Speak to My Attorney

by BronyGuy

Tabloids

So Octy finally got herself a stallion of her own. All Vinyl had to say about that were three simple words, about damn time. She'd always seen Octavia sitting in corners, or out on porches during parties, never even trying to socialize with anypony other than herself and Vinyl. It always poked at her to see Octavia in such a... lonely disposition. Don't get her wrong, she tried. Oh how hard she tried to get her to come out of her shell, all to no avail. It's why seeing Octavia with Steel, a cute smile plastered on her muzzle, eyes twinkling, made her feel like she did alright as a friend. No, not as a friend. As a sister. Vinyl sighed in content as she walked on through the night, taking in the sights of the wonderful city as it slowly went back to slumber. The shops had closed down for the night, certain streetlamps put out, and fewer ponies walking the streets as slowly they all reach their destinations and got to bed. But Vinyl wasn't going to bed, tonight. Not tonight, because though she knew there would be problems with sleeping come that time, she wasn't going to miss tonight. As the warm breeze whished through Vinyl's spiky mane, she catches a whiff of the Garden flowers and the memory of meeting Steel for the first time comes to mind. He seems like a good stallion for her, and obviously she seems to like him a lot. Vinyl lets out a giggle. Yeah, she definitely likes him a lot. Even before Octavia told her about how she feels for him, it was clear enough. The way she always had on a smile while she was with him, or how she practically glowed, did little to nothing in hiding her attempts. Vinyl slows down a bit, but does Steel know? Vinyl quickens her pace back to its original speed. No, I mean... wait... yeah, yeah he could! It would explain why he's always so lovey-dove around her. Vinyl's eyes caught the first glimpse of the dance's strobe lights. She instantly perked up, and began jogging towards the building. Yes, she was going to DJ yet another dance-floor. Only this time, she wasn't going to be alone. Although she did like to DJ separately, being that most of the time the agents picked the most obnoxious ponies, apparently this DJ was suppose to be really good at what he does. Not only that, but she heard through the vine that he's a charmer, and overall a great stallion to be around! As she approaches the doorway, she catches the eye of an old friend. Though he is a large, burly kind of stallion, he's a good friend when she got to know him better. “Hey, there, Rough Boulder!” Vinyl called at a distance.

The stallion glared at her with obvious distaste.

“Hey, what's got your vest in a knot? I was just saying Hi—” She bumps into his outstretched hoof. “Hey what's that for?” She yells, while rubbing her temple.

Casually, as if nothing was wrong with any of what was happening, Rough Boulder pulled out a magazine and threw it to the ground for her to pick up. Something about her and Octavia was in the headline. He still glared something of hatred at her, and waited for Vinyl to read it. He couldn't believe she would do something so...

Vinyl levitated it up for her to read, huffing a bit from the random display of rudeness. As her eyes hovered over each word, she grew more and more worried by what she was reading. When she finally finished she wasn't able to fully process everything at once. All she could say to Rough was, in a harsh yet destroyed whisper, “Why...?”

The Stallion didn't bother to answer, only dropping his gaze from the pure white mare. With tears in her eyes, she spat out in anger. “Tell me. Now. TELL ME WHY!!” She yelled in his face.

The stallion didn't even blink.

Vinyl stared him down for a good two minutes, blinking only ever so slightly. She finally collapsed. Heaving and sobbing like there was no tomorrow. Through moans and sobs she looks up and asks him, “How did they know... how... how could they have known?!” Vinyl hadn't told anypony about what had happened that fateful night, giving no logical reason for someone to find out the ugly truth. “So I can't go in?” Vinyl asks delaying the inevitable.

The stallion shakes his head.

“Can... can I ever?”

More shaking.

She slowly gets up from her spot on the soft carpet, and takes one last look at the stallion she'd known for years, one last look at a lifetime friend, and walks off. Simple as that. As she continues her walk, she stops and thinks, Hey I bet the ponies there are worried sick about me, maybe I can see if they really are, just to get some feeling of dignity back...

