//------------------------------//
// Epilogue: Through a Mother's Eyes 
// Story: Broken Ambience 
// by Xantha 
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	The air is calm, the weather absolutely wonderful.
I sit here on the hillside on the outskirts of Manehatten, more along the countryside, bringing a close to this little story that I've decided to document. It might not seem like a small ordeal for me, but for anyone else who reads this in the future, I'm sure it will just be another tale of tragedy. 
Pegasus flit through the air today, rushing clouds all around the sky; that brilliant blue sky that reminds me of her beautiful electric hair. Even the clouds way up above remind me of her; the delicate white fur that covered her from head to hoof. In my opinion, her best feature were her eyes, because they were the shade of a polished apple, crisp and ready to be plucked from its tree. They were so beautiful, so energetic, yet so honest.
And how about those ridiculous magenta glasses? Oh how we had so many arguments about that one! I've always thought it was a shame that she covered her eyes, because I wanted to see them. I wanted to see what she saw, to see what she felt, to see what she loved. They reflected so much more than just her soul; they reflected everything that was right in the world.
It makes me smile to think of all the times I've stolen those silly things right off her nose, scampering away like a bandit each time I did so. Giggling and laughing, she would always catch me before I could hide them. Tackling me to the floor (she was very gentle, mind you) and growling at me in a hilarious way! She'd start laughing and right before she took her prized glasses back, she'd always manage to steal a long, lingering kiss.
One of the few memories that make me happy to know that someone loved me so much, so very much.
The mare of my life, my one and only, forever my always. Never will I forget her or her vows. Her promises will remain with me, yet to be fulfilled. I will wait and wait till my time comes, when death whispers silently to me and tells me 'Come home, she awaits'.
How I love her so! Sad to say I am reminded, my love has been divided, as I watch my little crème filly running up the hill to me. Flowers in her muzzle, white teeth flashing, she bounded up through the grass on her little legs. Rose gold hair whipped through the summer breeze as she ran, her tail flipping wildly behind her.
Energy radiated off her like tidal waves, the happiness of a young pony who has yet to see the world for both its ups and its downs. She has never known such sadness as I have, never seen the horrors of the world with those beautiful eyes.
They were a shocking blue, a blue I knew all too well.
Those were the very same eyes that made me ask myself; how could I pay tribute to my love? To show her as she sits down in heaven, watching us everyday, that this filly is also hers? I could only think of one thing that had both of our likenesses, a little of both to mark her as ours.
Dangling from her neck was a dark blue bow tie, the fine fabric glinting in the sun as she finally reached the top of the hill.
Plopping down next to me, I marveled at how I could possibly be blessed with a sweet filly like her. What could I have done to deserve a well-mannered, loving, and beautiful daughter? I was really stumped as I looked her over, trying to come up with an answer to my perplexing question.
However, it was plain to see, her hair was an absolute mess!
I laughed as I ran my hooves through her short hair, arranging it to look somewhat decent. Really, I wasn't much of a stickler when it came to her appearance, because after living with the kind of person I married? Over three years of my life has been full of messes because of the life I decided to lead. Frankly, I cleaned up most of the messes, but I wish I could go back and clean just one more.
Just one more. Whether it be a sink caked with hair gel, long socks littered on the floor, or even a sink full of dishes. One more mess, one more chance, to see her again.
"Momma," she squeaked, laying out the flowers in a neat row between the untrimmed blades of grass.
"Which one do you like?"
I surveyed each and every flower, pretending to be inspecting them very carefully, as though if I were some well-known floral critic. I nudged the flower that I personally loved, because the colors were very exquisite (and cliché, in my opinion). 
The little pony squealed in delight as she picked up the flower that had swirling pinks and whites before jumping up and placing it haphazardly behind my ear. Tucking it in place, she plopped on the grass and looked through the blossoms before picking her favourite. To my surprise, it was a similar blue to her bow tie (but who am I to be shocked? Since essentially, I did the exact same thing).
After watching her with a keen interest, I asked, "Vani, why do you like that colour so much?"
She paused in her rumaging through the flowers, placing the small blue orchid gently in the grass, and tried to find words to describe herself to me.
"Well, I really like blue because I like the sky, and the ocean, and the birds that sing." She hurried and got up before twirling around, almost as if she were chasing her own tail, the silly thing.
"They sing so prettily!" Vani twirled and twirled, laughing and singing about the birds.
"One day momma I want to sing like the birds! You can play your big cello and I can sing about the earth, and the sky, and the rain!"
Hopping and skipping in circles, it almost made me dizzy. It made me overjoyed to see her so happy, so excited about everything that made her life so colourful. I knew the real answer as to why blue was her absolute favorite however, and I knew that it had to do with her mother. She never met her, but I know she wish she had. Vani grieves in a much different way than I do, but that's okay. It's only natural to want to have known who your other parent was. 
That's exactly what this story is for. One day she might be old enough to read it, to take in everything that has happened to her mother and to know who she was. A life lesson to know that fear isn't something to be afraid of, because life itself is not something to fear; Sadly her mother is an example of someone who ended up being a victim to her own fears, depressions, and worries (in a much more horrible, grotesque way).
Life is a gift, and a gift mustn't be feared.
A gift must be opened, and loved.
Isn't that why today is called the 'present'?
I've seen first hand what Vinyl was afraid of. You should know, my dear reader; it has pained me greatly, but I can live through it because I now know something that I never really understood. I began to realize that there was more to her than I ever thought could have been hiding in the dark corners of her daily thoughts.
Princess Luna made it possible for me to see, using her magic to open a veil, to know what was happening inside Vinyl's mind. I have witnessed each fear on that dreadful night. Fears of her mother leaving, fears of dear old Alabastar dying and dissapointed in his end, even fears of what marriage was and what it could mean for both herself and I. 
And lastly, the fear I myself could relate to.
What it was like to become a mother. 
Becoming a mother has been a start of a great journey, one with so many trials and obstacles. I can understand why she was afraid, because I didn't know if I could be a good mother, I didn't know how to raise a pony, I still have so much more to find out. The fear that has been added on to the ever growing list; I will have to do it alone.
Vinyl isn't here to help me physically, however, I know she is helping all she can from up above. Dare I say, maybe she will help Vani gain a musical destiny. With a daily influence like me, Equestria's best cellist (not to mention the help from the best DJ ever known from somewhere above), I really believe that our little filly will grow and be nourished in the love of music.
The beauty of music never died, even when Vinyl did.
Her music lives on, thriving here with everyone who was able to experience it. Recordings were made, pictures were saved, and inspiration was placed. She went from having nothing to having everything and will live on as the most creative and most beloved DJ the world will ever witness.
I truly know that Vani will come to love her music as I have, and she will love and accept that she has been raised by both sides of this amazing musical world. From the new age to the old, music will shape and mold her into something exceptional.
It might seem like a typical thing for a mother to say, but I wish every day and every night before I fall asleep, that Vani will join me and her mother to become one of the greats.
A name that will be remembered, for whatever her destiny will be, that she will be known all throughout the land and endless in time.


Vanilla Ambient Quartet
.

If you read this, my dearest Vani, both your mother and I love you.

We always will.

~ Octavia Philharmonica Scratch


"You will always be faced challenges you feel are too big to overcome; know this at the least. If you will learn anything in this life you have been graciously given, it's that you can either make it beautiful or not. A fulfilling life comes from hard work and the will to live, and if you don't want to put in the effort to find the sun behind the shade, then it was a gift merely wasted. You will be tried, but you will also be loved. Try your hardest for both yourself and for the people that love you." -Octavia