The Chapter
Having come from a history of famous classical music players, expectations were piled on me from the moment I could hold a bow string. I was taught to always have polite manners, learn and practice every classical piece of music ever made, and never associate with those who were below as status.
Needless to say I broke that last rule when I became friends with DJ Vinyl Scratch who many knew as DJ Pon-3. We were roommates in college and didn’t like each other at first. Well, I didn’t like her. She was rude, smelly, wild, and all things barbaric, but we became friends after she beat up some stallions who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. While our taste in everything was different, it was our passion for music in general that made us connect.
My parents grew to accept us as friends... they just couldn’t accept us as lovers. My parents gave it to me clear as glass: either dump Vinyl and date some pony of our status or be kicked out. That day I moved in with Vinyl, but never with regret. I lost some standing in my old social circles, but my skill with a cello and the fame that came with it still kept me on the top even without my parents backing me. I even became more popular when Vinyl and I teamed up to release an album mixing both classical and dub-step that became the third longest number one album in the charts.
That was the day Vinyl proposed to me.
For three years, we’ve been happily married in Ponyville, focusing on our love and our music. We had no need for foals since every song and melody we made was like our own child to nurture and grow. Little did I know that this normal life I lived was going to change that day.
I had awakened that morning without Vinyl’s touch which didn’t surprise me. She had been working all night every night for the past week, all for a song she was asked to make for a friend of hers named Neon. Smacking my lips, I walked out of bed and towards the bathroom to freshen up. One hot shower later, I went downstairs where I saw Vinyl making pancakes while the fresh aroma of coffee hit my nostrils instantly.
Vinyl must have sensed me around the kitchen since she used her magic to pour me a cup. I took with a sigh and sipped the warm drink with a smile. I always had a weakness for coffee since I was a teenager. Some days I just couldn’t do anything without a cup to get me through the day.
“Morning sleepyhead,” said Vinyl in a cheerful tone, as she placed the last of her pancakes on a second plate and put both on the table next to some butter and syrup. We sat down as I looked at her from across my seat where she was gobbling up the food as if it were her last meal on this earth. Pretty much her usual eating habit actually.
“For somebody who spent all night in their recording room, you sure are quite cheerful,” I replied with a raised eyebrow while pouring some syrup on my pancakes.
“Finally finished that track. Gonna head over to Canterlot later today to deliver it to Neon,” replied Vinyl, but not before letting out a burp.
“First, you’re going to get some sleep. You’ve been doing this late night stuff for too long. You need to rest,” I pointed out. More than once I had come home to find her passed out in the middle of the day in a puddle of her own drool.
“Come on, Tavi. I’m not that tired,” she said, grinning behind those shades of hers, but I knew better. Reaching forward, I took them off and I smirked upon seeing the bloodshot eyes she had as well as the bags underneath them. “Okay, maybe I’m a little tired...”
“Bed after you eat. No excuses,” I ordered as I continued to eat. “And I want you to go to bed early for the next few days to make up for all the time you lost.”
“Come on, don’t tell me you don’t want to have sex,” wined my wife to which I chuckled.
“Who said we were giving that up,” I teased.
She smirked at me before getting up with a yawn. “Tell you what. I’ll sleep on the train to and from Canterlot, okay? Will that be enough?”
Sometimes I wonder if I was more stern and told her no, could I have prevented what happened that day? But at the time she looked at me with her puppy face and I couldn’t say no to that. “Fine, just be sure to get sleep. Meaning no bringing your headphones.”
“Yes, Mom,” she said before sticking her tongue out. She walked over and kissed me on the lips before levitating her saddlebags over. “I’m going to head out now so I can catch the early train. Pizza for dinner?”
“With extra pickles,” I said.
“Sweet. I love you!” she said exiting out of the door.
“Love you too, Vinyl,” I said, before huffing, as I realized she left me to do the dishes. I decided to get up and do them the normal way instead of the “wub” way which was blasting them with dub-step with our modified stero-dishwasher. Don’t ask me how it works, I was married to her for years and I still don’t know how it’s scientifically possible.
After doing the dishes, I decided to read a book I’d been interested in for the past few days. I had no planned concerts or practices for the next month so I was free to read to my heart’s content. I sat down and spent what had to be five to six hours before a series of knocks on my door woke me from my reading.
Answering the door, I found a frightened and teary-eyed Lyra, one of our neighbors, looking at me with terror. She then said something that changed my world forever.
“There has been a train accident!”
***
I’ve been through scary events before. I was there when the changelings attacked Canterlot. I’ve survived through such villains as Discord and Tirek. And I thought the world was ending when Nightmare Moon prevented the rising of the sun. However, throughout all those events I always had Vinyl by my side. I had that small comfort that if this was the end, I had the one I loved beside me.
