Chapter 20: Strings Unbound
[v]
Vinyl hummed to herself, bobbing her head to the pounding beat of the dishwasher. She swayed, flipping the eggs with a flick of her magic, using another burst to start the coffee. Octavia would be up shortly, give her usual spiel about the dishwasher waking her up, the two would laugh, eat breakfast, and start another day together.
But as the toast finished and Vinyl turned to put the eggs on the table, there was still no sign of Octavia. Frowning, Vinyl placed down the food and went looking for her partner. The entire downstairs was empty; she must still be up getting ready. Vinyl smiled, deciding to bring breakfast up to her this morning. Octavia loved little surprises like that.
Trotting up the steps with a bounce in her step, Vinyl thought about the past several weeks. Octavia had been acting stranger and stranger, zoning out more often and playing her music less and less. Vinyl was pretty sure it had to do with her father and had been working hard to make her happier whenever possible. When Octavia was ready, she would talk about it, Vinyl knew. She stopped, knocking on the door to their bedroom.
"Tavi? You up?" No answer. Vinyl blinked, a little surprised. Was she still sleeping? That... was very strange. Vinyl opened the door, peering around the room. Sure enough, Octavia was still in bed, rolled onto her side. Vinyl trotted into the room, setting the plate and cup down on the vanity. "Man, you had me worried for a second there, Tavi. Get outta bed, you bum."
Octavia didn't move, aside from the rise and fall of her body from her breathing. Vinyl turned more towards her, adopting a frown. "Tavi?" She trotted over, looking down at Octavia. The mare was still fast asleep, snuggling into the pillow Vinyl had left behind when she woke up. "Tavi, get up." Nothing. Vinyl felt a shiver run over her spine. "Tavi!" She reached out, jostling her lover.
"Huh?!" Octavia snapped up, nearly cracking her head against Vinyl's. "Ugh... What? Why did you have to wake me up so rudely? I was having a lovely dream..."
"You wouldn't wake up... Octavia, it's way late..." Vinyl smiled and turned, going to get her food. "You slept right through me cooking and washing the dishes. I don't think you've ever done that before." When she turned back, Octavia was staring at her with a concerned expression, her ear flicking slightly. "Octavia?"
"Hm? Yes, I'm fine..." Octavia spoke quietly, putting a hoof on her ear. "Fine..."
"I... Never said you weren't..." Vinyl levitated the food over to Octavia, but she just stared at it, like she wasn't even there. "Tavi, what's gotten into you? You're acting really weird..." She didn't reply right away, flicking her ear again.
Giving a sigh, Octavia looked up to the ceiling. "I need to go out, Vinyl. I think I might be gone for the day."
"Tavi, come on. What's going on with you?" Vinyl's voice grew increasingly edgy, Something was really wrong here, and she'd get to the bottom of it. When Octavia didn't reply, Vinyl nudged her. "Hey, I'm talkin' to... you..." When Octavia met her eyes, it dawned on Vinyl. She had a sinking feeling that she knew exactly what was wrong.
"You can't hear me... Can you...?" Vinyl asked in a low whisper.
Octavia blinked, tilting her head and smiling. "You just go on about your day, Vinyl. I'll be back later." Oblivious to the question Vinyl asked, Octavia slid from the bed. "I bet this is nothing serious. I'm sure I'm just overreacting..." Her ear flicked again, more fiercely this time. "I just... I just!" She raised her voice, eyes getting a bit wild. "I can't hear, Vinyl..." Tears gathered in her eyes as her façade faded. "I can barely hear anything!"
Ponyville was a snowy blur around Vinyl as she rushed towards the Golden Oaks Library. The cold bit at her, but Vinyl didn't stop or slow. She hadn't put on her winter gear and, frankly, she didn't care. A little frostbite would be preferential to what was happening right now.
She skid to a stop, nearly sliding into a snowbank, and pounded on Twilight's door. There was a sleepy response from inside and Vinyl stopped knocking, bouncing anxiously. When several seconds passed in silence, she knocked again, hearing Spike groan just inside the door.
