Through Loyalty and Love

by Damocles23

Interlude

Through Loyalty and Love

By Damocles23

Interlude

The azure unicorn just stood there, looking lost slightly confused.Her gaze lingered on the two pony shaped shadows, which were still unconscious and impotent, as a sigh of annoyance and disappointment escaped her lips. She couldn’t explain how it was possible. She always had quite the confidence in her abilities (some jealous ponies would call this a vulgar understatement, trying to be funny…), and this performance had to be more than perfect. After all, there was no kind of magic she couldn’t fully master and even if those conjurations were a product of an ancient and powerful spell,
just maneuvering them required a great force of will, another of her infinite good qualities, there always was an element of unpredictability in her job. Even with stage props of such quality. Sadly she had to admit that not every show could be 100% completely successful.A 99,999999% was inevitable sometimes and she was absolutely sure that none of these peasants of her audience could tell the difference.

But this time, it was a complete failure. It was supposed to be so easy.

Don’t let those two escape.

That was it! Not that she could predict them to be so resourceful and cunning so they could defeat her creations, but she still gave them some credit…After all they were two bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

She had to admit with grudging respect that they surely were earning their position. But with that, they challenged her personally, made her look like a foal and to add insult to injury, she tasted once again defeat and humiliation
at the hand of Ponyville’s folks…A mistake that she wouldn’t repeat, ever! This time she had to succeed.

If not to satisfy her own ego, thenat least to not be constantly nagged AGAIN by the ineffable, inscrutable, incorporeal annoyance, A.K.A her sponsor. She was still wondering what possessed her before trusting that massive pain in the flank, but she rationalized pretty quickly that she needed that job and a pair of incorporeal, floating eyes with an annoying voice was better than nothing as your boss.She didn’t trust her at first (she could infer from the voice that it was a she), how could she, after all? She had to admit that it was quite scary at first (and annoying, never forget how annoying she is) but at the time she was so desperate for having wallowed so much in mediocrity and obscurity for so much that anything, ANYTHING, was preferable to that... She needed this, she needed to show the world what she was made of! She needed to show HERSELF!And this was just the opportunity for it…And most importantly of all, her cause was right.That was the only thing that mattered.

Trixie wasn’t a very selfless pony, but when she heard the entity’s offer, she saw past the abrasive exterior.There she found something worth to follow and she didn’t hesitate one minute in helping her and showing her the world and, after all, it was a mutually beneficial relationship.As she learned very quickly, her boss was a pain to deal with but she felt some kind of loyalty towards her. It was like a devotion, that at first she thought that such sentiment couldn’t belong to her, but at the same time she felt it completely natural.

The entity made her see great things and gave her power, which Trixie never could’ve imagined, She unlocked her true potential within her and she became the wielder of something so ancient and fearsome and yet so natural for her to control, not that she had doubts about it.

She felt like she was part of a higher purpose, for once in her life.She was well and truly convinced of this and dealing with those two was just the tip of a far grander scheme, a scheme in which she was the star!

She felt that this power was her birthright, and never cared for an instant of whatever price she had to pay or no matter what orders were. There was no price for a power she felt rightfully hers…

At least if the dress-code was somewhat negotiable…What’s wrong with her old, but still elegant purple stage dress?

This dark robe was more suited for a villain from a cheap novel, not even some decoration or any other kind of embellishment, just a piece of black cloth.There was something good about it, though. It kept her warm, because the forest was beginning to get awfully cold at an hour this late.

Obviously, the hat wasn’t spared. If you really had to fulfill the image of dark lord of bad taste, why sparing the only remainder of a better image?! At least her magnificent mane was still for everyone to behold! Knowing her boss, she would’ve probably made her wear a crude horned helm to fulfill the stereotype.

True,things surely weren’t as smooth as she remembered. That little Ursa Minor setback was still haunting her to his very day and the less we say about that “Gabby Gums”, the better.

Actually,no.

She didn’t mind it so much. She was out of the public eye for so long that even crude gossip was better than nothing.

Somewhere in her heart she was sure that those “minor setbacks” mentioned before didn’t hinder her extraordinary ability to gather a legion of admirers, who still loved her and revered her despite or even because of her so-called “flaws”.
She always lived by the belief of “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”.

