I Love You More

by Ave Celestia

Bloom

Up or down? Up? Down?

Vinyl had the back of her mane cinched in her magical aura. It was just after six the next day and Vinyl was doing what she hadn't done for another mare in a long time: standing in front of a mirror and fussing with her mane. It was the evening of Vinyl's definitely-a-date-this-time with Octavia about which Vinyl was very happy about also nervous. Mostly nervous right now.

Vinyl pulled her mane into a low, stubby ponytail at the back of her head, hanging so it brushed against her neck. Dumb. No. She relaxed her aura and shifted her grasp, pulling her mane into a high tail near the crown of her head. Her spiked hair splayed in all directions. This makes my head look like a pineapple. Ughh.

Vinyl's unicorn horn hummed as she used her magic. She tried pulling her mane in pigtails (too short,) pushing it up (too long,) smoothing it back behind her ears (just fell forward again,) or brushing it to one side (nuh-uh,) and then to the other side (nope.) She tried it with glasses on and then glasses off. After almost a half-hour of fussing, Vinyl had to admit to reality: her manecut was just too short to be styled into anything that looked even halfway decent! At least on such short notice. Short and spiky hair was great for... the short and spiky hair look, but Vinyl didn't have anywhere near enough time to go to a salon! Why didn't I think of this earlier?!

Vinyl was sure there was something amazing she could to do herself with a few swipes of styling gel which would transform her into just the right I'm-still-the-mare-you-wanted-to-ask-out-but-oops-did-I-just-accidentally-hint-I-have-hidden-depths-and-wouldn't-you-like-to-find-out look. Because that was something you could say with a hairstyle. And it was something she wanted to say tonight. But really the only trick Vinyl could do with this mane was casually/glamorously flip it back out of her eyes and Vinyl's date did that trick well enough for the both of them. Vinyl drifted for a moment. Octavia's black mane, pushing it back over her ear... wait, no daydreaming! Focus!

Vinyl gave up on styling her mane- she didn't want to risk saying anything else with a few wrong swipes of gel. I guess she gets the DJ PON-3, sighed Vinyl. She released her grip on her mane and it fell forward into its well-known spiky state. But that doesn't mean I can't change it up. Let's do no glasses tonight. Okay, let's see if I remember how to do this...

Vinyl opened her cosmetics drawer and started rooting around. She wouldn't have been surprised if there was dust all over this stuff. She found her mascara and floated out the little bottle. Her eye twitched as she noticed the cap was loose. No no no... She pulled out the brush and thick black clumps came out. Ruined! Argh! When was the last time I used this?! Okay, okay. When it comes to makeup, less is more, right? No mascara. It's fine. Calm down.

Vinyl got out her eyeliner brush, regarding the stabworthy angle of its black tip. She saw it in her mind: her horn and magical aura shaking with nervousness, the sharp point of the brush sinking deep into her red, oozing sclera. The image of it repeated over and over, stabbing herself in the eye over and over, the vision of it making her more and more nervous (consequently making her magic shake more and more,) until she dropped the brush back into the drawer in defeat and slammed it shut.

Vinyl stared defiantly into the mirror at her reflection. This right here is what she asked out, this is what she's going to get. I didn't need makeup to get all those other mares... all of the ones who were wrong ...oh my gosh was not wearing makeup my mistake all along?! Was that why I could never find a good mare and why I got cheated on no wait that would be silly. Oh gosh, I sure hope Octavia still likes me without makeup.

Vinyl gazed into her mirrored reflection's eyes, giving herself a hard stare. Okay, breathe. Be calm. Be cool. you're a not a dumb filly anymore you're a grownup and a musical superstar sensation and it doesn't matter. If she's going to lo- to like you, she's going to like you for you and that's all that matters.

Vinyl turned and clicked off the lights in her bathroom.

She went into her bedroom and sat her rear down on the edge of the bed, floated her phone up, and checked for messages. She had sent one to Neon over an hour ago and she had got no response yet. it was now going on three days since her so-called bestie Neon had contacted her. No calls, no texts, no nothing. Which was irritating. It was irritating because Vinyl was going to start worrying about her friend soon, and that was never fun. Neon, as a male and non-hot-mare, was supposed to be the neutral, no-drama zone in her life.

Vinyl turned her phone upright, flipped through her Frequently Contacted list, and dialed Neon.

Ring...

Ring...

Ring...

Ring...

"Ey, it's Neon, leave a message-"

Ugh! Vinyl terminated the call with a groan. Neon, you mule, answer me! Don't shut me out, bro, she mentally pleaded. Vinyl sighed and put her phone away.

Why in the world is Neon not responding to me? Is something going on? No, worry about one thing at a time. Vinyl shook her head in frustration. Then she put these questions aside and her thoughts turned back towards this evening.