"Hold your horses, I'm coming!" The little dragon opened the door, blinking sleepily at Vinyl. "Vinyl Scratch? What're you—"
"Where's Twilight?!" Vinyl darted into the Library, not waiting to be invited in. "Twilight! Princess Twilight!"
Twilight appeared in a flash of purple energy, head darting around and her hair an absolute mess. "What? Is it a monster attack? Did Pinkie light Sugarcube Corner on fire again?"
Vinyl blinked, taking a step back. "N-No, no... It's Octavia..."
Twilight blinked, tilting her head. "What about her?"
Vinyl felt the dread return. She dropped her head, looking at the floor. "She's losing her hearing, Princess... Please, you have to help her. I don't know who to turn to." Vinyl looked back up, tears in her eyes. "This is all my fault. I gotta fix this. Please, you gotta help me." With that, she dropped down, bowing to Twilight. "I'm begging you."
Twilight trotted over, putting a hoof around Vinyl and helping her up. "Calm down... How is this your fault?"
"It was my cannon," Vinyl said miserably, remaining seated and shaking her head. "My Bass Cannon is what damaged Octavia's ears, I just know it."
Twilight had heard the story about what happened in Vinyl's home during Discord's attack over a year ago. She frowned, giving her head a little shake. "Tell me, Vinyl, do you think the Fletcher of an arrow is to blame for the damage an archer causes? Perhaps the bow itself?"
Vinyl opened her mouth to answer, but found she couldn't honestly say yes to either. She shook her head, looking down again.
"What happened was an accident; that's all. It wasn't your fault." Twilight stepped away from the DJ, sighing. "Unfortunately... I don't know of any magic that can heal something as complex as an eardrum. It's why we're unable to fix brain damage, blindness, or serious muscle trauma with magic. We can't perform miracles, Vinyl."
Vinyl winced, feeling tears force their way past her closed eyes, dripping inside her glasses.
"The best we can do is offer her mechanical aids. They're not perfect, but... They'll help her hear with a degree of normality..." Twilight looked sadly back to Vinyl and trotted back over, levitating the other pony's glasses off. She wiped the DJ's face, giving her a smile. "Octavia will be fine, Vinyl. She's stronger than any of us give her credit for. She has to be, to survive in Canterlot like she did."
Vinyl sniffed, withholding the fact that Octavia only spent a year there. She nodded and stepped back from Twilight. "So... How long till we can get one of those aid things?"
"I'll put in a rushed order... But even then, several days; a week most likely." Twilight tilted her head to the side, staring at Vinyl. "Are you going to be alright?"
"I'll be fine. It's Octavia I'm worried about. What if this keeps getting worse? What if she goes completely deaf?" Vinyl was shaking, worried senseless over her special somepony. Twilight gave a small smile and shook her head.
"That, I can prevent. Stopping erosion is much easier than repairing something. I wish we'd known of this sooner..." Twilight trailed off as Vinyl let out a very convincing scoff. It seemed the bad influences went both ways.
"This has been a problem for over a year now. She's known and kept quiet, likely to spare the rest of us any worry for her... She never thinks that maybe it's best to let us worry..." Vinyl sighed, not able to be mad at Octavia right now. "Thank you, Twilight. Should I bring her here, or...?"
"No, let me clean up a bit and we'll go to her. Better she be in a comfortable place when I start working."
Octavia sat quietly as Twilight finished her spell.
"That should do it." Twilight said directly into Octavia's ear, patting the cellist's side to let her know she was done. "How do you feel?"
Octavia tilted her head a bit. "I can't hear the ringing anymore, but... I still can't hear much else."
"It shouldn't continue to get any worse." Twilight said to Vinyl, before turning back to Octavia. "Next time, please tell me about things like this before they get this bad." Twilight spoke the last sentence close to Octavia's ear.
