I pull my shades off.
With a shivering hoof, I rub my eyes dry.
She's staring at me. Waiting. I don't need to see her to know. I've never had to see her. Just hear her. Like I did on the first night.
And there is no lying. Not anymore.
I hold my breath... and I nod.
It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life. Even harder than climbing down.
I nod and I collapse, rocking in the chair, weighted by breathless sobs.
And when the other half of the room resonates with indigo...
...it tears me to shreds.
"How... h-how, Vinyl? How could you? All this time... all these... mmmm... bloody years spent in each other's sad shadows... and you've... you've been holding yourself back? You've... you've been sacrificing everything you deserve for... for some pathetic... p-peasant life with a mare of misfortunate like me? Just... just because you're in love?"
I can barely sit straight from the magenta hyperventilating in and out of me.
"Bugger... bugger all, Vinyl! Did you honestly think I would be proud of you when I found out that... th-that you've been wasting away your talent? Th-that you've been... w-wiping your own arse with all that amazing... genius potential all on account of... of..." She whimpers, and I hear her voice taking on a foalish sob. "Don't you r-remember what even happened to my mother?! She died, Vinyl! She had so much to live for! So much talent... so many musical gifts and she threw it all away, including herself! And for what?! No mare in her right mind would have wanted to please that abominable monster of a stallion who sired me! It... it was all b-because of me, Vinyl! She... she sacrificed all that was g-good for some... silver-spoon-fed trollup who could barely even lift a bowstring and what did it get her?! What has it gotten me?!"
I shake my head. Furiously. I force my naked eyes open. I fight through tears to make sure she sees me denying all of this.
But it's no use. She's shaking her head faster.
"Dammit... dammit, Vinyl..." She rubs a hoof over her muzzle. "Isn't it enough that I must go through life with one soul pasted to my shadow?! That you'd have to come and throw yourself... th-throw yourself..." She melts. She sobs. "It's... it's all my fault, Vinyl. You... you're like this... after seven years, you're still so... so backwards and fractured and it's all b-because of me! I... I coveted your attention for so long." She gulps. "Honestly, I-I did. What? You think I-I've been blind to how much you've adored me? I've cherished it, Vinyl... and all of these years I've f-fed it! I fed this... this bloody tumor that's infested itself in your soul, keeping you from taking off the ground! Like you deserve to, Vinyl—"
I reach out to her—
—she only bats the hoof away. "Don't you see?! I br-brought you down to my level! I made you f-fall in love with... with what's pathetic instead of wh-what's awesome! And don't you dare try to bring up the night we first met, Vinyl... oh Vinyl..." She sobs into her fetlock, a shivering mess. "It's... it's not enough to save another pony's life! Don't you see? You've got to let her live! You have to let her go! And all this time... I-I've been so selfish..." She hugs herself, close to wailing now. The indigo thrashes me left and right in its maw. "I've held onto you so t-tight because... because it's so lonely here, at my level. It's always been. But now that I know... n-now that I know what it's c-cost you!" She hiccups and cries. "You don't really love me. You shan't love me! That's something hideous... viral! Like my father imposed! And... and I-I've p-passed it on to you!"
No...
"I've infected you!"
No, Vinyl...
I reach in, throwing my arms around her.
It's not that at all... it can't be—
"Mmmmm-get away from me!" An explosion. I fly back, shivering. "It c-can't go on like this! Don't you understand?!"
The bedroom door flies open. Two breathless, wide-eyed mares burst through.
"If we let it..." Octavia gestures at her battered body. "Something worse will happen! And only worse! That's all it ever does, Vinyl! Just stew and stew and explode over time!"
"What's the matter?" Bon Bon stammers, her voice strung between gold and blue. "What's wrong?"
"Octavia..."
"Please... leave..." Tavi yelps... sobs into her forelimbs.
"Tavi—"
"Leave! Leave me! All of you!" Tavi's voice is a muffled hush, dammed by her trembling forelimbs as she curls up in bed. "Mmmmmm—goddesss. Goddess, I hate it... I hate it so bl-bloody much...!"
"Omigosh! Tavi! Don't do that—your stitches!" Bon Bon looks over my shoulder. "Lyra! Vinyl! Quick! A little help here!"
"Right." Lyra shivers, gloss-eyed. "Buck me sideways. Vinyl? You grab her leg while I grab her other fetl—"
The world spins. Her golden voice dwindles, melts away in the brine.
"Vinyl?" A stutter. A gasp. "Vinyl!"
"Vinyl, where... where are you going?!"
I don't know.
I can only obey.
If it can make her happy in even the slightest...
Tavi...
I stumble away from the abyss of sobs.
Collapsing.
Crumbling.
Falling.
Tavi...
I burst through the front door and into a baptism of blinding light.
...I'm so sorry.
Alone.
OHGOD
Fuck.
FUCK.
No.
For any of you who felt any sort of pity towards Opulence. THIS is the result of being raised by him. Octavia can't even let herself be loved by the pony she clearly cares the most about. She'd rather be floundering, lost and alone, than bear the thought she was responsible for holding Vinyl back.
My Celestia this is horrifically unhealthy. That stallion needs to be gelded.
My reaction to this chapter:
reactiongifs.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/raining_david_tennant_nosedrip.gif
Poor Vinyl. Poor Octavia.
