A Sad Beginning
This was taking too long.
Octavia glanced at the clock on the wall, annoyed by her friend’s avid tardiness. She sighed in exasperation and headed down the hall to the dark pit of despair and trash of their home: Vinyl’s Room.
She stood outside the door, hoof raised to knock, when she heard something that she never would have expected. Crying, quiet crying. She gently opened the door to see.. Well, nothing. It was pitch-black in the room, which was normal. Octavia fumbled along the wall for the light switch, which resulted in a few neon signs glowing to help light the way. The crying had not ceased from this new light, so Octavia went forth to the bed, which was where the crying seemed to emanate.
However, after her first step she slipped on something round. Taking a moment to let the pain lessen, Octavia examined the round object in the dim light. She recognized it from their Hearths Warming party at once, Apple Family’s Alcoholic Cider. She looked around her and started to notice the amount of bottles strewn around the room, mainly cider but there was some variations of different alcohol here and there.
Finishing the last few steps to the bed, Octavia tentatively crouches down next to it. “Vinyl?”
The mound of blankets didn’t move a muscle.
Octavia gently eased into a sitting position next to it, and started to unwrap the sad blanket burrito that appeared to be Vinyl. When she was returned with no opposition, she finally saw the top of Vinyl’s two-toned blue mane. Lowering the blanket, she felt her heart break at the sight before her. Vinyl was crying quietly, her muzzle stained with tears and dirty splotches on her coat. She seemed to be hugging something with enough force to crush a large stallion’s ribs. Peering down at the object that Vinyl cradled, she saw a blue triceratops plushie.
Octavia sighed, she couldn't go to her recital with Vinyl like this. She gently eased Vinyl out of the blankets, and immediately wrinkled her nose from the smell. First things first, Vinyl needed a bath.
Octavia grunted as she slung Vinyl over her shoulder. Vinyl just hung there as Octavia gently carried her to the bathroom they shared. Octavia set Vinyl next to the bath while she started the water and grabbed the special scented bubble bath soap. Vinyl started to come to as the water started running.
Octavia added the soap to the water before turning and gently nuzzling Vinyl. “Vinyl? Are you alright?”
Vinyl rubbed her head with one hoof as she shook it.
Octavia turned the water off and turned back to Vinyl. “Well, maybe after your bath you’ll feel better.”
Vinyl tried to sit up and get in the bath, but Octavia smiled and stopped her. “Your toy can’t bathe with you.”
Vinyl sniffled and hugged it tighter.
Octavia thought for a moment before going under the sink and finding a rubber duck. “How about Sir Quackulous instead?”
Vinyl gently set her plushie down and nodded. Octavia smiles and helped her into the bath, plopping the rubber duck in after her. Octavia watched Vinyl, noting how easily she relaxed in the bath. Slowly, the bubbles started to float around Vinyl’s muzzle as she breathes in deeply, coming dangerously close to entering her mouth. Vinyl slowly grabbed onto the rubber duck, squeaking it as she started to enjoy the bath.
Octavia grabbed the shampoo and conditioner, a sponge, and a cup for the water. She turned to Vinyl and smiled. “Vinyl~ Let’s get you cleaned up.” Vinyl stopped moving as much, as Octavia came with a sponge, cleaning her coat. After that, she poured some of the conditioner onto her hooves before rubbing it on Vinyl’s mane. She then filled the cup with the bath water. “Vinyl, close your eyes and take a deep breath.” Octavia warned. After Vinyl had done so, she poured the water on top of the mane and gently started scrubbing.
They repeated this process another time with the shampoo, before Octavia went to the laundry room and let Vinyl soak in the bath while she prepared the towels. However, she came back to find Vinyl playing with the rubber duck she had left in there. “Having fun, are we?” Octavia joked. Vinyl nodded and held up the duck. Octavia smiled and trotted next to her. “Well, I apologize but bathtime is done for tonight.” She took out the plug in the drain of the bath.
Vinyl nodded and stepped out of the tub, where Octavia immediately wrapped her in towels. While Octavia was preoccupied with drying her off, Vinyl picked her triceratops plushie back up.
