Loss. Everyone deals with it differently. Some go on, while others are crushed. Vinyl's life has been at a stand still ever since the death of Octavia. A month later, strange events begin occur, and make Vinyl think, did Octavia really kill herself?
Octavia Melody is dead, having taken her own life for reasons unknown. Vinyl Scratch is utterly crushed, and her life has been put on hold while she mourns. She lives her life in a haze, with Octavia having become nothing more than a hallucination that only she can see and speak with. It's been a month, and Vinyl hasn't even read Octavia's suicide note.
Yet, when she does, strange wording begins to make Vinyl think, is Octavia's suicide really a suicide, or something more entirely? This hurtles the mare onto a quest with which nothing is as simple as it seems, and no price is too high to discover the truth.
I felt a twitch in my ears, picking up the faint music that was filling up the house. Cello music, Octavia. She always was an early riser, liked getting in those practices when I couldn’t interrupt her with the force of my own music. I never intended to interrupt her, but sometimes I would just get an idea for a beat in my head that I couldn’t find the time to give Octavia some warning. I hadn’t found the inspiration to interrupt her practices lately, but I am pretty sure she didn’t mind it too awfully much.
I spent a little bit more time in bed, just laying there, listening to the sound of her playing. I could almost let it lull me off to sleep, but I had slept in enough. Not only that, but her playing was suddenly interrupted by a shrill ringing sound. The phone. The cello music suddenly stopped, replaced by that inconsiderate shrill, urging me to get out of bed. I wanted to tell Tavi to go get it, but I was closer. I got out of bed, floating my glasses onto my face, and trotted out of the room.
The phone wasn’t too hard to find in the mess that was Tavi and me’s home. I expected to get a firm chewing out for it next time I saw her. I was just about to reach the phone, when it stopped ringing and the voicemail began to play. I just sat down and began to listen to Tavi and my own voice, speaking out. A small beat playing in the background, one of my own tunes.
“Hello, you’ve reached the Melody-”
“-And Scratch!”
“Vinyl! Ugh, residence. We are not able to get to the phone right now. So, please leave your name, number, and a message after the beep.”
“BEEP!”
“VINYL!”
That had been our tenth attempt at getting the voicemail right. After that, Octavia had given up. Said that we could try it again next time, and do it right. It’d been one of the first things we did after moving in together, in our house in Ponyville. I closed my eyes, thinking back on that conversation. We both wanted a break from the big city life, and agreed that Ponyville was in a central enough location that if we wanted to get to a gig or performance, we could just ride a train to the location. So, we moved to Ponyville.
“Tavi, are you heading into the shower?” I called, hearing the beep of the answering machine.
“Yes, Vinyl.” I heard her call back, that voice bringing a smile to my face.
“Want anything for breakfast?” I called again, hearing the shower door opening.
“You know what I like!” and after that, the shower water turned on, and I moved into the kitchen, to begin making the pair of us breakfast. Finally, the phone beeped, and began to accept the voice message.
“Uh, hey Vinyl!” I would know Lyra’s voice anywhere. “It’s me, Lyra.” Yep. Called it. “How you doing? Me and Bon Bon have been worrying about you! So, I know that you’re probably listening to me speak right now, or, at least hearing me. Just letting you know that you still have friends, Vinyl. We’re here if you need us. Now, listen, me and Bon Bon are going out to Sugar Cube Corner, and we’d love for you to come! I mean, I haven’t seen you since...Well, you know. It’s been a month, Vinyl. So, hopefully see you there! Bye!” Lyra said, before the phone finally hung up.
I just let out a heavy sigh, closing my eyes for a few moments. Lyra and Bon Bon...Two of Octavia and my closest friends. Not only that, but mutual friends, too. Octavia had her ensemble, I had Pinkie and Rarity, but Lyra and Bon Bon were just two friends that were able to fit with both of us. I shook my head, before focusing on breakfast. Just a stack of pancakes with some fruit to go with it, I had a rather wicked habit of burning much else that I couldn’t just pop into the microwave. Octavia was always the cook, but she was busy this morning. I ensured to brew a cup of tea for Octavia. She’d like that. I lifted the plate with my magic, before finally resting on my haunches in front of the table.
The shower stopped, and soon Octavia came down. I smiled at the sight of her, and she just smiled back, before sitting across from me at the table.I made sure to hover over her cup of tea, adding a sugar and some honey to it. Oh yeah, I knew how she liked her tea. “So, who was that?” Octavia asked, as I piled the fruit and poured the syrup onto my pancakes.
“Oh, just Bon Bon and Lyra. Wanted to know how I’m doing...Invited me to have lunch with them later on today. Sugar Cube Corner.” I said, finally beginning to cut into the beast that I called my breakfast.
“And you plan to attend, I hope.” Octavia said, as I finally got the first bite of pancake monster into my maw. It was edible, and with all the fruit and syrup, it was half decent too.
“I dunno.” I responded, bring the milk jug from out of the fridge and waterfalling it. I got a disapproving glance from Tavi, but I doubted that it was from my milk drinking habits.
“Yes, Vinyl, you are. You’ve been hold up in this blasted house for a month, you only leave to buy groceries and take out the garbage.” Octavia said, and I rolled my eyes, focusing on my breakfast.
“I don’t want to, and you can’t make me.” I responded.
“I’ll stop talking to you.” Octavia said, her voice level and serious. I glanced up at her once more, her face set, forelegs crossed over her chest.
“...You wouldn’t.” I said, and all I got was an upturned nose. I lasted all of five minutes, just enough time to finish my breakfast, before I just let out an annoyed grunt. “Fine! I’ll go, jeez…” I sighed, tossing my plate into the trash can. The look on Octavia’s face was of pure victory.
“See, Vinyl, was that so hard?” she asked, but I didn’t respond. She knew I hated the silent treatment.
I had some time to kill before lunch would roll around, so I just spent it doing this and that around the house. Cleaning a bit of the mess that was strewn about the house, to Octavia’s approval. Octavia practiced her cello, and tried to urge me to get at my turntables once again. No amount of silent treatment could fill me with sudden desire or inspiration to play those again, so the mare eventually decided to leave me be on that front. I was thankful. I eventually just settled into doing random, inane tasks, like checking my voice mail. Thirty unread messages. I’d listen to them later. I went out to get the mail, just bills and a few cards. Nothing for Tavi, as usual. Finally, the clock chimed, and I knew it was around lunch time.
I went through the ritual I usually went through when I was ready to get out of the house. First, I gave my mane and tail a single brush through, to ensure that it had no knots or anything. Still a mess by the end of it, but organized mess, as it were. Quick brush of the teeth, topped off with cleaning my glasses. With that done, I finally donned my signature shades, before stopping outside the door. Eventually, I just shrugged, and floated one of Tavi’s bow ties down, locking the collar around my neck and ensuring it was in it’s proper place.
“As cute as I think it looks, are you sure it’s...you?” Octavia asked, standing besides the door, looking me over.
“Hey, I’m going to this meeting thing at Sugar Cube Corner, aren’t I? I can wear your bow tie if I like.” I shot back. Octavia just sighed, shaking her head.
“Fine, fine...Now, at least try to enjoy yourself. Remember, I’ll be right besides you.” Octavia smiled, and I gave her a quick peck on the lips, smiling, before trotting out of the house for the first time since I last ran out of groceries.
The walk over to Sugar Cube Corner was mostly uneventful, just me and Octavia talking about this and that. Mundane stuff, really. We got a few strange glances. Well, more specifically, I got some strange glances. Probably because I was out of the house and wearing one of Octavia’s bows. I just ignored them, and Octavia didn’t mention them either. Soon enough, they were out of sight, and so, out of mind. Simple as that.
I finally arrived at the biggest bakery in Ponyville, but it seemed...off. Lyra and Bon Bon were no where to be found. On top of that, the inside was black as night. I eyed it suspiciously, something inside of me saying that I should just turn around and go home again.
“Vinyl. Please. For me.” Octavia said, standing by the door, giving me puppy dog eyes. I just sighed, before nodding. It was the least I could do, I supposed. I finally worked up the courage, and trotted forward, before pressing the doors open.
