A Night to Remember
This chapter is dedicated to those who've stuck with the story thus far. Thanks for the support!
Vinyl examined her surroundings as her eyes finally opened. For once, she did not have a hangover, and could see clearly. The second class cabin was just that - second class. Fair by most standards, it was one of a row of compact rooms constructed of glossy wooden walls, a ceramic ceiling, and red carpets. She pushed herself off of her plush bed that sat in the room's center and made her way to the mirror that hung beside it, just above an old, small bedside table.
The oval portrayed her as a mess, but she herself had a smile on her face. Her mane was ruined, her coat was ruffled, and her eyes drooped. But her appearance now was a stark contrast to what she had seen upon entering the single cabin the night before. Confidently nodding, she stepped away.
The only bathroom was in the far corner - a tiny, cupboard-like area with a hinged metal door to seal it. Vinyl sauntered over to it, her grin falling. Tossing the door ajar with her magic, she stepped in. White tiles lined the walls, even in the small shower stall that made up half of the thing. She closed the door behind her, eyeing the shower in particular.
She was just about to step in when her eyes squeezed shut and her face became strained and reddened. She stomped her hooves down on the floor, her front in the stall and her back out of it. Pain shot through her skull like fire, searing her mind. She breathed a small moan, nearly collapsing into the stall.
But then it was gone. In one overbearing wave of relief, it was gone. She sucked in deeply, tossing her head up and wishing for the cool sea breeze. Her breathing soon returned to normal, and her head fell back.
"Damn," she muttered to herself.
Just as she was reaching for the shower handles, shaking her head and taking deep breaths, the intercoms boomed to life, sending her forward and slamming her face to the shower floor. She shrieked, her bandaged nose shooting waves of pain through her skull.
"Good morning ladies and gentlecolts. Captain Starlight speaking, and you have my sincerest apologizes if I've disturbed you. It is currently seven fifty in the morning, and our sailing is smooth for now. Unfortunately it does not seem that it will stay that way. We Pegasi are rather clumsy I'd say; a bit ahead of us is a rather interesting pegasus storm. Our radio workers say it was blown off course from Manehattan. Once again, my most heartfelt apologies for this. Thank you."
Vinyl muttered a few inaudible words to the floor as a few tears leaked out. She pushed herself up to her weak knees with a scowl, her face steaming red. Stepping fully into the shower, sliding the clear glass door shut and twisting the dials with her magic, she sighed, sniffled, and let the warm water rain down upon her.
***
"Okay Bonbon, calm down. She's somewhere," Octavia said as she gently stroked her friend's mane.
"B-But..." Bonbon hugged her closer, burying her face into Octavia's thick, soft mane.
"No, no, don't talk." Octavia continued to softly stroke her mane, then her back. She looked down to the trembling mare in her forelegs, making sure she stayed close. Her cream fur was glowing in the soft orange lamplight that illuminated the room. Beyond the shut curtains to the right, the sun was just beginning to rise. It was early, yes, but Octavia had opted to stay the night with Bonbon. With a firm nod at her choice, she continued to shush her friend.
"I-I didn't say it was over."
"I know dear, I know. She doesn't though. You mustn't worry; we'll find her and explain things." She turned and bit her lip. Where had Lyra even slept?
"All right," she continued, "Let's take a deep breath in." She sucked in deeply, and Bonbon did the same. Simultaneously they breathed out, sinking into each other. "Better?"
"A l-little..."
"Good, good," Octavia said, her tone hushed and kind. She leaned her head on Bonbon, closing her eyes and rocking her back and forth.
Then, an image flashed before her mind's eye in a mentally blinding stroke. An image full of power and fury, yet as calm as a midsummer breeze. Bright lights, a faint beeping, soft music, and a familiar face.
She twitched, shooting herself onto her back. When air finally returned to her lungs in one long, forceful gasp, and her eyes flung open, she found Bonbon looking over her.
"Octavia!" She gripped the mare's sides, bending down to closely inspect her. Octavia could clearly define the faintest trickle of a tear in Bonbon's eye.
"I'm fine Bonnie. C'mon," she said, pushing herself up, "Let's go get some breakfast and see if we can't find our missing mare."
"It's strange."
Octavia looked to Bonbon with a raised brow. "What is?"
"Everything, it's strange, like how we got here: the trip, the cruise I mean."
"Well yes dear, but what is so strange about it?"
Bonbon sighed, lying back on the bed. "We came here as two couples; we all wanted to have a good time, and we were all smiling, even if it was just a little. Now... well now we're all single, the cruise has been a disaster, nopony's smiling, and not even the sun is shining anymore. It's... It's just so..."
Octavia rested her hoof on her friend's shoulder. "I know. I really do," she said.
"I miss Lyra's smile," Bonbon said, wiping her eyes.
