Dual Melody

by Coolestninja1242

Chapter Three

Chapter 3

I have had the same dream every night for over a year except tonight, tonight’s dream was different. I revile my self to Vinyl like I do in all my dreams and like before she stares at me with horror on her face.

I cry out to her, “I thought you loved me!” I feel panicked. I feel unsure. Most of all I feel trapped, stuck.

Then to my dismay in a voice that is both hers and not hers she says, “Who could ever love a bug like you.” I hear that same laugh that sends chills down my spine and before I even realize it begin to cry.

I sit up in bed tangled in our sheets. Three in the morning and I’m alone. Vinyl is still at work and there is no one here to comfort me after my nightmare. I really did imagine it. “She isn’t like…” I stop myself remembering that the walls of our apartment are paper thin and Lyra and BonBon can likely hear everything I’m saying. Even if they should be asleep right now its better not to risk it.

I bang my head lightly on the wall trying not to cry, “She isn’t Surprise…She’d never…” I trail off again. Suddenly I hear two gentle knocks back.

“Tavia you okay over there?” Of course Lyra herd everything. Of course Lyra isn‘t asleep like any reasonable pony. Of course. “I herd you screaming and well I know V is clubbing right now…wanna chat?” No sense of malice in her voice, no sarcasm, no joking tone…just two really lame nick names she gave Vinyl and I. I say nothing but Lyra has known me almost as long as Vinyl has…they were friends before Vinyl and I met. I suspect they were more but was never told upfront that they were. Besides I trust Lyra she’s a good mare who’s always been good to Vinyl and me and especially to BonBon. That’s what matters most to me. I knew Lyra briefly before she started dating BonBon and she was a very…active…mare.

I hesitate then let out a sigh and say, “Alright Lyra. Outside. Five minutes.”

It’s cold. It’s cold, and it’s raining. It’s cold, it’s raining, and Lyra is late. I gave Lyra one thing that she is in fact a good mare, but damn it all if she ever showed up on time. I place my bottom on the cold grass outside of our apartment building.

I love the rain. To be frank I love anything that makes me seem…alive. I don’t mean to say changelings are undead we just don’t really have lives of our own. Ever since I took this form, ever since I met Vinyl everything that I felt as my old self just seemed…wrong. Like it didn’t matter, like that life didn’t matter. I just wish it wasn’t so cold.

“TAVIA!” Lyra shouts as she runs out the front door nearly slipping in the mud. “Sorry I’m late Bonny woke up just as I was gonna step out then I had to explain where I was going and that just took forever.” She chuckles as her light green and white mane bounces up and down. It’s already begun to slick down with rain. “So what’s up?”

I always hated that saying. Many things are up, the sky for one, hay prices for another, and well the ever growing chance of a changeling attack for one more.

“It’s nothing Lyra…thank you for making me wait out here in the cold though. The rain really helps me clear my thoughts. I will oh so enjoy the illness that will fallow tonight. It means so much.” That was a bit rude and very sarcastic.

“Octavia how long have we known each other? I know when something’s up.” She called me Octavia…alright Lyra Heartstrings I suppose I can tell you what is up.

“I…I had a nightmare that’s all.” I didn’t realize how taken back I was by serious Lyra. “Usually Vinyl is there to console me, but when she wasn’t I just sort of broke down. Alright?” It’s not a total lie but I still feel like I’m hiding the truth from Lyra who honestly just wants to help.

“Yeah V’s good at that…Smoke?” Lyra offers me a cigarette.

“I thought you quit?”

Lyra and Vinyl both smoked for years before I met them. They both did a lot of things they probably shouldn’t have before we met. Smoking, drinking, drugs, and a lot of sleeping around.

I remember one night in particular I was spending the night at Vinyl’s before I had officially moved in. I hadn’t really had a place of my own at the time but Vinyl came home from work late. Later then when she had said she was going to be home. I wanted to wait up for her and surprise her with a nice hot meal. I learned very early on with my new form to enjoy cooking.

Vinyl came home later then she normally did drunk as a skunk, stinking of alcohol, sweat, vomit and what I could only assume was the other mare hanging on her foreleg. We weren’t exclusive yet but it still hurts to think about. That poor mare though didn’t stand a chance. I shoved her to the floor the second Vinyl uttered my name and took what was mine right in front of that other mare.

