• Published 8th Sep 2012
  • 4,529 Views, 421 Comments

How to Raise a Filly - CharmingChaos



Sequel to A Tale of Two Mares. Go read that.

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Forgiveness?

Octavia opened her eyes sleepily, grunting as she tried to change position in Vinyl's strong embrace. The white mare clung to her as Grace Note did her favourite toy - which is to say, with a grip strong enough to strangle a manticore.

"Vin'?" Octavia whispered sleepily, nuzzling her wife's neck with her muzzle.

A pause. Vinyl Scratch shifted, snuggling herself closer and bending her neck to hide her face in Octavia's coat. She smiled slightly, keeping her eyes closed as she returned the nuzzle with one of her own. "Wha's wrong Octy?"

Octavia carefully moved one hoof out from under her body to return the embrace. "Nothing, Darling. But you're squishing me."

"Oh." Vinyl yawned largely, opening her mouth wide as it could go and revealing a cherry red tongue. "Sorry, Octy. Was a naccident. C'we go back to sleep now though? I'm still... tired..."

"Su - I don't think - you didn't even wait for me to answer that, did you?" Octavia smiled fondly at the already fast asleep mare beside her. "Goodness, Vin', I don't know how you do it... " She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I guess I'll - well, you're kind of still holding onto me, so I can't get up, and..." She nodded decisively. "Alright, I'll go back to sleep as well. It is a Sunday, after all."

What felt like less then a minute later, Octavia was woken up for the second time that morning, this time by an insistent thudding noise from the other room.

Octavia twisted in Vinyl's embrace to look at the other mare, blinking in the sunlight now streaming through the window, lighting the tiny pieces of dust in the air and turning them into liquid gold. "Vinny, be a dear and turn off that bass, would you?"

Octavia prodded Vinyl's chest with her muzzle, wondering how the mare could sleep through her own hoof-made racket. Honestly, even after all these years, Octavia was still convinced that Vinyl had secretly come up with some miraculous cure for any symptoms of deafness, from any cause, because the so-called 'wubs' Vinyl ground into her ears almost every waking second were enough to make anypony deaf. And yet she wasn't. Indeed, Vinyl had managed to stay decidedly un-deaf for her entire life, without any sign of ear protection.

" 'm not playing anything," Vinyl said sleepily, startling Octavia out of her thoughts. " I think 's the door."

"What?" Octavia looked confused for a moment, thinking through a thick fog of sleep. "Vinyl, tha - oh, the door. Yes, but who in Equestria calls at - "

"Half-past eleven?" Vinyl Scratch interrupted, sitting up slowly. "Plenty of ponies. Not everypony in Equestria has me around to keep them company at night."

"I should hope not. You're all mine, and I love it," Octavia said, wrapping her arms around Vinyl's waist, simply because it was the nearest part to her hooves.

Vinyl stroked the tangled mane in her lap with a hoof, loving the bed-hair almost more even then the mesmerizingly perfect charcoal waterfall it was during the day. "And I'd love for you to demonstrate that again now - not that last night's show wasn't awesome - but - " she leaned down to whisper the last bit in Octavia's ear. "There's still somepony at the door."

"Ooh," Octavia looked at Vinyl, wide-eyed her mouth slightly open. "I forgot."

"I know," Vinyl said, smiling. "Celestia, you're so cute when you're sleepy. I mean, seriously - who could resist that?"

"... Can you get the door Vin'? I wanna keep sleeping. I'm tired." Octavia buried her face in Vinyl's soft fur.

"Only if you kiss me when I come back." Vinyl grinned

"Uhh, 'kay. Bye, Vin'." Octavia let go of her partner's waist and rolled over, gripping a portion of the duvet to replace her pony pillow.

Vinyl Scratch trotted out of the bedroom, still rubbing her eyes, even though she wasn't as sleepy as Octavia. She flipped the switch on the coffee machine on the way to the door, making a mental note, for the thousandth time, to set the thing to work automatically.

Vinyl pulled open the door, blinking in the bright sunlight. "Wha - who is it? You woke us up."

"Sorry, dearie, I didn't think you'd sleep so late. I'll try to remember that in the future." The light blue earth pony materialized - or so it seemed to Vinyl, blinded as she was by the Celestia's sun - in front of the door, smiling in a motherly way. "May I come in?"

"What? Oh, uh, I guess. I mean - I don't know how Octy'll feel about it, but..." Vinyl stepped out of the doorway to let Sonata through. "I mean, she's asleep, but she doesn't exactly - "

"Trust me?" Sonata finished. "I know. That's why I'm here. To try and convince her - and you, I suppose - that I am indeed sorry, though I've no memory of what happened."

"Yeah, yeah," Vinyl grunted, yawning. "We'll see about that."

"I promise I'm being honest about this, Vinyl Scratch. Please believe that I wouldn't dream of hurting you or your wife." Sonata grasped Vinyl's forehoof in goth of her own. "Speaking of which, where is my daughter? Still sleeping? She used to be such an early riser."

"She - "

"I'm right here," Octavia stated, frowning. "Vin', why ever did you let her in? I don't trust her."

"I have a name, dear."

"Oh, really? I must have forgotten. So sorry," Octavia sneered. "And I do usually wake up early. But we had a very active night, considering it was our anniversary, and I rather hoped I would be able to get some rest today, instead of dealing with you again."