Now, I was going through another crisis, but it was Vinyl who was in danger and not me. I stood with almost half of Ponyville near the train station as we begged for answers from Princess Twilight Sparkle and Mayor Mare. I was completely in tears and doing my best to hold onto Lyra. Bon Bon, her wife, was on the train and we were doing our best to stay strong. I never was a full believer in prayer but at that moment I was praying Vinyl was okay.
“Everypony! Please remain calm!” shouted Twilight, enhancing her voice with a spell that made us all quiet down. “I know you have questions, but please let me speak so that I can tell you what’s going on.” After nopony spoke a word, she took a deep breath. “Sometime around this morning, there was a rock slide that landed in the path of the Friendship Express. The train tried to stop, but it crashed.” A loud number of gasps escaped the group, including one from me. “At this moment, rescue teams personally lead by Princess Celestia are helping those who have been injured in the accident. I am in constant contact with her via Spike and will keep updating you all on what’s going on.”
“Are they all okay?!” somepony in the group asked.
The somber look on Twilight’s face already answered that question, but nevertheless she replied, “I’m sorry to say that... there are casualties and some of them are from Ponyville.”
Now there was open sobbing among us as I did my best to keep standing. Lyra was in absolute tears, as was I. The fate of the love of our lives was completely unknown to us. “My friends and I will be delivering personal news to you all, you may either wait here or relax in places of relaxation such as your homes, my castle, town hall, or Sugarcube Corner,” said Twilight as she lowered her head. “I know this is going to be hard for us, but we need to stay together as a community in this tragedy. Remember, we’re all in this together, for good or ill. If you need a friend, just ask the pony next to you. Thank you.”
There were still questions to be asked and many were shouted, but I knew that there was nothing to do but wait for news. I guided Lyra towards the direction of Twilight’s castle where many of us decided to go to await the fate of our friends and loved ones. Along the way, I thought about every second I had spent with Vinyl that morning. Every sentence we shared and look we gave. I could remember her kiss as easy as remembering to move one hoof forward to move. I did this not only to keep her in my head and heart, but to remember her just in case that was the last time I ever saw her.
Before I knew it, we were already in the guest hall of Princess Twilight’s castle. Applejack and Fluttershy were there, serving refreshments for us as we either stood in silence or chatted with others. Prayer groups were formed and some just fell to the floor in tears.
The waiting was so long it was almost like being in the gallows and waiting for your call to be executed. Other members of Twilight’s friends would come over to each of us over time and give news of those we knew. Sometimes we saw a pony crying tears of joy, that meant they were okay. Other times they fell to the floor in despair, that meant they died or were in serious condition. While I recognized all the names of the deceased, only a few really stuck me in shock: The Twist Family, Blossomforth, Caramel, Diamond Tiara and her mother, Raindrops, Ace, Blues, Amethyst Star, and Cheerilee.
All of these poor ponies I said a prayer for, but continued to keep in my hopes that Vinyl was alive as well as Bon Bon for Lyra. Eventually, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle came to the two of us where we sat together, holding hooves in anticipation.
“Lyra, can you please follow me?” asked Twilight, her voice and appearance as neutral as possible to hide any hint of emotion.
Lyra looked at me with uncertainty but I nodded her to go forth. The two old friends went their way to a separate part of the hall as I turned to Rarity and held my breath. “Is Vinyl okay? Please tell me she’s alive!”
“She’s alive, Octavia,” said Rarity which made me smile and collapse in relief.
“Oh, thank heaven...” I whispered, however, I then paused in my celebration when I saw Rarity bite her lip. “W-what happened?”
“... Vinyl was critically injured in the crash. She’s in Saint Megan’s Hospital for emergency treatment,” replied Rarity.
“Oh, sweet Celestia,” I whispered in horror. “I-I-I-I have to get to Canterlot! I have to see her!”
Rarity held her hoof up. “Twilight is already working on getting air balloon ships to come in and pick up those who need to go to Canterlot to see their loved ones. You will see Vinyl shortly.”
“Noooooooo!” shouted a scream that made me jump. I turned around and saw Lyra having a fit as Twilight hugged her. “Bon Bon! Boooooonniiieeeee!”
My heart tore itself upon seeing my friend fall into despair. I didn’t know if it was wrong to be glad that my wife was not sharing Bon Bon’s fate, or to be horrified that all I could think about was how glad I was that it was not me.
