*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*...Maple...*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*
"Put me the hell down you bastard!" Flint roared as she attempted to pry herself from the grasp of Stone, who walked along the streets as if Flint wasn't even there.
"Are you going to behave?" Stone asked.
"Screw you!"
Stone sighed.
"Guess we'll have to round the block a few more times before she'll be tuckered out." He said to me.
"Why is she so mad now anyways? She walked away from them without a complaint just a while ago." I asked.
When we had been walking away from the scene of the fight, Flint suddenly seemed to realize that this counted as a defeat for her and immediately was set on raising hell to fix that. She was destined to have gone out and burn a few buildings and people to go find the two mares and fix her record.
Well, she would've if Stone hadn't thrown her over his shoulders the second he caught the glimpse of anarchy in her eyes.
Now we were circling the block as we waited for Flint to calm down; we had circled it enough times to have my hooves aching and my eyes drooping, yet somehow she was still raging and flailing about.
"Well, you might'a figured it out already, but Flint ain't the type to take loss that well. But if she doesn't know it's a loss she don't mind. Though you also might'a noticed that she ain't the brightest when it comes to puttin' two and two together." Stone said, taking the relentless battering of Flint as if it were a young child hitting.
He sighed and shook his head.
"'Tis a vicious circle."
"We're also circling 'round to be sure that Miss Melody and Vinyl Scratch and her mother get home well before we do."
"Gods I hate that bint!" Flint screeched into the air, followed by pounding at Stone with a renewed vigor.
Even just the mention of her name was driving her to blind rage.
"You didn't even fight 'em you over grown foal! You just let her hit you and then let them walk away you coward!" Flint said, taking a pause in her thrashing to insult Stone before going back to her tantrum.
"You know perfectly well she would've wiped the floor with you two yah' hard headed mare. Don't think I didn't see Vinyl Scratch save your sorry Flank from her mother. Heck I even saw your blush with how bright it was." Stone said smoothly, a small smile crossing his face as the words left his lips.
"Shut up!" Flint said, trying to push herself out of Stone's hold.
"Did she really save Flint?" I asked, bewildered by Stone's casual statement.
"Surprisingly enough. Don't know what was goin' through her head, but I saw it clear as day through the window on the back door."
It was a bit startling to learn that Flint had been saved by Vinyl from her own mother. It was a rare happening to see the prey save the predator, and even more rare to disobey their parent to do so.
Believe it or not, but I think that if every person's mother came along and scolded them, just about every fight and war would stop.
*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*
"Finally cooled down back there?" Stone said, walking at a steady pace.
I, on the other hoof, was trudging along at a snails pace. We had been walking for upwards of half an hour, and Stone showed no signs of stopping -- a fact that scared me. I was honestly considering crawling atop his back and simply riding him.
Luckily, Flint seemed tuckered out as well.
"Yeah." She grumbled.
Well, she had more just gotten bored with walking around in a circle. Though either way she had stopped flailing, and was now propping her head up with her hoof and using Stone as a table of sorts. Her expression was still sour, her nose crinkled, but she had at least calmed down, which meant we could go home.
"Are you going to go fight Miss Scratch?" Stone asked again, like a lecturing father.
"No."
"Is that a lie."
A pause.
"Yes."
Stone sighed.
"Do I need to make a few more laps then?"
Flint and I both went wide eyed at that.
"No!" We shrieked in unison.
Stone smiled contently.
"Good, we can go home then." He said happily, turning on his hooves and heading off to the apartment.
I suddenly recalled that we now knew who Vinyl Scratch was, and that she was living right beside us.
"Are we actually going to go back to the apartment? I mean, you know, the people we're hunting are kinda living right across the hall."
"Aye. I don' think they're gonna bother us, 'specially because of Miss Scratch's protective nature over Miss Melody. If anything, it'd be out fault that they come after us."
"So what's our next plan then? This was kinda the build up and climax of things, wasn't it?" I asked.
"Well, it was hardly a brawl, so probably not. As for what we're gonna do, that'd be up to our pouty little mare here." He said, slumping and raising his shoulders to give Flint a jiggle.
"Flint?" I asked.
"Hell if I know. If it were up to me we'd be busting down their door with about twenty people and pummeling them," Her voice suddenly took on a mocking and whiny tone.
"But you won't let that happen, will you Stoney?"
Stone laughed at the impersonation.
"I don't think they'd be letting it happen either." He said, most likely choosing to avoid the mention of Flint's loss directly.
"As if you could get any farther." Flint huffed.
"Heh, I ain't one to jump on a 'beat the enemy into the submission' wagon like you are Flint."
Flint grumbled about something and Stone chose to stifle his chuckle this time around as we rounded the corner, the outline of the apartment building now in full view.
