I Am Me And You Are You
“And then, me and Applejack and Apple Bloom went campin’! Well, not real campin’ cause we had this show to do tonight. We actually just pitched a tent and camped in her backyard.” Octavia smiled and nodded as her cousin continued to ramble. She looked at Lyra for help, but the unicorn just smiled and shrugged.
“I am glad you had a good time with your cousin,” Octavia said.
“Well yeah,” Fiddlesticks said with a grin, “but I’m happy that I get to spend time with my favoritist cousin!” Fiddlesticks threw one of her front legs around Octavia’s neck—for probably the tenth time in the past day—and gave her a hug. “And we get to play together! I’m so excited! Aren’t you excited, Octy?”
Octavia gently pushed her cousin off her neck and straightened her mane. “I am, Fiddlesticks. I always enjoy playing with you.”
“Yippie!” The yellow mare jumped up and down several times. “And we got Lyra here too! Is Vinyl joinin’ too? It can be all four of us just like—”
“I’m afraid Vinyl won’t be joining us tonight, Fiddlesticks,” Lyra said quickly. “She’s…unavailable to play.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Fiddlesticks replied, her ears drooping a little.
“It just means you’ll have to play extra well to make up for her, okay?”
Fiddlestick’s smile returned instantly. “You bet! Me and Octy will give everypony such a show that they’ll think her song was just a warm up.”
Octavia flinched at the mention of her song. She cared deeply for her cousin, but sometimes the mare spoke without thinking. Of course, she had no idea about Octavia’s current situation, so Octavia decided she could not be too upset with the violin player. At least Lyra was trying to steer the conversation away from such unpleasant things.
“So I take it that means you’ve been practicing your part?” Lyra asked.
Fiddlesticks made a face. “You have to ask?”
“I am certain you have been,” Octavia answered. “Lyra and I have been practicing for the past day as well.”
“I know, Octy,” Fiddlesticks said with a pout. “I was there, remember?”
“Were you?” Octavia asked, winking at Lyra, “I did not notice.”
“Must have missed you too,” Lyra said. “I thought you said you’d blow everypony away, but if we don’t even remember you at practice…”
“That’s mean!” Fiddlesticks said.
“Calm down, Fiddlesticks,” Octavia said, gently ruffling her cousin’s mane. “We are only teasing you. You did a fantastic job at practice and I am certain you will do even better tonight.”
Fiddlesticks beamed with pride and began to skip down the street. Lyra smiled and walked after her, calling for her to wait up. Octavia remained behind, reminded once again of the fact that her cello seemed to weigh more than she remembered. Perhaps she was ill? Maybe that was why she was having trouble caring it. After this performance, she decided that she would need to make an appointment to see a physician. Naturally, she would have to track down Vinyl first though.
Vinyl…
Octavia found her thoughts wandering again to the unicorn with the white coat and the blue mane. Ever since Bon Bon’s talk the other night, Vinyl had been consuming more and more of Octavia’s thoughts. It was becoming a battle to stay focused on her music and the notes that Rarity wanted her to play. She was glad that Rarity’s show was starting within the hour, because she was not certain if she could bear another day of distraction. She needed to find Vinyl soon, if only to make sure the D.J. was okay.
“See? I told you she would forget all about us,” a voice said, snapping Octavia out of her thoughts. She blinked and looked to her left. She knew that voice, but her mind was telling her it was not possible for it to be in Ponyville.
And yet, there stood the stallion who owned the voice.
“Harpo?” Octavia asked, startled to see her friends in Ponyville. “Beauty Brass and Fredric?”
“She remembers us just fine, Harpo,” Beauty Brass said. She walked forward and gave Octavia a quick hug. “It’s so good to see you again, dear.”
Octavia hugged her friend back, using the moment to allow her mind to catch up to what her eyes were seeing. “Likewise, but what are you all doing here?”
“Miss Rarity asked me to play,” Harpo said. He held out an invite that looked similar to the one Octavia had received earlier in the week. “You are not the only one who plays a stringed instrument.” He smiled, and Octavia knew that he was simply teasing her in his own strange way.
“That is fantastic,” Octavia said, her heart lifting slightly at the sight of her friends, “but the show starts in under an hour. Lyra, Fiddlesticks, and myself were just on our way to Rarity’s shop. Have you had time to practice?”
“Miss Rarity was kind enough to include a copy of the sheet music with the invitation,” Harpo said.
“He was practicing during the entire ride from Manehattan,” Fredric added. “Trust me, he is in prime condition now.”
