.
“Nggh.” Vinyl grunted, stumbling a little.
“Vinny?”
She blinked, then shook her head and giggled, looking into Octavia’s beautiful pink eyes. “Tavi?”
“Yes?” Vinyl pressed Octavia into a kiss, a deep passionate kiss.
After two minutes, they separated, a starry look in Vinyl’s eyes,. “Thanks... you were right, being a clown is awesome!
“I told you so.” Octavia responded smugly, turning towards the street. “Now let's head to the circus.”
“Shouldn't we pack our stuff?” Vinyl asked, trotting next to her new lover, “I mean I assume this club you promised will have an apartment in it.”
“Oh, Well I guess we'll find ou-” she didn't get to finish her sentence, as Vinyl smacked her in the face with a creamy apple pie.
Vinyl began laughing hysterically, Octavia simply wiped the pie of her eyes and pulled out a cherry pie. “I suggest you run.” Vinyl didn’t take that offer up, laughing so hard she was completely taken aback by the splat.
“There, now we're even!” Octavia giggled. Vinyl got up and licked their faces clean, before trotting forward, tail intertwined with the love of her life. They shared a warm smile, before skipping the rest of the way, a squeak in every, goofy, step.