The next morning Vinyl vowed to quit all of her bad habits. The smoking, the heavy drinking, the drugs, and yes, even the other mares. She begged me to forgive her. Of course I did, we wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t. Besides I was already doing a worse thing to her then she could ever do to me.

Back to what was happening with Lyra, “Oh…oh yeah. Please don’t tell Bonny. I only light one up every now and then I swear. Only on really bad nights. You’ve had bad nights right Tavi?” Lyra’s eyes plea with me to not tell a soul.

Lyra has always been a little unstable, at least she has been as long as I’ve known her. She often herd weird voices calling out to her, non-pony voices. She became obsessed with them, she says they call themselves “humans.” They told her things, and promised her things. Back when she lived in Ponyville she went to a psychologist. Apparently she was well enough to move to Manehatten with Vinyl .

That or something else happened. I never herd the full story but it involved sleeping with the doctor’s mare friend if I remember correctly. Oh and never being aloud in said doctors office ever again. If I recall correctly the doctors name was Lemon something or other and the mare that Lyra slept with was called Screw Shine? No, that doesn’t sound right. I really should focus.

I nod and sigh, “I won’t tell a soul, but I swear to Celestia if you get Vinyl to pick up that filthy habit again I will never forgive you.” We both laugh a bit nervously, though I am completely serious. Those sticks made Vinyl’s fur smell vial.

Lyra and I don’t really spend much alone time together. We don’t really have much in common aside from Vinyl and a love of stringed instruments, or maybe that was stringed instruments and a love of Vinyl. I don’t think I’ll ever be sure which it is.

Lyra exhales smoke through her nose, “So what was the dream about?”

I’m taken back for a moment, regaining my balance I say, “That’s personal.”

Lyra stamps out the cigarette, “Octavia I can’t help you if you don’t tell me the problem.” Despite her many issues Lyra is a good mare. A stupid mare but a good one. Even if we aren‘t close she is still the closest thing I have to a real friend. “It’s about you and Vinyl isn’t it? I’ve been down that road Tavia sometimes you just need to learn to let go.”

Wait, what? “What do you mean you’ve been down that road before?” They didn’t seriously date did they? Vinyl would have told me if they did. I know Vinyl would have told me if her and Lyra dated. I just know she would. Wouldn’t She?

Lyra looks at me puzzled, “Vinyl didn’t tell you? We dated for like three years. Okay, it more or less added up to that. Neither of us could stay tied down long enough to really date for more then a week. We always ended up back together though. Big fight, would go out drinking, fought some more, slept around a bit, fight a bit more, run into our old dealer Happy Pills, make up and stay together for another few days. That was our routine.”

They not only dated but slept around. I knew that last part why does this surprise me? Why does this information hurt like it does? I feel…betrayed by my two closest friends. They dated and neither even bothered to tell me. I have no right to feel this betrayed. I’m a changeling pretending to be an earth pony. That is so much worse.

“Does BonBon know?” I asked trying not to sound furious, or worse cry.

Lyra nods, “Of course Bonny knows. I tell her everything.” That sentence hurts more then anything else right now. Of course BonBon knows. Lyra is an open book. She couldn’t hold onto a secret if you glued it to her hooves. “Okay she knows everything except me still smoking.” I could see instant guilt on Lyra’s face. “Guess I’ll have to tell her that when I get upstairs…who am I kidding she probably already knows. I probably stink like smoke. Shoot.” Lyra rambles on but I’m only half listening.

She feels so guilty over one tiny secret while my relationship with Vinyl is based off of one huge secret. One huge lie, I am an earth pony. I have to tell her, I have to tell somepony.

“So this dream?” Lyra asks again.

I feel my chest grow heavy, my breath becomes shallow and then I do something I would never imagine myself doing, I just spit it out. “I’ve had the same dream every night!” I yell much louder then I expect to but continue on in a lower tone.

