The One Where Vinyl Explains How She Met Octavia
Wubsy Melody-Scratch was, in her personal opinion, the happiest Changeling in Ponyville, if not Equestria. (She was not, in fact, the actual happiest Changeling in Ponyville was her friend Nymph, who’d somehow managed to become a permanent member of a herd of seven, and the happiest Changeling in Equestria was Sting, a member of Princess Celestia’s harem, but that’s irrelevant to this narrative.) She had a wonderful home, lived in the best town in Equestria, had lots of friends, and best of all, lived with the most loving couple in all the land (again, her own opinion, that title actually went to…oh, never mind, it’s not important), Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch, meaning she never wanted for food or companionship, which, for her species, were pretty much the same thing.
She had not always been this happy, of course. Life before coming to Ponyville had not been especially pleasant for her due to being a bit of a runt back at the hive—something she did not like to think about if she could help it, much like most of her life before becoming a part of Vinyl and Octavia’s family—and the debacle at the Canterlot Wedding Invasion had been a bit of a low point in her life, especially after it culminated in her being flung away from the capitol city by a massive—and very tasty—love explosion, smashing through a window, and crashing into a mix table, which is where she was found several hours later by said table’s owner, one Vinyl Scratch.
The Unicorn DJ could have turned her in. She should have turned her in. Instead, demonstrating the characteristic eccentricity she was well-known for that caused her lover to both sigh in exasperation and smile in delight depending on the mood, Vinyl promptly named the Changeling Wubsy and decided to keep her, claiming that she’d always wanted a pet. Octavia was not amused, not only because Vinyl seemed to have no problem with adopting a hideous shape-shifting love-eating monster from a race that had just tried to conquer Equestria, but because she knew from experience that if Vinyl wanted a pet, that meant Octavia would invariably be the one responsible for feeding it and cleaning it and taking it for walks.
Nevertheless, the Earth Pony cellist eventually grew to care for Wubsy as much as Vinyl did. Perhaps it was the puppy-dog eyes both Vinyl and Wubsy were both so very good at making. They were irresistible. And Wubsy, who up until that point hadn’t really considered ponies to be anything more than a walking food source, was confused and awed by their kindness and found herself growing to care for her captors/owners/caretakers as much as they her. The fact that just being around Octavia and Vinyl, whose love for each other—aside from the requisite hiccups all couples had to go through now and then, nopony or relationship is perfect, after all--seemed to be boundless, inexhaustible, and among the strongest Wubsy had ever tasted meant she had a limitless food supply was just a happy bonus, honest.
That wasn’t to say that things were smooth and clear-cut from that point on, of course. After all, the invasion threw Equestria into a bit of a Changeling panic, and for a while everyone was paranoid that their friends and neighbors and family members might actually be shape-shifting monsters, which meant Wubsy had to be very careful to stay hidden for a while. It didn’t help that paranoia one bit when it turned out that some of the conspiracy theorists were actually right, and that several dozen Changelings—mostly outcasts from a number of different hives, plus a few infiltrators and spies—had been living right under their noses, some of them inside their houses, for years. Ponyville alone had a rather alarming number of Changelings in residence, which, in retrospect, might have explained why so very many ponies looked disturbingly alike. When Wubsy—and the other Changelings—were inevitably revealed, it looked as if things would get very ugly.
However, thanks to the intervention of those six ponies who just about everything in Equestria seemed to revolve around these days stopping the inevitable angry mob before they could do something horrible and giving some big sappy heartfelt speech about tolerance and a big spontaneous musical number and parade about accepting the differences of others, the whole mess managed to get wrapped up in a roughly twenty-two minute long period. Afterwards, things settled down to more or less normalcy with the Changelings becoming more or less fully Equestrianized citizens so long as they forswore any allegiance to Chrysalis or any other hostile Queens and promised not to hurt anyone in their feeding. Anti-Changeling discrimination disappeared almost embarrassingly quickly once the myriad benefits of having a race of shape-shifters who fed off love and so were very good at knowing how to elicit such feelings from others became fully realized. (However, they were not very popular among members of the oldest profession in the world for obvious reasons, mainly due to the serious competition they presented.)
Even so, most Changelings didn’t walk around in broad daylight in their natural forms if they didn’t have to—old habits die hard, after all—which was why when Wubsy walked home after spending the day with some of her friends, she did so in the guise of Octavia. She discovered, in retrospect, that this might not have been the best of ideas when she opened the front door and was promptly tackled by a screaming Vinyl Scratch, who shrieked, “TAVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!” and began smothering her with kisses.
Not that Wubsy minded. Vinyl was a very good kisser, and like everything she did, put an incredible amount of passion and love into the act, making it satisfying for the Changeling on more than one level. Even so, she knew she could not allow this misconception to go on—she wasn’t that kind of Changeling anymore—so reluctantly said, “Vinyl, it’s me, Wubsy.”
The blue-maned unicorn paused in mid-smooch. “Huh?” Vinyl raised her iconic purple shades to look into Wubsy’s eyes, which were a bright blue, in contrast to Octavia’s light purple. No, Wubsy didn’t have a problem changing her eyes; she just thought making them a different color would keep people from mistaking her for Octavia when she resembled the cellist. Much to her frustration, it almost never worked, as this instance demonstrated. “Oh. Oops. My bad.”
“You can kiss me some more if you like,” Wubsy offered. When other ponies asked her what her relationship to Vinyl and Octavia was, she often found it difficult to explain. Sometimes she seemed like a pet. Other times she seemed like their child. And other times still, she shared a bed with them, and not just to seek comfort from her occasional nightmares of…before. Not everypony got it, but then again, she supposed it was a cultural thing, since other Changelings seemed to get it, but the proper terms for her family unit couldn’t really be translated into something other ponies could understand. All she knew was that she loved Octavia and Vinyl, and they loved her, and shared and expressed that love freely, and that was all that mattered.