Inside was total blackness. I took a few steps forward, reaching out with my magic and flicking the light switch. I was suddenly assaulted by a loud, boisterous “SURPRISE!” and the sight of a ‘Happy Birthday Vinyl’ banner. Sugar Cube Corner was all decked out in decorations, a large cake set out to one side on a table, with a small stack of presents on another. Under the banner were plenty of me and even Tavi’s friends. Rarity, Pinkie, Lyra, Bon Bon, Rainbow Dash. Buck, there were even plenty of ponies I didn’t even know to well...I had a feeling they were here because it was a Pinkie Party.
“Oh, by Celestia Vinyl. I’d completely forgotten! I’m sorry. I’ll need to make it up to you back at the house.” Octavia said, standing besides me. I just blinked a few times. The truth of the matter was, I had completely forgotten that it was my birthday as well.
“No pressure.” I responded, just glancing to Octavia, before glancing back to the party. The color theme was white and blue, with a few traces of lavender here and there. Soon enough, a song started to play. One of my own beats, it seemed, and the ponies began to socialize.
Lyra and Bon Bon trotted up to me, Lyra beaming from ear to ear, while Bon Bon’s own smile was, well, quite contained...but still there.
“Vinyl! You have no idea how good it is to see you! I thought that Bons and I would need to come and drag you out to your own birthday party.” Lyra snickered, and I only responded with a small chuckle, shaking my head in return.
“Nope...Tavi insisted I come, so I did.” I responded, glancing between the pair. The mention of that seemed to make them frown, but I just shook that off for now.
“So, Vinyl, make any new music lately?” Bon Bon asked, tactfully changing the subject from Octavia. I just ignored it, before shaking my head.
“Nope, haven’t really felt any desire to. No motivation or inspiration, ya know?” I decided to leave out the part about Octavia practicing still. Didn’t feel like getting those weird looks so close together, after all. Lyra let out a disappointed sound, pouting now.
“Well, that’s a shame. I might play the lyre, but I do love your music. Buck, I know that Octavia complained, but she loved it too.” Lyra smiled. I just nodded my head.
A few minutes went by, just idle chit chatter, before Bon Bon finally tapped Lyra a few times on the shoulder. “Come on, Lyra. Can’t keep the birthday girl from the whole party.” Bon Bon said, before Lyra suddenly embraced me.
“Happy birthday, Vinyl. It’ll be okay.” Lyra smiled, before letting go and trotting off with Bon Bon. Of course it’d be okay. No reason that it wouldn’t.
The rest of the party really went on without much problem. Rarity complimented my bowtie. Pinkie said something on the lines between intelligible and just flat out Pinkie babble. The Apples had actually made some Cider just for the event, so I got to enjoy that rare treat as well. Throughout the party, everypony treated me well. Asked how I was doing. The works. It was kind of sweet, in it’s own way, but I learned quickly not to mention Octavia, even if she never left my side. A bit rude, but I guess everypony just wanted to talk to me and move on.
Finally, after we’d cut into the cake and I had a piece, I was approached by a pair of ponies that I didn’t expect. “Um, excuse me, Miss Scratch?” A stallion asked, and I turned to be greeted with not only Filthy Rich, but his daughter, Diamond Tiara as well.
“Ah, Rich. How can I help you?” I asked, sipping on some of the cider provided for the party. “ Well, I know that now isn’t the best of times, but it’s just so darn hard to get a hold of you…” The stallion said, and I just shrugged.
“It’s alright...What’s up?” I asked, glancing between the pair.
“Well, much like your own birthday party going on...My little filly, Diamond Tiara, has a birthday party of her own coming up. I was wondering if it’d be too much trouble to get you to perform? I can, naturally, pay well. She’s just a big fan is all.” Filthy Rich said, and I just sighed, giving my head a small shake.
“Sorry, Rich, but I don’t think I’ll be able to do it. I’m just not up to playing lately.” I said, and Filthy gave a nod of his head.
“I understand. Thank you for your time.” Then, his little filly opened her mouth.
“But DAAAADDY, I want to have DJ Pon-3 at my birthday party!” she pouted, and Filthy just shook his head. “Diamond, Miss Scratch very politely said no. Now, why don’t we get that other DJ, Neon Lights?”
“I don’t WANT Neon Lights! I want DJ Pon-3!”
“Honey, Miss Scratch isn’t up to playing. It’s best leave the mare alone.”
“Why can’t she play? Huh? Huh? Doesn’t she have a MUSIC cutie mark for a reason?!”
“Sugar lump, it’s just best we leave it. You know what happened a month back.”
“SO!? It’s not MY fault her marefriend killed herself!!”
The smack that resounded throughout the bakery seemed to put silence to everything else. Filthy Rich just looked at me, placing his hoof down on the ground.
“Beg your pardon, Miss Scratch...We’ll be going now.” Filthy Rich said, but I didn’t really hear him. I just turned to Octavia, who sighed and shook her head.
“Vinyl...you’re the one that keeps tricking yourself into thinking I’m still alive.” She frowned, walking forward and placing a hoof on my shoulder. Suddenly, it all came roaring back to me.
The First Snowfall Concert. A large event held in Manehatten, to celebrate the pegasi bringing in the first snow, and ushering in winter for that part of Equestria. Octavia had always loved the snow, especially the first snowfall...So, when they asked for the pair of us to put on a duet performance, we accepted in an instance. Octavia was ecstatic at the chance. Sure, it was no Grand Galloping Gala, but she was still excited. Her excitement was contagious, and I found myself looking more and more forward to it by the day.
It was an all expenses paid trip, with us getting to stay in a swanky, top floor penthouse. Room Service was free, and we made sure to enjoy it together. Not only that, but the city as a whole. We were on top of the world for that week, preparing to perform, and nothing was gonna bring us down. Even Bon Bon and Lyra came to visit. I got the funny, funny idea in my head that, well, maybe it was even time to pop the question? Make honest mares of the both of us…
That night, the night when the snow finally began to fall, it was right before the concert. I had decided that tonight was the night. I was gonna prepose. Bon Bon and Lyra knew, and had gone out to get some wine to celebrate. I bought her the prettiest ring I could find...Well, hooflet. Only I’d get to wear a ring, but that didn’t matter. I was walking on air, I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest.
I finally got to the hotel room, and the next moment is one that I have relived every single day, many times a day, wondering if I could of done anything different. I opened the door, and I saw her. My fiancee to be, Octavia Melody, just standing there, on the windowsill. She’s crying, heavily. A piece of paper is waiting on the coffee table, held down. I scream out to her, she turns and just looks at me. The next moment, she falls. I run to the window, intending to leap out after her. No such luck. Bon Bon and Lyra heard me scream. They rush in and grab me before I can jump out. Vision’s blurry, I’m crying. My head’s dangling out the window, and everything is just a haze.
I’m suddenly back in the present, and Lyra is shaking me. “Vinyl? Vinyl! Get up! Come on, Vinyl.” I hear Lyra’s voice urging me. I want to just stay where I am, lay there till I expire. Would that be so bad? I mean, it’s not like I have much left without Octavia to keep me in check.
“Now that’s not the Vinyl Scratch I love.” I hear her voice in my head, and I silently curse myself. There’s a reason I haven’t turned to a drunken fool. Why I don’t do drugs on a nightly basis. Why, late at night, when I stand in my bathroom, holding a straight razor...I can’t do it. I’ve tried.
It takes me a bit, before I finally open up my eyes. “There we go.” Octavia smiled, she’s the first thing I see, before she moves away. Lyra is standing over me, a look of concern eventually fading to a small smile.
“Ah, good. Thought we’d need to splash you with water or something. You just...passed out on us.” Lyra said, and I shakily got to my legs, stretching out now. I wish I could say this was the first time I did that. I’d be lying.
The party was mostly stopped, everypony looking at me with concern. I looked at them all, before my horn lit up. I put on a spare saddlebag, I silently put all the presents that I’d yet to open into the bag. Thankfully, magic made them all fit. “...Sorry, everypony. I think I’ll be heading home now. Great party.” Up till a certain brat had opened her mouth. No pony stopped me when I turned and opened the door, stepping out into the town.