Struck by a sudden thought, Octavia pauses. Since Vinyl couldn’t be trusted by herself, not that she would but it could still happen, Octavia would have to sleep with her. And it couldn’t be in Vinyl’s room because who knows what stashes of alcohol lay hidden around. “Vinyl, would you mind sleeping with me tonight?”
Vinyl shook her head slowly, trudging along when Octavia started leading her.
After Octavia opened the door, they entered a room with only a bed, a nightstand with lamp, a cello and its stand. Vinyl sniffled as Octavia gently nudged onto the bed and lifted the blanket up for her. After Vinyl had settled in, she lowered the blanket and tucked her in. Moving along to the other side, Octavia got into bed next to her before she felt Vinyl’s head on her stomach. Sighing, she gripped Vinyl’s body with her forelegs and brought her into a snuggly hug usually reserved for foals.
Before she knew it, she was cradling a sleeping unicorn foal. Complete with stuffed toy.
~The Next Day~
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Octavia groaned covering her ears with her hooves as the front door sounded like a cannon. Sadly, the booming sound continued to reverberate throughout the room. Octavia sighed, moved Vinyl off of her, and headed to the door with her mane frazzled. She opened the front door to find Bon Bon and Lyra standing there, Lyra with her left hoof raised to continue the nuisance called knocking. Bon Bon was blushing, her saddlebags bulging with what Octavia guessed to be this weeks shopping for the couple.
Lyra smiled nervously and slowly dropped her hoof. “Heyyy, Octavia. We uh, were in the neighborhood and thought we would see how you were doing.” Bon Bon face-hoofed.
Octavia glared at them, then moved aside. “If you want breakfast, you’ll have to help make it.” Breathing out with relief, the two headed inside.
Bon Bon took her saddlebags off and put them next to the door while Lyra followed Octavia to the kitchen. Octavia started by getting out the mixing bowl. Lyra smiled brightly and said hopefully, “Pancakes?”
Octavia nodded and turned on the coffee pot. Bon Bon came in and helped Lyra get the ingredients. Octavia turned back to the pair and joined in on the mixing, egg-cracking, and flipping that makes pancakes. While the pancakes were cooking, Lyra set the table for four, Bon Bon was on pancake-watch, and Octavia went to her room to wake up Vinyl.
Lyra smiled at Bon, feeling playful. “Bonnie~, you excited for tonight?”
Bon smiled, not taking her eyes off the pancakes. “Yeah! Why wouldn’t I be?”
Lyra giggled and wrapped her fore hooves around Bon Bon’s neck in a hug. “Wellll, we don’t have to wait until later, do we?”
Bon Bon raised an eyebrow and turned away from the pancakes. “What are you getting at?”
Lyra smiled wider. “Can we stay here for a little while and tell Octavia?”
Bon Bon sighed and turned back to the pancakes, grabbing the spatula and flipping them. “No.”
Lyra’s smile did a flip as she pouted. “Why not?”
Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “We’ve only been doing this for about a month, and you immediately want to start telling ponies? Why?”
Lyra snuggled into Bon Bon. “‘Cuz I wanna have pway-dates, Mommy..”
Bon-Bon lifted the frying pan and the pancakes to a plate, dropping them in a stack.
Lyra, seeing as her first try had no effect, released BonBon and went to the door. Bon Bon heard her saddlebags being opened, then the ripping of plastic. Back in a flash, Lyra trotted happily into the kitchen, suckling on an oversized aqua-green pacifier.
Bon Bon sighed and went back to the pancakes. “Really?”
Lyra nodded and giggled.
Bon Bon turned back to the pancakes. “Fine. Can you make this next batch? I need to use the restroom.” Lyra nodded eagerly and levitated the batter with magic, pouring it perfectly into the frying pan. Bon Bon left the kitchen, heading down the hall and to the left. While she was measuring out pancake batter, Lyra smiled at the extra she had..
Bon Bon exited the restroom and walked down the hall, turning right she-
Splat!
Lyra giggled from a few feet away as Bon Bon blinked with pancake batter on her head and mane. When Bon Bon looked up, she saw an empty measuring cup floating above her head in Lyra’s magic.
