A year goes by and nothing changes: Octavia comes home late with tears and her family home is still in jeopardy, but Vinyl is used to it. They both are. The night ends no less calmly than any other Sunday too.
Then with the next morning comes calamity. There are few frustrations as painful as to be helpless against a loved one's suffering, and with the new day Vinyl comes to terms with the reality of how futile all that pain really was.
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Includes Semi-Mute Vinyl and other random minor headcanons, because fluffy pony ears.

Special thanks to FimFiction user AdmiralPopeye for collaborative proofreading and editing.