Flying Ember

by Fenton

Down to the Waterline

Finally, the intermission. Despite her training, Octavia always felt some relief when she could get back on her four hooves. Having to stand to play cello could be exhausting, especially when she was performing and had to focus harder than during practice, in order to not make the slightest mistake.

Thankfully, the first half of the concert was uneventful. Every musician had played their part perfectly, for the greatest delight of the audience.

She bowed before it, enjoying the applause filling the concert hall. I might only be a small part of the orchestra but I am proud of what we can accomplish together, moving ponies by reaching their heart with music, she thought. Music was always tugging at her heartstrings.

They had now a twenty minutes break and Octavia went straight to her green room. Some of her colleagues would rather spend that time together but she wasn't that kind of pony. She needed to be lonely during those moments, it was her way to let off some steam and not losing her concentration at the same time. Fortunately, they were understanding and, emergencies aside, she wouldn't be disturbed.

She gazed at her own reflection in the mirror. A perfect cut mane, a pink bow-tie and just enough make-up to highlight the light purple of her eyes. She smiled at herself, happy to see that her appearance was still good, remembering her first music teacher's credo.

"Octavia" he had said, "if you want to succeed in life, you have to choose a garment to wear everyday."

She was young the first time she had heard that sentence and she hadn't understand it at the moment. She had to grow to fully grasp the beautiful wisdom it contained. Indeed, to wear that garnment, it had to be clean. To be clean, you had to wash it, so you needed a sink with running water and washing powder. And all those things required bits you had to earn. And a house. And a job. One thing leading to another, it took a lot of commitment just to wear a simple garnment, and her bow-tie was both the reminder and the evidence of success of that credo.

Of course, money had never been a problem for her, her parents were wealthy enough to allow her to live comfortably during her youth. However, when she had left them to live on her own, she had forbidden them from financially helping her. That's why she had to look for a house share in Canterlot because, even if she were already a member of the orchestra she was still performing with today, her income wasn't enough to pay for the insanely high rents the accommodation providers were asking.

She found herself lucky in a certain way, for coming across the path of that white unicorn. They had met during a viewing of a flat, after Octavia had placed a classified ad in the Canterlot Time. She wouldn't have bet one bit on a good agreement but, somehow, it had worked since then.

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"Here, we are in the living-room, the main and biggest room."

Octavia contemplated all that empty space. Even if she would have only the half of it, she could easily set up a few instruments. Maybe even bring her piano.

"And as a bonus, you have a clear view on the rising sun in the morning" added the real estate agent.

"I must say, sir, that the flat is quite appealing. But what about the noise insulation? I'm a musician and I practice everyday. Won't that be a problem?"

"Don't worry Miss, the wall are thick. Moreover..."

A loud knock on the door interrupted him.

"Ah, that must be her" commented Octavia. She walked to the door and opened it, revealing a white unicorn mare with a spiky mane and purple shades. "Good evening, you must be Miss Scratch?"

"The one and only. And you are?"

"Octavia Melody, the pony you called about the ad."

"Oh yeah, Sup' Tavi?" she said, handing her hoof.

"I'm... fine, thanks for asking" replied Octavia with a nod, a bit surprised by the familiarity.

"Awesome. Now, let's see that hovel."

The stallion winced. "Miss, I can assure you that this is a first-choice flat and it is far from insalubrious. As a matter of fact...,"

"Ceez, chill out, 'was joking" she replied.

Seeing that he wasn't 'chilling out' at all, Octavia decided to take matters in her own hooves.

"Could you excuse us for a moment? I need to speak with Miss Scratch" she said putting on her best smile while leading the white mare to the kitchen.

"Nice!" commented Vinyl looking at the room. "A bit small if you ask me, but that will do."

"Miss Scratch..."

"Please, call me Vinyl."

"Vinyl, can I ask you what you are trying to do?" she whispered.

"Don't know what you mean."

"Look, if you want that flat, don't upset him."

"I did?" she snorted. "Wasn't my intention. This guy really need to go out more often."

"That's not the point. So stay quiet, and let me handle the rest. And no comment."

"Your wish is our command m'lady."

Octavia rolled her eyes and left the kitchen, followed by Vinyl.

"Mister Denizen was telling me about the view" she resumed. "And that we can enjoy the morning sun from the living-room. Charming isn't it?"

Vinyl stayed silent until her eyes locked with Octavia's.

"Oooh, I'm supposed to answer to that? Yeah amazing. But I'm not gonna enjoy that sun very often though."

"Why's that Miss Scratch?" asked Octavia.

"You know, mixing at clubs rarely happens in the middle of the day so, I'm kind of a late riser."

"So you're a DJ?" asked the stallion with all the disdain that could fit in his eyes.

"DJ-PON3, call me and get ready to party!" she replied with a smirk, unaware of his look.

