Chapter 11: The Things We Do For Wub
[v]
Octavia fell onto the couch with a relieved sigh. She was back in Ponyville, at last. One thing she had learned to hate about her trips to Canterlot: riding the train for a whole day was very uncomfortable. She rolled over on the couch, basking in the silence of Vinyl’s home. In fact, it was a little too quiet.
“Vinyl?” Octavia sat up, looking over the back of the couch. “Are you home, Vinyl?” No answer. Octavia shrugged, falling back onto the comfy support of the couch. She must be out shopping or something.
It had been weeks since her talk with Lyra; between all her concerts, traveling back and forth between Canterlot and crafting more compositions for her latest Opus, Octavia hadn’t the time to stress over her unrequited love.
Deciding she had rested enough, Octavia flipped off the couch, ready to get some food and get started on her next composition. On her way to the kitchen, however, she heard a familiar voice, coming in through the window.
“— Always nice to get away from Canterlot for a while. Everypony there is just so… I dunno; boring, I guess.” Neon Light’s familiar voice made Octavia sigh. So that was where Vinyl had been. These visits from Neon were always difficult for Octavia. She tended to lock herself in her room with the excuse of wanting to compose in solitude, but Vinyl was starting to catch on.
“Eh, some are, some aren’t. Well, most are in Canterlot, but that ain’t my point.” Vinyl’s voice came from just outside. “The point is, Ponyville ain’t better or worse than Canterlot for shows. No matter where you play, your fans will come to you, usually.” Octavia lost the conversation for a few seconds, and then heard the door open down the hall.
“Yo, Tavi, you here?” Vinyl shouted, accompanied by the sound of the door closing.
“I’m in the kitchen, Vinyl. Hello Neon!”
“I’m startin’ to think you’re spyin’ on me, Octavia.” Neon Lights trotted into the room, grinning a wide grin. “Sup?”
Octavia forced a smile as she drew a leftover daffodil sandwich from the fridge. “Oh, nothing much really. I’m about to go upstairs and prepare my latest composition.” She kicked the door shut with her hind leg, carrying the plate along towards the hall again. She nearly bumped into Vinyl as she came into the room.
“Whoa there, Tavi.” Vinyl hopped out of the way just in time, grinning. “Gonna go vanish upstairs again?” She raised an eyebrow from under her glasses, smirking. “You don’t need to. Me and Neon are goin’ out.”
Octavia blinked, lifting her eyebrow in mirror to Vinyl's. “Well, that’s unusual for you two. What’s the occasion?”
Vinyl stared at Octavia for a second, and then chuckled. “Seriously, you’re out of it, Tavi. Don’t you remember what today is?”
Octavia, much to her shame, had no idea. Days had blended rather neatly for her and she was left clueless. “No, I’m afraid not… I’ve just been so busy…”
“It’s Hearts and Hooves day, Tavi. This brave stallion decided to treat me to a fancy dinner after a day of rockin’ out together. He has no idea how picky of an eater I am.” Vinyl nudged Neon, who chuckled and shrugged.
“Can’t be that hard.” Neon supplemented the sentence with a smile, though it looked a little nervous. “Right?”
“You’re doomed,” Octavia said bluntly, taking a bite of her sandwich. After she swallowed, she sighed. “So, you’ll be out all night then?”
“Nah, we should be back before dark.” Neon smirked a bit to himself, peering over to Vinyl. Octavia was instantly cautious; Neon rarely smirked like that and when he did, it rarely meant anything Octavia enjoyed. She set her sandwich down on a small table in the hall, nodding.
“Well, you two enjoy yourselves.” She was struggling to keep her smile now. She’d never really enjoyed Hearts and Hooves day like every other pony. She’d never had somepony special to spend it with. It had usually been her and Vinyl, practicing together, keeping one another company. But now…
“You too, Tavi. Here.” Vinyl passed several bits to her friend, giving her an understanding smile. “Go out and get something nice for yourself, as a gift from me. You’re special to me, Tavi. Don’t forget that.”