“I think even I could play it now I’ve heard it so many times,” Beauty Brass said with a roll of her eyes.
“Not nearly as well as me,” Harpo said.
“Certainly not,” Octavia said. She chuckled and covered her mouth with her hoof. It was good to see her friends again. Lyra, Bon Bon, and even Fiddlesticks had been great company over the past few days, but she still missed her Manehattan friends. Now she just needed one more pony and then everything would be…what? If Vinyl suddenly appeared before her right that moment, what would she say? She honestly had no idea, and that thought bothered her.
“We had best hurry,” Octavia said, trying to keep her mind off of such unpleasant thoughts. “Rarity may be rather cross with us if we are late.”
“Miss Melody!” a voice called. All four ponies stopped and looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. It called again, and Octavia looked up into the evening sky. The voice was coming from somewhere above her.
“Down here,” she said, waving her hoof in the air. She was not sure if she was waving at whomever was calling her, but she hoped that whoever it was would be able to spot her.
A grey pegasus landed in front of her. She looked a little winded and her eyes were crossed. Still, there was something about the way she carried herself and the smile that beamed from her face that made her look extremely friendly, even if she was gasping for air.
“Ah, here you are,” the pegasus said between breaths. “I…have a letter…for you.”
“Derpy?” Beauty Brass said in shock.
“What?” The grey mare looked up and blinked her yellow eyes once and then she smiled even more, something Octavia did not think was possible. “Oh, hey music ponies! What are you all doing here? Last time I saw you, you were all in Manehattan.”
“We took the train, dear,” Beauty Brass said. “Please tell me you did not fly all the way back here.”
“Well, yeah,” Derpy said with a confused look. “You said Octavia had left for Ponyville, so I needed to get back here right away. Rarity said it was very important that I deliver the letter.”
“Derpy,” Fredric said, “I think what she’s saying is, why did you not simply take the train like we did? After you gave Harpo his letter, you could have road the train to Ponyville with us and not worn yourself out.”
Derpy paused, a perplexed look on her face. “I didn’t think of that,” she said after a moment. “I’ll have to remember that next time. Besides, I needed to get back here as fast as I could after you all told me Octavia was here.”
None of the ponies had the heart to tell the pegasus that she could have made the trip in the same amount of time if she had just ridden the train. Instead, Octavia smiled and asked, “You said you have a letter for me?”
“Oh yes!” Derpy said, her eyes lighting up. She dug through her saddlebag and came up with a familiar looking piece of paper in her mouth. “Here you go. To Miss Octavia Melody, from Miss Rarity and company. She made it very clear that I deliver this to you in pony.”
“Why thank you, Derpy,” Octavia said, staring at the piece of paper in her hooves. She was doing her best not to let her tears loose from her eyes or her disappointment show on her face.
“Okay, I gotta go find Rarity and tell her that I delivered that letter,” Derpy said. She waved good-bye and trotted off in the same direction that Lyra and Fiddlesticks had gone.
Octavia stared at the parchment in her hoof. It was the same one she had seen when she had exited the train with Lyra earlier in the week. Vinyl’s name had been underlined three times with scribbles. Probably Derpy’s doing. She wished greatly at that moment that Vinyl was actually going to be part of the show, but she knew better. Lyra and Rarity had said as much.
Still, why had Rarity insisted that Derpy deliver this to her, when she knew that Octavia would already be at the show? And why send one that seemed to deliberately tear at her heart? Not that Rarity was aware of the situation.
“Octavia, is everything all right?” Beauty Brass asked after a moment.
Octavia blinked and placed the paper in her saddlebag. “Yes, it is. Come, we best hurry or Rarity will begin to wonder where we are.”
Half an hour later, Octavia was sitting in her chair with the other musicians. Lyra was next to her on her right and Fiddlesticks was on her left. Harpo was behind her, along with a few other ponies that she did not recognize. He seemed to be getting along with them fine though, so Octavia sat and tuned her cello, occasionally helping her cousin tune her violin or giving Lyra some advice on posture. Fredric and Beauty Brass had melted into the crowd and were waiting somewhere for the show to start.
The area around the stage was starting to fill up. Dozens of ponies were coming out for the show, all of them trying to get the best area close to the stage. She noticed a few of them pointing at her and whispering, saying things like, “She’s the one,” or “Have you heard her new song?”