Vinyl seemed to seriously consider this for a second, and then shook her head. “Nah. Maybe another time, but not today. Here, let me help you up.”
“Thanks,” Wubsy said as Vinyl helped her to her hooves and they entered the apartment she, Vinyl, and Octavia called home. They’d moved into it fairly recently because their old one wasn’t exactly big enough for three people, and since both Vinyl and Octavia made pretty hefty commissions (whereas Wubsy, to her chagrin, had yet to find a career that really suited her, and she didn’t really want to go into espionage, acting, or prostitution like most other Changelings did), it was spacious enough for the three of them, taking up most of the top floor of their building. The decorations and furniture were an odd mix of modern and classical art, with posters of rock stars and pop idols sharing wall space with magnificent paintings of landscapes and ponies in olden clothing, bizarrely abstract sculptures of jagged metal and glass dotting the floor and tables along with statuary of ponies in dramatic (and occasionally erotic) poses. A high-tech recording studio occupied a corner of the main room with both electronic instruments and more traditional ones, including Octavia’s treasured cello. Most ponies would be surprised to hear that not all the modern works of art or instruments belonged to Vinyl, or all the classical to Octavia. Both musicians were fond of either genre and equally adept in playing music from the present and the distant past, although naturally each preferred their own style a bit better.
“Sticking to just one period or genre is so limiting for a true artist,” Octavia had explained one time after Wubsy had caught her listening to a heavy metal CD that, surprisingly, was not Vinyl’s, or even a band that Vinyl particularly liked. “You can often find inspiration by looking in places others would never think to look. This song by Lead Dirigible, for example, is giving me all sorts of wonderful ideas for my next composition…” Vinyl had said about the same thing one time she took Wubsy to see the opera, but Wubsy suspected, from the emotions she tasted while they watched the performance—similar to what happened on the occasional movie night--that sometimes Vinyl just enjoyed a good cry now and then.
Aside from the expansive living area and studio, they also had a fully-stocked kitchen, dining room, and three bedrooms; one for Vinyl and Octavia, one for Wubsy—which few people went into after she’d covered it in black and green goo and redecorated it into something more ‘comfortable’ for her—and one for guests. When an astonished Wubsy commented after they moved in that she didn’t think most apartments had this much space, Vinyl had bragged that when you were rich, the sky was the limit.
And they were rich, make no mistake of that. Their successful musical careers aside, both Vinyl and Octavia came from rather wealthy backgrounds; Vinyl was the youngest daughter of one of the most respectable noble houses in Canterlot, and Octavia belonged to a family that had made its fortune in the brewery business and worked their way into the upper class. Neither of them had felt like sitting around and living off their parent’s money, however, and had set out into the world once they were old enough to make something of themselves, and had proudly told her several times that every bit they put into their home was one they’d earned themselves. Not that they wouldn’t accept money from their families if necessary—they weren’t on bad terms with them or anything like that—but the fact that they didn’t need to and had made names for themselves on their own terms was a matter of pride for them. Wubsy wondered if one day she’d be able to make a name for herself as well. Not that she was in any hurry to leave, though. She loved Octavia and Vinyl, and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else than by their sides.
And speaking of love…
Wubsy blinked as she resumed her black, insectoid, slightly creepy true form in a flash of green fire, her eyes watering. The apartment was always saturated in love energy, enough to keep her feeling energized and filling her ‘stomach’—or the equivalent thereof—within minutes just by stepping through the front door. Today, however, the air was so thick with love she could barely see straight. Though that might have been because of the scent and smoke from the incense sticks and candles Vinyl had lit all over the room, the lights dimmed so the flames from the candles could illuminate the apartment, it was hard to tell. She frowned in puzzlement as she looked around the apartment, blinking repeatedly to try and clear her head and keep from going into a catatonic daze from the intoxicating amounts of love Vinyl was pumping out. How could one pony generate so much without even noticing it? Not for the first time, Wubsy thought Chrysalis had been a fool to try and take love by force. Getting it this way was much more satisfying and nourishing.
And love wasn’t the only thing in the air. Wubsy could also smell something absolutely delectable wafting from the kitchen, which excited her because Vinyl always made excellent meals, which normally she couldn’t actually digest due to her different biology, but since Vinyl put so much love into her food, just as she did everything else, she was able to consume it. (Another thing one wouldn’t expect from Vinyl was that she was actually a great chef. Octavia, in comparison, couldn’t be left alone in the kitchen for more than five minutes without setting something on fire. She’d had a lot of takeout back when she lived on her own…) Additionally, Beethoofen’s 5th Symphony, one of Octavia’s favorites, was playing from the massive entertainment center Vinyl had constructed that occupied almost the entirety of one of the walls of the apartment, the decorative fireplace was lit, and a trail of rose petals led from the front door to the master bedroom. Wubsy couldn’t see the dining room at the moment, but got the feeling that if she could, she’d see a white tablecloth laid out with wineglasses and champagne and two place settings. (Where did that leave her, she wondered.)
She looked at the unicorn in question, who was trembling so much and radiating so much love and had a grin so wide spreading across her face that for a second Wubsy wondered if she was actually Pinkie Pie wearing a shockingly good disguise. It wouldn’t be the first time. “Vinyl, what’s going on?”
“It’s me and Octy’s anniversary!” Vinyl shouted happily.
