Major and Minor

by Lady Froey

Chapter 7 - Decline

Summer was over and fall had arrived. Vinyl and Derpy were both attending school again. This year, however, Derpy now attended Ponyville High with Vinyl, beginning her first year. Unlike when she first moved to Ponyville and attended the middle school halfway through the year, this truly felt like a new start.

Vinyl was there for her third year. To her, this year was like any other and she got just enough done to skate by. A sheet of paper ruffled in her pack: another test marked with a bright red C.

She knew her mother would pout and tell her that she could do better—she always did, but Vinyl didn’t care. It was a small price to pay for having the time to take care of her mother. She’d had to go to another of her monthly treatments last week.

Vinyl grimaced as she remembered how tired her mother had been, how she’d walked beside her mother to support her on the way home. It was always that way. The days she received her treatments, Vinyl would have to be by her side constantly.

Morning had passed and it was now lunch break for everyone on campus. Vinyl and Derpy met up during their break and stood next to each other in the lunch line.

“Ugh, by the time we get to the front of the line everyone’s going to get the good stuff.”

“You mean all the junk food? You should be on a better diet Vinyl.”

“Hey, a mare needs her fries and burger.” Vinyl shrugged.

Derpy giggled.

“So, school treating you all right?” Vinyl asked.

“Mostly.” Derpy sighed.

“Mostly?” Vinyl raised an eyebrow. “I know you never have trouble with school work, who’s bothering you?”

“It’s nothing bad Vinyl; it’s not like middle school where kids beat me up, it’s just…” She paused. “There is this mare and a few of her friends, they just call me names and that’s it. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Ugh, typical bullies. All talk.”

Derpy nodded. “So, how is Claret? Last time I saw her she looked better than before.”

“She is good, except for when she has one of those treatments every month. She can’t eat anything during that time or else she throws it up.” Vinyl shuddered. “Fortunately, I think she has adjusted to her medications. She went to Canterlot yesterday to visit the hospital to see if it’s at all helping.”

“She’s a strong mare.” Derpy wrapped her foreleg around Vinyl. “I bet she will kick that cancer out, sooner than later.”

“I hope so.” Vinyl closed her eyes and sighed. “I wish I could go, but—”

A mare standing outside of the line then interrupted Vinyl.

“Look girls, Derpy has a girlfriend!”

Vinyl turned and saw a tall earth mare with a light magenta coat and her light blue mane tied back. She was pointing at both of them with two other mares by her side chuckling.

“Back off Coral.” Derpy stood outside of the lunch line in front of Vinyl. “She’s just a friend.”

“Hah! Out of all the ponies here in town, you picked the one that did Goddesses-knows-what with Bon Bon? Gross, for all you know she may have a disease or something.”

Vinyl heard that word: ‘disease.’ It reminded her of nothing more than the pain her mother was going through these past few months: the moment she told Vinyl she had cancer, the first time she went through treatments and looked weak, having to be by her mother’s side when she was hacking out everything.

She stepped out of the lunch line and walked past Derpy, looking straight at Coral.

“Vinyl, please don’t do anything that—” Derpy said timidly before getting cut off by Coral.

“Uh-oh, look out girls, I think we made her upset.” Coral smirked.

“What did you say about me?” Vinyl stood in front of her, strong and unflinching.

Coral towered over Vinyl, leering down at her.

“I’m saying Derpy shouldn’t be hanging around with you, who knows what you could be carrying—”

Vinyl raised her hoof and slammed Coral in the side of the head, taking her by surprise. She yelped and fell onto the floor clenching the side of her head. Other students caught the incident, some cheering.

“Coral!” The two mares said kneeling down by her side, trying to help her.

“Vinyl!” Derpy grabbed Vinyl from behind before she could throw any more punches. “Are you trying to get suspended!?”

Vinyl ignored Derpy, not putting up any resistance. She looked down at Coral.

“You—you bitch!” Coral looked up at Vinyl. “I’ll report you to the principal!”

“I’m going through a lot of shit right now, and I don’t need some stuck up mare harassing my best friend, or judging me.”