Octavia’s smile suddenly became less difficult to maintain. She accepted the bits, nodding. “Thank you, Vinyl. That means a lot.” She didn’t have much in the way of pocket change these days. She was still paying off the cello she had bought recently, her third one. Vinyl had, as promised, helped her pay off the first one and even had offered to help her with the other cellos she’d decided to buy, but Octavia refused to burden her friend with her monetary troubles. She wasn’t without bits, after all.
Watching Neon and Vinyl leave, Octavia felt a familiar pang of jealousy. She forced it down without reservation, biting her lip. What would she get for herself? She peered down at the bits, smiling.
“This should be just enough for a nice bottle of champagne.” Octavia nodded, sealing her decisions. Perhaps she would ask Vinyl to share it with her, once Neon had gone home later that night.
Ponyville was alive with lovers, a sight that dug into Octavia’s heart. However, she bore it with her head held high. After all, nopony was truly alone on Hearts and Hooves day, right? Even if they didn’t have lovers, they had friends or families that were just as important.
Octavia repeated that to herself like a mantra until she reached Pitch Perfect. Seeing the store was still open, she slipped inside, waving to Harmonic Flare as she entered. She was here for a reason, after all. “Good Evening, Flare. I’m here to make the next payment on the cello and to pick up a few spare strings.”
“Can do, ‘Tavia.” Flare smiled to her, slipping into the back. While she waited, she heard him call back out to her. “Hey, why aren’t you doing something today?” He trotted back into the room, carrying a box of spare strings. “I mean, given what day it is…”
Octavia frowned slightly, making the stallion trail off. “It’s rather impolite to ask a lady why she’s alone on Hearts and Hooves day, Flare. Usually the most obvious answer is the right one.”
“Obvious?” Flare sets the strings down on the counter, raising an eyebrow. “Octavia, you’re excellent. You’ve got to have so many stallions looking for your attention.” He tilted his head at her blank stare, frowning himself. “You don’t?”
Octavia groaned. “No, it’s not that. I’m sure I could find somepony, but…” She pulled her bits out of her saddlebag, rolling one of them around on her hoof, staring at it. “I suppose I just haven’t found the right one yet.”
Flare stared at her, and then nodded, letting his smile fade. “Then there’s no reason to be down, ‘Tavia. You’ll find your special somepony, someday. It’s only a matter of time.”
Octavia chuckled, but it was a forced chuckle, laced with uncertainty. Accepting the strings and paying her bits, she turned to leave. “Thank you, Flare.” She stopped in the doorway, looking over her shoulder. “Why aren’t you doing something today, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Same as you, I guess.” He chuckled, running a hoof over the back of his head. “I just haven’t found that special somepony. It’ll happen eventually, I’m sure.”
Octavia felt a pang of guilt for how rude she was. Turning, she gave him her undivided attention. “Flare, you’re a great pony and I’m sure that, when you find that special mare, you’ll make her the happiest pony in all of Equestria. We both need only continue to fight, till we eventually succeed.” She bowed her head and chuckled. “Until then, keep up the hard work. You’re a big help to everypony in Ponyville.”
Flare flushed, still rubbing the back of his head. “Thanks, Octavia. Have a nice day.”
Octavia nodded. “You too, Flare.” She smiled, turning to head out.
Octavia had no idea who this pony was.
One second, Octavia was deciding on which champagne to buy, and the next, this mare calling herself Berry Punch was right there beside her, helping her choose out the best one. And, even more curious, with everything Octavia knew about fine wines, this mare made her look absolutely ignorant. She couldn’t have been more accurate with her knowledge of the brands and types if she’d drank them all herself.
Finally deciding on a fine brand from the Crystal Empire, Octavia hurried out the store. She didn’t want to seem rude, but it was only a little after midday and the mare had been… rather intoxicated. She started home with the champagne in her saddlebag, but stopped, smiling to herself.