Octavia did her best to ignore them, instead drawing her bow across her cello’s strings a few times to make sure everything was tightened properly. Everything sounded perfect. Smiling, she stood on her hind legs and settled into her playing position. She closed her eyes, feeling the familiar weight against her body, and took several calming breaths. She just needed to get through this, and then she could devote herself to tracking down Vinyl.
“Fiddlesticks, take off your hat,” she said when she saw her cousin was still wearing it.
“Aw, do I have to?”
“Yes,” Octavia said. “This is a formal affair. You are lucky that Rarity is allowing you to wear your bandana.” She adjusted her bow tie as she spoke, making sure it was in the perfect position around her neck.
“It’s also so the ponies behind you can see better,” Lyra added.
“That too,” Octavia said.
“Fine.” Fiddlesticks made a face as she took off her cowboy hat and set it under her chair.
“Ah, you’re all here.” Octavia looked over and saw Rarity walking toward them, Derpy close behind. “Miss Hooves said you had all arrived. Are you ready to go? You know the music?”
There were several confirmations from the musicians and Octavia nodded.
“Don’t worry, Rarity,” Lyra said with a grin. “We’ve got this covered. You just make sure your models are ready to go.”
“They are,” Rarity said, a grin slinking across her face. “All of them. Bon Bon told me to tell you to stay focused for some reason though.”
Lyra blushed hard and Octavia smiled. “Do not worry, Rarity. I will keep Lyra on key,” she said.
“Excellent. Feel free to start whenever you are all ready.” With that, the fashion pony turned and walked away, apologizing to Derpy about something and promising to bring her muffins.
Octavia turned around and noted that all the other musicians were looking at her. She glanced at Lyra, who gave a quick nod, and then she looked back at the other ponies. Very well. If they had elected her to be the leader, then she would not let them down. She cleared her throat and nodded once, then turned to Fiddlesticks.
“You and your violin—”
“Fiddle,” the yellow mare said. Apparently she was still pouting about her hat. Octavia would have to make it up to her after the show. Just one more thing to the list of things she needed to take care of before they ruined her social life.
“I apologize, Fiddlesticks. You and your fiddle have the opening score. When you are ready, begin.”
Her cousin smiled brightly, and then changed into a different pony completely. Octavia always marveled at Fiddlesticks’s transformation. The easy-going, sometimes goofy, country pony vanished. In her place rose a mare who stood just as erect as Octavia. Her midnight blue hair cascaded down her back as she stood. The yellow fur chewed at the blue mane, mixing it into its own color until it looked as though streaks of green were running down Fiddlesticks’ neck.
Her joyful blue eyes closed as her violin came to rest under her chin. She tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, listening to the music that so far only she could hear. Her face was no longer a happy-go-lucky pony, but one of an artist who had spent years perfecting her craft. Her nostrils expanded and retracted with each small breath as she carefully raised her bow and placed it on the strings with an elegance that Octavia rarely associated with Fiddlesticks.
Her cousin stood perfectly still for five seconds, something Octavia had never seen her do outside of playing her instrument, and then she drew her bow across the strings in three rapid strikes. A hush fell over the crowd, but there were still murmurs from a few ponies. Fiddlesticks struck the three notes again, louder this time, and silence fell across the entire crowd.
“Nicely done, cousin,” Octavia whispered. Fiddlesticks did not open her eyes, but a tiny smile graced her lips. Octavia turned to the rest of the musicians, nodded once, and they all began to play. The sound of so many stringed instruments cutting through the evening air was enough to make her forget about Vinyl and their falling out for a few moments.
Octavia attempted to watch the models come on stage and show off their outfits. She noted that many of them were dressed in flowing colors and long gowns, with scarves and wraps around their necks. No doubt to protect against the harsh deserts of Saddle Arabia, but she could not understand why each one of them wore a bridle. She had worn one on several occasions, and she was not a fan of them. They looked stunning, but they were horribly uncomfortable to wear for any extended period of time.
After the fifth model, a blue unicorn with a sky blue and white mane, came out on the runway, Octavia found her mind drifting. The models were all stunning, and their outfits were all a testament to Rarity’s talents, but they could not hold her attention. She found her mind drifting into the music, as it so often did whenever she had a lot to think about.
Her muscle memory took over playing and she let her consciousness float free. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to form the landscape that the music wished to paint for her.
A white desert stretched before her. There were rolling hills off in the distance, but everything in every direction was barren. She felt lost and alone, until a new note sprang from her own cello and an oasis appeared ahead of her. She walked toward it, taking shelter in the shade of the trees. She found that her tongue was parched, so she walked forward and her mind painted a deep blue pool of water before her. She knelt and drank, the ripples from her touch causing the pool’s color to shift to a brighter blue as the sun hit it differently.
