Inner Demons

by Spider8ite

Chapter Eleven: Winterville

The wind howled in our ears while we walked through the forest, looking to the sides and searching for any danger that might appear. From night to day, the weather suddenly changed to a cold wind. My clothes did little protect me from the absurd cold and my gloves certainly didn’t do much better. Even with Vinyl trying to warm me, giving me yet another jacket, I was still cold.

Imagine now how my father was feeling, coming from a place with no winter, spring, or autumn, a place of eternal summer, hotter than any place in Equestria. He looked really thrown by this. After all, where had that winter come from so suddenly?

Vinyl let out a big sigh. “Ugh… how much further to the end of this damned forest?”

My father paused. He glanced back over his shoulder and looked at her. “At least half a day’s trek. We stay in Winterville tonight. Well, maybe longer with all this snow. And if we can’t make it there by nightfall,” he looked at me and gave me a weak smile, “then we’ll have to sleep in middle of all this ‘winter wonderland’. Won’t that be perfect?”

“Winterville?” I asked with curiosity. “I never ever have heard of that place; does it have eternal winter or something?”

“Actually, yes. You may be asking how I know of it… well, when I was young, it was one the places I would visit with my friend when I snuck out from hell.” He giggled like a teenage demon. “It was really good. I never ate anything there, but the food smelt really good. Still, it was really cold. When I got back home my father always asked why I was wearing such woolly clothes. Good old times.”

“Very old,” Vinyl murmured with a smirk. I looked at her with a frown. “I mean, it’s always awesome to be really old. Like… imagine how you can be… awesome being old. Look… like an old king must be awesome!” she exclaimed. My father continued walking without paying attention to her.

I facepalmed and looked at Wub Wub, who was following us with a smile on his face. “See how stupid your owner is?”

“Hey, I’m not stupid! Your father is… he hates me.”

“He is worried and you keep doing and saying dumb things. That’s why he doesn’t pay you any attention,” I said, receiving a little laugh from her. “What did you expect me to say? Am I supposed to pretend you’re doing and saying super intelligent things?”

“I don’t want to get attention from him. But… he is my father in law. You know I could get used to just sitting around with the old demon there and drinking beer and doing that sort of stuff,” Vinyl murmured with a smile while looking at Dante, who walked looking at the sky as if something was going to fall, apart from the snow. “Oh, look, great, now we have even more snow.”

I could hear my father muttering a curse, but he was interrupted by Vinyl looking at me with a weird face. “What are you doing?”

“So…” she started. I could hear the beginnings of a laugh in her voice. “Talking about that old demon that is your father, what did you inherit from him? What are your powers? You can use something on me?” Vinyl smirked.

“Vinyl! I already told you that — I can’t use them on you, only my succubus ones, which I wouldn’t,” I said. She pouted and gave me those puppy-dog eyes. “I don’t know how to use my demon powers anyway. Just the disguise one, the one I’m using right now.”

“So that means you could easily use the succubus powers on me when we bang, but you don’t?” she asked. My eyes widened and I gave her a punch on the shoulder. “Hey! What I done now? I done nothing!” Vinyl exclaimed. “I’m just saying, what’s wrong? He must know we have sex. Everyone does that. You don’t need to worry so much.” She smirked.

“Oh you! Stop!” I pushed her to the side, blushing. “I hate when you start doing that. Like you need to flirt with me when we’ve been together so long!”

“Well, a truly romantic woman needs to conquer the heart of her love every single day,” Vinyl joked. She picked something up from the ground then looked at me. She had a little flower in hands. “Look how romantic I am, Buttavia.”

I took the flower from her hand. “You’re the very embodiment of romanticism. You’re just like Shakespeare. You are so very romantic, Vinyl, that I think I want to marry you right now. But in fact, that’s really sweet.” I leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Are you not entertained yet, Miss Scratch?” I asked.

“Actually… no. I’m not, but I will be. Maybe you could just pretend to use your succubus powers one day or dress like one. How about it? What does a succubus dress like anyway?” Vinyl looked straight at me and shifted her blue eyebrows, giving me another smirk.

“Vinyl you… I won’t even answer that — you know what I am going to answer,” I murmured putting my arms around my own body, trying to warm myself.