The day was still young and, despite all she said, she would really rather be outside than locked in her stuffy old room. She redirected herself towards her favorite restaurant, humming as she walked along. The day was young and she was determined to enjoy it.
Octavia returned home long after Luna had raised the moon. Content, she trotted inside, pulling off her saddlebags and looking around. The house was empty, as far as she could tell, and the door had been locked still. She'd expected Vinyl and Neon to be back by now. it was unlike them to lock the door...
A noise upstairs drew her attention. Frowning, she envisioned intruders in the house, though it was probably unwarranted. Still, Octavia cautiously picked up the champagne bottle by its neck, holding it like a small club. If she were wrong and the couple had simply decided to lock the door, then this would all just be a funny conversation for later. But if it wasn't them... Quietly, she snuck up the stairs towards the source of the sound.
She lowered the improvised weapon when she found herself staring at Vinyl’s door, hearing other, quieter sounds now. Curiosity and jealousy won out over her common sense and dignity. Her heart twisted violently in her chest as she crept closer, putting an ear to the door.
She flushed instantly at the sounds she heard within; a secret that could only be shared between lovers.
She jumped back from the door, feeling vile for more reasons than she could count. She felt tears sting her eyes, making her vision blur to incomprehensibility.
It hurt so much. Why did she let it hurt her so much?
Her legs went weak and she was forced to sit, wiping her eyes clear. She dropped the champagne, which thudded to the ground. She doubted the two in the bedroom even noticed the noise. She wanted to leave. She didn’t want to hear those two any longer. But she was so tired of hiding her emotions. Everything had crashed into her at once and now she just couldn’t stand it.
After several seconds, which felt like an eternity, Octavia scooped up the bottle and walked back down the stairs. She sat on the couch, setting the bottle on the table in front of her. She stared at it for a long moment, before removing the top and standing to find a glass. She only searched for a few seconds before she grew agitated and simply decided to drink from the bottle.
Gulping down the burning drink, Octavia felt some measure of relief. Pain was blurred into insensibility as the alcohol flowed through her bloodstream. As she drank, her tears stopped, the pain faded, but it was replaced with a new, irrational anger. She cursed Neon, and Vinyl too for that matter. Snarling, she lifted the bottle, only to find it was empty. She glared at the bottle, giving it a similar curse for being empty, hefting it to throw it but deciding to not.
In any other situation, she would have been appalled with herself for drinking so much. Right now, however, she just wanted more. Forcing herself to stand, Octavia wobbled on her hooves and set the bottle down, before making her way to the kitchen. Vinyl was a casual drinker; she never really got drunk so much as she got buzzed. However, the things she drank were rather extreme.
Octavia opened the cabinet she knew Vinyl kept her drinks in, picking out the strongest one the DJ had in stock – Everfree: a rye-and-wheat based alcohol made here in Ponyville. Without any ceremony, she pulled the cork from the bottle, walking back out into the living room as she drank.
Everfree was nothing like champagne. After the first gulp, Octavia coughed, spilling a good portion of the bottle. She growled under her breath, muttering oaths at the drink, as if it was somehow its fault.
Anger bubbled in her like a seething mass. How could Vinyl be so insensitive? Even if though she had no idea how Octavia felt, didn’t she consider the fact that she was alone on Hearts and Hooves day? Why would she do this where Octavia would have to hear it? Irrational anger gave way to resentment and rage.
She wouldn’t stay here. She would go stay with Fiddle. She always had a room at home.
She set the bottle down, starting for the door, but after three steps, she stopped, turned around and picked the bottle back up, bringing it with her. If she was leaving, she was leaving drunk and she was staying drunk.
Had Octavia been sober, she might have decided against such an action. Had she been sober, she would have likely just gone out for a while and come back later. Had she been sober, things wouldn’t have continued to escalate. Unfortunately, Octavia never really had very much experience with being truly drunk; which is probably why it’s so reasonable that she ended up at the wrong house.