"Indeed, the smile of somepony close is very special... it... well it..." Octavia blinked rapidly, looking down to the floor.
"It's nice." Bonbon offered a teary smile. "C'mon. I'm getting hungry."
***
Vinyl trotted down the long hallway. It was more crowded today; the impending storm had many ponies frenzied, chatting away on the side, drinking the bars dry, and simply staring at nothing. Vinyl, however, was much too occupied to notice any of them. As she trotted down the expansive hallway that linked the grand foyer and the bow, a little piece of paper floated along in an aura of magic in front of her. She had found it, neatly folded and stamped with the captain seal just outside her door.
Dear Ms. Scratch,
As I am sure you heard, we seem to be stuck in the boat instead of on it. I hope you don't mind, but I'll be at the concert hall instead of our planned meeting place. You can find the hall at the complete front of the ship. You should see signs for it in the main halls.
Sincerely yours,
Luminous Starlight
She refolded the thing with her magic, curtly tucking it away in her neatly styled mane. She had been extra careful with her preparations this morning; her mane was finely brushed, and her coat scrubbed spotless. Her teeth were white and minty, and her tail had just enough bounce.
She looked to her right. The bar here was packed, though that wasn't what she noticed. Outside the bar's small, round steel windows, dark grey clouds were beginning to streak the sky, quickly covering the vast, calm sea with an expansive shadow. She could feel the wind rocking the ship harder now; it wasn't bad enough to make her stumble, but she bit her lip nonetheless.
Swiftly approaching was the end of the hall. Here it cut left, and from what Vinyl could see, joined with the other hallway to make one central corridor. Through the crowd of ponies, she could easily make out a wooden sign that was tacked to the wall. It had a few arrows pointing to various directions, some up, some down. One in particular was pointed left and down, into the combined hallway. Vinyl eyed it over, gritting her teeth.
She rounded the corner, swiftly turning right into the conjoined corridor. There was a small ramp here that was covered in thick blue carpets. On the wall, there was another arrow that pointed in the same direction in which she walked. It read Symphony and Orchestra Hall. Nodding to it, she picked up her pace.
At the bottom of the ramp there was a dome shaped room that ended with a large wall. On either side of here were two huge wooden doors. She quickly entered one, shoving it open and letting it fall shut behind her. What she saw made her eyes shoot wide.
The large - no, massive hallway curved on both sides, ending at the front in a sort of V shape. It mocked the shape of the ship's bow, and seemed to shoot up all the way to the upper deck. Hanging from its ceiling was a giant crystal chandelier with many tassels and ornaments deflecting the light in an almost kaleidoscopic display. The orange glow bounced off of the finely crafted wooden walls, each of which was carved by what had to have been a master artisan. Bulging out from them were two side portraits of Princess Luna galloping over the moon as it sank on the watery horizon.
Just above Vinyl was a vaulted loft, much like that of the dining hall. It too spread around the outer walls, built in seats of fine wood and velvet bolted down to their slanted floors. These seats also made up the row after row of chairs on the main floor too as it slanted down to the blue curtain-covered stage.
"Ah, Vinyl - may I call you that?" a familiar voice asked, his calm tone hardly echoing in the huge room. Vinyl snapped from her awe-struck gaze, looking down Starlight was standing at the bottom of the aisle ramp, a cheery smile on his face.
"I, uh, yeah, sure," she said, trotting down to him. The room was cold, sending goosebumps down her spine as she approached the stallion.
"Good," he said, taking a seat. Vinyl trotted past him, choosing her own chair to his left. "My, what happened there?" he asked as she sat, inspecting her nose with wide eyes. It was without it's bandage, displaying a grisly display of twisted bone beneath scared fur.
"You're announcement," she grumbled, rubbing the throbbing thing with her hooves.
"Oh, my sincerest apologies, Ms. Vinyl."
Despite herself, she allowed a dry laugh. "Captain, 'Vinyl' or 'Ms. Scratch, please," she said. Nodding, Starlight sat there in thoughtful silence. A minute passed, then two, and soon enough, the throbbing in her nose began to dull and fade.
Vinyl yawned, stretching her hooves out. "So what's with the storm?"
"Why, I'm not sure. I can't say it's the first time it's happened though, so no worries. We know what to do." He gave her a gentle nudge on the side.
"I don't doubt it. Kinda feels good though," she said, exaggerating the ship's swaying.
"Indeed," Starlight said with a sigh and a grin, "The gentle rocking of this ship is one of life's finer luxuries."
Vinyl looked at him with an estranged gaze. "Yeah, sure. So why are we here?"
Starlight seemed to pep up at this. "Of course! You see, on the final night of the cruise, we all meet here - well, most of us anyways. The ship stays operational of course, and the restaurant is open. But this is the final event; a concert by our ship's harpist, your lovely friend. In fact I dare say she'll be on stage in a few moments to practice."
