Chapter 10: Re-Discovering Destiny
After the fall of Discord, Ponyville was returned to its natural harmonic state. Buildings were rebuilt, including Vinyl’s home, and the community came together as a whole to repair, expand, and celebrate.
Weeks filled up with work, taking the time of everypony in town. After it was mostly over, Vinyl and Octavia were personally asked to play at a huge celebration to thank Twilight and her friends for, once again, saving Equestria. Even though she was a guest of honor, Pinkie Pie insisted on hosting, of course.
Vinyl was ecstatic at the prospect of another big party, while Octavia found it more daunting. Aside from the fact that she would be playing in front of all her old Ponyville acquaintances, she also would be playing specifically for the Elements of Harmony, the six ponies who – truth be told – were like national heroes. And then there was Twilight Sparkle, a Canterlot born pony who was not only the Element of Magic, but also the Princess’ number-one student, and one of the most important ponies in all of Equestria. Honored and grateful went right beside terrified and nervous in Octavia’s heart despite all she'd said to Twilight in Canterlot.
The two friends had, of course, accepted the offer. Vinyl suggested gathering the other Ponyville musicians, hoping to expand their range of sound. Fiddlesticks was the first and obvious choice, but Octavia struggled to think up others. As she sat down to breakfast, – pancakes and juice – Vinyl spoke up. Her roommate had prepared the food again, making sure to wash the dishes on the ‘normal’ setting this morning.
“Well, you remember Maestro’s grandson, right? He plays the some pretty smooth jazz on the saxophone, and he ain’t all that uptight.” Vinyl rolled her hoof in a slight gesture as she spoke. “And then there’s Lyra, of course. She’s real good with her lyre and I bet she’d sound great playing beside your cello.”
Octavia paused for a moment in mid-bite, but Vinyl was too distracted to notice. She hastily took a large bite of her pancake, trying to look nonchalant. “I’ll go around and see who I can get together," She replied after swallowing. "You should go talk to Pinkie about the details of the party. Can you think of any other ponies with musical talents around here?”
Vinyl paused, before scooping her own pancakes out of the frying pan and onto her plate. “I think Derpy Hooves plays the cowbell, of something. Or was that Dinky?”
It was pretty clear to Octavia that, aside from the three Vinyl had already mentioned, Ponyville was rather short on musical talent. Octavia had heard Pinkie Pie sing before, but she was fairly certain that if she heard the ‘Pony-Pokey’ one more time, she’d cry.
Soon, breakfast was behind her and Octavia started out.
Before anything, she went to Pitch Perfect and was pleased to see the old stallion, Maestro, working on a lute with the careful focus of a master artist. His grandson – Harmonic Flare – tended the store passively, waving to Octavia as she entered.
“Hello there, Miss Melody. Are you here about the materials we got in yesterday? Brand new strings for your cello and a nice, new greenwood cello; it’s assured to repair itself of any minor damages within two days. Within reason, of course.”
Harmonic Flare shared the blue color of his coat with his grandfather, but his mane was a soft white, streaked with lines of yellow. His eyes were a matching yellow, setting off their color nicely when he styled his mane right. Flare sported a cutie-mark of a simple eighth note, with flames trailing off its flag.
“Hm. Well, I may need to speak to you about that anon, but no, I didn’t come here to shop. I’m sure you heard that Vinyl and I are playing at the party to celebrate the fall of Discord. We were wondering if other ponies of musical skill wanted to join us. You included, Flare,” Octavia said, smiled at the young stallion.
“I would love to!” He rose up, his front hooves on the shop's countertop, but froze and dropped back down. “… But I need to mind the store during the party. Sorry, Octavia.”
“Nonsense,” Maestro spoke up from nearby. “I’ll watch the store, young one. You go play. I’ll close early and come watch you.” The elderly pony winked at Octavia, offering a wide smile.
“Thank you, grandfather!” Flare hopped back from the counter. “I can’t wait to start practicing!”
Octavia nodded and bid the two farewell, trotting along seemingly at random. However, before she really stopped to think about it, she found herself at Lyra’s doorstep, staring at the beautiful flowerbed maintained out front. Her mind was racing like a stampede and she felt her heart speed up to match.