"Goodness, Crescendo warned me of this. He said you were a feisty one."

"Oh, she's feisty, you should've seen her last night - " Vinyl started before feeling a sharp cuff at the back of her head. "Ow, Octy, what was that for?"

"I would prefer if you did not share our bedroom habits with some random pony off the streets," Octavia replied tersely. "Especially not her."

"A name?" Sonata said again. "And Octavia, darling, I know you're mad, and honestly, if I were you, I'd feel the same, but - "

"But what? You just admitted I have a right to dislike you, Mother. And I daresay I haven't got much reason to not hate you, considering you tried to take my daughter, insulted my wife and me millions of times, and did nothing but make us miserable - you even hired my nemesis, for pony's sake! - for all the time you knew we were together. Really, what choice do I have? And now, you come waltzing back like nothing happened, expecting me to forgive and forget, and foalishly believing your silly little "mother understands, dears" will make me listen to you."

"She gets all Canterlot-y when she's angry," Vinyl explained to Sonata in a loud whisper, watching in delight as the normally grey mare standing in front of her turned an intimidating shade of red. Vinyl nudged Sonata, who merely raised an eyebrow at her sarcastically. "See?"

"I have known that for a long time, Vinyl. But thank you for informing me. I think maybe we should hide now though - she looks ready to explode." Sonata went along with Vinyl's plan, smiling faintly as she pretended not to notice her daughter's growing rage.

"Since when are you to all close and friendly?" Octavia said, looking rather hurt. "Vin', I thought you were on my side of this. Surely you see she's no good?"

"Oh, really? She seems fine to me," Vinyl shrugged, feigning indifference. "Besides, she knows tips for me on how to get you riled up. I could use some new tactics, you know."

"I can't believe you. I just can't. She tried to ruin our lives, remember? Why are you teaming up with her against me?"

"Ugh, I should have known this would happen," Vinyl muttered. She grasped Octavia's mane in her mouth and dragged her toward the bedroom. "Be back in a sec, Sonny."

Vinyl shut the door gently behind her before turning to Octavia, who sat on the messy bed with her hooves crossed over her chest, looking close to tears.

"Look, I'm sorry, Octy. I didn't mean to bug you like that. I was just - "

"Messing with me. I know, you do it all the time. I should be used to it by now, right?" Octavia interrupted bitterly. "It's just... things were so nice yesterday, and now - I don't know, Vin'. I don - "

"Hey, don't get all mopey on me, 'Tavi," Vinyl sat down next to her and wrapped her hooves around Octavia's shoulders, letting the other mare rest her head on her own shoulder. "I'm sorry, really I am. I forgot how sensitive this still is to you, and that was really stupid of me. I should have known better."

"You're right - you should have," Octavia agreed, her face still hardened in an angry frown.

"That's it. Octavia, look at me," Vinyl took Octavia's chin on one hoof, turning her face so they could look each other directly in the eyes. "I don't think you understand, Octavia. I love you - a lot - enough to marry you and not regret it for one single second of all these ten years, and I will not sit here and let your mother - whether she's good or still a jerk-face like before -ruin this. You hear me?"

Octavia just stared at her. Vinyl sighed. She leaned forward, shortening the hoof or so between them until her muzzle rubbed against Octavia's. She nuzzled her for a moment before locking her in a gentle kiss.

Octavia did her best not to enjoy it, but as Vinyl pressed on and continued her spontaneous show of affection, Octavia found herself filled with warmth, and she closed her eyes to enjoy it.

Eventually Vinyl pulled away, giving a weak smile. "There. You okay now, 'Tavia?"

Octavia sighed. "I don't know, Vin'. I still don't trust her. I feel like... I just can't, you know? She completely screwed up our lives. That's not easy to forgive."

"I know," Vinyl said softly. "Believe me, I know. But you have to try, Sweetheart. Even I can tell it's the right thing to do, and Celestia knows I'm not exactly known for my logic."

"I have to agree with that last thing." Octavia leaned into Vinyl's chest, listening to the deep, resonant thump of her heartbeat. "You sound like your music, Vinyl."

"Do I?" Vinyl looked down at her. "Well, that's great, but we have a dragon to slay in the living room."

"My mother?"

"No, your enormous hatred and fear of her."

"I'm not scared of her, you crazy thing."

"Oh?" Vinyl raised one eyebrow quizzically. "Then, get out there, filly, and tell 'er what's on your mind!"

"Can I use that huge carving knife we keep in the kitchen for the holidays?"

Vinyl rolled her eyes. "No. That doesn't count as telling."

"Dammit. Well, here I go. Kiss for luck?"

Vinyl smiled. "Of course. Now, I'm going to treat you like Tambourine, and tell you to for Celestia's sake stop stalling!"



Will Octavia manage to NOT use the kitchen knives to explain her feelings?

Is Vinyl Scratch going to keep being responsible and therefore un-Vinylish?

Will Tambourine be spared from the horrific sight of her mother murdering her grandmother? (yes)

Is there enough Neightella for Vinyl AND Tambourine to have it on toast for breakfast?

Does Octavia like tea?

Will CharmingChaos ever stop asking pointless questions even she doesn't know the answers to? (no)

Read the next chapter (coming soo - uh, whenever your lazy author feels like it, actually) to find out all most of some of the answers.