“You two need to learn to take a joke, nor do I care about you or your personal life.”

“You leave Derpy alone. If I ever hear that you or your lackeys have been bugging her again, you’ll have more than just a bruise to worry about. Try making some real friends; maybe you won’t be such a bitch.”

“Whatever, freak,” she mumbled under her breath.

“What’s going on here?” A stallion said in a stern voice across the hall.

“Oh no, I think that was Vice Principal Moore.” Derpy released Vinyl. “Vinyl, you need to go.”

“What? Why?” Vinyl asked.

“Help! Someone’s hit me!” Coral yelled, forcing herself to cry.

The Vice Principal immediately walked up to Coral and saw her on the ground, moping with her friends by her side.

“Ms. Scratch, Ms. Hooves, what happened here?” he said.

“I—” Vinyl said before Derpy jumped in front of her, cutting her off.

“We got into a fight, Vice Principal Moore. Coral was making fun of me, so, I hit her.”

“You, Ms. Hooves?” He raised an eyebrow. “I find that hard to believe, especially if you are hanging around Ms. Scratch.”

“You expect a small unicorn like Vinyl to hurt a large pony like Coral? She wouldn’t even be able to reach her.”

“Fine,” he sighed, looking at Vinyl. “I hope your past bad influences are not rubbing off on Ms. Hooves. I was originally trying to look for you. You are being excused early.”

“Mom… Is she all right?”

“Uhh, I would figure so. She called in and just said she wanted you to come home early for a personal matter. You are dismissed, be sure to have your mother sign you out before leaving campus.”

“Alright, um… Thanks.” Vinyl scratched the back of her head.

The Vice Principal nodded, then focused his attention again on Derpy and Coral.

“Ms. Hooves, Ms. Shine, follow me. We will be discussing both of your punishments with The Principal in her office.”

“Yes sir,” Derpy said.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me! I’m the victim here!” Coral yelled at him. “It was also Vinyl who hit me, not this retarded bitch!”

“MS. SHINE!” The Vice Principal yelled, slamming his hoof on the ground. “You will watch your attitude while we go the Principal’s Office, and don’t think I will forget what you just said.”

“Tch, fine.” Coral was helped up by her friends and she stood next to Derpy.

As the two followed the Vice Principal, Derpy turned around and gave a quick wink to Vinyl, before heading off.

I guess you are the one standing up for me now. Vinyl smiled.

---

Vinyl placed most of her things back in her locker; she hung her saddle bags on her back and then walked to the main office where she saw her mother standing there, waiting for her.

Claret had begun doing treatments at the local hospital each month since her diagnosis. Even with the treatments being a low dosage, it made an impact on her appearance. Her mane was still full, but it had begun thinning out in certain spots and she did whatever she could to cover up the blank spots. She’d also lost some weight, appearing a bit smaller than usual. She wore longer sleeves to hide her thinner forelegs.

“Hello, dear. Did you have a good day today?”

“Not really,” Vinyl sighed. “How was Canterlot?”

“We’ll talk about that later.”

“Oookay… Why are you signing me out early then?”

“I thought we could get some lunch and just have a nice day to ourselves.”

“The way the Vice Principal told me, I thought it was going to be an emergency.”

“It is; emergency lunch,” Claret said with a shallow laugh. “Doctor Mom’s orders.”

“Well in that case, that sounds nice. Did you already sign me out?”

“I did. Let’s go.”

---

Leaving the school grounds, Vinyl and Claret went to a nearby café and sat outside for lunch, enjoying some coffee and sandwiches. Vinyl decided not to tell her mother about what happened earlier. She didn’t need anything more to worry about, and so Vinyl remained quiet during her meal.

“So, Vinyl,” Claret said, breaking the silence between them.

“Yeah?”

“Once you are done with high school, what are your plans?” Claret sat back in her chair, and focused on Vinyl. “I know you only started your third year this month and still have your senior year, but have you reconsidered college?”

“Nope.” Vinyl shook her head. “I just want to work on music right after school, like you.”