“Why am I so nervous?” Octavia asked the flowers. They weren't very responsive. “It’s just Lyra and Bon-Bon. I know them both, even if it’s been a while. A long while… Nothing has changed.” But, something had, hadn't it?
Octavia was still staring at the flowers when the door opened. Bon-Bon gave a startled jump at seeing a pony on her doorstep. “Oh! Hellon” Bon-Bon said with a fast smile, recovering just as quickly. She stared, as if tying to remember the mare in front of her. “Can I help you?”
Octavia paused a moment, then nodded. “Yes, I’m here looking for Lyra? Lyra Heartstrings?”
Bon-Bon looked at Octavia for a minute more, her expression deepening. She gasped suddenly. “Octavia? How could I have not recognized you!” Bon-Bon laughed, her smile becoming wider and filled with joy. “Lyra will be glad to see you.”
Octavia nodded, keeping patient. “I sure hope so. May I come in?”
Bon-Bon nodded. “Oh, of course. Lyra, dear! You’ve got a very important guest!”
“One minute, Bon-Bon.” Lyra strolled from a door down the hall, muzzle deep in a book she was levitating with her magic, unable to see Octavia. The book was titled ‘Myths Explored: Humans’ and was a large, dictionary-sized affair.
Bon-Bon cleared her throat loudly and slouched in disappointment. Instantly, Lyra lowered the book, looking somewhat fearful. Octavia couldn’t help but giggle at her old friend’s expression.
Lyra recovered, but simply stared at Octavia for a few seconds, before dropping her book entirely. “Octavia!” Lyra shouted, grinning wildly and hopping over her precious tome to join the two by the door. “It’s been so long! I heard rumors you were back, but I didn’t see you anywhere. I was starting to think they weren’t true.”
“I have taken up residence with Vinyl at her—“
“I should’ve guessed you’d move in with Vinyl.” Lyra excitedly interrupted Octavia. Octavia was used to this kind of excitement; Lyra must be a fan of her music. “Sorry, come on in. Are you about to water your flowers, Bonnie?” She asked Bon-Bon, who was giggling and nodding.
“Shouldn’t be long. Take care of our guest and have fun, Lyra.” Bon-Bon had a slight blush on her face from the pet name Lyra had used as she stepped around Octavia, moving to tend to her flowers with a mother’s love.
Quickly, Lyra turned and picked up the discarded book with a quick spell, depositing it on a nearby shelf. “… Put that where it belongs later…” She muttered to herself, turning to beam at Octavia again. “Sorry about the mess. If I’d known we were having company…” Octavia raised a hoof to stall Lyra’s apology.
“Really, it’s fine. You don’t need to worry so much. I mean, have you seen the inside of Vinyl’s home?” Octavia chuckled as she trotted inside, stopping near her friend.
“But I do. I mean, do you get how important you are to me? What your rise to fame meant?” In retrospect, Octavia didn’t. She’d hardly considered the impact of her fame on other ponies. “You were a pony from Ponyville, taking Canterlot by storm and becoming a musical legend. You gave ponies like me hope.” Lyra’s smile became less like that of a manic fan and more sincere. “I’m not Canterlot material, I know that. It’s part of why I moved here. I felt so small in Canterlot and came here to get away from all that. But, when you became famous…” Lyra trailed off, turning to look out a nearby window. Bon-Bon was there, smiling as she lavished the flowers with her delicate attention. Octavia noticed her mouth moving, fancying that she was either talking or singing to the flowers. “It’s because of you that I felt less small. And it’s because of that, that I got the courage to ask Bon-Bon to marry me. I owe you so much.”
Octavia was awash with embarrassment at this news. She'd been the catalyst for a marriage proposal? She'd never imagined something like that could happen. “Thank you, Lyra. That really means a lot to me to hear that I gave you such strength. I would very much like to hear the story of how you proposed sometime, but I came here to ask you a question.”
“Oh? What’s up?” Lyra trotted over to a chair, taking a seat. The way Lyra sat gave Octavia pause; a slightly risqué position, with her hooves dangling down towards the ground. It looked very uncomfortable to Octavia, but Lyra seemed content.
