> Sweeter than Music
>  by Rock Slide
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> Chapter 1
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	I couldn't stand it. Finding out Vinyl wasn't going to be in the audience at the biggest performance in my lifetime just because of her gigs was devastating. Why did she always seem to put work above my dream as well? I always tried to make it to her shows, but I don’t think she’s ever made it to any of mine.
I heard the door open quietly. I knew she could tell I was mad by the way I asked to talk to her. Finally, she came into the main room in our Ponyville house with a sheepish expression on her face.  She wasn't going to get off the hook this time; it had been a whole year, not just a week she had been away. I looked her straight in the face as my expression hardened slightly, trying not to cry. “Why did you decide not to tell me you were going on tour for a whole year?” I couldn't keep the hurt I was feeling out of my voice but I managed to hold back the tears.
“Octy," she started slowly, explaining, "it was only a year, and it really helped my career.” I knew she was trying to justify why she accepted the gig, all the money and promotion it would give her. But it was also clear evidence she cared more about her career than me.
“You act as if it was nothing at all to just... just leave me behind.” I watched my blue maned marefriend look down an expression of guilt on her face. She was gorgeous as always and I could tell she was saddened. It hurt me to see her like this. But I couldn't risk forgiving her, not this time. “Vinyl, you promised me this wouldn't happen again.”
“Tavi, please you have to understand, I never meant to hurt you.” Vinyl looked at me, but I kept my gaze from her face, not bearing to see her sad cerise colored eyes, “If I could have stayed I would have, but this was a big deal to travel across Equestria.”
“A bigger deal than staying to watch the biggest performance I’ve ever done.” I responded. I had to remain resolute, I couldn't fall apart, not in front of her. This was too important; I had to know the truth. “Vinyl, you’ve promised me over and over again things would be different, but every time it ends the same.”
I could hear the soft whispers Vinyl repeated to me over and over again, words like ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I really can change’ Oh, how I want to believe her, to forgive like before, have everything just go back to the way it was again. Though every time before she repeated those same words, soon she would repeat those same actions that would tear us apart. I couldn’t keep waiting for her to change, to do as she said she would. I had dreams too, she should be able to understand this. This time, I needed more than words.
Suddenly, I heard the doorbell. I sighed softly, knowing it was probably somepony looking for Vinyl. I couldn't deal with this, so I let her go to the door. When I knew that Vinyl was a safe distance from where I was, I broke down, closing my eyes. I felt tears pass between my pressed lids, steaming down my cheeks. I couldn't stop my crying but I tried not to make a sound.
I was tired of this, tired of all of this. I just wanted someone who understood my dreams as well as their own. I know how passionate Vinyl is with her music; I love composing and playing myself. But Vinyl meant something more to me, more than any song I'd ever written and just didn't seem like she felt the same way. I loved her. But did she love me or her music?
I couldn't do this any more. Her promises, which sounded so sweet at first soon became the sourest notes of all: lies. She partied, she blew off my performances in favor of her own jobs, her own career. Did she even bother to try and reschedule? No, she never had time, never even tried to find the time. The life of a DJ... she was about to find out how lonely it could be, the same loneliness I felt.
Once I had calmed down from my silent sobs, I began to hear her voice coming from the entry to the house. She was raising her voice slightly but I still couldn't quite make out what she was saying. I could imagine though; chatting with another fan, accepting praise an adoration. Getting up, I walked out of the darkness of the living room and closer to the entrance. I stayed in the shadows, letting them conceal me as I watched the two silhouettes illuminated in the silver-blue light.
“...I know you just got back but this is big, I'm talking Wonderbolts big.” It wasn't a fan, it was her manager. He was offering her something else, another job. Another opportunity to leave me in our quaint cottage and travel the world being adored by ponies from all over. That wasn't surprising.
What was surprising was when she shook her head. "I can't. I'm sorry but you're going to have to book somepony else," she said, starting to close the door.
The stallion stuck his hoof in. "Vinyl, come on, you're making a big mistake!"
"I can't do it, I'm sorry," Vinyl said but still her manager persisted. She sounded apologetic, about as apologetic as she had been to me earlier. She loved what she did, always loved touring and taking jobs so I could tell this would be hard for her. Still, it was music or me. I just wondered how long it would be before she really had to make a tough decision.
It was in that instant later that decision arrived.
"Vinyl, it's the Crystal Palace!"
I had to shake my head to make sure I'd heard that right. THE Crystal Palace? It had been both our dreams to play there, to play a concert in halls that hadn't heard music in a thousand years. Bringing our own brands of music to the empire had been a goal of both of ours but with all the sensitivity of it disappearing, it had been impossible to get gigs there. Now, in the moonlight the opportunity was literally at our door.
The manager smiled. "You know what kind of deal this is. You're going to be playing for ponies that haven't heard anything other than a flugelhorn for the better part of the last millennium. They're going to want YOUR records, YOUR albums and everything YOU touch."
Vinyl looked down. To be honest, I didn't know what she would've picked. If I had had the opportunity, I don't know what I would've decided either. I like to think I wouldn't blow Vinyl off for a job no matter how important but it had never happened to me. This was a musician's dream come true... who wouldn't accept?
"Come on," the stallion said. "It's literally an opportunity centuries in the making. Let's blow the roof off the joint."
"No," Vinyl turned back to her. "I can't leave Tavi. I'm not leaving Ponyville, I'm not leaving her for this... not for anything."
I felt like my heart might stop. The manager withdrew his hoof and Vinyl closed the door. I began to blush as I felt anger, pain, sorrow, all of it just... melting away. Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks as I realized Vinyl had made her choice. And she had chosen me. I ran over to her as she turned back in the darkness, not seeing me as I grabbed her by the waist and hugged her, burying my face into her mane. I hugged her tightly, crying, hoping this wasn't some dream and she held me back, assuring me that it wasn't.
"Tavi, I-" she started to speak but I held a hoof over her mouth.
"I heard everything," I told her. For a few brief moments, in the darkness, in the silence, we held each other. It was a moment absent of sound, absent of light, something no artist could ever capture, just a feeling of being held by the mare that meant more to me than anything else in the world. And then I heard her say something. Vinyl Scratch said something, the most beautiful thing in the world. In my entire life, my entire career as a musician, at this moment, I heard something sweeter than music.
"I love you, Octavia."