"I don't know Vinyl." Octavia said while cleaning up the table after lunch. "Are you sure she'll like me?"
"Are you kidding!? She'll love you. I already told her all about you and she said, and I quote 'Bring Octavia with you next time or I'll hunt you down'." Vinyl said laughing. "Everything will be fine."
It had been a week since Octavia had come out to her parents, and now she and Vinyl were preparing to head over to Bea Sharp's house so Vinyl could introduce the two. Octavia was a little unsure about meeting her after all the crazy stuff she heard about her from Vinyl, but figured that if she was okay with her being with Vinyl, that was all that mattered.
"I guess I'm just nervous, that's all. Remember how my parents reacted when they found out I was dating you?"
"Yeah." Vinyl said frowning, thinking back to that day. How Octavia had spent hours sobbing into Vinyl's shoulder while she tried to comfort her. "But don't you worry, my moms cool. She played the tambourine for 'The Flower Foals'."
Octavia's eyes widened in shock. "Your mother was a member of 'The Flower Foals'!?"
"I never told you that? Anyway, yeah. That's actually where she met...." Vinyl's face fell a little.
"Whats the matter? Who did she meet?
"My dad. Look, do me a favor and try not to bring up the subject of my father. Ever since they broke up when I was younger she gets kinda upset whenever the subject is brought up. I just don't want her to...."
Octavia placed a hoof on Vinyl's mouth, silencing her. "Don't worry. Like you said. Everything will be fine.
Vinyl hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "What did I ever do to deserve a great pony like you?"
"You threw an apple pie at me."
Vinyl and Octavia approached Bea Sharp's house and after knocking on the front door they were greeted by Bea's warm welcome. "IF YOU'RE A JAHOOFA'S WITNESS, YOU'LL SOON BECOME VERY CHUMMY WITH A BUCKET OF WATER!!!"
Vinyl blushed sheepishly before knocking again. "Mom open up It's me, and there's somepony here who wants to meet you."
"IF IT'S THE PAPERCOLT TELL HIM I'M NOT PAYING FOR THE PAPERS HE THROWS INTO THE BIRDBATH!" Bea shouted right before she opened the door. " Oh, hello Vinyl, and you must be Octavia. It's so good to finally meet you. Please come in."
As both mares entered the house, Bea gave her daughter a light smack on the head. "You couldn't have sent a note telling me you two were coming? I would have made a bunt cake!"
Vinyl rubbed her head where her mother hit her. "Sorry mom. It was kinda spur of the moment."
"You have a very lovely home Ms Sharp." Octavia said looking around.
"Well, thank you dear."
Vinyl's eyes grew wide as she looked around the room. She wasn't sure if she was in the same house as before, because it was absolutely tidy! The puzzle on the coffee table was completed, glued together (using plant based puzzle glue) and framed on the wall. The boxes, bags and stack of magazines were completely gone and the whole room smelled like baking hay cookies.
Vinyl raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you weren't expecting us?"
"Of course not Vinyl. Whatever made you think that?" Bea said innocently as she walked towards the living room.
Octavia and Vinyl both sat on the sofa while Bea sat on a nearby armchair.
A short awkward silence hung in the air for a few moments until Bea spoke up. "So, Octavia. Vinyl tells me you played in the Canterlot philharmonic?"
"That's right." Octavia said with a little pride. "We recently did a concert for charity that contained many of the works of Beehoofven and Motztrot. We raised more than 100,000 bits for local hospitals."
"Did you ever play anything by Mulechael Jackson?"
Vinyl facehoofed. "MO-O-OM."
"What? It was a legit question."
"Please mom, don't embarrass me." Vinyl pleaded.
"Oh Celestia forbid I embarrass my daughter!" Bea said sarcastically "It's not like you've ever embarrassed me!"
"Oh I can't wait to hear about this." Octavia said glancing at Vinyl.
"Oh yes you can." Vinyl said glancing right back at her.
"Now, Now Vinyl. Be nice. Bea said getting up from her chair. "I mean if you two are going to live together she might as well know all about you." Bea then started walking towards the bookcase and removed three large books using magic.
Vinyl saw the covers of the books and panicked. "OH SWEET CELESTIA NO!! PLEASE MOM NOT THOSE!! ANYTHING BUT THOSE!!"
The books landed on the coffee table and Octavia read the front cover of one of them.
FAMILY PHOTO ALBUM
"Awww." Octavia said staring at a photo that showed Vinyl as a young filly peeking over the top of a turntable. A look of sheer excitement was on her face. "You looks so cute!"
"Oh good. Cute." Vinyl said sarcastically. "Just what I always to be."
"Now lets see." Bea said ignoring her daughter's remark. "That was taken the day she earned her cutie mark. That's why she's so excited."
Octavia nodded. "She told me about that day."
Bea looked at Octavia. "Speaking of cutie marks, how did you get yours?"
"Yah." Vinyl said. "You never did tell me that story."
"I didn't?" Octavia said as she leaned back on the sofa and thought back to that day. "Well, one day when I was a filly, I went with my mother to the music store so she could buy some violin strings and stuff like that. While she was looking for the kind that would fit the violin she owned, I got bored and decided to wander around the store and look for an instrument I may like. I had no interest in the drums, pianos and guitars, and soon I came upon the cellos. They just looked so much more elegant than those other instruments. I instantly fell in love! I spied one of those 'Try Me' display cellos they had and decided to try my hoof at it. I was good! Very good! and while playing that display cello I heard the shopkeeper shout 'Look at that! That little filly just got her cutie mark!'!"
Bea smiled. "that was so sweet."
"Yah it was. Mom and Dad were so proud...." Octavia said trailing off as her face fell. She then looked at Bea's tambourine cutie mark. "How did you get yours? If you don't mind me asking."
"Octavia dear." Bea said sweetly. "Your far too young to hear that story."
"Oh come on." Octavia said, regarding Bea's last comment as a joke.
Vinyl put a hoof on Octavia's shoulder. "She's not kidding. She hasn't told me that story!"
Octavia looked at Bea. "Oh it can't be that bad."
Bea gave both her guests a dark and serious look. "Yes. It can be that bad. Now if you'll be so kind as to drop the subject please." Right after saying this, she returned to her usual cheery self. "You know, one thing still baffles me about you two. What exactly happened in the maze during the royal wedding, that made you two fall in love?"
Octavia and looked at Vinyl and then back at Bea. "Well you see. It was like this....."