The sand around the water had changed to a pinkish, almost red color as it sucked in the refreshing water. It tingled against her hooves, tickling them and bringing a sad smile to her face. She stared at her reflection in the pool, thinking that she could stay here forever and just admire the beauty of her surroundings. Everything she wanted was here, she thought. The shifting blues of the water, the blindingly white sand, the soft red mud. It was so peaceful, so soothing, so right.
Yet something was missing. Her mind could not place it, but she felt like something was supposed to be here. A voice called her and she looked up from the water. Across the way, a pony was waving to her and calling her name. She smiled and waved back, but when she blinked, the pony dissolved into heat burning off the desert sands. The feeling of being alone grew stronger, tearing away the peace that the oasis offered. It gnawed at her, chewing her mind and forcing its way deeper into her heart. The feeling was growing, and she found herself backing away from the water, which had started to burst out of the ground, but she could not escape it fast enough. It rose to her chest, then her neck, then her mouth. It filled her lungs and blinded her eyes. She could not breathe!
With a start, Octavia yanked herself out of her daydream—or daynightmare perhaps—and barely managed to keep on key.
“Hey,” Lyra whispered. She had one eye open and was peeking at Octavia. “Are you okay?”
“I am fine,” Octavia said, willing her hooves to stop trembling.
“Good, because Rarity wants to speak with you.” The mint green unicorn tilted her head to the side and Octavia looked over to see Rarity gesturing to her. Rather frantically it seemed.
Octavia played the last few notes of her current part in the music and then carefully put her cello down. She laid it in its case and then locked it. It was not that she expected any pony to steal it; it was simply a force of habit.
“Please keep an eye on my cello for me,” she whispered to Lyra.
“No problem.”
With that, Octavia carefully made her way over to Rarity.
“Miss Octavia, I’m afraid I must impose on you for a favor,” Rarity said when Octavia drew close.
“Of course,” Octavia said, nodding politely. “What may I help you with?”
“One of my models came down with an illness and wasn’t able to make it tonight. Do you think you could fill in for her?”
Octavia blinked in surprise. “I…do not know. I have never been a model before.”
“Neither have most of the ponies on stage tonight,” Rarity said with a wave of her hoof, “yet they are all doing marvelous. Wouldn’t you say?”
Octavia turned and looked. Bon Bon was walking on stage now, carrying herself with pride and a seductive smile on her face as she glanced at Lyra. To the unicorn’s credit, she kept her magic in check, but Octavia swore Lyra was sweating.
“Yes, they are,” Octavia said as she turned back. “But what about my part in the ensemble?”
“I’m certain your friends can cover for you,” Rarity said with a wave of her hoof. “And if I recall, your cello doesn’t have any more major parts until the second half, correct? I’m sure Lyra and the others will be able to make up for it. I’ll be sure to tell them that I had to pull you aside.”
“Very well. If you think I can do this.”
“You certainly carry yourself without question, and that’s all you’ll need for this. Trust me.” Octavia blushed slightly at the comment and nodded. “Excellent. It’s settled then. Now come along, quickly. We need to get you into the gown before the finale starts. It should fit perfectly. Vi—uh, I mean, the pony was about your size so everything should work out. Follow me please.”
Octavia nodded again and followed Rarity around to the back of her shop, leaving the fashion show behind. She felt bad leaving her place in the music, but Rarity was correct. Her major parts were over, and Fiddlesticks could easily cover for her in terms of pitch. It was not like this was the Grand Galloping Gala or anything of that magnitude.
Moments later, Octavia found herself in the back of Rarity’s shop. All the ponies who had modeled for the show were there, chatting amongst themselves and showing off their outfits to one another. Rarity ushered her through the crowd and into a dressing room.
“Your outfit is hanging in there. Put it on and then come out so I can see if I need to make any adjustments.” With a gentle push, Rarity closed the door and Octavia found herself staring at a beautiful dress.
It was made of pure white silk and seemed to shimmer in the light. Blue sapphires lined the trim and a black onyx clasp ran around the neck. Octavia shuddered as she slipped it on, the fabric falling around her like she imagined a cloud would feel if she could fly. It went very low in front, to the point where she almost felt indecent, but at the same time she found herself excited. The outfit was rather risqué by her standards, and wearing it filled her with a sense of danger that she rarely felt without…a certain pony around her.