Octavia paused to mull over how to word the question about Lyra playing. She worked her jaw and wondered why this question was proving so hard to pull together. Taking a deep breath, she stilled herself. She felt absolutely foolish. She charged right into the question, without thinking any more.
“Lyra, aside from my help, how did you find the strength to tell Bon-Bon your feelings?”
‘What?’ Octavia questioned herself in her mind, blinking a few times in confusion at her own words. Lyra likewise looked confused by the sudden question.
“Uh. Well, it just kinda happened, actually. We had always been close friends, ever since I moved here, but after you left, I thought 'I need to make something of my life too,’ and I asked Bon-Bon out on a date. I suppose I didn’t really think about courage or any of that until after I’d asked.” Lyra seemed to think about that for a while longer, and then chuckled. “I never thought about it like that before...”
Octavia listened, enthralled in the story of what she'd caused. “Sorry to pry at your life. I've a friend who asked me for advice on the topic and I was horribly under-prepared to answer her.” Octavia kept her face straight, but her mind was a flurry of self-doubt. Why was she lying to Lyra about the question? Why did she feel the need to defend herself? Why did she even ask it in the first place? She felt like an absolute foal, throwing herself into this situation.
Lyra was quiet as the thoughts raged through Octavia’s head. She scanned her over with questioning eyes, searching for something. Then, she smiled a small, knowing smile. “Well, I would tell your friend to follow her heart.” Lyra nodded a bit, confident in her words. “It sounds like a cliché, but we always let our brains get the better of our hearts. We always stumble over our words and let our hooves trip over themselves like foals on stilts.”
The more Lyra spoke, the more nervous Octavia became. And she didn’t even know why! “In the end,” Lyra continued, “only your friend,” Lyra raised an eyebrow as she emphasized the word, “can do what needs to be done. A wise pony once said; ‘good things come to those who wait’ – but I’m fairly certain that pony knew nothing about love. Chances will rise for the patient pony, yeah, but your heart will be empty forever if you don’t follow it and seize your chances. At least, that’s what I've learned.”
Lyra wasn’t accusatory, haughty, or rude, but Octavia still felt as if she’d been placed in the spotlight. Her mouth felt oddly dry and her eyes felt moist. “I-I… uh… That’s very nice, Lyra, but I don’t think my friend can use that advice.” Octavia took a step or two away, back towards the door. “Her heart is a very confusing place right about now.”
Lyra hopped off the seat and stepped up the distance. “Octavia, I’m nopony’s fool. Except for maybe Bon-Bon’s.” Lyra added the last bit with a chuckle. “I know a friend didn’t ask for help; that’s the oldest trick in the book. You need the advice, right?” Octavia felt her gut twist, her heart throb, and her dry mouth suddenly become much too moist; she was certain she would be sick.
While Octavia had known it all along, hearing it was like a physical blow, straight to her heart. Octavia wasn’t ready for this, she wasn’t ready at all.
“It’s Vinyl, right? No other reason you’d be so nervous.” Lyra pointed out, adopting a concerned look.
Of course it was Vinyl. Who else could it be? She mentally cursed Lyra for catching on. She cursed herself for ever opening her big mouth. She cursed Vinyl for being a wonderful idiot. She cursed Equestria, just because she could. Nerves crumbling, Octavia turned, determined to leave, wanting to be gone.
“Wait.” Lyra’s voice was quiet, but insistent. Octavia stopped, not able to leave after hearing her tone. Something about it made her realize that running now would only make things worse. Slowly, she turned to look back at Lyra, who was gazing at her sorrowfully. “Octavia, you can’t run from this. Look at what it’s doing to you.”
“I am just fine, when I don’t think about it,” Octavia countered, suddenly becoming very interested in the floor.
“You live with Vinyl. You see her every day. Try again; maybe it’ll be believable this time.” Lyra closed the distance again, frowning. “It must be eating you up inside, Octavia.”
“Not any more than the jealousy and pride that ate away at me in Canterlot. I'm no stranger to repressing emotions.” Octavia kept her voice to a whisper, not sure if Lyra even heard her. If she did, Lyra didn’t react. But, just as Octavia was about to turn and go, Lyra did something Octavia couldn’t handle; she hugged her.