***
Eventually, we were able to head to the city of Canterlot via airships and hot air balloon travel. Some of us were going to take our loved ones home or see them at the hospital. Others, like Lyra, were heading for the morgue. I sat with her the entire way, only parting when guards asked those there for the deceased to follow them.
I told Lyra to be strong before we parted, but my words didn’t seem to ring in her ears. I couldn’t blame her. If Vinyl had died...
I followed the group that was heading to the various hospitals that were treating those in the accident. I hadn’t heard any news of Vinyl’s condition since Rarity told me what happened. While I was glad she was alive, I feared that could change at any second. So many different scenarios went through my mind, ranging from a coma to permanent loss of a limb. Each horrible idea worse than the next.
Once we arrived, an entire crowd of news reporters were there, asking us questions about how we were feeling. I’ve always disliked the press, but they could all choke on their film for delaying us from seeing those we loved. Didn’t they care that ponies were maybe dying and some of us wanted to see them one last time and be by their side before it was over?
When we were finally inside, the nurses each gave us locations of where our loved ones were. Vinyl, to my sorrow, was still in surgery and it was going either way for her. I sat in the waiting room, crying my eyes out as I wished I had someone to comfort me. I didn’t dare risk going out to find those who I knew in Canterlot and not being here for Vinyl when she needed me, and most of my Ponyville friends were either visiting their own friends and family... or in the case of Bon Bon they were dead.
I felt bile rising up from my throat as it finally hit me that ponies I had known for years, and even befriended were gone. I rushed to a nearby wastebasket and let loose the contents in my stomach. Tears mixed in with the filth as I sobbed for the lives that were lost: Bon Bon, Cheerilee, Amethyst, and so many more. I only prayed that Vinyl would not being joining them on a trip to the next world.
While I sat there, head over the basket, I felt a warm and soothing rub on my back. After letting loose a little bit more, I wiped my mouth and turned around to thank whoever it was that helped. I saw two faces I hadn’t seen in years.
“Mama... Papa...” I whispered in disbelief as my parents looked at me with sorrow in their eyes and warm gentleness that a parent gives their child when they know they are needed. “What... what are you...”
“Vinyl listed us as her in-laws in her emergency contacts,” whispered Papa as he spoke with a twinge of regret. “We were shocked considering our last argument... all those years ago...”
That was the day my parents told me to break it up with Vinyl and find a stallion or mare who was of our social standing, or get out. I choose the latter and never saw my parents again. Until now. Vinyl always held hope they would turn around, but I never once thought they would. Yet, there I was hugging my parents as they wrapped their forelegs around me. I was like a little filly who scrapped her shins or had a bad dream about some monster coming to eat me. All I wanted was to be held and loved. My Papa and Mama did just that.
“I’m so sorry, peu violoncelle,” whispered Mama as she nuzzled me, letting me cry on her shoulder. “I am so sorry for so many things.”
Peu violoncelle. Little cello. It was the nickname she gave me after I got my cutie mark. I hadn’t heard it since I was sixteen.
“Vinyl is... she’s...” I blubbered, but Papa put his hooves on my shoulders and stared at me.
“She’s going to be okay,” said Papa. “I may not have agreed with your choice of marriage, Octavia, but I can see how much you two love each other. Vinyl, despite being rude, is a stubborn mare, isn’t she? I bet she’ll fight just to see you again and you can both go home together. I promise.”
“Peu violoncelle,” whispered Mama. “Have faith in your wife. Just like I always have faith in your father.”
I slowly nodded, wiping the tears away as they helped me stand up. “Thank you, but... why now? Why now of all times?”
The two of them looked at each other in shame before turning to me. “We’ve always regretted our fight, Octavia,” explained Papa. “We were just too ashamed and thought you hated us. We thought you wouldn’t forgive us.”
I quickly hugged them both and sobbed. “I... I missed you... p-p-please don’t leave.”
The hug they gave me back was their answer.
“Mrs. Scratch?” cried a voice which took my attention. It was a earth pony nurse who was looking around for me.
I quickly broke the hug and rushed to the nurse. “I’m Octavia Scratch! How is Vinyl?! Is she okay?!”
The nurse gave a heavy sigh. “Your wife is going to be okay. She’s out of surgery and we’re putting her into a room to rest. You can see her in two hours.” I was about to let out a joyous cry when I heard the nurse continue. “However, she suffered a great deal of damage to her occipital lobe section of her brain...”
“Wha-what does that mean?” I asked with my parents joining me.
“According to our scans, I’m afraid your wife is going to be blind for the rest of her life.”
***
My Vinyl. My sweet Vinyl. I stood before her unconscious body in her room with my Mama holding my shoulders. Papa had gone to take care of the paperwork, saying all the bills would be paid for by him and my mother.