I stopped right outside of the door, staring up. “...I didn’t know the pegasi would be making it snow today.” Octavia said, pulling a sudden scarf tighter around herself. I just stood there, watching the snow slowly begin to come down.
“...Why’d you leave me alone, Octavia?” I asked, feeling a wetness come to my eyes. She would of loved to see the first snow of Ponyville. We’d moved here in the spring, so she’d never gotten to see it before.
Octavia just looked at me, before sighing, shaking her head. “Even I don’t know why, Vinyl...maybe it’s time you read my suicide note? You’ve yet to let anypony even touch it since that day. It might tell you why I jumped.” Octavia said, touching me gently with her hoof. I sighed, closing my eyes. There was really nothing else left to do. My life was in a spiral of forgetting Octavia was dead, being reminded, and collapsing, before forgetting again. Not going anywhere in life. Just, stagnant.
“Fine…” I sighed, before I finally began to hurry home. Not that I wanted to. Laying down and letting the snow engulf me till I froze was an appealing option, but a stern look from Octavia drove me onwards. No, it was time to break this cycle of forgetting Octavia was dead, being reminded, and slipping back to these...thoughts in my head. It was never good.
I sat down in front of my coffee table, staring down at it. The piece of paper. The last written thing by Octavia. It was worn, having been folded, unfolded, over and over again. One edge of was burnt away, but it’d gotten to none of the writing. It still had tear stains, yet, over the month since that day...I, nor anypony else, had yet to read it. Today, with Octavia by my side, that was going to change. I took a deep breath, steeled my nerves, and began.
Dearest Vinyl.
I write this to you, with a heavy, heavy heart. You’re off on some adventure, buying us a few last minutes items before we go to the concert. This is a concert that I will never get to play at. My heart is heavy, and my grief great...and it only grows as I think of the world I am about to leave you in...But, it is a world I can no longer be apart of. Life is a journey, Vinyl. A cruel, wonderful, horrible, joyous journey, and the fact that I’ve been given the privilege to be a part of yours, I can imagine nothing that could of made my life happier...but, I can no longer be a part of it, or anypony’s journey, as I can no longer continue even my own. I can no longer continue my life. Do not blame yourself, Vinyl...because you are a shining beacon to all those around you. Your music is something that moves the hearts of everypony who listens, even my own. Do not mourn me, Vinyl...Please, move on. Find love again. Live your life. Keep on, knowing that wherever I go...I still love you...But, if you can’t move on, remember me fondly. Remember our life together. Visit our favorite places...Just, never give up. Know that, if things had been different, I wouldn’t of given up either. I love you, Vinyl Scratch...Forever and always.
Forever yours, loving always,
Octavia Melody.
I sat there and stared at the note for I don’t know how long. I just sat and stared, with Octavia looking over my shoulder at the note as well, a frown on her face. “Why...That, that doesn’t sound much like me at all...Or how I acted that week. I remember acting like I was the happiest mare alive...and if you would of popped the question…” Octavia said, and I just nodded, beginning to reread the note now.
“...Like Tartarus I can move on.” I scoffed, before standing up. “But, what did you mean, if things had been different…?” I asked, beginning to pace.
There was a sudden knock at the door. My ears twitched, and I turned towards the door. It’d been a soft knock, but I heard it. I walked over, and tugged it open with my magic. Fluttershy was standing there, a saddlebag strapped over her back.
“Oh, um, hello Vinyl. Happy birthday. I’m sorry I couldn’t attend, I had to take care of my animals.” Fluttershy said, and I just shook my head.
“No problem. You didn’t miss much….what’s up?” I asked, and Fluttershy seemed to think, almost having forgotten why she came, before suddenly nodding.
“I got you a present!” Fluttershy said, before turning and opening her saddlebag. I waited, and she soon pulled out what seemed to be a large fishbowl, capped as to not spill. Inside of it? Sand, a tiny cello...and a grey octopus. “I hope you like it. It’s one of the more unique animal friends I have...someone just dumped it on my doorstep a few days ago, and I didn’t know what to do with her, cause I checked and it’s a girl, but then I remembered you live alone, and could use an animal friend.” Fluttershy said, setting it down.
I stared at the little octopus for a few moments, before a smile creeped it’s way onto my face. An octopus...That had always been a bit of an inside joke between Octavia and I. I’d always wanted one, but for mostly forbade it. “Heh, thanks Fluttershy. I love it.” I said, before picking it up. The buttermilk mare just smiled at me, before trotting off. I stepped back into the house, and soon set the little octopus on the counter in it’s bowl.
“Oh, a pet! What are you going to name it?...it just had to be an Octopus.” Octavia sighed, staring at it.
“Octavipus.” I answered, moving back to stare at the note. Octavia just rolled her eyes, looking at the Octavipus for a few moments, before glancing at me.
“...I haven’t seen you that determined in quite sometime.” Octavia said, and I nodded, before refolding the note.
“You said in your note, how happy you were with me, and that if things had been different, you wouldn’t of killed yourself...Well, I’m gonna find what made things so different.” I said, Octavia just stared at me.
“And how ever do you plan to do that?” She asked, trotting over to look at me. I just turned, staring at Octavia for a few moments, before a smirk crossed my lips.
“Simple. I’m going to go back to the scene of the crime. Pack your bags, oh sweet hallucination of mine...we’re going back to Manehatten.”
“Wait...Just so we have got this straight. You want Lyra and I to watch over your house, and your Octopus, while you go back to Manehatten to chase some crazy idea that Octavia’s suicide isn’t as cut and dry as just a simple suicide? All because the wording in her suicide note doesn’t sit well with you?” Bon Bon asked, looking over the hastily made checklist of stuff I made.
“Yep. That sounds about right to me. A bit of a negative light to put it in. It’s not crazy.” I answered, turning back to look at her and Lyra, sitting at the dining room table.
It’d been three days since Octavia and I read Octavia’s suicide note, and I’d been busy the whole time. I needed someone to look over the house, collect my mail, and take care of Octavipus, so who better than Lyra and Bon Bon? So, I spent those three days cleaning up the house, much to Octavia’s approval. It had been a long, hard task. Many trash bags were used, but I finally had the house suitable for being cared for.
I’d called Bon Bon and Lyra over in the morning, while I myself began packing my saddlebags and a few other cases. The cello included of course. I really don’t think that I would of been able to go without it. I still liked to hear Octavia play. It was the only true music in my life, besides the occasional random song that I would hear on the street.
“I gotta say, Vinyl...when we got the call, I was kinda hoping for something different. Like, I don’t know...That you were finally moving on with yourself. I didn’t think that you’d planned out this.” Lyra frowned, watching my pack up the cello, while keeping herself busy with Octavipus.
“She has a point, Vinyl. We came here hoping you were starting to recover. Not that you were, well, concocting some scheme like this.” Bon Bon added, nodding to Lyra, before looking back at me.
I just shook my head, stopping my packing to just sit down. They’d been at this ever since I told them about the note. I’d let them read it themselves, and they had still kept on about this. Trying to convince me that it was a bad idea. Trying to talk me out of going to Manehatten. Of finding out the truth of what happened to Octavia Melody, my marefriend.
I glanced up, Octavia sitting at the counter, a frown on her face. “Vinyl...They are our friends. They only mean well for you. You can just let this go, if you really wanted.” Octavia said, glancing down, but that just seemed to strike a chord inside of me. A chord deep inside of me.
“Are you going to take care of the house and my pet, or not?” I asked, not getting up, just sitting there with my back to them. I really wasn’t feeling up to seeing their disapproving gazes. I could hear them whispering behind me, while I waited for an answer.
“...We’re just not sure if it’d be good for your health, Vinyl. Your mental state is under duress as is. We just think that it’d be better if you take some more time to really think this over, Vinyl.” Bon Bon said, Lyra giving a sound of confirmation. If what Octavia said to me struck a chord, what they said made that chord snap.