Two
Also, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?
FuUCK
Was not expecting that...
FUCK
You wouldn't have done it if you didn't want it too.
No...
NO.
Why? Why did it have to twist around and go that way!? Why!?
...Damnit...
6703172 yes
Well fuck.....
....damn.
Huh. I remember, way back, wondering what Octavia would think when she found out Vinyl had turned down that deal, but I had no idea it would be so... catastrophic?
Of course, what Tavi doesn't know is how empty and lonely Vinyl's little excursions on tour have been. I suppose she can't be blamed for thinking that Vinyl would be happier and more fulfilled as a rich and famous celebrity, especially with her father being the way he is. Maybe she could be blamed for thinking that giving acclaimed performances for royalty amounts of garbage, but that's neither here nor there. Either way, it's obvious that Vinyl isn't the only one with self-destructive tendencies.
Needless to say, they both have some serious issues, and they've both apparently been using each other to salve their emotional problems. And honestly, a jaded part of me is starting to think that the healthiest thing they could do is just make a clean break and try to build new lives for themselves, apart from each other. I'm holding on to hope for a happier ending, because it'd be a bummer for that to be the summit these 170,000 steps have been building to. I'm just having a hard time seeing a constructive path forward.
Damnit, Octavia. Damn you too Vinyl, for not even trying to communicate.
Alright, Lyra. You know what you need to do.
And now I see why. I feel incredibly awkward now, I understand it's the nature of the beast, when it comes to SS&E's stories that is, but I was erm... I had interpreted vinyl's thoughts about changing things up and such partially as the author's, and had thought that maybe this one would be different. I'm going to go check and see if this has a seething green completed tag on it laughing in my face or if it has a shining yellow incomplete tag, glimmering with a soft hope
most of the comments are saying "wow" in a LOT of different ways. most being in swears...
Holy hell.
6703353
Quality feedback at its finest, eh?
GOD DAMNIT SKIRTS. THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS
6703172 THE DOCTOR!
HE CAN SOLVE EVVERYTHIGN! TRAEL BACK! IFX TI! PANIC!
WE MUST FIX THIS!
THE SHIP MUST LIVE!
6703327 lol pretty sure this isn't the end. The tone doesn't have "closure" written anywhere on it.
I don't think I can live through 3 days without closure.
Okay everyone, repeat after me.
img.pandawhale.com/106218-lie-down-try-not-to-cry-meme-I-2pgU.jpeg
WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY!?
*sobs*
6703318
The time to make a clean break is when you're on the slope and can still grab onto the ledge. The both of them have been rolling downhill for so long now that all they've really got is each other.
I discovered this story some months back and have been following along religiously ever since (to the point of refreshing the page every hour, awaiting an update!). I have never wanted to breach the fourth wall so badly. So that I can stop Vinyl.
Vinyl, Tavi needs you more than ever right now.
Give her the space she wants at this moment, but go to her as soon as the storm passes. She loves you as much as you love her and she needs you the same.
And ShortSkirts, I am not a fan of puppeteers!
iambrony.steeph.tp-radio.de/mlp/gif/ULTIMATERAGE_zps63c5b168.gif
So, we have Vinyl who is one of the most talented artist in Equestria, but she doen't enjoy it because her "talent" is just a part of who she is. On the other side we have Octavia, who works hard to succeed because she wants her efforts to be recognized by her father and everyone else.
Vinyl tries to make Octavia realize that she doesn't need celebrity, nor the approval of her father.
Octavia blames Vinyl for not making the best of her talent and celebrity while she thinks that she can't do anything wothwhile.
How are those two going to make it work? It seems pretty hard right now...
Skirts... what the fuck man?
Do you think this is okay for us?
My mental health is on the line with this fic.
Update faster please, Celestia fuck, I crave it.
6703550
Famous last words.
HAHA! The suspense has been DOUBLED!
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You're an evil genius, Skirts.
FLPTHFBDTHPLTFPBLTBPFLTBFP!!!!!
So help me, Skirts, if this doesn't end well I'll... I'll....
Actually I won't do much, but I'll be very angry and very sad.
HOWEVER! If everything works out, then I will love you forever like a best friend! :D
... Well... This made my morning very... depressed... I think I need to cry now.
That guy... does three chapters in one day and it's still a goshdarned tease!
Please tell me some resolution will happen soon, or there will be much screaming and throwing of laptops.
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
Ripped out my dang heart. And slapped it to the wall.
...it begins...
Well, I think that we all knew that Octavia is at least as much damaged goods as Vinyl is.
Rip my heart out and rub it over a cheese grater WHY DON'T YOU.
6703353
I'd personally characterize it as more of an "AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY" myself.
Damn it.
For a second there, I forgot this was a Skirts fic. If there's a happy ending, it's not going to be that easy.
For a second, I was thinking: now come on, Skirts wouldn't end one of his super-long fics so depressingly, would he? Then I remembered that neither of his other two dailies have actually ended yet, and then...
... Background Pony.
6704157
6704131 I have never forgiven him for Background Pony.
Awwwwww, dammit.
6704169 same
Many a tables where flipped during this chapter
Arms?
Anyway. An obligation wow comments.