Octavia shook the thought away and undid her bow tie. She clasped the onyx binder around her neck and turned to look at herself in the mirror. The dress was rippling around her, almost as if it was breathing on its own. Her black mane fell down to her shoulders and her eyes seemed to sparkle as bright as the sapphires that gently clicked against the floor. She looked stunning, she decided. The outfit was very plain compared to what other ponies had been wearing, but somehow Rarity had made it the most striking thing Octavia had seen all night.
“What would Vinyl say, I wonder?” she whispered to herself as she stared at her reflection. “Wow, Tavi, you look hot!” She smiled to herself and turned to exit the dressing room. Maybe Rarity would let her keep the dress and she could show it to Vinyl later.
Wait. I just want to find her. I do not wish to show off for her. Right…?
“Oh, Octavia dear, you look simply smashing,” Rarity said as Octavia stepped out.
“I’m almost jealous,” Bon Bon added, who had apparently come over while Octavia changed. “Stay away from Lyra while you’re wearing that, just to be safe, okay?”
Octavia smiled. “Very well.” She turned to Rarity, goose bumps going down her skin as the silk flowed around her. “When do I go on?”
“As soon as we get your partner out of her dressing room,” Rarity said, her face scrunching with annoyance. “I’m afraid she’s having a bit of a nervous breakdown. Perhaps you could talk to her?”
“I do not think that would be a good idea,” Octavia said as she looked at the floor. “Talking to ponies about unwinding is not my strong suit.”
It was true. Octavia was often told she came across as uptight, even when she was perfectly relaxed. She doubted her calming techniques would be at all helpful for a pony from Ponyville. Modeling in front of your friends was not the same as playing in front of countless important ponies in Canterlot. This pony probably needed a friend from her town, not some cellist player.
“Well, she won’t listen to me,” Bon Bon said, “nor any other pony here for that matter. She might listen to you though. I hear she’s a big fan, and if you tell her she gets to go out on stage with you, I’m sure she’ll jump at the chance.”
Octavia sighed. Fame had its price apparently. Still, it was nice to have a fan, and Octavia supposed she could at least try to make the pony feel at ease.
“Where can I find her?”
“She’s in the back, in the only dressing room with the locked door.” Rarity picked up a small white bag with her magic and made it float in front of Octavia. “Also, she’ll need this. It’s part of her outfit, and I…may have forgotten to give it to her.”
Octavia nodded and took the small bag in her mouth. She began to make her way to the back. She heard Rarity announce to the other models to begin lining up for their encore performance and the room began to slowly drain of ponies. Octavia decided she needed to hurry if she wanted to make it in time. She did not want to ruin Rarity’s show by failing to make an appearance. The sound of the sapphires gently clicking against the floor reminded her of trickling water as she trotted over to the far dressing rooms.
She found the only dressing room with a closed door and set the bag down next to it. She was about to knock when she paused. A faint noise was coming from the other side. It sounded like…crying? Oh dear. This was unpleasant indeed. Octavia was not sure if she knew the right words to say to cheer up a pony in tears. Still, she had to try. She knocked once and opened her mouth to speak, but the pony on the other side beat her to it.
“Listen, Bon Bon, I know you mean well, but please just leave me alone.”
Octavia’s eyes widened and she felt her mouth fall open. For a moment, she stood perfectly still, her brain refusing to recognize what she had just heard. Was that…?
“Vinyl?” she asked carefully.
There was dead silence for a long time, and then, “No.”
“Vinyl Scratch, is that you?” she asked again, getting a bit more control over her voice.
“No, it’s not,” the voice said rather hoarsely. “Please…just go away.” Was she crying? Why in Equestria was she crying? Why was she hiding in a dressing room? Why was she even here?
“Vinyl Scratch, you will open this door now, or I will show you how strong an earth pony truly is and Rarity will send you the bill.” For a moment, nothing happened. “One. Two. Celestia help you if I get to three, Vinyl.” She started to back up and began to turn around, getting ready to smash the door in with her hind legs.
It did not come to that. The door creaked open just a bit, but not enough for Octavia to get inside, much less see inside. It was progress, but that thought was quickly drowned out by another one.
What now?
Octavia stood in silence, staring at the door and wondering what she was suppose to say. She had spent the past few days running over every possible scenario for when she finally tracked Vinyl down. She had decided that she would be civil toward the D.J., but firm. She was just making sure that Vinyl was fine, and that was all. She had planned to make that very clear, and that while she had forgiven the unicorn, that was all. Nothing more.