“What if it was Lyra?” I asked, turning to face the two. “What if it was Bon Bon?” I pressed on, looking between their shocked faces. Seems that they’d never considered such a scenario. “I’ve done my waiting. I’ve sat in this house for over a month, with just my own thoughts, and grief, and I’m frankly sick of it.” I said, feeling wetness in my eyes, a small tear falling from my eye, slipping past my glasses. “If you were in my horseshoes, I’d do whatever I could to help you deal with it. I’d watch your house and shop in an instant.” I was on a roll, my voice filled with breaks, but I didn’t care. “Now, you can either help me. Watch over my house while I go find the answers I need, or you can just leave right now, and I’ll find some REAL friends to watch over my house.”
My voice had more venom than I would of liked, speaking with friends, but I didn’t care. They’d been hurting me all morning, I deserved some payback. I sat there and watched my words sink into the pair of them. They exchanged a look, and they knew. I’d be going to Manehatten one way or another. They could either help me, or risk our friendship. At this moment in time, I didn’t care either way. I was just sick of being told no. That I was crazy. That Octavia had killed herself for no reason whatsoever.
Eventually, Bon Bon just let out a defeated breath. “...Fine, Vinyl. We’ll watch your house and your pet. Just, promise me...Promise us, as your friends. If nothing comes up. If you don’t find anything in Manehatten, you’ll come home, and you’ll seek some help.”
“Yeah. We seriously do care, Vinyl.” Lyra added, the pair of them finally looking at me. I supposed that was about as good of an answer as I was going to get.
“Yeah...I know you girls care. I just, need to do this. I need to figure out the truth. I promise, I’ll tell you girls everything I find.” I said, finally smiling to the pair, and they smiled back. It was good, to be smiling instead of at each others throats. To be smiling period, really.
“Well, I for one am just glad that that’s over with.” Octavia said, hugging me from the side suddenly. It was good to have her comfort. I was still well aware that she wasn’t the real thing, but that didn’t matter. She was Octavia, and she was mine.
The rest of the morning went on uneventfully. They helped me pack the rest of my things, and lent me some bits. I tried to tell them that I had more than enough saved up in Octavia and my’s bank account, but they’d hear nothing of it. That it was the least they could do after putting me through the grill all morning about my whole quest. I honestly expected that the only reason they were okay with the whole plan was because I promised to seek professional help once it was all over and done with. I suppose anything to get them off of my back and on my side.
Eventually, though, they had to go home to do some things around their own house. I saw them off, and they promised that they’d be back in the afternoon to feed Octavipus, and begin the proper house sitting. I was happy that it was them who’d be watching over my home. I had others friends, yeah, but I feared that Pinkie might just end up doing...something unspeakable to my dear homestead. Rarity might of turned it into some...fashion zone, because who knows when inspiration might strike? No, Lyra and Bon Bon were my best bet.
I finally packed the last thing, before Octavia finally sat down next to me, a small look of concern on her face. “Vinyl, while this plan of yours is well and good, and I am personally all for finding out the reasons for my death...Where are we even going to begin? Manehatten is a big city, and you’re just one pony. You need a plan.” Octavia said, ever the voice of reason, even from beyond the grave,
“I don’t know, I’ll...I’ll make a plan. Write up a list of all the places we visited, and just visit those one by one.” Even I admit, the plan needed some work, but it was the best I could come up with. Octavia sighed, rolling her eyes, before I noticed what her hoof was resting on. A tossed open newspaper, but that didn’t matter. Something drew me to the picture her hoof was on.
“Move” I eventually urged, shooing Octavia with my hooves, before I floated up the newspaper and laid it out on the table. It was a simply an article, detailing a musical performance in Manehatten. A memorial performance for the late, great Octavia, performed by her old ensemble. There was a big picture of the opening night, with a large group of ponies entering into the concert hall. I looked over the group passively, before I suddenly noticed a single mare.
She was near the back of the crowd, almost out of the sight of the picture. She was dressed in a pair of circular shades, blocking her eyes from view. A hat cast a shadow over most of her face, and her body was covered in a black coat, but staring at her, I just had this...feeling. The shape of her tail, the curve of her body, from what I could see of it. The slightly peeking out cutie mark.
“...Octavia…” I whispered, staring at the photo. It was a stretch, yes. The face was obscured, and the cutie mark was only peeking out, but the color of that hide. The color of that tail...I had no doubt of the identity of that mare. Octavia leaned over to look at the picture as well.
“Oh my...Vinyl, are you sure? I mean, cousin Fiddlesticks has always looked rather similar to me. I will admit, the similarities are there. I just want you to be completely sure when you chase leads...But, the similarities are there. Doubtlessly.” Octavia said, looking at the picture.
“I’m sure of it. Somewhere in Manehatten, there’s a mare that looks damn close to you, and I plan to find her. She might know what’s up. Have a connection to the funky wording in the suicide note.” I was grasping at straws, but that didn’t stop me. Was she just a doppelganger of Octavia? A relative I might not of known about? Octavia had always been a bit private on her family. A bit ashamed of the snobbery of it all.
“But, Vinyl, it seems that she’s not alone.” Octavia pointed out. I leaned in, gazing at the photo a bit closer. It was true, she was flanked on either side by ponies dressed rather similar to her. I just stared, before finally resting my chin against the table, closing my eyes. Octavia resting her hoof on my back in a show of comfort.
“I get the distinct feeling that this is going to just get more complicated the deeper I dig...All the more reason to keep digging.” I finally said, before picking up the newspaper. I tugged out some scissors, and got to cutting out the picture, before packing it into my saddlebag. I needed something as a reference, after all.
“I know that look...You’re going to go talk to the ensemble, aren’t you? I mean, if you suspect that mare of being related to Octavia, I’m sure that they could stumble onto the same thought.” Octavia said, and I just stared at her for a few long moments. I was just going to go to the concert hall, and ask for the guest list of opening night.
“...Yep. That was totally my plan. Not really, but thanks for the idea, Tavi.” I smiled, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. The mare just sighed, smiling at me in return. “Come on. Let’s get started than...Manehatten isn’t going anywhere, but that mare might.” It felt good to have a solid goal.
The train ride to Manehatten was long and mostly uneventful, so naturally, I dozed off for a bit. A way to pass the train ride, really. Yet, as I sat in my seat, the dreams began. Now, when Octavia first died, I dreamed of her. Dreams and nightmares galore. They say that Luna visits the nightmares of those in need. You’d have to ask somepony else to confirm that, because I didn’t know. Yet, as weird as those dreams could get, none of them held a candle to the dream I had on that train ride.
It was like I was underwater, could hardly hear anything clearly, and my vision was blurry at best. It was a large bedroom, in what looked to be old Equestria. I mean, sure, we haven’t had much of a technological advance besides me and my turntables, but it just felt old. The room was dark, and it was just Octavia and I. I wanted to speak, but I couldn’t. We were dressed in rather fancy get ups, and from what I could tell, the room was utterly posh. Besides that, I couldn’t really make out anything. No details, as it were. Just the posh room, and Octavia, while all else seemed to be blurry.
Then, Octavia and I, or my body at least, began to speak. I couldn’t make out much, but there was emotion in it. Octavia sounded troubled, like some weight was on her shoulders. I sounded sincere, as if I was trying to calm her down or something. Yet, I just felt this sense of...dread, every time I looked out at the horizon. Like there was something out there to be afraid of, but what? I became frustrated at the lack of being able to hear. To understand. They say dreams can be visions, well, if this was a vision, what was it trying to tell me?
I didn’t get my answer, when I suddenly heard Octavia’s voice in my ears. “Vinyl, it’s time to wake up. The train’s stopping.” I opened my eyes suddenly, and winced at the direct blast of sun I got in them. The room from my dream had been pretty dark, after all. I just gave a small grumble, before placing my shades over my eyes once again. Octavia smiled, giving me a quick peck on the cheek before trotting off to wait for me near the exit. Still where I could see her though, like always.
I gathered up my saddlebags and my few other carry ons with my magic, before following Tavi off of the train and into the streets of Manehatten. I had to stop, and just take a moment to sit down and gaze around the city. This city, it was the place where I had been given everything. My career, my shades, my fame, my fortune, even my Octavia...yet, it’s also the place that I’d lost it all in one night. Talk about mixed emotions for a single location. “Vinyl, are you quite alright?” Octavia asked, and I just shook my head in response.