“Yes! That’s a ‘yes’ and I know it!” Vinyl stopped and did a little dance. “Right?” I just continued walking. “When you say nothing, that means ‘yes’. See? I’m going to have the best present of all!” Vinyl took the little black dog from the ground in her hands and whirled him around, celebrating. The dog didn’t understand, but he barked in excitement. “Now I’m not feeling bad about all this walking actually,” Vinyl put an arm behind my neck, cradling Wub Wub under her other arm. “Actually this really is a winter wonderland. Look at how beautiful the snow is, and…” She looked at all the white ground and smirked. “So Tavi… do you wanna build a snowman?”

“Vinyl?” I called her with my best ‘hey sweetie’ voice.

“What?” She looked back at me.

“Could you please do me a favor and… let it go?”

“Are ya’ going back there with me?” she asked smiling.

“Ugh you’re impossible…” I moaned and Vinyl laughed.

We continued walking. And walking. And walking even more. Stopping sometimes because of Vinyl or Wub Wub. Finally we saw a light and heard the sound of people walking. We arrived in Winterville before Dante predicted. Finally we could get out of the winter storm that came from the little vile and pass the night there just sitting around a fireplace drinking hot cocoa and rest in a warm bed. In preference with Vinyl next to me. And-

“Eyah!” screamed an excited female voice. “Welcome!” We all looked at her. She had a huge smile on face, white hair, and blue eyes. She really reminded me of Pinkie Pie somehow — maybe it was her intense excitement levels. The happy woman was accompanied by a big black husky that looked even more excited than his or her owner. “I’m Wind Cracker! And this is my cute lil’ boy…” Wind stroked the dog’s head and he barked. “… Steven!”

“Steven? Do you have a bird named Pearl too?” Vinyl interrupted. “Are you sure that’s a good name for a dog? Like really, Ste–” I gave her a punch on her shoulder. “Ouch! What? I’m giving my opinion here!”

“Sorry about Vinyl. She doesn’t think about what she says. Steven is sweet name. Wub Wub is good too, but weird, so your dog has a better name than ours.” I kindly smiled at her and Steven barked like if he knew what I said.

“Wait we… Wub Wub’s got a cool name! Rainbow and I named him! It’s super awesome. I couldn’t name him like… Beethoven. After all, he’s not that big dog that saves people in snowy places,” Vinyl mocked and raised an eyebrow. “You do remember what you wanted to call him, don’t you?”

“He would be named after the great Ludwig van Beethoven if you and Miss Dash hadn’t named him after a… beat.” I crossed my arms and frowned. Vinyl smiled. “You don’t even need to say it… I know it already,” I murmured and blushed, referring to the fact that I knew she would say she loved that face. We looked back at Wind, who was watching us with a weird smile. “Er… sorry about that. It’s just… you know. Hehe.”

“Nah, Tavi, she’s enjoying it.” Vinyl hugged me from behind and glared at her angrily. She just giggled softly. “So… Windy, have ya’ got some place for us to pass the night? It’s freaking cold out here.”

Wind scratched her head. “Hold on a sec… Oh, oh, oh! You’re that DJ! Vinyl Scratch, the great and famous DJ PON3?!” Wind asked, approaching Vinyl and observing her.

“Yep, the one and only!”

“Ooooh! I like your music. Here we mostly just have… country music and such, but I enjoy your music!” Wind hugged her, a hug that looked like it could break ribs. Vinyl’s eyes popped open. “And because of that… I think I might have a place for you three! Follow me!” She released a now winded Vinyl and led the way quickly towards an illuminated building with the sound of music emerging from it.

My father looked at us and we looked at him. We all shrugged. But by this point we had to stay somewhere or we would end up with hypothermia.

As we drew near, we saw it had a big sign that said The Barn. I could hear voices and upbeat music coming from inside and see the shadows of people drinking and dancing. After some time observing the place, we stepped in.

“Wow, I think AJ would like this a lot!” Vinyl said, raising her voice to be heard over the clamour of the room.

“I find it quite… amusing,” my father said, shaking his head and smiling — an expression that I hadn’t seen him make all day.

“So, you’re a hillbilly or something, old man?” Vinyl mocked and my father frowned.

“I am not… that. I just enjoy it.” He looked at the the bar where a barmaid was watching a fight between two drunken men with a smile. “I’m going to get a drink. I need to let go of all this stress for a moment.”