The mare gave a solemn nod. "I didn't want to worry anypony. I just assumed it would go away, but..." Octavia closed her eyes, obviously holding in tears. "These aid devices; I'll still be able to hear music with them?"
Twilight looked to Vinyl, then back again, nodding. "Yes. It'll be like nothing is wrong... You will need to maintain them though. They are... rather expensive."
"Don't worry about that." Vinyl said a little too quickly. "I'm not letting Octavia lose her music."
Twilight smiled and nodded, rising from where she'd been sitting, beside Octavia. "I know you won't, Vinyl." She started out, but stopped by the door. "I'll have the aids sent directly here. Until they get here, Vinyl, I want you to keep an eye on Octavia. She's very vulnerable right now." She lowered her voice, making sure Octavia couldn't hear. "In more way than one. Make her smile, Vinyl. She needs it."
With that, Twilight waved to Octavia and slipped out of their home. Vinyl turned to look at her stricken lover, moving to her side and wrapping her hooves around her. "Hey. We'll get through this, okay?"
"It's easy for you to say." Octavia whispered, but nodded after a second. "I... I'm sorry, that wasn't fair." She hugged Vinyl back, trembling. "Vinyl... What am I going to do?"
"Easy. Get the ear thingies and go on like nothing changed. I'll pay for them... This was all my fault, after all." Vinyl's ears drooped. Despite Twilight's insistence, it was hard to accept that she wasn't to blame.
"Your fault?" Octavia blinked, leaning back from the hug. "If I'd just told you sooner, then this could have all been avoided. I was to blame, Vinyl. It's nopony's fault but my own." Octavia took a few steps back and smiled, giving a little giggle. "But it is just like you, blaming yourself because you can't see the fault in others. That's the Vinyl I know and love." She leaned back in, kissing Vinyl on the cheek. "I... Think I'm going to just lay down for a while longer. It's been a stressful morning and I don't quite feel up to wandering around."
Vinyl gave her a worried look, but nodded. "I'll bring you lunch. Go relax, Octavia. And remember, I love you, no matter what."
Octavia nodded back, her smile seeming come a little more naturally after that. "Thank you, Vinyl. I love you too."
Vinyl opened the door to the bedroom, peeking inside. Octavia was still in bed, laying with her back to the door. Slowly, she shut the door again, frowning.
Three days. Octavia hadn't left the bed for three whole days, aside from going to the bathroom. Vinyl had tried luring her out by not bringing her food, but she'd skipped two whole meals and just stayed upstairs.
She had tried to cheer Octavia up however she could: snuggling with her for hours, trying to dance with her, cooking her favorite foods, and bringing Fiddle over once.
Octavia hadn't reacted well to seeing her sister.
"I don't want to see her!" Octavia had shouted, pulling the pillows over her head. "I don't want her to see me... like this..."
It had torn Vinyl's heart apart. Octavia was her music. Without it – without the sounds of the world – she was slowly emptying out. Vinyl wasn't one to give up, but this situation was starting to feel hopeless. She chewed on her lip, throwing ideas through her mind. Finally, she settled on a desperate plan. She just hoped it didn't make things worse...
She slipped into the studio, returning with Octavia's cello floating beside her. She returned to the bedroom, moving up to Octavia without announcing herself. Gently, she prodded her lover.
Octavia rolled over, looking to Vinyl with bloodshot eyes. She had been crying again, it seemed. She looked over to the cello, her eyes filling with pain. "I know you aren't the sort to mock me, Vinyl... So why?"
"I want you to play for me, Tavi." Vinyl set the cello down, propping it up against the bed. She leaned over, nudging Octavia's torso with her head. "I miss your music. Please?"
Octavia shook her head and rolled back over. "I can barely hear myself talk. I can't play, Vinyl."
"That's a load, Tavi. You haven't tried... You've been playing music your whole life; who's to say that this will stop you? I doubt it'll even slow you down." Octavia looked over to Vinyl as she spoke, seeming to consider this. "I believe in you, Octavia. Your music is eternal."