“Yeah, Tavi, I’ll be fine. Let’s just get going, before the nostalgia crushes me.” I responded, getting a small giggle out of the grey mare.
Finding a hotel to stay in really wasn’t too awfully hard. Despite being out of the game for a month, my name still held weight. Tavi pointed out a lovely place near the concert hall, and it was near a few other places as well. I had thought of staying at...that one place, but I soon realized it would probably cripple me more than anything.
So, instead, I stopped by the hotel and booked one of the nicer rooms. Old habits die hard and all that. I made sure to tip with a bit extra to ensure that the owner or the employees didn’t go running around and telling all their friends who exactly was back in town. I was here to find out what happened to Octavia, not sign autographs and answer as to why exactly I wasn’t in the music business anymore.
“So, Vinyl, the sun is beginning to go down...When do you think would be the best time to approach them?” Octavia asked, and I just shrugged.
“No time like the present, right? If they’re gonna be playing again, they’ll be at the concert hall. I’ll just wave my name, get into the dressing room, and get some answers.” I nodded, a grin on my face. Maybe this would be easier than I originally thought? I got settled in my room, dropping off all of my luggage, before finally sprucing myself up in my own way, and setting off for the concert hall.
My trip to the concert hall was short, since the hotel wasn’t too far off either. Just like I thought, my name still had all the weight that I wanted it to have. Needed it to have. Thankfully, it was a classical concert hall. No one was going to press for me to play, and I got a few condolences. I was thankful for that. It helped me from relapsing back into thinking Tavi was alive. I needed to stay focused. I needed to remember why I was here in the first place.
I stood outside of the dressing room of the ensemble, and just took a moment to close my eyes and remember. The many times that I’d been in this same spot. Knocking, and waiting for one of the ensemble to open up. At first, I’d been an annoyance, but eventually, I was a welcome face. Always there to give Octavia words of encouragement, hold her close. The works. Spent sometime with the ensemble as a group, just hanging out. I’d not visited them since that day, but, well...I just hoped they could help me now.
I finally got the gumption, and gave the door a few knocks. It took a bit, and I could hear them shuffling about behind the door, before it suddenly opened. Frederick stared back at me, seemingly stunned to see me. I offered him a small smile now. “Uh, hey Freddy. Long time no see.” I said, trying to stay as calm as could be.
“He doesn’t seem too overjoyed to see you.” Tavi said, and it was true. If anything, Freddy seemed on edge at the sight of me. He was trying to hide it, sure, but something had the stallion shaken up. That was undeniable.
“Ah. Miss Scratch. To what do I, um, owe the...pleasure?” Freddy asked, cocking an eyebrow, staring at me. The way he positioned himself, it was like he was trying to block me from viewing the room. Like that didn’t, well, scream suspicion. First I spot the mare in the picture of opening night, and now this? Something was up, and I was going to get to the bottom of it.
“Freddy, I was just in town and I heard about the series of concerts you and the others were putting on. I thought that, well, I could pop in. That we could maybe have a chat?” I asked, trying to stay cheery. I couldn’t afford to show all my cards at the moment. I’d sound crazy, and with how jumpy Freddy was being, I didn’t want to give him any reasons to slam the door on my face. I just really hoped that he was just showing some pre-concert jitters.
“I-I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea, Vinyl. We have a concert to prepare for, and with emotions as it is because of the subject matter…” Freddy responded, and glanced back into the room.
“Oh, come on Freddy. I really want to see Beauty Brass and Harpo. I mean, it’s been awhile. I’d like to see them. There’s something I want to talk to you guys about…” I pressed, trying to take a step forward. Regrettably, Freddy was an earth pony, and I was a unicorn. No way in Tartarus I was going to power my way pass Freddy into the room. Besides, that really wouldn’t be a good reintroduction.
“Vinyl...Now is really, really not a good time.” Freddy pressed, stepping in front of me, to block me off even more. I looked at him, trying to judge his face. Something had definitely happened. Fine, now was the time to show my hoof of cards.
“Freddy...I read Octavia’s suicide note. It was off, there’s more to it than just a plain old suicide. I looked at the artical about your opening night. I saw a picture. A picture of a mare, that looked like Octavia. I mean, I know how you guys work. You would have spotted her in the crowd. I mean, did you approach her?” I asked, looking at him. His eyes, they were suddenly filled with fear.
“Vinyl. You need to go, now. I don’t have any idea what you’re possibly talking about. I thought you coming here was a sign that you’d recovered, but I was obviously wrong.” Freddy said, stepping back. “Go. The others don’t need to hear such nonsense.” Freddy pressed on, before he went to close the door. I pressed my hoof into the door, staring at Freddy. “Freddy. I want some damn answers NOW.” I said, and Freddy just set his face, staring down at me.
“Vinyl. This is not a road you want to go down. Go home, burn that photo, and burn that note. Go after the leads, and you won’t like it. Just leave us out of it!” Freddy responded, before opening the door wide, and slamming it in my face. What I saw, though, in the brief time that it was open...Beauty Brass, with her foreleg broken, and Harpo sporting a nasty black eye. As if someone had put them through a shake down.
I spent a few minutes outside of the door, hoping for Freddy or one of them to open the door. To see sense, and talk to me. When I saw one of the halls security guards turning the corner, I got the message. I wasn’t going to get any answers from Octavia’s old ensemble. Buck, if anything, I was just dumped with more questions. I was angry, frustrated. When I stepped outside, I was cold. I’d forgotten my scarf inside the concert hall, and I was really not going to go back in there.
“Vinyl, I know what you’re thinking...But, you saw what happened to Beauty Brass. To Harpo, and Freddy seemed quite scared enough. We should go back to the hotel room, collect ourselves. Not go off and do something...stupid.” Octavia said, walking next to me.
“I’m not going to do anything stupid, Tavi. I am just gonna find my old, favorite bar, and get roaring drunk for the first time in Celestia knows how long.” I responded, and despite her being a hallucination in my head, I could still hear her face hoof. I didn’t quite care at the moment. I was pissed. I needed something to just take my mind off things. I could rework my attack strategy tomorrow. Tonight, it was drinky drink time.
My favorite bar, The Trot, really wasn’t too hard to find. I hadn’t been there in awhile, but it hadn’t changed. It was one of those holes in the walls that nopony noticed, yet somehow stayed in business. I liked it simply for the reason that nopony knew me there. Literally. I once held a gig right next door, and the bartender never put it together. Like I said...Nopony noticed, but was perfect for a famous mare to hide out in. I even took Octavia to it, on one of our first dates.
I stopped drinking after that, simply for the reason that I could be ‘a bit of a tit’ when drunk. I did love that mare. Her hallucination gave me a disapproving look the whole entire time. “If you want, you can...Poof, till I’m done drinking.” I said, glancing to her while waiting for my first drink. Cider and rum. “And let you go completely off the handle? I need to remain for you to stay at least semi reasonable.” Octavia said, the drink being slid to me. Another perk of this bar? No one asked questions if you chatted with your dead marefriend. Not a soul.
“Thanks, Tavi.” I responded, raising up my glass with my magic. “Cheers.” I smirked, before the drinking began.
There are many types of drinkers. Social drinkers, sad drinkers, celebratory drinkers, angry drinkers. Me? Besides the one time I took Octavia to this little bar? I drank. To get. Drunk. It was an artform, and I was a professional artist. I cursed Freddy’s name with every drink, but at the same time, I had to feel pity for the guy. Whoever had come to the ensemble and did that to them...Must not of been pretty.
Hours went by, and I dutifully chugged my drink. Well, drinks, really. Eventually, I deemed I was more than drunk enough. On the way out, though, I bumped a pony. In my drunken stupor, I just giggled in response, till my eyes glanced down to the floor. It was a black, flower hair clip. That wasn’t what froze me, though. What froze me, is that it wasn’t just any black flower hair clip. It was an exact copy of one I got Octavia.