As if on cue, Lyra trotted out, her harp in her magic. She looked down to the captain, and they nodded to each other. Not once did she or Vinyl lock eyes though; they actually seemed to be looking away from each other, not even noticing the other's actions.
While Lyra began to get set up - pulling up a stool and tuning her harp - Starlight looked back to Vinyl, examining her unwillingness to see her friend. "You know," he said, turning away from both of them, "you were going to tell me about your little secret, were you not?" His tone was soft as ever, and even his smile kept up, but Vinyl eyed him. The captain was mischievous, no doubt about that, though his mask held up well.
"Yeah. But... can we do this somewhere else?"
"Might I ask why?"
She looked around with fumbling lips. "W-Well, uh..."
"Then here shall do nicely, I think," he said with a nod.
"Fine," she sighed.
"Right then! I've already ordered breakfast to be brought here. I hope you don't mind; what with the odd schedule I went ahead and ordered for you. Got you that strange thing you devoured yesterday. My apologies, but I have no doubt that the kitchens shall be utterly empty by tomorrow." He gave a hearty chuckle.
"Yeah, it's fine I guess."
"Well good," he said. He turned to her with his gentle smile, leaned in and said, "If it truly bothers you that much, we can always move back."
Vinyl finally looked up at Lyra, who was too busy attempting to tune her harp to even notice. "It's all right," she eventually said quietly with a roll of her eyes.
Starlight sat back up. "Perfect, let's start then, shall we? Whenever you are ready, Ms. Vinyl... I'm sorry." He chuckled. "Just Vinyl."
Vinyl took a deep breath in, slowly breathing it out. Then again, and again, until her heart had slowed down, and her muscles relaxed. "It was... six months ago. It's hard to remember, but..."
Starlight nodded. "Please, take your time."
She looked up to him, and then hunched back down. "Six months. I think... I think we were at a bar..."
~Sonata~
Vinyl stepped into the warm room, Octavia at her side. The bass was thick, as always, booming through her body almost euphorically. She smiled and smelled the air. It was damp with sweat and alcohol; just how a bar should be. The huge blacklights that spanned the walls and ceiling did a good job of illuminating the place, too, and with the side bar and huge, crowded dance floor situated around a DJ station, it was the epiphany of Canterlot nightlife.
"C'mon Tav, this is gonna be great!" she said, darting forward to the bar.
Octavia chuckled, trying to keep up. "Vinyl, how do you rope me into these situations, hmm?"
"With my sexy plot," she said with a wink. Hopping up on one of the bar stools, she slammed her hoof down. The bartender snapped around, almost dropping the shot glass in his hooves. "What'cha want, Tav?"
She bit her lip as she took a seat beside Vinyl. "I'm not sure. Might I ask what you plan to get?"
"Hah, bartender! Two shots of Everpony please!" The bulky red stallion nodded with a warm smile, bending down and grabbing at a clear bottle with his teeth. While he prepared the drinks, Vinyl turned to Octavia. "I love this song," she said, bobbing her head, her eyes closed and her hips swinging.
Octavia giggled, placing a hoof over her mouth. "Curse you Vinyl. That's... adorable."
"Eh, that's my talent. That's why I have this cutie mark, you know? Here, take a look!" She hopped up and shoved her flank into Octavia's face. She giggled, pushing the white cheek away with a crimson red blush.
"You disturb me. I have a reputation you know," she said, her smile not faltering.
"Yep. As my little plaything," Vinyl said with a wink. Two full shot glasses slid down the marble bar top, ending curtly in front of them.
"So," Octavia said, picking hers up. "A toast?"
Vinyl, just about to down the liquid, paused, lowering her glass with her magic. "To what?"
"Hmm... why, to love and happiness and all that nonsense!" she said, lifting her glass high with a hearty smile.
Vinyl nodded with a smile of her own, tossing her glass high as well. "To us! And vodka. And whatever else!" Then, she brought the glass down and shot the clear liquid in one gulp.
When she returned to her normal posture, she flashed Octavia a grin. "Another?"
"Well... I wouldn't normally, but I suppose one more couldn't cause too much trouble," she said.
"Hey bartender! Another, please!"
Soon, another two shots came flying down the counter. Once again they raised them, clinking the glasses and chugging them down.
"Whew!" Vinyl said, slamming her glass on the marble. "Stuff's strong!"
"It is," Octavia said, nodding. She gently rested the glass down, peering down the counter. "Um, bartender sir, two margaritas please, lime and salt!"
"And I thought I liked it fast." Vinyl snickered and winked. "But what're you doing getting margaritas? We party tonight!" She turned around. "Hey! Scratch that - another round of shots!"
