We Need A Vacationby GleamingChaptersPack Your BagsTime with CocoTime Well SpentCareers Intertwine Strange CircumstancesPack Your BagsCHAPTER ONE: PACK YOUR BAGS Vinyl and Octavia were packing their things for their trip, both of them packing the exact opposite of what they need. Octavia was packing her essentials, while Vinyl was packing whatever she deemed fit to bring on their trip. But before Octavia could pack up her cello, Vinyl said, ''Octy, you can't bring your cello with you that is why it's called a vacation.'' The musical virtuoso agreed to comply with the disc jockey's statement, setting her cello over to the side. ''Vinyl, I won't bring my instrument of musical success if you don't bring your bottle of Flank Daniels.'' she gestured at the brown glass bottle on Vinyl's side of the bed. ''I guess kissing you while I'm drunk is out of the question, isn't it?'' the alabaster mare enveloped her Haywaiian shirt in her magic and placed it in her suitcase. She giggled at her question, giving her roommate a sly grin with her eyebrows raised. ‘’When it comes to making jokes about trivial matters, you’re the best at it.’’ the cellist tried to stifle a giggle, but failed to do so. ‘’I wouldn’t say that, I’m only good for playing music for patrons at night clubs. I can also be good for getting drunk and making love to anyone at night.'' Vinyl was well aware that Octavia never understood her jokes, but they do enjoy sharing a laugh together. ‘’That is why I’ll never understand you, Vinyl. But I will admit.. If I did share an intimate feeling for you, perhaps I dare say that it would put an end to our mutual relationship.'' Octavia admitted, packing the last of her belongings in her suitcase and closing the suitcase. ‘’It’s what makes me who I am, you never know what to expect from me. I'm not just your average mare, more of a mixed bag of sexy and crazy that brings all the stallions to the yard.'' Vinyl turned her back and shook her flank around at Octavia, looking at her eyes dart to the side with her red face heating up. ''Oh come on Tavi! Don't hide your feelings. You have to really convey your emotions, it would be pointless not to see your face when I'm teasing you.'' Octavia’s gaze was focused solely on Vinyl’s flank, but she needed to focus. A mare who defines the crème de la crème in the fanciest way imaginable, knows how to control herself in the most dire of situations. Vinyl winked at Octavia, she packed the last of her items as well. ‘’We’d better get going to the train, shall we?’’ she questioned, leading the way out of their apartment room. ‘’Let’s do this, gracefully that is.’’ Octavia said as she trotted out of the apartment room, holding her suitcase as Vinyl followed suit and was holding her own as well. They walked to the train station, where a train was waiting for them at the station. As the conductor checked his golden watch for the time and walked back into the train, two musicians entered the locomotive soon after for its next destination, Manehattan. Passing by all of the fields and long stretches of land, the train goes under an underground tunnel leading to the Manehattan Underground Train Station. The doors of the train opened, many ponies filed out of the train station to explore the area around them. They walked past the rats and newspaper vendors selling scandals to the public, that most ponies would ignore but only the gossip obsessed ponies are into that. Walking up the grimy, grotesque steps leading out of the train station, Octavia and Vinyl’s cheeks filled with vomit but they covered their mouths from the experience that the nasty scenery gave them. ‘’Geez, for a city that never sleeps they really have a bad way to introduce public transportation for the ponies who’ve never been to Manehattan.’’ Vinyl complained, turning her head to a crowd of ponies lined up outside of the Bridleway Theater. ‘’Fancy cities like these tend to have a lot more to be desired, but I digress. We should ask for directions for a hotel to stay at, for the duration of our vacation.’’ Octavia explained, narrowing her eyes to search for a pony to ask. The only problem was trying to find a pony who wasn’t in a hurry or waiting for a taxi. Tall buildings and ponies rushing throughout the bustling metropolis, a city that is known for its fame and catapulting celebrities to the top, can attract many ponies from all over Equestria. Just to catch a glimpse of the glitz and glamor, that is Manehattan. They gazed in awe at the skyscrapers and buildings that made up the city, trying not to remember the disgusting train station they departed from. Vinyl and Octavia ran throughout the streets of Manehattan, dodging slow walking ponies before bumping into a mare with a white coat, a long, black mane , and red eyes. They all fell onto the sidewalk simultaneously, looking up at the clear, blue sky without a gray cloud above. ‘’Hey, watch where you’re going!’’ the mare shouted at the top of her lungs. ‘’We didn’t mean to bump into you, yelling is totally uncalled for.’’ Octavia stated, as Vinyl helped her up on her hooves. ‘’She’s got a point there, stranger. You can’t just yell at us if it was your own fault, for running into us in the first place.’’ Vinyl added, feeling annoyed at this random mare that they’ve never met. ‘’So, why are you two in such a hurry?’’ the mare asked curiously. ‘’We’re looking for directions to the Mane Fair Hotel, to see if they have a room available for both of us.’’ they said in unison, waiting for an answer. ‘’If you must know, the Mane Fair Hotel is down the street from here. Just keep walking straight and you’ll find it, now I have to go.’’ she galloped away from the two musicians, completely out of sight before they could ask her another question. ‘’To the Mane Fair Hotel, we shall go!’’ Octavia raised her hoof up in the air, and they galloped down the street to the hotel. Concluding their trip to the Mane Fair Hotel, they couldn’t help but look up at the tall hotel in all of its astounding glory. Two pink flags with a golden horseshoe and an elegant curly insignia were positioned above two silver pony statues, where a bellhop was waiting outside at the entrance of the hotel and smiled. As they approached the bellhop with their luggage, the bellhop held out his hoof and said, ‘’Welcome to the Mane Fair Hotel, may I take your luggage?’’ he asked politely. ‘’Yes, you may.’’ Octavia handed her suitcase to the bellhop, trotting happily into the lobby of the hotel. ‘’Here you go, pretty boy!’’ Vinyl levitated her suitcase and dropped it near the bellhop, as he brought out a luggage cart. She followed Octavia into the hotel lobby while the bellhop brought their luggage in the lobby, walking over to the front desk. ‘’Excuse me, are there any available rooms?’’ The mare at the front desk checked all of the hotel room keys, she noticed the remaining keys left on the wall behind her. ‘’Actually, we do have a few rooms available.’’ Vinyl let out a yawn, desperately trying to cover her mouth. ‘’Octy, please tell me that we’re going to get our room with a fully-stocked fridge of hard cider.’’ Octavia rolled her eyes and ignored Vinyl’s comment. ‘’Anyway, we’ll take Room 102. Do we get a complimentary breakfast every morning?’’ ‘’Every hotel client who stays at this hotel, receives a complimentary breakfast. Here is the key to your room.’’ she removed the key from the wall and gave the key to Octavia. ‘’Enjoy your stay here!’’ ‘’Come on, Vinyl.’’ Octavia looked down at Vinyl sleeping on the floor, covering her ears to block out her snoring. ‘’Room 102, please.’’ ‘’Sure thing, ma’am.’’ the bellhop pressed the up button near the elevator, as the button lit up green while the elevator doors slid wide open. ‘’Right this way, ladies.’’ Octavia pulled up the DJ’s body on her shoulder, her arms swaying around on her back. The two of them as Octavia held Vinyl's body, walking into the elevator as the doors closed shut, taking them up to the first floor. Conveniently as it was, their room was right near the elevator so it wouldn’t be a problem for them to roam around the hotel. The elevator opened once again, they walked over to the room while the bellhop unloaded their suitcases from the luggage cart. ‘’Here we are, your room is right here. If you need any help at all, don’t hesitate to call me from your room or call room service for your needs that can make your stay here as comfortable as possible.’’ the bellhop held his hoof out, as Octavia left a fair amount of bits for him. ‘’Thank you so much, we appreciate you helping us today on our first day here in Manehattan and at this hotel.’’ Octavia smiled, she turned the doorknob and opened the door.