Seeing the direction the conversation was taking, Octavia tried to point it to another one.

"And what about the bedrooms? I'm sure they are lovely."

Fortunately, he bit the hook. "They aren't the largest you could find but larger than the average" he said, returning to his sweet business voice. "I'm sure you'll find them cosy" he added while leading the two mares to the said rooms. "This one is the largest. And they both have an outstanding view on..."

"The Royal Palace?" finished Vinyl, her mouth agape. "That's aw... nice" she added, seeing Octavia's disapproving look.

A ring tone put an end to their contemplation.

"Excuse me, I have to answer the call. You'll find the bathroom between the two bedroom doors. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything" he said, leaving the two mares.

"Holy buck, that place is wicked! Where do I sign?" she asked after he had left.

"Not so fast Miss Scratch, are you really sure? It's the only viewing we have done so far. We can still view some more and take a decision after that."

"I told you it's Vinyl and no way. I won't canter throughout all of Canterlot while this little gem is waiting for PON3 to blast the place" she said, raising her shades on her forhead.

"But..."

"Leave your pretty butt out of this, that's an awesome place. What's holding you back?"

Many things, thought Octavia. The fact she hadn't the opportunity to know her future roomate, that she seemed raw and noisy, and that wasn't taking into account her maners. And the fact that she had never made a decision so quickly, prefering weighing up the pros and the cons before.

She didn't know what had made her say yes. Was it because she had fallen in love with this apartment? Was she challenging herself with the unknown, take a step forward and see what comes next? Or was it because of the big smile and the eyes glittering with mischief that Vinyl was giving to her? She would never know, maybe all the three at once, maybe none, but her answer was unmistakable.

"Yes."

Vinyl's grin grew bigger, if that was even possible. "Perfect! Gimme one!" she said, lending her hoof once more.

Octavia, not knowing what to do, looked to Vinyl with curiosity, her hoof still raised.

"Hmmm, you're supposed to bump your hoof with mine."

"What does that mean?"

"Celestia! You've never hoof bump before? Look, just do it."

Octavia complied. "It isn't much clearer."

"It's just a thing friends do, when they make a deal or when they share a good inside joke or..."

"So, have you thought about it?" asked the the real estate agent from the door.

"We take it" they answered together.

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She cut herself from her daydream, remembering that Vinyl had told her she would probably come to see the performance. She grabbed her phone in her saddlebag next to the vanity. Vinyl was mixing at a club earlier tonight and she had to have finished by now, counting she hadn't forgotten herself in the after party.

Unlocking her device, she noticed she had missed four calls from Vinyl. And there wasn't any vocal message. She found it odd but called back, expecting to hear her roomate's voice trying to find excuses for her absence. She could already hear her. "Hey Tavi, I'm sorry but I won't be there. I've just stumble accross one of my friend and he offered to buy me some drinks and I couldn't say no. We haven't seen each other for a long time. You know how it is." And she would reply "That's fine Vinyl, enjoy your night. I'll see you tomorrow." And that would be true. Even if Vinyl usually had her head in the clouds, Octavia knew she could rely on her for the things that really mattered. And it wasn't like there would not be other performances.

She was more than surprised to hear a stallion's voice.

"Hello Miss Octavia?"

"Yes, it's me. To whom am I speaking?"

"This is the Canterlot General Hospital. Are you one of Miss Scratch's relative?"

"More or less, I'm her roomate" she answered, her concern growing. "Why? What happened?"

"Miss Scratch has been brought to us an hour ago. She was inconscious and likely under the influence of massive dose of alcohol. Are you busy at the moment?"

"Not anymore. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

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The atmosphere of the Canterlot General Hospital looked like any other hospital. White, sterile and depressing. The staff was trying her best to put on their best smile for the ill ponies. The kind of smile that, for a trained eye, meant "We'll do our best, but it might not be enough". That was all that they could give, even if it was like trying to fight a forest fire with a bucket of water. Some had resigned themselves to not even trying anymore. It was only a matter of weeks before they left.

Octavia was hit directly by this atmosphere and it wasn't helping her ease her mind as she followed the nurse to Vinyl's room.

She had warned her colleagues that an emergency would prevent her from performing the second half of the concert. She had remained vague on why she had to leave, they didn't need to know the whole story, even if there wasn't much to tell. The only pony aware of the situation was also the only one Octavia could trust.

Lyra Heartstrings, unlike the other musicians, was friendly, welcoming and, above all else, wasn't keeping her high-class attitude when she was interacting with others, except during some public events, where that kind of behaviour was expected. That was certainly why she and Octavia got along so well when they first met less than one year ago. Each one had seen behind the mask and they had recognized the humbleness and the simplicity that made trust-worthy ponies.