Money didn’t mean anything to me at the moment. Nothing did but the agonizing time between now and when Vinyl woke up to a world of nothing but darkness.
Blind.
She was going to be blind forever. I didn’t even known that it was possible upon hurting your head so much. I have seen her take blows to the head before from falling, trips, and even a few fights. I once saw her shrug off a chair to the back of her head in a bar fight after some stallions made rude comments about my flank.
Vinyl always seemed invincible in my eyes. Now she would never see out of her own again. I didn’t dare imagine what it was going to be like for her; for both of us. I was still hoping that this was all a bad dream and I would just wake up in bed next to Vinyl, drooling on my face after a night of sex.
“What am I going to do...?” I whispered to myself.
My mother stroked my mane as she gently whispered, “Whatever you can do for her, peu violoncelle. You will need to be her light in the dark times to come. It will not be easy, your love will be tested, but you must never let go of her.”
I nodded. I had already resolved myself to always be there for Vinyl, I just didn’t know how to deal with it. Could we get help to readjust Vinyl to life as a blind pony? Were there programs we could use? Special equipment? Would our entire house have to be rearranged to have a blind pony live in it?
So many questions and before all this all I had to worry about was if my wife was alive or not. The entire day had been one stressful moment to another, so much that I felt like I was going to just explode.
“Mmmmm...” My head shot up as I saw Vinyl stirring from her sleep. I rushed over and grabbed her hoof as she struggled to open her eyes. “What happened.... where.... what...”
“Vinyl? It’s me, Octavia,” I whispered as I leaned forward.
“Tavi? W-what happened? Why do I feel... ugh...” she groaned while attempting to lift her head up, but fell down upon her pillow.
“Shhh, don’t move or speak. You’re still in recovery,” I said with haste. “There was a train accident... you were injured and...”
And that’s why she opened her eyes.
I held my breath as those violet eyes I loved stared into the world, yet they could see nothing no matter how open they were. Vinyl grumbled and looked around. “I... I can’t see you... is it night?”
“N-no,” I whispered, tears falling down my eyes. “It’s... day....”
Her breathing began to increase as her eyes widened in panic. “O-O-Octavia... why can’t I see?” I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t answer. I just sobbed and squeezed tighter. “C-come on, Octavia! This isn’t funny! Why can’t I see?! What’s going on!”
“Vinyl, I’m sorry!” I screamed as I hugged her, feeling her body freeze up from feeling me but not seeing me. “I’m so sorry! I promise I’ll do whatever I can to help you! I promise!”
“Oct... Octavia... am.... am I....” I felt her tears drop against my shoulders. “Octavia... I’m scared...”
So was I.
Vinyl was surprised when my mother and father made themselves known to her, but she was glad they were with us. If it were any other day, Vinyl would just jokingly tell me “I told you so”, but she was too frightened to even speak. We got a doctor to explain as best he could what was happening to Vinyl and if there was any cure for her blindness.
“The best way I can explain this is that the damage to your occipital lobe from the accident has caused a neurological dysfunction between your eyes and brain. They cannot project the images you see in the world anymore. If the damage wasn’t too severe, we could risk an operation to fix this, but I’m afraid the odds are too low for any surgeon to try. Maybe in the future, it could be less risky or a new procedure could come that we can try, but I’m afraid, Mrs. Scratch, that there is no way to fix your condition. Even with magic.”
“B-but how am I going to live? How will I make music?!” begged Vinyl, who looked like at the doctor, begging for an answer.
“We can provide you with some information and an assistant to help you with readjusting to normal life without your sight,” said the doctor with a sigh. “As for music... I don’t know, Mrs. Scratch. I don’t know.”
VInyl didn’t say anything. She just lowered her head and sobbed as I kissed her on the cheek and hugged her. The doctor left, leaving the four of us alone in the room. None of us said anything as Vinyl just sat there crying, as if her world had come to an end. For a musician like Vinyl, to lose any of your senses, it was horrible.
None of knew what to say. All we could do was sit in silence.
***
I guided Vinyl into our home as the carriage driver carried our bags inside. It had been nearly two weeks since we left the house; two weeks since the accident. Mama and Papa let us stay in their mansion as Vinyl recovered and adjusted to the fact she was blind. I felt that she was slowly getting better about her condition or at least accepting it. She made a joke about how she could now wear her shades permanently or something. Sorry, it’s hard to remember it.
We slowly made our way to the couch as I helped Vinyl sit down, her cane levitating around so she could feel what was around her. It was a gift from the hospital after they released her. I turned to the taxi pony as he settled down the bags. “Thank you, we’ll be able to take care of the rest.”