Wubsy blinked. “Anniversary?”
Vinyl nodded so fast her head became a white and blue blur. “Yes, you know, a yearly celebration of-“
“I know what an anniversary is, Vinyl,” Wubsy interrupted. “You two aren’t the first pony couple I’ve met before.”
“Oh. Right,” Vinyl said, slowing down a little. Wubsy almost never talked about her life before she’d become part of their little family. There were times Vinyl forgot that Wubsy had had a life before she’d become part of their little family. What sorts of ponies had she met? What sorts of ponies had she impersonated? What…sorts of things had she done to feed herself? She hid a shudder, though with Wubsy’s empathic abilities, she expected the Changeling sensed her worry anyway. Out loud, she said, “Well, this is me and Octy’s anniversary. One of them, anyway.”
Wubsy blinked. “One of them? I thought most couples just had the one.”
“That’s because they’re losers,” Vinyl said dismissively. “Me and Octy’ve got tons of anniversaries! The anniversary of when we got together…the anniversary of when we first banged…the anniversary of our first date…the anniversary of our first kiss…” She smiled warmly at Wubsy. “Someday we’ll have the anniversary of our wedding, once we inevitably get hitched…and in a few more months, we’ll have the anniversary of when you first came into our lives.”
Wubsy blushed, the affection pouring out of Vinyl invigorating her. It was always astonishing for her to realize just how much her favorite Unicorn and Earth Pony cared about her. Changelings weren’t used to being loved. Not for whom they really were. She and those of her kind who lived here were truly fortunate to find a home in Equestria. “So, what’s this anniversary for?” she asked.
“The anniversary of when we first met,” Vinyl said fondly.
Wubsy smiled. She could smell nostalgia and happy memories wafting off Vinyl. There were a few times Vinyl or Octavia or one of her non-Changeling friends had asked her what emotions smelled like. She’d tried her best, but been completely unable to explain it. The pony tongue didn’t have the right words for the things she experienced on a daily basis. And it wasn’t like she was actually using her nose to scent emotions, anyway, especially since she didn’t even have nostrils if she didn’t need them. “I don’t think you ever told me how that happened,” she commented, surprised to realize this. In her mind, Vinyl and Octavia were a matched set; you couldn’t think of one without the other. The idea that they might not have always been together, that there was a time when they didn’t know each other, was almost incomprehensible.
Vinyl gave the Changeling a shocked look. “I haven’t?!”
“I don’t believe so,” Wubsy said.
Vinyl huffed. “Well! We’ll have to rectify that, then, won’t we?” She walked over to one of the beanbags scattered around the room along with cushions, floor pillows, and ornate and extremely expensive chairs and couches and flung herself backwards into it, her weight causing the beanbag to mold itself around her frame as she sank into its shapeless mass. “Sit down, young Wubsy. Sit down, and allow me to tell you the story of how I met your moth…Octy.”
Wubsy trotted over and sat down on a pillow facing Vinyl. The white Unicorn took off her shades and perched them on her head, her cerise eyes staring off into the distance. “It all began long, long ago, in a faraway land…by which I mean a few years ago in Canterlot.”
…
Several years ago in Canterlot…
Octavia was not a happy Earth Pony.
She had every reason to be unhappy. Her parents had up and moved their family from their comfortable home in Fillydelphia to Canterlot against her wishes, forcing her to leave her friends, school, and everything she knew and loved behind. Now she was in a strange new city filled with strange new ponies with nary a friendly or familiar face in sight.
And school was not much better. Her parents had assured her that she’d do fine, that she’d make lots of friends her own age, that Canterlot Elementary was a great school and she’d learn a lot and have lots of fun. Ha. Clearly they had no idea what they were talking about. Octavia had read enough books and seen enough movies to know how things went for new transfer students. When she stood up in front of her new class that morning and introduced herself, everyone had just stared at her. Stared like they couldn’t believe what was standing before them, couldn’t believe what was sitting in their midst, couldn’t believe something like her was in their presence. She knew what they were thinking, could see it in their eyes. Mud Pony. Social Climber. Outsider.
DOES NOT BELONG.
She was an Earth Pony in a class of primarily Unicorns. She came from a family who had only recently come into wealth and power, whereas the lot of them had been wealthy for generations and probably had bloodlines dating back to the founding of Equestria. She was not one of them. She Did Not Belong.
Why had Mother and Father dragged her here?!
Things hadn’t gotten much better at the playground during recess. She’d approached a few groups of fillies and colts and tried to join in on their fun, but they’d just stared at her so much she chickened out and ran away, which was why she was currently sitting on a bench in the far corner of the schoolyard, feeling lonely and rather sorry for herself.
And then a shadow fell on her and she looked up with a resigned expression, certain things were about to get worse.
Standing in front of her were a small group of about four Unicorns roughly her age or a little older, all female, all wearing exquisite school uniforms and beautiful jewelry and gorgeous manestyles. The prettiest and most popular fillies in school, naturally, and Octavia knew at once what was going to happen. “I don’t have any lunch money,” she said wearily before the leader of the posse, who had a blue coat, a pink and green mane, and a Cutie Mark of a telescope focusing on a shooting star, could even open her mouth.
The filly—Octavia thought her name was Star Seeker or something like that—blinked in surprise. “Huh?”
“I don’t have any lunch money,” Octavia repeated. “So you can’t take it from me.”
“…Uh, we don’t want your lunch money,” said the confused Star Seeker, her cohorts nodding in agreement, like the mindless yes-fillies they were.
Octavia’s lips curled back from her teeth. “Then I expect you’ll want my lunch, then?”