Octavia slowly sat up, flinching. She had been laying for so long, her muscles ached from inactivity. "I... I suppose I can try, for you. But I'm not expecting this to work." She scooted over to the cello, taking the bow from where Vinyl had placed it. The unicorn stepped back several steps, giving Octavia space.
The cellist sighed and pushed herself off the bed, stretching for a few moments to get the dull ache from her muscles. Vinyl decided that, even if this failed, she would be happy that it'd got Octavia out of bed, even briefly.
Taking a deep breath, Octavia took her cello in hoof and began to play.
The music made Vinyl wince. It wasn't terrible, but it lacked Octavia's usual grace. The cellist snarled, throwing aside the bow after only a few seconds of playing. "Vinyl, this is... It's so stupid!" She shook her head, shaking. "I can't play! I just can't!"
Vinyl frowned, levitating the bow back over to her lover. She got close, making sure Octavia could hear her. "Tavi, you can still play. This will just take some getting used to. Please, keep trying..."
Octavia scowled in silence for a few seconds; not her joking scowl, either. Finally, she snatched the bow, giving a heavy sigh. "I hope you're right, Vinyl... I really do..."
On the second day of Octavia playing, Vinyl noticed a drastic improvement. She eyed her lover speculatively, earning a little blush from Octavia.
"Oh, fine... I crept downstairs after you fell asleep and practiced for a few hours. I still want to play, Vinyl... I feel it, in my hooves. I have to play, or I'm nothing." She sighed and looked up to the ceiling. "Without music, what am I?"
She smiled, looking back down to Vinyl. "And you know what? I think you were right. I can beat this." She lifted the hoof from her cello and placed it over her heart, supporting the instrument with her rear left hoof. "I hear the music in my every heartbeat. It's in my blood, Vinyl. Losing my hearing won't stop me."
Vinyl grinned ear to ear, sitting where she was. "Told ya!" She trotted over, hugging Octavia tightly. "Now, lets get a drink to celebrate. How's about some Everfree?" She asked, directly into Octavia's ear, before stepping back.
Octavia groaned loudly. "Never again." She said, smiling the first effortless, genuine smile Vinyl had seen on her face in days.
Vinyl laughed, not able to stop herself from rushing back to Octavia, hugging her again. It was so good to see that smile on her face.
"Food then. I'll cook anythin' you want." Vinyl leaned back, but kept holding Octavia.
"How about we switch and I cook for you?" Octavia touched her nose to Vinyl's, giggling.
Vinyl, for all her fortitude, really wasn't too sure. "You do remember what happened... last time, right?" Vinyl sure did.
"Oh, it'll be different this time... How could I have known something with a name like Marmite would taste so... unfortunate." Octavia gave a weak chuckle, before stepping back from the hug. "Besides, I'll make something simple. Eggs should be fine, right? I watch you make them all the time."
Vinyl smiled at Octavia's eagerness, but shook her head. "Like it or not, you're still the injured one. I'll cook. No complaints." She leaned over, kissing Octavia lightly before turning towards the door. "So, eggs?"
Octavia nodded, moving back to her cello. With a contended sigh, she continued to play. Vinyl watched for several seconds longer, before she slipped off to go cook.
When Vinyl returned, Octavia was in full swing, her eyes closed, swing to the music as if hypnotized. The DJ set the plate down on the end table and watched in silence. It wasn't the same as before, but it was wonderful in it's own way. Vinyl had trouble placing what it was for several seconds, but finally settled; Octavia's heart and soul were back in her music.
The music flowed beautifully, just as it always had before. The song wasn't without it's faults, but it was clearly the majestic sound of Octavia's soul. Reaching a crescendo, Octavia sped her pace, making Vinyl imaging a furious battle; a pony standing alone against time itself, defying mortality through the sound of her instrument. After several long minutes, Octavia's solo drew to a slow, enchanting close. Vinyl stomped on the floor in both joy and appreciation.