After all, The Great and Powerful Trixie deserved praise for whatever she did, whether it’s triumph or failure. Because nopony could fail as triumphantly as her, right?

Before she could become aware of certain logical fallacies in the previous statement, she heard that voice once again.Right in front of her.

Bad things just can’t come alone…

“I can’t believe how much you suck!” the floating pair of eyesenounced quite lively, with her trademark and, quite frankly, forced Trottingham accent. The faceless yellow dots that constituted her being moving quite lively to express her emotions, far more they should be taking into account the lack of a face. It was strangely fascinating and unnerving at the same time.

Or just plain hilarious, but she couldn’t say that to her…for the sake of language, we’ll keep using face.

“I mean, aren’t you supposed to be “Great and Powerful”?Surely, there wasn’t anything Great and Powerful in that!”

“And I suppose stating the obvious is a constructive approach” she was always allowed some sort of sarcasm. At least to keep her sane…

“Oh, you’re funny! Funny indeed” , in fact, she looked quite amused at that line, her eyes seemed even half-closed, even if she lacked eyelids, trying not to snicker. “Maybe you should’ve been a comedian. No, no, scratch that. Next time make them die of laughter, that’ll do the trick!”

“I thought you said you wanted them alive…” She raised her eyebrow, almost perturbed.

“I think you shouldn’t think so much. Listen carefully, I’ll repeat it slowly. Read my lips…”

“Is that supposed to be a joke?” she said, without raising her tone. Her face remained frozen like stone, her emotions sapped by a comedic routine that truly started to get old. The worst part is she probably did that on purpose.

“Oh, you’re so sweet when you do that! I could eat you with a spoon…Maybe later…But seriously, what I said is this. I didn’t care if they were alive or dead. I just wanted them HERE, even if not in mint condition. Don’t make them leave Ponyville, was this difficult?” During her rant, the entity leaned closer and closer to Trixie’s face, until the unicorn could gaze in the yellow darkness of her being from a particularly privileged position.

Trixie didn’t falter, she didn’t avert her gaze, nor did she let her voice tremble.Resolution like pure steel in her eyes.

“I will find them, this time!”

“Oh.” She looked quite surprised and amused at that statement. Her stern appearance in that moment surely helped but didn’t stop the return of that mocking tune. “And how do you plan to do that, exactly?”

A smirk painted her face, “Like this!”

Her horn glowed softly in the darkness. A slow, trotting sound was heard. Then a grotesque figure emerged from the woods.
That creature had a horn too, although it looked more like a thorn and was slightly bent. It looked more like a mold of shadows, accentuated only by its red glowing eyes. Approaching Trixie, its horn began to glow as well, emanating a purple hue.

“Oh, yes” said the entity. “The spell you screwed up like a foolish foal. That again?”

“Hush, oh great mistress of nitpicky.” She touched the horn of the creature with her own. A magical spark exploded in between themand Trixie’s mind was opened once more. These creations of shadows were basically extensions of her own mind and body. She could see though their eyes, move their legs as their own, even use their wings as if she had wings with all the grace and speed only a real pegasus could use and finally to cast every spell she knew before and the countless other she learned from her mysterious benefactor. Though she would never admit it, she did “screw up”, for the lack of a less vulgar term. She still needed some time to fully master every one of her conjuration and, sadly, she mixed up a spell. If they weren’t in such redundant and antiquate language that wouldn’t have happened!

The intended spell was only meant to paralyze them, nothing more.Instead, they managed to disappear in thin air to a destination unknown. But not for long…

She started to delve deeper and deeper into the shadow’s mind, recalling its experiences like they were her own, claiming them back from a separate part of her own being. Step by step, she reviewed every movement the conjuration made, everything she saw in the brief time of his creations, and finally, the spells it casted, the ancient and complex energies she moved, their source and their intended purpose…

And there it was...

“I know where to find them.” She finally spoke. The smirk was still on her face, only accentuated by a sense of pride and triumph.

“Oh,lovely!” the voice enthusiastically replied. “I’ll pack the bags, then. And you can come too, if you like” she giggled awkwardly.