“You sure?” he asked with a sympathetic tone.
“Yes, thank you,” I said as I paid him his bits and a little extra for a tip.
He nodded in thanks before glancing at Vinyl one last time and left. When he did Vinyl huffed, “He didn’t have to pity me.”
“Vinyl, he was just being nice,” I said, but she scoffed. I sighed as I took the bags and made my way up to the room. “I have your dress in my bags. Do you need help getting it on or-”
“I can dress myself, Tavi,” muttered Vinyl.
I didn’t say anything as I made my way to the stairs and walked up them. The doctor warned me that Vinyl would go through various stages of grief upon losing her sight. She had been in shock and tears throughout the first week upon learning she was blind. Now she had been nothing but angry.
I couldn’t blame her, and I never once acted against her for it. She needed to vent it out and come to terms that this was happening. I didn’t know how long she would be like this, but I knew it was all building up one big eruption of anger.
Placing our bags on the bed, I got both our dresses for the memorial later today. It was the main reason why we came home. Most of the ones who died in the accident were from Ponyville and a big memorial was going to be held in Princess Twilight’s castle halls. We were also going to support our friend Lyra, who I barely heard from since the accident. From what I heard, she hadn’t been doing so well, and I feared what might happen to her in the future. Bon Bon was the love of her life as Vinyl was to mine. If Vinyl died... I would lose that will to live so quickly. I made a mental note to see Lyra when I got the chance.
After putting on my dress, I went back downstairs to see that Vinyl hadn’t moved at all from her spot. I didn’t know if she was afraid to or not, but it was best if she didn’t move without me. We would have to get her to memorize the house and its objects without her sight, plus Mama and Papa were paying some house designers to make our home more livable for a blind pony.
I told them we could afford it, but they said they wanted to make up for their mistake. I was in no point to argue.
“Vinyl, I have your dress,” I said as I placed it on her lap. She didn’t say anything. She just took it and made for our bathroom nearby. “Do you need-”
“I know where our bathroom is and how to put on a dress,” snapped Vinyl as she made her way forward, levitating both her cane and the dress.
I didn’t say anything. I just sat down and hoped everything was going to be okay. Even though it was as bright as could be outside, it still felt like it was raining. My wife was blind and friends I had known for years were dead. Even though I was grateful to whatever god was up there that I had my wife, I wished that he or she could have saved the others.
A crash inside the bathroom made me leap out of my seat and rush in. “Vinyl, are you okay?!”
Groaning, Vinyl rubbed her head as she glared at the floor. “Y-yeah, tripped over the wastebasket.”
I sighed in relief that she didn’t hit her head against the toilet or the tub. I helped her get up and she grumbled something that made me stop. “What?”
“... I hate this,” grumbled Vinyl as she closed her eyes tight and tears started falling out. “I hate this. I hate this! I hate this!”
She screamed as she pounded her hoof on the floor over and over again. I just gasped and watched her keep pounding until blood started to appear. That’s when I grabbed her hoof in an effort to stop her but her elbow smacked into me. I yelped as I fell to the floor, holding my nose.
“Octavia?! Are you okay?!” shouted Vinyl in fear as she crawled over to me. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it!”
“I know,” I whispered as I got up and slowly wrapped my forelegs around her. “I know...”
Vinyl froze up at first but then stopped and began to sob into my shoulder. I didn’t say anything, I just held her as gently as I could and nuzzled her cheek as she let it all out. I didn’t hate her. I could never hate her. I love her more than I love myself. Her tears were my tears. Her pain was my pain. Her anger was my anger.
“This sucks... this bucking sucks...” sobbed Vinyl. “I don’t want to be b-b-b-blind!”
“I know,” I whispered, “but you are alive.” She slowly began to subside as I continued. “You're alive, Vinyl. To me, that’s the most important thing. I know this is going to be tough, I know this is going to cause problems... but we are going to pull through this together.” I looked into those eyes, even if she couldn’t see mine, and smiled. “Things are going to change, but the one thing that is never going to change is how much I love you, Vinyl Scratch.”
A new fresh set of tears started to form in Vinyl’s eyes, only this time they were accompanied by a smile.
***
One of the first things Vinyl wanted to learn was how to move and interact without needing me twenty-four seven. We started with familiarizing Vinyl with the house, while she learned to move by relying on her other senses, including hearing. Thankfully, I moved all of the expensive stuff to safer locations since she did cause a few accidents. Yet she was able to quickly pick up learning to move around the house without me.