“...Might wanna pick that up.” Octavia urged, and I just gave a drunken giggle, before floating it up and clipping it into my hair. I was too drunk to see, or turn around to find who’d dropped it. Instead, I just went on my merry way, giggling. Tonight, I was the good, happy drunk. I didn’t even make it back to my room. Let alone my hotel. I was halfway through a city park, before I simply fell onto a bench, Octavia looked at me, before sighing. “Goodnight, my sweet.” I just giggled once more, giving a small wave.
“G’night, Tavi!” I replied, giving her a little wave, before finally dozing off.
I dreamed again, same room, with just me and Octavia, in our fancy get ups. It was night, and I was standing next to her, my hoof on her shoulder. She spoke, but her mouth seemed to move to fast for me to even lip read, and her words were like a buzzing in my ears. Indistinguishable. When I responded, it was the same story. Suddenly, there was a loud sound. Our heads snapped to the outside, and we saw quite a sight. A bright light, encompassing the moon...and when it faded, there was the shape of an almost mare on it.
Octavia looked down at herself, before looking up. She said something, and I tugged the blinds closed. My head turned back to her, and the world around us seemed to suddenly slow down. “...Do you love me?” Octavia asked, looking directly into my eyes. I stared back at her, just letting the question hang there in the air between up.
“To Tartarus and back, my love.” I responded. The sun rose just then, and the screaming suddenly began. I saw Octavia’s face be overwhelmed with panic, and then the dream ended.
I woke up the next morning, to the sound of cello music, filling the whole area. I sniffed the air, and caught a familiar scent. It was like tea and lavender...Filling the whole area. I remembered that scent. I remembered it so very well. I loved that scent, and more than that, I loved that mare who it belonged to. “...Octavia?” I asked, and the music suddenly stopped. I didn’t bother opening my eyes. I just groaned, and finally felt the full effects of my hang over starting to kick in.
I don’t know how long I laid there in bed, before my eyes finally drifted open. I began to notice a few things were off. I was in bed. My hotel bed, when I remembered falling asleep on a park bench in the middle of Manehatten. Besides that, there was that scent. Her scent. Filling the air. On my coat. My shades were set on the nightstand in front of me, along with the bow I usually wore of Octavia’s, and the hair pin.
I slowly got up, rubbing my hooves against my eyes, while still inhaling the scent filling the air. The scent of Octavia. “You seem troubled.” I heard Octavia say, and I turned to see her standing in the corner.
“Are you…?” I asked, my eyes hopeful, while I began to put on my shades and the bow. Octavia just frowned, sighing and shaking her head, putting her hoof through her chest as if to prove the point. I cursed under my breath, before getting off of the bed and shaking my own head. “Of course I’m troubled...My head is killing me. I got a hangover. I’m having weird as Tartarus day, I keep coming onto leads that lead into brick walls...Yeah, I’m troubled.” I cursed.
“What are you going to do now?” Octavia asked, walking up to me and looking at me in the eyes. I closed my eyes, and nodded. I had said I came back here to visit the scene of the crime, but even I doubted I was up for that. Instead...I could visit the next best thing.
“We’re going to your grave, Tavi...It’s time I paid my respects again.” I sighed, before nodding to the mare. Octavia seemed a bit shocked. I glanced to her to offer some words of encouragement, before I noticed something I hadn’t before. “Tavi...Last night, when I left...Did I have the window open?” Octavia glanced behind her, at the open window.
“I...I have no idea.” Octavia frowned, which made sense. If I didn’t know, well, she wouldn’t know either. Maybe it’d come to me? Later on. I just shook my head, and began to make my way out, Octavia close behind. I wanted to get to that grave, and soon.”
Octavia’s grave sight was, in a word, beautiful. I wasn’t in the very best of mind when I was arranging for her funeral, thankfully, her family was a big stickler for having a constant will. Octavia’s had been simple. Everything went to me, she was to be buried in Manehatten, and it was to be a unicorn funeral.
Now, the difference between an earth pony funeral, and a unicorn funeral, was simple, and yet complex. An earth pony funeral, the body was lowered and returned to the earth, to let their natural magic fill the area. Enhance it and enrich the earth. A Unicorn funeral, the body was entombed in stone above ground, with a magical...Transmitter, for lack of better term, on the top. Octavia’s was a cello, and it was meant to let me feel her, as it were. A comfort to me above all else.
I stood there, and I felt nothing. I head cleared it off of snow,made it look all pretty, even rearranged the flowers that her fans and others had been leaving. I’d felt nothing during her funeral, and neither had Lyra, or Rarity, or any unicorns in attendance. I’d been told that it didn’t always work with earth ponies. But that time, I’d cooked up the hallucination, so I didn’t care.
Now? Now, it just made me mad. I was mad at everything, really. I was mad at Freddy, for shutting me out. I was mad at Lyra and Bon Bon, for not being completely on board with me. I was mad at the ensemble, for being shaken down. I was mad at whoever had shaken up the ensemble. I was furious at the scent in the room. I was furious at that picture in the news paper. I was angry at this trip for bearing nothing but more questions. I was angry at myself for getting drunk, and as a result, hungover.
Most of all? I was angry at Octavia. I stared at the tomb, gritting my teeth now. “You...are you even in there? Don’t you know how much I love you? Don’t you know that I was about to purpose?” I asked, turning away, looking to the ground. “Do you even care at the mess my life is? Octavia...are you even in there!?” I shouted, before suddenly bucking her grave, hard.
I gave out a small gasp, when I found my hooves breaking the stone, and causing it to collapse. I set my hooves down, and slowly turned to face the grave. I stared at the sizeable hole I had made, but more than that, I stared at what was inside of the hole.
“By...By Celestia…” Octavia gasped besides me, and I only nodded my head, slowly. It wasn’t what was inside of the hole, inside of the grave, that amazed me. Oh no...It was the lack there of.
I don’t know how long Octavia and I just sat there, staring at her grave. Her empty grave, to be more specific. It was almost as if I was waiting for her body to just suddenly materialize in the grave. Look back at me. Something. The body, of course, never materialized. Octavia herself was quiet, just sitting there with me, staring at the empty grave. Eventually, I began to feel the world start to pick up again around me. Snow was falling again, heavily, the clouds blotting out the sun, and yet the city slowly beginning to come to life around me. I made a choice. I had to collect everything, and think it over.
It was Manehatten, so naturally it wasn’t hard at all to find a disposable camera. I bought one with the bits I always kept with me, before rushing over to the grave. Nope, still no body inside of the grave. I made sure to take a picture, to show to Lyra and Bon Bon when I finally got back to Ponyville. They would probably not believe me, otherwise. Tartarus, after the whole suicide note, they’d probably be ready to chuck me off to a sanitarium for my ‘mental health’ if I tried that. It would not be good for my investigation...Or anything, for that matter.
“So, Vinyl, tell me...What is the plan now? Now that we know that I’m...not dead. Wow. I never thought that I’d be saying that. I thought that reminding you I was dead would become commonplace. It’s...Kind of a very good thing that that won’t be my duty anymore,” Octavia said, sitting on my bed while I myself paced, mentally putting together all the bits and pieces of the whole mystery.
“Shouldn’t that slightly worry you? I mean, if I...No, when I find Octavia, alive, that means that you are probably going to vanish.” I had grown a bit fond of my mental projection of Octavia. Maybe that was because I was mentally unstable anyway, or it was simply because she was the fill-in Octavia till I find the real one. None the less, my mental projection just gave out a small laugh, rolling her eyes.
“Vinyl, please. I’m part of your subconscious. I want what you want, as long as it is to a believable degree of what Octavia would act like,” Octavia said, shrugging her shoulders. I rolled my eyes. Having to be told the details of mental projections by something you were mentally projecting was a bit like a slap in the face. “Now, do tell me...What is the plan now?” She asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“The plan now? Find you. Get the answers around your death. Just, fix things, really. I don’t know how, after you’ve been dead for a month….But, I’d find a way to return things to how they were before this whole thing. Long story short, I’m going to make sure that when I find you, wherever you are, I bring you home,” I finally said, glancing at the window and just watching the snow fall. “...I’ll bring you home, and we’ll watch the snow fall, just like we used to," I went on, closing my eyes and thinking back. “You always loved the snow…”
Octavia suddenly was next to me, wrapping me in her forelegs and tugging me close to herself. The embrace was bittersweet, really. I enjoyed the embrace, being held by Octavia like so many times before. After a rough gig, or when my manager was trying to jerk me around, Octavia would just hug me from the side and we’d sit there. No talking. No fidgeting. Nothing. Just her holding me and me resting my head against her chest.