We watched my father going up to the bar and then I noticed Vinyl was looking at me with a smirk. “What’s that about?”

“You see? Your father knows what’s what! He knows that drinking solves everything!” Vinyl exclaimed and started laughing. “And you should—”

“Hey, could you do it?!” Wind’s voice was heard once again.

“What? You… it’s you. What do you mean by that? Do what?”

“Drop it to us! The Barn is my own saloon here in Winterville. I really wanted to give the customers some different music for a change.” Wind pointed at a mixing deck that looked like it had never been used. It was all clean and perfect. “I bought that waiting for some DJ to come here, but… well, when you live somewhere that just has winter all the time, people don’t really want to visit very often. So you’re the first DJ we’ve had,” she explained with a sad pout. “But you’re here now!” Wind exclaimed loudly. Vinyl jumped at her sudden loud squeal. “You can do it for me, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I can. If you can let us stay somewhere here?”

“This place is also a hotel. See? Even your dog can stay here too!” She pointed to some stairs that led to a second floor. “You can stay. So you will do it?”

“Does this face looks like a ‘no’ to ya’, baby?” Vinyl said with swagger in her step. “These people sure won’t know what’s hit ‘em.” She said smiling with pride.

“Then it’s all yours!” Wind said excitedly with a fangirl-like smile. She grabbed a microphone. “Hey people!!! We have a visitor here!” Everyone stopped dancing. Even the music stopped. All eyes turned to Vinyl, who had already climbed up to the little stage. “We have Vinyl Scratch, the DJ PON3, bringing you a whole new sound! Enjoy it!”

Just as Wind jumped down from the stage, Vinyl started playing her music. I smiled and started walking up to the stairs. I looked back at the bar where my father sat drinking cider. He’s going to be fine…

Just as I was about to head up the stairs I heard a shout. “Hey, don’t even think about sneaking off, Tavi!” My eyes widened to hear Vinyl’s voice. She can’t tell me what to… “Here you go people, see my beautiful girl!” she pointed at me.

I waved, saying a little and weak, “hi,” and walked back up to the stage, standing beside Vinyl, who was jumping up and down. “What are you doing?” I whispered, nodding my head, pretending I was enjoying the music.

“Remember that day where we got all hungover?” I nodded. “You really need to do that. Not everything, but just drink and dance. Because we’re on… hold on…” She shifted a few dials and the music transitioned into a new song. “… We’re on an adventure, and, ya’ know, you need to let go of that stress just like your father is doing.” She smiled. “C’mon, jump with me.” She said and let out a big laugh.

I shook my head and laughed. “You know how much I hate you, don’t you, Vinyl?” I joked.

“I love you too, Tavi,” Vinyl said and got back to work. From time to time she talked with the audience, who seemed to be loving the music. Meanwhile I started to get into my ‘let’s just do it now and not even complain’ mode and started jumping.

After some time, Wind climbed back into the stage. “Hey people! Have you liked this?” Some people shouted. Wind gave Vinyl a punch in the shoulder making her smile. “It’s been fun, but it’s time to go!” The audience groaned audibly. “But someday DJ PON3’s gotta be back. Righty, Vi?”

Vinyl took the microphone. “Yeah. You’re all awesome… winter people!”

After that we got off the stage and Wind pointed to the bar. “My friend here can give you free drinks — you deserve it!” Wind said strolling behind the counter and taking a look at the purple-haired woman. “Right, Goodie?”

“But she–” Wind gave the woman a mad look. “Okay, okay, here.” She poured a beer and a glass of wine. “The elegant lady likes wine, am I right? Well I hope so. This is our very best.”

“Yes, thank you.” I accepted the glass and took a sip.

Vinyl murmured something and sipped at her beer. “So… what’s the name of your friend?”

“Good Drink, DJ. You can just call me Good. And you are Vinyl Scratch, the great DJ PON3 from Manehattan.” Good stopped and watched Vinyl with a little smirk appearing on the corner of her mouth. “Wind talks a lot about you. She knows everything about you. Where you live, where you’re going to play your next show, all the names of your tracks, all that kind of stuff!” she said with a mocking tone, looking at her white haired friend. “Aren’t you her number one fan, Windy?” Good smiled a malicious smile to her friend who was blushing as red as a tomato, trying to avoid Vinyl’s look. Vinyl somehow managed to avoid laughing.