It's going to be seven soon. It's time. Time to go meet Octavia! Vinyl stood there alone in her darkened bedroom, stomped all four of her hooves, and squared her shoulders, huffing out a big, shivering breath, hyping herself up. She reached out to the dresser with her magical aura and scooped up her big, purple sunglasses. She looked straight ahead as she lowered them down over her eyes. This is happening. It's a date, just a date. Be cool, be yourself. Relax. Put it all out of your head. Everything's going to be fine.

Vinyl exited her apartment and locked the door behind her. The hall was quiet and empty. She felt better already, actually taking the physical steps out of her door, committing herself. She used her unicorn magic to reach out and hit the elevator call button before she even got near it and got into the elevator car. With a gentle hum the car soon opened and with a cheerful ding! she was in the lobby. Vinyl pushed out of the front doors of the apartment complex into the warm dimness of the late summer evening.

She pointed herself in the direction of up-mountain. Far, far away, the Royal Castle grew out of the point of Mount Canter, silhouetted against the milky sunset clouds. And somewhere between there and here were West and Mane Streets. Vinyl started walking.

*

Walking cleared Vinyl's head, walking and fresh mountain air. You got a lot of those living in Canterlot. It was warm and humid out. In the fading light, Vinyl felt weightless, like she was floating, like her hooves were barely touching the stone and she would just drift away.

Vinyl turned the tangled mess of it all over in her head.

Vinyl was really looking forward to this dinner for reasons, several of them. Not including that cute pink bow tie and Octavia's massive, molten hotness. Those long lashes veiling bedroom eyes, Octavia laying back on white sheets, black mane pooled across the pillow, a seductive smile on her face, beckoning me to ugh stop fantasizing already!

Octavia's flank... I mean her hips... I mean her cutie mark... a curvaceous treble clef, music... Her talents. And also her mystery.

This Octavia mare. She was definitely musically-inclined, and was apparently pretty successful in her little upper-class world, but didn't care at all about Vinyl's very-real and profitable success in Vinyl's own musical field. Octavia was into Vinyl, just like a whole lot of other mares who were DJ PON-3's fans. And also like ambitious Canterlot ponies with some power and money were interested in getting more power and money. But Vinyl didn't have the sense that Octavia was a star-struck EDM fan, and she didn't seem like a climber either, trying to latch onto DJ PON-3's success. Sometimes it seemed to Vinyl that these days either of those were the only kind of ponies she ever met in Canterlot, fans and climbers. And that got real boring real fast. And lonely.

Octavia had seemed interested in Vinyl (very interested!) for Vinyl's own sake. Octavia wasn't interested in getting close to a name, an image, an icon. Octavia didn't want DJ PON-3, she wanted Vinyl Scratch.

This was a little more strange because usually upper-class ponies who didn't know who DJ PON-3 was took their not knowing who she was as a sign that they ought not to know who she was. If Vinyl was important, they would have heard about her already. And since most nobles didn't know her, they took this as enough of a reason to treat her with contempt. It was a cultural thing, Vinyl guessed. But Octavia seemed to be an exception. A paradox.

Octavia was definitely upper-class with that perfect mane and that elegant way she moved her body and that cute pink tie and that brain-meltingly hot accent which said she probably had an expensive education from someplace far enough away that they spoke different. But despite being upper-class, she didn't hate Vinyl for being a DJ. And this was kind of intriguing to Vinyl. What did Octavia really want?

Vinyl didn't know.

She sighed, musing to herself.

Vinyl had a confession to make: she liked attention. And Vinyl sometimes wondered if that made her a bad pony, that she liked being famous, that she liked being wanted by so any fans. Vinyl really liked feeling wanted. It made her feel important, like she mattered, being famous. But Vinyl also liked being infamous, having a bad reputation, because it meant she was still getting attention. Being beloved by one group of awesome ponies and reviled by another of boring, over-privileged ones was pretty great. It made you a figure, it made DJ PON-3 a figure. Wasn't there that one quote like "the only thing in life worse than being talked about is being not talked about?"

DJ PON-3 was talked about. And DJ PON-3 had a lot of money because of being talked about. Vinyl was really good at what she did, yeah, she had great musical talent. But she wasn't, you know, a genius at music if you were really honest about it. Vinyl put her heart and soul into her work, yes, but she knew plenty of other music ponies who also put their heart and soul into their own work and yet weren't a tenth as successful as Vinyl. Vinyl knew that DJ PON-3's success was mostly because she was so popular. And Vinyl loved that, both being so successful and also being so in the public eye. She had made it to the top. You superstar, you.