“That’s good to hear, dear, but making it as a full-time musician isn’t as simple as it seems. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work, and even then it sometimes feels like only luck will get you a deal with a music label.”

“I know,” Vinyl sighed, “but it’s what I want to do.”

Claret sighed, but then smiled. “I hope you become successful someday, then. Just be sure to do it on your own terms and not someone else's.”

Vinyl nodded and picked up her sandwich with her magic, taking a bite. Claret pressed hers between her hooves and lifted it up, not thinking about how good it had felt to whisk objects about with her magic.

It was silent again. The two of them occasionally looked around their environment: at the shops on the other side of the street, or the occasional pony passing by. Vinyl figured with the time that passed, she could finally ask her mother about her last hospital visit.

“So Mom, about your trip to the hosp—”

Vinyl was cut off by a sudden a large rumble of thunder above. Looking up, she saw some weather ponies moving storm clouds in. Darkness swept over them as a squat, slate-gray cloud was pushed in front of the sun.

“Oh dear, was it supposed to storm today?” Claret said, placing her hoof out in the open to feel for rain drops.

“Maybe? I didn’t check this morning.”

Small rain droplets began to fall from the clouds above.

“We should head back home before we get drenched.” Claret got up out of her seat.

“B-but, what about your trip?”

“We can talk about that when we get home.”

Vinyl grumbled and got out of her chair, following her mother.

---

At first, it only sprinkled, but soon after they entered their neighborhood, the storm began to pick up and soon they were battered by heavy droplets and crosswinds. At their doorstep, Vinyl fumbled hastily with her keys and unlocked the door. Both of them shot inside and closed the door. They were both drenched from the storm, dripping along the wood floors.

“Well, that didn’t go to plan.” Claret chuckled.

“No kidding,” Vinyl said, using her magic to wring out her wet mane.

“Um, Vinyl?” Claret’s long mane was dripping across the wood floor and she couldn’t easily dry herself as her daughter.

“Oh, right. Hang on just a sec.” Vinyl went over to the hall bathroom and withdrew two towels and came back, passing one to Claret.

“Thank you.” Claret sat down on the floor and began drying herself off.

Vinyl tried to do the same but ended up fumbling the towel.

“You were right about us being too dependent on magic sometimes.”

Claret nodded. “It doesn’t take much to learn how to use your hooves and mouth for activities.”

“Yeah.” Vinyl decided to keep trying to dry herself with a towel.

Claret finished before Vinyl and got up.

“I’ll go make us some coffee,” she walked over to the kitchen. “I’m sure you still want to know how my trip to the hospital went, right?” Claret said without emotion.

“All day, really.” Vinyl said.

Claret only nodded.

Vinyl soon finished drying herself off and sat down in the living room, seeing her mother in the kitchen place a full kettle of water onto the stove top. She didn’t look any different from when she last saw her go to Canterlot, but she knew something was wrong that her mother didn’t want to bring up.

Waiting for the kettle to heat, Claret went back into the living room and sat next to Vinyl.

“So, how did your trip to Canterlot go?” Vinyl asked.

Claret took a deep breath and sighed.

“It wasn’t good Vinyl.” She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “Not good at all.”

Vinyl’s ears fell. The way her mother said it already sounded grim.

“Tell me everything.” Vinyl placed her hoof over her mother’s, looking up at her, redirecting her mother’s attention to her. “Please, Mom.”

Claret looked down at Vinyl. A frown formed on her face and she teared up.

“The medications and treatments from the past three months have not helped.” She sniffled in-between sentences. “The growth, in my head.” She wrapped herself around Vinyl, crying. “I-it’s still spreading.”

Vinyl’s eyes widened; her jaw dropped. She didn’t know what to think as her mother began to cry.

“No… Mom, a-are you…” Vinyl gulped. “Dying?”

Claret flinched at the word. “I’m… still here dear,” she said softly, holding tightly on to Vinyl. “The doctors said there is still a chance.” She sniffled. “They are going to increase my dosages and put me on heavier treatments. It’s going to be hard, b-but I am not giving up.”