Wind pushed her aside and turned back to Vinyl. “Hehe, yeah I kinda… I really enjoy your music, like I said before. But I’m not some kind of crazy chick that does all that weird stuff. I totally don’t have posters of you in my room!” Wind exclaimed looking angrily at Good Drink who stifled a laugh.

We looked at each other and Vinyl looked back at Wind. “What can I say? Nobody can resist this!” Vinyl pointed at her own body with a smirk and I raised an eyebrow and frowned. “What? You couldn’t, Tavi!” Vinyl said taking another beer.

“Wait a second…” I murmured between sips. “Where is my father?” I asked her, worried.

“No need to worry, umm…” She scratched her chin for some time. “Octavia. Octavia Melody. Wind told me that too! Beautiful name, I have to admit. Anyway, the weird old man is sleeping. I sent him to a room. He fell asleep, totally drunk. You know, he talked about a lot of odd stuff. Like really, your dad is freaking funny!” Good said, laughing.

“What was he was talking about?” I asked with a frown, taking another sip of my wine.

“Well… a wolf and how things could be less difficult.” Good scratched her head. “I wonder what a wolf has to do with that?!” She started laughing again. “And then the best part was the part about vampires, demons and some kind of bigger werewolves. Like if that was real.”

Vinyl looked at me and smiled, wanting to laugh. “My father can be really… crazy when he drinks too much. Hehe.” I smiled nervously. “Well…” I looked at a clock hanging in the wall. “I think it’s time to…”

“No, no, no… you should stay here like I said. It isn’t really cool to drink alone.” Vinyl leaned a little to the side and whispered through gritted teeth into my ear. “Especially when a crazy fan girl is right in front of you, staring into your eyes like she’s waiting for something from you.”

I giggled and shook my head. “You’re impossible, Vinyl. But I’ll stay here, of course. As you insist… please, Good, could I give some more wine?”

Good was resting on her elbows gazing at me with a stupid smile on her face. “But of course, my lady!” she said, standing up straight and pouring another glass. “Here, enjoy,” she smirked.

“Yes… er… thank you.” I drank some and they stayed in front of us. We looked at each other and nodded, like if for the first time we were agreeing on something. “Feel free to get on with your work or whatever. Don’t mind us. Good isn’t this place closed now? Isn’t it time for you to go?” I asked, looking around trying to avoid her stare.

She turned and looked at the clock. “Oh yeah! Thank ya’ for saying.” She took off the apron she had around her neck. “Bye to you all. And to you too, Miss Melody.”

“Uh… bye.”

With that she walked out from The Barn. Vinyl looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, Faust, she didn’t make what I think she was making to you, did she? She just… I think it’s better I don’t see her here in the morning,” Vinyl murmured angrily, pouring herself another beer.

I smiled weakly and stroked her face. “Oh, Vinyl,” I sighed, “you don’t need to be so protective of me.”

“Yeah, yeah. Now–” She downed her drink. “Don’t we think we should get up there and sleep, or… just relax.”

“That certainly sounds like a the most delightful idea, Miss Scratch,” I said, finishing my glass and giving her my best ‘bedroom eyes’. I stood up, watched by her and the curious eyes of Wind, and started climbing the stairs. “Are you coming?”

Vinyl widened her eyes and took a moment to understand what was happening, but then rose, excited with a can of beer in her hands and a big smirk. “Oh, Tavi, of course I’m coming!” she said. She called Wub Wub and started following me up the stairs with a big smirk on her face.

I just smiled.

---

I woke up in the morning with a wine bottle at my side, a beer can on the ground, a dog at my feet, and Vinyl holding me from behind. Well, I could easily live here if I woke up like that everyday, I thought, snuggling into the body of my DJ, and closing my eyes again slowly, until-

“OCTAVIA AND VINYL, COME HERE!”

I opened my eyes. It was my father calling. I sighed. Couldn’t I feel normal again just for one morning? Well, of course not. I’m Octavia Melody and that’s why I can’t… I looked back at Vinyl and I shook her. “Wake up sleepyhead, looks like Dante… I mean, dad wants to tell us something,” I murmured and waited some time. Nothing. I shrugged and let her sleep.