“Fiddle? You in there?” Octavia leaned heavily on the door, knocking. “Fiddle, its Octi. I need ta… ta do the thing. Stay over.” The bottle of Everfree was empty now, discarded somewhere on the road to where she was now. “F – *Hic* – Fiddle, I know you’re there!” She knocked again, harder. “Open the do—” She groaned, trailing off as she suddenly felt very unwell. Just as she was about to turn and leave, the door opened.
“Octavia?” The voice wasn’t Fiddle's. In fact, it wasn’t even a mare.
Harmonic Flare watched Octavia from the doorway, eyes swimming with concern. “What’s happened? You look awful…” He trotted out to her, just as Octavia doubled over, becoming violently ill. After recovering, she looked over to Flare, blinking with alcohol-blurred eyes.
“Fiddle, I need ta… ta stay here. Dumb Vinyl, being so… dumb.” She started into Flare's house, too drunk to even wait for an invitation, the stallion walking beside her.
“Octavia, first off, I’m not your sister. Secondly, I’m not letting you wander around Ponyville like this to find her. You’re an absolute mess.” Flare put a hoof over her, guiding her along.
Octavia blinked a few times, wobbling, then looked over to Flare. “Oh. Hello Flare. Where’s Fiddle, I need ta talk to her.”
“At your parent’s house, I imagine.” Flare helped Octavia to the couch, lowering her down onto it. “Are you okay? You’re… drunk.”
“I’m not drunk. I’m just really… melty.” Octavia drooped into the couch. “And angry.”
“Well, that answers everything then. What would bring all this about?” Flare asked, trotting through a doorframe. He came back, levitating a glass of water. “Here, this’ll get rid of the taste in your mouth.”
Octavia took the glass, taking a sip. She stared at the ceiling, the world spinning around her. “Vinyl’s dumb.”
“Well, that’s not what you’d usually say.” Flare took a seat beside her, catching the water glass as it slipped out of Octavia’s hoof. The mare grumbled something and Flare sighed. “You can stay here for the night, until you’re better, okay? But it’s late and I was just about to get to sleep.” He slid off the couch, taking the glass from Octavia's shaky hooves, and setting it down on a nearby table. Trotting over to a closet, he levitated out a spare pillow and blanket. “If we can get you up the stairs, you can have my bed.”
Octavia nodded, a decision she instantly regretted, as it made the world spin even faster. “Mmhm… Stairs.”
The walk to the bedroom was uncomfortable for both ponies involved. Octavia seemed to do fine, when she was sitting or laying down, but the minute she tried to walk, one hoof seemed to get in the way of the other. Flare had to help her the whole way, but eventually, Octavia flopped onto the bed with a chuckle.
“Well, that was fun…” Octavia said, pulling herself further up onto the bed. Flare said something, but she didn’t hear it really. “Hey Flare.” She rolled over, looking at the stallion from her stomach. “You were... blushing when I talked to you earlier. Whyzat?”
Flare blinked, face slowly getting darker with a fresh blush. “Um… well, who wouldn’t? You’re a very beautiful and talented mare, Octavia… Now, I really should be getting to—”
“Don’t go.” Octavia reached out towards him with her hooves, eyelids drooping slightly. “Stay with me.”
Flare hesitated. He knew this was a powder keg and a single wrong choice could be disastrous. He figured he could stay, so long as he was careful. “Alright Octavia.” He trotted in, sitting on the end of the bed.
Octavia slid over, wrapping her forearms around him, pulling herself close in to snuggle herself against his side. “Call me ‘Tavia again. Please?”
Flare instantly regretted sitting down. Care had already failed him. Without forcefully pushing her off, there was no escape now. “Fine; ‘Tavia, you’re drunk—”
“I ain’t drunk” she interjected, getting completely bowled over as Flare kept talking.
“—and I don’t think you’d be so… this… if you were sober.” Flare leaned away from her, but Octavia simply pulled in tighter.