‘’ ‘’You’re welcome, Octavia. Do you need any help in bringing your friend in there?’’ he asked, pointing his hoof down at her friend. ‘’No, I got this. Thanks again.’’ Octavia replied, as the bellhop went into the elevator and it took him downstairs to the lobby. ‘’Flank Daniels!’’ Octavia shouted, giggling to herself. ‘’Where?’’ Vinyl opened her eyes instantly, as the cellist dragged her into the room. ‘’You lied to me.’’ ‘’It was the only way to get you to wake up, besides you can’t have any hard cider when I’m around.’’ Octavia smirked, reminding Vinyl of the deal that they agreed to. Their luxurious room had hoof lotion, soap, shampoo, and conditioner with a wide hot tub in the center of the bathroom. As for their living room and bedroom, they had a spectacular view of the Manehattan streets below. A large, red heart with a pool of diamonds poured out of the heart that gave the room its romantic ambiance that many clients enjoy when staying at this prestigious hotel. Octavia’s mouth agape showed how shocked she was to see the hotel go all out, Vinyl was too busy daydreaming about Flank Daniels but a pool of drool flowed out of her mouth. ‘’This room is one sight to see, I love it. How about you, Vinyl?’’ Octavia looked beside her, but Vinyl made a beeline for the fridge to check for her cider goodness. She opened the fridge without hesitation, only to be disappointed at the lack of Flank Daniels that could give her hangovers for a week at least. ‘’Well, my first time here and I’m already sad.’’ Vinyl’s eyes filled with tears, propping her glasses to cover her eyes. Octavia walked over to Vinyl, nuzzling her close to there. ‘’There, there.’’ Vinyl sniffled, wiping her tears away. ‘’We should go to a club tomorrow.’’ Octavia’s eyes shot out of her head. ‘’Fine, only if we get to go to see some Bridleway performances, we should go see Hinny of the Hills.’’ Her face lit up, imagining the look on Vinyl’s face if she went to something like this. ‘’Fine, but only if I get to bring drinks with me.’’ ‘’But, you can’t smuggle drinks into a theater.’’ ‘’Oh, Octavia, you must not know me that well yet.’’ Vinyl hid her sinister grin, she laid on the floor of the kitchen. ‘’I’m watching you closely.’’ Octavia glared at Vinyl, pointing her the edge of her hoof at both of them. Time with Coco CHAPTER THREE: TIME WITH COCO “Vinyl, aren’t you excited!?” Octavia smiled wide with a squee noise as she gazed at her best friend. Vinyl nodded. They were at apho restaurant, called Mi Pho, You Pho As a waiter came to their table and asked for their orders, Vinyl replied, ''The 'super-meat pho bowl, size large, and make it the spiciest you can!'' Octavia stared in horror. “MEAT!?” Her friend laughed. “It’s called tofu, it’s like a vegetarian meat.” The waiter smiled and Octavia sighed. She ordered a miso soup bowl and eggrolls. When they were finished, the both agreed pho was delicious. “Octie,” Vinyl said. “Yeah?” “If we’re going to Hinny of the Hills, we have to go see the new ‘Fasting Games’ movie.” Octavia rolled her eyes. The ‘Fasting Games’ was a super-popular movie based on a book trilogy. The second one, ‘Grabbing Water,’ had just been released, and since it was Vinyl’s new obsession, the two ponies of course had to see it. “Fine,” Octavia said. This was sure going to be an exciting day. “WOAH, THAT LANDED IN HIS HEAD!” Octavia shoved a hoof into her friend’s mouth as she blushed because of Vinyl’s shout. In the movie, one of the tributes had just killed another with an axe. To the brains. “Shh!” The two mares next to them, one who was sitting in a strange position with a blue coat, the other bearing a curled and large multi-colored mane, shushed them irritatedly. “Apologies,” Octavia whispered. Vinyl spat Octavia’s hoof out and ‘harumph!’ed. They continued the movie in silence, Vinyl slurping on a soda while Octie ate some non-buttered popcorn. The mares joined in the quiet and polite applause as they watched from the balcony in the Bridleway theatre. Octavia had bribed Vinyl to be quiet by buying her three entire packages of Buck Kats, Vinyl’s favorite chocolate brand. Despite Octavia’s desperate attempts, her mare friend wore a gold chain necklace that read in large, blocky letters, DJ PON-3 Octavia herself, however, wore her nicest bowtie, a light aqua colored one that had a small golden pin attached to it, which was an upside-down horseshoe, which symbolizes good fortune. Her mane had been curled and adorned with a matching bow to her bowtie. Her tail was done up in the same style. “Thank you, mares and gentlecolts, thank you,” the announcer said, “and now, please enjoy the one and only Hinny of the Hills!” The curtains opened, and a beautiful mare was revealed to be sitting atop an old-fashioned park bench, reading a large book. Another polite round of applause went ‘round, and the show began. As the mares were heading into the streets, Vinyl, slightly tipsy from the cocktails she had drank, ran into a mare, who was hauling at least four rolls of fabric on her back, and more in her two saddlebags. They all fell to the ground, resulting in angry stares from passersby. “Oops! -hic- Sorry!” The mare scowled at them, and turned away to pick up the rolls. “H-hic- Here,” Vinyl said, using her horn to levitate the rolls. She meant to place them back in their original positions, but instead caused them to fall atop the pony. “Gahh! This is ridiculous! When Rarity hears about this, you’ll be-” The angry mare was cut off by none other than Octavia. “Wait,” she said, an eyebrow cocked confusedly, “Rarity? The mare in Ponyville? I’ve heard of her…” “Heard of her? Please, every time she publishes a new fashion line, it’s in one of the best-selling magazines!” “W-hic- Well, you seem to be a fan, -hic-,” Vinyl said. “Fan? She’s the one who got me to accept the job of creating dresses for the next Bridleway show!” This seemed to impress Octavia greatly. “Who are you, again?” She asked, casually picking the many rolls of fabric and handing them to the mare. “Coco Pommel, and you?” “I’m-hic- Vinyl Scratch.” “Octavia, apologies for my friend, she’s a bit tipsy.” Coco mumbled something in reply as the last roll was tucked into her saddlebags. “Say, Coco,” Octavia said, “Would you care to enjoy some tea later?” “Perhaps. Fix your friend, and I suppose so.” And surprisingly, Vinyl didn’t protest to getting ‘fixed’. “So, what are you hobbies?” Octavia, Vinyl Scratch and Coco Pommel were sitting in a high-class cafe, enjoying fabulous tea made by a world-known chef. “Well, I um, enjoy fashion, and that’s really about it,” Coco replied. Octavia nodded and smiled as she took a sip from her china cup. “I myself enjoy playing a cello,” she replied. “Oh, that’s interesting,” Coco replied. She shifted her gaze to Vinyl, who was staring out the window. “What’s your special talent?” “Huh? Oh, um, i’m a pretty good DJ,” Vinyl replied. “And usually not so modest,” Octavia added. Coco giggled. “Say,” she said, “Do you think you could make it to the show? I’d really appreciate critique on my dresses.” “Well, I don’t know if we could really afford that,” Octavia said. “Oh, I could pay, if you’d like,” Coco said. ‘’That is quite alright, Coco. I think we could try to pay,’’ Octavia replied, waving a dismissive hoof at Coco. ‘’Octy, we should let Coco help us out. After all, helping others doesn’t hurt at all,’’ Vinyl added, nudging Octavia in the shoulder. ‘’But I insist, it’s the least I could do. Rarity taught me about generosity, and how giving things to the unfortunate benefits everypony.’’ Coco insisted, holding out a burlap sack of bits. The pair stared at each other then back at Coco, with their mouths hung agape. Octavia grabbed the burlap sack and held it in her hoof, while Vinyl patted her on the back. Still in shock over the offer, Octavia gave Coco a reassuring smile. ‘’Thank you so much for the offer, Coco. I don’t know how we can repay you,’’ the cello expert took another sip of her tea, placing the burlap sack in her saddlebag. ‘’Your thanks is what counts which is more valuable than bits to me, so I’ll be seeing you two at the next show?’’ Coco asked, she took a bite of her maple-flavored scone and drank her tea. ‘’We’ll be there!’’ Vinyl chugged the rest of her tea down, the tea slid down her throat. The hot liquid caused Vinyl’s face to turn bright red, she fanned her tongue with her hoof. ‘’Hot, hot, hot!’’ ‘’Vinyl, I keep telling you to let your tea cool to drink it. Anyway, yes Coco, we will be there at the next show. See you then!’’ Octavia carried Vinyl in her forelegs out of the cafe, as Coco waved her hoof at them. ‘’Looks like we’ll be seeing Coco again, aren’t you excited?’’ ‘’Yeah you could say that, Vinyl. Why do you ask?’’ Octavia inquired, walking down the street holding Vinyl in her forelegs. ‘’We could have an after party after the show, a bar sounds like a perfect location.’’ ‘’What am I going to do with you, Vinyl?’’ Octavia shook her head back and forth, walking up the stairs to their hotel room and carrying Vinyl at the same time. Time Well Spent CHAPTER FOUR: TIME WELL SPENT Vinyl’s obnoxious snore echoed throughout their hotel room, which gave Octavia a very rude awakening. This was a common occurrence that happened every time that they stayed in a hotel room, or staying in their apartment back home; Vinyl snores loudly, Octavia wakes up, disheveled. Octavia groaned, one eyelid opening slightly. “Vinyl,” she complained, her voice muffled by a snow-colored pillow. The DJ answered simply with another snore. Octavia growled, irritated by her roommate’s ability of heavy sleep. “Vinyl, get up,” Octavia snapped, her voice sharp and disturbed. She prodded the sprawled unicorn’s side pointedly. “You always do this! Every. Single. Morning!” She jabbed an agitated hoof into Vinyl’s side as she said the last sentence. Vinyl replied again with her hoof swatting Octavia away, ‘’Just five more minutes!’’ Octavia raised her voice at Vinyl and flashed, ‘’You think that I enjoy dealing with this every morning? I so do not enjoy doing this!’’ Vinyl, still bound and trapped in the thick, black blanket of sleep, mumbled dissonantly, “But Tavi, I don’t wanna piece of cello cake….” “That. Is. IT!” With all the strength Octavia could muster, she shoved Vinyl off of the bed and onto the scraggly, gray carpet. ‘’What was that for?’’ Vinyl rubbed her forehead on the way down. She glared daggers at the professional cellist. They looked into each others’ eyes. Octavia wore an arrogant expression as she turn pointedly away from Vinyl, rolling gracefully off of the bed and landing delicately on her four hooves. “Well, it serves you right for being a snorer. Can’t you fix that problem? It’s really annoying, you know.” Octavia walked into the kitchen, where she saw a gargantuan pile of dirty dishes left unclean. Of course, she knew immediately who did this. ‘’Vinyl, what have I told you about cleaning the dishes and not leaving them out?’’ The white unicorn entered the room, her eyes still partly glued together from sleep. She picked up her glasses that she had left on the kitchen island the night before and shoved them adroitly onto her muzzle. She turned to Octavia, a groggy smirk plastered on her face. “I dunno, babe, but you look terrible right now.” ‘’What do you mean by that?’’ Octavia asked, running to the bathroom mirror for a better look. Vinyl chuckled, entertained by Octavia’s reaction, and responded, “I mean, you need to brush your hair.” She hadn’t left the kitchen. Octavia rummaged through the bathroom for her brush, hitting herself on the forehead, distraught. ‘’I can’t find my brush, Vinyl. Where did you put my brush?’’ Vinyl’s head appeared in the mirror as she stepped into the sleek, marble bathroom. A suspicious smirk was plastered on her face, causing Octavia to narrow her eyes skeptically as she watched her roommate walk past her. “I didn’t do anything with your brush,” Vinyl replied, feigning innocence. Octavia stuck out her lower lip. ‘’Are you so sure about that?’’ Octavia raised her eyebrow at her musical equal, wondering about the whereabouts of her brush. “Mh-hm,” Vinyl nodded as she scanned her reflection, adjusting her glasses. She licked her lips and slyly turned to Octavia, one of her eyebrows raised in a suggesting gesture. “Although, you might want to check your cello case.” ‘’But, I didn’t bring my cello because you said that we should go on vacation without worrying about our musical careers, remember?’’ Octavia shook her head in disappointment, demonstrating the shape of her cello with sign language. “Exactly.” “VINYLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!” Octavia screeched in rage when the meaning of Vinyl’s words processed through her puzzled mind. Vinyl had hidden her brush in the cello case...back home! Vinyl had obviously known that she would need it! Why, the nerve…. Vinyl rolled her eyes as she watched Octavia fume; it always amused her to see Octavia’s reactions. ‘’For a pony who is as fancy as a stallion in a suit, you really know how to express your anger.’’ With that, a light blue aura surrounded the mirror and caused it to swing forward, identical to the movement of a door; it revealed a hidden compartment, hosting cobwebs, identifiable spiders, and...Octavia’s brush. Octavia’s muscles loosened as she sighed in relief to see her brush. Extending her neck to grab it, she cast a quick, infuriated glance at Vinyl, who was casually leaning against the wall. “Very funny,” Octavia mumbled, embarrassed at her overreaction. After all, it was just a brush. Vinyl chuckled and adjusted her glasses again. “You’re right. It was very funny.” Octavia rolled her eyes. ‘’We should be getting ready to go to the Bridleway Theatre. Coco would be upset if we stood her up, and dressing in formal clothing should do the trick.’’ Octavia adjusted her pink bowtie and collar, giving Vinyl the stinkeye. ‘’Why are you looking at me like that?’’ Vinyl placed her glasses on her muzzle and looked at Octavia, confuzzled, ‘’You’re not trying to make me dress all fancy, are you?’’ Octavia flashed her a quick, slim grimace, finishing the final touches on her appearance for the evening, and replied, feigning innocence, “Oh, no, no, no.” It was a lie. ‘’Good. We wouldn’t want a DJ walking around like an emotionless doll, or a stuck up Canterlot stooge.’’ Octavia whipped her head around, strongly offended. “And just what do you mean by that?” she grasped her brush in her hoof and began brushing it (for the millionth time), her strokes bitter and harsh; they caused tears in her eyes. ‘’Look, I’m sorry that I said that, Tavi. You know that I don’t mean it like that. You’re one of the most talented musicians out there. Not many ponies can say that they’ve played and toured with the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra.’’ Vinyl walked to Octavia’s side and wiped her dried tears away. She wrapped her arms around her, thinking deeply about what she said and how she should’ve realized how Octavia would react. Octavia and Vinyl walked out of the hotel room together and entered the hallway. They took the stairs down to the lobby of the hotel, seeing as the elevator was still requiring maintenance. They each nodded quickly to the bellhop, Octavia smiling gratefully, and they exited the building, out into the frigid night. ‘’I told you that we should’ve brought our coats,’’ Vinyl said, putting her hooves under her armpits. Her whole body shivered, the cold wind blowing in her face and wrapping around her; a blanket in a parallel universe. “Don’t worry, we’ll be there soon,” Octavia replied flatly, ignoring Vinyl’s accusation. Her teeth chattered as she started to trot down the sidewalk on her right side. Vinyl expeditiously followed, falling into step with her roommate. Most ponies were indoors due to the chilling weather; either in their furnished apartments, heated shops, or inside bus stops and supermarkets, waiting for their mode of transportation to arrive. Despite the radiant moon and the stunning stars, jeweling the midnight-blue sky, nopony seemed to want to come outdoors. They walked down the street towards the Bridleway Theatre, until a group of stallions, similar to lurking shadows, emerged from the shadows in an alleyway and grouped silently behind them. One of the stallions said, ‘’Hey, you two!’’ Vinyl’s heart began to race inadvertently and her pupils began to dilate as she turned around to the stallion’s call. There could only be one other reason that the three ponies she stood in front of were not in someplace heated, other than her own. Determined to protect Octavia from the horrifying sceptacle that she knew would occur, Vinyl sugar-coated her voice with arrogancy and courage. ‘’What do you guys want?’’ She tried her best to sound uninterested. Maybe then they’d leave Octavia alone. The stallion who had shouted drew a black poker card from his midnight-colored, tattered saddlebag, full of moth-eaten patches and unpleasant holes. This stallion had an enormous build; he loomed above the two mares, one of which was about to faint, and the other fighting to not cry. He an eyepatch on his right eye, and a lengthy, ragged cream-colored mane. Vinyl recognized him with a pang. His name was Eyepatch. He was accompanied by a mare and another stallion, both equally menacing. The other stallion, on his left, seemed to be almost identical to Eyepatch, minus the eyepatch and the fact that his mane was shadow-black instead of cream-colored. The mare on Eyepatch’s right seemed unfazed by what was occuring, her eyelids drooped halfway. She was an unnaturally skinny female, with an extremely short dark gray mane, and a faint turquoise coat. ‘’We’ve heard about your musical success and expertise, but that, my friends, is not why we’re here. Your friend,” Eyepatch gestured to Vinyl, a cold sneer spreading across his mouth, “right there sells drugs to my gang. Illegal drugs. After every gig that she has, Vinyl conceals herself and hides away all of the guilt. Octavia cocked her head to the side at Vinyl, her eyes burning with molten lava; the molten lava of fury. She glared straight into the DJ’s glasses, somehow breaking past the barrier and staring intensely into her roommate’s eyes. ‘’Vinyl, why have you kept this secret from me after all these years?’’ Her voice was a desperate, cracked whisper. ‘’You must be really disappointed in me, aren’t you?’’ Vinyl lowered her head down, her voice filled with despair and regret. She traced the gravel of the sidewalk as she felt the lava stored in Octavia’s eyes scorch the back of her neck. ‘’Not only did you keep this as a secret from me, but you also sold drugs illegally to a gang called…er...what is the name of your gang, exactly?’’ Octavia craned her head back. She glared at Vinyl and looked at the gang. ‘’We’re called the Aces and Eights. I’m Eyepatch, this mare right here is Sinister Melody, and the stallion to my left is Black Night,'' Eyepatch stated, rotating his attention back to Vinyl and Octavia.'' ‘’Look... I know that what I did to you guys was reprehensible, but that doesn’t give you the right to get back at me,’’ Vinyl retorted, rolling her eyes at the threatening stallion. On the outside, she may appear a roaring lion, but on the inside, she felt as vulnerable as a butterfly. ‘’All I have to say is, thank you.’’ Eyepatch grinned at the two musicians in front of him, w a perfect plan forming in his deceiving to get back at Vinyl for the unforgivable deed. ‘’Thank us? For what?’’ Vinyl rubbed her chin with her hoof, looking back at Octavia and back at the gang. Her stomach fluttered; Vinyl wondered, with a mental, nervous laugh, if there really was a butterfly in her stomach. ‘’For this!” Eyepatch threw out his hoof, punching Vinyl square in the muzzle. Vinyl flew back, landing with a dangerous CRUNCH, that suggested broken bones. Her entire body aching from the impact, Vinyl lay on the sidewalk. Sinister Melody and Black Night laughed maniacally as they grabbed Octavia’s forelegs to force her into the brick wall of the alley. “No!” Vinyl cried out weakly, attempting to rise to her forehooves...but it was impossible. Octavia struggled to break free from their grip, but that was out of the question when Eyepatch reeled his hoof back and punched her in the stomach. Vinyl gasped, choking as wheeze caught in her throat. “Octavia!” Eyepatch slapped Octavia across the jaw, the impact from the slap sent her to the ground. “OCTAVIA!” Eyepatch made a disgusting retching noise. Then he spat on Octavia’s face. ‘’Both of you are just the dirt under my hooves, meaningless to me. But if you ever cross us again, the next thing you’ll be seeing is a hospital bed.’’ Eyepatch walked over to the DJ and dug his hoof into her stomach, grinning, enjoying her reaction. He kicked her forward as she spat thick, crimson blood from her mouth. The Aces and Eights members left the scene, as quiet as shadows, as the crowd applauded Coco’s performance before she exited the theatre. The night was quiet. Coco galloped down the street where she saw two bodies laid out on the sidewalk. She surveyed the scene before her, horror filling her heart. She recognized their faces and dropped down on her knees next to them, she yelled out into the silence of the night, her voice cracking with tears. ‘’Help! Somepony help them!’’ They saw their lives flash before their eyes. An empty, white image came into their minds. Coco Pommel sat there, tears filling her eyes; a void devoured her soul as they fell, as heavy as raindrops. They’re going to die, she thought, the void swallowing her whole. They’re going to die. So absorbed in her own mind, she didn’t even realize what was happening when she was being hauled into an ambulance, the DJ and the cellist thrown in after her, placed on white stretchers. She didn’t even realize what was happening when they got to the hospital. All she could remember was crying. All she could remember was the endless, swirling void. Her only company. The one light in her life was now no more. Coco left a bottle of Flank Daniels and a bouquet of flowers near their hospital beds. ‘’You’ll always be in my heart.’’ The fashion designer left the hospital room, tears streaming down her face. Careers Intertwine Careers Intertwine We Need A Vacation PROLOGUE: CAREERS INTERTWINE Professional musicians take their time to compose their music and they make sure to go out with a bang. Canterlot and Manehattan are no exception to the glitz and glamor that come with fame, but it's not that all cracked up to be because fame comes with a price that makes you regret your decision and wish to take it all back. We all need a break every now and again. Once honing in our skills that we have crafted over the years, reflecting on how we climbed to the top comes to mind. In the early hours of the morning, Vinyl Scratch turned her attention to the sound of an alarm clock as she let out a loud groan. Octavia was busy on her last tour with the Canterlot Orchestra, before they would go on another tour next month to travel all over Equestria. As for Vinyl, she has to perform a gig tonight at a club that was just begging for someone to bring some excitement to the table, and she's the unicorn to do it. Vinyl's horn wrapped the alarm clock in her magical aura, clicking the button to silence the annoying device. She climbed out of bed to stretch her forelegs and made a cracking sound in the process, feeling a sense of relief to get out of bed. The DJ made her way into the bathroom, lowering her glasses down to her muzzle for a better view of the mirror. ''Octy would complain about my mane at this point if she was here,'' she addressed and levitated a brush to her mane, brushing her mane back to its original, straight state. ''Much better.'' Upon leaving the bathroom, she trotted into the kitchen for the intent of rummaging through the refrigerator for a quick breakfast. However, Vinyl scanned the letter on the exterior of the freezer, where the letter reads: Dear Vinyl, I know that you are aware of my last tour with the orchestra and that we're scheduled to have another tour next month. Hopefully you didn't set the house on fire while I was gone, hope to see you when I return. P.S. I left coffee and a croissant on the table for breakfast, do not drink any alcohol with it. Love, Octavia Philharmonica ''Typical Octavia, always keeping an eye on my intake of alcoholic substances.'' Vinyl scrunched her snout, giggling. Octavia's family thought that she would be a negative influence on her from the way she acts and staying out late at night to perform at night clubs, but she never gave up to leave an everlasting first impression. Vinyl opened the refrigerator door, taking a mug of hard cider out of the refrigerator. ''Usually I would take her advice, but sometimes loosening up never hurts.'' she said, taking each swig of the cider after swallowing every drop. After ignoring Octavia's warning on the letter, Vinyl walked out of the room and into the hallway of the apartment, closing the door behind her. Admiration and fame didn't equal money when it comes down to their living conditions, having lived in an one bedroom apartment with other occupants in their own rooms of the apartment. Octavia wanted to keep herself out of sight to avoid the paparazzi that follow her around like a pack of ravenous timberwolves. Vinyl on the other hoof didn't mind them if they don't interrupt her slumber or her drunken antics. She pulled her black glasses with the purple neon-colored lenses up to her face. Many ponies walked along the sidewalk to go their destinations for the morning commute: taking the train, doing the good old fashioned way of walking, or finding others on getting to work and school on time. Vinyl stumbled around on her hooves, still feeling the effects of the alcohol getting to her along with a splitting headache. With her head throbbing, she walked through the crowd of ponies and found a bar. The Fancy Canteen was a common hangout for Vinyl, where she would hang out after her gigs and many bartenders that work there know her as a regular who loves to have a good