The next step was Ponyville. During one of our test days (where Vinyl would try to remember where to go for each location with just me by her side silently), we were just getting out of the house when I saw something that utterly surprised me. A moving carriage as right outside of Lyra’s house. Vinyl must have heard my surprised gasp as she turned to me and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Lyra’s moving. She has a carriage for her stuff,” I whispered in shock.
“Really?” said Vinyl, turning to the house’s direction. “Think this has to do with Bon Bon’s death?”
I didn’t answer because I couldn’t think of any other reason why. After the funeral, she shut everypony out, including us. Walking over, we saw her helping the hired movers until she noticed us and gave a small smile.
“Hey,” she said before nodding to the movers. “Guess the cat’s out the bag, huh?”
“We’re you even going to tell us?” asked Vinyl.
“Tomorrow actually. I’m not leaving until next week. I already asked Pinkie Pie to set up a farewell party,” said Lyra with a sigh. “Look, I can’t stay here, everything reminds me of... Bonnie.”
I saw a few tears drip down her cheek and moved in for a hug. Vinyl did too, although with a bit more difficulty. After this, she told us she had to keep working, and promised to talk later. Walking away, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would be like that if Vinyl was killed in the accident too. Would I be unable to live in this wonderful town I called home for years or would I be doing something worse like drinking or suicide, like in the news I heard of other victims loved ones?
“Don’t,” stated Vinyl, as she stopped and turned to me. “Don’t think ‘what if’? It will only drive you crazy.”
“How did you...?”
“I heard your heart beating faster and I guessed it was about the idea of you and Lyra switching places. What if I was dead and Bon Bon was the one blind, right?” said Vinyl, shaking her head. “Listen, if there is one thing I’ve done in my life is that I never think about what I could have done differently. And that mindset is all but keeping me sane because what I am now. Don’t ask how you could have handled me being dead because it's only going to make you crazy.”
I opened my mouth to say something but soon shut it and nodded; Vinyl was right. I couldn’t and shouldn’t start to question situations that never happened. All I could do was live in the situation I was in now.
“Great, so why don’t we head down Main street and into Town Square so I can see if I memorized where all the stores are,” said Vinyl with a cheerful smile as her cane lead the way.
I shook my head with a smile and followed her.
***
Vinyl did pretty good that day, but we soon sat down to rest in a park. Taking out her braille learning book, she started going over it while I sat down to rest my hooves. Despite the fact that Lyra was moving away, it was a pretty nice day all things considered. Of course, things went wrong when a few teenagers who should have been in school were talking to each other before they were about to pass us.
I knew they were trouble the moment one of them, an earth pony with a hoodie, looked at them and sneered. “Well, lookie here, boys. It’s none other than the great DJ Pon-3.” He smirked and moved towards Vinyl who was focusing on her book and ignoring him. “So the rumor that your blind really is true, huh? Can’t even see me waving in yer face.”
I growled. “Leave her alone.”
“Ah, shut up. I’m not doing any harm,” chuckled the hoodlum along with his friends. He waved his hoof in Vinyl’s face. “Hello? You gone deaf as well as blind? Man, your career is done. Not that your music was worth much. I could record fart noises and that stuff would be better then the records you make.”
“Ooooh!” said his buddies as they hoofbumped each other.
I was about to get up and say something when Vinyl put her hoof against my chest and held me back. The hoodlum saw this and snorted. “What? Don’t want your wife to get hurt?” He stood on his rear legs and an put his forehooves on her chest and stuck his tongue out. “Do you see me now?! Huh?! Do ya blindy?”
That’s when Vinyl levitate her cane and lift it right up between his hind legs and right into his sack. His friends winced as the bully gave out the most girlish shriek I ever heard from a stallion as he fell to his side, clutching between his legs. Vinyl smirked and lifted her cane up at the scared boys who were huddled together. “How about you take your friend and drag him to a hospital before I shove this where the sun don’t shine?”
They didn’t argue as they dragged their friend away and left us alone. I stared at Vinyl who went back to her book, the scene playing in my mind. “That was so hot.”
“Later, I’m at a good part,” said Vinyl with a smirk.
***
It had taken a few months, but Vinyl was able to finally walk around on her own. She had accepted being blind to the point where she even made jokes about it. Mama and Papa were also visiting often and were glad to see things were getting better. We even heard that Lyra was doing better as well from the letters she sent us.
I soon started doing concerts again, taking me out into Canterlot and other cities for days at a time. Vinyl was the one who encouraged me to do so since we needed to support ourselves and neither of us wanted to depend on my parents. I was nervous about leaving her alone in her condition, but I was finally won over when she promised to allow a friend of ours to always check on her each day.