*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*
The sound of water hissing from the apartment across the hall give me the assurance that they weren't planning to attack. Either that, or it was a diversion, though I wasn't too keen on it.
Stone heard it too, though he made no motion to change his posture; it wasn't that defensive or cautious anyways so there really wasn't any way to change it. Thought I did notice him tighten his grip ever so slightly on Flint, to which she sighed in annoyance.
"Can't believe you let that desk mare see me like this." She grumbled.
"Think of it as punishment for loosing." Stone said, pushing open the door and letting us all in.
He waited til I shut the door behind us to put Flint down, and even when he did that he held her from under her shoulders - her hind legs dangling limply in the air while her face was as dead panned as ever - and set her down like a child.
Surprisingly, she didn't hit him or even say how good it was to be off his shoulder, though the dead panned look persisted.
I decided to try and break that look, it was just uncomfortable looking.
"Ah, Flint?"
Her eyes slowly drifted from Stone to me.
"So...do we have a plan? Or are we back to square one on trying to get her?" I asked, desperately hoping for the latter to not be true.
She sighed heavily, getting off the ground on onto her hooves before answering me.
"Hate to say it, but I think we are back to the drawing board with this one."
The room went silent at the news, as if we were paying homage to the deceased. Well, I guess it was paying homage to the deceased, if the deceased included ideas.
"Don't know what else we can do. Unless Stone plans on helping me out with this, I don't think we have the power to force Vinyl Scratch to come with us." Flint said downheartedly.
"And even if I did, this is their turf. They could pretty easily give us a run for our money." He said seriously, not used to the threat of himself and another general having odds of loosing. Not only just odds, but decent odds.
"Coulda brought Silver. She'd clean this up right quick." Stone continued.
"Yeah, but if she hates one thing more than vampires, its traveling."
"Aye."
'Silver? Is that another general?' I thought to myself, then realized the implications of the talk of her. They apparently claim she could do this on her own? And quickly at that?
The three of us stood around for a minute or so longer before giving up and deciding to sleep on it. Though I imagine with the task at hoof, not many of us would be getting much sleep anyways.
*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*...Octavia...*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*
"Shakes?" I asked, curious why the bar-mare was here of all places.
"Hey." She said, keeping things oddly curt. I raised a brow at just that, though decided not to press it.
Vinyl's mother gave both me and Shakes a glance and her brows seemed to raise in realization, though I wasn't sure what about. She must have "read the mood" or something like that; Harpo had told me all about "reading the mood" though it never quite got through to me. Though, whatever the case, Vinyl's mother acted on something.
"Vinyl, let's head to the bathroom. I think your friends would like some...alone time." She said, carefully choosing her words.
Vinyl, though clearly as oblivious to the rooms tension as I was, decided to go with her mother.
I wondered briefly what they history between the two of them was, and how long it went back. I figured they had to be close, obviously, but the way that Vinyl's mother treated Vinyl like such a child was confusing. What was more so was how Vinyl seemed to just go along with it.
They left the room quickly, Vinyl's mother ushering her daughter into the bathroom, and shut the door punctually. The room was quite as soon as they left, eerily silent.
Though I decided to see what was wrong with Shakes, even someone like me could see that something was on her mind.
I sat down on the couch, looking at her and her averted gaze. It was down on the shaker that was cradled in one of her hooves while the other idly circled its surface. Her face was deep in thought, though at the same time, sad.
"Shakes?" I asked.
She didn't answer.
"Was there something you needed?" I asked again, hoping for a response the second time around.
I got one.
She sighed heavily, shutting her eyes and appearing to collect her thoughts, before looking up at me.
"Octavia, we haven't exactly known each other for that long, but I guess I gotta tell you this."
She placed the shaker on the table, the silver surface lightly reflecting in the dim lit room.
"I'm about to do something that you aren't going to like. Like, you're going to hate me for doing it, but I have to do it and I hope you''ll understand. I mean, this is probably going to be the worst possible thing that I could do to you."
I wasn't exactly sure how to respond, and at first thought she was joking, though when the silence settled in I understood that there was no joke to be had.
"Okay."
"Thanks, and sorry in advance." She said.
After that, she went back to sulking and we simply sat there in silence. I considered trying to do something, but with the "mood" she had just set, there really wasn't anything that I could do to lift the mood.
Do something that I'd hate her for? Worst possible thing? More importantly, why would she do this? She said that she'd hope I'd understand, but that's a bit hard when you give me no reason why I should be understanding.
Vinyl's mother came out a bit later and told us that Vinyl was taking a shower first, and Shakes looked happy for a second or so, but her smile quickly faded away as soon as it came about. I was beginning to get genuinely concerned about her, though her brief smile at the mention of Vinyl got me hoping that Vinyl could cheer her up.