Bon Bon glared and playfully growled. “Now you’re gonna get it!” Lyra eeped and lost her magic grip on the measuring cup as Bon Bon started chasing her. As they raced around the room, Lyra dropped her pacifier.
After a few minutes, Lyra was cornered in the kitchen by an angry Bon Bon. Lyra looked around desperately for an escape before Bon Bon leaped onto her and started tickling her into submission. At first, Lyra tried to hold in the laughter, but her guard didn’t last long before Bon Bon flipped her onto her back. Bon Bon smiled, “Surrender?” she asked proudly.
Lyra shook her head before Bon Bon started blowing raspberries on her stomach. Lyra started laughing harder than before. “No more! No more!” She cried through her laughter.
Bon Bon smiled and paused from the raspberries. “What did we learn?”
Lyra breathed, still smiling. “Bonnie knows best.”
Bon Bon nodded. “And?”
Lyra looked up hopefully. “Mommy knows best?”
Bon Bon smiled and lifted Lyra up into a hug. “Exactly.”
“What happened?! Why is there pancake batter on the floor?!” At that moment, Octavia had returned, with Vinyl leaning on her and holding her dinosaur plushie.
The couple looked up and moved away guiltily. Lyra rubbed the back of her head. “Well, the thing about that is..”
Bon Bon jumped in, “Lyra dumped the extra on me.”
Octavia rubbed her forehead and groaned. “Lyra, watch Vinyl while Bon and I clean up your mess.”
Lyra gulped and nodded, hurrying to Vinyl and taking her by the hoof. As she led Vinyl away, Octavia took over the pancakes while Bon Bon grabbed a towel and started cleaning up the pancake batter.
Vinyl sat down next to her music setup, cuddling her triceratops. Lyra sat next to her and watched her for a bit. “What’s your dino’s name?” She asked politely.
Vinyl smiled and said quietly, “Record..”
Lyra smiled back. “I totally could have guessed that.”
A little while later..
After the floor had been cleaned and Bon Bon had cleaned her mane, with help from Octavia, the four of them gathered at the dining table. After a few minutes of watching Vinyl do nothing while everyone else ate, Octavia sighed and took Vinyl’s plate.
Cutting up the pancakes into tiny bites Octavia stabbed one of them with the fork and offered it to Vinyl. Vinyl turned her head and mumbled something about not being hungry. Already grumpy from waking up too early, having to clean up pancake batter, and now this, Octavia moved the bite to Vinyl’s mouth.
“Vinyl, eat. Now.”
Hearing the steel in Octavia’s voice, Vinyl gingerly ate the bite.
Through this exchange Lyra and Bon Bon focused on their own food, not wanting to disturb the two. Until Bon Bon felt a nudge on her shoulder.
‘Ignore it.’ Bon Bon told herself.
Again, the nudge came. A bit more forceful this time.
‘Ignore. It.’
Then came the last nudge followed by a moving of Lyra’s plate next to Bon Bon’s.
Bon Bon sighed, giving in and cutting up both their pancakes. “Fine..”
Lyra smugly relaxed in her chair, leaving the work to Bon Bon.
After a long period of eating…
While Lyra and Octavia did the dishes, Bon Bon supervised Vinyl in the living room. Seeing that all Vinyl did was sit and cuddle Record, Bon Bon relaxed on the couch, leaving Vinyl be. When she saw Vinyl move in her peripheral vision she turned to see Vinyl pick up the aqua-green pacifier from earlier, looking at it questioningly.
Bon Bon internally groaned, annoyed at her marefriend’s careless drop. When Vinyl turned towards her, Bon Bon looked away, covering any trace of guilt.
“Alright, it’s been nice having you all over- Vinyl, is that a dummy?” Octavia and Lyra had apparently finished, giving Bon Bon no time to cover up what Vinyl found.
Vinyl nodded and pointed at the area of the floor where she had found it.
Turning to her guests, Octavia had one eyebrow raised. “Now where did that come from?”
Blushing, Lyra whistled innocently. Which left Bon Bon to pick up the slack, again.
Bon Bon rubbed her forehead with her hoof before replying. “It’s a long story..”