The bartender sighed, scrapped his set of margaritas and proceeded to pour two shots. It wasn't long before they were swirling in their chairs with cheeky smiles and flailing arms. To them, it was 'dancing'. To everypony else, it was a seizure, and occasionally the bartender would stop by to inform them of the looks they were getting.
A few songs passed, ponies came and went, and the night moved on. It was late, the music was loud, and the stack was tall - the stack of clear, dripping shot glasses that is.
"Fifteen!" Vinyl shouted, hiccupping and staring at the stack. "We're doin' good."
"Indeed," Octavia said, snickering. "I dare say we've accomplished quite the... feat."
With a sloppy smile, Vinyl turned back to the bartender. But Octavia cut her off. She swayed in her seat, reaching a hoof out and landing it on Vinyl's back. "Vinyl, hon... Sweetie. I don't think another is a good idea..."
"A challenge? Hah!"
"No, Vinyl. I don't feel good." She leaned forward, and then straightened her posture once more. Vinyl gave her a curious look.
"Uh... you wanna dance or something?"
"No, no," she said, waving her hoof and pressing her foreleg to her stomach.
Vinyl bit her lip and eyed her marefriend over. "Look, if you don't want to have more..."
"I don't want you to have more either," she said, doing her best to straighten her face. She failed, giving a messy frown instead.
Vinyl darted her eyes. "I dunno Tav, we're here to party and stuff..."
With a gentle, blurry smile, she sat up. "We do, erm, did. Vinyl, can we please go home?"
Shaking her blue mane in either direction with a dumb grin, she said, "Nah, not yet."
"I feel a bit sick..."
"Yeah, yeah, another won't hurt," Vinyl cheered over the booming music. The stack of tiny glasses atop the bar in front of her was a true testament to her disorientated state.
Octavia giggled, sluggishly waving a playful hoof. "Aw, fine, for my little Scratches," she snickered. Then, she downed the clear liquid in her other hoof, shaking her head and snorting when it was gone.
Vinyl eyed her over with a grin. The night was young, but even in the dim blacklight-lit bar, she could tell her marefriend was partying. Her sepia mane and grey fur were carelessly rustled and messy, and her face never dropped that sloppy grin.
"Aw yeah, now that's how we roll!" She turned down the bar to face the busy bartender. "Hey! Another round, S'il vous please!" she shouted with a hiccup.
A thump came from her side, but she paid it no mind. The bartender did, however; his eyes flew wide as the clear bottle of brew fell from his magic, shattering on the floor. Vinyl gave him a wary glance, grinding her teeth and snarling. "Dude that's good stuff you're wasting!"
He didn't answer - he was too busy throwing off his tie and apron and rushing over to her. She backed away, falling from her plush purple stool. What she landed on, however, was not the hard plaster tile that was supposed to be beneath her. She landed on something cold, something plump and curvy, something that seemed like it should be alive. A quick glance down to her hooves revealed a slumped grey mare with blue lips and a glazed gaze.
Immediately she fell to the Octavia's side, placing her ear next to her marefriend's drooling lips. Silence. She raised a shaking hoof and poked the mare's cheek. Stillness. Everything about her had stopped - her breathing, her blinking, and when Vinyl pressed her ear to the still mare's chest, her heart.
"T-Tav?" she asked, gripping the mare's shoulders. She gave Octavia a little shake. There was no movement, no breathing. Nothing but a limp body in her hooves. Or two, or three. She wiped her eyes, inspecting the wetness on them.
"Somepony get a hospital carriage!" a voice from above her shouted. She didn't look up; her eyes were trained on the bluing mare in her hooves.
"Tav, are you okay?" she whispered. The music came to an abrupt halt, and suddenly there was only silence. She sniffed the mare, looking down with a snarl that quickly turned into a flat frown. "Tav? Say somethin'."
Some of the ponies from the dance floor made their way to the scene, overshadowing Vinyl. She paid them no mind either; rather, she poked Octavia's cheek. Then again, and again, until she was sure that her marefriend would not respond. Dropping the mare's head to the cold tile floor, she looked around at the crowd of ponies, her mouth open but unable to speak.
"Move, move!" a strong voice shouted from somewhere. The sound of shuffling ponies filled the air, as well as a few grunts and yelps. Vinyl didn't move once. She stayed above the limp Octavia, her mane falling in her eyes.
Her voice was weak, cracking even. "Octavia?"
A hoof pressed against her shoulder, and she was greeted by the worried gaze of a tall green stallion wearing a white cap with a red cross. "Ma'am," he said, nodding. Vinyl stepped to her right, and he and another brown stallion stepped forward. They began shouting to each other, their faces gaining exasperated glances of fear.