She walks back, careful to avoid Boulder, and finds an open window. She looks around the alley for some kind of step, and finds a small cardboard box. As she gets her eyes over the concrete she's take aback at what's before her. The other DJ stallion has done much more than DJ the place. He's using the same songs Vinyl used on her first DJ night. He's using the same techniques she uses. He's even... wearing her signature goggles. That did it, she stumbled off of the box, tears in her eyes and begins walking home, shattered. So they decided to replace her. Not even tell her she's out of a job, just... BAM! You're no longer working. And who the hell could have gotten that information?! Nopony, nopony, was ever told about what happened to her so many years ago. Vinyl takes a seat at a nearby bench, and lets her sorrow cascade down her face, hitting the floor with the slightest thud. After an hour or so of crying, she thought of something.... something she didn't like. She remembered how every night— almost ritualistically— she and Octavia would always shared what they did that day, some days would be the same, playing for a concert or whatever, yet other times Vinyl would ask for a heart-to-heart, where they'd talk about serious topics. The thought that maybe she slipped the information to Octavia was simply frightening to her. But if she did happen to tell Octavia...

… Then Octavia must have been the pony who told them.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Steel Thunder laughed and walked on as he and Octavia easily kept up with the young filly known as Sugar Song. Something seemed off about this filly, however. The simple wavy black mane, with a soft blue coat hinted too much to something. At a second glance, it became clear. Octavia's velvet-like mane, Steel's soft blue coat...

It was their foal. Their own daughter.

As it dawned to Octavia, she felt her cheeks grow hot. She looks at Steel, a bit questioningly, but he just returns the look with a carefree smile. Soon, she wavers and smiles along side him. Yet, still something didn't feel right about any of this. It was too happy... too serene... too perfect. Suddenly, the world around them cracked, and began shattering, as the sky grew darker and darker. Large tremors forms in the ground, and the earth began to shake. She looks to her left expecting to see Steel running for her, but only finds more landscape. She searches for Sugar Song, but doesn't find her anywhere. The ground shook even more, almost in rhythm. Shake, shake shake! Almost as if...

Octavia shot up from her slumber, she waited in the silence, and a harsh pounding on the door confirmed what she had suspected. She shot up from the bed, and quickly hurried towards the door. As she opened it, she was greeted by a shaking white mare. It took Octavia by surprise, she wasn't expecting Vinyl to be out so late, not only that, but she wasn't expecting Vinyl to look like the way she does now.

“Vinyl, are you alright?” Octavia mouthed, placing a hoof on Vinyl's shoulder. Obviously that was a stupid question to ask, but she needed to know from Vinyl what had happened to her. The tear marks on her face gave Octavia an even more worried feeling as she lead Vinyl to the living space couch. “Vinyl, what happened?” Octavia mouthed, peering into Vinyl eyes, which only displayed betrayal and anger.

“You....” Vinyl said glaring at her best friend. “I... I...” She stopped and broke the stare, as more tears fell from her eyes.

Octavia tapped her shoulder, “What is it? What, what, what?” She started feeling more and more anxious for whatever Vinyl was going to say. Something was amiss, and she felt like she was about to tell her.

Vinyl broke the gaze once more, and only pulled out the magazine to show Octavia.

As she read through the headline, Vinyl could see the color from her face drain immediately. She flipped to page 20, where Octavia saw the story of herself. If there was a shade whiter than pale, Octavia was it. She saw that her own hooves had begun shaking, and after she finished the article, the only thing Octavia could do was stare into space.

“So now that you have read that...” Vinyl said as she slowly got up from the couch. “Why?”

Octavia looked up, questioningly.

“Why did you tell them? Hm? Why would you waste your time blabbing about this to everypony?”

“Vinyl scratch I don't understand what you mea—“

“Don't give me that!” Vinyl yelled at her. “ I want to know, why you did this!” Tears were freely flowing at this point down Vinyl's cheeks, making her eyes bloodshot, and her vision blurry.

“Vinyl Scratch, I'm honestly telling you that I do not know how this was published!” Octavia mouthed rising in tension. “I don't know how they got that about me, either! You think I wanted Canterlot to know about...” she paused, staring at the magazine, “about that?” Tears began making their way through Octavia's lashes, she was not expecting this to go public, nor was she expecting Vinyl to react in such a way. She blinks back the tears, just as Vinyl grabs a hold of a small desk and throws it to the floor.

“THEN WHO COULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THAT, OCTY?!” Vinyl screamed, shaking. “ANSWER ME!” Suddenly she fell apart, falling to the floor in a mat of tears and anguish.