I admit it was nice to be doing concerts again. I missed the sound of my cello playing in a crowded theater with applause echoing in my ears after every masterpiece was finished. Of course, I felt guilty about it too. Both Vinyl and I were performers, but she was still stick at home. How could she perform without her eyesight? I hadn’t even seen her mixing music once since the accident, and rumors were spreading in the music community she was considering retirement. I knew it was hogwash, but I couldn’t help but wonder.
Returning home from another concert, I didn’t see Vinyl anywhere in our house. I decided to just rest my hooves and before I knew it I fell asleep.
I snoozed for what had to be hours, until the sound of a door slamming open awoke me. When I got up, I saw Vinyl coming out of her recording room much to my surprise. “You were home this whole time?” I asked.
“Woah, Tavi,” said Vinyl, levitating her shades onto her face. “Didn’t hear ya there. How was Las Pegasus?”
“It was okay,” I said with a shrug before eying her recording room. It was soundproof both inside and out so neither of us could have heard each other. Good thing too, I’ve heard what she blasts in that room and I’m surprised she never got deaf before going blind. “What were you doing in there? Listening to your old mixes?”
“Nah, I’m making a new one upon request from some group in South Korneigha. They need a new hit and since they heard my reputation they wanna see if I can come up with something new,” replied Vinyl.
“You’re making music again? But... I thought...” I whispered.
“What? That because I’m blind I’m going to stop making wubs? No way. Blind, deaf, mute, crippled, or even dead I’m going to keep making music. It’s who I am and doing anything less is not who DJ Pon-3 is about,” declared Vinyl with such a smirk that I felt I was seeing her old self again.
“Do you need any help?” I asked.
“I could use a second opinion. Come inside. Don’t worry, I’ll set it to a volume soft enough so that you don’t need to use a hearing horn,” laughed Vinyl as she let me inside.
I watched in amazement as she used her equipment to set up the sounds, levels of volume and so forth while accessing the saved files she had on the song. “Forgive me for asking this, Vinyl,” I said with awe. “But how are you able to do this without seeing it.”
“I know my babies by touch from the back of my hooves,” answered Vinyl with a smirk. “I know every knob, button, switch and more just by memory alone. I don’t need eyesight to know what I have to do to mix things up, nor do I need it to be a DJ. Plus, I still got ears.” She flapped them around. “As long as these babies can still hear music, I’m good to go. I’m like that Beetoven fella you always are going on about.”
“Beethoofen,” I corrected her.
“Right, him.”
She soon handed me a pair of headphones and I put them on. Soon enough a song started playing, speaking in what had to be the language in South Korneigha, but the music was definitely Vinyl’s work. When the singer said “Wow, Fantastic Baby” a heavy bass was dropped and I started bobbing my head to the beat. I actually could have started dancing to this if it wasn’t for the fact the room was very tight with not a lot of leg room.
“I like this. I mean, I can’t understand it very much except for the words they use in Equestrian, but I do like the song,” I commented.
“Awesome,” said Vinyl as loud as she could before she shut the song off. “Just gotta tweak a few things and then send it to my commissioners. Before long, DJ Pon-3 will be back on top!” She sighed before turning to me and smiled. “Hey, Octavia? Thanks.”
“For what?” I asked.
“For helping me overcome this blindness issue,” she replied, scratching the back of her head. “I mean, I really thought my life was all over when I found out I couldn’t see again. But you were always there for me and never stopped helping me. I’m glad that I married you, because I don’t think I can really live without you.”
Smiling, I kissed Vinyl gently on the cheek and whispered. “You could and do you know why? You’re strong, Vinyl. You’re one of the strongest ponies I know and, even without my help, you would have concurred your disability one way or another.” I leaned back and shook my backside a bit. “Now play that song again, I wanna finish it. My rump wants to shake!”
Vinyl laughed before she got up and played the song out loud and the two of us started shaking to it as the lyrics screamed, “Boom! Shakalaka! Boom! Shakalaka!”
***
Octavia couldn’t believe it. Neither could Vinyl by the way her mouth was wide open and looking ready to drop to the ground and through the wooden floor. The doctor they had been seeing to keep up the progress of Vinyl’s blindness had asked them to come in for an emergency meeting. At first they were afraid that something had happened to Vinyl since it was so shortly after her eye exam, but now that they were here it was clear this was not a bad thing.
If anything, it was a miracle.
“You can cure my blindness?” asked Vinyl in disbelief.
“Not so much cure as we can do an organ transplant,” said the doctor as he showed them a picture of a young unicorn mare with strawberry hair and green fur. “This is Strawberry Song. She died yesterday from slipping on her stairs and breaking her neck. Her eyes are listed as organs to donate upon her demise. Eye organ transplants are rare, but possible thank to modern medicine and discovery.”