“No…we have our own. Why would we want yours?” asked another filly with a brown coat, blond mane, and Cutie Mark of a pair of opera masks. Drama Queen? Was that her name?
“Then I expect you’re here to call me names? Mud Pony, Digger, Social Climber, Nouveau Riche, Freak, Loner, Outsider, Peasant, WANNABE?!” Octavia screamed, the tension and unhappiness of being in this strange school with strange ponies who clearly hated her getting to her.
“Wh-what?! No!” Star Seeker stammered. “Why would you think-“
“Well go ahead, say them! Say them all! I’ve heard worse! About the only thing you can’t call me is Blank Flank, because, as you can clearly see, I already have my Cutie Mark!” she said, whirling around to flash her Cutie Mark, a purple treble clef, in their faces. “And yes, it’s real, and I earned it after much hard work and study, something I expect you pampered lot who’ve never had to work a day in your lives would understand!”
“Now that’s uncalled for!” cried an orange filly with a red mane and a Cutie Mark of a bag full of bits. Moneybags, was it?
“Um, weren’t you already upper-middle class before your family made its fortune?” a filly with a fuchsia coat, pink mane, and Cutie Mark of a bronze coronet. Bronze Coronet, she thought. Oddly, she was not, in fact, wearing a coronet. (She’d had to leave it at home, it was being cleaned.)
Octavia hesitated. “Y-yes, but…um…that’s not the point! We earned our status in high society, rather than just having it handed to us on a platter by being born into it like the rest of you!”
“And that’s very admirable-“ Star Seeker started soothingly.
“Don’t patronize me!” Octavia screamed.
“I wasn’t being patronizing. That really is admirable,” Star Seeker said, looking annoyed.
“Oh,” Octavia said, surprised. “Then…what is it you want from me? If you want to beat me up, I should warn you, I know self-defense!”
Star Seeker blinked and gave Octavia an incredulous look. “Wait…wait…you think you’re bullies?! Why would you think that?!”
Octavia blinked. “…You’re not?”
“NO!” Drama Queen shouted indignantly.
“Whatever gave you that idea?” said the baffled Moneybags.
“But…but…you’re the richest and most popular girls in school…cornering me on my first day of school on the schoolyard…” Octavia stammered.
“Oh for the love of…do you have any idea how stereotypical and clichéd that is?!” said the frustrated Bronze Coronet.
“For Celestia’s sake, just because we look the part doesn’t mean we actually fit that hackneyed old role,” said the annoyed Drama Queen.
“And may I point out that you’re the one who hid yourself here, away from everyone else?” Moneybags added. “If anyone’s cornered you, it’s yourself.”
“Only because everyone has been staring at me all day!” Octavia protested.
“Which is what we wanted to talk to you about,” Star Seeker said.
Octavia gave the Unicorn a suspicious look. “What, are you going to offer me a place in your clique? Try to show everyone how tolerant you are by letting an Earth Pony whose family hasn’t lived in Canterlot for centuries and doesn’t have a drop of blueness in her blood into your club?”
Drama Queen groaned. “Could you please stop assuming everyone is prejudiced against you?”
“Well, they are!” Octavia yelled. She paused when the other four fillies frowned at her. “…Aren't they?”
“No,” Bronze Coronet asked.
“If anyone’s acting prejudiced right now, it’s you,” Moneybags said.
“It’s very hurtful,” Drama Queen agreed with a nod.
“But…but then why has everyone been staring at me all day?!” Octavia asked.
“Your bowtie,” Star Seeker said.
Octavia blinked. “What?”
“Your bowtie,” Star Seeker repeated. “It’s a very ugly shade of chartreuse. It doesn’t match your eyes or go well with your mane at all.”
Octavia blinked and looked down at the bowtie her mother had put on her neck that morning in surprise. “It doesn’t?”
“No,” Bronze Coronet affirmed. “Not in the slightest.”
“It’s absolutely hideous. It should be destroyed,” Moneybags said.
“Preferably with fire,” Drama Queen said.
“Ponies have been staring all day because they were wondering why a filly as beautiful and clearly sophisticated as yourself was wearing something so…ugly,” Star Seeker said, wrinkling up her nose in disgust.
“…My mother made me wear this,” Octavia said. “She thought it looked good on me.”
“She was wrong,” Moneybags said flatly. All of them nodded in agreement.
“You…you really think I’m beautiful? And sophisticated?” Octavia asked timidly.
“Oh yes, very much so,” Drama Queen said.
A deep sense of dread and shame filled the Earth Pony. “And…and I treated you so horribly…accused you of awful things…I…I was the biased one in the end…I am so, so sorry! Can you ever forgive me for the way I behaved, when you were just trying to be friendly?”
“Sure thing,” Star Seeker said with a warm smile. “It’s your first day in a new school, surrounded by ponies you know nothing about. It’s understandable you’d have a bad case of nerves.”
“You should probably change that bowtie, though,” Bronze Coronet commented. “Then the others will be less likely to stare.”
“Or kill it with fire,” Drama Queen suggested again.
Octavia nodded vigorously. “Certainly. I would be more than happy to get rid of this thing, I honestly don’t know what Mother was thinking-“
“HOLD IT, STAR SEEKER!”
The blue Unicorn groaned and facehooved. “Oh, here we go…”
Another Unicorn filly with a white coat, spiky blue mane, purple sunglasses, and a Cutie Mark of two bridged eighth notes rushed over and placed herself between Octavia and the other fillies. “Leave her alone!”
“Vinyl,” Star Seeker said with a long-suffering sigh. “I wasn’t-“
“You think that just because you’re the richest and most powerful filly at this school you can do whatever you want?!” the newcomer demanded.