The horn glowed once more, infusing one of the fallen shadows with its purplish hue, filling it with newfound energy and taking back into its hooves. Another infusion of power caused it to twitch for a brief moment, as if it could feel some sort of pain, while a pair ofpegasus wings began to emerge from its form. At first only the bone frame for each wing, which Trixie covered with the last spur of magic, making a bloating, black goo to simulate the muscles and skin and every feather.
Once completed, the creature flapped its new wings and watched them with admiration, hissing with content at the same time and flashing its pale fangs.

“Shall we go then?” asked the unicorn.

Once again, the stage was set…

They say Manehattan is the city of opportunities.Actually that’s a half-truth,nopony ever said the new road is one you’ll like. Maybe it’s just ponies nature, but even having found happiness in that beautiful town, in which the night’s lights sparkle like a veil of golden dust and you see it for the first time, even if you feel a little oppressed and insignificance by the sheer magnificence of it, when you make it, you truly make it and find success, stability and your very special somepony at the same time, there always a few bumps in the things you fought so hard to achieve.

That what the white unicorn though, having just woken up, staring with her red, puffy eyes at her white ceiling. Sleep deprivation always made her philosophic.From the sight of the weak rays of Celestia’ssun passing though her blinds, she deduced she woke up in late afternoon, approaching the evening. Not surprising, since she didn’t spent last night and a great part of the day NOT sleeping.

And NOT alone. An immature giggle escaped from her lips at the last one.

Not alone until now, according to her hoof, hopelessly searching the other side of the bed, only to find cold sheets. She left even earlier than she thought this time.

Again?

She hastily got up, still shaky from the lack of real sleep, to open the window so she could see the room better, maybe finding the whereabouts of her lover. She almost got blinded by the weak light, her eyes still sensitive and uncomfortable, even if the sun would make place for Luna’s moon in a couple of hours and she was forced to quickly grab her shades from the bedside.

A clear look in the room showed a familiar, yet strange view.The room of a completely careless and messy unicorn, not as she and her significant other left it. If she recalled correctly, (and she wasn’t even drunk last night… not much) the room was completely wrecked. Countless bottles of undetermined liquor haddisappeared,just likethose stains of uncertain nature on the floor and the ceiling. She remembered the dresses they wore last night, which they had promptly ripped off from each other and should be stilllying on the floor somewhere, were folded up and put on her chair.

She sighed a bit.

She appreciated her consideration but this was basically her way of saying she was a bad housekeeper. She was terrible, of course, but that’s beside the point.

The point was, she did all of this work and disappeared in the night, or day as in this case, without waking her up. She left without even saying goodbye…

This time she didn’t even bother to leave a stupid note. Not even a “See you tomorrow, with love, Tavi”. The last one was brief, but at least she used her pet name, the one she always said was silly but kept using it and blushed furiously every time while saying it, because it was physically impossible for her to admit that she liked it. At least there was some recognition of their relationship that existed outside their nighttime whispers or the loving marks they left on each other’s bodies. When she was with her, everything was perfect. The time they could spend together was very brief, but not a single moment of them was wasted. Her cold, dignified exterior hid a lover so tender and gentle, a passion so pure and yet so strong, that sometimes she literally couldn’t tell if those moments were just a fugacious dream, granted by Celestia herself in all of her mercy... But sadly those moments, shared only between them and with nopony else.

Tavi liked to keep her private life and her public life. As she was part of her life, Vinyl wasn’t part of hers. That’s a pretty big bump, right there.

Her lover was part of the so called “high society” and even if sometimes she could be a little snotty, but never to the extent of those refined fillies and gentlecolts that just wanted to make her puke with their faked dignity and hypocrisy. Tavi was so much better than that. When she was in Vinyl’s company, Tavi was genuine…If only she hadn’t chosen another mare to love, maybe she would’ve been much easier to tolerate for those high class wackos she liked so much to hang out with.
A part of her couldn’t blame her, though. She was well on her way to become First Cello in the Canterlot Philarmonica and that is not a position anypony could achieve easily. Vinyl was very aware of her talent…even if she never said that to her face. She was snoring half of the time but at least she was aware of it. Octavia had every right to fight for her dream, even if she had to break Vinyl’s heart in the process.

