Octavia opened the door to her dressing room and sighed. She had just completed a three hour tribute to Beehoofven and Motztrot for a fundraising concert. Hopefully they could reach their goal of 50,000 bits for the local hospital. It was a shame that Vinyl couldn't be there but she had an important gig to do. Besides, Octavia couldn't see Vinyl dressing up for one of her concerts. Octavia pictured Vinyl dressed up in a sensible dress and she chuckled to herself.
After gently placing her beloved cello in its case, she proceeded to prepare a much needed hoof soak bath by filling a small plastic tub with warm water, plopping in a soothing eucalyptus tablet and dipping her hind hooves in the warm bath.
"Ahhh." She sighed. "I desperately needed this." Playing the cello, she was used to being on her hind hooves, but she never had to stand on them for three straight hours! She had never done a concert that was this long, but she hoped a music critic was in the audience and maybe she'll get a good review.
As she relaxed in her bath she looked on the couch side table and saw the picture she had of Vinyl Scratch. A few months ago, if anypony had told her she would have fallen in love with the crazy DJ, she would have had them committed. But during the royal wedding, Vinyl threw a pie at her because she called her "loud and obnoxious". Dripping with pie, she chased Vinyl into the royal hedge maze and it was in there that the two fell in love.
Just as Octavia was about to drift off to sleep from sheer relaxation, there was a knock at her door. "Who is it?" She called.
"It's your family!" A familiar voice replied.
Octavia was relieved to hear her mother's voice. Hopefully she wasn't alone. Octavia quickly cleaned up her hoof bath before she called "Come on in."
The door opened and in strode three ponies. "Oh darling, you were magnificent, simply magnificent!" Viola said smiling at her daughter.
"Thank you mother. Hello Father. Hello Grandpa." She said to the two stallions behind her mother.
"Hello dear." Bandstand said beaming at his daughter. I was completely enraptured in your entire performance. Although I must say I was worried that your cello strings might snap."
Octavia nodded in agreement. "I was afraid of that too, but thankfully they held strong."
"I just can't wait to hear you play again." Viola said
"Oh mom." Octavia said smiling and rolling her eyes. " Let me rest from this concert before we plan the next one."
"Your right dear." Viola smiled. "We'll discuss future concerts at home."
Octavia realized now was as good as ever to tell her parents about what she was planing. "Mom...Dad." She sighed. "About home...I'm thinking about moving out."
Viola and Bandstand's eyes widened upon hearing this. "What do you mean your moving out?" Bandstand said slightly annoyed. "Where are you going to live?"
Octavia took a huge breath before answering her father. "I met somepony who really makes me happy and I think I should live with them."
Both parents were elated! "You found somepony! That's great Octavia! Who is he? Viola said.
"Yes!" Bandstand said pushing for more details. "Have we met him? What does he do?"
"Who is this charming looking mare in this picture?" Bugle Scout said pointing to the picture of Vinyl.
Octavia had been avoiding this moment for months since she met Vinyl and now she found she could avoid it no more. She had heard about how scared Vinyl was when she told her mother, but Vinyl told her that getting it off her chest was the best feeling in the world. She just hoped that her parents would take the news as well as Bea did.
Octavia sighed and started answering her families questions. "Her name is Vinyl Scratch, Grandpa. She's a DJ. I'm going to be moving in with her..."
"Your stallionfriend has her for a roommate?" Bandstand interrupted.
"No dad. She's *gulp* she's my marefriend." Octavia said shaking slightly
"Well I think It's good your friends with your stallionfriend's roommate. Viola said.
"NO! You don't understand! I don't have a stallionfriend! I'm in love with Vinyl! I'm gay!" Octavia shouted, tears welling in her eyes.
A long silence hung over the entire room like a fog cloud that was broken by Bandstand as he tried to find his voice.
"I...uh...whu...whu.....HUH? He finally exclaimed
Octavia had tears rolling down her cheeks as she looked at her parents pleadingly. "Mom. Dad. Please don't be mad, but I love Vinyl. I love her so much."
Bandstand looked at Octavia disapprovingly. "You must be joking. I can't believe what I'm hearing."
Octavia looked at her father. "Dad, it's no big deal."
"No big deal!?" He shouted. "My own daughter loves mares! MARES!! I can't believe this. My own daughter is a..is a..." Bandstand then proceeded to call his daughter a majorly taboo term.
The effect of the insult on Octavia was instantaneous. She crouched low and backed up until she was against the wall, looking just like a kicked puppy. "But dad!"
" Don't 'But dad' me Octavia! Maybe It's a good thing your moving out." Bandstand said before heading for the door. "Come on dear. We're leaving."
After Bandstand left, Viola walked up to her sobbing daughter and said "Don't worry dear. We'll discuss this when you get home." Before kissing her on the forehead and following her husband out of the room.
Octavia curled up on the floor like a little filly, crying like never before. All she wanted was her parents to accept her the way Vinyl's mother did. Was that too much to ask for? How could her own father call her...that word? Everypony in Equestria knew that word was the worst thing you could ever call somepony who liked ponies of their own gender. She wanted to just disappear forever.
Octavia soon felt a gentle hoof stroking her mane which made her look up into the kind gentle face of Bugle Scout.
"Oh Grandpa. I'm so sorry."
"Shh." He said reassuringly. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. Now come on." He said reaching for a tissue. "Dry your eyes."
"But dad hates me." Octavia sobbed.
"Your father does not hate you. He's just confused, that's all."
"But he called me a...."
"Now you listen to me." Bugle Scout said as he gently wiped his granddaughter's eyes dry. "Your father reacted the same way to another stallion I knew who was gay." Bugle Scout said easing Octavia back onto the couch. "Oh he would have absolutely nothing to do with him, but now they are the best of friends."
Octavia looked down at her hooves. "But I'm his daughter!. Not just some random stallion."
Bugle Scout chuckled a little. " Octavia, that 'random stallion'." He said making quotation marks with his hooves. " He's my brother!"
Octavia looked at her grandfather in surprise. "Uncle Pan Pipe?"
"Yup."
Octavia sighed and looked down at her hooves again. "Why are so many ponies against me and Vinyl being together?"
"It's because they're scared of 'the new'."
"Huh?"
Bugle Scout leaned back on the couch. "Most ponies live one track lives. So when somepony comes along and shows them something that isn't part of the one track, they get scared and shun the idea, hoping to go back on the track. But soon they get used to the idea and find no problem in it.
Octavia sniffed back a tear and smiled a little.
Her Grandfather continued. "Let me ask you a question. How many ponies don't have a problem with you and Vinyl?"
Octavia blinked in thought. "Well...there's Pinkie Pie and her friends. Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Rosebloom, Aloe and Lotus, Lily, Spike, Zecora, Cheerilee, all of Vinyl's clients...."
"And you say not a lot of ponies agree with you?" Bugle Scout interupted.
"But none of them are Dad." Octavia said, her tears starting to return.
"Now don't you worry about your father. I'll sit him down and have a long talk with him."
"But what am I going to do now?"
Bugle Scout used his hoof to lift Octavia's chin so they looked each other in the eyes. "I'll tell you what your going to do. Once you leave here, your going to go to Vinyl. Your going to tell her you love her, and then, once your ready you'll move in with her and be happy for the rest of your life. You hear me?" He said smiling.
Octavia smiled. "Yes Grandpa."