“That’s it?”

“They said it was all they can do.”

“What about your magic? What did they say about that?”

“They said I am also to never use magic.”

“For how long?”

Claret was silent for a moment.

“Indefinitely,” she said, her voice cracking.

“No…” Vinyl paused, thoughts rushed through her head of what this meant for her mother. “Then, that means…”

“My career….” Claret looked up, tears streaming down her face. “It’s officially over.” She closed her eyes. “And… I don’t know how much longer I have myself.”

Vinyl’s heart was pounding. Her mother was wrapped around her like a child. She wanted to cry with her mother, she didn’t know how to handle all of this, but at the moment, she knew she had to do something to cheer her up.

“H-hey, look at me.” Vinyl pushed her mother back a bit and held onto her hooves. She looked up at her mother, who looked down at Vinyl. “Maybe you can’t play piano anymore, but, it’s not entirely over.” Vinyl wiped away her remaining tears. “You can still write music, and I can play it.”

“But for how long, Vinyl? I’m…” She held back her tears. She felt pathetic in front of her daughter. “I’m scared.”

“W-who wouldn’t be?” Vinyl joylessly laughed.

“I can’t imagine how you are feeling right now, Vinyl, seeing me like this.”

“I don’t know, I really don’t have a way to describe it.”

Claret nodded. She began to settle down a bit, wiping away her tears.

Vinyl kept looking at her mother. Mares in high school weren’t supposed to have to worry about losing their moms, right? Things like this were supposed to happen to people who deserved them, not her mother. No, she had to beat this. It might take everything they had, but if they gave it everything they had, that would have to do it, right?

But what if… She wanted to be with her as much as she could.

“Mom,” Vinyl said, clearing her throat. “I want to spend the rest of this time with you.”

“I do too, dear.”

“And to do that, I need to stop going to school.”

“Vinyl… I want to see you graduate from high school at least.”

“Mom, who is going to take care of you? You can’t do this all by yourself, and… I couldn’t concentrate even if I did go, not while you are suffering by yourself.” Vinyl looked to the side. “Either I stop going, or I go every day and end up failing my classes while you are here alone.”

She sighed, knowing there was no better choice. She smiled, and hugged Vinyl lightly.

“All right, Vinyl. I understand.”

Vinyl felt her mother’s warm embrace. It was what she needed after what just happened.

“…I love you, mom.”

Claret rubbed Vinyl’s mane lightly with her hoof.

“I love you too, dear.”

While Vinyl and Claret remained on the sofa throughout the rest of the afternoon, the storm outside only became worse. When the sun went down the storm began to light up the night with thunder and lightning.

Soon after the evening arrived, Claret only wanted to rest and went up to her room by herself. Vinyl did the same and lay in her bed, looking up at the ceiling. This day was forever going to change both her and her mother's life.

She was beginning to tear up again. Wiping away her newly formed tears she laid on her side and could only think to herself.

Mom, you don’t deserve any of this.

I wish there was something else I could do.

But, I’ll be there with you.

To the very end.

Author's Note:

Special thanks to editors Madeline L-Equine and Gardrek for helping with this chapter.

Comments

[Manes]

Man, that must really sucked. Not being in control and losing the thing you love because of it?

Fuck man.

[TheVClaw]

Wow. I'm kinda surprised that Claret is okay with Vinyl making that kind of decision, even if it is the best choice for that situation.

Alas, I can already tell this sadness train is picking up steam. I can only imagine how bad the final stop is going to be.

[thedarkprep]

Spoiler: this is all an elaborate prank for a new tv show "cancer fake out" in which parents ruin their kids for the camera. Silly fro-fro, I see your game

[shy sad jaded shard]

two things in this chapter One: I could not be a vice principle I would of slammed shine into the ground then expelled her I don't like the R word (having learning problem I have had that word used by bullies growing up) and two my mom went through cancer as well she is fine but it was not a happy time to this chapter hits closer to home then I would like to admit.