Yet, at the very same time, this embrace hurt as well. I knew Octavia wasn’t here. That she wasn’t actually embracing me. That it was just a figment of my imagination. I had no comfort but my own. Thankfully, the room still smelt of Octavia, so it was close enough of a sensation to be a comfort and a slap in the face. I was still thankful for it though.
“Now, Vinyl...Take a moment and look over everything. We do need to be at least a hundred percent sure of this course of action before you go telling Lyra and Bon Bon of this theory of yours,” Octavia said when she finally did get to breaking up the hug. I just nodded my head because I knew that I would need to have my story straight.
“Alright. So, getting everything done and right...First, I read your suicide note and that made me think that there was something more to this whole thing. Next, I spotted the picture of the mare who looked like you in the newspaper clipping. After that, I met with Freddy and the Ensemble, and them being all screwed up really tipped me off to there being a lot more to this than just your suicide. As in, someone came in and roughed them up. After that, I got drunk and I’m not sure exactly what happened, just that I bumped a pony and picked up a flower hair clip that was just like one I got you, and the next morning...The room smelt just like you and the window was open. Not only that, but I had fallen asleep on a park bench, not in my room. After that, and this is the biggest.....I kicked open your grave, and there was no body to speak of.”
I had to admit, saying it all out loud put things into perspective, but also into a sense of disbelief. I tugged out all the evidence and laid it down on the bed in front of me. There was the picture of the look alike in the newspaper, attending the memorial concert. The hair clip, which smelled ever so faintly of Octavia. Finally, came the photo of the empty grave, which was probably the biggest thing I had to support my whole theory: That Octavia was still alive and kicking, and that someone didn’t want her found.
“Vinyl...What if I’m the one who doesn’t want found?” Octavia suddenly asked, and I turned to stare at her now. I stared at her like she was insane, even if she was my own mental projection. Of course, at the same time, I had never once thought it could be Octavia herself trying to stay hidden. The thought, the simple idea was just completely outlandish to me.
As I was getting all of my stuff together, I happened to glance out the window and freeze. There, outside of the building and fast approaching, was a trio of ponies. Now, normally, that wouldn’t shock me. What shocked me, and made me freeze in place, was a collection of things. The first thing was that they were dressed like the ponies in the picture of the newspaper clipping; Cloaks covering most of their body, hats over their heads, and shades over their eyes.
How could I tell that they were wearing shades if I was so high up and they were down on the ground? Simple, really. The three of them snapped up to look at me before looking straight ahead again and running for the lobby of the building. I felt this sense of fear come over me. I knew one thing and that was that I had to get out of the building, fast. In all the things I had been finding recently, there was no way in buck that this was a coincidence.
“Do you think we should just take one of the elevators down to the lobby? Maybe they’ll get in the wrong one and they’ll miss us completely,” Octavia said, glancing out of the window with me.
“I would really rather not run that risk, Octavia!” I replied while swiftly gathering up all that I could. The knowledge that there seemed to be a whole group trying to keep me from Octavia, it was rather, well, frightening...But at the same time, a bit exciting too. If I didn’t know that a trio of them was rushing up to do Celestia knows what to me, well, I’d think it was bucking awesome. Like one of those old spy movies where somepony gets in over their head, but does fine in the end. Call me Double O Pony...Or something.
“Well, it’s either out the window or down the stairs. Now, Vinyl...I know you can do some impressive tricks with sound, but please don’t go jumping out the window," Octavia said, glancing to the door. I did feel that, while I could look really...Really cool jumping off of the rooftop, it would be in my best interest to follow Octavia’s suggestion to get out of Dodge and up the stairs.
I stepped out of the room, glancing down the hallways, before turning and beginning to rush for the stairs. The hallway was mostly empty. I glanced down to the elevators and I could see the numbers slowly rising to my floor. I turned tail and began to run for the stairs, to the far end of the hallway. I heard the ding of the elevator just as I went through the door into the stairwell.
I wanted to stop and take a moment to breathe, but when I looked down the stairwell, I could see that one of them was already making his way up. Well, buck me. Seems that they'd covered both elevators and the stairwell. "Only one way to go, Vinyl," Octavia said, already on the higher steps. I gave a huff before I began to run up the stairs.
I was up two flights of stairs before the door swung open, and I could hear them beginning to chase after me. Well, they'd gotten done with my room fast. I just huffed before beginning to run faster, and I could hear their hoof beats running after me. They seemed to be gaining, no matter how quickly I galloped. I was thankful that I had a higher up room, so the roof wasn't too far. Once I got there, I had no idea what I'd do, but I would rather be on an open rooftop than in some stairwell.
I saw the door to the roof, and I didn't waste any time at all. I let my horn light up, and focusing the magic in it, and unleashed a sonic boom in front of myself. The sound was uncelestial, but it blew the door open. I ran out onto the roof, into the cold winter air, the snow still coming down. I ran to the very edge, glancing over, panting, before I stared back.
I saw the three of them, staring at me from inside the door. Just inside of the shadows as to be untouched by the sun. For a moment, I thought that they would just remain there and do nothing. For a few long moments, that is exactly what we did. Finally, one stuck an uncovered hoof out into the light. It winced slightly, but when nothing happened, they smiled. I looked on, my panic growing as the three of them stepped out into the light and just grinned at me. All I could see was their teeth, and they were topped with razor sharp fangs. Something that did not belong in the mouth of a pony.
I blinked, and one of them was suddenly right in front of me. I had one of them in front of me, and the open air of the fall back behind me. I felt that I deserved an answer before I was punted off of the roof top. So, steeling myself, I took a deep breath and looked the creature right in the face. "Where is Octavia?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the creature. It seemed to be slightly surprised, before smirking.
"With us." The pony seemed to be about to say something else, before another one was suddenly right next to me. I felt a strong hoof suddenly pressed to my side, before I was shoved off of the roof top.
I would like to say that I took hurtling towards my death with complete and total dignity and grace. That I looked to the ground, closed my eyes, and smiled. I, alas, am not a liar. I screeched like a banshee as I hurtled towards the ground. My mind was running through all the spells I knew, but sadly they were all sound based. I was about to become a splatter on the pavement, but I still found my mind drifting. Drifting to thoughts of Octavia. What did the thing mean, 'with us'? Could he have been any more cryptic? Why had the second one shoved me off? I almost wanted to laugh; In my final moments, I was thinking of my wife's death. It was almost poetic, others would simply believe I wanted to go out the same way.
The ponies of Equestria would be denied the ironic humor of me dying by splattering onto the pavement. I suddenly felt something slam into me from the side, making me give a loud grunt, the wind knocked out of me. I blinked a few times, suddenly seeing the ground hurtling away from me. I heard the flap of wings, and turned my head to spot my savior. Cyan coat, rainbow mane. Well, that scratched off Derpy and about every other Pegasus.
"Uh...Heya Dashie," I said with a nervous chuckle, glancing to the rainbow mare hurtling me through the air. Rainbow Dash looked at me, a frown on her features.
"Vinyl...Why were you falling off of a building?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking at me with a bit of an accusing look. Oh yeah, all of Equestria would of been just fine thinking that I’d ended my own life. I didn’t know whether to hate them all, or pity myself for setting myself up like that. I decided that neither was a good option at the moment. I had much bigger fish to fry.
"I tripped while sight seeing. The snow can get slippery, after all...Hey, think I could hitch a ride back to Ponyville?" I asked, giving the Pegasus a nervous chuckle. She narrowed her eyes at me for a few moments, before letting out a bit of a sigh.
"I'll take you to the train station...but I'm still going to call Bon Bon and Lyra," Rainbow Dash said, and I just smiled, nodding my head. She could tell all of Ponyville for all I cared. I was alive, but more importantly...So was Octavia.