“I…I wake up…as a changeling. An-and Vinyl sees me like that and she freaks out.” My voice is shaking, “Tonight in my dream I call out to her and she says to me that she could never love a bug like me.” I feel tears welling up in the corner of my eye lids. “Alright, Lyra…that’s the dream, and my dream is right. I can’t be with Vinyl!” I begin to cry. “Lyra…I-I’m a changeling.” The words hang in the air for a minute, tears flood down my cheeks. Lyra’s face is pure shock. “I’ll take the cigarette now.” I joke trying to lighten the mood. My whole body is shaking, I really do need something to calm me down despite my joke.

Lyra scoffs trying to relax, “Tavia you’re not a changeling. Changelings are buggy and evil and eat love. You’re nice and earth pony-ish and…eat…pancakes?”

She isn’t going to believe me with out proof. This place is too out in the open though I have to tell someone I need to get this off my chest. My life is a lie. I’m so sorry Vinyl I promise I’ll tell you soon just right now I need someone to talk to. Tears continue to trickle down my cheek. “Please…Lyra just come with me. I need to show you something.” I sound more panicked then I mean to.

She gives me a strange look, “Alright Tavia.” She fallows me into the ally between our apartment building and the flower shop next door. “I can’t believe you think you’re a changeling Tavia, that’s just silly.”

I take a deep breath and let the green change magic take over me, I look like Lyra now. I have her mint green fur and the mane to match. The bright orange and yellow eyes, the unicorn horn and the mischievous smile. “That’s just silly.” I repeat in her voice.

Lyra laughs, its more of a nervous laugh, “That’s a cool trick Tavia! Mirrors right?” Lyra is a good mare, stupid, but a good mare.

I turn into Vinyl and in her voice I say, “Oh yeah totally mirrors dude. You know its been a while since we’ve been in a dark ally like this.”

I change into BonBon, “I think you’d rather like this form better.” I nuzzle Lyra’s neck mainly so she can feel I’m really there and it’s not a mirror or some other kind of gag. She seems to be enjoying it to much though so I slip into my changeling form and give a quick hiss. Lyra jumps back terrified.

Then she smiles nervously, “You…you weren’t kidding.” She laughs loudly. It‘s a nervous laugh. “Tavia you’re a changeling!” It seems to be too much for Lyra to handle. She begins to shake, cry, and laugh all at the same time. “You’re a changeling…does…does V know?”

I only look down at the question not even bothering to change back. The question is just sitting there on the cold concrete between Lyra and I. I don’t even bother to answer, my face says it all. “No…Am I the first pony you told?” Still I say nothing. Lyra is reading my expressions like I’m an open book. “Wow…that’s heavy Octavia.”

The mood in the ally is as dark, cold and heavy as the evening itself. It feels like hours before either of us say anything to one another again. “Did I ever tell you I was attacked by changelings?” The question comes out of no where but still Lyra sounds completely sympathetic if not a bit freaked out.

I hesitate, “I don’t think you have. No.” My voice sounds off. I haven’t herd my changeling voice in so long and not like this. It only now registered I was still a changeling. Quickly I shift back into my earth pony body. I see Lyra relax a little.

Lyra begins her epic tale of how she was a brides made at the Canterlot wedding, and how the queen had brain washed her and the other brides maids into doing her bidding. In the end she was saved by Princess Twilight and the real Princess Cadence. “Me and V went together you know.” This was news to me because Vinyl and I had met at the Canterlot wedding and I do not remember Lyra there in the slightest.

“I didn’t know that.”

She continues talking, “Oh yeah she was DJ-ing the event and had a plus one ticket. Was kind of useless because… well I went to school with the bride and groom. They were a year ahead of me long story. Short version the bride sent me a letter and asked me to be in the wedding. It was a long time since I’d been to Canterlot…oh yeah I’m originally from there, you do a good expression of the accent by the way or did you know like take that form?” I wasn’t sure what to say the amount of information Lyra just presented to me has completely gone over my head. She was talking way to fast. “Equestria to Tavia, or is there a real Tavia?”

I get it now, “Oh! Oh, oh no. I didn't replace anypony. I…I saw this mare at the train station that looked kind of like this and just started looking kind of like her.” Lyra looks at me slightly confused. “The train station like…right before Canterlot. That’s where I met…oh…oh no you two were still together then weren’t you?”

