• Published 11th Jul 2012
  • 9,523 Views, 730 Comments

A Tale of Two Mares - CharmingChaos



Octavia and Vinyl Scratch start a life - and a family - together, much to Octavia's mother's disgu

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A Holiday to Remember

Octavia flopped back on the hotel room bed, exhausted and sad. The pair had packed their things hastliy and booked it to the nearest hotel as fast as possible, with Sonata screaming at them that she would call the police until they were completely out of hearing range.

"Don't worry, 'Tavi-babe. Celestia, I'm glad I can call you that again now. Remember that I love you, that's all that matters. We'll still have Heart's Warming Eve, Vinyl and 'Tavi style, remember? Oh, I know I must sound incredibly stupid right now. But 'Tavi, you gotta believe me. You'll be okay, promise."

Octavia sniffed as Vinyl caressed her cheek, wiping away a tear. "I know, Vinyl. But still I knew this would happen. I guess... some stupid part of me just hoped my parents wouldn't be so narrow-minded."

"Octy, sugar, there's something you should know about me. Something I should have told you a long time ago." Vinyl said, her scratchy voice cracking slightly.

"Really?" Octavia looked at her with large eyes, wondering whether or not to believe her.

"Yeah." Vinyl took a deep breath, shifting so that Octavia's head rested in her lap. Okay, here goes nothing. "Octy, when I was seventeen, my parents... passed away--"

"Oh, Vinyl, that's awful. I'm so sorry--"

"Shut up. Let me finish my story before you go all sympathetic goo-goo on me, okay? Anyways, you're right. It was awful. They... died... in a crash. My father was drunk, and he..." She sniffed, concentrating on fiddling with a strand of Octavia's hair to keep herself distracted. "He drove off a pier, right here in Manehatten."

"Naturally, I was devastated. That's the reason I dropped out of highschool. I spent a year on the street, but then I met somepony who helped me get back to a steady place, get a job, the works. She helped me discover my love of dj-ing-- I got my cutie mark from playing the drums in seventh grade; I was a late bloomer.

"This mare meant the world to me. The thing that shocked me most was how unsteady she was, switching from loving me to hating me in the blink of an eye. But eventually she turned on me completely. As it turns out, the reason for her sudden change of heart was my fame, which popped up seemingly overnight. She had had a dream of being famous ever since she was a filly, and I guess it was just too much to see me follow her impossible dream with such ease.

"There is one last thing, and for this I would like to apologize. Octavia, it's my fault your parents turned us out, and it makes me feel awful.

"'Tav, the mare who helped me so much was your mother."

Octavia gasped, and Vinyl realized how tightly she was pulling the scrap of mane she had been playing with. Hastily, she let go, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, 'Tavi. You have every right to be angry at me. if you choose to never see me again, I-I'll understand. But I'll never forgive myself for ruining a family like this."

Octavia sat up, pulling Vinyl into a tight hug. "I'm not mad, Vinyl. Just sad. But did you really think I would blame you for this? Whatever you say, I know my mother. She hates fillyfoolers with a remarkable amount of passion, who knows why. So, even if all that you said was true, I still wouldn't blame you. I love you, Vinyl. Nothing can change that. Especially when I know the truth."

"What?"

"I know that's not all true, even if you may think it is. Sonata had a sister, named Forte for her incredible singing voice, who looked nearly identical to Sonata, though she was a few years older. Forte was severely bipolar, often flipping from delighted to howling mad in a matter of seconds. Forte did have a dream of becoming famous, and while she was for a few years, her fame died quickly, leaving the poor mare bitter and with a permanent loathing for all ponies who manage to keep their fame.

"Unfortunately, Forte died a few years ago due to a terrible case of cancer of the lung, for as you surely remember, the mare smoked a pipe day and night."

Now it was Vinyl's turn to be surprised. "Then it isn't my fault? I still feel terrible, but if it has nothing to do with me, I think, no, wait a minute. You're the one who just got disowned. Who cares about me? It's still you that needs comforting."

"It's not your fault in the least, Scratchy. Most likely-- no, I'm sure of it, my mother had never seen hair nor hide of you until I brought you into their home. And don't worry about me. My mother is an old snob; I knew that all along, but my father can sometimes convince her to step down a bit. i suppose, however, this time he was overpowered. Or, perhaps they simply have the same set of values."

"Really, Vinyl, don't worry your sweet, fuzzy blue head about it. I'm fine. Your story, and untangling it back to reality, has distracted me enough to put this nonsense behind us. Now, how about some good, old-fashioned, hay fries and veggie burgers for dinner? I know the best spot in town to get them."