Rainbow Dash dropped me off at the train station, with just enough bits to buy a ticket. I smiled and gave her a small wave while she flew off. After that, I purchased a ticket for Ponyville, and boarded the train. I found my seat quickly, sitting down and glancing about. Thankfully, the train car was filled with only a few stray souls. I was thankful for that, before looking in front of myself at the seat in front of me.
"I must say, that was rather exciting," Octavia breathed, fanning at herself a bit with her forehoof. I nodded my head, looking out the window as the train lurched to life.
"Yep...But this proves literally everything. You're alive. You are alive and someone has you...That is, till I find you." I smirked, looking at the snowy landscape speeding by. I felt invigorated, really. Octavia, the love of my life, was alive. I felt that she was speeding closer to me by the second. I knew she wouldn't be at Ponyville when I got back, it couldn't be that easy...But still. She was a lot closer now than she'd been the past month.
“Do you know what you’re going to do when you find me, Vinyl?” Octavia asked, looking at me. I finally turned back to her, tapping my hooves on the tabletop between us. Well, if that wasn’t the million bit question.
“Well...First off, I’m going to make sweet, sweet, music with you. After that, I am going to marry you before anything else can come up to screw things up. Finally? We’ll just live happily ever after.” I smiled, and Octavia couldn’t help but give a small smile.
“Now, if isn’t that a delightfully romantic idea…” Octavia sighed, just smiling at me. I glanced around to ensure that no one was watching, before I leaned forward and gave her a small kiss on the lips. Looking crazy now once the news of my little fall in Manehatten got around, well, it would not be good. At least Rainbow Dash would get some positive cred from rescuing me from hitting the pavement.
“Um, excuse me, may I sit there?” A voice suddenly asked me, jolting me from my conversation with my hallucination. I turned my head to spot a pegasus mare looking at me, her face the definition of sweet. A pretty little thing, almost reminded me of Fluttershy, if she got a mane cut, dyed her mane light green and had a grey coat.
“Oh, sure. Go ahead.” I smiled now, before glancing to Octavia, who scooted over to make room for the other mare. Not that it mattered, but having my wife sticking out of another pony would just be strange. She smiled, giving a small nod of her head and tugging out a rather large book.
I spent a bit of the train ride watching the landscape go by. I wanted to keep discussing battle plans with Octavia, but I really didn't want to seem crazy. Finally, though, I did look at my seat mate once again. It was a rather impressive sized book. Twilight Sparkle probably read those kinds of tomes for breakfast, but to see an average pony with it? Plus, the hum of the train was beginning to get aggravating. "So, what's that book about?" I finally asked. The mare looked up at me, blinking a few times in surprise.
"Oh, this? It's a big book of ancient legends from old Equestria. Nightmare Moon age. I'm actually reading one of the more interesting legends," the mare said, and I nodded my head. I could use a bit of fantasy.
"Well, what's it about? The interesting legend and all?" I asked, before a dolly came by. I ordered an iced tea, and was able to resist the urge to buy Octavia something. The other mare just got a soda pop.
"Oh, um...You ever hear of a Vampony? You know, the sun warriors cursed by Nightmare Moon? Feed on life force, too much direct sunlight makes them burst to ash? Well, I'm reading the legend about their rulers...Or, ruler. The Countess and The Servant," the mare said, and for some strange reason, that struck some chord with me. I got a brief flash of those dreams I'd had, but they were gone just as quickly.
“...Do tell," I said, taking a few sips of my tea. I had gone from a passing fancy to a legitimate interest. I'd never been big on vamponies or weretimberwolves, but when a pony says something that makes you remember your weird dreams, you listen.
"Well...Legend says that a thousand years ago, during the brief battle with Nightmare Moon, Nightmare Moon was able to enact a curse on a royal house. This house was a group of ponies whose special talents was to gain power from the sun. Stronger, faster, more agile. They even got a boost from the light reflected off of the moon! That was, until Nightmare Moon’s curse took hold. It cursed the house to become monsters of the night, so that not only could they no longer procreate through natural means, but now direct contact to the sun would overload and kill them. The time after Nightmare Moon was chaos, trying to fix what she’d done...Celestia pitied the house, tried to find a work around, but Nightmare Moon’s magic had been absolute, and the Harmony was broken, so Celestia couldn’t use that either.”
“So...Where does the Countess and Servant come into all this?” I asked, cocking my head. I had never quite heard this retelling of Vamponies. Sure, thestrals gone mad, Discord magic, even a different type of changeling. Some did blame Nightmare Moon, but this was still my first time hearing this legend. The mare I had interrupted waved her hooves a bit, and I quieted down again.
“I’m getting to that. Celestia pitied the house, and her inability to help them. It was soon found that their only method of procreation was taking the lifeblood of another pony, and giving back some of their taint. So, Celestia sat up three distinct rules to try and protect her ponies. Rule one, never feed to kill. Rule two, don’t turn a pony with a happy life and many friends. Rule three, don’t reveal yourself to Ponykind at large. The house accepted the rules, but they needed someone to enforce them. That is where the countess and her servant came in. They weren’t the strongest, but they were the heads of the house. The countess would decide who was guilty, and the servant would deal out the required punishment.”
“Sounds pretty brutal. If they weren’t the strongest, why did people listen?” I interrupted again. I really couldn’t help it. I wanted to know about these two. How in the world was I linked to them, or Tavi if she was. The mare I was speaking with lit up like a stage light.
“That’s the best part, really. The servant, the one who got her hands dirty...She was smart. Smart, and good with a sword too. She’d set these big, elaborate traps that would span whole buildings. Flooding, sun stones, fires, and anywho survived that, she would be waiting to personally take them out. It was brutal," the mare said, totally delighted at the thought of it. I blinked a few times, before sipping my drink, mulling over my next question very carefully.
“So...Are they still around today? Like, immortals lurking among us or anything?” I asked, and oddly that seemed to make the door mare deflate more than anything else. It didn’t give me much hope for the ending of this story.
“Sadly, no...While the vampony is theorized to be immortal from the power of the sun, the countess and servant didn’t die of natural means. Eventually, the vampony secret got out. Celestia’s hooves were tied, and the guards descended upon their estate. Many escaped, but at the same time….Many didn’t. The servant stayed behind to cover the countess’s escape, and fell in battle. They say that this sent the countess into a depression, and after casting a powerful spell, she died of grief.” “What was the spell?” I cut in, leaning in towards the girl. I felt so close to a final piece of something. Right within my reach, and this girl had the key. She smiled, and opened her mouth to inform me...Before her eyes grew wide. Without a word, she got up and hastily began to make her exit, not even bringing her book with her. I stared after her, about to call out, before Tavi pointed behind me.
I turned, and my eyes grew wide. Those ponies, with the hats, coats, and glasses, were silently making their way down the car ahead of this one, making their way towards me. “Oh buck me…” I hissed, before lifting the book up and placing it into my saddle bag. Magical bags were really useful for storage at times like this. I instantly got up and began to make my way towards the end of the train, trying to look as unsuspicious as ever.
That lasted all of about ten seconds before I heard the door open behind me, and a yell for me to stop. I instantly took off into a gallop to get somewhere. Off of this train, maybe. Not like I had many other options. I was instantly thankful that I’d been seated near the caboose, and just picked up the pace. I could hear them running after me, trying to get me to stop. “Vinyl! We just want to talk!” One of them shouted. I was almost panicked that he knew my name, but I was kind of famous. Maybe it was just a thing like that.
I heard their hoof beats growing closer, but I just pressed on. I finally got to the caboose, running through, not even taking a moment to observe my surroundings. I barely heard a hissing noise, before I jumped out of the door. We’d been nearing Ponyville, so I found myself tumbling on some heavier snow. It hurt, of course, but the snow mostly broke my fall. I turned to see the train slowly chugging away. Strangely enough, nothing came out after me.
“What now…?” Octavia asked, watching the train get smaller and smaller into the distance. I slowly turned my head to look at my bag, the large book still inside of it.
“We get walking….This mess is just getting started," I said, before beginning to trudge forward through the snow. At least things were getting interesting. Not only that, but Octavia was getting closer to my grasp.