She was so sick of being like this; of being unloved. She looked to Flare and her eyes filled with hope and sadness. “I’m so tired, Flare. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
The unicorn flushed, shaking his head. “Look, I like you, ‘Tavia but you’re drunk and I don’t think you’re—”
Flare was cut off as Octavia lunged at him, pinning him onto his back with her two front hooves. She leaned in, pressing her lips to his. As she leaned back, she felt the heat rush to her face. “Flare…" The stallion just stared at her in shock, his face completely red. "Shut the buck up.”
“Yes ma’am…” He said mechanically, then grinned. It was the grin of any young man put into a situation like this one, as he decided to just... embrace this.
Octavia smirked and licked her lips, letting the night take them both.
Octavia groaned as she she woke up, putting a hoof to her head. It felt like somepony had been using her skull to bash nails through metal. She reached a hoof down to slide the blankets off herself, but paused when she realized the blankets weren’t her own.
She looked around, almost frantic, seeing the unfamiliar room. Sunlight shined in through a nearby window, painting everything in a warm shade of white. Octavia tried to jump from the bed, but a weakness shivered up her hind legs and she fell to the floor on her rear, sitting with a very confused look on her face.
As she sat, panting and shivering, vague images flashed in her head; scenes of a night she barely remembered, like a half-forgotten dream. But she knew it wasn’t a dream; sweat and heat and passion filled her memories of the previous night. Or what passed for passion, when you’re drunk and lonely and desperate. Octavia bit her lip so hard she thought it’d bleed.
'Flare…'
“Good morning.” Almost as if summoned by her thoughts of him, the unicorn leaned his head into the room. “You… uh… want some breakfast?”
Octavia felt shame wash over her, her face flushing brightly and her whole body shaking. What had she let herself do last night? “I… I am, uh…” She struggled, but no words came to her. She couldn’t look at Flare – couldn’t bear to look at the pony she’d used so flagrantly last night.
She heard him walk closer, flinching when he put a hoof against her side. “It’s kinda awkward, huh?”
Octavia barked out a sharp laugh at the understatement, an action which left her groaning and holding her head again. “Just a teeny bit. I’m very sorry about last night, Flare. I was not in a very good place, emotionally. Oh, my head...”
The stallion lifted her chin with a hoof, so she looked at him. “I know and it’s okay. Apology accepted. I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t attracted to you, Octavia, but I’ve always been terrified that if I told you, it would ruin our friendship. I’m certainly not happy about how last night went… but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.” He chuckled meekly, getting a faint smile from Octavia. “I also get that this was a one-night thing. So don’t worry about telling me it.”
“I… Thank you, Flare. I do think I’ll take that breakfast now.” Octavia found she could stand again, rising and nodding. “And then, I really should get home. I bet Vinyl is worried about me. I didn’t tell her where I was going.”
Harmonic Flare nodded in understanding, taking a few steps back. “Let’s not let last night get in the way of us being friends.”
Octavia felt a pang of emotion in her chest. Flare looked at her a lot like how she looked at Vinyl. Smiling a genuine smile, she nodded. “Never, Flare. But… let’s not make a habit of this, alright? Last night, I made a colossal mistake. I won’t say I didn’t enjoy it either—” What of it she could remember anyway. “—but I didn’t really want my first time to be so…”
Flare flushed scarlet again. “Your first time?”
“You didn’t notice?” Octavia chuckled and nodded. “Yes, I’ve never been with anypony before. You were my first, Flare.”
The stallion chuckled and looked down. “It was mine too, actually. Come on. I made some grilled-cheese sandwiches for breakfast.”
Octavia crept into the house carefully, unsure what the reaction would be to her vanishing all night. Just as she was about to reach the stairs, she smelt the familiar scent of Vinyl’s cooking. Heading towards the kitchen, she started to hear voices.
“I’m sure she’s fine, Vinyl. She’s a grown mare, not some little filly, lost in a city or something.” Neon sounded just a little annoyed, but a trace of concern laced his voice.