Moreover, she deserved to know her condition because Vinyl wasn't a stranger to Lyra. In fact, they had become friends the very first time they had met. Vinyl had joined Octavia for a small gathering after a rehearsal.She had introduced them to each other and, by the time she noticed her empty glass, went to the buffet to refill it and came back, they were laughing at one of Vinyl's joke about the poor conductor's baton which had the chance to see the sunlight only when its owner was performing and, therefore, took it out from his rump.

"There you are Miss Melody, room 179. I won't be far if you need anything."

"Thank you very much Mister."

She gazed at the closed door, took a deep breath and entered.

She saw Vinyl laid in bed and... reading?

"Hey Octy!" she greeted with a big smile, putting away the magazine.

"Vinyl? You're okay?"

"I'm good, why do you ask? And what are you doing here? Did you miss me?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Are you pulling my leg?" she said, incredulous. "The hospital called to tell me that you were so drunk you passed out! What happened?"

"Nothing much, I may had a glass too many and Neon has brought me here. You know how he can freak out for every little thing."

"Every little...? Vinyl I was worried sick!" she exclaimed.

"Aaww, that's so cute. Did you fear that I wouldn't pay my share of the rent?"

"Ugh! Vinyl, I'm serious."

"I know, I know, don't worry, I feel fine. In fact, I could leave right now but they said they got some things to do before."

Octavia let out a loud sigh. She scold herself for having reacted so fast and dropped her orchestra. Apparently, her roomate wasn't in danger. And yet, here she was, cantering through all the city because she feared for Vinyl's life. She felt stupid.

A knock on the door interrupted her.

"Come in!" replied Vinyl.

A light yellow stallion entered with a notepad in his telekinetical grip.

"Doc! What are the news? Should I stay or should I go?" she asked, adding some notes to her question.

It seemed that, like Octavia, he hadn't the reference, or maybe he hadn't heard because he didn't move his eyes from his notes.

"Your state is stable so you can leave us tomorrow. We will keep you under surveillance for the night in any case."

"Can't I just leave now?"

"No you can't. I have one more test to run."

"Do I have to pee in a bottle?"

Octavia blushed slightly at the mention.

"Far from it" he replied. "I need a sample of your horn."

"Then proceed Doc, I'm all yours" she said with a bow.

Once again, he seemed to be immuned to Vinyl's antics. Maybe he had already seen far worse, thought Octavia. I should take lessons from him. Even after living with her for one year, I'm still not used to it. But that's a part of her charm after all. Vinyl wouldn't be entirely Vinyl without it.

She covered her mouth with a hoof to hide a giggle that didn't go unnoticed.

"What's funny Tav... Aouh!" she winced. "Doc, I know that pain is close to pleasure but we just met. Isn't it a bit early for that kind of thing?"

He didn't replied and put the sample in a small glass box which he put away in one of his white lab coat's pocket with his scalpel.

"You will have the result tomorrow morning" he added, writing something on his notepad. "Try to rest Miss Scratch. And Miss...?" he asked, looking at Octavia.

"Oh, Miss Melody."

"Miss Melody, can you come with me for a moment? There are some papers you need to fill."

"I'm coming. I'll be right back Vinyl."

"Sure, don't mind the poor sick mare in the hospital bed" she said dramatically, adding loud coughs to perfect the role.

Octavia rolled her eyes and followed the stallion outside. Once some distance covered he stopped and turned to the cellist.

"Miss Melody, there are some matters that we need to discuss and, I have a few questions."

She nodded, taken aback by the firm tone in his voice.

"How close are you to Miss Scratch?" he asked.

"We are... roomates" she simply replied.

The doctor looked straight in her eyes and it seemed he was waiting for something else. Octavia didn't know what he was expecting but decided to be more precise.

"I... can only speak for myself" she resumed, "but I consider her as a friend. Not the closest friend you could have but still a friend though."

"I see."

He looked away, his eyes jumping from one thing to another, searching for the right words. His years of experience dealing with patient's relatives wasn't a big help, each situation being unique. And this one was quite unique. He normally had to deal with the parents or the siblings, not with the roomate. For her part, Octavia's concern had grown to a point where she couldn't bear the silence any longer.

"What is it Doctor?"

"Your friend's condition is... worrying."

"Worrying? But you said she was fine and she does look fine" she cut him short.

"Her life is not in danger at the moment. But I'm afraid it won't be so anymore if the situation doesn't change."

"What do you mean? Please Doctor, stop beating around the bush."

"I'm almost certain she is an alcoholic, and not a small one. She shows all the signs. From the early tests we've run, her organs are deeply damaged. The horn biopsy will tell us about how bad her magic is affected."

Octavia didn't know what to answer. The idea of Vinyl as an alcoholic was unthinkable. It was true, she was kind of a party animal and she was able to gulp one drink after another but an alcoholic? No, it had to be a mistake. But she had never seen her or heard she had drunk to the point she would fell inconscious. That was the first time.