Eventually, they hoisted her up onto a long, flat board they had brought with them. Quickly, they magically lifted her up and began carrying her though the crowd.
"Miss," the bartender said, snapping Vinyl aware. She looked at him with a flat gaze and glossy eyes. All he did was nod to the door, which the paramedics were just now passing through.
After a moment of standing with that blank stare, she coughed harshly, snapping left and stumbling out the doors.
~~~
"Miss?" a voice called from the darkness. "Miss, are you awake? I can't believe she's slept this long... Miss?"
Vinyl slid her eyes open, letting bright lights flood in. She flinched, sinking back down onto the hard surface upon which she laid. Covering her face with a hoof, she tried opening them again. Pain seared her mind as the lights blinded her; they were so close to snapping shut again, and the instant she let go, they would. But she didn't. Rather, she forced them wide, letting the pain breach her mind and sting her. Gripping the sides of the blue chair she found herself on, she rocked back and forth, gritting her teeth and clenching her muscles.
Vivid white walls surrounded her. Row after row of hard blue chairs were lined up, some holding a pony who was crying or sleeping, but most empty. At the far end of this square room was a semicircular desk with a sign reading Emergency Wing it in bright red lettering hanging above.
"Miss?" the voice asked again. Vinyl snapped her head down, wincing and jerking back. She shut her eyes again, gripping her stomach tight. "Oh my, all right, stay still. The icepack please." There was a small rustling noise, then Vinyl could feel a cool, soothing sensation on her forehead and horn. She drew a quivering breath, sinking down in the seat.
Opening her eyes, she was confronted with by a frowning yellow mare, whose blue mane curled up just above her horn. She was dressed in a white medical gown, a muzzle mask hanging limp around her neck. "Ah, finally," she said. "Miss, do you know where you are?"
Vinyl squinted and looked around. "I, uh, the hospital?"
The mare sighed, a small smile flashing across her lips. "Right. And do you know why?"
Pressing her hooves to her temples with a groan, Vinyl closed her eyes and thought. Hard. She clenched her teeth and squeezed her face in strain, but there was nothing. "Um... no," she eventually said, relaxing her muscles and looking up to the mare.
A stallion beside her - a large, brown colt who was dressed in the same attire - stepped forward. "What do you remember?"
"Not much," she said, shaking her head and looking down to the tiled floor. "Um, music. There was music. And... hey, what time is it?" she asked, tilting her head up. She scanned the room, but to her dismay found no windows.
The colt looked to his companion. "It's about one in the afternoon."
"One in the... where's my marefriend?" She shoved herself up from the chair, but the pain in her mind sent her flying back down with a grimace.
"Now, now, take it easy," the mare said, resting her hoof on Vinyl's shoulder. She smacked it off, though. "Look, we're here to help. You're in no condition to refuse, either."
"You could at least tell me your names..."
"Very well then," the colt said. "I am Nurse Stout-"
"And I'm Doctor Warmgaze, and you are in deeper hay then you know," she said, leaning in and giving Vinyl a good once-over.
"You think I don't know that?" she retorted.
"No, I don't miss." She stepped back and sighed. "Let's take it back a step. Tell us everything you remember from last night."
Vinyl leaned back. "Fine. I remember me and Octavia - you know, my marefriend - walking into a bar. Let's see... there were drinks. Um, lot's of them. I think she said something about being sick. Then we were in a cart... Can't you just tell me what happened? Where is my marefriend?"
"We will tell you, but you need to calm down," Stout warned, giving her a cold eye. "The last thing we want you to do is freak out and scare the rest of the ponies in here."
"Fine, fine. I'm worried dude, not spastic or whatever. Just tell me," she said.
Warmgaze and Stout looked at each other, silently and slowly. "I'm pretty sure you know she's in the hospital. Otherwise you wouldn't be here," Warmgaze said. Vinyl nodded slowly, almost sarcastically. She sighed and continued. "She's in surgery right now. We aren't sure why, but her body didn't take kindly to all that alcohol. We have to pump it out, and-"
Vinyl jerked up, grabbing Warmgaze's sides. "What?"
"What did we just say about not panicking?" Stout asked, gently pushing Vinyl back down.
"How is she? Will she be fine?"
"We don't know yet, she-"
Vinyl jumped to her hooves. "What do you mean you 'don't know'? You're a doctor, you're supposed to know!"
"Keep. Your. Voice. Down," Stout said, his voice strong and firm.
Warmgaze stepped forward. "We are doctors, not psychics. So far, I'd say she's doing fine. We'll know everything else in about a day or so."
Vinyl slowly sat back down, biting her lip. "I feel... bad..."
"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. It's not your fault," she said.
She was silent for a moment. "I need to see her."
"I'm sorry, miss, you can't. Surgery is a delicate procedure."