But being popular wasn't everything. Vinyl Scratch wasn't all DJ PON-3, and there was plenty that Vinyl Scratch felt that DJ PON-3 didn't or couldn't express or show. Vinyl didn't want to give up DJ PON-3, but she also wanted a relationship, a relationship with somepony who was partners with Vinyl Scratch, not with DJ PON-3. It was really hard to find somepony who didn't already know her name- rather, know DJ PON-3's name- but who also wasn't a fan or an airhead. No offense to the pegasi she had dated.

Octavia seemed to fit this bill. Maybe there was something there, something real. Octavia didn't know who DJ PON-3 was at all and yet was really into Vinyl Scratch. And she certainly didn't seem like she needed to be looking for money. Plus she seemed really interesting. Even though she was a noble and they probably didn't share a lot of daily culture, maybe they could find common ground somewhere else. That was kind of the point of dating, right? To learn about another pony? And see if you connect?

Vinyl really wanted to date Octavia, to learn all about her. And maybe it was meant to be? Vinyl didn't really believe in fate, but she believed in soulmates (don't tell anypony because that's not cool.) So maybe even if they didn't share culture they were supposed to be together anyway? Didn't way back when she had first met her (not really, Vinyl was under a table,) didn't Octavia say something about the two of them being a pair or something? That's what Vinyl Scratch really wanted in her secret heart. Vinyl wanted to be part of a pair. Is that how Octavia thought? Lovers should be pairs?

Vinyl liked her life and liked to party and she'd never give that up, not completely. But Vinyl also wanted a real partner, a somepony who she could devote herself completely. One to live with and be with. One she could really count on, one she could love completely, trust completely. Somepony she could say "forever" to. And there weren't a lot of mares who thought that way (at least in Vinyl's rocky past.) Vinyl wanted to be part of a pair and make a life together, and that meant she needed to find another mare who also wanted to be part of a pair and who also wanted to make a life together.

Vinyl's previous marefriend was very much not that. Vinyl had thought she was that, but maybe Vinyl had just hoped. Vinyl imagined that her ex had loved her and was faithful to her, but that turned out to not be the case. It had been what Vinyl wanted. Vinyl had a tendency to see things how they could be rather than how they actually were. It made her an idealist, probably. It sometimes took a lot to get through to Vinyl. You know, like a text from your marefriend saying "I AM CHEATING ON YOU."

But all that was in the past. Vinyl was making a new start. Those were all weaknesses Vinyl was now on guard for. It would be different this time. I see clearly now! Won't get fooled again.

This date was a new start. Maybe. Octavia was a new start. A chance to take. Maybe Octavia was the forever mare. Vinyl didn't really understand it all but she really wanted to find out.

Plus, you know, THAT FLANK. If nothing else, Vinyl could get another solid look before moving on again.

Vinyl continued walking up-mountain, thinking about Octavia.

* *

Vinyl had never been to this part of Canterlot before, this high up the mountain.

It was different. Very different.

This part of the city was halfway up, sandwiched between the true up-mountain area of both Castle Canterlot and the nobles' mansions (which tried to be as close to the castle as possible,) and the down-mountain capital outskirts where Vinyl lived and worked. The clubs and real nightlife were out on the fringe, a whole community of their own. That's where Vinyl stayed and made her home, away from dry, stodgy ponies. Vinyl never realized going even halfway up the mountain would be like entering a different world. And dry and stodgy were not the words for it. It was nothing like she expected.

At some point Vinyl had crossed an invisible line and left the outskirts and entered a whole new world. The concrete sidewalks had turned to well-fitted brick and the sound of her hoofsteps changed from a dull noise to a crisp clicking sound. Vinyl trotted along and turned her head in wonder this way and that trying to take in the whole scene in the dimming light. The summer sky was a fading cream and everything was tinted in the deep blue cast of late evening. A pony in a dark green uniform was going down the street from lamppost to lamppost with a little stepladder, waking up the sleepy fireflies within each lamp to light up the streets.

The streets were broad and made of bright, flat stones which genius architects had centuries ago fitted together like a mountain-sized puzzle, glowing in the fading light. The sidewalk was lined with dark, manicured trees which shone in the firefly lanterns. Painted columns and gleaming public statuary stood on street corners and formed the centerpieces of fancy roundabout intersections. The walls lining the Canterlot streets were covered with colorful murals and the warm summer evening air was filled with the scents of a dozen kinds of flowers. The rich ponies coming and going along the beautiful streets were well-dressed in evening clothes and all seemed to have their noses raised as they went about their business. Vinyl walked among them as a visiting stranger.

The sidewalks were lined with bright storefronts selling everything from tea services and luxury carriages to exotic candy and horn wax, including dozens of trendy, upscale fashion boutiques. Vinyl couldn't imagine wanting a single thing from any one of these shops: this was a completely different world than the fringes of the city. Was this the world Octavia lived in? Was it something she was "offering" to Vinyl, showing it off by asking her on a date located in this part of the city, making Vinyl walk these streets to get to her destination? That if Vinyl was with Octavia, this is what she'd get?