"Are you... sure about that? Maybe the tests..."

"The tests don't lie Miss Melody" he sighed, expecting this reaction. "Trust me, she isn't the first one and, unfortunatly, she won't be the last."

"I... I don't know what to tell you. I..." she stopped. What could she say? If Vinyl was indeed an alcoholic, how she could have missed that? Even if they didn't spend that much time together, having their rehearsals or performances that warded them off home or usually locking themselves in their room for practice, they shared some meals daily, wich were often the occasion for big discussions about music. They even found some time to go outside together, visiting the capital of Equestria and enjoying its beauty, or taking a coffee on the terrace of that cafe Octavia loved to go when it was sunny. How could she have been so blind?

Seeing the state in wich she was, the physician put a hoof on Octavia's shoulder to cut her off from her guilt.

"Don't blame yourself Miss Melody" he said gently. "You're not responsible. Alcoholics have this unfortunate tendency to know very well how to hide their addiction to others. Expecially to those who live with them."

She felt the knot in her stomach loosen a bit.

"Okay... okay..." she whispered, her head low. "But what can we do?"

"If you're willing to help her, I must warn you. It will take time and it will be hard. Facing that kind of struggle is as difficult for the patient as it is for those who support him, even if it is not in the same way."

She nodded, showing she was acknowledging the difficulty.

"But you won't be able to do anything if she doesn't admit she has a problem."

"I... I'll try to talk to her."

"Good. I've already tried myself to subtly address the topic with her but she had avoided it so far. She seems to have problems around personal topics."

"You're right. I can't say I really know her aside from the everyday life we share. She's... not easily open-hearted about herself or her past."

"That will be your first task."

"But how do I do that? I'm not a doctor. Isn't it a part of your job?" she asked, suprised by this seemingly disempowerment.

"Miss Melody. Don't pretend that I do not care about my patient" he said sharply. "I may be a doctor but I'm not a therapist. This, is outside of my field of knowledge."

"I... I apologize, I didn't want to imply that you weren't concerned by their well being. It's just... I feel... powerless."

"Apology accepted. And you better get used to that feeling" he added softly, "because you'll find yourself more than once in similar situations where all you'll be able to do will be to wait, and do nothing. Now, you may feel powerless sometimes, but you are not alone. I have some colleagues Vinyl should see. One of them is Mister Pegliacci, here is his number" he said while writing on a paper and tearing a piece of it from his notepad. "He is a psychologist, specialized in addiction disorders. I highly recommend you to make an appointment with him, alone first. He will tell you what you can do for your friends and what is out of your reach."

"Thank you Doctor" she replied, taking the paper from his hoof.

"Well Miss Melody, I'm sorry but I have to leave you here. There are other ponies to take care."

"Thank you again."

"You're welcome. And remember" he sais as he was trotting away to his next patient, "you don't have to face it alone."

"I'll remember" she said more to herself, the stallion being too far to hear it. "I'll try to."

Author's Note:

Here we are, hope you've enjoyed it.

As always, please leave a comment about why you like or dislike it. It helps to improve on so many things, you have no idea (or maybe you have).

Ceez is a slang-term for Celestia

Comments

[Purple Patch]

Very well written.
To start with, a few tweaks I noticed...

"Ceez, chill out, 'was joking" she replied.

Should be 'Geez'

Vinyl I was sick worried!"

Should be 'worried sick'
Might want to edit those.
Overall, the plot is pretty close to the chest. I don't drink and none of my family are anything more than light drinkers but this is still quite understandable.
Ordinarily, I'd say Berry Punch is the only alcoholic Equestria needs right now but it seems Vinyl's problem isn't played for laughs, particularly if it's hidden.
Octavia might need a bit more characterisation. It's clear she cares a lot about Vinyl and is sophisticated but you might want to emphasise her general aloofness and slowly defrosting persona, maybe a bit more backstory.
Overall though, very good work. Keep it up.

[Fenton]

7767667

Thanks for pointing out the mistake.

Should be 'Geez'

Not in my book. Indeed, if I recall correctly, Geez is the abbreviation for Jesus. I didn't see him appear in the show. Therefore, Ceez is the abbreviation for Celestia.

I've always seen Vinyl depicted as a heavy-drinker in the many OctaScratch fics I've read (I love that pairing/shipping). But there have never been a mention that could be a problem. I wanted to rectify that.

About Octavia, I'll keep what you've said in mind. I intended to develop her during the next chapters, when she will interact more with Vinyl, but it seems that I will have to put more effort into it.

And thanks for the support and your comment.

PS: I've just noticed I forgot to put something in Author's notes. And done.

[Purple Patch]

7767745 Ah, hadn't thought of the whole semi-blasphemy thing.
That's clever but you might want to point that out in the author's note.
Glad my advice helped. I look forward to the rest.