If those folks found out she was in such a relationship with another mare, let alone a scruffy, erratic DJ who recently made her entrance in the Canterlot Society thanks to a fabulous exhibition at the Royal Wedding. Well…Let’s just say that everypony would just stop caring about her talent, starting a spiral of gossip and scandals about her personal life which could go out of control, possibly ruining her career and Vinyl’s career as well. As well as hastening the inevitable end of the universe and with that of the entire Pony civil-Yeah, Octavia was very clearly making excuses on that one, but you know what they say: The things you do for love and all that.Nopony said that this had to go on forever, right? Even if her behavior on those occasions deeply hurt her, she still had trust in her. She knew the Octavia she fell in love with and had faith in, they could find a way…Together.

Still lost in her thoughts, Vinyl left her apartment, off to see probably the only thing that the world could infer that they were together.She didn’t even grab something to eat along the way.The thought of their crazy little project reinvigorated her. She would probably regret that decision later, but who cares?

Tavi couldn’t believe when she proposed to her something so… different from her tastes. A cozy, tiny building, still under redecoration,squished among the other, bigger ones that you almost couldn’t see it was there if you ignored the garish, neon sign, written in a nigh incomprehensible but, for some reason, strangely appealingfont that simply read; “The Dancing Mare”.

Both of them thought that the title still needed some work, but once you ordered a custom made sign like that, you can’t exactly get a refund.First of all, there wouldn’t be any dancing in it. It was going to be a night club, their very own personal lounge music type of jazz-club, to be precise. Or one of those fancy words that Tavi always liked to use, most of it still was a work-in-progress. The cellist didn’t know what to think at first of the project, but immediately saw it as an opportunity:Tavi would put to use every talented musician she knew in the field (making them more known to the public and even being known as a supporter of the fine arts,on top of being a well known musician) while Vinyl would use her quite considerable talent of a showmare (and Tavi never admitted this to her face, either)to make it more “endearing” for the public, and who knows? Maybe the whole experience could make the white unicorn…less uncouth.

Not to mention Vinyl provided the money for the place, that’s always good. You can’t imagine how many bits you get paid for agig at the Royal Wedding until you’re holding them in your hooves, if you have big enough hooves, that is, since it was a LOT of bits. She remembered her warning, clear as the day.

“No vulgar lightshows, Vinyl! For the love of Celestia, no lightshows! Do you want to permanently blind one of our customers? And don’t give me that look, I know that you want to do it. I’m keeping my eye on you.”

She knew the unicorn so well. A little too well but nothing that could stop her little fun.

In a sudden stroke of clearance, and the lifting of the fumes of alcohol (but she wasn’t drunk last night, honestly…) she suddenly remembered the reason of the absence of her lover.She probably left early to prepare and perform at…Where was that again? Fortunately, last night she must have written the location’s name on her fore leg. Couldn’t find a piece of paper even if Vinyl’s life depended of it and wasn’t quite sure when she did that…And, of course, the ink was completely rubbed off making the note an incomprehensible blue mess. And the worst part of it, she wasn’t quite sure if Tavi gave her a ticket last night or already booked her in for it. Come to think of it she wasn’t even sure if Tavi told her of the event or ifshe just heard it somewhere.

One problem at a time.

She searched her saddlebag, in which she found some bits but no ticket in sight. This probably meant that she left it in the apartment or there was no ticket in the first place.

Fantastic.

She still had to try and reach her and right here was only one thing to do now, even-no wait- especially if it was insane.She had to look for her in every concert venue in Manehattan! She whistled to a nearbypegasus cab flyer to make him stop nearby and hopped in, beginning to search.

She visited every place Tavi previously performed: Tally-Ho Hall, Celestia Center, Bronkin Academy of Music, Bearin Teather, Farrence Gold Hall…

She almost started to give up after all those concert venues, (and the cab didn’t come cheap) when she finally saw the name of Octavia Philarmonica written on the board in front of the Marekin Concert Hall.A much more intimate hall than the ones Tavi normally performed, but that didn’t mean it was a lesser achievement for her. Quite the contrary, in fact it was more focused in showing contemporary musician and dashing new talents, like Tavi, just to have an idea for how far she could get.