It was definitely a wondrous place. What pony didn't like the scent of flowers and wide open spaces? All the art was actually kind of pretty, too. Too bad the place was filled with aristocratic ponies who would probably kick Vinyl off of the side of the mountain if they could. Well, except for one. Octavia.

* * *

The Garden was a restaurant built into a terrace surrounding a sunken court. The court was a huge wall-to-wall garden, a rolling field of manicured flowers right in middle of this mountain city. Short and long grasses grew here and there, a rock garden, and flowers, flowers, flowers! Tall flowers in burgundy, short black-blue ones, and night-blooms with ghost-white petals. Little Neighponese lanterns were set out among the flowers, lighting up particularly spectacular parts of the garden field. Vinyl saw the sparkle of a little brook flowing through the field, tumbling down over a set of slick, white marble steps onto a shallow bed of smooth stones. Wild fireflies glowed in the fading evening light. It was like an Elysian field had brought down onto Mount Canter.

All around the garden was a stone terrace overhung by shadowy trees. The terrace was lined with a low, black iron fence, and a long string of electric lights was artistically tangled along the length of the fence's railing. Couples' tables were set along the terrace, each set with a small candle flickering inside a red glass shield.

It was perfect.

Vinyl just stood there on the street, spellbound in the sight of it all. It was an unbelievably romantic spot, something right out of a book. Between the beautiful flower garden, the fading evening light, the sparkle of the lights, and the intimacy of the small tables, it was a perfect stage for romance.

Vinyl had never, ever been to a space like this before, someplace that felt so... mystic. So tranquil. So different. And yet she was only a little walk from the outskirts. It was disorienting, the strangeness of being so close yet so far from home, the otherworldliness of the fading light, being in this fancy part of the city, added to the romantic mystique of it all. Vinyl was giddy with anticipation at meeting Octavia again, and the beauty of the setting put her at dizzy ease. This is the start of something new, Vinyl felt it deep inside.

Vinyl approached the entrance to The Garden. The door was open and a trellis hung above the entrance and some sort of climbing flower wove its long stems among the wooden slats. Strings of sparkling lights were also threaded into the trellis so the entire thing gently glowed in the darkness. There was no sign marking the name of the restaurant but a young pink and white earth pony mare was waiting by the door and smiled at Vinyl's approach.

Vinyl gave the mare her name and the mare smiled and said that Vinyl was expected. The young mare lead Vinyl into the restaurant, explaining in a dignified manner that she herself would be their server that evening.

Well-dressed ponies sat at lamp-lit tables, chatting, smiling, or just holding hooves across the table. Young mare led Vinyl past them all, to the rearmost part of the restaurant, near the kitchen. There was no rear wall to the restaurant, only a grand stone arch with a wide grate of metal woven with climbing flowers, forming a floor to ceiling window of green. Couples tables were set up to within a single length of the open air, forming what Vinyl could only call a box seat looking high out over the garden.

Octavia was in a little black dress.

Octavia sat at one of the candle-lit couples tables, looking out into the shadowy garden below. She was in a little black dress. Her mane was up in an elegant bun, pinned with combs that sparkled. The back of her long neck was exposed, leading down to the shoulders of the black dress she wore. She had a thin pink silk ribbon tied around her throat. She was breathtaking.

Her polished hooves were folded neatly before her and her posture was relaxed and patient. The flowers above her rustled in a warm breeze and the restaurant lights glittered in her shining mane and combs.

Vinyl had no idea that this was such fancy dinner. She came here just wearing her glasses. For a moment, she felt under-dressed. Vinyl Scratch. Felt under-dressed. That had literally never happened to her before, that she felt out of place because of clothing. It was a bizarre feeling. Was that what it was like up here? In Octavia's world, up-mountain? That it was a make-or-break world with clothes?

Vinyl suddenly felt as if she were in very deep water, as if there was hidden mystery all around her, that she now couldn't be sure of anything anymore. The rules were all different.

But Octavia was right there. Candle-lit Octavia in a little black dress. That was what Vinyl wanted. That was what Vinyl was sure of. Vinyl felt as if her life had a single direction, forward, and her destination was right in front of her, in the chair across from Octavia. With Octavia, everything would be new. And all the things she had ever worried about with all those other ponies, all of Vinyl's many failed partners, all the infidelity, betrayal, and all those little things that made a mismatched relationship crumble, all of that simply would vanish into memory.

Beautiful Octavia was a new start.

Vinyl took off her glasses. It seemed appropriate. I want to see Octavia with new eyes.

Vinyl put her hoof forward, stepping towards the table.

Comments

[Elysium]

Not gonna lie, it was a little difficult making my way through this chapter. There was too much exposition and nothing to really grab my interest other than wanting to power on through and get to what comes after.