After So Long

by ChaseTheChangeling

Epilogue: Under The Hazy Moonlight

Octavia trotted briskly beside her cheery friend, the two bumbling about at night as if it were their town to run about in. I wasn't as dangerous as Vinyl's city, and she had known many ponies that lived here, this place being her home for most of her life. It was mostly middle class families and small businesses, the long main road lined with lights and forestry, trees and rivers and large homes dotted the area, small roads leading off into other settlements and a couple shopping centers that didn't stay open very late. The cool brisk air helped Vinyl ease her nerves, although there were other things she could be doing to ease them further, surely it would be a good night as those things had been offered for her to enjoy only a little bit ago.

Vinyl grasped her phone in her magic and dialed a few numbers before putting it to her ear. "Yeah," Vinyl began with a smile, "Sup, man, you busy? No? Good, you wanna make a few bits? 'Course man, y'know I only call you fer one thing. Yup. 20's worth. Yeah we'll be by Doughnut Joe's. Yeah, just me and a few others. Yeah you remember Big Mac? Yeah, he'll be there. He's gettin' it actually. Yeah, I'll see you then, man, you be safe. Thanks." Vinyl put the phone into her pocket, her smile getting bigger. "You gonna join us?" Vinyl asked turning to her friend who had enjoyed staying in silence, likely just in her head again. Octavia looked slightly confused.

"Join you in what?"

"Well we're getting a nice bag of green and I guess I was curious of you wanted to smoke with us?"

"Oh, I don't smoke, heh."

"Oh, really? I mean, I knew you were clean, I didn't know you were that clean. So no cigarettes, no weed... do you drink?" Vinyl was almost sweating at this point. Vinyl didn't want to admit it, but at this point she was feeling like a shitty friend.

"No, I've had like, one glass of champagne ever, at a baby shower. I guess it's just not my thing." Octavia seemed pretty okay with all of this, it didn't seem like she was trying to be rude or disconnect over it. Vinyl gulped, either way she felt as if she had done some horrible wrong.

"I-I guess... I mean, I just feel like you'd think less of me for doing this."

"Why? You're not doing anything wrong, I just don't like it myself." Octavia was right, but Vinyl still pressured herself to be the best that she could be. The fluttering in her chest wouldn't let her do otherwise.

"I-I guess you're right." Vinyl finally said before continuing on their path.

If there was anything to note about the friendship of Vinyl and Octavia, it was the long silences and the sudden jokes between them. They could, at any given moment, begin to talk and laugh like idiots, hardly able to breath, and just as quickly fall into a satisfying silence. There was no building up to anything, it would be so sudden, and so amazing. It was something Vinyl never had with anypony other than her. Vinyl sighed with contentment in her chest, there was safety here, but also chaos, but safe chaos.

It seemed as if it had taken no time to get to Doughnut Joe's, and with a smile, Vinyl waved to her friend who had waited for her. Big Mac waved back, his large form a notable contrast to another pony that stood beside him. A smaller mare waved back with a chuckle.

"I knew it was you, Vinyl! We finally meet in person!" the small mare shouted as Vinyl closed the distance between the other two ponies. "You know, I saw you earlier and you were dancing with your headphones on, and I said to Big Mac how weird Delamare was with patrons just dancing in the streets, but then I saw the crazy mane and smile, and was surprised to recognize you!"

"Yeah!" Vinyl began with a chuckle, "You really didn't have much to go on, I think I've posted a whole four pictures of myself from this year on Muzzle Space. So you here to visit? I'm really happy we get to actually see each other, no offense but I could have sworn you would be taller!" The other mare laughed with a wave of her hoof. Vinyl was right, the tiny purple earth mare seemed almost frail compared to the towering stallion she stood beside.

"Oh yeah, no, I'm really tiny!" she agreed with a hearty laugh. Vinyl shook her head with a smile and looked back to Octavia who had been standing by quietly, observing the three.

"Ah! Octavia, this is Big Mac, I do gigs at this bar he works at, and this is his mare friend, Cheerilee. Cheerilee, Big Mac, this is Octavia, we met in freshman year of high school."

"Wow, you guy's have been friends for a long time!" Big Mac chuckled.