Her heart leaped at the thought of seeing Tavi again, the concert was already over since she remembered too late and she spent the whole time practically running all over Manehattan, while expectingnot really anything from it. After paying for the cab, she waited on the other side of the street, waiting for her lover who would come out any minute now. She finally saw the familiar figure of a grey mare with a luscious black mane, carrying a cello custody on her back, looking exhausted but at the same time wearing a proud smile on her face.

That was a good sign, she only ever smiled after a concert or when she was with Vinyl.

The unicorn practically leaped in front of the other mare, shouting with all the grace and subtlety of an enraged dragon. “HI, TAVI!”

The cellist was startled, shouting and jumping backward from the unicorn like she really saw a beast from legends. Vinyl was immediately concerned, even if it was hilarious to see the dignified grey mare reacting like that.

“V-Vinyl?!But…How? What? How?”

“Oh, I love when you use long, fancy words!” she chirped gently.Then she leaned forward to her lover and gently kissed her, softly brushing her lips with her own. Octavia was already blushing furiously. “I miss you, when you do that. It wasn’t nice. Not. At. All.”

“Do what?” She looked almost startled by the question.

“Leaving me all alone at night. Or day, I don’t reallyremember which one. Could’ve told me about the concert! How did it go? Oh, and I’m sorry if I’m late.”

“Late?” the more the conversation went on, the more Octavia looked uncomfortable.

“And they call you the smart one!” she snorted in laughter.”You didn’t even tell me the time and neither left a ticket or a note or something. At least I got the address but as you can see…” she lifted her ink smudged foreleg for the other mare to see,
“Guess you’re right, I really make such a mess of everything!”

“Yes, you make such a mess, eheheh…” She sounded almost monotone in repeating that, her forced giggle didn’t help much. At that Vinyl raised an eyebrow.

“And that’s it?” she said, sounding almost disappointed.

“I’m not sure what you mean by this.”

“Aren’t going to ask how I found you, with no directions whatsoever?”

She sighed, resigned “How did you find me, then?”

“Oh. That’s easy! I was looking for you in every place you ever performed! You can’t escape the awesome stubbornness of DJ PON-3!” She was still aware of how insane and how late the chances of success were but she sounded so boastful and proud in that statement.

Octavia didn’t react at all, only lowering her eyes and just muttering, “Uh-huh”.

Vinyl shed her exuberant mask and sounded legitimately irritated. How could she be so indifferent? Wasn’t she… happy to see her? Like, at all?

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

“No, it’s just that…um…” Another hesitation. In Vinyl’s eyes she wasn’t helping her case.

“Then what? Did something go wrong? Did you hit a wrong note or something?”

“No, it’s that…” She bit her lip.

“Did somepony else hit a wrong note?”

“No!”

“Did the note hit somepony?” She was messing with her just to incite a reaction.

“NO!” Finally a real emotion, even if she almost shouted Vinyl’s shades off.

“Then what happened? Why are you’re so upset? Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“No, it’s that…”

“What is that? Just tell me already!”

“You weren’t supposed to be here, that’s why!” she sternly answered her question, finally meeting her gaze.

Vinyl gasped in horror “Oh, yes? And how did you explain this?” she held up the ink stained foreleg in front of Octavia’s face once more. “Who could’ve possibly told me where you performed tonight? Unless I happened to eavesdrop or something…”

“Oh, you were so drunk that you didn’t even remember that tiny detail?” she interrupted her, quite rudely.

“Oh, I would’ve known that! I mean, who was with me last night and was really into it?” she wiggled her eyebrows seductively at the question, making the cellist blush once more. “And even if I did eavesdrop, you should’ve told me anyway and…”

A terrible thought just crossed her mind, or maybe it was already there but she didn’t want to accept it.

“You didn’t want me to know in the first place…” she finally said, defeated, enunciating every word weakly.

“Vinyl, I…” she tried to reach for the white unicorn, only to have her retreat in shock.

She looked once more at the improvised note on her leg. Her mind finally focused, she noticed that if she had rubbed off the ink while sleeping, she would havefound some on her sheets, with the streetlight nearby making her realize that the note looked blurred… almost like…

By a hoof…

“It was you…” The unicorn had tears in her eyes, but the shades covered them, along with the deeply hurt expression.