Slowly, very slowly, Octavia began to cry. She couldn’t stop it, but she certainly tried. All her defenses, all her shields, crumbled like a dam holding too much water. Her hooves gave way and she started to fall, but Lyra lowered her down, making sure the decent didn’t hurt. As she wept she heard Lyra speaking, but she wasn’t aware of what she was saying. Shortly after, Bon-Bon’s voice joined the chorus of meaningless noise.
The two ushered Octavia into the next room, helping her onto the couch. Once she was there, everything came loose and she released all of her pent-up emotions; emotions that she had denied since longer than she could remember. Her heart crumbled, melted and was smelted anew as her walls completely collapsed for the first real time.
After what felt like ages, the tears stopped and her sobs faded. She looked over to her hostesses, wiping her tears away, taking her makeup with them. “I-I’m so very sorry about this.” Her voice was hoarse from crying, so much so that, for a moment, she hadn’t realized it had been her that had spoken.
“Don’t be,” Bon-Bon said in a soothing tone, a sad, knowing look on her face. “Lyra explained everything to me. Are you okay?”
Lyra was off to the side, still wearing the same worried expression. Using her magic, she drifted a tissue over to Octavia, who gratefully accepted it.
“I’m fine, honest.” Octavia shifted, sitting more upright, sniffing, and blowing her nose. For once, she didn’t try to be dainty about it. “You’re right, you know,” she muttered, looking to Lyra out of the corner of her eye. “About all of it. Everything.” She looked back down, trying to not cry again. “I'd never imagined I could have anything more than Vinyl’s friendship. But, I suppose that I’ve always wanted more... to be somepony special in her life – unique, her one and only.”
She refused to cry, though she doubted she had any tears left anyway. “What should I do? I came here because I felt like, if anypony could help me…” All thoughts of the concert had fled at this point. “… but now I am starting to think it is too late. None of it matters anymore.”
Lyra sat down on a nearby loveseat, shaking her head. “Octavia, don’t think like that. You need to have courage if you want things to change. You need to—“
“She has a boyfriend, Lyra.” Octavia rushed out the words, cutting Lyra off.
“Oh.” Lyra fell silent for a second after that. “Does she love him?”
“I have no idea.” Octavia gave a weary sigh, laying her head back down on the couch. “He’s a nice enough guy, I suppose. They share a lot in common and I’m almost Vinyl’s opposite.”
“Opposites attract sometimes.” Bon-Bon took a seat next to Lyra, adopting a small smile. “You should talk to her about it. Tell her how you feel. You might just be surprised at her reaction.”
“And it might just break my heart. Or ruin our friendship.”
“We both know Vinyl wouldn’t let that get in the way of your friendship,” Bon-Bon scolded gently. “Besides, are you really any better off right now?”
Octavia flinched slightly at that. She couldn’t deny that point. “But the time is never right,” Octavia argued.
“Is there ever a right time?” Lyra asked softly.
“Yes, there is.” Bon-Bon answered before Octavia could. “I know exactly what she means. But you shouldn’t let that stop you forever. You need to make chances, if one won’t arise.” Octavia nodded a little as Bon-Bon mirrored her wife's words, trying to look as grateful as she felt. She wiped her eye clear of the last of its irritation, wiped away her stained make-up and cleared her throat.
“I need to go.” She slid from the couch, fixing her bow-tie and collar with her hoof. She gave a small chuckle, looking to the couple sitting together nearby as her thoughts realigned themselves. “You know, originally I came here to invite Lyra to play at Ponyville’s celebration for the fall of Discord. It’ll be the day after tomorrow.”
“I’d love to,” Lyra said, obviously trying to sound upbeat. “Just promise me you’ll come back and talk about this when you feel up to it. Okay?”
Octavia gave a nod. “I promise.” She meant it, too. For the first time in forever, she wasn’t running, wasn’t hiding, and truly had somepony who understood. There was a sense of true companionship she had found in the unlikely couple. She couldn't deny, as she walked out the door, that she would be back. Often.
Walking the streets of Ponyville, she found her mind roaming back to what Lyra and Bon-Bon had told her. For all her class and talent, in the war of love Octavia was as weak and timid as a newborn foal.