"Then when can I see her?" Vinyl asked quietly, her voice finally cracking.
Stout gave her a gentle smile. "We need to go check on the surgery. We'll know in a few moments, all right?"
She nodded, and at that, the pair trotted away, disappearing behind a pair of white, swinging metal doors. She placed her head in her hooves, rocking back and forth.
And so she sat in the chair, waiting, tears barely trickling down her face. She had gone to the reception counter a few times, once to return the icepack, but mostly asking about the state of Octavia. But each time she asked, they simply told her, "Not yet."
Seconds, minutes, hours... nothing changed. She shivered in place, thought after thought of her marefriend laying on a table, spliced open with a pump attached to her ran through Vinyl's mind, and no matter how hard she fought them, they kept coming. No true tears came, though. One or two slipped loose, but they only made her harden her face even more and strain herself. Soon her muscles were so tight they burned, and she could feel her teeth grinding away as she attempted to keep another tear from falling.
Eventually, the doctor made her return, not by appearance, but by a call. The pony at the front desk - an old, saggy mare - sauntered her way over to Vinyl. "Ahem, ma'am," she said. Vinyl raised her head, but it drooped almost as soon as it was up.
"Yeah?" she asked, her mouth covered due to the ball she had rolled into.
"Doctor Warmgaze would like to see you." She didn't say more; she just walked away, up to the set of swinging doors. Vinyl did not wait. She was up and cantering forward, despite the dark circles around her eyes. She swayed left and right, but made it nonetheless.
Through the small windows on the doors, she could see Warmgaze leaning on an inside wall, her white coat now dripping with crimson fluids. She seemed distracted, her head sagging much like Vinyl's. Vinyl quickly leaned on the doors, spreading them open and lurching herself into a bleach white hallway.
Warmgaze pushed off from the wall, letting her muzzle mask jiggle around her neck. "Ah, Vinyl; well, that's what your delirious marefriend was calling out when she woke up. You are Vinyl Scratch, yes?"
Vinyl nodded, blankly extending her hoof. Warmgaze chuckled and shook it. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you formally. I have some good news and some great news," she said with a huge grin.
Ears up and eyes wide, Vinyl leaned forward. "Octavia's fine?"
"She is. Well, for now anyways. We have her under pretty close watch. I tell you, that operation was interesting!" She laughed, but seeing the dropping mood on Vinyl's sinking face, she stopped and offered a kinder smile. "Well that's the good news anyways. And see? It wasn't as emotionally taxing as all those stories you hear of this place. In fact, you're looking fairly well. I hope it hasn't been too hard for you."
"I, uh, thanks. And I'm fine. Just a bit stressed," she said hoarsely. She cleared her throat and looked Warmgaze in her emerald eyes. "What's the great news?"
"Oh., oh yeah, you're going to love this. We here at Canterlot Regional like to plan ahead, so we already have Miss Octavia's room number for when we transfer her from her temporary intensive unit. Turns out, that room has two beds, and one of them isn't scheduled to be used, so that means you can use it if you want!"
"What? Really?" she dryly asked.
Warmgaze nodded with a smile. "Room number three-forty, floor five. It's unlocked; all you have to do is settle in. We'll be bringing Octavia in later tonight."
"Tonight? What time is it?"
Taking in a deep breath, Warmgaze looked around in thought. "Last time I saw a clock, it was about ten or eleven at night, right around when we finished the surgery. Probably later now though, by a good three or four hours. Anyhow, I hope you have a good night. We'll be running tests on Octavia periodically, and you must remember to not mess with her. No touching, poking, hugging, whatever. None of it. And- oh. Oh my..."
"What?" Vinyl asked, squinting and pressing her face close to Warmgaze's. The mare smelled of blood, making Vinyl's gut churn.
"Well, it's probably nothing," she said with a chuckle. "Like I said, we'll just need to run some tests on her, and I wouldn't expect her to wake up any time soon. Give her a day or two. We'll also need to know if she has any family -"
"She doesn't. At least, none that she's told me about," Vinyl said.
"Right, well we'll still need it on a form. Um, I think that should do it. Our cafeterias are in the basement, and there's a lavatory in the room, so..."
Suddenly, down a hallway to the right, two large steel doors swung open. A pair of stallions rushed a stretcher down the hall, atop which a blue mare with a deep blue mane and a cyan strip was strapped down. They rushed by her, only stopping for a moment. "We've got a mare - Colgate, she says - major lacerations, crushed ribs, and a pierced lung. We need you now."
Warmgaze steeled her face and nodded. "Good luck," she said to Vinyl as she galloped away. Vinyl nodded back, watching her disappear down the maze of hallways.