“Um-“ Octavia said.
“You think that just because she’s a new student you can walk all over her?!” the newcomer demanded.
“It’s not like-“ Octavia said.
“You think that just because she’s not a Unicorn or from a noble house that means she’s not a pony in her own right?!” the newcomer demanded.
“Wait-“ Octavia said.
“You think that-“ the newcomer started.
“Vinyl, for the last time, we’re not bullies!” said the exasperated Drama Queen.
The Unicorn—apparently named Vinyl--raised her eyebrow skeptically. “Oh really? Then what were you doing harassing this sweet filly here, huh? Huh? Huh huh huh huh huh huh huh?”
“They were telling me my bowtie was ugly,” Octavia said.
There was a pause. “Really?” Vinyl asked uncertainly.
“Yes,” Octavia said.
“Oh.” There was another pause. “Um…were they, like, being mean about it, or…”
“No, they were quite polite about it, actually,” Octavia said. “Explained what was wrong with it and why everyone’s been looking weird at me all day.”
“Oh.” Vinyl’s shoulders slumped. “I…I see. That’s…um, that’s great. Yeah.” She sighed. “Well, there goes my chance to be a hero…again.”
“Vinyl, while we all appreciate and admire your determination to stand up to bullies…the fact that we don’t really have any here makes it kind of redundant,” Moneybags said.
“Especially since we took care of most of those long before you came here,” Star Seeker added.
“And we really don’t appreciate you constantly leaping to the conclusion that we’re picking on other students just because we happen to share some of the characteristics the stereotypical rich alpha bitches you think we are possess,” Bronze Coronet said.
Drama Queen nodded. “Yeah, not only is it hurtful and insulting, it makes you look like a bully.”
Vinyl winced, a chagrined look on her face. “Ouch. Yeah…yeah, I could see how it might look like that. Dang. Sorry. Again. I need better impulse control, huh?”
“You can say that again,” Drama Queen muttered.
“Let’s just make this the last time, please?” Star Seeker asked, extending a hoof. “I really don’t like having to go through this whole song and dance at least once a week.”
“Yeah…sorry…I’ll try not to do it again,” Vinyl said, shaking the other filliy’s hoof.
“That’s what you said the last time…and the time before that…and the time before that…” Moneybags grumbled.
“Right! So…um…Octavia, right?” Vinyl asked, turning back to the Earth Pony.
“Y-yes,” Octavia said, somewhat intimidated by the other fillies’ sunglasses. Why did they allow her to wear those in school? Wasn’t that sort of thing against the dress code? “Octavia Melody. And you are…?”
“Vinyl Scratch, at your service!” Vinyl said, doing a mock curtsy.
Octavia’s eyes widened in surprise. “Vinyl Scratch…as in, the youngest member of House Sonus?”
“Aha, so you’ve heard of me!” Vinyl said with a brilliant smile.
“Didn’t you shatter half the windows in Canterlot and render over a hundred ponies temporarily deaf last week? I remember reading that in the paper,” Octavia recalled.
Vinyl’s smile became a bit more forced as behind her, Star Seeker and her friends tried to stifle a giggle. “Yes, well, accidents happen in the pursuit of art, and I might be getting a military contract out of it, so it all worked out for the best.”
“I remember reading that some of the ponies might never hear again-“ Octavia said.
“ANYWAY,” Vinyl said loudly, leaning closer than Octavia would like to examine the bowtie. “Wow, Star Seeker was right, that is an ugly color. What was your mom thinking? Ugh, parents, always forcing us to wear clothes we don’t want to. If it weren’t for those stupid school rules I’d go au natural just like most ponies twenty-four seven, you know what I mean?”
Octavia actually quite liked wearing clothes, but was aware now might not be the best time to mention that. “Is it really that ugly?” she asked.
“Yep! Don’t worry, I can fix that,” Vinyl said, her horn sparking to life.
“Vinyl, wait-“ Star Seeker said in alarm.
She was too late. There was a flash of light, and…
Everything looked the same? Except that Vinyl had a triumphant look on her face. “Success!” she crowed. “What do you think?”
“Of what?” asked the confused Octavia.
“Of your new bowtie!” Vinyl said.
“Of my new-“ Octavia looked down at her bowtie. Much to her surprise, it was now pink. “Wh-what did you do?!”
“Changed its color. Simple enough spell,” Vinyl said with absolutely no modesty whatsoever. “I cast it on my uncles all the time to make it impossible for anyone to tell them apart. They’re twins, you know.”
“I think I heard about that…” Octavia muttered, straining her memory to recall what she’d read about House Sonus while studying up on the various noble families in Canterlot she’d be dealing with now that she lived here. While a relative newcomer to the nobility—only a few hundred years old, rather than over a thousand—House Sonus was one of the most influential families in Equestria, though still a far cry from House Sparkle, which had served and protected Princess Celestia for countless generations, and not nearly as far-flung or numerous as the Apple Clan. They were responsible for numerous innovations in science and music…which was why Vinyl’s Cutie Mark being a two bridged eighth note wasn’t that surprising, actually. House Sonus was also rather unique in that several of its most prominent figures were not, in fact, ponies at all, but members of other species (assumedly adopted), such as the twin uncles Vinyl was referring to, a pair of Diamond Dogs named…what was it…Rumble and Frenzy? Aside from running a rather profitable mining company, they were also infamous for their partying and seemed to take a perverse pleasure in causing a new scandal every week to ensure that nopony stopped paying attention to them.