time. The raving DJ bursts through the double doors of the bar, bobbing her head up and down before she popped a squat on a bar stool in front of the bartender's area. More ponies filled the bar sitting down on leather sofas and bar stools, in need to quench their thirst for liquid courage that most ponies would never let their lips touch. ''The usual, Gary.'' Vinyl told him, banging her hoof on the black bar. ''You got it, Vinyl!'' Gary exclaimed, filling the tall glass with a red liquid. He slid the glass across the black bar over to Vinyl, catching the glass with her hoof. Vinyl chugged the liquid down in mere seconds, swinging her head back and forth at Gary. Suds came out of her mouth as she was interrupted by a hiccup, falling off her stool to land on the floor at the time that her head made full contact with the floor. ''I... I guess I can't handle my alcoholic consumption today.'' Gary stopped serving ponies for a moment to pick Vinyl off of the floor, going by the fallen unicorn's side. ''Oh my goodness, are you alright Vinyl?'' the bartender grabbed Vinyl by her hoof and lifted her slowly off the floor, helping the DJ keep up her balance. ''I'm alright, Gary.'' Vinyl confirmed before a hiccup slipped out once again, feeling more woozy than before. She carefully grabbed the black bar near the bar stools, keeping her balance up. ''Good, making sure. Are you sure that you can't perform tonight?'' Gary inquired, still concerned about Vinyl's well-being for her performance scheduled for tonight. Vinyl nodded her head slowly, making her way out of the bar before tripping on the sidewalk. Her hooves were sprawled out on the pavement, looking around at the ponies stopping in their tracks to help her up. ''Thanks everypony, I'm going to walk home now.'' She reached the apartment slowly, walking up the stairs outside of the front door. Stumbling through the rotating doors, Vinyl walked to the elevator where a note was plastered on the up and down buttons of the elevator: Dear Residents of the Regal Apartment, The elevators are currently being fixed after a blackout earlier today, they will be fully operational tomorrow. Use the stairs as an alternative route to the room in your apartment. Sincerely, Landlord Leech Just perfect, Vinyl sarcastically thought in her head, stumbling again up to the stairs of her apartment. Directly after her karma came to bite her on the flank, she slid her and Octavia's apartment door open and closed it slowly. To her surprise, Octavia returned from the final tour with the orchestra. ''Octy, what are you doing back?'' ''The orchestra and I wrapped up the tour for this month tonight, what happened to you?'' Octavia placed her hoof on her cello case and locked the case. ''I got wasted twice today and my gig was canceled tonight.'' Vinyl walked to their bedroom and fell face first on the bed's soft covers. ''What kind of circumstance could have possibly caused your gig to get canceled?'' Octavia asked curiously, sitting down near her roommate. Vinyl's words came out muffled from the covers, ''I was too intoxicated to even perform, that was my fault since I got drunk at breakfast and at the bar where my gig was supposedly to be at.'' Octavia facehoofed at her roommate committing another intoxicated act. ''You're lucky that I love you, Vinyl.'' Her cheeks turned red with a small, red blush emanating on her face. ''We need a vacation, to at least unwind for us to escape the paparazzi and the pressures of fame.'' Vinyl flipped herself over on her back and pulled Octavia's face closer to hers, ''I'll even give up my drinking problem.'' Octavia knew that this was a one time thing. The last time that Vinyl swore to stop her drinking problem, she jumped on the stage of a rock concert and kicked the lead singer off the stage then the security guards had to carry her away. Maybe this time she meant every word. ''Alright, we can both agree on a place to go on vacation.'' Octavia declared. ''I can agree with that, we should go to Manehattan.'' Vinyl suggested, grabbing a brown paper bag. ''Alright, but try not to get too drunk.'' Octavia joked around with her roommate, she grabbed the covers and slipped under the covers of the bed. ''I'll try not---'' Vinyl's speech was cut off when she barfed the contents of her last drunken episode into the paper bag, hurling the bag to the side. ''I'll take that as a yes,'' Octavia scrunched up her snout at the foul stench of the barf, ''I'm not cleaning that up.'' the cellist turned over to her side and went to sleep, along with her roommate. The moon's glow painted the night sky as the stars twinkled in its direction, blowing the cold wind in the air waking most ponies in their homes, except two musicians who were sleeping soundly in its presence. Strange Circumstances CHAPTER TWO: STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES Octavia’s ears perked up at the sound of Vinyl’s body rolling off the bed with a loud thud. She turned off her alarm to get this morning started already. ‘’I shouldn’t be surprised that you are worn out, are you ready to go outside for a day in the city?’’ She asked. Walking over to the window to open the blinds, Vinyl Scratch removed her glasses and made sure to shield her eyes from the glaring sun. The brightness of it peeped through the blinds, and the white mare kept her eyes covered with her foreleg until the bright glare started to die down. ‘’I would, but I prefer to stay in the room or at least go to the pool,’’ Vinyl retorted, thinking of another excuse to stay in the hotel. ‘’You can’t just stay in here all day while I go out, besides, we’re going to a club tonight and then tomorrow night we can go to Hinny of the Hills,’’ Octavia had a huge smirk plastered on her face, adjusting her pink bowtie and white collar. ‘’Tavi, you do know that I only go out to clubs and other places that attract ponies like me, the partying, laidback ponies who rebel against authority,’’ Vinyl explained, proving her point firmly. ‘’I understand that, but you should really interact with more ponies other than those ponies you befriend that are always drunk at the bar.’’ Octavia lectured, looking into the cupboards of the kitchen for some coffee mix. ‘’Whatever you say, babe. I do enough interacting with you and other ponies, it took me years to get used to you. Honestly, was it worth it?’’ Vinyl asked with a cackle, walking over to the couch in the living room and kicked her hooves up on the coffee table. Vinyl wrapped her hoof around the lid of a soda can, turning on the metal center and releasing her hoof when a small click opened the lid. ‘’So don’t you worry your pretty little head, once we go out tonight to the nightclub. I’m sure that you’ll have fun.’’ The gray mare grabbed a bag of coffee mix from the cupboards, scooping a fair amount of its contents into the pot. She poured water into it and flicked the ‘ON’ button up. Soon the room was filled with the delicious smell of coffee, and the low rumbling noise it made. “Here, Vinyl,” Octavia said, handing her best friend a cup of coffee. Vinyl Scratch nodded her thanks and began drinking thirstily. Octavia herself took a cup, and together they enjoyed the peacefulness of the morning. Soon afterwards, the ponies got ready for an exciting day. Octavia added a few shiny bracelets to her attire while Vinyl polished her shades. “So, where first? Immortal 21? Goochee?” Vinyl thought for a minute. Shrugging, she replied, “Surprise me.” It had been a long day, shopping at expensive stores and eating at fancy restaurants. Now, the sun had set and the pair were heading back to the hotel, their bodies overloaded with bags of things they had bought. Vinyl had gotten a new iHoof Nano, and was bobbing her head up and down as she listened to her favorite Wubstep artist, ‘Grill X’. Together, the mares arrived in their room and unloaded. “Hey, Octy, you ready for a wild night?” “I guess, Vinyl.” The ponies dressed up, Vinyl brandishing a new shirt that read ‘The Wubs’, one of her favorite bands. Octavia simply changed her usually bland bowtie, now wearing a sparkly red one. She looked herself up and down in the mirror. Finally satisfied with her appearance, she turned to Vinyl. “Do you think I could make some bits if I had brought my cello from our apartment back at home?” Vinyl thought about this. “Hm,” she replied, “Maybe, but it’d probably get broken.” The mares smiled at each other, and headed down the hall to the elevator. Starting now, they were going to have a wild night. “WOOH, TURN IT UP, DJ!” Vinyl Scratch yelled at the top of her drunken lungs, causing Octavia to blush furiously at the bar. In response, the DJ did turn up the music, earning a scream of joy