"You have no idea," Vinyl said in a whisper. Before the friends could get deeper into conversation, a stallion came staggering up, his breath a little lost and his eyes bloodshot red. He was small, his messy black mane and dingy orange fur matted a bit. He smelled of weed and cologne, and his voice was a deep bubbling sound, as if he had just woken up.

"Yo, wassup Vinyl!" He said with a small smile, he looked as if he had been through hell and back.

"Hey, Nug, I'm glad to see you made it!" Vinyl with only a slight hitch in her enthusiasm looked over the stallion, "You okay? You look like you just got done fighting a manticore?" Nug shrugged and smiled.

"Nah, just takin' care of the little ones, you know how it goes." The group just nodded, none of them having children of their own, but having a decent idea. Nug simply handed over a large packed bag of the desired sticky icky and trotted off to his car with a wave, "Ya'll be safe out here, it's been getting pretty rough lately!" The group smiled and waved back, starting off into the dark of the night, and trotting towards Vinyl's favorite smoking spot.

~~~~~~~~

The cold didn't bother them, as the had pot and the sweet nectar of Tatarus itself to keep them warm, and their excitement and good vibes made the fun last. But all too soon, after Vinyl had chugged a bottle of beer and the group danced bathed in silver moonlight in the woods, their skin cooling in the night breeze and their faces flushed with crimson, they had to leave, as Big Mac and his lovely dainty mate had gotten cuddly and smoochy, and it was all too likely what their intentions were. Vinyl waved goodbye as they parted ways, Big Mac heading to his farm, Cheerilee under his hoof, as they wobbled and giggled up the road. Vinyl opted to take Octavia home through the thicket of woods, leading to the freeway, walking up the cold pavement. As they walked, Vinyl seemingly fine, although Octavia stayed cautious of the inebriated unicorn, had struck a thought in her mind, as its gears struggled to turn in the weed and booze fueled haze.

"Oh!" Vinyl said suddenly, shaking her grey companion in shock, "I'm so sorry!" Octavia shook her head and looked up in confusion. "I mean, I'm a horrible pony, I sat there with my friends and got high while you just watched on. We must have looked like an after school PSA." Vinyl wasn't lying, with the way they were swaying and laughing at leaves, chasing their shadows and dancing around, Vinyl was sure she had seen something like it on TV in her youth. Octavia laughed and shook her head again, but with a smile.

"No, Vinyl you're fine, it's not like you're being an ass or anything."

"I try my best."

"But you guys did look pretty goofy dancing around in the woods like that."

Vinyl sighed with a light smile and looked for a place to sit as they walked. Soon enough, a nice little bench, near a bus stop was calling her name. Vinyl nodded her head, silently inviting Octavia to sit with her. Octavia rolled her eyes and joined, the two sitting and getting comfortable as they looked into the sky.

The moon was full, pulsing with magic and showering them in its glow. Vinyl moved over a bit, allowing herself closer to Octavia. It was strange, just sitting there, smiling into the sky.

"Do you... do you think this is weird?" Vinyl asked quietly. Octavia shrugged.

"What?"

"This... I mean.. the last time we really saw each other, we were sitting and looking up at the sky. It's weird.."

"Yeah, it is..."

"It's almost like... the end of a chapter, huh?"

"Vinyl, you're high, stop looking so far into this." Octavia snorted a light laugh and Vinyl joined, the two snuggled together under the moon, just like they had done so long ago.

~fin~

Author's Note:

Comments

[ChaseTheChangeling]

7244881
Welcome back Banshee! Yeah, it's been pretty slow, and I'm pouring my heart out lol but I'm just happy to let lose the burden a story untold bears on the soul.

(Btw I don't play a lot of MtG but I hear a lot of good things. But I think I'll stick to YuGiOh and D&D) :3

[ChaseTheChangeling]

7244881
Welcome back Banshee! Yeah, it's been pretty slow, and I'm pouring my heart out lol but I'm just happy to let lose the burden a story untold bears on the soul.

(Btw I don't play a lot of MtG but I hear a lot of good things. But I think I'll stick to YuGiOh and D&D) :3