“Vinyl, please step out here,” she said instead. Why was her voice so soft? She did not want to give the unicorn the wrong idea. She needed to put more iron into her voice, but she found that she could not do it. She just wanted to see her.
“I would rather not make an appearance, Miss Melody,” Vinyl said. Or at least, Octavia was pretty sure it was her. She had never heard Vinyl speak like that.
“Do not be silly,” she said, again finding her voice to not be anything like she had imagined it would be when this moment came.
“I’m sorr—I mean, I apologize, but I must insist.” Why was she talking like that? This was not like her at all. “I…I do not wish for you to see me. You made it very clear that you felt similar, and I don’t want to intrude. It is best if you just pretend you did not find me.”
Octavia was growing tired of staring at, and talking to, a door. “Vinyl, please open the door. This is getting rather bothersome. And Rarity will be cross with us if we do not make it on stage in time.”
That got the door open. “What do you mean?” Vinyl asked quietly as she stepped out.
Octavia attempted to answer, but her voice caught in her throat. Vinyl looked dazzling. She was clad in a grey dress with satin boots that complemented the curves of her legs. Her hair was done up in a way that Octavia did not think was possible on her, and yet it fit perfectly. Her spikes had been toned down to long strands of flowing blue rivers that streaked down the sides of her face and neck.
As Vinyl took another step forward, Octavia noticed that light seemed to sparkle off of her dress. She looked closely and saw countless amethyst stones embroidered into the dress, each one reflecting light in its own way. She wore a beautiful bridle that drew Octavia’s eyes to the unicorn’s own eyes, which were doing their best to look at the floor.
That was the only thing wrong with Vinyl’s appearance. Her eyes were red from crying.
“You look amazing,” Octavia said.
“You look…nice,” Vinyl replied, still staring at the floor. Nice? What type of compliment was that? Vinyl never used the word ‘nice’ to describe how a pony looked, and Octavia felt a twinge of pain. Was that all Vinyl thought of her appearance?
“Vinyl, what is—?”
“Octavia, I get it,” Vinyl said suddenly. “I don’t know why Rarity, or Bon Bon, or whoever, sent you back here to talk to me, but I get it. You don’t need to waste your time on me anymore, and I promise I’ll leave you alone. Forever.”
Octavia’s mouth fell open. She had not wanted that, had she? Sure, she had been sore with Vinyl. Sure she was upset that the unicorn had missed yet another of her performances. Sure she had said pretty much exactly what Vinyl had just told her, but to hear it coming from the D.J.’s mouth and not her own made it sound…wrong. Heartbreaking.
Vinyl, leaving her alone forever?
A tear ran down her cheek before she realized what was happening and she quickly brushed it away.
“I will take my leave now,” Vinyl said. “I see I am upsetting you again. I…I know it doesn’t matter now, but…I am sorry. About everything.” She hung her head and turned to walk away.
Do not let her leave! Stop her! Say something, damn it!
Octavia’s mind was screaming at her to act, to step in front of the unicorn as she left, to throw her hooves around her neck and hold her in place, or even just tell her to stop. Something, anything.
“Stop!” Octavia said in a loud whisper. “I said stop right there!”
Vinyl stopped and looked back at her, her face so distraught and broken that Octavia felt her heart breaking. “Yes? May I help you with something?”
“Just…stop,” Octavia said, lowering her head. “Stop talking like that. It is…not right. It is not you.”
“The old me hurt you,” Vinyl whispered. “I do not wish to—”
“I SAID STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!”
Vinyl blinked and took a step back. Octavia herself blinked in surprise at her outburst. Her chest was heaving and her mane was falling in front of her eyes. Frustrated, she tried to brush it aside, but only caused more of it to fall into her face. She began to frantically run her hoof through her mane, trying to straighten it and only making it worse. Tears began to fall from her eyes and land on the floor.
A white hoof reached out and lifted her chin, then carefully brush her mane out of her eyes.
“Are you okay?” Vinyl asked as they stared at each other. “I…I can go if I’m making you upset.”
“You have been doing that for a long time,” Octavia said. She had not meant for it to sound so mean, but her emotions were running wild and she was not sure what was going on. She felt like she had that night Lyra had come over: raw, with all her defenses down and no filter in place to check herself against.
“Yeah, I know,” Vinyl said. She looked away. “I never realized what you must have felt like when I didn’t show for your concerts. I thought it was no big deal, seeing as you had all those other ponies there. I didn’t think I mattered.”