Octavia rushed to her side, placing a hoof to her shoulder again, but Vinyl quickly threw it off, “DON'T TOUCH ME!” she screamed in her face. By now her own tears began perking through her lashes, streaming down her face.

“But I just want to help, Vinyl Scratch!” Octavia mouthed making eye contact with her. “I just want to help.”

“Help... Help? YOU WANT TO HELP ME?! I LOVE YOU LIKE A FUCKING SISTER!!” Vinyl screamed in Octavia's face. “HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT TO HELP ME AFTER YOU DID THIS!?!” She pointed with disgust at the magazine.

“But Vinyl Scratch, I swear to you I didn't know about that! I didn't even know you felt this way about me!”

“Enough! I'm sick and tired of your lies!” Vinyl swiped at her and rushed out of the room, crying her eyes out.

“But Vinyl!” Octavia tried to call to her, but it was useless. Damn this insufferable curse! Why did I have to be the one with the muted voice?! All Octavia could do was watch as Vinyl fled from the scene. Heart stricken, she walks back to her couch where she simply falls onto, staring into space. She's gone. No 'I'm sorry.' No 'I wish I could let you help.' Nothing. Just accusations and fleeing. Octavia wasn't sure, but she vaguely felt something in her chest snap, leaving behind nothing but the feeling of emptiness. She stares at the walls before her, taking in the arrays of blue stripes with blueish-green markings. She hears a knock on the already-opened door and turns to see Steel waiting.

“Hey, I came as soon as I could.” He says.

She just slowly blinks at him.

He approaches her, and sits down next to her.

“How much did you hear?” Octavia mouths, staring into space.

“Enough.” He says looking her in the eye. “So what's this 'magazine' all about?”

Octavia nods her head towards the general direction of where the magazine lies. Still on the table, looking as flamboyantly perky as ever. He picks up the magazine, and flips through the pages, finally catching a picture of Octavia in one of the head articles. As he reads, he takes quick glances at Octavia from time to time, each one making her flinch a little more. He sets the magazine down, and looks at her with a poker face. “I don't buy it.”

She looks at him.

“I don't believe that's the Octavia I know and...” he pauses, blushing, “... and love.” He scoots closer to her, and places a hoof on her shoulder, instantly reminding her of how she reacted to Vinyl. “And I don't think you need to worry about it. Even if you did do that, I think at this point in time, you're much different than what they're portraying you as in that paper.” He puts a hoof to her chin, forcing her to make eye contact. “Please, mouth it to me.” He says with a soft tone, not at all like Vinyl's banshee-like voice.

Though tears begin to weld up once more, she holds her gaze with his. “Say it to me, I want you to say it to me.” Steel says.

“That's...” she stops herself, as a round of sobbing sets in.

“Come on,” Steel says bringing her face back up to his, “Say it.”

“That's... that's not who I am.” She mouths, as she begins to cry.

Steel smiles, and pulls her in for a hug. She doesn't argue.

Carefully, Steel stands up and checks the time. Midnight on the dot. He leads Octavia, still crying, towards her bedroom where he makes it back up, and tucks her into bed.

As he makes his way out of the room, Octavia catches his hoof. “Don't leave me. Please, please don't leave me.”

Steel looks at her, and nods. He pulls up a chair and sits by her, waiting for her slumber to pull her from the waking world.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

“Now, if you look here, you'll find this evidence seems to support them more so than us.” Steel says as he displays pieces of mailbox to his client. “Therefore, we have to find a way to make it work for us.” He sets it down, “Can you think of any way to do that?”

“Dude, you're the one with the suitcase and tie, shouldn't you be the one thinking?” Says the stallion as he crosses his forelegs in front of his chest.

Steel chuckles slightly, “Well yes I suppose,” he sets the evidence down on the table, “…however unlike most lawyers I don’t just give you an answer. I’m not saying you have to work for it, but I am saying you show put a little of your own knowledge to the test. You know so I’m not the only one getting experience from all of this.”

The stallion pondered this, looking at the tabletop and met Steel’s eyes with a bit of embarrassment, “Oh…. yeah I guess you have a point there.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “Sorry I guess.”

“Bah, no worries,” Steel slid the evidence back to him, smiling, “So. What do you think we could say to make this work for us?”

The client tapped his hoof to his chin, thinking intently of what just to say…

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Steel got up and opened the door revealing a light-ish brown mare. She smiles and hoofs him a small simple envelope. “Thanks!” Steel says as he opens it. Big mistake.