Vinyl's mother, to her credit, made a dent in the atmosphere. She managed to toy with Shakes a little, calling her "cute and adorable" and managing to get a few blushes out of the sulking bar mare. But it faded away all too soon, as Shakes would simply go back to depression the second Vinyl's mother had to take a breath.
Though things began to look up as the sound of a door opening was heard.
We all looked back, Shakes included, as a wet maned Vinyl danced out of the bathroom and did stretched a little. We all had different reactions to the sight. Mine being a small blush at the sight, Vinyl's mothers being an audible coo, and Shakes' being an even deeper frown.
'Well this might be interesting, Vinyl's smile versus Shakes' frown.' I thought, almost scowling at her sadness at this point.
Vinyl walked into the room with a towel draped around her neck, using the ends of it to wipe her glasses clean. I ignored the fact this was implying she even showered with her glasses, and focused on her eyes. They gleamed with a sort of vigor, but they then met with Shakes and turned to a look of concern.
Vinyl's mother was out of the room pretty quickly, the sound of the door slamming punctuating her exit, and left two pairs of eyes staring at each other.
It was quite the sight from my angle. Shakes on one side with eyes looking up, full of sadness and a yearning for something. Was it forgiveness? On the other side of this staring contest was Vinyl, looking down at the seated Shakes with attentive and caring eyes that wanted nothing more than to lift the pain of the other.
I felt goosebumps rise up on my neck.
"Hey Vinyl." Shakes said quietly.
"What's wrong?" Vinyl asked immediately, though her caring initiative only made Shakes turn away in what looked like pain.
"I... Nothing." She lied.
Vinyl's eyes narrowed at the lie, though she kept quiet and took a seat.
Another staring contest took place, though this time Shakes was eager to escape the endless pool of blood red that was Vinyl's eyes. She actually squirmed under the prying gaze.
"Wanna talk now?" Vinyl asked again, clearly intending to do this for however long it took.
Shakes sighed at the same realization.
"I guess..."
Silence.
"That usually means you're supposed to start, Shakes."
"Vinyl, who would you rather get hurt, you or someone else?" Shakes asked.
"Me." Vinyl answered the second that Shakes stopped speaking.
Shakes took that answer and reflected on it from the looks of it. It looked like she considered it the wrong answer from the look on her face.
"Why?" She asked.
Vinyl laughed a little despite the serious question and atmosphere.
"Live long enough and you'll realize just how small you are and just how big others thinks they are."
"Whats that mean?"
"It means I'd rather save them the pain and deal with it myself. It might sound a bit egoistic, but I know I could take it better than they could." She somehow managed a smile despite what she said..
I had never expected something philosophical to come out of Vinyl's mouth, ever, and much less a sort of outlook on how she viewed her life.
"Take one for the team then? Even if you don't like the team?" Shakes asked.
Vinyl nodded.
Shakes managed a sad chuckle of her own.
"Then I've gotta say, I'm sorry."
"I forgive you." Vinyl said without hesitation, sympathy riddled into her tone.
I realized Shakes hadn't even told her what it was about, much less why Vinyl should forgive her.
Shakes stared at Vinyl for a moment, in complete and total admiration. You would've had to have been blind to not see it.
Shakes wordlessly pushed forwards the silver shaker, not even raising her eyes to meet the object.
"Wanna drink? I made something special for you." She said sadly, though I thought I could make out a small, sad, smile on her face.
Vinyl perked up and smiled.
"Sure!"
Shakes opened the top of the shaker and my nose was flooded with the smell of berry. Not a subtle and enjoyable smell either, it was almost aggressive with the scent. It was as if you forced the berry smell onto the drink.
Vinyl's nose twitched, but she seemed to like the smell.
She then took the drink and gave it a cautious sip, a taste test. She smacked her lips once as the taste settled, then perked up and began to drink more. Eventually, her head was tilted backwards with the shaker upside down as she drained the last of it.
"Good?" Shakes asked.
Vinyl nodded, smiling brightly.
Though the smile faltered.
She suddenly looked queasy and unsteady, dropping the shaker suddenly to the ground.
"Vinyl?" I asked.
Vinyl suddenly went limp and fell down into the couch, breathing steadily.
"Viny-" I began to yell in shock at the unfamiliar sight of her falling down, though a hoof found its way onto my mouth and stopped me dead in my tracks.
I followed the hoof to the body of Shakes, who wore a grimace. She turned her eyes to me, and I felt my own involuntarily widen at the look in her eyes.
I then followed her body down to her other hoof which was cocked backwards.
The last thing I saw was her hoof hurdling at me before white pain splintered through me. Though after the pain came a blackness that took over.