“You don’t get it, Neon. Tavi just doesn’t do this kinda thing. She never stays out overnight without sayin’ something. I hope nothin’ happened.” Octavia listened to the worry in Vinyl’s voice and stood straighter, ignoring her pounding headache.
Neon sighed, just as Octavia walked into the kitchen. Vinyl was sitting with her back to her, Neon staring right at her when she walked in. “See? What’d I tell you.”
Vinyl’s head snapped around, but she quickly seemed to deflate with relief. “By Celestia, where did you go last night, Tavi? I was worried sick.”
“Out,” Octavia said simply, walking into the kitchen. “When I heard the late-night excitement you two were having, I thought it would be best to give you some privacy. That’s all.”
Neon smirked to himself and Vinyl slowly blushed, her white coat turning a shade of pink. “Oh… Oh! You uh… heard that?”
Octavia wanted to smack the smirk right off Neon’s face. “Who wouldn’t? You two weren’t exactly quiet.” She got herself a glass of water, turning and leaning against the counter, facing the pair of ponies.
“You know, I was wondering where that empty bottle of champagne came from. Did you drink all that yourself?” Neon asked, making Octavia twitch. What she would give to have him in punching distance.
“Yes, that was mine,” Octavia responded, deadpan. “Why? What does it matter to you what I do?”
“Well, you’re Vinyl’s best friend and that means I care about you, even if you don’t seem to realize it yet.” Neon shrugged.
Vinyl, interrupting the conversation before it got worse, set a hoof on the table. “Wait, you drank all that yourself?”
“Yes. It was my Hearts and Hooves day present. I had hoped to share it with you, but you were otherwise occupied, so I simply drank it all myself.” Octavia summed up, trying to keep from sounding accusatory. She really didn’t blame Vinyl. It was natural for special someponies to be together like that.
“Did you take my Everfree too? I noticed the cabinet was open and a bottle was missing.” Vinyl asked, raising an eyebrow. Her eyes, not yet blocked by her glasses for the day, looked concerned.
Octavia found this a little harder to justify, floundering for a second for a reason. “Well, I decided to try something different, after. I suppose I was acting a little recklessly at that point.” She settled on a half-truth, praying for them to drop it.
“Well… Looks like I underestimated you, Miss Priss.” Neon smiled, tipping an invisible hat. “You really do know how to party.”
Octavia felt the imagined ropes of her restraint strain. “It was no party, I assure you, Neon. All-in-all, it was actually quite regrettable.” She leaned off the counter, finishing her drink. “Can we please talk about something else?”
“Sure sure.” Neon nodded, tilting his head forward with a small smirk. “How’s about tellin’ us who you were with last night?”
Octavia narrowed her eyes, but Neon kept smiling.
“You smell like we did, before we cleaned up. And then there’s the defensiveness. Nopony just goes ‘out’ when they’re that drunk. Believe me, I would know.” Neon chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ve been to enough parties and seen it enough times. So, who’s the lucky stallion?”
The imagined ropes snapped and Octavia snarled at Neon, just as Vinyl – who was getting redder by the second – was about to intervene. “Oh, shut the buck up, you ass!” Octavia slammed the glass of water down to punctuate the last word, flaring her nostrils in rage.
There was a very long moment of silence. Octavia withdrew her anger, ashamed with herself. Vinyl looked absolutely speechless, something Octavia had never once seen before – not like this at least. Neon looked just a little smug.
“Well… I suppose even refined ponies like you are entitled to a few mistakes in life, Octavia. Don’t take it so seriously. I didn’t mean to make you so mad.” Neon wagged a dismissive hoof. He looked to Vinyl, but had to nudge her to get her attention. “I think I’ll head out. It’s a long ride back to Canterlot. Later.”
The two shared a brief kiss and Neon rose, bowing his head to Octavia in passing. He door shut behind him with a soft click, that sounded like a hammer in the silence.