"Tavi, that was awesome! I told you, you could beat this!" She hugged her special mare, who fumbled with both the hug and her cello. With a little reorganization, Octavia rested her head against Vinyl's withers.
"I wouldn't have, if you hadn't been here, Vinyl. You saved me from myself. You're the greatest, Vinyl Scratch..." Octavia was silent for several second, then gave Vinyl a light nudge in the hug. "I... Well..." Octavia snuggled into Vinyl, giving a soft sigh. "Vinyl... I've been wanting to ask, but I was never really confident. But now seems just right...
"Vinyl Scratch, will you marry me?"
Vinyl felt her heart skip a beat and her mouth dry out. She leaned back, staring into Octavia's entrancing purple-ish eyes. That moment froze itself in Vinyl's mind – a moment she would never forget. Octavia looked terrified. The answer was obvious to Vinyl, but to Octavia, there was always room for doubt. The cellist's last five days had been an absolute nightmare, so why would things change now?
Vinyl leaned back in, kissing Octavia softly. Normally, she wasn't a fan of 'slow and gentle' but she let this kiss linger, placing a hoof on the side of her lover's face. Slowly, she leaned back, nodding. "What do you think, hm? Of course, Octavia... The answer is yes. But," Vinyl patted Octavia's face, leaning back out of the hug, "it's waitin' until after all this is over and you're not so depressed, got it?"
Octavia hardly looked depressed now. Vinyl hadn't seen her this radiant in a very, very long time. "As long as it takes." Her breath was short, her words wispy. She looked like she was about to fall over, but that smile made Vinyl think that, if she did fall over, she would just float up to the ceiling. "I'll wait till the end of time, if that's how long it takes, Vinyl..."
"It won't. Just a few weeks, I think." Vinyl poked Octavia's torso lightly, breaking the spell and making her squeak. She quickly covered her sides, blushing and glaring daggers at her new fiance. The reality of it struck her. Fiance. With a sigh, Vinyl fell into the same kind of dazed reverie Octavia had just been in.
Octavia waved a hoof in front of Vinyl's eyes, which she purposefully ignored. Octavia chuckled and shook her head. Yeah, they would both be just fine.
Octavia placed the hearing aid into her ear, making an odd expression. "It feels strange, having something in my ear like this..."
"Quit mopin' and turn it on." Vinyl was excited, maybe even more-so than Octavia. This hearing aid was really cool! It gave Vinyl all kinds of ideas for new inventions; if only she could figure out how the damn thing worked!
"Don't rush me." Octavia waved a hoof at Vinyl, taking a deep breath. She lifted a hoof to her ear and pressed the button to activate the machine. She sat very still, eyes closed, and listened.
"Did it work?" Vinyl asked. Octavia didn't move. "Did it work!?" Vinyl screamed, directly into Octavia's ear.
The mare shouted, falling over onto her side, glaring up at Vinyl murderously once she'd recovered. "Guess it did, huh?" Vinyl grinned, offering Octavia a hoof. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself..." She chuckled as she pulled her lover back to all fours. "I'm happy, really. Don't get the whole joking thing wrong. I just-oof!" Vinyl cut off suddenly as Octavia flung a pillow at her.
"Quit apologizing. It's not like you." Octavia smirked and trotted over, picking up the pillow. "I can actually hear better than before, it seems." Octavia ducked as a pillow soared towards her. Vinyl blinked, looking down to Octavia, who winked at her. "Nice try."
Vinyl stuck her tongue out, earning a chuckle from her fiance. "What do you say we go thank Twilight?" Vinyl offered her hoof to Octavia, who took it happily.
"I'd like little more." Octavia nodded to Vinyl, kissing her hoof before trotting towards the door. "Hey Vinyl?"
"Hm?"
"I love you." Octavia said with a voice like smooth silk, skipping out the door with a bounce to her step.
"Love you too, you stuffy mare." Vinyl muttered, smirking.
"I heard that!" Octavia shouted back. Vinyl gave a small curse. "That too!" Vinyl sighed and laughed, following after Octavia without another word.