“Vinyl, you know that is—”
“Let me finish,” the unicorn said firmly. “But then tonight, when I walked out on stage and saw your empty chair with your cello, I…Octy, I’m so, so sorry. I understand if you never want to speak to me again.”
Octavia’s ears fluttered at the sound of her nickname. “I did not know you were in the show Vinyl,” she said. “Otherwise, I would not have allowed Rarity to pull me from my seat. I was under the impression that you were unavailable to play for the show and that Rarity had simply not had a chance to change the pamphlet.”
“What?” Vinyl said, a look of genuine confusion crossing her face. “But…I’ve been with Rarity for the past week. That’s why I was so upset when you didn’t see me. I helped her set up a lot of this stuff. I wanted to show you that I had class by helping Rarity put on this fashion show thing.”
“But Rarity and Lyra said…” Octavia trailed off as her mind began to piece things together. She smiled to herself. “We have some amazing friends, Vinyl.”
“More like amazingly manipulative friends,” the unicorn said with a face. “That was you in the spa the other day, wasn’t it?”
“And I take it you were in the back with Rarity, which is why Miss Lotus was so insistent that I not go back there.”
“I’m going to kill them,” Vinyl said, although she had a smile spreading across her face as she spoke.
“Well, if you prefer, I can return to not speaking to you, you leaving desperate messages on my phone, and the two of us generally being unhappy for the rest of our lives. Just so our friends’ hard work can be for nothing, if that makes you feel better.”
“No, no, I’m good.”
The two ponies stood in silence for a moment, trying to figure out what to say to one another. Octavia’s anger at Vinyl had slowly diminished over the past several weeks, but after tonight it had all melted away. She was glad to have Vinyl back in her life, her world as Bon Bon put it, even if it meant more pain down the road.
Or maybe not as much pain as she thought. Vinyl had apparently learned her lesson and Octavia was fairly sure that the D.J. would not be missing any more of her shows. At least none of the important ones anyway.
“I am sorry I missed your debut as a model,” Octavia said finally.
“Me too,” Vinyl said. “Uh, I mean, I’m sorry I missed your show. Shows! But I’m also really bummed that you missed my modeling career. Rarity said I was the star of the show and all that.”
Rarity! The show! Oh no! Octavia had completely forgotten the reason she had come back here. Rarity, and by now every other pony, was waiting on Octavia and Vinyl to come out on the runway one last time.
“Octy, is something wrong?” Vinyl asked. “You look worried.”
“The show! Rarity and everypony else is waiting for you and me! We are supposed to be the final act!”
“I, uh, don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Vinyl said, blushing slightly. “I’m kind of a mess right now.”
“Nonsense, you look smashing.” Octavia looked at Vinyl’s red puffy eyes and winced slightly. “We just need something to cover your eyes. Where are your sunglasses?”
“Rarity took them. Said they didn’t go with the gown.”
Octavia looked around and spotted the small bag Rarity had given her earlier. She opened it and smiled. Rarity had planned this whole thing down to the last detail. Octavia should have expected nothing less from a pony whose passion was making such beautiful outfits.
“Close your eyes,” Octavia said. Vinyl did and Octavia pulled out the pair of sunglasses that Vinyl always wore. She slid them on Vinyl’s face and took a step back, admiring her work. “There you are, Vinyl.”
“Alright, thanks!” Vinyl said as a smile swept across her face. “I’ve missed these babies!”
“So, I still would love to see your modeling technique, if you are willing,” Octavia said as she turned toward the door.
“Right behind you,” Vinyl said, trotting up next to her and gently bumping her flank against Octavia’s. Octavia smiled and bumped her back and the two of them walked out of the dressing room and headed for the runway.
* * *
Lyra was growing worried. It had been two minutes since Bon Bon had come out for her encore performance and there was still no sign of Octavia or Vinyl. What if the plan hadn’t worked? What if, no matter what she, Bon Bon, Rarity, and every other pony tried, the two musicians never made up? Vinyl was obviously sorry, and Octavia had made it painfully clear that she missed the unicorn, but the cellist could be amazingly stubborn and the D.J. was a bit thick when it came to some matters.
Well, if this didn’t work, Lyra would simply have Bon Bon help her ponynap the both of them and force them to make up.
“Relax, darling,” Rarity whispered from beside her. “They’ll be out any moment.”
“How can you be sure? It’s already been two minutes and ponies are starting to get a bit impatient.” The entire show had been put on hold while Rarity promised that the main stars were getting ready to appear.