Lyra raises her eye brow, “When?”

I let the question hang in the air again. I gulp very loudly feeling more guilty now then I had earlier. “When Vinyl and I met it was on the train going to the royal wedding…She was sitting alone so I just too the seat next to her…well rather across from her. She never said she was waiting on anypony else or-” Lyra cuts me off mid-sentence.

“Let me stop you right there Tavia. V and I had an open thing.” I still look really worried that I may have upset Lyra, or worse stole Vinyl from somepony else.

As if sensing my worry Lyra says, “We were broken up. We broke up right before the train. I don’t remember what it was about but it was bad. We were never getting back together after that. Actually that reminds me I saw you guys after her gig was over…you two looked so great together. Then when we all moved into the same building and Vinyl Scratch, the DJ-P0n3 was still together with the same mare…Octavia I never told you, Vinyl, or even Bonny this…” She pauses and smiles at me. “If Vinyl and I hadn’t broken up…” again she pauses. “If you and her hadn’t met and gotten together…” She trails off rubbing her hoof with her chin. This seems to be really painful for her to say. “Bonny…oooohhh my dear Bonny Bon would have been like every other mare I was ever with. She would’a been a one night stand and we wouldn’t be happily married right now.” So they are married! Wait a minute, they never invited us to the wedding those dirty rats!

I laugh and then squeal a little bit in glee, “When did you two get married? Why weren’t we invited?”

Lyra beams, “It was just a little thing down at the court house. Honestly we didn’t invite any one, but I’ve been officially off the market for the last month.”

I smile, beaming back at her. “Congratulations!” I cry out sobbing with delight for maybe the first time ever. “We must throw you two a party some time.”

Lyra smiles, “Whoa, Whoa slow down there Octavia I’m pretty sure somepony needs to know your little secret first.” My smile fades. Of course Lyra is right. “You should really show BonBon!”

I smack Lyra across the face as hard as I can. Alright to be fair I know she’s only joking but it still isn’t funny. “Vinyl. You twit. I need to tell Vinyl.” I still probably over reacted. Lyra smiles a knowing smile at me. “I know…I said it not you…” She’s right. She’s absolutely right. I never thought I’d ever hear those words come from my brain. “I promise Lyra…I’ll tell Vinyl as soon as she comes home. On one condition.”

Lyra grins, “Name it.”

“You quiet smoking you dolt!” I laugh loudly until I begin to cry. It’s cold and it’s raining. We’re standing in a smelly ally way between our apartment building and the flower shop next door, I’m with Lyra and she now knows I’m a changeling. I need to tell Vinyl. These are all things that are certain right now. If that’s the case why does life suddenly feel so uncertain to me, so shaky and unreal. Maybe it’s because I’m not real and I suddenly have to come to terms with that and tell the only pony who matters to me.

No matter, I best get back inside. I’m freezing.

Author's Note:

Woo...chapter three. I'm not going to lie I've been sick and tried to edit this while I was really sick and really tired. So if something does seem out of place let me know and I'll be happy to go fix it. A lot happens this chapter and I've got to say I'm pretty happy with it. I also tried my hand at formatting it as people have been suggesting to me with spaces in between each paragraph to make it easier to read. I'm sorry I hadn't done it sooner. i'll also be going back and doing that with chapters one and two later today. I also wanted to point out that the Lyra sleeping with her old physiologist's mare friend and her name being "Screw Shine" is a shout out to another project I do. In the end I couldn't help myself. Sorry. I really do enjoy mixing projects and such, but for the record this story and that one do take place in the same universe....and neither really fallow the show all to closely. Chapter four coming eventually...it looks like I started writing it but again I've been sick and I don't even remember doing that.

Comments

[Mauser1888]

Great chapter! Looking forward to the next.

[Drebom]

This was a great chapter, and I'm really looking forward to Vinyl's reaction! Sorry to hear that you're ill, hope you get better soon!

[NecroLeprechaun]

Can't wait to see Vinyl's reaction. I can only imagine she would take it hard (maybe at first trying to let it slide off), maybe not so much because she's a changeling, but at least because of being lied to.

[The Batmane of equestria]

MIND = BLOWN