“Vinyl, listen to me, please! Tonight was here…”

“I don’t want to know. There was some big name here, which I don’t even want to know, and you were too ashamed of your filly friend showing up. I know that now.”

She turned around so that she didn’t have to look at her anymore

“If it was the first time that this happened, I could’ve understood but…But, it seems like it wasn’t…Will this ever change? How many times have you done this to me?”

She couldn’t bear it anymore. The unicorn ran away in the night, not even wanting to listen to Octavia’s pleas. Not that she heard some. No, the silence behind was the worst part.

If you care for me, if you ever cared for me…come after me!

Catch me, you stupid filly…

Just catch me…

She didn’t catch her.

She didn’t even hear the sound of one hoof step. If she turned it would be pathetic, not to mention she could’ve just went back inside, to rub salt in the wound.

Vinyl didn’t want to go back to the apartment. Not that it was too distant. She realized that going to the Marekin was basically going in circles. A sign of destiny maybe?A superior force that told her not to bother going from the start? At that crossroad she came across after running for an unknown time, she could feel some kind of peace, just being by herself.

She just wanted those minutes to try to calm herself down, maybe just some more time to think, knowing that everything would be back to normal the next day, going on with the same routine of two ponies that couldn’t be together except in their
hearts…

And even that belief was starting to fall apart. This time she wouldn’t be there to listen to an endless stream of half-baked excuses, only to return and continuing this silly charade of half-truths and cheap stratagems like the last one. Something had to change. She noticed the irony of that: Vinyl was too making excuses, but with herself. Since the start of that day and every day like that one.

Vinyl thought once again of their little project, still clinging to the tiny hope that maybe that could be the one thing bringing them back together.But at that time,she couldn’t bargain with herself about their relationship like she used to. She didn’t want to think anymore. She just wanted to drown everything in the sweet, sweet taste of gin, just like the night before…

Maybe a part of her didn’t want to remember that the only way she had to force herself in Octavia’s life, was only though tricks. A knowledge that she wanted to forget but always came back to haunt her when something like this happened…

After all that was said and done, she couldn’t delude herself further.

But to her surprise, she wasn’t the only pony there. An erratic sound of hoof steps broke the silence of the lonely crossroad, startling her a bit. She looked in the direction of the noise, looking for a silhouette in the night. The pony in question was in fact walking like he or she was badly injured or maybe completely smashed, even walking backwards or sideways without a goal. Eventually, the figure just stopped and tried to support itself on a nearby wall. Vinyl decided to checkon it, after all there was somepony right there who was having an even worst evening than her…

“Hey, you okay?“ she said to the figure.

No answer.

She decided to approach it and helped it to support, placing her hoof around the shoulders of the other pony, to help it to not fall. As she finally took a look of that face, she was quite surprised to see a familiar visage. A poofy, bright pink mane and coat, bright blue eyes, reminder of that night at Canterlot and the pony who got her the biggest gig in a long time. Not a pony that she could forgot easily. That was indeed Pinkie Pie, probably the last pony she expected to come across but she had to ask questions later.

She deduced correctly that she was in bad shape. She remembered a much more…exuberant pony back then, while the one in front of her was barely capable to keep herself on her legs.Pinkie had a drowsy look on her face, which already was quite pale. She tried to talk to her, at least to not let her faint.

“Whoah, Pinkie Pie! Look at you! Remember me? It’s Scratch! Vinyl Scratch. We haven’t seen like…ages! What happened to you? Do you want me to call for help?” Her words had a mixture of concern and disbelief. It was all happening too fast.

Only a weak word came out of the pink mare’s lips.

“Please…”

Vinyl leaned closer to hear better. Even her voice was so feeble, compared to back then.

“My friend… Help my friend first…”

Author's Notes: Many thanks to TheShadow for proofreading for me this chapter and the future ones to came. You rock!

Comments

[JustAnotherBadSonicOC]

Holy Crap Man! I read the whole story already! But what happened to Dashie! I hope she's ok!

[UnlocalEntity]

At firs I was like:
Wait a minute– This isn't Pulp Fiction!
But then it came together and then a cliffhanger... Well played, good sir.

[Silverstein]

This story is very well written. Good work!

You really have events and the emotions planned out well for this one I see.

Silver out!