Upon closer inspection, they saw that the deceased girl had the same eye color as Vinyl did. “I thought you said this was a nerve problem? Not an eye problem itself,” said Octavia.
“Yes, but the nerves connecting the eyes to the brain are what’s damaged. These eyes match Vinyl’s qualifications perfectly down and we can connect the non-damaged nerves of Strawberry’s eyes to Vinyl’s brain and allow her to see again. Although, she would need glasses of course.”
I couldn’t believe it, I looked at Vinyl with hope that she could once again see like the rest of us. She could function like she was before the accident. Vinyl, however, wasn’t smiling. She was narrowing her eyes at the floor before she looked up and asked, “What’s the catch, Doctor?”
“Well, there are a few things. One, this procedure is still new so it might not have a good success rating,” answered the Doctor.
“Are you saying the operation could kill, Vinyl?” I asked, fearfully, No risk of Vinyl’s life was worth it in my mind. I almost lost her once, I couldn’t bare the thought of losing her again.
“All operations hold that risk, but it's more likely the operation will not do anything and we could be wasting our time,” said the Doctor. “Money is another issue-”
“My parents will pay for it,” I said, firmly.
“But there is one last thing,” said the Doctor with a heavy sigh. He pulled out a photo of another pony, this time a little earth pony filly with pink pigtails and a red coat. She had such a big smile and eyes full of hope. She looked barely old enough to still be a blank flank.
“Who is she?” I asked since Vinyl couldn’t see the photo.
“This is Maple, she is eight years old... and she’s blind as well,” answered the Doctor, making us look up with shock. “Like Mrs. Scratch, she suffered a head injury that rendered her blind. Strawberry’s eyes can also work for her and her family is fighting hard to get the donorship. However, Vinyl is first on the list and therefor she is the one who has to decide if she wishes to take the eyes or give them up.”
The room went silent at that moment as neither Vinyl nor I could answer on what to do. This was a chance to get Vinyl’s sight back, something we only dreamed about. However, a little filly was now blind. If it was scary for Vinyl, a grown mare, to wake up in a world where she couldn’t see anymore just how scary was it for a child?
Vinyl bit her lip and looked ready to punch something and I couldn’t blame her. They were provided with two choices that would cause joy for one and misery for the other. If Vinyl got her sight back, all the struggles she had to deal with she would no longer have to go through. Even though she had accepted and adopted into her new situation, there was always a need to be extra cauious or frustration to do something due to her lack of sight. However, could they really deprive a little filly a chance to gain back her normal life after losing her sight? She would have to go through her entire fillyhood blind which would be devastating. She could adopt or wait for a new organ transplant... but the guilt would forever be in our hearts.
“Can... can we have some time to think on it?” I asked, clutching Vinyl’s hoof as she squeezed as hard as she could.
“Of course, but please come with an answer soon,” said the Doctor as we got up and left his office.
When we got out, Vinyl said, “Octavia...” I stared at her as she used her cane to guide herself towards the building’s exit. “What should I do?”
I tried to think of an answer, but I couldn’t come up with a good one. All I could do was just kiss her cheek and whisper, “Whatever choice you make, I will support you either way.”
Vinyl didn’t say anything the rest of the day, she didn’t even come down for dinner. She just spent all day and night in our room, thinking about what to do.
***
By the time it was time to go to bed, I was coming out of the shower and drying myself off while Vinyl was reading in braille. When I got into bed, Vinyl suddenly said, “Did you know that I once thought I would have been better off dying in that accident than being blind?”
I slowly turned to Vinyl who sorrowfully closed her book and touched her face with her hoof. “I thought that... everything I ever did in life was over. I couldn’t walk right, see the colors of the world, and even thought I could never do music again. I... I guess I kinda, for a brief moment, envied Bon Bon”
“Vinyl...”
“But,” she then turned to me and smile, “you were always there for me. I had you as my new eyes. My new sense as it is. I can’t tell you how much you’ve been my rock through all these long months, Octavia. I truly think I couldn’t have gotten this far without you.” She then frowned. “But that girl... she’s far younger than I am. She doesn’t even have her cutie mark yet. I cannot.. no, I will not let her go through what I did.”
“So you’re giving up the eyes?” I asked with a small smile.
“Yeah, it kinda sucks since we don’t know when another donation will come around.” Vinyl then smiled before wrapping an arm around me and nuzzled my neck. “But I think I’m going to be okay. I got a new sense that I wouldn’t give up for anything.”
“And what sense is that?” I asked as I slowly leaned forward, my lips closer to hers.
Giving her a kiss, I heard her whispered, “The sense known as love.”