One set of stairs and two elevators later, and she was found herself staring at a thick metal door, reading in bright silver lettering Room 340. The hallway around her was empty. Doors on either side remained shut, and no maid, doctor or nurse was in sight. Of course, when she had passed the circular rotunda that was the floor's main hub, she got all the activity she needed, be it flying pegasus nurses or teleporting doctors, or even the speedy medical assistant. The silence actually brought a weak smile to her face.
She popped the door open, stepping into the dark room. A light switch on the side set the place alight, revealing bland grey walls, two beds, a white curtain between them, and a door to that read Lavatory. With a sigh, she stepped in fully, shutting the door behind her with her magic. It made a little click as the latch slid into place.
Taking the first bed, she hopped up on it and nestled under its covers. They were surprisingly warm, though not very soft. Thin though they were, they were comfortable enough for Vinyl to let a smile wash over her face.
She left the lights on. Every time she even tried lifting her body to head for the switch, it rejected the thought, sending her crashing down to her stomach with a thud. Eventually, she stayed down, letting her eyes slowly lapse close. Muffled by her pillow, she breathed out her final words, before the darkness of sleep overtook her.
"Had me scared, Tav. Had me scared..."
~Sonata~
Vinyl swallowed the last bite of her breakfast wrap. Lyra's melodic harp filled the hall with soothing notes, and Starlight was busy munching away on a crisp salad.
"Well, I'm terribly sorry to hear that," he said, looking over at Vinyl, "But tell me; how did that escalate to this? That seems like a truly heartfelt moment. Glad to hear things turned out well, I might add."
"You're funny captain," she said, shaking her head.
He rested his hoof on her shoulder. "I think I understand-"
"No, you don't," she said, shooting him a cold glare. From the corner of her eye, she could see Lyra looking down to her. She snapped her head around, snarling. "What do you want?"
Lyra simply held her chin high, closed her eyes, and continued to play.
"Vinyl, I, please calm down. It's all right to feel what you do right now. This is a painful memory-"
"You're bucking right! And you know what? It's not fine. Nothing. Is. Fine. And I'm sick of hearing it!"
"Miss Scratch," he said coolly, his composure remaining formal and friendly. "I assure you that it is perfectly fine right now."
"No," she said. Her tone softened, and she hung her head low. "Not now, not then, and not anytime soon..."
He took a quick bite of his salad, swallowing it as quick as he could. "Why not? She survived, did she not? And it sounds like you two would be well off..."
"It's... well... nothing's ever that easy." She let her mane fall to cover her face, but it did nothing to muffle the sniffle that came next. "I love her... you know?" she asked, not looking up. Starlight bit his lip and leaned forward. Vinyl continued. "I... I love her."
He paused, taking in a deep breath and looking down in thought. "What happened? What came next that brought all this on?"
Vinyl took a shallow breath, her lips quivering. There was a long pause; even the music that once resonated through the hall had come to an abrupt halt. Silence - an eerie, heavy silence - descended upon them, with the only sounds remaining being that of the rain as it began to pound away against the ship's hull.
Eventually, Vinyl took in another deep breath and said, "It started a few days later, when she didn't wake up."
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Tell me what you think! Was it worth the wait?
need more chapters. Can't wait. Oh wait, I can actually wait a bit. Brought some new games. Ether way, nice one.
Well it was good, think only one bit of messed up grammar but could be wrong. The story is coming along great, and I can not wait until the next chapter. It's emotional, it's heart felt, it's just beautiful truly. So I wish you the best of luck with your writing and hope to see more soon.
Thanx FF
Definitely worth the wait for me.
As for that animation, it is a remake of a flash from quite some time ago. I think it had the same title, although I am not 100% positive. Either way, its not worth getting upset about I think. Do you know how many fanfics there are that share the title? Not this title specifically, just a title in general I mean.
Just curious, did you hear anything yet from the EqD pre-readers?
640605 Games are always fun. Fallout almost stopped my fic progress completely
Though, where did you see the grammar problem?
Though, it was more of the fact that it was the Titanic (a cruise) with Lyra and Bonbon that had the name. I'm not mad, I was just edgy when I posted the chapter.
640656 Thank you
640761 Glad to hear it!
I understand. I tend to get split nerves at times
I did hear back from them. This fic is apparently a serious no-go. The prereader said he liked the heart and promise of the fic, but if only you had seen the list of errors...
640932
Now I am curious. I am going to be bold here and ask if you would allow me to see this list of errors. Of course, I understand perfectly if you don't want to.
I have to say I'm loving this story, I wont lie I was worried at one point early on in the story that Vinyls alcoholism was getting a bit over the top but! I can see now it was written that way for a good reason, so I apologize for my earlier doubts.
sorry.
So to sum up my feeling for this story so far.
This is a gripping and well written story and I'm eagerly awaiting the next chapter
ps
Have a Scootaloo for luck
Not sure why but what the hay
641046 I don't mind, but it's fairly large. Any way you'd prefer it? I don't know if jamming it into a comment is a good idea.