from Vinyl and a groan from Octavia. During her wild dancing, Vinyl bumped into another mare, who had been standing quietly, levitating a drink with her horn. The drink splashed all over the pony’s fancy dress, and she stared at Vinyl in horror. The drunk white mare, however, only smiled and hiccupped. “Sorry, hehe, didn’t- hic- see you there, hic!” Vinyl resumed her dancing and screaming, blending in with the rest of the club’s crowd. Octavia, horrified at what she had just seen, trotted over to the mare. She handed the other pony a hooful of napkins and apologized. “I’m terribly sorry, my friend’s a bit drunk right now,” she said, awkwardly smiling.The mare cocked an eyebrow and huffed, “A bit? Yeah, okay.” This harsh response caused Octavia to blush and glare at her friend, who was gathering quite a few stares when she attempted a hoof-stand. “I’m Octavia, by the way,” Octavia said, offering a hoof. The mare shook it. “Garnet Carnation.” After that, Octavia enjoyed herself a few cocktails and got slightly tipsy, saying things to stallions she would never had said if she’d been sober. Vinyl Scratch was as energetic as ever, laughing and drinking and dancing. One, in her dance, she’d bucked a stallion right in the face. Everypony could see that she’d clearly knocked one or two of his teeth out. “Okay, Vinyl, you need to go home,” Octavia said, hiccuping once. She dragged her friend out of the club, the stallion giving her an ugly stare. “Oh, you’re a mess,” Octavia’s nose scrunched up as she smelled countless types of booze on her friend’s breath. “I sure had- hic- fun,” Vinyl replied. With that, the two drunkenly made their way back to the hotel, Vinyl singing loudly in the dead of the night. Vinyl and Octavia wobbled on their hooves when they reached their hotel room door, they stumbled into it and forcibly slammed the door. Upon their entry into the living room, Octavia poked Vinyl and said, ‘’I had a fun time with you tonight, Vinyl. I’m going to go take a hot bath, I have the stench of perspiration and booze on me.’’ Octavia walked out of the room and into the bathroom, and closed the door behind her. Turning the faucet on the bathtub, water came streaming out of the shower head. The water washed all around her gray coat, as the liquid removed all of the sweat and booze on her body. Octavia sprayed the water on her mane, washing her mane with the soap and water to make sure that she would look nice for the next day. She turned off the shower head, wrapped the towel around her, and walked back into the room only to see Vinyl turning the volume up on the television. The hotel room was shaking vigorously, it felt like an earthquake hit them head on. Octavia covered her ears and dropped down on the floor, she glared at the distracted musician and her complaint was blocked out by the music, ‘’Vinyl, turn the music down!’’ Vinyl hopped around with the neon headphones, unaware of Octavia calling her. ‘’What?’’ She snorted and smacked her on the forehead, ‘’Turn it down!’’ Vinyl reached her foreleg over to the remote, lazily laying on the couch, and turned the volume down. ‘’Sorry about that Octy, I’m still drunk from that fun time we had at the nightclub.’’ ‘’That’s all fine and dandy, but I need to go to sleep. All I can say is, we’re going to see Hinny of the Hills tomorrow night to repay you for that fun night.’’ ‘’Okay then, good night.’’ Vinyl turned up the volume again, once Octavia laid in the bed. ‘’Nights like these make me want to play with my orchestra, but it could be worse.’’ Octavia closed her eyes, until she felt her body bumping up and down on the floor. ‘’Time to turn up the volume!’’ Vinyl danced along with the music, rocking her head back and forth. ‘’It just got worse.’’ Octavia sighed, as she laid on the floor near the bed. Octavia reminded herself to limit Vinyl’s ability to drink a lot of booze. “Yes, this is the best vacation ever! Booze every night, spending bits and having fun? Yeah, that’s paradise,” Vinyl Scratch said. Her and Octavia were sitting in a nice cafe, enjoying high-quality coffee. Octavia nodded, and poured some cream into her coffee. Vinyl dumped at least four packets of sugar into her own cup, and slurped from it greedily. “Hey, we should get some pho,” Vinyl said, “I heard it’s really good hangover food.” Octavia scratched her chin. “Hmm, okay. Is it good?” Vinyl shrugged. They finished their drinks in silence, wondering how good pho was. They’d soon find out.
Pack Your BagsCHAPTER ONE: PACK YOUR BAGS Vinyl and Octavia were packing their things for their trip, both of them packing the exact opposite of what they need. Octavia was packing her essentials, while Vinyl was packing whatever she deemed fit to bring on their trip. But before Octavia could pack up her cello, Vinyl said, ''Octy, you can't bring your cello with you that is why it's called a vacation.'' The musical virtuoso agreed to comply with the disc jockey's statement, setting her cello over to the side. ''Vinyl, I won't bring my instrument of musical success if you don't bring your bottle of Flank Daniels.'' she gestured at the brown glass bottle on Vinyl's side of the bed. ''I guess kissing you while I'm drunk is out of the question, isn't it?'' the alabaster mare enveloped her Haywaiian shirt in her magic and placed it in her suitcase. She giggled at her question, giving her roommate a sly grin with her eyebrows raised. ‘’When it comes to making jokes about trivial matters, you’re the best at it.’’ the cellist tried to stifle a giggle, but failed to do so. ‘’I wouldn’t say that, I’m only good for playing music for patrons at night clubs. I can also be good for getting drunk and making love to anyone at night.'' Vinyl was well aware that Octavia never understood her jokes, but they do enjoy sharing a laugh together. ‘’That is why I’ll never understand you, Vinyl. But I will admit.. If I did share an intimate feeling for you, perhaps I dare say that it would put an end to our mutual relationship.'' Octavia admitted, packing the last of her belongings in her suitcase and closing the suitcase. ‘’It’s what makes me who I am, you never know what to expect from me. I'm not just your average mare, more of a mixed bag of sexy and crazy that brings all the stallions to the yard.'' Vinyl turned her back and shook her flank around at Octavia, looking at her eyes dart to the side with her red face heating up. ''Oh come on Tavi! Don't hide your feelings. You have to really convey your emotions, it would be pointless not to see your face when I'm teasing you.'' Octavia’s gaze was focused solely on Vinyl’s flank, but she needed to focus. A mare who defines the crème de la crème in the fanciest way imaginable, knows how to control herself in the most dire of situations. Vinyl winked at Octavia, she packed the last of her items as well. ‘’We’d better get going to the train, shall we?’’ she questioned, leading the way out of their apartment room. ‘’Let’s do this, gracefully that is.’’ Octavia said as she trotted out of the apartment room, holding her suitcase as Vinyl followed suit and was holding her own as well. They walked to the train station, where a train was waiting for them at the station. As the conductor checked his golden watch for the time and walked back into the train, two musicians entered the locomotive soon after for its next destination, Manehattan. Passing by all of the fields and long stretches of land, the train goes under an underground tunnel leading to the Manehattan Underground Train Station. The doors of the train opened, many ponies filed out of the train station to explore the area around them. They walked past the rats and newspaper vendors selling scandals to the public, that most ponies would ignore but only the gossip obsessed ponies are into that. Walking up the grimy, grotesque steps leading out of the train station, Octavia and Vinyl’s cheeks filled with vomit but they covered their mouths from the experience that the nasty scenery gave them. ‘’Geez, for a city that never sleeps they really have a bad way to introduce public transportation for the ponies who’ve never been to Manehattan.’’ Vinyl complained, turning her head to a crowd of ponies lined up outside of the Bridleway Theater. ‘’Fancy cities like these tend to have a lot more to be desired, but I digress. We should ask for directions for a hotel to stay at, for the duration of our vacation.’’ Octavia explained, narrowing her eyes to search for a pony to ask. The only problem was trying to find a pony who wasn’t in a hurry or waiting for a taxi. Tall buildings and ponies rushing throughout the bustling metropolis, a city that is known for its fame and catapulting celebrities to the top, can attract many ponies from all over Equestria. Just to catch a glimpse of the glitz and glamor, that is Manehattan. They gazed in awe at the skyscrapers and buildings that made up the city, trying not to remember the disgusting train station they departed from. Vinyl and Octavia ran throughout the streets of Manehattan, dodging slow walking ponies before bumping into a mare with a white coat, a long, black mane , and red eyes. They all fell onto the sidewalk simultaneously, looking up at the clear, blue sky without a gray cloud above. ‘’Hey, watch where you’re going!’’ the mare shouted at the top of her lungs. ‘’We didn’t mean to bump into you, yelling is totally uncalled for.’’ Octavia stated, as Vinyl helped her up on her hooves. ‘’She’s got a point there, stranger. You can’t just yell at us if it was your own fault, for running into us in the first place.’’ Vinyl added, feeling annoyed at this random mare that they’ve never met. ‘’So, why are you two in such a hurry?’’ the mare asked curiously. ‘’We’re looking for directions to the Mane Fair Hotel, to see if they have a room available for both of us.’’ they said in unison, waiting for an answer. ‘’If you must know, the Mane Fair Hotel is down the street from here. Just keep walking straight and you’ll find it, now I have to go.’’ she galloped away from the two musicians, completely out of sight before they could ask her another question. ‘’To the Mane Fair Hotel, we shall go!’’ Octavia raised her hoof up in the air, and they galloped down the street to the hotel. Concluding their trip to the Mane Fair Hotel, they couldn’t help but look up at the tall hotel in all of its astounding glory. Two pink flags with a golden horseshoe and an elegant curly insignia were positioned above two silver pony statues, where a bellhop was waiting outside at the entrance of the hotel and smiled. As they approached the bellhop with their luggage, the bellhop held out his hoof and said, ‘’Welcome to the Mane Fair Hotel, may I take your luggage?’’ he asked politely. ‘’Yes, you may.’’ Octavia handed her suitcase to the bellhop, trotting happily into the lobby of the hotel. ‘’Here you go, pretty boy!’’ Vinyl levitated her suitcase and dropped it near the bellhop, as he brought out a luggage cart. She followed Octavia into the hotel lobby while the bellhop brought their luggage in the lobby, walking over to the front desk. ‘’Excuse me, are there any available rooms?’’ The mare at the front desk checked all of the hotel room keys, she noticed the remaining keys left on the wall behind her. ‘’Actually, we do have a few rooms available.’’ Vinyl let out a yawn, desperately trying to cover her mouth. ‘’Octy, please tell me that we’re going to get our room with a fully-stocked fridge of hard cider.’’ Octavia rolled her eyes and ignored Vinyl’s comment. ‘’Anyway, we’ll take Room 102. Do we get a complimentary breakfast every morning?’’ ‘’Every hotel client who stays at this hotel, receives a complimentary breakfast. Here is the key to your room.’’ she removed the key from the wall and gave the key to Octavia. ‘’Enjoy your stay here!’’ ‘’Come on, Vinyl.’’ Octavia looked down at Vinyl sleeping on the floor, covering her ears to block out her snoring. ‘’Room 102, please.’’ ‘’Sure thing, ma’am.’’ the bellhop pressed the up button near the elevator, as the button lit up green while the elevator doors slid wide open. ‘’Right this way, ladies.’’ Octavia pulled up the DJ’s body on her shoulder, her arms swaying around on her back. The two of them as Octavia held Vinyl's body, walking into the elevator as the doors closed shut, taking them up to the first floor. Conveniently as it was, their room was right near the elevator so it wouldn’t be a problem for them to roam around the hotel. The elevator opened once again, they walked over to the room while the bellhop unloaded their suitcases from the luggage cart. ‘’Here we are, your room is right here. If you need any help at all, don’t hesitate to call me from your room or call room service for your needs that can make your stay here as comfortable as possible.’’ the bellhop held his hoof out, as Octavia left a fair amount of bits for him. ‘’Thank you so much, we appreciate you helping us today on our first day here in Manehattan and at this hotel.’’ Octavia smiled, she turned the doorknob and opened the door.‘’ ‘’You’re welcome, Octavia. Do you need any help in bringing your friend in there?’’ he asked, pointing his hoof down at her friend. ‘’No, I got this. Thanks again.’’ Octavia replied, as the bellhop went into the elevator and it took him downstairs to the lobby. ‘’Flank Daniels!’’ Octavia shouted, giggling to herself. ‘’Where?’’ Vinyl opened her eyes instantly, as the cellist dragged her into the room. ‘’You lied to me.’’ ‘’It was the only way to get you to wake up, besides you can’t have any hard cider when I’m around.’’ Octavia smirked, reminding Vinyl of the deal that they agreed to. Their luxurious room had hoof lotion, soap, shampoo, and conditioner with a wide hot tub in the center of the bathroom. As for their living room and bedroom, they had a spectacular view of the Manehattan streets below. A large, red heart with a pool of diamonds poured out of the heart that gave the room its romantic ambiance that many clients enjoy when staying at this prestigious hotel. Octavia’s mouth agape showed how shocked she was to see the hotel go all out, Vinyl was too busy daydreaming about Flank Daniels but a pool of drool flowed out of her mouth. ‘’This room is one sight to see, I love it. How about you, Vinyl?’’ Octavia looked beside her, but Vinyl made a beeline for the fridge to check for her cider goodness. She opened the fridge without hesitation, only to be disappointed at the lack of Flank Daniels that could give her hangovers for a week at least. ‘’Well, my first time here and I’m already sad.’’ Vinyl’s eyes filled with tears, propping her glasses to cover her eyes. Octavia walked over to Vinyl, nuzzling her close to there. ‘’There, there.’’ Vinyl sniffled, wiping her tears away. ‘’We should go to a club tomorrow.’’ Octavia’s eyes shot out of her head. ‘’Fine, only if we get to go to see some Bridleway performances, we should go see Hinny of the Hills.’’ Her face lit up, imagining the look on Vinyl’s face if she went to something like this. ‘’Fine, but only if I get to bring drinks with me.’’ ‘’But, you can’t smuggle drinks into a theater.’’ ‘’Oh, Octavia, you must not know me that well yet.’’ Vinyl hid her sinister grin, she laid on the floor of the kitchen. ‘’I’m watching you closely.’’ Octavia glared at Vinyl, pointing her the edge of her hoof at both of them.
Time with Coco CHAPTER THREE: TIME WITH COCO “Vinyl, aren’t you excited!?” Octavia smiled wide with a squee noise as she gazed at her best friend. Vinyl nodded. They were at apho restaurant, called Mi Pho, You Pho As a waiter came to their table and asked for their orders, Vinyl replied, ''The 'super-meat pho bowl, size large, and make it the spiciest you can!'' Octavia stared in horror. “MEAT!?” Her friend laughed. “It’s called tofu, it’s like a vegetarian meat.” The waiter smiled and Octavia sighed. She ordered a miso soup bowl and eggrolls. When they were finished, the both agreed pho was delicious. “Octie,” Vinyl said. “Yeah?” “If we’re going to Hinny of the Hills, we have to go see the new ‘Fasting Games’ movie.” Octavia rolled her eyes. The ‘Fasting Games’ was a super-popular movie based on a book trilogy. The second one, ‘Grabbing Water,’ had just been released, and since it was Vinyl’s new obsession, the two ponies of course had to see it. “Fine,” Octavia said. This was sure going to be an exciting day. “WOAH, THAT LANDED IN HIS HEAD!” Octavia shoved a hoof into her friend’s mouth as she blushed because of Vinyl’s shout. In the movie, one of the tributes had just killed another with an axe. To the brains. “Shh!” The two mares next to them, one who was sitting in a strange position with a blue coat, the other bearing a curled and large multi-colored mane, shushed them irritatedly. “Apologies,” Octavia whispered. Vinyl spat Octavia’s hoof out and ‘harumph!’ed. They continued the movie in silence, Vinyl slurping on a soda while Octie ate some non-buttered popcorn. The mares joined in the quiet and polite applause as they watched from the balcony in the Bridleway theatre. Octavia had bribed Vinyl to be quiet by buying her three entire packages of Buck Kats, Vinyl’s favorite chocolate brand. Despite Octavia’s desperate attempts, her mare friend wore a gold chain necklace that read in large, blocky letters, DJ PON-3 Octavia herself, however, wore her nicest bowtie, a light aqua colored one that had a small golden pin attached to it, which was an upside-down