She also vaguely recalled hearing a rumor that the House’s founder might still be alive…but that was preposterous, of course. Well, unless he was a dragon…she didn’t think he was a dragon. Could a dragon form a noble House? Would a dragon form a noble House? Why would they bother? Dragons hated dealing with other creatures, especially their own kind, if they didn’t have to, which was why dragon migrations were so rare, since they despised each other so much it was only instinct that could cause them to gather together in such large numbers for even a short period of time. There was a reason the dragon population was constantly dwindling, and only part of it was due to dragons disliking each other so much they could barely bring themselves to reproduce with one another, let alone care for their own children. What could cause a species to develop such ingrained loathing of their own kind?
As she was pondering this tangent, she missed out on Vinyl receiving an angry lecture from Star Seeker. “Vinyl, how could you?! You know we’re not allowed to use magic on other ponies without permission! It’s against the rules!” the blue Unicorn hissed.
“Relax, it was just a color change spell!” Vinyl protested.
“Oh yes, it always starts with something harmless and innocuous…and then the temptation to cast more spells on others without asking for permission grows, the spells grow more powerful and dangerous, and eventually you turn into someone as horrible as Durgon the Deranged or Turquoise the Turquoise, and Princess Celestia has to put you down…or do something worse to you,” Drama Queen said morbidly.
“Why did she call herself that, anyway? Isn’t that kind of redundant?” Bronze Coronet wondered.
“Come on, I was doing her a favor! And besides, she’s cool with it, aren’t you, Octy?” Vinyl asked.
Octavia blinked and looked up. “Huh?”
“You’re cool with the bowtie, aren’t you, Octy?” Vinyl repeated.
“Er, yes, I actually like it quite a lot…but why are you calling me that?” Octavia asked in confusion.
“Because I like nicknaming ponies,” Vinyl said. “Isn’t that right, Queenie?”
“Don’t call me that,” Drama Queen said with a sigh.
“See what I mean?” Vinyl asked with a winning smile.
“Ah,” Octavia said. “I’d rather you not call me that, please.”
“Sure thing, Tavi!” Vinyl said cheerfully, causing Star Seeker and her friends to facehoof.
“I’d rather you not call me that, either,” Octavia said with a frown.
“Sure thing, babe!” Vinyl said cheerfully, causing Star Seeker and her friends to facehoof.
“I’d rather-“ Octavia started.
“Anyway,” Vinyl said, wrapping a forearm around Octavia’s shoulders and pulling her off her bench. “Now that we’re best friends, let me show you around and introduce you to everyone!”
“We’re best friends?” Octavia asked, thoroughly bewildered.
“I changed the color of your bowtie and saved you from a serious fashion faux pas. I’m pretty sure that in some cultures that makes us friends for life…or possibly it means you’re my slave until you do the same thing for me…or I might have made that all up just now…” Vinyl mused, baffling Octavia more and more by the second. “But in any event, you look like you could use a friend since you’re new here, and I nominate myself for the position of your first pal!”
“Uh, okay…” Octavia said uncertainly, wondering if this Unicorn was completely deranged. (She wasn’t, only mostly deranged.)
“And now, since we’re such good friends,” Vinyl said as she guided a very confused Octavia away from Star Seeker and her friends. “I feel completely comfortable in asking you to share your lunch with me, since I threw mine out on account of it being disgustingly healthy and am hoping yours is much more interesting…”
“The poor thing has no idea what she’s gotten into, has she?” Drama Queen asked as they watched Vinyl lead Octavia away.
“Nope,” Star Seeker said with a smile.
“Should we help her?” Moneybags asked.
“Nah…something tells me they’re gonna be just fine,” Star Seeker said as Vinyl impulsively glomped Octavia, causing her to scream, shove her off, and storm away. A goofy look on her face, Vinyl sprang back to her hooves and chased after her. Star Seeker chuckled. “Just fine.”
…
“And we were!” Vinyl concluded her story happily.
Wubsy blinked. “Huh. That was…not quite what I was expecting.”
“Yeah, lots of ponies say that for some reason,” Vinyl said with a frown. “I have no idea why.”
“I can see why. That was hardly romantic at all!” Wubsy said.
Vinyl chuckled. “Well, Wubsy, that’s because that was the story of how I first met Octy. The story of how we fell in love is completely different.”
“So you weren’t in love with her then?” Wubsy asked, disappointed.
“What? No, I’d just met her,” Vinyl said. “I mean, yeah, I thought she was cute, but I didn’t have any, you know, feelings for her. Those came later. No love at first sight, even in a magical place like Equestria it’s not as common as the stories’d make you think.”
“But then why did you stand up for her? Even though it was completely unnecessary?” Wubsy said.
Vinyl grimaced at that reminder. “Because I like playing the hero, I guess. And the poor thing looked like she could use a friend, and since nopony seemed to be stepping up, I figured I’d do.”
“Just like you helped me, when Octavia was insisting you turn me in to the Guard?” Wubsy asked.
“Pretty much, yeah,” Vinyl said.
“So your changing the color of her bowtie…” Wubsy prompted.
“Wasn’t any kind of big romantic gesture. I was just trying to help her out. And I did! She looked pretty good before, but with that tie, she was smokin’ hot, or at least I thought she was once we were both old enough to look at each other like that,” Vinyl said. She smiled fondly. “She still looks that way now.”
Wubsy’s eyes widened in realization. “Wait…then the bowtie she wears now…”
“Is the one I changed all those years ago? Yep. She’s never taken it off since,” Vinyl said, her smile growing wider and wider. “Well, except for when she absolutely had to. At first, it was a symbol of our friendship, since if it weren’t for that tie; I might never have befriended her. But then, years down the line…it became the symbol of something much more.”