She needed to be stronger. She needed to make something happen. But the more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. Thankfully, her wanderings soon brought her to her parent’s house.
There was one other pony she knew she could talk to about this.
Fiddlesticks had been excited to see Octavia; so much so that she didn’t notice her sister’s obvious stress. She hurried her half-sister into the living room to see their parents and spend some time as a family. It took several minutes of idle conversation before Fiddlesticks began to catch on that something was wrong.
“Hey Octi, can you give me a hoof with somethin’ in my room?” Fiddle asked as she rose from her seat. Octavia just nodded, standing as well. Without another word, the two started upstairs. Fiddle had noticed her parent’s expressions; they also knew something was wrong, but they were obviously having trouble asking about it.
It had been like this ever since Octavia had come back. Their parents were excited to have her back, but the two of them seemed to have no idea how to be her parents anymore, as if her rise to stardom made her somepony else. It looked like it would fall on Fiddlesticks to do something.
“Alright Octi, you’re wound tighter than a ten-day clock. What’s wrong?” Fiddle asked as she shut the door behind them.
Octavia sighed, gathering her courage. “I had a talk with Lyra Heartstrings. We talked about a rather serious topic and… well, I’m not sure where I stand emotionally anymore.”
Fiddle whistled as she walked more into the room, finding a seat on her bed. “Sounds like a big deal. But that don’t really tell me much, sis.”
“I… may have made the decision that I like mares over stallions.” Octavia blushed as she spoke. This was less difficult and more embarrassing now.
Fiddlesticks blinked a few times, and then blushed right along with her. “O-Oh. Wow, that is a big deal.” She cleared her throat, pushing past the embarrassment. “Is it Vinyl?”
Octavia blushed more. First Lyra and now Fiddlesticks; was it really that obvious?
“You gonna tell her? It ain’t easy, but you know it's right.”
“I know,” Octavia said, finding a seat beside her sister, “but it’s easier said than done. With Neon in her life, I suppose I’m a little… afraid.” She laid her head down, sighing. The bed smelt familiar, reminding Octavia of the days of her fillyhood, when the two would play in this room together. They were the times when life wasn’t nearly so complicated; beautifully simple times. “I can’t do it. I just can’t.”
“Then nothin’ll ever change,” Fiddle said gently, but her sister still winced. She sat more upright, trying to looking confident. Octavia had always been there for her and now it was her chance to be strong, for her sister. “Octi, you ain’t yourself. You’re sufferin’. You’re beatin’ yourself up over a possibility, without even really stoppin’ to think about it all that much.”
Octavia turned, spotting herself in Fiddle’s mirror. She'd wiped away the streaks of mascara and, but her eyes were still very faintly puffy from crying earlier. She forced her self to look down and away down, shivering. She didn’t like how accusing those eyes were as they stared back at her. “I just don’t know, Fiddle… I don’t know how I can approach this.” Octavia looked to her sister, feeling tears return to her eyes. “Oh Fiddlesticks, what should I do?”
Fiddlesticks looked surprised and maybe a little nervous. She had always come to Octavia for advice, not the other way around. This turn of events quickly snuffed out Fiddle's confidence as indecisiveness took hold.
“I-I don’t know, sis. You just gotta tell her, somehow.” Fiddle frowned, shaking her head as Octavia looked down at the bed. “I ain’t no expert on love. Ain’t had a special somepony my whole life.” Fiddle kicked her hoof, embarrassed and shy. “But, I would say, you should listen to your heart, right?” Octavia turned to look at Fiddle again, but her sister refused to look back.
Listen to her heart. She nearly laughed at the idea when Lyra had suggested it to her, but here was her sister saying the same thing. She would've called it rubbish, but she knew that would only be out of denial. She was spiteful because she knew that this was all easier than she was making it. It just scared her so much. Solemnly, she placed a hoof over her heart, closing her eyes.
What did her heart tell her?
The rhythmic thump met her in the void, the sound of life. In that rhythm that she felt all her music, everything she had ever played or written, thumping ceaselessly in her breast. The music was bound to her, as it was to Vinyl. Octavia had never really liked the idea of fate or destiny, even before her stint in Canterlot. Why should some greater plan decide what happens in her life? Why couldn’t she make her own destiny?
