//------------------------------// // Chapter Ten // Story: Truth // by shawnay631 //------------------------------// Vinyl Scratch found herself at some sort of party on a beach. The sun was setting, coating the normally blue sky in a deep orange. The water below soaked the colors up as if they were its own, making it seem like there was a lake of fire. There were ponies everywhere. Some she recognized as bartenders from gigs she had played. Some she hadn’t seen since she was a filly in school. And she could have sworn she heard Pinkie Pie’s manic laughter somewhere in the distance. The lanterns surrounding a large patch of grass sparked on, casting a white glow onto anypony that was near. Scratch couldn’t help but feel like there was someone watching her; it was starting to freak her out. “This sure is a nice party, isn’t it Vinyl?” Scratch jumped but immediately recognized the voice and smiled. “Sure is Octy!” Vinyl turned around and confirmed that Octavia was behind her. Scratch scrunched her face; Octy looked different somehow. Her lids were half lowered and a sly smirk was on the grey mare’s face. She slowly walked closer to Scratch. Her voice was low, seductive almost. “I bet I know how we could make it… better…” Vinyl watched as Octavia walked slowly around her, almost as if she was stalking her prey. She brushed her body against Scratch’s and slowly nuzzled Scratch’s neck. Vinyl’s heart sputtered for a second before picking up at a rapid pace. She could feel Octavia’s breath on her ear as she whispered. “I think we could make it MUCH better…” Vinyl was suddenly in a room she didn’t recognize. There was a dull light emanating from a row of candles in the corner. She was on her back in what she assumed was a bed. Octavia sauntered out from a dark corner, a near predatory smile on her face. Octavia didn’t say a word as she slowly climbed on the bed, standing over Vinyl. Scratch watched in anticipating silence as Octavia slowly reached back. Her pink bowtie fell onto Scratch’s chest. Octavia was lowering her head down, lips parted. Vinyl was so excited she could barely breathe… Vinyl was jerked out of her sleep. She wasn’t exactly sure, but she thought she could hear music. It sounded all weird and muffled though. “Hello Mister Horseshoepin, how are you this morning?” What in the hay? Who is she talking to? Vinyl poked her head out of the covers to see Octavia talking to… something. Or someone. Who in the hay was Frederic, anyway? “Oh, sure, I wouldn’t mind that. When is it? Yes, that will work fine. Alright, see you later Frederic.” Octavia snapped her phone shut and noticed a pair of ruby eyes gazing at her from across the room. With a jump she smiled. “Oh, good morning Vinyl. I didn’t see you there…” Octavia cocked an eyebrow but didn’t bother to ask Vinyl why exactly she wasn’t sleeping in her bed. A thought crossed her mind but Octavia would never assume that just because a friend of hers liked mares, that she automatically liked her. She wasn’t that ignorant. “Yeah. Top ‘o the mornin’ and whatnot. Wassat?” Vinyl flung her blanket to the side and plopped down next to Octavia. “This? It’s a portable cellular telephone device.” Scratch scrunched her face, skepticism prominent in her still glasses-less eyes. “When did you get that?” “Oh, I’ve had it. They give it to all of us ensemble ponies for easy access. Just to make sure that we can track somepony down if they are running late for a performance. It’s an insurance sort of thing for the music director. This way, he knows that if Beauty Brass gets distracted, as she is so known to do, we can give her a ring and she’ll be right back on track.” Scratch nodded. The thingy was cool and all but she didn’t care too much about how or why or when she got it. She cared about the sparkle in Octavia’s eyes when she was talking on it. The lightness in her voice when she was talking to this… colt. Scratch tried to keep her face straight. She decided the best way to attack this would be from a playful stance. “So, that’s all well and great, but who’s Frederic? Is he your coooooltfriend?” Vinyl taunted. Octavia smirked as a blush played lightly against her face. “I wouldn’t call him THAT. He’s not even interested.” Despite the pang of heartache in her chest, Vinyl pressed on. She had an inexplicable craving to know more about this Frederic. “Alright Octy. Come on. You said HE’S not interested. But…” “Well… I don’t know, Vinyl. It’s complex at best. He is a fantastic colt. Funny, smart, nice. Except… well, he doesn’t always react well when mares confess things like this to him. He found out a long time ago that Beauty Brass had a crush on him and he ceased talking to her for quite some time. He is a very good friend to me… he’s the reason I’m in the ensemble, the reason why I got a chance at all. No one thought the pony without magic could play a stringed instrument well, but he convinced them to give me a chance. It is just not a pleasant feeling knowing that I will never be good enough for him.” “Yeah, I know THAT feeling.” Vinyl muttered, dejected. “So I guess to answer your question, yes, I do have a bit of a… a thing for him. I am also fully aware that nothing will ever come of it.” “So you’re in love with this colt but you’re just giving up on him? How do you know he’ll reject you?” Vinyl wasn’t sure why she was pressing the matter so hard, when her heart hurt so badly. Octavia was contemplative for a moment, which was fine because Vinyl was weighing the irony of her