“That’s beautiful!” Wubsy squealed, happily clopping her hooves together. She frowned. “But then…how did you and Octavia fall in love?”
“It was a gradual thing,” Vinyl said. “We became best friends after that, always hung out, and as we got older, realized we liked each other that way.” Her ears twitched as they heard the lock click and the door to the apartment start to open. “There’s a bit more to the story than that, but that’ll have to wait for another time, because right now I have to greet the love of my life. TAVIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!” Vinyl shouted as she leaped through the air towards the door as it opened, revealing a bemused Octavia…
Who promptly stepped to the side, causing Vinyl to crash face-first into the wall of the hallway outside. “Ow.”
“Vinyl, darling, you do realize you try that every time I come home, don’t you?” Octavia said with an amused look on her face. “After a while, it becomes predictable.”
“I think my horn’s stuck,” Vinyl grunted, struggling to pull her face out of the wall and failing.
Octavia rolled her eyes. “Oh, Vinyl.” She trotted back outside, grabbed Vinyl’s tail in her mouth, and started pulling.
“Owowowow! I can’t tell if that hurts…or is really turning me on right now!” Vinyl squeaked.
“Wubsy, a little help here?” Octavia grunted through the hair clenched in her teeth.
“Sure thing, Octavia,” the Changeling said, her horn glowing green. A similar aura surrounded Vinyl, and with a combined tug of Octavia’s Earth Pony strength and Wubsy’s Changeling magic they managed to extricate Vinyl from the wall, causing her to fly backwards into Octavia and knock her to the ground.
“Phew!” Viny grunted as she shook her head, trying to return feeling to her horn, which was understandably sore from being stuck in a wall. “That was not an experience I want to repeat. Good thing there was this nice, soft cushion to catch my fall.”
“That would be me,” Octavia said, her voice muffled due to Vinyl sitting on her face. “And as much as I love your flanks, dearest, I do not quite enjoy them so much when they’re crushing me.”
“Hey, you calling me fat?” Vinyl asked.
“Yes,” Octavia said flatly.
Vinyl blinked. “Seriously? That’s…ouch. That’s harsh, Octy. That’s really harsh.”
“And true,” Octavia grunted.
“You could stand to lose some weight,” Wubsy agreed.
“Nopony asked you, Wubsy,” Vinyl said crossly.
“Dearest, if you could please get off before I suffocate to death?” Octavia asked.
“Oh, fine, if I must,” Vinyl grumbled as she got off her lover and helped her back to her hooves. She paused, a lascivious grin on her face. “Hey, looks like I managed to pin you to the ground after all…”
“I think I prefer your usual method,” Octavia said flatly.
“Yeah, me too,” Vinyl agreed. Her grin spread, and it looked like she was struggling not to bounce around like Pinkie Pie. “Come on in, we’ve been waiting for you!”
Octavia raised an eyebrow as Vinyl led her into the apartment, and saw the current state it was in. “My, Vinyl, it looks as if you went to a lot of trouble to set up a romantic environment.”
“You bet I did!” Vinyl said, nuzzling into Octavia’s long black mane. She always loved how it smelled, and how smooth and soft it felt against her skin.
Octavia smiled demurely. “While I appreciate the effort, dearest, what is the occasion?”
Vinyl pulled back, a surprised look crossing her face before being replaced by one of ecstatic triumph. Had Octavia actually forgotten their anniversary? Usually it was Vinyl who always needed to be nagged about special dates! “Well, as it so happens, my dear Octy,” Vinyl said, draping herself across Octavia’s back and using the gray Earth Pony as a couch. “Today is the anniversary of the day we first met.”
Octavia raised an eyebrow. “Is it now.”
“Uh-huh!” Vinyl said, nodding her head up and down eagerly. “And I bet you thought I’d forgotten, didn’t you? Well, the joke’s on you! I remembered!”
Octavia smirked. “Did you now.”
“That’s right!” Vinyl said.
“Then I suppose I am incorrect in believing that our anniversary—the anniversary of our first meeting, that is--is, in fact, next month?” Octavia asked.
Vinyl froze. “…It is?”
“That’s what the calendar says,” Octavia said.
“No way!” Vinyl protested.
“Wubsy, if you would be a darling and check for us?” Octavia addressed the Changeling.
Wubsy obediently walked into the kitchen to check the calendar hanging from the fridge. A moment later she popped her head back out into the main room and said, “Yep, she’s right, it’s not until next month.”
Octavia’s smirk grew. Vinyl laughed nervously. “Well, uh, I don’t suppose there’s some other important occasion or anniversary going on today that I might have gotten mixed up with our ‘day we first met’ anniversary instead?”
“Let me look.” Wubsy went back into the kitchen. She popped back out again after another few minutes. “Nope. There’s nothing going on today.”
“Nothing?!” Vinyl cried in disbelief.
“No. We could call Pinkie Pie if you wanted. She’s always able to think of a reason to have a party,” Wubsy suggested.
Octavia nodded. “Yes, she’s quite famous for that. I didn’t even know you could throw a party for something as banal as finding a bit underneath a couch cushion. Or for somepony’s mane starting to turn gray. Or for Rarity forgetting to put in an eyelash. Strange girl, that Pinkie Pie.”
Vinyl sagged and slumped off of Octavia’s back, collapsing in a boneless heap on the floor. “No. No, that’s all right. Don’t want to drag her away from having fun with a Princess just because I made a completely stupid mistake.”
“It’s all right, Vinyl,” Octavia said, nuzzling her mate.
“No it’s not,” Vinyl said miserably. “I wanted to impress you, Octy. Show you how much I cared. That I can be relied on to remember the big important moments in our lives without you prompting me and stuff.”