Deep in her soul, Octavia believed that fate was nothing more than a guideline a pony must follow, but that their destinies were their own. If one tried hard enough, the very fabric of one’s life could be rewritten to make all your dreams a reality.
But some things are beyond changing. Some things were simply meant to be.
In her heartbeat, she heard a gentle love song. She wondered if Vinyl’s heart played the same tune. And if so, did it play for her, or for Neon Lights? For what felt like an eternity, Octavia felt the beat of her heart against her hoof. She dug deep within herself and listened to her own thoughts and emotions, forcing aside the fear; the fear of what she might find.
All roads lead to Vinyl; her dearest friend, her truest companion, and her greatest rival. Her breathing became insubstantial, her body lighter than air, as each of her senses vanished with her fears.
She cared for Vinyl.
She adored Vinyl.
She envied Vinyl.
But she also envied Neon Lights. Ever since the day she saw him kissing Vinyl, she had been fighting a battle deep within herself against primal envy and more refined jealousy. She had been too afraid to admit why, too blinded by doubt and societal views. But now, the blinds were ripped away and she was forced to look upon things as they truly were.
She cared and adored and envied Vinyl; but more than anything else, she loved her.
She was in love with Vinyl Scratch.
She repeated the phrase in her head, curling her lips into a smile as she did. Her senses began to return, the world imposing itself on her again. She was fairly certain she was crying, but she wasn’t positive. The world regained its color once more as Octavia opened her eyes.
It had only been a few seconds and Fiddlesticks hadn’t moved, still looking away from her. Octavia reached out, placing a hoof on Fiddle’s shoulder, making her sister turn to look at her with large, worrisome, and hopeful eyes.
“Thank you, Fiddle… Thank you so much.” She leaned in, hugging her sister tightly. “I love her, Fiddle. I love Vinyl.” Thinking it and saying it were two different extremes. She choked on Vinyl’s name, tears blurring her vision again. However, as the world returned, the facts fell back into place. “But she has Neon. And I won’t ruin somepony else’s happiness, all because of my own selfish desires.”
Fiddle pushed back from the hug, looking at her sister with a spark of hope in her eyes. “You’re assumin’ Vinyl doesn’t love you too.”
“I wish it were so easy, Fiddlesticks, but what evidence has there ever been of Vinyl liking mares?” Octavia asked bluntly. Fiddle had no answer, deflating a little. “I thought so.” Octavia let out a dejected sigh. “I’d only break my heart, Fiddle. And then I’d be worse off than I am now.” Octavia saw the sorrow in her sister’s eyes and hugged her again. “I’ll be fine. I just need to distract myself, that’s all. Once I do that, it’ll all be fine."
Music. Blaring, ear-shattering music. Octavia groaned and pulled her pillow over her head. Vinyl was washing the dishes again. She rolled over, trying to pin her head between the pillow and the bed, but the vibrations from the bass shook the entire bed frame. Finally she gave up, climbed from her blankets, fixed her mane, and went downstairs.
Vinyl was at the stove – cooking eggs, Octavia assumed. They were Vinyl’s favorite. Her eccentric roommate was dancing, swaying her flank back and forth as she waved the spatula like a deranged conductor’s wand. She was completely unaware of the world around her; the cooking and music had all of her attention in an iron grip.
For once, Octavia didn’t interrupt, leaning onto the doorframe leading to the kitchen, looking a little smug. Eventually, while she was reaching for some seasonings, Vinyl caught sight of her roommate as she watched her silently.
“Oh yeah. Oops.” Vinyl slowly moved over to the dishwasher without breaking eye-contact with Octavia, as if she was in a staring contest with some violent animal. With a flick of her hoof, she set the machine to silent washing. “Hehe… Sorry Tavi. Old habits, yanno?”
Octavia tried to be mad – she really did – but after the previous night’s revelations, she was starting to view Vinyl differently. Even in her flaws, Vinyl was everything Octavia adored. Everything she did, she did for her passions; from cooking to music. Even her odd inventions, bothersome as they were. Octavia had always respected that about Vinyl. Now, that respect had turned to love.