words. If irony was magic, her house would be more powerful than Twilight Sparkle. She watched Octavia, hoping that she would refute the ‘in love with’ part. “It’s not that simple. I know that he doesn’t like me like that, because he would have done something about it. He is not shy about these sorts of things. And like I said, I cannot risk losing his friendship. That would hurt more than anything else, I’d imagine.” Well, there you go, Vinyl. She loves this Frederic dude. You’re screwed. “Aw, come on Octy. You’re an awesome mare. Don’t be so unsure! Maybe it would be different with you. Maybe he’s just harboring all these feelings because he’s not sure about your feelings. Eh? Ever thing of THAT?” Again, Vinyl wondered about the irony of her words. She figured at this point, she could take all of Equestria and move it somewhere else with the amount of irony-power she had. “I highly doubt that. Believe me.” Octavia got to her hooves and stretched. “I hate to dash off right away but I need to have a bath before I go practice with the ensemble later. Thank you for a very fun and interesting night.” Vinyl forced herself to look into Octavia’s eyes and smile. The two held eye contact for a long moment before Octavia broke the silence. “You really should consider not wearing your glasses as much.” Much to her dismay, Vinyl felt a blush rise in her cheeks. She mumbled something so incoherent, even she wasn’t exactly sure what she had said. “See you later, Vinyl.” Octavia gently shut the door behind her. Scratch immediately slammed her head against the back of the couch. She stared up at the ceiling for a long time, damning her masochistic soul for acting like she hadn’t a care in the world. Scratch beat the back of her head against the frame of the couch a few more times. “Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. How am I so stupid? Remind me again why I haven’t given up? UGH!” Vinyl slammed her hoof into a couch cushion. She was so beside herself. How could she let herself believe she had even a small chance with a mare as classy and gorgeous as Octy? She was disgusted with herself. She hated how she felt. She hated being inexplicably in love with somepony. “I’m not in love with her.” Scratch growled to herself. She hated how there felt like there was a giant hole in her chest, even though she was never really ‘with’ Octavia. It was like she just got broken up with. All she wanted was a sign. Just one sign that she was going down the right road. She could feel in her heart that Octavia was supposed to be an important part of her life… but what if she was wrong? Scratch was getting so frustrated her eyes were beginning to sting with tears. She blinked them back being much too proud to cry over a mare she refused to admit she loved. Scratch heard a knock at the door and sighed. She didn’t want to see anypony right now. She was too busy feeling sorry for herself. There was a second knock. Vinyl considered telling whoever was on the other side to buck off. After a third, more urgent knock, she wiped her face and heaved herself off the couch. “I swear to Celestia if it’s freaking Lyra on the other side of the door I might scream.” Vinyl swung open the door and immediately stapled a smile on her face. It wasn’t hard to do as Octavia was grinning at her from the other side of the door. “You know I was thinking… what are you doing tomorrow night?” “I… uh… nothing.” “Would you like to come with me to a classical concert? You can meet Frederic.” Vinyl made a face. “Classical music ain’t really my gig, Tavi.” “Aw, come on Vinyl. It’s a bunch of high schoolers. Apparently, Frederic’s sister is playing. I probably won’t enjoy it either. And if that’s the case, I’ll need a good pillow to sleep on.” Vinyl stared at Octavia, confused, for a second. When the lightbulb kicked on, Scratch felt like a foal. Both because of the embarrassment of not knowing, and Octavia’s not-so-subtle hint, Scratch’s face lit up like a fire. She did her best to brush it off. “Oh you mean my shoulder! Yeah, I AM pretty awesomely comfy, huh? Alright Octy, just for you, I’ll be there. I gotta judge this Frederic colt anyway. Not just anyone is good enough for my Tavi.” “You know Vinyl, you might be the only pony in Equestria that can get away with all these nicknames. Not many can say that they’ve bastardized my name and lived to tell the tale.” Vinyl smiled proudly. “That’s probably because of how stellar I am.” Octavia chuckled. “Something like that. I’ll see you tomorrow night. Seven o clock sharp at the school. Don’t be late my Vina.” Octavia trotted off into the distance with Scratch watching longingly for some time. Longingly with a side of sneaking a peek at her bottom, if she was honest. When Octavia was out of sight, she slowly shut the door and fell against the door, sliding down onto her haunches. She rested her head against it and once again stared up at the ceiling. "My Vina." She chuckled to herself. It was so funny how her mood could turn on a dime like that. Perhaps Frederic wasn’t as much of a problem as he seemed, seeing as Octavia could have him all to herself for the show. Not only that, but Octavia had also said that she wouldn’t enjoy the show. Vinyl made a face, turning the words over in her head. “Either Octy really, really wants me there… for some reason that I won’t even dare to explain, or she heard my whining.” Vinyl pushed herself off the floor, unsure of Octavia’s true motives but more than excited for the concert.