“The fact that you went to all this effort—even if you did get the date wrong—is proof enough for me that you do care, Vinyl Scratch,” Octavia said, nosing Vinyl to her hooves. “And besides,” she purred into the Unicorn’s ear, causing her to shiver with delight. “It would be a shame to let all your hard work go to waste, wouldn’t it?”
She kissed Vinyl’s cheek, causing both the Unicorn and Wubsy to swoon. “Well, uh, I can see I’m not needed here…” the Changeling said, slowly and reluctantly heading for the door.
“You don’t have to leave, Wubsy,” Octavia said in concern.
Wubsy shook her head. “No, I do. Vinyl set this whole thing up for the two of you. I’d just get in the way. And besides, she only made enough dinner for two anyway.”
Vinyl’s face paled, causing her coat to turn even whiter. “Oh…oh crap! I’m sorry, Wubsy, I was so obsessed with trying to make this anniversary perfect I completely forgot about you! You’d think after you’ve lived with us for almost a year I’d stop forgetting we have a third person living here now! Stupid, stupid, stupid-“
“It’s all right, Vinyl, really,” Wubsy said. “It would have been awkward having me here for this anyway. This is something for the two of you to celebrate—or would have been, if Vinyl had gotten the date right-“ Vinyl winced at that. “So you really don’t need me here. I’d just get in the way.”
Octavia frowned. “That’s very considerate of you, Wubsy, but you really don’t-“
“It’s fine,” the Changeling insisted. “I’ll crash at a friend’s or something. It’s no big deal. Besides, if I stay here for too much longer, I think I might go comatose from the amount of love the two of you are pumping out right now.”
“Heh, that’s not the only thing we’re gonna be pumping out before the night is over!” Vinyl said with a naughty grin.
Octavia chuckled and flicked Vinyl’s nose with her tail. “You have such a dirty mind, dear.”
“Me? I’m pretty sure your magazine collection had way more hardcore stuff than mine did back before we hooked up,” Vinyl said, her eyes flicking back and forth to follow the mesmerizing swishing of Octavia’s tail.
“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about, darling,” Octavia said, although a very strong blush implied otherwise. “If you’re sure, Wubsy-“
“I am,” Wubsy said firmly.
“Then I wish you a pleasant evening as well,” Octavia said. Her eyes widened. “Oh! I almost forgot. Since neither of you thought to check the mail…as usual…” Wubsy blushed and Vinyl whistled nonchalantly. “When I picked it up on the way up, I found a letter for you, Wubsy.”
Wubsy blinked in surprise. “Me? But almost nopony and noling ever writes me a letter! Well, aside from Pinkie Pie’s daily party invitations, but that hardly counts.”
“Yeah, especially since it’s debatable if Pinkie’s actually a pony. Or any life-form we’re familiar with. Maybe it’s a letter from a secret admirer?” Vinyl suggested. Wubsy was intrigued at the thought. While she did, as mentioned before, love Octavia and Vinyl quite a lot, and the feeling was mutual, there were times she felt like the third wheel in their relationship, and wondered if she might ever find love with another the same way that they had. She knew that many of her other Changeling friends had found other ponies to settle down with both before and after they were exposed. The Changeling calling herself ‘Bon-Bon’ had been together with her lover and eventual wife for many years. Could somepony be interested in her in that way?
“No, I do not believe so,” Octavia said, crushing Wubsy’s hopes. “Hold on one moment…this might involve you, too, Vinyl.” As Vinyl frowned in puzzlement, Octavia nosed open her saddlebags and pushed her head inside, rummaging about. After a moment, she pulled her head back out, an envelope in her teeth. “Here. For you,” she said around the paper.
Puzzled, Wubsy’s horn lit up, levitating the envelope away from Octavia. She examined it, noticing that it was addressed to her, but the return address was unfamiliar. It looked like it was from somewhere in Canterlot. “Oh, hey, that’s from my family!” Vinyl said.
Wubsy glanced up. “Huh? How do you know?”
“The family crest is on the back,” Vinyl replied. Wubsy flipped the envelope around. Sure enough, the saw the recognizable crest of House Sonus in purple wax sealing the envelope shut, a group of triangular shapes that looked eerily like a face…and not an equine one, either.
“Like I said, it might involve you as well, Vinyl,” Octavia said.
“Why would your family send me a letter?” asked the perplexed Wubsy.
“Well, you are living with us, so it’s understandable that they might take an interest in you…” Octavia said, although there was an uncertain look on her face.
“Open it up. Let’s see what they have to say,” Vinyl said, an equally unreadable look on her face.
With a flicker of green magic, the seal was broken, the envelope opened, and the letter inside removed and unfolded. Wubsy frowned, her blue eyes flicking back and forth as she read the letter. Then they went back and forth a bit slower as she read it again. Finally, she said, “Vinyl, who is your grandfather?”
Vinyl tensed, and Octavia shot her a worried look. “He’s…the head of my family. Why?”
Wubsy looked up, a frown on her face. “Because according to this letter, he wants to meet me…as soon as possible…”
…
TO BE CONTINUED…EVENTUALLY. IF I FEEL LIKE IT. PROBABLY NOT FOR A WHILE, THOUGH.
Author's Note
Will this story be continued? Eventually, yes, but not right now.
As said before, this story has nothing to do with Shukumei's story, though I was partially inspired by it. The events in that story have no relation to this one, the only similarity is that they both happen to have a changeling named Wubsy who lives with Vinyl and Octavia in it. Even so, check out Fun With Changelings if you haven't already, it's quite good.