“Trust me,” Rarity said. “I’ve been through enough trials with friends to know when something is going to work.”
As if on cue, Bon Bon stuck her head out from behind the curtain and nodded once toward Rarity and Lyra. Lyra smiled and nodded to Fiddlesticks, who immediately began playing her fiddle, and the rest of the musicians picked up their instruments as well.
“See?” Rarity said with a glorious smile on her face. “They are apple pie.”
“Yeah…I still have no idea what that means,” Lyra said as she picked up her lyre and began playing. “Good job though. There were a few close calls, but we pulled it off.”
“We only gave them a little nudge, Miss Heartstrings.” Rarity nodded toward the stage and Lyra smiled as Octavia and Vinyl walked out together. The crowd roared and stomped their hooves as the two musicians took center stage and struck a pose. “They did the hard part. But still, you did help, so you must be rewarded. Tell Bon Bon she may keep the dress, free of charge. Consider it a gift.”
Lyra blushed and struggled to keep her magic from changing colors. She was glad her two friends were back on speaking terms, but now all she really wanted to do was get home with Bon Bon still in that dress.
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I've always seen the two of them as friends, mostly because I dislike shipping in general. That said I wouldn't mind them being lovers but ending up as friends after this. A fallout like this never mend everything and I find it unlikely it would, especially when it takes over a month for them to speak with each other.
Lovers -> Friends is my personal thing, but it's not even one of your options.
2815327
What's this? A pony on FimFiction who does not like shipping?! Burn, heathen!
Kidding, of course. I get what you're saying, and you're probably right. The real world can be cruel when it comes to relationships and fights. However, I am a romantic at heart and I like to believe that love can overcome almost anything if it's strong enough. It would kill me to have them be lovers and then never get back together. Too sad for me I'm afraid.
So the first vote goes to the 'Friends' ending then. Thank you for commenting
That was very nicely done. Good job!
I vote for love
also your story is amazing, keep up the good work.
2816624
Yay! New pony with a comment!
Your avatar is adorable by the way.
So as it stands, one for friends, one for love.
2815781
Care to break the tie?
2817255
I say redemption and love! Mostly cause I'm a sucker like that mwahahahahahah
They will always be together, mayhaps not together completely at first but they are still in love.
2820017
There you are Isaac. Okay, so far it stands at 3 for love, 1 for friends. I'll wait a week, see if anypony else has any votes, then I'll post the first epilogue.
2820835
Yep here I am!
2820835
Would you make that 4 votes for love?
I guess the song does say, 'friendship' doesn't it? I'd always viewed it as a break-up from a relationship. I guess that was a little narrow minded of me.
As always great job writing, and I can't wait to see what you come up with next.
2838494
Not narrow minded at all. You are not the only one who views the song like that--just look at the comments on the vid! Plus that song is filled with enough pain and anguish that it can easily be about a breakup. I just took it as Octavia being 'professional' about the breakup. That, or she didn't want ponies overhearing the fact that she's dating a mare. The scandal!
2838639
And what a scandal it would be!
i see a 2k word chapter that needs a password. o.o do want to read.
2851931
Oh, is that what un-publish does? I thought it just took the whole thing down. I was thinking over what Quite Quiet said, and I think he, or she, makes a few good points. So I took this chapter down to add and rearrange it a bit. I'll send you the password so you can read this current version though.
I know you dread this answer Zeck: both. you'll mend their friendship, and then you'll launch into a sequel story for all the shipping goodness. oh yes, I've already planeted the bait in your head for your next story. now get to finishing this one
oh, and that counted as two votes. friendship for this one, and
for your next. unless you think you can do both in the same story? I have total confidence in your writing talent and extra nights spent with more writing than you planned.
2854140
Yay! A new fan! Nice try, but there are already too many stories in my head. They must be written down soon or I will go insane.
There won't be a direct sequel to this story, but the events will be referenced in other stories that I write. I'm glad you like it though and that you took the time to vote...even if you did try to cheat with said vote.
Well I don't think I can read the alternate ending. This one was just too amazing and I really don't want to ruin it. So have an up-vote
I love N'sync... My favorite member is Harpo... If there isnt a guy named harpo... There really should be...
First, some typos and such, just since I noticed more significant ones than usual.
Second... Well, I suppose that indeed you've never referred to them specifically as lovers or friends up to this point, but a romantic relationship pretty much always seemed implied. But then, maybe that's just my perspective, and that's the point, isn't it? I could see two dear friends going through something like this.
Nyeh.
you misspelled fine