Dear Steel Thunder.
I’m sorry to inform you that… that I can no longer work here in Canterlot…

Steel drops the envelope, hearing nothing but the slight swish as it gently lands on the floor. He shaking, and staring into space blocking out everything. He feels a tap on his shoulder, remembering that same feeling when he and Octavia went out only… what… a few days ago? He shakes his head, and is brought back to the world, “Hey pony, are you all right?” says the stallion. He looks worried, anxious, how long had Steel been like this? He checks the clock.

11:30

He’d been in that state for ten minutes?! Wait… eleven-thirty…. that’s… that’s when Octavia was leaving! He has to get to her before it’s too late! Without thinking of anything but the distance between him and his love, he dashes out the door in blinding speed, sprinting through the crowded streets of Canterlot. As he shoves passed pony after pony, he find a lying taxi cart, waiting for its next customer. He slows down a bit, panting between phrases, “Hey… Do you think… I can get a… a lift?” Steel says paying the stallion up front.

The stallion takes the bits, and ushers Steel into the cart, and sits down just as the pony begins the journey. Steel climbs up in the front seats and tells him, “Please I need to go to the Canterlot Suites! Fast!”

The pony nods and gallops to a fast pace. The streets blur by, and in only a few minutes he’s thanking the stallion for the ride, and rushing through more traffic to the main gates of the hotel. At last, Steel takes his first steps leading to the front lobby. As he looks back he just barely spots the black mane of Octavia as she awaits a cab. He walks up to her, “Octavia! Oh that Celestia I found you!” He gives her a hug, and pulls back.

“Ah hello Steel.” Octavia said with glossy eyes. She sniffled, “How… how are you this fine day?”

“Fine? Fine?! Octavia, I read that letter you sent me, what do you mean you can’t work in Canterlot anymore? I mean… what’s stopping you?”

She looked down, “remember the letter?” she mouthed. Steel barely saw the outline of a tear setting in. “Well as it turns out. It spread quickly through the streets, and now nopony will let me work for them. I’ve already been kicked out from my suite, and I lost my….” Octavia lost her moral, sobbing as she leaned into Steel. He accepted the hug with a surprised look on his face, but slowly— almost timidly for what she might do next— returned the hug and comforted her.

“Shhh, I know this must seem pretty bad right now.” He looked into her eyes, “I saw that you were leaving. Do you have any place to go?”

Octavia stifled another sob, and pulled back from her embrace, “Oh it’ll be fine I’ll just have to—“

“If it’s not any trouble,” Steel said cutting her off, “I may be able to accommodate you with you know.”

Living with Steel? Surely he’s kidding, Octavia thought as she peered into his eyes, searching for an answer, Living with Steel… I will not lie I do like the sound to that. She closes her eyes for a second. Just ‘play it cool’ as they say, “Sure I’d love to go. Besides, it’s better then here.” She gestures towards the bustling streets of Canterlot.

Steel smiles, “Then it’s settled then.” Holy Celestia, she said yes!

Soon they found the train nearly departing as it clunked to life for another trip through Appaloosa. Octavia and Steel found a few seats, and settled down for the long trip ahead of them. She made a quick glance towards Steel, thinking of how wonderful it’s going to be living with him. The faint lick of her dream that night Vinyl left her crawled it’s way back into her mind, and she pictured herself with Steel as they played with their foal. As the train jutted a few times, then making an even acceleration, Octavia took one last look of the tall regal Canterlot buildings. Although she is somewhat happy for her new adventure with him… she can’t help be remember all those times she’d spent with Vinyl, and how she’ll never get those moments again…

Author’s Notes:

Oh my Celestia, it’s been a while since I’ve uploaded anything! I’m a little culture shocked at the moment, as I haven’t been on FimFiction.net in a while either, so I’m still getting used to these group things and what-not. But that is besides the point— I just wanted to let you guys know that I got the outlines for Chapter four, five, and six already written, so I’ll be updating much quicker then my usual speed. Oh and by the way, Sorry if this wasn't what you were expecting, it's been a while since I've written anything at all, so I have to get back into it. Thanks for reading this, and thanks for tracking!

~BronyGuy

Comments

[Super]

That was quite the twist. I know something bad is going to happen next, though...