641139 No worries
I think plenty of people have turned away from the story for that same exact reason.
And thanks for the complements
641223
*Turns on the puppy eyes* However you decide to show the list, can I see it too?
Umm well this bit "We Pegasi are rather clumsy I'd say" Now is it meant to be 'The Pegasus' or is he referring to him self and other Pegasus. It sort of confused me, but like I said besides that this fic is awesome and beautiful. I wish I had your ability when it came to writing fics.
This chapter made me shed a tear.
Also, another FANTASTIC chapter, keep up the great work!
"Yeah?" she asked, her mouth covered due to the ball she had rolled into."
nothing wrong with it, jut not sure what it means. Could anyone maybe clarify?
But yeah, great chapter as always. And I thought of this fix when I saw that post. I can't believe that this is almost over :(
Before I even read this chapter....yesss update!
Moonlight Sonata is one of the very few stories I actually want to read anymore.
After reading: Noooooo! I must know what happens next! Oh my gawsh! I feel like Vinyl right now, just waiting for her to wake up and know what's wrong with her.
640526
I, dear author, choose to respectfully withhold my present emotions until YOU TELL US WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED!
Ahem. Sorry about that. Wonderful chapter, I positively giggled with glee at seeing a new update, and I sincerely hope you continue on making this fic more awesome.
Been here since chapter 3,
Skull025
This story has always been worth the wait for me! I always look forward to reading it.
This chapter was really good, now we get to find out what happened!!
I need moar
641223
Wow! This chapter took my breath away.
I had a growing suspicion of Vinyl's blanking out at feeling the mark, then the first club scene hit and it was confirmed. The way you wrote it however was astounding. I am not afraid to admit that I bawled like a big fat baby.
What a perfect way to sum this up so far. You have yet to lose any of your amazing ability to show such emotion in your writing.
I am fitfully waiting for the next few chapters!
~< Anna 3~
641398 I'm not sure how I'll do it, if I do it. But if I do, I'll let everyone know.
642082 Basically all pegasi, him included. It's just part of his way of turning everything into light humor. And thank you
642663 I meant she huddled down into herself, and didn't look up to speak.
What fix?
642970
Hah, I'm enjoying this.
643171 And I'm glad you stayed
Thanks for the compliments. 2.5 chapters left 
643579>>647857 Wow, thanks
Though what did you mean, Vinyl blanking out? You say it came before the club? 
646844 You'll get moar
653024
Woo hoo
653024
oh, I see now. That makes sense.
And me trying to give advice on fixing it is harder. There's a reason I don't write fics.
maybe "ball-like position she had rolled into" or "ball like position she had assumed" or "ball she had curled into"? Anything to make it more clear that this is a position she is sitting in, really. I didn't get that (perhaps just from reading while tires), and as a result "ball" and "roll" were two words that really confused me.
Vinyl and Octavia are two of my favs. I can't wait to see where this ends up, but so far you've had me hooked from the very first chapter. Well done
Thank the dear lord you un-hiatus'd this story.
I'll admit, I almost gave up on this story at around chapter 8. but my brother (SirBarmy) Insisted that I carry on. Well, I'm glad I did!
Looking forward to the rest of this story.
829592
Insisted being the nice way of saying I went round and hit his head against the key board until he relented and read on SO ...... wait for it bro .....
TOLD YOU SO
To any other doubters out there I say this Read on or your next
829592 Three chapters made the difference?
Thanks for reading, though
843065 They were good chapters
This was fantastic! I couldn't stop reading it...
I might as well punch you for that last line... you've made me laugh
cry 
and wonder why 
but I'm still reading... curse you... 
Well, I'm new on here, and this is one of the first stories i have read, and may i say you sir have a way with words, now i just have to wait the horrible wait of waiting for the next chapter in the end though good job with the story.
920784 Why thank you! Though trust me, I've done much better than this story. This was the story that really taught me how to write. My later works, with the exception of a few, are 10x better in my opinion. Still, this story is the one I cherish most.
Thanks for reading, the next chapter isn't too far away
922905
Well i read the entire thing in one night, its 2:30 AM here, thats how good i think it is.
Looking forward to the ending
922905 It's been quite a while since I read this over on fanfiction(dot)net, and I have to say it's just as entertaining as it was those months ago. It's a great story, especially if you say it's the one that taught you how to write. I've read several other stories as well, and I admit I envy your skill, Lynked. With luck, perhaps I can someday get close to this level. Until then I'll be joining your legions of followers as we await the next chapter.
Why you no update yet!!!
Why would you take so long to update 
I started reading this yesterday and it's been so long since it's been updated
FLUTTERSHY IS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS!