> A Colourful Vacation > by Harmony Split > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Disastrous Opening > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter One: Disastrous Opening I sighed, my eyes closed as the wind slowly breathed against my face. It was nice to just relax and do nothing, even if I wasn’t used to it. Opening my eyes, I gazed upon the wide beachside of Ponyrife, packed with ponies and other creatures, enjoying their vacation. Of course, with the sight the noise also came back. Little foals playing around or crying for ice, families chatting loudly, as if nopony could hear them nearby. Keep in mind what Harpo and the others said. Just relax. Take the vacation as the chance to rekindle your spirits. Yes, Octavia Melody is just the pony for vacations. I snorted. For them, it seemed so easy, as if they never lost their inspiration, ever. It was as if Frederic sat next to me, smiling his usual bright smile and telling me that everything would be fine in the end. “Everything is just fine,” I mumbled and reached for my water. “As if I have no other problems already.” Four months. For nearly four months I had created nothing new, just played the old, dull songs. Everypony told me that I would find my spirit again, that I would soon write masterpieces again, taking the breath of every noble. And yet nothing helped. Not even this stupid idea of going on vacation all alone. Why did I choose to go alone anyway? Is this because even the most extroverted ponies seek some solace from the crowd? Or is it the noise pollution killing our brains slowly, but steadily? Maybe we all seek to find a spot of mild, gentle, un-phoned, un-newspapered, un-socialnetworked happiness? With a sigh, I took a sip of my water before relaxing in my beach chair again, trying to ignore the sounds around me, only concentrating on the warmth and the wind. That was, until something stepped onto my hooves. “Ouh! What in the-” I found it strange that my body had apparently drowned in rest so much that I didn’t open my eyes immediately, but spoke out at once. “Sorry!” came the voice to my left, a muffled voice swiftly trailing off in the distance. I just opened my eyes in time and turned left to see a white mare with an unusual spiky, blue mane running off, apparently after one of the foals I heard earlier. I guess she at least apologized. Rubbing my sore hoof, I looked in that direction again. That mare sure was a strange pony. Now that I thought of it, her mane looked like she had a magical spike, causing it to stand on all ends. That she also wore deep purple shades didn’t make it any better. I wonder what such a pony does here. She seemed strange enough. Deciding to not put further thoughts to such a ruffian, I closed my eyes again and sighed, just to jerk up as I received a small droplet of water against my muzzle. “Oh for the love of-” I started and opened my eyes, just to see that the downpour really started now. “What a great first day of my vacation,” I grumbled and packed my stuff to retreat into the hotel. What a great start indeed. *** Vacation? Pfft! As if DJ-Pon3 needs ANY vacation! Yet here I was. In some sunny resort of Ponyrife. My manager suggested I should step down for a while and relax before the fame would devour me with coat and mane. Now I sat here at the beach bar and drinking some sweet, fancy drink while humming a soft melody. “OH SWEET CELESTIA, ARE YOU DJ-PON3?!” I turned my head to the foal that tried to rob me of the last bit of hearing I got left after all those gigs and parties. It was a colt, grinning eagerly while holding up a magazine. “Can I have your autograph?” he pleaded with those soft, round eyes of his. How could you say no to a foal? “Sure kiddo.” I smiled and pulled my signature pen out of my small pocket. Always prepared. I quickly signed the piece of paper and the colt basically squealed in delight. Then something happened I never thought of. The colt grabbed my special pen out of my magical grip with his muzzle and sped off, leaving me blinking in confusion. “What?! You little mug, give that back!” I screamed before chasing after him. It was annoying. Where I had to avoid or surround obstacles, the little mug simply slipped through, gaining more and more ground on me. “Get back here before I put-” I cried, but nearly fell over as my hooves tripped over something soft, yet hard. Looking back, I noticed a grey mare angrily looking at me, rubbing her sore hooves. “Sorry!” I quickly called before chasing after the little thief again. I wasn’t even sure the little colt knew what he’d done wrong. Maybe he’d just snatched the pen because he was way too nervous. I mean, hell, it wasn’t like he was going to sell this pen or anything, right? Maybe he realised that it was wrong, but it was too late? But I’d be damned if I was going to- At first I thought somepony splashed water from a bucket on me. Then I took a swift look around - naturally, letting the gleeful thief run free - and realised that rain had dictated the entire beach. Rain was falling in blankets, and I just stood there, soaking wet, mourning the loss of my wonderful pen. Off in the distance, I saw lightning pierce the cloud-covered sky. With a sigh - such proximity to water was not in my favour - I glanced one last time at the beach, noticing that grey mare I’d tripped on walk away slowly, with what seemed to be dignity. It looked hella stupid, really. I mean, when you gotta run, you gotta run. And I did just that: I turned around and ran towards the hotel. *** If the rain thought that it could prevent me from having a vacation, then rain surely didn’t know Octavia Melody. If I were to have a vacation, I would have the damn vacation. Even if it meant going for a swim in the hotels indoor pool. What was interesting about the pool - and the hotel in general - was that it was almost empty. I don’t doubt that it was due to its being terribly costly (and extremely luxurious, if I may add) - but, the way things were, there were only two ponies who’d decided on attending the pool with me, an elderly couple who just sat at the pool bar sipping their drinks and watching the outside through the huge glass wall, a signature feature of the hotel. Well, I wasn’t content with just sitting at the bar sipping my drink. After a couple mojitos, I decided, with firm, if unsteady, resolve, that I definitely had to go for a swim that day. I mean, since I had been lazing off in the sun and not swimming in the sea, at least I had to feel the water on my fur. Not seawater, granted, but water nevertheless. I entered the pool gracefully using the granite steps, descending regally into the water at the side, instead of opting for one of the metal ladders in the corners. The water wasn’t cold, so I was able to swim immediately. The joy of swimming after such a long time of abstinence was indescribable. After making my way across the pool, I lay on my back and floated freely in the water, rocking gently on the tiny waves I had created while swimming. I closed my eyes and relaxed. My tense body, pushed on the brink of water, softened and gave me the impression that I was in a queen-sized bed, only a bed without boundaries. So I floated and floated and- With a loud splash, something hit my side, making me lose balance and disappear underwater for a moment. Once I emerged, my mane all wet, rivulets running down my face, I saw, next to me, a bashful-faced, yet grinning, white mare - the very mare who’d tripped over my hooves earlier that day! “Heeey,” the white mare offered before I could burst off into an angry tirade. “Uh. I really like your mane?” “Thank you, I guess?” I replied warily, having no idea what this ruffian was up to. Why was I talking to her again? “You’re welcome!” she replied, not caring or knowing that she was disturbing me. I blinked and tried to fry the mare with my eyes. Which, to think about it, was a weak attempt, what with the water everywhere. “I’ll be on my way now.” With that I just turned to continue my rounds, but of course, that mare wouldn’t make it that easy. I mean, was it ever easy? I’d known from the beginning the vacation was bound to be bad, but does anypony ever listen to me? Noo, it’s just “Octavia, you don’t know how to relax” and never “Wow, Octavia, your predictive powers are so astonishing!” “Nice flank.” What. What? WHAT? ...Okay. This is enough. “Excuse ME?” I gritted my teeth, turning to face that annoying mare, trying to maintain at least some semblance of dignity. Which was really, really, incredibly difficult. "Nice flank for such a stuffy princess,” the white mare giggled, shaking her spiky mane - which somehow managed to remain in such a weird state despite being submerged in the pool. “Name’s Vinyl, but everypony knows me as DJ-Pon3.” “Well, I don’t know you!” I tried to reply with as much dignity as I could muster, but of course, I failed. Oh Celestia, why are you punishing me like this? The DJ seemed to deflate upon that information. “Aww, really? I guess we have to change that! Are you free this weekend?” she asked, winking at me. Winking at me. Winking. She. Winking. At ME. A DJ winking at the star of modern classical music, one of the best cello players in Equestria, and a generally mild-mannered (and very humble) mare. “Can’t you understand perfectly clear Equestrian? I just want to swim, not listen to you ruffian!” I said out loud, not able to withhold my anger anymore. “You’re no fun, Clefbutt.” “What did you call me?” If I could do a spit-take on thin air, I would have done it. Instead, I did a spit-take on the water that had made its way into my mouth - I had opened it wide enough for water to make it through. And yet, this “Vinyl” didn’t seem to mind. “Clefbutt. You have to relax!” And once more she giggled that ridiculous giggle. I don’t know what set me off: the giggle, or the hair, or... One way or another, I won’t excuse my actions that followed, but that mare simply begged for it. Not able to control several… itches… my hoof lashed out, hitting her hard straight on her muzzle. However, I really felt sorry as she clenched her muzzle tightly, blood starting to drop from her hooves. “Oh Celestia, I’m sorry!” Thing is, I wasn’t sorry I hit her. I was sorry I hit her without remorse. I was sorry I had made her bleed. I was sorry I lashed out at a total stranger, okay. But didn’t she deserve that? “No, you’re not,” Vinyl glared at me. “Guess I should learn that you nobles are different. Next time I’ll try to hook a young teenager.” “I’m not old!” I insisted, grumbling before sighing. Why would she assume that I was a noble anyway? “Move your hooves away and show me.” “Why?” came a muffled grunt from Vinyl, some blood dripping into the pool as she held her hoof against her muzzle. “Because, despite whatever you might think, I AM sorry.” That shut her up and she showed me her muzzle. It was pretty much a perfect hit from me. “Alright, come with me, we gotta clean it up and look closer.” Vinyl only blinked dumbly at me, but quickly followed as I raised my hoof, glaring at her. She followed me out of the pool and to the elevators, casting a confused glance, but I simply continued until I had her in front of my room. “What are we doing here?” Vinyl finally asked. "Cleaning your muzzle of course,” I replied and opened the door. “Sit down.” Having no other choice, Vinyl sat down and glanced around. “Nice place!” There was a genuine note in her tone, a surge of honesty in her voice that made me feel both extremely pleased and uncomfortable. I wasn’t used to such bluntness: usually, “nice place” was a compliment spoken through gritted teeth, a sign of envy or a desire to suck up to me… but this time, this pony, she really meant it. I huffed and prepared a cloth with some warm water before going back to her, gently rubbing the blood off. “Ouh,” she winced. “Why are you doing this? First you hit me and then you care for me!” I stopped. She was right. Why did I feel sorry for hurting such a ruffian? Of course it wouldn’t suit a high class star like me, but still, she was right. Why do I even care? “I don’t even know. I should’ve let you bleed out and be done with it.” Of course, I didn’t mean that. But, by Celestia, was I irritated! Two encounters in one day, and both ending in something unpleasant to me? Let’s set pleasantries aside, Ms Vinyl, a.k.a. DJ-Whatever, we’re talking real here. “Very nice of you.” The mare snorted, while I caught the blood with the cloth like a top-notch goalkeeper. “I know. I’m the perfect embodiment for the perfect mannered mare.” Vinyl just stared at me in disbelief. Then, suddenly, she started laughing madly, spilling blood everywhere. “STOP IT! You’re ruining my coat and the room!” I cried, but even I couldn’t resist and started to chuckle. “Look what you’ve done to me!” “What?” Vinyl grinned. “It’s not like I infected you, we didn’t even had sex yet!” [Yet? YET? Okay, Octavia, calm dawn. Nice and steady breaths. After all, I’d always been the picture of self-discipline. Okay, maybe not in such a situation. Still… “It’s ‘haven’t’,” I said, with a grin that was, if I may say, rather smug. “We ‘haven’t’ had sex yet, not ‘didn’t’.” Vinyl blinked in disbelief. “Did you just go all grammar-Sparkle on me?” Now it was my turn to blink. “Grammar-Sparkle?” I asked obliviously. Then, a realisation dawned upon me. “Wait, did you actually just try to insult the Princess of Friendship?” I mean, it was enough that she was insulting me, a noble, granted, but a self-proclaimed noble, and it was another matter entirely if she was insulting royalty! “Twilight is a friend,” the still-bleeding mare said simply. “Of yours? As if I could believe that!” I snorted. Vinyl smiled a very… shall I say worrying smile? At least worrying for me. “Well, actually, I had a gig on her brother’s wedding and we’re totally cool now.” She snorted once again, much to my displeasure, spilling blood on the floor. “You should have seen her dance moves.” “What?” “She can shake that rump like I rarely seen before,” Vinyl grinned. “Are you trying your innuendos on every single mare?” I asked in disbelief. “Only if I think they are worth it,” came the smug reply. Should I worry now or feel flattered? Or maybe just hit her again? Just a tiny bump with my hoof? Just before I could move my hoof more than an inch Vinyl glared at me. “I tried to be nice and open and you just think about hitting me again?” “You think that is nice and open? You are simply unbelieveable!” “Sorry that I’m not good enough for you, miss stick-in-the-flank,” Vinyl growled back. “You are definitely not good enough for me!” I yelled before flailing my hooves in the air. “You know what? Why do I even do this? Get OUT!” “What?” Vinyl blinked. “Get out!” “But…” I just pointed in the direction of the door, glaring at the unicorn. After a few seconds, she took the washcloth and stood up, heading for the exit. Immediately, I felt a little smidge of emotion well up in my chest, building up, eventually to be squashed into a heavy ball of guilt. After all, I had hit her just before, and words should never hurt me. Or how did the saying go? “Sorry,” I uttered, feeling like I wasn’t genuine enough. “Please come back.” The mare simply turned 180 degrees and stared at me, waiting for me to say something. Then she took a hesitant step back towards me. “Make up your mind already,” she said sternly, in a tone I didn’t expect her to adopt. “Do you want me to stay or do you want me to, how did you phrase it, GET OUT?” I sighed and rubbed my eyelids. “Vinyl,” I called her by name, feeling that it was the necessary degree of familiarity. “Honestly, I don’t want you to stay - and I do have my reasons…” For a moment, my eyes shone with a glare. “But I cannot just let you go.” “Why?” “Because I owe you.” “That’s your explanation?” Vinyl asked me. “Yes. Did you expect anything else?” “I don’t know what I expected.” I looked confused at her as she sat down, pressing the washcloth against her muzzle. Then she blinked. “You never told me your name by the way.” Don’t tell her! “I’m Octavia Melody.” “Rings nothing.” What?! “I’m the most prized Cellist in all of Equestria, maybe even the world! I always play for Celestia’s orchestra at the Grand Galloping Gala!” I exclaimed. If she was familiar with Princess Twilight, then surely she was familiar with- “And don’t even thinkto say anything about Princess Celestia’s rump!” Suddenly, Vinyl burst out in laughter, making blood wash over the cloth again. “Oh, that’s rich! You have a pervy mind, Tavi.” I blinked. “Tavi?” “Yeah, well.” Vinyl scratched her head. (I did not just make this pun!) “Octavia is too posh for me, so I think I’ll call you Tavi.” “Why would you call me at all?” I asked, assuming a defensive state. “How else would I address you when I take you to the beach bar tonight?” “What.” Vinyl grinned, and I felt shivers run down my spine. “Remember, you owe me.” "That doesn’t mean that I’m going out with you!” I shrieked. “C’mon, Tavi, just one drink and a bit fun,” Vinyl drawled. Is she serious?! “Vinyl, NO!” “C’mon! This or sex.” “Excuse me; WHAT?!” Vinyl grinned like mad. She had somewhat of a point. I owed her, and I wanted to erase it as soon as possible. Still, I would never agree to the last one, so I had only one choice. “Alright,” I sighed, before glaring at her. “But don’t get any comical ideas!” She gave me a smile, a smile that made me fear for what was to come. What have I done? *** I’ve been to many bars in my life. Believe it or not, a DJ may get slightly drunk during her performance. Okay, maybe not slightly. Maybe more than slightly. Maybe she can get blasted and sleep with a bunch of mares in a parking lot. But I’ve always been more drawn to the quiet pool bars. I rarely have vacations, but, when I do, those aren’t really vacations. Those are day-vacations and evening-gigs. But it is at the pool bars - or beach bars, if we’re talking real vacations - that I can relax and unwind, without having to think about the music or keeping the crowd going, or pursuing another hot flank. Well, speaking of hot flanks, that mare does have a hot flank. Boy, she does. I can’t say I was nervous - I am never nervous - but I was afraid she wouldn’t come. Okay, not afraid. I was a little perturbed, if that’s the word I want. I’m pretty sure it is. I was sitting by the counter, sipping on my mojito and enjoying the view of the dark, empty abyss of the night sea. While the resort was situated in a nice, quiet bay, the beach bar was on the edge, giving a glimpse into the vast emptiness of the quiet waves, concealed by the darkness. “Do you ever have this feeling of emptiness when you realise just how small we are, compared to the size of Equestria and her nature?” I turned round immediately, only to see the very familiar grey mare sitting with her back to the counter, leaning on it in a bizarre fashion, a dreamy expression in her eyes. Immediately, I collected my cool - okay, I hadn’t lost my cool… It just got… confused a little, my cool, that is. “Nah,” I shrugged. “I know I’m always bigger.” Octavia only stared at me in disbelief before she facehoofed. “Ugh, Vinyl! Can’t you be serious for one moment?” “I’m being serious here!” “You’re not.” Octavia growled and poked me with her hoof. “Not a single fibre in your whole body is serious!” Now, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy getting poked now and then. Okay, I did enjoy it, maybe too much for my liking. Still, I had to save face. So I said, “Uh-uh. Can see, can’t touch this.” I grinned widely, seeing dismay and embarrassment in the form of a fine shade of pink on Octavia’s face. “I understand I’m sexy and hot, but leave the touching for tonight’s fun in my bedroom.” I winked, ending the killer combo. That is, for about ten seconds. Before she completely freaked. “You are the worst big of… GAH! Whatever you are in the world! It not only seems like your mother dropped you on the cold, hard floor at your birth, NO! It also seems she completely forgot to teach you manners at all!” I had to admit, I was seriously impressed. She managed to hold herself far longer than I expected, but every mare would break sooner or later. “So that means we can enjoy our date now?” I simply asked with a yawn. “Oh, and, just for your information, I never knew my mother. So I guess it’s not her fault my manners are so…” I struggled to find the right word. “Un-posh.” For a moment, Octavia’s eyes widened in surprise. “I… I am sorry, I didn’t know.” I waved my hoof in the air dismissively. “Hey, that’s all right. So,” I grinned, “since you just silently agreed that it’s a date, how do you think it should proceed?” I wiggled my brow as suggestively as I could. “You are unbelieveable! How did you manage your life like this so far?” Octavia sighed. “Hey, I’m a bucking DJ! I’m loud, proud and big for my living!” I protested. “Besides, it’s fun!” Octavia gave me a pretty annoyed look at that. “So you’re always like this? May Celestia have mercy with me…” I laughed at that. Celestia or no Celestia, this mare had just admitted to getting stuck with me, for the time being. “Wait till you see me at the club!” I promised rather boastfully. “Never in my life,” Octavia replied pointedly, “have I been to a club. And I don’t see a single reason why that should change.” “I see many reasons,” I smiled smugly. “Such as?” “You’re sexy.” “What?” “You’re loud.” “Excuse me, now you-” “And, I admit, you would look incredibly hot at my side on the stage.” “I have no- Wait, what?” "Tomorrow.” “Tomorrow what?” “You. Me. Stage. Bass. Sexy dress. Or maybe even no dress and just lingerie…” “VINYL!” “So that’s a yes?” “Why would I even agree to this?” Octavia asked, her voice dangerously quiet. “Because you’re sexy and you know it,” I replied simply matter of fact. She just snorted. “That didn’t make any bit of sense, Vinyl.” “That’s not the point,” I waved a hoof. “The point is that you will be with me tomorrow. And you will be right next to me on the stage, shaking that nice flank of yours.” “And why,” Octavia leant over me, “why in Equestria,” she pointed an accusing hoof at me, “would I ever agree to that?” “Because you like me!” I smiled. “Why would a lady like me go out with a ruffian like you?” she huffed. “Well, let’s see.” I stomped my hoof against the ground once. “I am pretty.” I stomped my hoof again. “I am incredibly smart.” Octavia’s huff did not prevent me from continuing. “And I can just feel all the sexual tension in the air between us.” I wanted to stomp my hoof for emphasis again, but was prevented by a well-placed smack on the back of my head. “I can just disagree with all of your points.” “Okay, okay, I’m not pretty, I’m absolutely, positively the hottest mare in Equestria.” I looked at my flank - which proved a little difficult of a task. Naturally, Octavia’s eyes immediately followed mine. “See?” I grinned. “You’re even looking at my flank like that. Come on, you are meant for my stage.” Octavia facehoofed, groaning loudly. “Will you shut up if I agree to this?” "Maybe?” I smiled, fluttering my eyes at her. “Good, I agree.” “YES!” I pumped a hoof into the air. “You’re so gonna-” “Can I buck you in your muzzle now?” > Not a date? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter Two: Not a date? I hummed as the water slowly ran over my fur, relaxing my tense muscles after the disastrous events of last night. Vinyl still hovered in my mind, and she wasn’t a particularly pleasant thought. I still wondered why in the name of Equestria I had agreed to it. And yet, I had to agree that there was, indeed, a certain charm to that mare. Not the kind of charm I would prefer, granted, but still a certain charm. I reached for the shampoo. “I’m officially crazy,” I mumbled, sighing. “No mare in my position and in their right mind would have agreed to this, so why did I? Some simple charm isn’t usually enough to pull me in.” “Well, maybe that’s because you are more than charmed by me.” I jumped at the voice, quickly crashing back down into the hard floor of the shower, looking around in shock. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?” Vinyl stared calmly at me, leaning against the shower wall. “Picking you up for our date?” “THIS IS MY SHOWER! OUT, OUT, BEFORE I SKIN YOU ALIVE.” As quickly as I had started thrashing in her direction, the white excuse for a mare was gone. I even thought that this was my wild imagination playing tricks on me. Something that was quickly destroyed as I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, ending muzzle to muzzle with the DJ. “Hey, hot flanks.” “VINYL, I’M SERIOUSLY GOING TO MURDER YOU.” “Why?” Vinyl batted her eyelashes innocently. “You’ve been looking at all the hot mares in prison and you want to join them?” She grinned that incorrigible grin of hers, the grin that made me want to kiss it and smack it at the same time. Wait. I did not just think “kiss it”. Disregarding my temporary brain freeze, I turned to the mare and growled, her grin still on her face. “I would spend seven years in prison if it meant I could escape your presence for an hour.” “Why?” Vinyl pouted. “Everypony knows I’m cool!” “I don’t.” “We can change that,” Vinyl practically purred at me. “Your bed or mine?” I don’t know whether it was pure reflex or an intention to show her that my earlier threat was, in fact, a real threat, my right forehoof connected with her muzzle in a not-all-too-friendly way. Thankfully, this time, there was no blood. Maybe I was holding back… Okay, I was definitely holding back. Why, though, I couldn’t say. “What the buck?” Vinyl scowled, taking a few steps back. “You hit me! Again!” “I’m a bit sorry for it, actually,” I replied hesitantly. “A bit? You know what? Forget my invite!” Vinyl now actually looked hurt. “Forget we met! I thought you are an interesting mare that would be nice to hang around with, but maybe I was wrong and naive to try and put up with a noble snob like you!” Just as she turned to leave, I threw my hoof around her, in a wild, primeval gesture, trying to stop her from leaving my life so soon after entering it. “Don’t leave!” I blurted out shamefully. “I didn’t mean it!” I hung my head low as Vinyl freed herself from my grasp. Well, this was it, I thought. She was leaving, never to see me again. And this was right. I couldn’t hold my hooves at bay. Where she was assaulting me with words, I was assaulting her very physically. Which didn’t make me a refined mare or a mare of fine taste. It just made me a bully. “So…” Vinyl’s voice reached my ears from the side. “Do you like it?” I threw my head up immediately, smiling that she was still here, that she hadn’t left, that she was asking me something, holding… in her telekinetic grip… something… very… My face went hot and red at once. “V-V-V-Vinyl?” I finally managed through an approaching anxiety attack. “W-what is that?” “Lingerie.” Vinyl grinned, putting it on my hotel bed. “Y-You actually weren’t kidding?!” “Not a single second,” Vinyl chuckled. “Besides,” she continued, coming closer to whisper in my ear. “Tonight I’m going to wear my best piece. Just. For. You.” This disturbed me in more ways than I was able to describe at that moment. “Please tell me you're joking.” As an answer, she pulled at my ear with her teeth, sending me reeling backwards with a loud squeal. “Vinyl! W-What are you doing?!” “What do you think?” She smiled invitingly. “See ya later, hot flanks. Don’t be late.” I was hypnotized as she sauntered out of my room, her hips drawing my gaze as they swayed more than they needed to. She is playing with me, and I simply bite the bait… But in that case, why did it seem so alluring to bite the aforementioned bait? Why was that weird gesture—her biting my ear—so… evocative? Reminding me of something pleasant? And, most of all, why was it so… arousing? I shook my head violently, just to get rid of such thoughts. My gaze fell on the lingerie on my bed. Oh sweet Celestia, I am not considering that, am I?.. The lingerie that lay on my bed was white, exactly the same colour of Vinyl’s coat. It had some diamond-like stones on it with a vibrant shade of blue, just like her mane. Curiously, I inspected them closer, shocked in an instant. Those are real! The stones are real, not fake! I couldn’t believe it. Letting a hoof wander over the fabric, it also felt incredibly soft and expensive. Why is she giving me this? It looks like it’s just meant for me. I knew that was impossible. How was she able to order a personal piece of lingerie just for me in the small span of nine hours since she invited me to her gig? It was simple: Impossible. Had she ordered this piece for some other mare? For a moment, rage boiled up inside me. How dare she? I was the mare meant to wear this— Wait a minute. I blinked in surprise. Was this… jealousy? No, of course not. It couldn’t be. Why would I be jealous of Vinyl buying a piece of lingerie for... some other… mare? Looking around to check and make sure that Vinyl was indeed gone, I quickly tried the lingerie on. It fit perfectly. Too perfectly. How did she know my size? This fits perfect! My mind reeled as I noticed myself in the mirror of the wardrobe. I’m really wearing it. Celestia, I look hot… Aaand I did not just think that. I sighed, looking at myself, thinking of what I had become, or, rather, what had become of me. Would I really—? I’d hit her. And I had to pay for my mistake somehow. And what better way to pay for a mistake than to wear a nice, sexy, pretty piece of lingerie? That came with real diamonds and in just my size? I groaned loudly, shaking my head as I prepared to leave the room, estimating just how many weird looks I would get from the ponies around me. I am certainly going to regret this. *** Everything is just going fine! I whistled happily as I walked back to my room, smiling all the time. Tonight I would rock Ponyville, and I would do it with a beautiful mare at my side. Maybe this vacation isn’t bad at all. And it will be really, really long. I had to grin at that. The real sweet cherry that is still missing, would be if she actually wore it. Thank Celestia she didn’t feel my magic taking her measurements last night. Something I was positively relieved about. I had no idea if I would’ve stand another of her hits or insults. At the end, she was really hurting, but I was sure that she would be worth it. And, since she was worth “it”, she was also worth me. Sure, she was a posh, prim, stately mare, but there was this… charm to her, I guess? I dunno. I would definitely call it a charm. One way or another, I definitely wanted that piece of flank in my bed, stat. The only thing preventing me from conquering her properly was the notion that a mare like her wouldn’t want a one-night stand. Hmm. Maybe she wouldn’t say no to a two-night stand? A three-night stand sounded pretty good too. After all, she did blush very prettily when I bit her ear. Of course, she wouldn’t wear the lingerie but— I stopped in place, freezing as I saw a familiar figure in front of my door. A grey mare. Wearing. Oh Celestia. I grinned widely. To my surprise, she grinned back. “Hello, Vinyl. You wanted to pick me up for the gig? Well, I’m here.” I was positively sure that I was drooling by that point. She looked beautiful some time ago without that piece of lingerie, now she simply looked breathtaking, I couldn’t properly describe her beauty anymore. Wait, uncool! “You. Look. Hot!” I almost regretted my choice of wording, in fear that I would get hit again. But, to my deepest surprise, Octavia simply smirked. “Thank you, Vinyl.” I blinked. What? She just… accepted my bawdy compliment? “Shall we go?” “Of course! After you, milady.” I grinned smugly, making a little bow for her. *** The walk to the establishment Vinyl lead me to proved harder than I had imagined. Nearly every colt and stallion on the street whistled after me, even more than just one mare. It was horrible, but at the same time surprisingly pleasant. I would never admit it to anyone, but I was flattered. And even more so flattered by the fact that Vinyl grit her teeth at every whistle. I stopped my thoughts at that. Why was Vinyl’s apparent jealousy fuelling my heart with pride? I was a free mare, and hell, I didn’t even like mares! ...I think. One way or another, I didn’t like Vinyl. Oh yes? a little pony in my head whispered. Is this why you are wearing lingerie for her? Vinyl drew me out of my reverie. “I was right,” she said, although a bit too quiet. “They all just got eyes for ya.” “You don’t seem too fond of it.” I just couldn’t shut my muzzle. “Of course I’m not,” Vinyl blurted out. “I’m taking you on a date, and all those ponies just- just-” She shut up, blindly following me. For some weird, inconceivable reason, a tiny smile appeared on my face. Just before my brain seemed to follow the action again. My smile fell. “A date?” I asked, coming to a full stop and pulling Vinyl into the next best quiet alley I could find.. “A date, huh?” I looked at the white mare sternly. “Heh… Yes?” “And who, in Celestia’s name, told you I would be fine to go with you on a date?” I asked her, my voice dangerously low. “I agreed to this… this… this shenanigans to get rid of you, not have you stick on my flank forever!” Vinyl stopped dead in her tracks and looked at me with unspeakable sorrow, the kind of sorrow I could never attribute to a mare like her. “If that’s what you think, we should split right now. You heard me,” she continued, “just leave. I thought we were friends. Maybe even more than that. Now I see we don’t have even that.” She turned around, and began to walk away at a slow pace. I sighed, whispering, “Why didn’t you say so in the first place? Why do you want to play this game instead?” Yes, I had to admit I felt sorry for her. “You would’ve tossed me out if I had just proposed the idea of being friends. Do you remember how you acted yesterday? You did it again just seconds ago, acting like a posh, high strung mare that is too good for everything,” Vinyl replied and I couldn’t help but notice the tear slowly making its way down her muzzle. For all intents and purposes, this tear should not have struck me. It should not have struck me at all. In fact, it should not have made me walk up to the incorrigible mare and wipe that tear off her face with a hoof. But that was exactly what I did, without thinking or considering the outcomes. Vinyl sniffed. “Don’t tease me. If you don’t wanna be friends, just leave. I’ll go to the club and get wasted on my own.” She sighed. “You can keep the lingerie.” “Vinyl, this was not the best… attempt to establish a good friendship,” I said, warily. “I would say this is a setup to just get me into bed, and I’m certainly not a mare that does such a thing.” “I’m sorry!” Vinyl croaked. “I’m not used to this! Usually I just do this to get a hot flank in my bed during gigs or tours. This time is… different.” She stopped, gulping. “Sure, you’re pretty hot, but… you interest me.” “I beg your pardon?” Now I was completely confused. “You interest me in a way that no mare has interested me before. I don’t want to get into bed and rut you senseless.” Vinyl paused and I gave her a harsh glare. “Okay, I do, but it’s not like that. I want to go for walks with you, and, I dunno, have drinks, and talk about music, and have some fun!” I just couldn’t hold back, starting to giggle, then laughing while Vinyl shot me an annoying look. “I’m sorry, Vinyl, but you just sounded like a filly with a simple highschool crush.” I coughed and went serious again. “Not that there is anything wrong with that, but why me? Why so fast?” “Do you know the story of an old time, long before Celestia and Luna, long before Discord, even Equestria?” Vinyl asked suddenly. I shook my head, my interest definitely piqued. “There was something before Equestria?” “Ponies lived before they established our country. But there was much arguing, much fighting. So they say that there was a… I dunno, a goddess, a goddess older than Celestia and Luna. They even call her the first alicorn.” I nodded, silently prompting Vinyl to continue, not sure where she was going with all of this. “Ponies lacked one thing: souls. They lived and breathed and ate but there was nothing like friendship or, or…” Vinyl blushed, surprisingly for me. “Or love. So that goddess made souls for ponies. But she only gave each pony half of a soul. So that ponies could find the matching half and, well, that’s why they call lovers soulmates.” I stood there, blinking in surprise, my mind processing the tale. “Do you mean that...” I asked cautiously. “I don’t know if we are soulmates,” Vinyl quickly supplied. “I don’t even know if that whole legend is true. But I think that you just struck me as someone with who I want to be. Even as a friend.” “That… That doesn’t change anything,” I started lamely. “You are still a ruffian… a… a bad influence for me, yes! I don’t—” I was stopped as Vinyl gently hugged me, drawing me close against her. I just couldn’t ramble anymore and closed my muzzle, just enjoying the contact. “I still don’t like you,” I croaked as we stood there, just hugging each other. Even I didn’t believe me at that point. > Glorious Nights > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter Three: Glorious Nights I had no idea how long I had hugged Tavi. I had no idea how long it took before we broke and continued on our way. All I knew was that I would’ve never traded that moment for any other. What I noticed, however, was that all the rest of the way, Tavi walked closer to me. Not close enough to brush coat to coat, but much closer than before. Soon enough we neared the club. To describe it with words would be meaningless. The neon lights radiating off every corner. The modern steel accenting stone walls. The doors with a red carpet that could only be opened to the worthiest… Yes, you can say what you want about clubs, but this one was gorgeous. Not as gorgeous as Octavia, though. She marched boldly past the queue, in her lingerie, collecting whistles and looks from everypony around. Especially those who were taken. It took me a few moments to glare at them before quickly catching up to Octavia. “Wait, you won’t get in without me!” I tried to say, just to see that the bouncer had already bowed and waved her in. My jaw fell agape. Octavia was indeed beautiful, sexy, and alluring, but I’d never realised before just how beautiful, sexy and alluring she was. I trotted meekly after her, losing the last bits of my confidence. “Thanks for letting my friend in, Jery,” I nodded to the bouncer, who just laughed. “A beautiful mare like her always gets in, Vi.” I couldn’t help myself but feel a tiny frown form on my face. She’s my friend. Friend? Friend! I groaned, shaking my head violently at the weird ideas filling my mind. I need a drink, and I hope Tavi does too. I tried to locate the mare in the club but the surge of colourful ponies rushing around me prevented me from seeing my new… friend. If she ever would consider me a friend, that is. I stumbled towards the bar counter - and there she was, sipping on a cider already! “Wouldn’t take you for a drinking mare, Octavia,” I said with a smile. She turned and actually showed me the hint of a smile. “Well,” she replied, throwing her nose up, “I have to counter the terrible music with the fine taste of alcohol and…” She winked. (She actually winked at me!) “Camaraderie.” I blinked. Now, you see, my vocabulary is well-rounded. But sometimes there are certain evil words that make me stumble over them. And cama-word was one of those.“Cama-what?” I asked. “That’s a synonym for…” Octavia sipped on her cider, as if trying to savour the moment. “Friendship.” My heart leapt to my throat. Friendship! A little pony in my head did a victory dance. “Bartender!” I announced loudly. “Two whiskies, for me and my friend here.” Octavia frowned, cradling the cider in her hooves. “I don’t know, Vinyl. Do you really think hard drinks are all right?” She waved her hoof in the air. “I mean, I know I like cocktails, but straight whisky?” “Well…” I grinned, trying not push our newfound friendship too far. “Straight whisky for a straight mare, right?” Now it was my turn to wink. Octavia smiled and took the glass. The party was just getting started. *** “V-Vinyl! Whai… whai did you make me drunk? I… I think I never was drunken. No… so drunk?” It was actually funny how Tavi tried to speak properly, even after five whiskies and a few hard ciders. “Tavi, you’re not drunk, you’re wasted,” I chuckled back. “And I did it so you would enjoy the music more.” “But this music is… baaaaaaad,” she drawled. I smirked. “Well, then wait till ya hear mine!” “Whua?” “I’m a DJ, remember?” That got her attention. “You’re here to DJ… DJing?” Wow, that sobered her up quick! “Nah, I just wanted to go out with you.” I grinned. “But since you don’t like the usual music here, I thought I would try to do something good for ya.” “And you think I would… *burp* pardon me… like your music more?” “Of course you will!” I assured her with a grin. “Just let me—” “Heey!” I suddenly felt a slap on my flank from a, let’s say, rather inebriated mare. Yes, I know the word “inebriated”. “Nice flank!” the mare said with a wink, practically drooling over me. Suddenly Octavia was shoving herself between me and the mare and shouting at her, “It’s my flank!” Okay, not even shouting. She practically roared! The mare backed down. “Sorry,” she slurred drunkenly. “Didn’t know you were taken.” Once the mare left, I looked at Octavia very slowly. Should I take advantage of the situation or— Of course I shouldn’t. Octavia was wasted, and if I wanted to keep our friendship alive, I needed to somehow keep my urges at bay. Even if those urges included kissing her on the spot for standing up for me like that. “I-I’m ssorry,” Octavia tried to explain. I just couldn’t help myself. Drawing her closer, Octavia’s eyes went wide, even in her intoxicated state, but I quickly restrained myself and pecked her on her cheek instead of her muzzle. Octavia just stood there, eyes still wide as she lifted a hoof to her cheek, touching it slowly. “You… kissed me?” she wondered softly with an unreadable expression. I backed down a little. “It was a friendly gesture,” I explained. “Well, it was on the cheek, so I think it was okay,” Octavia said, smiling. Now I was a bit confused, “You sound really clear now, what was with that slurred drunken speech just seconds ago?” “If I concentrate, it works. A lady can deal with her alcohol,” she just replied smugly. Then stumbled. Over her own hooves. Of course, I quickly grabbed her, propping her up against my shoulder, while the gorgeous mare just hiccupped gracefully. To think about it, only Octavia could hiccup gracefully. “Okay.” I sighed. “It seems my awesome music will have to wait. Let’s get you back to the hotel.” “I’m perfectly fine walking on my own!” Octavia protested, but, as soon as I eased my grip, she stumbled again. I chuckled and took her up again. “Let’s get you to the hotel.” “No! You wanted to play music for me.” “I still can at the hotel room. We don’t have to be here. Also I can better keep an eye on you there,” I replied sincerely. “You… you just want to look at me,” Tavi accused me with a smile. Smiling back, I gently whispered, “Maybe,” into her ear. “You… You want to touch me?” Octavia gulped, turning a fine shade of pink, the kind of shade that made her features so much more adorable. And sexy. “I-I don’t think I can let you touch me. Yet.” Even as my heart fluttered at the “Yet”, I knew that it was probably the alcohol speaking. Even if I wasn’t that drunk. But apparently, Octavia was. She tried to take a step on her own, but stumbled, and, once again, I offered my shoulder to her. “All right. Let’s take you back to the hotel. I promise: no funny business.” Why on earth did I make such a promise? Maybe this mare was really somepony else, somepony who wasn’t just a one-night stand… One way or another, we made our way through the (rather hot) street. Despite it being night, the warm, humid air was permeating my fur, and I felt the faint scent of pleasant sweat on Octavia. I tried not to show just how pleasant her scent was to me. “Viiiiinyl~” Octavia cooed, while I struggled, step by step, to lead us to the hotel. “C’mooon! The night’s still young! Let’s go somewhere!” “We’re going somewhere,” I grumbled in reply, feeling Octavia’s weight on my poor shoulder. Anything for that mare, a little pony in my head whispered. I glared mentally at that little pony and promised to hit it with a stick. “And this somewhere is your hotel room.” It seemed that Octavia had sobered up somehow. She stopped, prompting me to stop as well. “Vinyl. I, I meant it when I said I didn’t want you to touch me… like that.” She blushed, and, by Celestia, that blush was the prettiest blush I’d ever seen. “No touching,” I promised, arguing with myself. “I’ll just get you to the hotel room, and that’s it.” “Are you sure?” “Okay, what is your problem?” I asked, shrugging her gently from my shoulder. “I told you no touching. Just to your hotel room so you can sleep and sober up. If you want, I even play some music for you!” “Not so loud,” Octavia whimpered before laying against my shoulder again. “I’m sorry!” “What are you sorry for?” I asked in surprise. This mare had hit me and it’d taken her some time to apologise, so why was she being apologetic right now? “I’m sorry, I just, I just can’t.” Octavia pressed her chin against my shoulder. “I know you want me—” I opened my mouth to protest, but she shushed me. “I know you want me in that way… But I am just not that kind of mare. I, I’m rather glad I made a friend, but… Vinyl, I can’t sleep with you. I’m sorry.” I groaned and tried to facehoof, before remembering that there still was a drunk Octavia on my shoulder and, if I were to perform the gesture, I would lose balance. “Octavia! Nopony is saying anything about sleeping together! I will just take you to the hotel room and that’s it!” “But…” Octavia sighed, breathing alcohol on my cheek. “I want you to stay. I just don’t want you to... “ She looked around. “I don’t want you to sex me.” I must admit, I giggled. A mare so refined she, even in her inebriated state, can’t say the word “buck”? That’s both silly and very funny. “Octavia, chill out. I’ll sleep on the floor in your room, deal?” Octavia smiled, putting her head on my shoulder, setting it on fire with that simple gesture. “Deal.” *** Pain. It was the first thing I felt as my eyelids were assaulted with the light of the day. Groaning, I pulled my forehooves up, shielding them, not wanting to leave the warmth that was at my side. Warmth? Curious, I shuffled around, just to stop in confusion. The bed is awfully hard and… weird. I even took a short sniff, just to wrinkle my nose in disgust. Alcohol, sweat and pineapple, not my favourite combination. Wait… My eyes sprung open and I immediately shrieked, jolting up, putting as much distance between me and the spot where I had lain as possible. “WHAT IS GOING ON?!” Vinyl awoke with a start, looking groggily around before focusing on me. “What’s the yelling for, Octavia?” “You… you broke your promise!!!” “What?! NO!” “Then why was I on the floor, lying all over you?” I asked, glaring daggers at the unicorn. “You were what?” Vinyl asked, confused. “If you were on me, who says you didn’t come down here on your own? I certainly didn’t drag you from the bed to the ground and then on me!” “How in Equestria would I come down on my own?!” “Well,” Vinyl reasoned, “Maybe in the ‘Oh, Vinyl, buck me now!’ way?” My jaw fell agape. “What.” “You were pretty wasted,” Vinyl explained. “Wouldn’t be a surprise.” “What.” “You saw my sexy body,” the incorrigible mare continued, “and you just couldn’t resist.” She grinned. “I didn’t make a move on you. You made a move on me!” “I did not!” I shouted, then winced as pain assaulted my temples. “Can I have a glass of water?” Vinyl grinned, levitating a glass to me. “Knew you would be thirsty!” I tried to sip the water gracefully but downed it in one go. Vinyl chuckled at me, looking sideways. “So, how are you feeling?” “Horrible,” I admitted. Then pointed an accusing hoof at the white mare. “But not as horrible as you seducing me!” “I didn’t seduce you!” Vinyl waved her hooves in the air. “If anything, you tried to seduce me! But you know what?” She frowned. “I was a gentlemare, so nothing happened!” “How can you be so sure?” I asked defiantly. Then groaned and crawled onto the bed. “You know what? I don’t care. Even if nothing happened, that still doesn’t mean you didn’t violate me!” “H-how did I violate you?” Vinyl’s voice was full of hurt and concern. Too bad that my hangover prevented me from showing mercy. “Well, you entered my suite! And you slept with me!” I lay on the bed and looked away. “I cannot comprehend what was going through your mind.” “Well, I’ll tell you,” Vinyl’s voice reached my ears after a moment of silence. “I wanted to get you home because you were so drunk you couldn’t walk on your own. Because I thought we were friends. I laid you on the bed so you could sleep well. Because I thought we were friends. I lay on the floor myself. Because I thought we were friends. But now I don’t think we are.” I heard hoofsteps and almost sprung from the bed, groaning as my head ached miserably. Why does that mare keep guilt-tripping me?.. “Vinyl, wait!” The white mare lingered in the doorway without turning to me. “What.” “I… I am sorry. I am not thinking straight.” Wrong phrasing, Octavia. Wrong phrasing. “I am too hungover to… form decent thoughts. But we are friends. And I can prove that.” Oh no I am not going to do that. I am SO not going to do that. “And how?” Still, her back was turned to me. I sighed and patted the spot next to me on the bed. Immediately, Vinyl turned around, her eyes wide open. I patted the spot again. “Here. I will sleep off my hangover and I want you by my side. As a friend. I trust you enough not to do anything sexually.” I am really doing that, aren’t I? Oh Celestia, I SO am. Vinyl growled before a smile spread over her muzzle. “Sometimes, you make no sense, Tavi,” she gently said before approaching me. “But that makes me like you even more.” With that, she crawled onto the bed and lay next to me. For a moment, I thought that she would hug me - and felt both fear and excitement at the mere thought. But she didn’t, so I closed my eyes and, with a sigh, began drifting off to sleep. Just before blackness covered me and offered blue-maned dreams, a thought reached my head: I would feel so much better in her embrace. > Unplanned Interruption > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter Four: Unplanned Interruption I woke up to an incredibly pleasant sensation of somepony’s hooves wrapped around me. As soon as I opened my eyes, I realised that this somepony was none other than Octavia, whose hooves were wrapped tight around me, and whose muzzle bore a big smile. I felt cold as soon as I realised my hooves were, likewise, wrapped around Octavia. I broke my promise! I touched her! The little pony in my head was running around in circles, panicking. I tried to free my hooves when suddenly Octavia opened her eyes. “Vinyl?” Her eyes were locked on me, my hooves around her, her hooves around me. “I didn’t-!” I almost screamed. “I’m sorry, I-” Octavia smiled. “You’re warm.” She pulled me closer to her and I relaxed in her embrace. Gently, I pulled her in as well. Just enough to make us hit heads. I touched and rubbed my forehead, just below the horn, thankful I didn’t poke Octavia’s forehead with my horn. I feared what was about to come, but Octavia just giggled. I giggled as well. “You’re beautiful in the morning,” I confessed, wondering if that was too much. Octavia frowned. Dammit, too much. But then again, after all I had said to her before… “Does that imply that I am not beautiful in the evening?” She fluttered her eyelashes. “I-I I mean!” I stammered, probably for the first time in my life. “I mean-” “So are you saying that I was ugly yesterday?” she demanded. “I never said that! You were astonishing as ever with-” I stopped dead in my tracks as her gaze softened and she giggled. “Oh, that was low, Tavi. Really low.” Octavia continued to giggle before slightly booping my nose. “Oh come on, Vinyl, nothing like some fun after an awkward wakening.” What? “Oh, yes, that. Haha. Really funny, huh? How hooves can move on their own,” I chuckled weakly, shifting my hooves around. “No harm done,” Octavia replied softly, relaxing me a bit. “Did you have any plans for today?” I frowned, thinking back at the first day. “Yeah. Normally, I would go to a small autograph session at a club in the city, but some colt stole my signature pen by tricking me into signing something for him!” “What was the pen like?” Octavia wondered softly, as if talking about a lost friend. “Oh!” I closed my eyes dreamily. “It had my name engraved on it… I mean, DJ Pon-3, my nickname,” I explained with a smile. “It was a white pen, with my name engraved in blue letters…” “Just like your beautiful coat and mane,” Octavia whispered breathlessly. I blinked. “What.” Octavia’s face lit up with a blush: it was evident she didn’t mean for me to hear that. “I- Can you stay here for a few hours? I really really need to have something done in town.” I shrugged. She probably needed to have some alone-time after the morning. “Sure, Tavi.” The grey mare got up and, circling the bed, booped my nose. “I’ll be right back.” I touched my nose. I will never wash my nose again. *** Okay. Where does one find a shop where they make bespoke pens? Or, what is more interesting, why does one look for such a shop? Because one was friends with such a stunning mare? Then, why was one thinking of her in such terms? Why the hay this “one” was me?! “It has to be her magic. She put a spell on me or something,” I muttered silently, still looking around for the right shops. Finally, I saw a sign reading, Quills and Pens. Gleefully, I trotted towards the shop, to find the doors open. Upon entering the store, I saw all kinds of pens around, and just one pony behind the counter, a beige stallion with a greying mane. “May I help you?” the stallion asked politely, touching his spectacles. “Yes! Yes you can!” I grinned, wondering why I was getting so happy. “I need a pen made for my… friend.” It was weird referring to Vinyl as a friend; but it was true. “Thank Celestia you didn’t ask for a quill!” the employee sighed. I blinked. “But… You sell quills and pens, right?” “Yes, but we’re all out of quills.” I blinked again. Then decided that this idea was too much to comprehend. I smiled. “Anyway. Can you make a pen for me? A white pen with a blue engraving.” “Sure, what do you want written on it?” I thought for a while, pondering. Then smiled, knowing exactly what to do. “Vinyl Scratch.” ***Clop Start*** I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling. The fan rotated slowly, making me wonder why such a luxurious hotel had fans and not proper climate-control. One way or another, my thoughts kept returning to Octavia. Why had she rushed off so quickly? Was she ashamed of having hugged me? Or… Those words, about my beautiful coat and mane… Did she mean it? If so, then no wonder she was embarrassed! I grinned a little. Well, I do have a hella beautiful coat and mane. Then it hit me. I was in Octavia’s room. Alone. Waiting for Octavia to come. I swiftly sat up in bed and looked around. The two travel suitcases in the corner immediately drew my attention. Now, a sneak peek wouldn’t hurt, right? The little pony in my head shook her own head sternly. No. No, Vinyl, we are NOT doing this. I sighed and lay back on the bed. Of course I wouldn’t run through Tavi’s personal possessions. I was better than that. The little pony in my head nodded. Yes. It’s not like you expect to find something you can impress her with, right? I jerked up in bed. That’s it! By running through- I mean, taking a peek at her things, maybe, just maybe, I could find a detail that would help me become closer with her? A family photo or something so I could ask nonchalantly about her brother or sister, surprising her with my “intuition”? And then I could say something like “Well, I am sure your sister is pretty, but you are the most beautiful mare to me.” With that in mind, and disregarding the little pony in my head, I set off towards the suitcases. To my surprise, I didn’t even had to search long for anything I could use. There was just one problem. The thing I found was more than unexpected. A white dildo?! The little pony in my head just fell unconscious while I just grinned. Naughty, naughty Tavi! It wasn’t a particularly big model, Trust me, I have my experience, but in a nice, lovely shape of a stallions cock. Along with it was a small pipe connected, next to it a bottle of cumlube. Now I know her hobby… I’m sure she loves it when the dildo squirts her full of this. Still, she was just a normal pony. Of course she would have needs like every other mare. While it was surprising, it was a typical thing to have. Mhh, just imagining what she would do with it… And how much I would love to help her… I had no idea what kicked my body into gear. The dildo, the thought about her using it, or the thought about helping her. No matter what it was, I stopped thinking. My magic grasped the dildo and pushed the pipe into the bottle before I brought it down to my nethers that were already dripping wet. I ignored the small pony in my head that had awoken and was busy facehoofing and crying over my stupidity. You should not do this? What if she comes back right now? The little pony continued its rampage while I couldn’t help but smile, imagining Tavi standing like me. Just, instead of helping it with magic, she lowered herself gently on the dildo, a soft moan on her lips as she enjoyed the little toy disappearing into her, massaging the spot she needed oh so badly. As if acting on it’s own, Vinyl’s magic brought the dildo forward, gently rubbing against her lips before softly prodding her labia, spreading it ever so slightly. Moaning softly, my mind dove deeper into the fantasy, almost as if Tavi was in front of me, gently taking the whole dildo into her before she started her movement, up and down, nothing interrupting the play, save for her soft moans and the slight wet sound whenever the dildo penetrated her deeply. I wanted more. Not only the dildo, but I wanted her. I wanted Tavi. I wanted her body, her hooves, her muzzle, her tongue, her marehood, her teats, simply every single part I could use to ravish her and to be ravished likewise. My thoughts accelerated my magic, pumping the dildo into my pussy with new won vigour. I wonder if she would like to be pounded by me with that dildo. My magic would be perfect for it. Saliva started to collect in my mouth just at the thought of touching Octavia. To knead her body, her perfect flanks before kissing her. My way would take me over her front, just lingering for a few nips and bites here and there. I would explore her treasure, tasting her sweet juices. And it would be divine, that I was sure of. In the meantime, the little pony in my head gave up trying to stop me. Instead it wrote my last will on some parchment, already sure that this would be my end. Nah, there’s nothing that could go wrong. My thoughts and feelings overwhelmed me. I imagined me adding the dildo magically to myself, before pounding it into Tavi, bucking her crazy, bucking her until she would beg me to never stop, until she would scream my name with her lovely voice. Then I would trigger the dildo and shoot every single bit of cumlube into her pussy, spreading it deep and wide until there was nothing left. It was the last thought that set me off, cuming hard on the dildo while my magic frantically set off the cumshot, painting my inner walls with the liquid. My moans were to be heard rooms away, that I was sure off, but the thought of fucking Octavia until she came was like a good aphrodisiac to me, absolutely addicting. My mind went blank as I heard a keycard slipping into the reader of the door before it opened. ***Clop End*** Okay. Ordering a pen was apparently serious business: not only had it cost me a lot of bits - and I mean a lot - it would also take at least a week. But it was for Vinyl. So it was worth it. I stopped in the middle in the street suddenly. Why was I thinking about Vinyl like that again? An unnecessary - but not unpleasant - image entered my mind: Vinyl and I, in a restaurant, eating dinner, laughing together, she feeding me apple pie with a fork. Then, we would wander off in the streets, and reach the beach, and she would kick pebbles while I would sit in the sand, simple and elusive, and look at her stunning form in the moonlight. Wait. What the hay was I thinking? I shrugged off the image, much to the displeasure of the little pony in my head, who had d’awwed very cutely. Vinyl was a friend, and she was waiting for me! ...In my hotel room. My eyes widened. Well, of course she wouldn’t find- I mean! Okay, she wouldn’t look through my belongings. She was better than that. But there are certain things a lady wants to keep… private. I shall say no more. Needless to say, the rest of my walk turned out to be slightly more hectic, more nervous, and a little faster than I had expected. I feared what Vinyl would do if bored, and I had no intention of finding out. I certainly wasn’t worried that she would find any of my… stress relievers I had in my suitcases. “Octavia!” Drat! “Octavia!” I turned, to see the face I never wanted to see, especially not now. “Fancy Pants! So good to see you here!” I managed a smile as I addressed him. “As it is always good to see you, my dear,” Fancy smiled back. “Pray tell, what are you doing on this wonderful island?” “Just some vacation,” I said, still the same smile on my muzzle. Fancy wouldn’t have it. “Alone? But that is simply not to be! Please, allow me to treat you to dinner or, maybe if you are more for a small, moonlight filled night at the beach? Why, I can…” I simply shut him out of my mind and, of course, my ears. For weeks, that stallion was getting on my nerves. I knew it was unfitting of a lady like me to… think like this. But he was an asshole and I wouldn’t like anything more than to stuff one of my hooves in his dirty, grinning muzzle. My thoughts went to Vinyl and I smiled. “I’m not alone here, Fancy, I’m sorry. I should really get back to her as well,” I interrupted him. Before he could start, I turned and ran off. It would give him a bad image, but the hay did I care right this moment! “HER?!” I heard his frantic call behind me before I was around the corner. Why did I say her? And why did I first think about Vinyl when saying that? It was a good thing I didn’t say something entirely silly and implausible, like “marefriend.” I laughed mentally at such a stupid idea - but my laughter sounded rather fake, and the little pony in my head sighed disapprovingly. I neared the hotel and stormed past the reception desk without smiling at the receptionist mare who was rather pretty, and why was I thinking in that way about mares? I was into stallions, not mares! Right? Right? I asked the little pony in my head. She blushed and looked away. As I exited the lift, I heard cries. Vinyl’s cries. My eyes went wide as I galloped towards my room. She was hurt! I knocked on the door but there was no response. She was being abducted! I pressed my keycard, hearing her cries. She was being beaten! I rushed into the room. ...She was masturbating. WITH MY DILDO. The little pony in my head fainted. > Forgiveness > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter Five: Forgiveness I nearly fainted at the sight in front of me. Vinyl was standing on all fours, masturbating with my dildo. Her shocked gaze was directed at me, her magic suddenly faded around the toy as it dropped to the ground. “Tavi,” she whispered in shock before realising she stood on display in front of me, quickly hiding her arousal with her tail. “Tavi, I…” I yelled. I don’t quite remember what exactly I yelled, but I did yell, and it was the yell of a dying whale. A graceless, horrible yell that expressed all my primeval fear in the wake of the mare of my dreams using my dildo on herself. Wait. My eyes went even wider. The mare of my dreams? “Tavi, I!” Vinyl tried to begin, but I pointed a hoof at her, spitting gibberish, and ran away. Ran very, very far away. I ran past the elevator, ignoring it entirely. I ran down the steps, knocking over a gentlestallion in a top hat, who looked at me in bewilderment. I ran past the reception desk, yelled after by the cute receptionist mare (Cute? What the buck is wrong with me?!) and the not-so-cute receptionist stallion. I ran up the narrow streets, running through the entire town, collecting gazes. Finally, I’d run off to the beach, where I sat in an empty deckchair - it was already growing dark. Had it taken me this long to run here? I thought the town was small… I sighed and looked around at the empty beach. Now what? *** Stupid, stupid, stupid! I hit my forehead against the wall, over and over again, at the thought of what I had committed. (Yes, I know the word “commit”.) I shouldn’t have given in to lust! I shouldn’t have given in to curiosity! I shouldn’t have- I sighed, rubbing my head below the horn. It didn’t matter what I shouldn’t have done. I had to find Tavi and explain everything to her. But what could I explain? That I was sexually attracted to her? Wouldn’t that ruin our friendship? But then again, what I had done had probably ruined our friendship already, anyway… I looked up with resolve. I had to apologize. One way or another, I had to say sorry. Because I meant it. I shouldn’t have, but I did. So I had to apologise for what I did. So I ran. Ran to her. *** There was silence on the beach, complete silence. It wasn’t often that I had experienced complete silence, but, while at times of musical composition it might be welcoming, right now, the silence was dark and evil. It whispered to me of bad things, and put bad ideas in my mind. It made me want to go to Vinyl and make love to her on a spacious bed. “Celestia, why are you punishing me so?” I shouted out to the sky, even though it was Luna I should have addressed, with the Moon reigning supreme over Equestria. “Tavi?” I turned my head, only to see the most beautiful pony in the world in front of me, her eyes shining with concern. I nodded silently, used to the silence of the beach, which was now withdrawing its troops, in the wake of my heroine’s arrival. “Tavi, I need to talk to you.” I nodded again. This was not what Vinyl had expected, evidently. She had probably expected me to shout, scream at her, and maybe hit her. But I wasn’t going to do that. I had a lot on my mind, and my thoughts were not coherent enough to form anything but a stupid I like you. I didn’t even like her! Why was I thinking that? “Octavia, I’m sorry.” The use of my proper name made me lift my head up and lock eyes with the white mare. “Vinyl-” “No.” Vinyl shook her head and lifted her foreleg. “Let me finish.” Not the best choice of wording, the little pony in my head remarked. “I am sorry for what I did. But the truth is, I just… I just like you. I find you attractive. I find you hot. I want you. I want you,” she emphasised. I nodded. What else could I do at such a confession? Besides, hadn’t I known that already? Then what difference did it make, coming out of her mouth? “But I want to stay friends with you. I really do. So I am not sorry for masturbating while thinking of you, because you are beautiful and sexy and I like you.” I blinked. “I am sorry,” she explained, “for taking your, erm, stress relief without your permission. I am sorry for looking through your private possessions. Friends don’t do that.” I was still silent, when it clicked. “Okay,” I said meekly, unsure of what was happening to me. “Apology accepted. Vinyl,” I sighed, “I don’t… I mean, I know you like me. And I don’t mind you, erm, fantasising about me.” Of course we don't, the little Pony in my head nodded. “Just don’t do that around me.” You can’t be serious, the pony facehoofed now, I want to! “Alright… Sorry again!” Vinyl smiled awkwardly. “So, what now?” “I think it is better if we part ways for at least today,” I replied, giving her a sad smile back. “I’ve got a lot to think about.” And clean. And ponder on my complicated emotions. Vinyl looked at the ground and I thought I saw a tear, but concentrating, there was nothing. “Alright. So I’ll see you tomorrow?” “Of course, my friend.” ***Clop Start*** I have no idea how long it took me to reach my hotel room, but it was still in the same state I left it. The dildo still on the floor, the fluids on it slightly dried, the bottle full of cumlube standing besides it, completely empty. She used a whole bottle! I usually have enough after half of it in me and- No, that’s not something a lady should think of! There was a problem now. I wanted to clean everything, but I had no magic or wings. That left my hooves and my mouth. Shaking my head, I tried to grab the dildo with my hooves, just to always have it slide away. That’s not working, it’s still soaked in her juices. How do I do it now? The pony in my head gave a slight shrug before sitting down. Just pick it up, it’s just marecum. A taste won’t hurt! I hesitated. It was unfitting for a lady to do such a thing, but I don’t think I had another choice. Slowly, I lowered my muzzle and opened my mouth, ready to pick it up. As soon as my lips tasted the surface, however, I froze, my tastebuds invaded. It's so sweet. Marshmallow? Yes, extremely sweet, with just a pinch sour. It is a taste I could get addicted to. I blushed as I took a long lick of the half-dried fluid, trying to remember every nuance of the addicting flavour. More, we need more! The little pony in my head shouted and I blinked. Yes, I needed more. Taking the bed to be a suitable surface, I plopped the dildo down on it, standing upright, before enclosing it in my mouth, giving me a full taste of every inch. A small image came to my mind. Vinyl laying on my bed while I tasted her flower. Eyes wide, I reeled, landing on my back. “What is wrong with me?!” Nothing, I would say, the little pony in my head glared at me. Now continue, it’s no crime! I had to admit, it was true. Nothing and nopony forbid me this small bit of pleasure. Smiling inwardly, I stood up and approached the dildo again, licking my lips. I wanted more. Much more. That was the only thought I needed to go back to work, my mouth enveloping the fake stallionhood, sucking and licking every drop of juice from it I could find. Soon, there was nothing on it anymore. Everything licked off. I was actually a bit sad about that, since I had enjoyed it so much, the fire in my marehood burning by now. “Huh, I guess some… pleasure… won’t hurt anypony,” I sighed before placing the dildo down on the floor, making sure it sat steady. Smiling, I went to another of my suitcases and pulled a new bottle of cumlube out before connecting it with the dildo. “Good thing I brought more than one.” My hooves were shaking by the time everything was set up. Seeing Vinyl using the dildo had been disturbing, but also arousing in some way. The foreplay—now including the taste of her juices—had me walking on edge as it is. I needed it, and I needed it right now. My mouth opened in a low, satisfying moan as I slowly enveloped the dildo in my marehood, gently lowering my haunches over it. It wasn’t extremely big, but astonishingly accurate and I loved it like that. My eyes closed in bliss as more and more of the dildo disappeared into me. “Well, well, what do we have here?” I opened my eyes to see Vinyl grinning at me, eying me over as I lay down on the bed. Is my mind playing tricks now? “Vinyl? What are you doing here?!” “I’m going to give you the rut of your lifetime,” the unicorn chuckled before her horn started to glow. My eyes went wide and I gasped as she created a magical object between her legs, similar to my dildo. Shuddering, I realized that my dildo had the same colour as her coat. “Vinyl…” “Yes, Tavi?” she asked, still grinning. “Just shut up and fuck me.” Way to go! The little pony in my head cheered. Vinyl looked shocked for a second before she approached me, the magical dick on full display. “As my princess commands,” she chuckled before lowering herself. My marehood burned and ached as the fake cock impaled me, gently, but steadily. Vinyl grunted as she drove more and more of it in, until she bottomed out, eliciting the small mixture of a sigh and a moan from us both. I loved it. I, Octavia Harmony, had to admit that I loved it. I loved being fucked by a unicorn with a magically constructed stallionhood. Especially since it was Vinyl. Blushing, I looked at Vinyl who leaned further down for a kiss, her soft lips locking mine in passion. It was a soft kiss, but full of passion, and I felt loved, for lack of a better term, as my heart was warm, pounding in my chest. Maybe it was a year, maybe just a few minutes before we broke, breathing hard as we looked into each other's eyes. Then, slowly, she began to withdraw, making me whimper as the warmth escaped my marehood, just before she made me gasp as she gently drove it back home. She was gentle and caring, her eyes never leaving mine as she began moving, scratching an itch I never thought was so big. She was everything I wished for and more. Maybe, yes maybe I also really liked her. “More, Vinyl,” I breathed between soft moans. “Take me as your mare.” It was horrendous to say something so vulgar, but I didn’t care at that moment. It was simply too perfect as she smiled at me and did as I asked, slamming the magical dick home deeper and faster than before. My moans increased, accompanied by her heavy grunting as she pleased me more and more, as she pushed me up to my edge. Smirking, she gave me a surprisingly hard buck, making me gasp and my tongue loll out to the side of my muzzle. I think it spoke more than words, because she leaned in, her muzzle to my side as she gently bit into my neck and started ramming me in earnest, fucking me harder than I ever imagined possible. Her grunts turned into loud moans, accompanying mine as she altered her angle, bucking deeper and deeper. “Vinyl-aaaaaah-I’m coming, PLEASE, AHHH, MORE.” I pleaded, my moans nearly covering my speech. Vinyl answered by giving me all she had, taking me in surprise as she came, the magical stallionhood spurting loads of cum deep into my marehood. It was enough to take me over the edge as well. My vision turned white, the orgasm I received purer and longer than any before. The last I saw, was my little white dildo buried in my marehood before everything changed to black, leaving me out cold. She wasn’t here. It was a sad last thought. ***Clop End*** She wasn’t here. Octavia was in her hotel room, or in a bar, or Celestia knows where. But she wasn’t here with me. I sighed and rolled over in the bed. Why in Equestria had I thought it would be a good idea to take up her dildo? Okay, she didn’t mind. Apparently. And… why was that? My heart fluttered for a moment, but the little pony in my mind shook her head mercilessly. She doesn’t like you back, get over it. I sighed and decided that, if anything, she was above me. Above me in all aspects. She was refined, and intelligent, and had supreme taste in wine - despite having crappy taste in music. But we all have our faults. She was above me and- She was above me. I’d just realised that Octavia was, indeed, in a room exactly one floor above me, above my own room. I fell breathless, trying to establish a mental connection between us. Silly as it was, I imagined Octavia cleaning the floor with a mop, grunting at me for making such a mess. And then I heard the moans. > Some Sort of Silent Agreement > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter Six: Some Sort of Silent Agreement It was hard. I had no idea for how long the moans went on, but It felt like eternity. Of course, those weren’t real. Those were in my head. How could it be otherwise? These were… projections. Projections of my desire towards Tavi. It was only right to imagine her moaning in lust, masturbating–—thinking of me?–—but it was impossible. No, Tavi was cleaning the floor, and I was just imagining things. I sighed and reached for my headphones. Some hard beats would surely dispel the state of confusion I was in. I glanced at the player. Battery dead. Cursing, I tried to emit a spark from my horn - but the magic didn’t want to surface. I was tired, and I needed sleep. But how could I sleep without knowing that tomorrow I would meet her again? Life without that wonderful, gorgeous mare had become bleak, dull, not worth living. I had to meet her tomorrow, and I knew where she would be. At the beach. I clung to that idea like a drowning pony to a life vest. It was a breath of fresh air, a gasp above the water. At the beach, tomorrow. We would meet. I would sit next to her, and, and- and nothing would happen. But our friendship would resume. I had no idea that just one room above me, one particular mare had nearly the same thoughts. *** It was hard to ignore the mess I had made. It was even harder to forget why it was there after all. There was a virus in my head, and that virus had a white coat and a two-coloured, messy blue mane. That virus was Vinyl Scratch. Yet, I was happy about that virus. It gave me bliss, even if it was an unusual one. Still, there were more than a few questions left. What do I feel exactly? Friendship? Love? Companionship? Admiration? To be honest, I had no idea. Every thought I started ended with her, somehow, but it also hurt thinking about her. I had sent her away after the incident, just to do the same thing minutes later while imagining her rutting me senseless, driving me insane. I have to see her again or I will go mad for sure. The small pony in my head nodded and set her framed picture of Vinyl back down. Tomorrow would be a new day, a day where I could see her again. I knew that I would just have to go to the beach, and she would soon be there. How I knew it? Why, I have no clue! But I knew for sure I would see her. I had to see her. There was a drug called Vinyl Scratch, and I was hooked on it. For life. Somehow, that thought didn’t make me feel like a junkie. It made me feel alive. *** They say that the sunrise is a most beautiful thing. I have no idea. I hadn’t seen the sunrise for a long, long while—if ever—prior to that morning. I like to sleep till like, two in the afternoon, which is a given after a long night at the club. But the next morning after I’d heard the moans, I woke up early in the morning, with a thick, haunting feeling that something was missing from my life. And I immediately knew what it was. It was a grey mare by my side—who wasn’t by my side. I am not just talking about sex. I mean it. I would settle for a night of cuddling. Waking up in Tavi’s embrace had easily been one of the best experiences in my life. I would give up my record collection just to experience it again. ...Okay, no, I would not. Maybe some records. Not all records. But that’s just because I would like to play them for Tavi. I smiled, looking at the rising sun from my window, with a clear view of the rustic town. Sometimes, the sunrise is like love, I thought, paraphrasing something I’d heard long ago. Some prefer to sleep at that time, but there are those who wake up early - not to miss anything. *** The sun was far from setting, but I was already at the beach. I don’t know what had driven me here… Oh, who am I kidding. I knew exactly what had driven me here. It was the white-and-blue goddess, the charming, beautiful, gorgeous mare called Vinyl Scratch. The little pony in my head nodded approvingly. I sighed in defeat. Vinyl had conquered me, somehow - and she didn’t even know about it. Nor would she! I was a lady, and confessing my… preference for her would be unladylike. Besides, this was just a vacation. No need to open the floodgates of love if everything would be gone in a week. There simply was no way for this to continue, and I wasn’t ready to open a relationship when my partner lived far away from me. Not that she would become my partner anyway. We were friends, and that was it. I tossed my mane in defiance. The little pony in my head blinked: Are you truly an idiot or are you just doing a good impression of one? “Tavi?” came the familiar voice from behind. I turned round, a little too readily for a lady, but readily enough for somepony who had fallen hooves over heels for that catastrophe of a mare. Why couldn’t I get a piece of her just on vacation? Because I am a proper pony who will only have proper relationships, I reminded myself. The little pony in my head started rolling her eyes. She just sat next to me on the deck chair, occupied half of it with a sigh, and peered into the horizon. Her fur was glistening with sweat, but I wanted nothing more than to bury my muzzle into it. I sighed as well, diverting my gaze from Vinyl and looking at the sheltering sky. It didn’t seem sheltering now; I felt as if there were tears in it, a tattered sky tied together by endless, invisible seams. “Where are we going with all of this, Vinyl?” The mare next to me snorted and kept watching the sky. “I don’t quite get you, Tavi,” she said in a tone reserved for shameless, bare-faced lies. “Where are we going with what?” I groaned and cast an irritated glance at the DJ. “You know very well what I mean, Vinyl. You are… infatuated with me? I guess that would be the proper term. And I found that, well, that I might like you a little more than I thought I would.” Sex? Sex? Sex? The little pony in my head pranced around. Vinyl’s ears perked up immediately, but, before a grin could break out on that incorrigible - yet so alluring - face, I continued: “Which doesn’t mean anything. I will not sleep with you, and…” No sex? The little pony’s ear drooped in an instant. “And, well, we only have this vacation to talk to one another. Afterwards, this friendship, it. It will be...” I couldn’t bring myself to say the word. Instead, I looked up once more, trying mentally to stitch the tears in the sky, to make it whole again. To make it look like a woven plaid, not a sewn blanket. “It is only over when you decide it’s over,” Vinyl said simply. “Even if we live in different towns, what’s stopping us from being pen pals? And anyway, I live in Manehattan, and the train leaves for any location at least twice a day.” I almost did a spit-take on thin air. Almost. “You live in Manehattan?” I rapped out, turning towards the mare abruptly. The little pony’s muzzle formed a wide grin. “I… I live on Fifth Avenue.” “What?” Vinyl, to her merit, did do a spit-take on thin air. “I live on Fifth Ave! You can’t live there, cause, cause…” “Because that would make us neighbours!” I exclaimed. “And I know my neighbours.” “Fifth Ave is a long street,” Vinyl reasoned, though she couldn’t keep a smile from her face. “WELL THAT MEANS WE CAN FINALLY HAVE SEX.” “What?! Vinyl, I said NO!” The little pony in my head hung its head even lower. “But we live near each other…” “Doesn’t mean that we will have sex! No, stop it or I shall regret talking you,” I replied. Of course, I would never do that. Deep in my heart, I knew I liked Vinyl too much to just leave her. And honestly, knowing she was maybe like five minutes away from my Apartment? To say it in her words, AWESOME!. Vinyl pouted in my direction, but that expression was quickly gone. “I still can’t believe we are that close!” Me neither. There goes my plan of abandoning her after the vacation... “Yes, great, Vinyl.” I know, my enthusiasm knows no bounds. “Now, though… This does change some things.” While Vinyl’s eyes lit up with hope, I crushed that hope - that I shared, deep inside - with a stern, “Not sex, Vinyl. That just means that, well, that this friendship might work out. “ “Might? I don’t know what could possible go wrong,” Vinyl grinned. I facehoofed. “Please, Vinyl, tell me what you have planned.” “Oh, nothing special, Tavi.” The mare leaned over me, her hot breath falling onto my muzzle. “Just, maybe…” I shifted back instinctively. “You know, an evening for two…” I yelped as I realised the pony was drawing seriously close to me, way too close for comfort. Oh really? the little pony in my head frowned. “Wine and roses…” Her lips were almost touching my face. I took a sharp left, and, forgetting that we were on a deck chair, planted sideways into the sand. Vinyl snorted. “Gets them every time.” “You… YOU TRICKED ME!” I growled. “Whatever suits your fancy flank,” Vinyl glared at me. “I tried to see if there is at least a small amount of hope for me that this goes well. Lucky you there is no stone in your chest.” “That was mean,” I whimpered back. She continued to glare at me. “Well, think about how you treated me and ask yourself why I should kiss your hooves?” “You did all those sexual innuendos!” “Well, it’s WHO I AM!” Vinyl exploded, pointing a hoof at me “I don’t sit back idly if I like a mare. Tavi, I’m a hunter, I hunt what I like! I tried that with you but OH LUNA, pull that stick out of your ass!” “Well, guess what, Vinyl.” I stood up and shook the sand off myself in a graceful manner. “If you want to remain friends with me, you should remember just one - just one thing.” I approached her and stared into her eyes sternly, then planted a soft kiss on her forehead - which, to my delight, left her speechless. “I am no prey.” With that, I turned to leave, but I didn’t get very far. A blue aura held me and turned me around. Right into the hooves of Vinyl. It took only a second and I was lost in her eyes, then they closed as she kissed me. I melted into the kiss, forgetting my upbringing, my status, my music, forgetting where I was or who I was. For now, there was only her lips and mine, locked in a sign of eternity. I didn’t want to ever let go. Something was boiling within me, something that told me that this wasn’t right, but the little pony in my head stood guard against such thoughts, letting me relax and give in to Vinyl’s ministrations. Behind us, the sun set, bathing us in golden light as the day closed with a bang. Something, that would follow us for all of our lives. For good or bad. > I care about you > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter Seven: I care about you I had no idea what happened. From one moment to another I pressed my lips against Octavia’s, drawing her in for a long kiss. What surprised me the most, was that she kissed back after a short moment of hesitation. I couldn’t believe what was happening. Octavia, the object of my desires, was actually kissing me! If this was a dream, I didn’t want to wake up. If this was a hallucination, I didn’t want to be sane. However, I quickly realised that it wasn’t a dream when I felt a tiny, tender bite on my lower lip. I moaned into Octavia, mostly out of surprise, less of pain or lust. And boy, was there lust. My hooves moved on their own, tracing the shape of her lovely body. Closer and closer I got to the point of no return. But then she stopped me. The little pony in my head howled. “Vinyl. We can’t do this. It is too fast,” Octavia whispered and I hung my head. “I’m not saying that we never do this, but let us give it some time to develop. Deal?” The little pony in my head shook her head, but I could only stare in Octavia’s beautiful, lavender eyes and be lost in them. All I could do was sigh and nod. “Deal. I would lie if I said that I’m not disappointed, but I can wait.” Octavia traced my cheek with her hoof. “You’ve waited for me for a while already, dear. I’m sure you can wait a few more days.” Or weeks, the little pony in my head frowned at the remark. I told her to shut up, still lost in Octavia’s eyes, and that… “You called me…” I gulped. “You called me ‘dear’?” My heart was jumping in my chest and butterflies assaulted my stomach as if I were a schoolfilly. “Yes, I did,” Octavia chuckled softly, giving me a soft peck on the lips. “No sex doesn’t mean that we can’t spend the time very closely to each other. I-I have to say, that I care about you, Vinyl. I wanted to deny it, but I can’t.” “Of course you can’t deny it,” I grinned smugly, my confidence returning once I escaped the captivating spell of the lavender eyes. “I am fire, Tavi. The liquid, pure kind of fire.” She stopped me with a hoof. “Vinyl, my dear,” she started and I gulped as her eyes turned cold. “Don’t overdo it. For both our sakes. That I care about you doesn’t mean that I tolerate you being a completely degenerated ruffian.” “Heh, sorry Tavi,” I chuckled, while I shooed away the little pony in my head that had already lifted a stick to beat me with it. “Sometimes I drop the bass so much, I drop my wits as well.” Octavia laughed that pure, magical laugh of hers. “That doesn’t make any sense, and you know it.” I laughed in return. It was a soft, liberating feeling. Like being able to breathe underwater. As if we were below sea level, deep under the surface of the ocean, swimming together, diving into the unknown, together. Which led me to an idea. I offered my hoof to her. “Care to go for a swim with me?” Octavia blinked in return. “It’s getting dark.” “You don’t have to fear anything with me,” I reasoned. In a mushy way, I admit. In an entirely mushy way. But I felt those were the right words to say. “I’m not afraid. I am just thinking about what we could do now, besides-” she stopped, blushing a bit. “Besides crawling over each other in bed?” I tried and she nodded. “C’mon, Tavi. A deal is a deal. And I just made you an offer for swimming.” She looked at my hoof I was still holding to her. Locking eyes with me, she smiled and took it, letting me lead her further down the beach. As soon as we reached the small waves, she stopped, shivering a bit. I wonder if she would mind… Smiling, I pressed my coat against her, sharing my warmth. Her eyes searched mine, grateful, caring, and more. Then, she leaned in for a soft kiss before we continued our way, all the time staying coat on coat. It was bliss. Pure, unadulterated bliss. I was filled to the brim with happiness. I wanted to share it with the world. And so I did. I raised my head up to the sky and yelled  from the top of my lungs, “Tavi and I are dating!” Octavia blinked, looking at me as if I were a madpony. I sure was grinning like one. “Vinyl?” “Sorry.” I chuckled. “Just wanted the world to know we’re, you know.” I laughed merrily. “An item.” Octavia scrunched her nose cutely. “Did you ask me out?” “Wha-” The cellist - my cellist! - smiled a knowing smile. “Well, seeing as you haven’t officially asked me out, we’re not really dating, are we?” “Oh, come on!” I nearly scowled. “Tavi, who needs those stupid games?” “Who needs courtship, you mean?” Octavia countered in that posh manner of hers. “Who needs proper wooing?” I groaned and shook my head, getting cold in the water. If we were going to go for a swim, I had to go through this silly step. “Octavia… Will you be my marefriend?” I tried to put all the adoration I had for this mare into my voice - and still that wasn’t enough, it seemed to me. She smiled shyly, visibly getting cold as well. “See? That wasn’t so hard. Now,” she winked, “how about we get warm?” My ears perked up. “Oh ye-” Instantly, my smile faded. “Swimming. You mean swimming.” “Who said something about only swimming?” she asked coyly, wrapping her forelegs around me, snuggling as close as she could as we were slowly surrounded by the cold water. She’s so warm. I wasn’t able to think anymore. Tavi’s body pressed against mine, her beautiful smile so close until our lips met once again, but this time way more passionate. She surrounded me more than the water, her scent and her body everywhere. It was like a dream as her tongue slowly, shyly even asked for permission to enter, soon enough in a heated battle with my own appendage. Everything felt hot all of the sudden. Nothing was cold anymore, nothing around us. All that counted was us and our bodies in each other's embrace. When we finally broke, we couldn’t leave the eyes of each other. It was a simply magical moment. And there was only one way to continue it. I held Octavia by the hoof and led her out of the water, guiding her to the shore, like a captain guiding a young sailor at the steering wheel. On the beach, we sat on the sand, without caring about getting dirty. In our minds - and, at that moment, I felt like I could read Octavia’s mind - we were already making dirty, bawdy love on the aforementioned sand. In reality, I embraced her, wrapping a hoof around her shoulders, and raised my head to see the early stars. The very notion that she was watching the same stars filled me with unspoken serenity. “Vinyl?” “Yes?” “Be a dear and remind me to have sex at exactly this place once we reach that point.” The little pony in my head fainted. Again. *** My head hurt. No, I have to correct that. Everything hurt. I slowly opened my eyes, blinking against the light of the sun shining into the room. I was in my hotel room, laying on my bed. In Vinyl’s hooves. It would have been romantic, and very sweet… if snot wasn’t dripping from her nose. And mine. Oh Celestia. I sneezed, jolting upright, waking my marefriend up. The marefriend in question (marefriend! Marefriend! the little pony in my head danced around) moaned and sneezed as well. Which made me sneeze in return. It felt like we were communicating in a weird fashion for a while, until, finally, the sneezes stopped. Vinyl grabbed the corner of the duvet and cleaned her nose. I frowned at such uncouth behaviour, but, upon remembering that I hadn’t taken any kerchiefs with me, proceeded to do just the same. “You know, dear,” I said carefully, heeding the pain in my head - and thinking about Vinyl’s head as well, “I am not saying this is all your fault…” I coughed, feeling just how sore my throat was. “But this is all your fault.” “Totally worth it,” Vinyl wheezed back. “Besides, you where the one getting all clingy in the water, not me.” She was right, in some sort of manner. Groaning, I held my head. “I knew you were cursed. I only accepted your courtship a few hours ago and I’m already sick.” “Hardy har,” Vinyl retorted. “At least we can cuddle all day now,” she finished and tried to grab me with her hooves. “Ew, no. We will both take a warm, warm bath in that big tub,” I shoved her back. “I have a few herbs and salts that should make us feel much better.” Vinyl raised her hoof. I sighed. “Yes, Vinyl?” “Can we have sex while in the bath?” “No, we can not.” The little pony in my head groaned and facehoofed. “But you can come very, very close if you behave,” I added huskily, swishing my tail gently as I got up. I already knew that she would follow me, but waving my scent around as a trail for her was a plus. That her nose wasn’t right up my sex was the only thing that didn’t happen. I could practically see her drooling behind me. Ignoring her for now, I searched through my small cosmetic bag pulling out a few flasks before letting water into the big tub. It wasn’t long before I climbed into the tub, sighing and closing my eyes as I sank into the water. When I opened them, Vinyl was still beside the tub, drooling. “Are you coming in or not?” I regretted it immediately as she practically jumped in. “I said coming in, not jumping in.” She ignored me. “Tavi?” She asked. I hummed, waiting for her to continue. But her next question simply threw me off course. “Are you in heat?” “Excuse me, what?!” I sputtered. “Your scent is strong. Either you’re in heat or shortly before it,” Vinyl continued. I paused, going over the facts. I felt warm, extremely warm even. My pulse was also quicker than usual. Flaring my nostrils, I took the scent in the bathroom in, trying to filter out Vinyl and all the herbs. Buck. Everything I had counted on me being sick came crashing down. I wasn’t in heat yet. But I would be soon. “Vinyl. After this bath, you should go back to your room. Don’t come see me before I ask you to,” I said in a tone that allowed no response. “No.” “Pardon me? Don’t you understand?” “I do. That doesn’t mean I’m breaking the deal now.” Vinyl leant in close to me. “I am not going to take advantage of the situation. See it…” She pondered. “See it as a test of trust.” “Vinyl, you know a heat works both ways?” I raised my voice. “I don’t want to jump you on the first moment of weakness that could, but also may not happen! I want it to be special when we do it!” “So do I!” Vinyl shouted back, tears in her eyes. “But I don’t want to lose you as soon as I’ve got you.” That made me sound like a possession, but I let it slide. “Vinyl,” I explained very softly, “you are not losing me. All I need you to do is just… wait. Can you view it as, I don’t know…” I thought about it for a moment. The little pony in my head didn’t want to cooperate. “As if we have to stay apart for a while because we’re both contagious and we would only make our illness worse?” Vinyl grumbled something incomprehensible under her breath. “What was that?” “I said,” she reiterated, a little louder, “can I at least wash your back.” I smiled gratefully, knowing how much effort it took from her. And from me. “With pleasure.” *** As the door to her room closed behind me, I felt horrible. I was leaving her for days to come. Not that I wanted it, no, but I had to respect Tavi’s wish. She wanted to be alone while her heat ran it’s course. A small piece of me understood her. She wasn’t even in her heat yet, and I still had problems to behave around her. I nearly licked her on the way to the bathroom, to only taste a small drop. I nearly had done so. Groaning, I smashed my head against the wall. Days without Tavi, now that I finally had her. Up to four days from what she had told me. Her heat cycle seems synchron with mine. I wonder why mine is so late. It should’ve started one day ago.  The little pony in my head raised the stick once again, pointing down the hallway to my room. I had no choice but to walk. I wanted to keep Tavi, so I had to do what she wanted. Even if it broke my heart a bit. > I want you (Clop Clop, Cloppity Clop) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter Eight: I want you (Clop Clop, Cloppity Clop) As soon as I opened my eyes, I knew I was screwed. I felt hot, my breath was ragged, my pulse racing. Next to that, there was a wet spot between my hind legs and a pure scent in the air. I was in heat. The little pony in my head cursed me, pointing out that I practically doomed myself by just wondering yesterday why my heat was late. But I got one thing right: it was a good thing Octavia wasn’t with me. Because otherwise we’d be screwed. No, actually, we’d be screwing. Each other. Very hard. Which, apparently, wasn’t a good first time. (Which was a perfectly good time if you ask me, but not for Octavia. And I had to respect her wishes.) Because she was my marefriend! The little pony in my head nodded. And you know what good marefriends do, Vinyl? I exhaled, closing my eyes. Oh yes, I replied to the little pony in my head. They rut each other senseless. The little pony frowned. And go read poetry, I quickly amended. In the moonlight. Right after screwing each other. Screwing how? The little pony in my head sounded interested. Apparently, she was in the mood too. Well, how indeed. I sighed, imagining Octavia by my side, in the bed, crawling towards me with a sensual smile on her face, a smile that only she could muster so well. Her tender touch, her hooves on my body, massaging my flanks… Her skillful tongue, traversing every inch of my mouth… Her lips on my neck… Her hot breath as she drew lower and lower… I barely noticed as my hoof slipped where it belonged. Right between my legs. But it wasn’t my hoof. It wasn’t white. It was grey, gently tracing my outer labia, teasing it apart to let a single drop escape my folds. Octavia was quick to lap it up, enjoying her small meal of my pure juices. The little pony in my head was already busy clopping itself. Octavia smiled as she tasted me before diving back in. Her tongue gently parted my folds, but never quite entered. She teased me, making me wanting more and more of her. I wanted to rut her, to be rutted by her. To completely lose myself. Then she did something I never expected. Octavia drew back, and my eyes went wide. There was a stallionhood attached to her hips with a strap, bouncing slightly. It had a vibrant blue, the same color like my magic. I didn’t think about why the stallionhood was shaped more like a real one and less like a strapon. I didn’t ponder on why it was attached with the colour of my magic. I knew it was part of Octavia now, and, since Octavia was here to deliver me pleasure, so would I. I crawled towards her, wondering whether she could feel the magical appendage. Well, since it was magic, there was a thick chance… No, that wasn’t quite the right wording. I forgot all about wording as a gave the shaft a long, thoughtful lick. Octavia’s eyes rolled in bliss as she exhaled loudly. I smiled. It seemed like I had just hit jackpot. With my hoof, I went for the blue magical balls of the shaft, while my tongue kept traversing the outside of the stallionhood, never touching the head. Octavia began moaning, and so did I. Our moans mixed together in a peculiar fashion, a duet, a song, a symphony. I pressed my lips against the head of the shaft. Apparently, Octavia was very sensitive there, for she drew back as her eyes rolled, and her tongue left her mouth. I kept sucking, bobbing my head for emphasis, while my tongue rolled over and over the bare head of the stallionhood. To my deepest surprise, she pushed me back, her dick leaving my mouth with a pop. I ended up on my back again, with the stallionhood over my waiting nethers. She looked me up, glaring at me like I was her prey, growling gently. Then she pushed. And oh Luna, it was bliss. The stallionhood felt like it was made for my marehood, stretching and massaging it in all the right ways. She went slowly, watching me carefully, but I quickly pulled her closer, enjoying the feeling as the balls slapped against my butt, the dick completely buried in me. It fit perfectly. We both moaned loudly as the stallionhood rested fully in me. Pure bliss, that was all I could call it. Octavia smiled at me, but it was no gentle smile. It was more of the smile I knew from me, the smile of a hunter having it’s prey pinned. It lasted for mere seconds before she started to pull out, more and more until only her tip stayed. I knew what had to come, and braced myself. She still shook me to my inner core as she rammed her rod back inside until her balls slapped heavily against me, making me moan and trash in ecstasy. It was a bit too fast for my taste so I opened my mouth to warn Octavia about it, but she understood me without words. So, the next time she filled me up, she did it slowly, making me feel every millimetre of the shaft. It was obviously making her ecstatic, as signified by her loud groans. She kept the slow, wonderful pace that still left me filled to the brim with cock and yet kept me begging for more. She quickened the pace gradually, tending to my nethers like they were the most important thing in the world. Meanwhile, she leant over me, almost hovering over my face. I tried to lean in for a kiss, but the grey mare stopped my lips with a hoof. Then, suddenly, she pressed her hooves against my hindlegs, raising them even higher, allowing easier access. I had sought this for a while, and now was being granted my heart’s desire. My new position allowed Octavia’s cock to slide inside me at a better angle, enabling her to maintain a series of thick, powerful thrusts that had previously been impossible. I felt my eyes roll up, my breath quickening to the extreme. Sweat was already covering my body, and Octavia was persisting in touching every sweet spot only I was supposed to know. How did she do that? But of course, I realised in my hazy bliss. We were meant for each other, simple as that. She was supposed to know everything about me - and I was supposed to know everything about her. And while she was here- My sweat turned cold as Octavia faltered, the feeling of the magical stallionhood dissuading. She wasn’t there. She’s not here. My eyes looked over the messy covers of the bed. Octavia had never been here in the first place. It had all been my wild imagination, fuelled by lust and heat. I groaned and almost cried. I was horny (and in a more-than-just-being-a-unicorn fashion), I was tired, and I wanted her. I wanted to be near her. I wanted to rut her, granted… But if she would just let me hold her, just stay close, I would settle for that. No we wouldn’t, the little pony in my head countered. I glared at the little pony. Octavia was going through the same predicament, and what kind of marefriend would I be if I didn’t help her with it. And, maybe, in that manner I could help myself as well? Mistake or not, I have to help her. *** It was horrendous. Waking up and feeling that deep pain between your legs, burning you away. Immediately, the little pony in my head started cursing. That it was dumb of me sending Vinyl away. That I should had rut her while the opportunity was there. Threatening the little pony with a stick, I made my way to the bathroom. My fur was sticky in places it should never be. Shower. A cold shower will do me wonders. I was so wrong. The cold water did nothing to linder my aches. All it did made my body react to it, demanding a proper dicking. Or a nice tongue. The little pony in my head nodded approvingly. A lady would never give in to her urges alone… Argh, who am I trying to fool here? I need this! Propping myself up against the wall, I spread my hind legs, directing the water on the aching spot between my nethers, washing away sweat and juices. I moaned as the water gently stimulated me, carefully reaching every spot on my labia. It was not enough. I howled in frustration and tried to reach with one foreleg, rubbing frantically at my marehood, trying to get more pleasure out of it. “Do you need any help with this?” I turned around so fast, I nearly slipped and crushed my head on the floor of the shower. In my bathroom stood Vinyl, her eyes red, body sweating heavily. “Vinyl? What are you doing in here? How do you even get in?” “You didn’t locked the door properly,” the white mare told me as she climbed into the shower. “Now let me help.” Before I could form a negative response, I moaned loudly as Vinyl leaned down, taking a strong whiff of my arousal before serving me a long, deep lick. My mind exploded, forgetting every proper response I had to give. I should have given. Yet, I was completely puddy in her hooves. Vinyl groaned slightly, taking lick after lick as she grew faster and more dearing, as I felt her tongue slipping between my labia, teasing my entrance. “Stop teasing me and fuck me already!” Was all I could shout in my heat. “So you want me to fuck you?” Vinyl growled back and I whimpered as she stood up, grinning. “I will fuck you, trust me, Tavi.” I had no idea what was going on as Vinyl’s horn glowed brightly, her magic center in between her legs. However, that idea quickly came as a throbbing stallionhood emerged off the light, pulsating in the vibrant blue of Vinyl’s magic. “Vinyl,” I whimpered before I screamed out loud. Not in pain, but in bliss as Vinyl’s magic cock rammed into my marehood, not even needing lube since I was dripping wet. It felt so wonderful, the itch finally scratched. Yet, I wanted more. “Take me, Vinyl,” I breathed. “And do it quick, I won’t last long.” “Me neither,” Vinyl grunted back as she pulled out until only her tip remained, then slammed back home, letting us both howl in bliss. She quickly thrusted in and out, hitting my deepest core every time she went in. Yet, something missed. “You never used one of these, did you, Vinyl?” “Heh no,” she wheezed back. “First time using that spell.” I groaned impatiently, pushing her back against the wall and her flank onto the ground. “Then let’s rock your world,” I smiled, seeing Vinyl’s eyes light up made my heart thump, even in the cloudy minded state of my heat. Placing my hind legs to either side of her hips, I aimed and sat down, impaling myself on her magical stallionhood. Not wasting any time, I repeated the motion until I only slammed down, having us moan every single time. Quicker, I need this, faster! I thought desperately, while the little pony in my head clopped itself, nodding hazily. Everything was a blur, Vinyl’s tongue lolling out as I rode her faster and faster. Then something happened I never expected. Vinyl came, shooting spurt after spurt of something deep into my core, soothing the heat inside of me, but also making my climax run in as well. Our juices mixed between us, soaking us, only to being washed away immediately by the shower. I was too exhausted, too satisfied to question how Vinyl could shoot cum through a magic object. I really didn’t care in that moment as well. All that counted, was the mare that quickly pulled me into her embrace, holding me tightly. It was like a dream I never wanted to end. I love you, Vinyl. > The Afterglow > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter Nine: The Afterglow I woke up completely reborn. Renewed, even. Some ponies say that every time we wake up, we wake up as a new pony. Perhaps, perhaps. But, aside from the inner renewal, there was outward stability in my hooves. And it was quite literally in my hooves. And it was a she. It was Vinyl Scratch. My stability muttered something in her sleep and clung to me, nuzzling into my neck. I gulped, seeing as her horn was painfully close to my cheek. One must be careful when sleeping with unicorns. Why was I sleeping with a unicorn again? My blood ran cold as I remembered the events of the previous night. We had… Our first time, the time that was supposed to be special, fantastic, magical, had turned out to be magical only in the form of a magical cock Vinyl had rutted me with. Pardon my wording. The little pony in my head sat on her flank, her ears drooping. I thought we’d have wine and roses and then have a magical night under the moonlight… I sighed and withdrew my hooves from the white mare. So did I, little pony. So did I. Feeling the lack of my hooves, Vinyl opened her eyes, looking into mine with those deep pools of magenta. “Hey, beauti-” “Vinyl, if you say, ‘hey, beautiful’, I will rape you with a rusty spear,” I warned, not even able to manage a smile. With that, I sat up in bed, leaning my back against the wall in an uncomfortable position. “Hey, sexy,” Vinyl quickly amended with a smile - not her usual grin, but a beautiful, radiant smile. “How was your night?” “Oh, you know.” I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Being rutted by a fake stallionhood, filled with magical semen… The usual, Vinyl, the usual.” “Huh, about that-,” she started, but I quickly shoved my hoof in her muzzle. “If you’re just telling me now that I can be pregnant, I’m murdering you with a stick.” Vinyl scratched her head. “Actually, I wanted to tell you that, while I was in heat, I wasn’t dumb and added some dampeners on the spell to prevent exactly that. The magic semen in your womb should already be gone by now.” I sighed in defeat. Apparently, I was running out of my sigh-limit for today, and it was only morning. “Thank you at least for that, Vinyl.” Suddenly, I felt Vinyl’s tender hoof around my neck. “Look.” The mare started to caress my shoulder with her hoof, and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t pleasant. “I understand, Tavi. I may be dumb, but I am not an idiot. I do realise that you wanted our first time to be special...“ “Yes I did!” I almost cried. Okay, maybe I did cry. Just a little. “I wanted us to have a romantic dinner, with candles, and, and bask in moonlight while we devoured each other like hungry wild birds fighting for prey at sunset.” Vinyl’s eyes widened a little. “Okay. You, uh, certainly know your way about metaphors. Similes. Whatever.” She rubbed her forehead with her free hoof. “What I mean is, we can totally do the wild birds stuff, and dinner, and basking in moonlight. That wasn’t really our first time, was it?” I looked at her in surprise, prompting her silently to elaborate. “Well, we had to break our heat,” Vinyl explained. “Otherwise it would be impossible for us to think clearly. It would be impossible to have a romantic dinner, or just go for a walk, or… you know.” I could swear I saw a faint blush on her white cheeks for a split-second. “But now we don’t have to rush anything. We can go at our own pace.” I deadpanned. “You do realize, that our heat wouldn’t have hindered us for more than four, perhaps five days at most?” “And now we have that many more days to enjoy,” Vinyl chuckled back. I giggled. “You know, you’re probably right.” Suddenly, I didn’t feel that pained any more. “So… How do you think we should spend these days, hmm?” Without thinking, I traced her chin with my hoof. “I vote for candlelight dinner, some swimming and sweet, juicy sex under the moonlight,” Vinyl purred, her eyes closing upon contact with my hoof. “Mmm,” I purred back, enjoying the conversation, and the effect my hoof was having on my marefriend. “You would really want that, wouldn’t you~” I leant in, my lips against her ear as I whispered, “Don’t worry, I want it even more.” “Can we have a quickie?” Vinyl begged, her hooves wrapping around my neck possessively. “Just a quick in-and-out. My tongue will be out before you even notice it!” I laughed. “What’s the point of sex then? No, my dear Vinyl…” I nuzzled her cheek affectionately. “I want to feel every single movement of your daring tongue~” Vinyl sighed, leaning into my embrace. “I can’t wait for that dinner…” “Neither can I, dear,” I assured her, hugging her tighter, holding her close. Here she was, a tired (retired?) hunter in the embrace of her mi- no, no, such thoughts were not acceptable. The little pony in my head nodded. I had to keep that side of me to myself. “But it’s only morning.” “Actually,” Vinyl mumbled from the direction of my chest, “it’s already afternoon.” I glanced at the clock. Indeed, it was well past midday. Apparently, the night’s activities had left us pretty worn-out. “Can we have an early dinner?” I smiled. “Yes we can. But no earlier than six in the evening. I am not hungry yet.” “I am.” Vinyl licked her lips. “If you know what I mean.” “Yes, Vinyl, I know.” I deadpanned. “But I put another meaning of the words ‘eat out’.” I pondered. “At least until the evening, that is.” Vinyl’s ears perked up. “Sooo… Who’s eating out whom?” “Oh, Vinyl~” I cooed, tickling my marefriend’s chin with a hoof. “I am sure we can arrange that.” Vinyl pouted. “Can we arrange that now? Pretty please?” I sighed. “No, Vinyl.” “Pretty please with a cherry on top?” “I’ll shove that cherry right up your muzzle Vinyl, don’t push it,” I growled, losing patience. “Please do,” the incorrigible mare replied. “I would love your cherry next to my muzzle.” I wanted to slap the living daylights out of that mare, but couldn’t help but snicker. She was… something. She wasn’t especially nice, but she was… something else, really. She was driving me insane, but she was mine. “Vinyl, if you want to get my, erm, ‘cherry’, you’ll have to be nice and wait until after dinner. Remember, you’re the one who promised to make it special for me.” “Is it not special to have your cherry at my muzzle?” she asked before whimpering as I raised my hoof. “Sorry!” “Now,” I smiled radiantly, “be a dear and give me my towel? I need to take a shower.” While my smile grew more and more, hers faded. “Alone?” “Vinyl, if we have sex now, we won’t enjoy it later.” She smirked at me. “We can enjoy it now and later?” I must admit, it was tempting. Very, very tempting.  But I couldn’t give in to such thoughts. We had a romantic dinner ahead of us, and a romantic night under the stars, not just some quick rut in the bathroom. Like the night before. “No. You stay here and be nice,” I replied in a stern voice. “I’m going to go and enjoy a nice shower.” “Can I really not join in?” Again, did I mention how tempting it was? But no, a lady should have her standards, and I have mine, so this time, Vinyl was going to be turned down. “No, Vinyl, you cannot. Because we both know what will happen if you do.” Vinyl pouted, bringing out the puppy eyes. “But I’ll just wash your back…” I sighed and shook my head. “Vinyl, no. Again, don’t make this difficult, for both of us.” With that, I departed to the shower. Closing the door behind me, I decided to lock it, just to be on the safe side. Then a thought struck me: why hadn’t I ever thought of locking the bathroom door before?! The little pony in my head facehooved and mouthed, Because Vinyl can just open it again with her magic. Which led me to the idea to install a magicproof lock back in my flat when Vinyl moved in with me. Wait. Wait a minute. I blinked as I entered the cubicle. Why was I thinking about Vinyl moving in with me? We hadn’t even had se- The little pony in my head tapped her hoof impatiently against the back of my head. It hurt. Metaphorically, but it hurt. I pondered if I was slipping into madness. Okay, we had had sex before, but it hadn’t been proper sex. And it wasn’t time to speculate on Vinyl moving in with me! Hell, I didn’t even let her into the shower with me! Longingly, I cast a glance at the bathroom door. But it seemed that Vinyl was sitting on the bed, steadfast in her resolve to let me shower alone. I sighed and decided to make it quick. Quick, meaning I would do everything a bit faster, from shampooing my coat, mane and tail, and applying various conditioners I had brought from home. After last night, I wanted to look and feel like a lady again, not a whore. The little pony in my head crashed to the ground. Okay, not a whore. It felt marvelous to get the sweat and… other things out of my coat, and I even lingered for several moments more, just enjoying the warmth before a knock on the door interrupted me. “Tavi? Are you okay?” “I’m fine,” I yelled back and sighed. Time to wrap it up. When I stopped the water and stepped out the shower to dry my mane, tail and coat, I noticed that the door was still closed, thankfully. Rubbing my coat to a less damp state, I wrapped two towels around my mane and tail quickly. A small trick my mother taught me, to just spin around the towel. After all, I had no magic. I opened the door and stepped out, and nearly tumbled over Vinyl. “Did you just sit there the whole time I was in the shower?” She just looked at me, muzzle slightly open. “Hello? Are you there? Stop drooling at me, it's rude!” She snapped her muzzle shut and blinked, then took a glance at the clock. “Five? You took nearly two hours for a simple shower! What the buck where you doing in there?!” Then her face slipped into a wide grin. “Wait… Were you thinking of me and-” “No, Vinyl.” I almost slapped her. Almost. After all, it would all come that evening… No, bad Octavia! Not thinking such thoughts about Vinyl. We had a romantic time ahead of us. Ro-man-tic. “Okay, partly. I wasn’t, you know, what you are implying. But I was indeed thinking of you.” Vinyl blinked in return. “Really? So…” She looked aside and drew a circle on the floor with her hoof. It was weird, seeing my usually bold marefriend so flustered. “What exactly were you thinking? If it’s not a secret?” “I…” I really wanted to say that it was none of her business. But then again, it was her business. I was her business, and she was my business. So I replied, “I just thought I should invest in a magicproof lock. You know, just so, when we decide to live together, you won’t interrupt my every shower.” She hummed before chuckling. “If we live together, I think there won’t be any locks needed anymore?” I wanted to simultaneously kiss her and hit her. A lot. *** Boring “And you simply have to accompany me on my rehearsals, so you get a taste of refined music!” So boring… “I love to play the Cello, but I can play pretty much every classical instrument.” Bor--zzzzzzz The little pony in my head delivered me a good smack. I’m listening, I’m listening! “I can’t wait to see how life will be. We can meet after our work and have a nice dinner, or go to the movies, yes! I have a member card which I always use on the classical nights thursdays!” Dinner… DINNER! I looked at the clock and grinned. “It’s six.” “And then we could just enjoy the nicest piece of-” she stopped and looked at me as if I were a ghost. “Excuse me, what did you say my dear?” “I said it’s six,” I repeated with the same grin. “Oh,” she looked crestfallen, but quickly recovered. “So I guess it is time for the promised dinner?” I just nodded, eager to get going, but she waved a hoof to silence me as I opened my muzzle. “Wait, Vinyl. I still have to dress up! It will only take a minute,” she said, grabbing something from her bags. “Or an hour,” she added as she shook her flank at me with a slight wink. I practically drooled after her as she quickly sauntered into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. “And no peeking, Vinyl!” Growling internally, I made myself comfortable and waited as the seconds passed. The sound of a zipper being closed, then a loud curse. “Tavi? Are you alright?” “Yes, I am. Please, be a dear and fetch that black bag for me. You should find some of my jewelry in there,” she called back. I was more than happy to oblige. Going over to her bags, however, I frowned. There was not one black bag. There also weren’t two black bags. There were four damn black bags in all sizes and forms. “Uh, Tavi?” I yelled. “Which bag? You got more than one here.” “The smallest one.” Maybe I was size-blind, but there were two small bags of the same size. Shrugging, I opened the one that invited me more, a black leather bag that could’ve gone through as a big purse, and dived into it. Jewelry? Where is the jewelry? All that is in here are boxes. The small pony in my head pointed at a flat square box in the corner of the bag. Oh, yes. This looks like it contains expensive jewelry. Pulling the box out, I hesitated. It was light, and covered in finest silk, yet something was wrong. Open it! The little pony danced.   I regretted it the instant the box was open. Inside was a collar, big enough for a pony to wear. It seemed to be made out of leather, a small ring attached to its front with a nameplate. As I read it, the little pony in my head fainted. Pet > Food and Smalltalk > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter Ten: Food and Smalltalk I can’t say I panicked. I am way too cool to panic. I never panic. I am the epitome of chillness. Chillity. Whatever. However, I must admit I was… erm, taken aback? I mean, who would ever have thought that Tavi, out of all mares, would have such a kink? I looked at the collar and, weirdly, incomprehensibly, wondered if it would look good on my neck. If Octavia would like to put me on a leash and- “Vinyl, where is my jewellery?” I yelped and dropped the collar on the floor. Big mistake. “Vinyl… what is… oh, my…” she stammered, eyes locked at the collar laying on the ground before me. “Tavi! I’m sorry! I was just searching for your jewelry and-” I started, but she quickly glared me down. “Shut up,” she hissed. “It’s time we put up some rules, my pet.” Shivers ran down my spine as she looked down at me, looking me over like I was her property, her plaything. It was hard to cope with this harsh change of personality. “Since you like to invade my privacy, we make a few rules,” she continued, then smiled, her voice growing soft. “I think you already noticed that I have a… strange other side to me.” I nodded and her smile grew. “Maybe… yes, I want you to be my pet.” “I…” “You don’t have to say yes right now, but let me explain everything,” she said, cupping my muzzle with her front hooves. “Being my pet means that you will obey me as soon as that collar sits around your neck. I’m not much for the pain, but I can get pretty forceful.” she paused and sighed. “For that, we will have a safeword. Hoofboard. It’s a part of my Cello and I won’t use that word in daily language, neither do you, I suppose. If I do something that goes over your limits, say it, and I will stop.” “Oh, Tavi…” I grinned, shivering internally at what was happening. “You have no idea about my limits.” “Don’t overestimate yourself,” she growled back. “Doing such things can and will lead to injuries if you take them lightly. Consider my earth pony strength, use the safeword if you have to, I won’t think less of you!” I gulped. “Okay.” Pondering, I added, “Erm. Okay, Mistress?” Octavia squinted at me. “We’ll have to work on your manners, my dear Vinyl.” “What do you want me to do?” I asked timidly. She smiled. “I can’t really have you wear this in public if we’re not at an event, but I want you to be my pet this evening for dinner. You will do what I say and when I say it. I promise that it will be light stuff since we will be in public.” I raised my hoof questioningly. “Can I ask a question, Mistress?” Octavia rolled her eyes at me. “Yes, Vinyl. Go ahead.” I smiled at my lovely, bossy marefriend. “Do I get a good rutting after dinner if I behave properly?” I yelped soon after as her hoof struck my flank. “You will get release and pleasure when I say so, Pet.” “Y-Yes, Mistress!” I stammered back. “Good pet. Now, how about we get ready for our dinner?” She smiled radiantly, while I subtly wished to misbehave, just to feel that pleasant sensation on my flank. It was a burning, sweet pain that I seemed to enjoy so much. “Yes, Mistress. What do you want me to do?” Octavia grinned. *** “This queue is huuuge!” I rolled my eyes at Vinyl’s antics as we stood behind an older couple, a beige earth pony mare and a brown unicorn stallion, not far - but not near either - from the entrance to the restaurant. Which was, thankfully, in our hotel. Why would anypony expect a luxurious restaurant to be somewhere but inside an equally luxurious hotel eludes me. While Vinyl was groaning and moaning (which was, to be frank, turning me on just a little), the queue advanced a few steps forward. “Okay,” Vinyl said with sudden determination, stepping aside. “I’m gonna jump this queue.” I growled, catching her by the hoof. “Aren’t you forgetting something, Vinyl?” I hissed right into her ear. “Nope.” Vinyl shook her head. “I don’t think so. I mean-” “Do you need me to put the collar on you in public so you behave?” Vinyl’s change in demeanour was swift and pleasant to observe. Immediately, she gulped, then nodded meekly and stood by my side. “I am sorry, Mistress. I will behave.” “That is a nice pet. Do it right and I might even give you a reward later,” I smiled gently. “I live to serve,” was Vinyl’s reply. I cringed. “But you also don’t have to overdo it, lest we act suspicious.” “Yes, Mistress.” Vinyl nodded, looking at her hooves. “May we jump the queue, please?” “We may not. How do you even plan on doing this?” “I will use my fame to get us through?” “Your fame?” I chuckled and licked my lips. “Right now, my dear Vinyl, you are nothing but a slave.” Vinyl nodded. “To you, Mistress.” She smiled at me radiantly, making me forget the status quo for a moment. “But they don’t know that.” “But we do.” Frankly speaking, I wanted to bust through the queue myself, but dignity came first. However… Using Vinyl to do that… Not to mention that she didn’t mind it herself… “But you know what, as a gift for good behaviour, I’ll allow you to jump the queue.” I nodded to Vinyl. “Yes. Go, and use your fame or whatever you want to get us through.” I grinned, sensing a show. “I command it.” “Really, Mistress?” she asked me with wide eyes. “This once. Go on,” I urged her. Vinyl trotted over past the ponies in the queue, disregarding the stares and the loud hissing directed at her. I could only marvel at how my wonderful marefriend didn’t even gift them with so much as a glance, going directly to the security pony in front of the doors. Full of curiosity, I followed the white mare to the entrance, now receiving the same stares and hissing. Not that I cared. “Who do you think you-” the security stallion began, but took off his shades (what a laugh, shades at night!) upon seeing my mare in front of him. “DJ Pon-3?” His face split with a grin. “My kids are big fans of yours.” “Well,” Vinyl smiled in return, “I wonder if your foals would maybe like a signed CD or two… And in return,” she carried on before the stallion could interrupt her, “you’ll allow me and my Mis- marefriend inside, without all the waiting and queueing.” “I don’t really know…” The security pony began, tugging at his collar uneasily. “Oh…” Vinyl’s eyes drooped visibly. “I see. Well, poor foals, not getting a signed CD from their idol…” She looked up expectantly. “Okay, okay.” The stallion sighed and waved the two of us in. “That better be two CDs, I have two kids.” Vinyl winked. “You got it!” As soon as we were in, she whispered, “See, Mistress? Everything for you.” I smiled in appreciation. “That was both fascinating and more than a little evil. I guess somepony will be getting a reward if she keeps her best behaviour.” “A reward? What reward? Can I-” I stopped her with my hoof on her muzzle and a soft glare. “Now is neither time or place to talk about that. For now, let us have dinner and see what this will lead to. Agreed?” “I really hope it will lead to sex,” Vinyl mumbled, but trotted after me obediently. I chose the table in the alcove by the corner of the hall, if only because it provided us with the privacy I wanted for this dinner. Sitting down, I noticed, with a tiny smile, that Vinyl was holding the chair for me with her telekinesis. “Your first positive point, my dear Vinyl,” I practically purred. Just as I thought, that got her attention, a smile clearly evident on her muzzle. She looked like a puppy that just received their first real and thorough petting. “Of course, mistress!” she replied quietly as I sat down before quickly sitting on her own place. “Can I order what I want?” I thought for a bit and opened the fancy menu, reading over it. To my rather annoying surprise, I found a page full of the greasy stuff most ponies seemed to enjoy. Hayfries, Hayburger and all the like. “Vinyl, page seven is forbidden to you. Read it and you will lose points. Order from it, and you will get nothing today,” I said sternly. “And no you may not ask why,” I quickly added as she opened her muzzle with a questioning look. “Of course, Mistress,” Vinyl swiftly amended her behaviour, scrutinising the second page of the menu, which contained various starters. “Um, Mistress?” Oh, again with the puppy eyes! “Yes, Vinyl?” I asked patiently. “I can’t understand a single word of these fancy dishes.” I nearly burst out in laughter. Sometimes, Vinyl was just too unbearably cute. “Don’t worry, Vinyl,” I addressed her warmly, “I will choose something very delicious for you.” I looked through the menu briefly. “Sesame soba sounds good,” I muttered to myself. Vinyl blinked at me, wide-eyed. “Is it like when I say sesame and something opens?” “What.” I blinked back. “Nothing, Mistress.” I shrugged and waved for the waitress. Who, if I may say, was an unbearably cute mare. Not that I have eyes for anypony but Vinyl, of course. But still, the fact has to be noted. “Good evening,” I greeted the cheerfully pink mare. “We’ll have one sesame soba and one cajun pasta.” The mare nodded approvingly, as if my taste satisfied her. “Anything else for you, ma’am?” “Not now.” I shook my head. “We’ll retain one menu.” With a sigh, I put the menu down as soon as the waitress departed. “So, my dear Vinyl…” I drawled. “What can you tell me about yourself?” Seeing disbelief in her eyes, I shrugged. “What? It is a date, albeit a strange one, so it is only natural I would like to know more about my marefriend.” “I actually thought we could start with you?” she quickly replied. “Vinyl, I asked you first, so you start. No bailing out on this,” I said sweetly. “Alright, alright. As you already know we nearly live next to each other. I’m the famous DJ-Pon3, rockin all the concerts, bars, clubs, yada, yada, yada.” She stared at me for a few seconds until I gave her a quick glare. “There's not much more to tell, jeeze!” “I am sure there is,” I insisted. “Your family. Where you went to school. How did you pick up DJing, by the way?” I showed genuine interest. Indeed, how does one go for such an occupation? “I, uh.” Vinyl’s eyes quickly shifted from me to the menu and back to me. “There is nothing to say.” “Vinyl!” I glowered. “Fine, fine! My mother is Photo Finish, I don’t know my dad and I went to school in Canterlot!” I stared blankly at her. “Did you just make that up?” “What? NO!” she yelled, drawing the heads of more than one pony. “Vinyl, don’t make a scene, this was a mere question!” I hissed back. "I didn’t lie, you could ask for the student list in Canterlot Castle.” “Student list?” I asked and she nodded. “Canterlot Castle?” She nodded again. “Don’t tell me you went to Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns?” I snorted, unable to hide my amusement. “I actually did!” Vinyl didn’t look offended by my disbelief. It was evident this wasn’t the first time that fact of her life had been questioned. “Did you know they have different departments when you reach ninth grade? I chose the Arts department because Mom wanted me to become a famous photographer who would be able to take magically altered pictures of models. But I kinda…” She rubbed the back of her head. “I kinda drifted off towards Music. I play the violin!” She grinned at me. I was very, VERY thankful I wasn’t drinking anything. (Which reminded me that we still hadn’t chosen the wine for the evening.) Because I would have spat it out immediately. “You play the violin?” Okay, I was ready to believe the Canterlot story, but this… This was… ridiculous. She flashed her eyes at me seductively. “Would you like me… to maybe play it for you someday?” I gulped and nodded, mesmerised by her eyes. “Yes. Yes I would.” Thankfully, the waitress arrived before we started kissing in public. Before Vinyl could dig into the meal, I lifted my hoof, drawing her attention. “Vinyl~” I cooed softly. “You will eat when I tell you to.” The white mare gulped and waited, looking at me expectantly. I didn’t lower my hoof in the slightest, instead taking my time savouring my own meal. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Vinyl gulping down unwanted saliva. She opened her mouth, but I shook my head. “Nu-uh.” I sighed, taking a glance at the wine list. “Ah, that’s one delicious meal, don’t you think so, Vinyl?” “Y-yes, Mistress,” Vinyl said obediently. “Even though I would agree more if you allowed me to taste it.” “Oh, but Vinyl,” I continued in a voice too sweet for my own good, “How will you learn how to wait before I devour you tonight if you cannot wait for me to devour my meal?” Vinyl’s eyes widened and her mouth fell agape slightly. To think about it, I would really much rather devour Vinyl than the meal, and, frankly, I couldn’t wait until we got to my room. So, with a sigh, I pushed the plate away. “Okay, I am full. Now, eat quickly - but not like a savage - and let’s get out of here when we’ve had our wine.” Vinyl didn’t need to be asked twice.