“Don’t worry about it, Vinyl. I was already awake when it started.” Octavia deftly lied as she moved over to the table, taking a seat.
“Well, that’s good to know. I always feel kinda bad when I wake you up like that,” Vinyl shot back with a small chuckle, swapping the eggs over to a plate. “Oh, you got some mail. It’s from somepony named Beauty Brass in Canterlot. A friend of yours?” With a flicker of magic, Vinyl flipped a letter off the counter, landing it on the table in front of Octavia. After a second, a plate of eggs and orange juice followed.
Octavia was overjoyed to see the letter from her friend, but she kept her excitement from showing. “Indeed. She’s one of the only ponies I would really call a friend in that dreadful city.” Octavia responded as she opened the letter. Without another word, she started to read.
Beauty missed her.
The thought made Octavia smile a bit. According to the letter, Noteworthy had tried playing a concert without her, but the lack of their star proved devastating to their sales. Beauty showed no small amount of amusement at Noteworthy’s distress. After finishing her drink, Octavia started reading out loud.
“Noteworthy has been improving, though not much. Humility is a strong medicine,” Octavia read with a chuckle. “We are holding another concert this upcoming week and Noteworthy ask that you attend. And I would love to see my friend, too. Ever awaiting your reply; your friend, Beauty Brass.” Octavia was smiling, her chest warm with happiness. Vinyl, sitting across from her, dipped some toast into the broken yolk of her egg, watching her as she read through the letter again.
“Nice letter. That Noteworthy pony is the one who made Fiddlesticks cry, right?” Vinyl asked as she took a bite of the soaked toast, eyes visible for once. She never put on her glasses this early; they made it hard to cook, she said. They looked calm to the casual observer, but Octavia could see the faint glint of anger in them.
“Yes, but I already gave him his just desserts for that.” Octavia folded the letter as she spoke.
“You can never have too much dessert. Besides, you and I have a very different idea of what needs to be done.” Vinyl countered, levitating her glass over, taking a sip of orange juice. “Well, I’m at least glad to hear about the concert. You’ve been cooped up way too long. You need to get out there. Maybe meet a special somepony or somethin’. Anything.”
Octavia went to say something, but trailed off. She looked up down to the letter in her hooves, thinking. “I’ll be fine, Vinyl.” She pulled up her walls, blocking any emotions out.
“Never said you wouldn’t.” The DJ sipped the last of her drink. She was silent for a moment as she levitated the dirty dishes off the table. “But, it’s like… hard to say. You’ve been actin’ really weird lately. It’s not bad – nothin’ like that – but it ain’t like the old days. I’m worried about you, Tavi.”
Octavia looked back up from the letter, her defenses melting like ice under the sun. She had never meant to worry Vinyl. “I’m sorry. I’ve just got a lot on my mind lately,” She said with a weary sigh. “And maybe the old ways are best left as that. We should make new ways, don’t you think?”
From her spot at the sink, Vinyl looked up to the ceiling. “Yeah, I suppose so. I guess a part of me thought it would all be like before, only we’d be livin’ together now.” She looked back over her shoulder at Octavia with a smile. “But we’re, like, so far off topic now. Your band – or ensemble, or whatever – needs you, right? I think it’s a good idea that you start playin’ with 'em again.” She turned back, starting to rinse the dishes, preparing them for the washer. “Besides, if you don’t like it, just give Noteworthy a good kick in the muzzle, maybe two for me, and come back. I bet groups from all over Equestria would take you in. You’re super famous.”
Octavia faked a groan, smirking at Vinyl’s praise. She felt her face heat up and chuckled. “Fine. Fine, you win. I’ll head to Canterlot tomorrow and get ready for the concert. And if I kick Noteworthy, I won’t be aiming for his muzzle, Vinyl. Get it right.” She rolled her eyes dramatically as Vinyl looked back at her, sharing a laugh with her roommate. The tension inside her broke and she rose from her seat, pushing the chair back in. “Happy now?”
“Very,” Vinyl responded, as she started emptying the dishwasher.
As Octavia watched Vinyl levitate the dishes around the room, she let all her reservations about the previous night go. If she could keep living beside Vinyl like this, then nothing else mattered. She was happy right where she was.