I rose, trying to not wake up Wub Wub, who rolled to the side. I put my clothes back on and left the room, bumping into my father in the hall, with an absolutely huge smile on his face. I raised an eyebrow. “Why are you so… happy like that? Did you catch a cold yesterday?”

“Of course not! But... I have an idea. An amazing plan!” he exclaimed.

“I thought we already had a plan…” I murmured.

“Yes, we’ve got… part of one. As soon as we get there tonight we–” he started, but I frowned and Dante looked at me in confusion. “What is that face?”

“Tonight?” I asked.

“Yes! We can be there tonight since I remembered exactly where it is, and I can teletransport us there, talk with her, and the exorcist, find out where the sword or something that can kill Fenrir is and… voila!” My father clapped his hands excited with his own plan. “Now, where is our key?”

“Key…?”

“Vinyl, of course.”

“I think our or your key is sleeping right now.” I pointed to the door I’d just come out of. “And I think that your… key better not be disturbed right now. I think we all should relax a little more. Whatever your plan is, I know it will work. But I really need to rest now, father.” I pouted, feeling my aching legs and arms.

“No, I must tell you everything, c’mon.” He walked into the other room and, patiently waited for me to catch up. “So, my plan is for Vinyl to get the sword and ‘give’ it to Fenrir. But when she is close to him…” he made a little wolf toy with his magic, and a little sword, and then he plunged the sword into the wolf's chest and the wolf disappeared. “Bam! It’s over. And I am almost completely certain that our precious object is the sword that everyone told us about, and if my night contacts are right, Amaka has the sword hidden with her!”

“Then… that’s all?” I asked.

“What were you waiting for?”

“Actually, I was waiting for the part where Vinyl doesn’t have to get herself in middle of all of our mess,” I murmured, looking to the side, and trying to avoid the mad and confused look from Dante.

“She stepped up when she decided to come here. She asked what was happening, you answered her, and here we are. She is a part of this now. If Vinyl hadn't asked, or you hadn’t answered, then she couldn’t have to be involved, but she did, and you did, so she is,” Dante said in a voice lacking emotion. “It’s not that I don’t like her, after all, as you can see, Vinyl is our key, but—”

I gave a long and peeved sigh, interrupting him. “I already know you don’t like her. You don’t need to lie.” I rose up from the little chair I was sitting on. “I just don’t think she needs to take part in this plan. She isn’t a demon or any weird creature like us. She doesn’t need to risk her life to fight our battle. This is our fight. I love my mother, but I do not think that getting Vinyl involved will help us get her back.” I walked to the door and before leaving, I turned. “Everything has its time. And everything has a right person to do it. Vinyl isn’t that person. I will not let her fight this battle, no matter what you say. I am sorry…”

I left the room, but I couldn’t help hearing my father muttering curses.

“Damn…” I murmured.

Author's Note:

That was some time, right? Yeah. Lot of things happening. Anyways this is one of our biggest chapters! And also one of my favorites and just loses for the next that will come. This was as always edited by VitalSpark I hope you all enjoy it, it was a hell of work to do it (five days, I never take five days only one or two...). See you next!

P.S.: Next chapter the not so expected character will appear. I must say I love this character and you must love too!

Comments

[Crystal Night]

This movies references xD
Nice chapter.

[The Hat Mann]

The exchanges between Vinyl and Octavia were adorable and funny as ever.

I’m Wind Cracker! And this is my cute lil’ boy…” Wind stroked the dog’s head and he barked. “… Steven!”
“Steven? Do you have a bird named Pearl too?” Vinyl interrupted.

[Spider8ite]

6052612 s3.amazonaws.com/colorslive/jpg_512x512/2784079-izNUpAAgcB1DTUHN.jpg
"Noot Noot!"

6052505 *start singing Let it Go like a crazy bitch*
image-cdn.zap2it.com/images/sherlock-frozen-mashup-3.gif

[Philosophysics]

WHERE IS EXORCIST DITZY DOO AND HER ASSISTANT TIME TURNER!?

[BronyBlazeFire]

WOOT! I love it! I love Octy!!!

[Spider8ite]

6063067 Me too! I'm happy you like it

[RD]

I was waiting for you to come up with something like Vinyl was a vampire the entire time and acts all crazy so that Octavia and her father wouldn't notice. That would be cool

[redponyranger]

Well that was cold.