horseshoe, which symbolizes good fortune. Her mane had been curled and adorned with a matching bow to her bowtie. Her tail was done up in the same style. “Thank you, mares and gentlecolts, thank you,” the announcer said, “and now, please enjoy the one and only Hinny of the Hills!” The curtains opened, and a beautiful mare was revealed to be sitting atop an old-fashioned park bench, reading a large book. Another polite round of applause went ‘round, and the show began. As the mares were heading into the streets, Vinyl, slightly tipsy from the cocktails she had drank, ran into a mare, who was hauling at least four rolls of fabric on her back, and more in her two saddlebags. They all fell to the ground, resulting in angry stares from passersby. “Oops! -hic- Sorry!” The mare scowled at them, and turned away to pick up the rolls. “H-hic- Here,” Vinyl said, using her horn to levitate the rolls. She meant to place them back in their original positions, but instead caused them to fall atop the pony. “Gahh! This is ridiculous! When Rarity hears about this, you’ll be-” The angry mare was cut off by none other than Octavia. “Wait,” she said, an eyebrow cocked confusedly, “Rarity? The mare in Ponyville? I’ve heard of her…” “Heard of her? Please, every time she publishes a new fashion line, it’s in one of the best-selling magazines!” “W-hic- Well, you seem to be a fan, -hic-,” Vinyl said. “Fan? She’s the one who got me to accept the job of creating dresses for the next Bridleway show!” This seemed to impress Octavia greatly. “Who are you, again?” She asked, casually picking the many rolls of fabric and handing them to the mare. “Coco Pommel, and you?” “I’m-hic- Vinyl Scratch.” “Octavia, apologies for my friend, she’s a bit tipsy.” Coco mumbled something in reply as the last roll was tucked into her saddlebags. “Say, Coco,” Octavia said, “Would you care to enjoy some tea later?” “Perhaps. Fix your friend, and I suppose so.” And surprisingly, Vinyl didn’t protest to getting ‘fixed’. “So, what are you hobbies?” Octavia, Vinyl Scratch and Coco Pommel were sitting in a high-class cafe, enjoying fabulous tea made by a world-known chef. “Well, I um, enjoy fashion, and that’s really about it,” Coco replied. Octavia nodded and smiled as she took a sip from her china cup. “I myself enjoy playing a cello,” she replied. “Oh, that’s interesting,” Coco replied. She shifted her gaze to Vinyl, who was staring out the window. “What’s your special talent?” “Huh? Oh, um, i’m a pretty good DJ,” Vinyl replied. “And usually not so modest,” Octavia added. Coco giggled. “Say,” she said, “Do you think you could make it to the show? I’d really appreciate critique on my dresses.” “Well, I don’t know if we could really afford that,” Octavia said. “Oh, I could pay, if you’d like,” Coco said. ‘’That is quite alright, Coco. I think we could try to pay,’’ Octavia replied, waving a dismissive hoof at Coco. ‘’Octy, we should let Coco help us out. After all, helping others doesn’t hurt at all,’’ Vinyl added, nudging Octavia in the shoulder. ‘’But I insist, it’s the least I could do. Rarity taught me about generosity, and how giving things to the unfortunate benefits everypony.’’ Coco insisted, holding out a burlap sack of bits. The pair stared at each other then back at Coco, with their mouths hung agape. Octavia grabbed the burlap sack and held it in her hoof, while Vinyl patted her on the back. Still in shock over the offer, Octavia gave Coco a reassuring smile. ‘’Thank you so much for the offer, Coco. I don’t know how we can repay you,’’ the cello expert took another sip of her tea, placing the burlap sack in her saddlebag. ‘’Your thanks is what counts which is more valuable than bits to me, so I’ll be seeing you two at the next show?’’ Coco asked, she took a bite of her maple-flavored scone and drank her tea. ‘’We’ll be there!’’ Vinyl chugged the rest of her tea down, the tea slid down her throat. The hot liquid caused Vinyl’s face to turn bright red, she fanned her tongue with her hoof. ‘’Hot, hot, hot!’’ ‘’Vinyl, I keep telling you to let your tea cool to drink it. Anyway, yes Coco, we will be there at the next show. See you then!’’ Octavia carried Vinyl in her forelegs out of the cafe, as Coco waved her hoof at them. ‘’Looks like we’ll be seeing Coco again, aren’t you excited?’’ ‘’Yeah you could say that, Vinyl. Why do you ask?’’ Octavia inquired, walking down the street holding Vinyl in her forelegs. ‘’We could have an after party after the show, a bar sounds like a perfect location.’’ ‘’What am I going to do with you, Vinyl?’’ Octavia shook her head back and forth, walking up the stairs to their hotel room and carrying Vinyl at the same time.
Time Well Spent CHAPTER FOUR: TIME WELL SPENT Vinyl’s obnoxious snore echoed throughout their hotel room, which gave Octavia a very rude awakening. This was a common occurrence that happened every time that they stayed in a hotel room, or staying in their apartment back home; Vinyl snores loudly, Octavia wakes up, disheveled. Octavia groaned, one eyelid opening slightly. “Vinyl,” she complained, her voice muffled by a snow-colored pillow. The DJ answered simply with another snore. Octavia growled, irritated by her roommate’s ability of heavy sleep. “Vinyl, get up,” Octavia snapped, her voice sharp and disturbed. She prodded the sprawled unicorn’s side pointedly. “You always do this! Every. Single. Morning!” She jabbed an agitated hoof into Vinyl’s side as she said the last sentence. Vinyl replied again with her hoof swatting Octavia away, ‘’Just five more minutes!’’ Octavia raised her voice at Vinyl and flashed, ‘’You think that I enjoy dealing with this every morning? I so do not enjoy doing this!’’ Vinyl, still bound and trapped in the thick, black blanket of sleep, mumbled dissonantly, “But Tavi, I don’t wanna piece of cello cake….” “That. Is. IT!” With all the strength Octavia could muster, she shoved Vinyl off of the bed and onto the scraggly, gray carpet. ‘’What was that for?’’ Vinyl rubbed her forehead on the way down. She glared daggers at the professional cellist. They looked into each others’ eyes. Octavia wore an arrogant expression as she turn pointedly away from Vinyl, rolling gracefully off of the bed and landing delicately on her four hooves. “Well, it serves you right for being a snorer. Can’t you fix that problem? It’s really annoying, you know.” Octavia walked into the kitchen, where she saw a gargantuan pile of dirty dishes left unclean. Of course, she knew immediately who did this. ‘’Vinyl, what have I told you about cleaning the dishes and not leaving them out?’’ The white unicorn entered the room, her eyes still partly glued together from sleep. She picked up her glasses that she had left on the kitchen island the night before and shoved them adroitly onto her muzzle. She turned to Octavia, a groggy smirk plastered on her face. “I dunno, babe, but you look terrible right now.” ‘’What do you mean by that?’’ Octavia asked, running to the bathroom mirror for a better look. Vinyl chuckled, entertained by Octavia’s reaction, and responded, “I mean, you need to brush your hair.” She hadn’t left the kitchen. Octavia rummaged through the bathroom for her brush, hitting herself on the forehead, distraught. ‘’I can’t find my brush, Vinyl. Where did you put my brush?’’ Vinyl’s head appeared in the mirror as she stepped into the sleek, marble bathroom. A suspicious smirk was plastered on her face, causing Octavia to narrow her eyes skeptically as she watched her roommate walk past her. “I didn’t do anything with your brush,” Vinyl replied, feigning innocence. Octavia stuck out her lower lip. ‘’Are you so sure about that?’’ Octavia raised her eyebrow at her musical equal, wondering about the whereabouts of her brush. “Mh-hm,” Vinyl nodded as she scanned her reflection, adjusting her glasses. She licked her lips and slyly turned to Octavia, one of her eyebrows raised in a suggesting gesture. “Although, you might want to check your cello case.” ‘’But, I didn’t bring my cello because you said that we should go on vacation without worrying about our musical careers, remember?’’ Octavia shook her head in disappointment, demonstrating the shape of her cello with sign language. “Exactly.” “VINYLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!” Octavia screeched in rage when the meaning of Vinyl’s words processed through her puzzled mind. Vinyl had hidden her brush in the cello case...back home! Vinyl had obviously known that she would need it! Why, the nerve…. Vinyl rolled her eyes as she watched Octavia fume; it always amused her to see Octavia’s reactions. ‘’For a pony who is as fancy as a stallion in a suit, you really know how to express your anger.’’ With that, a light blue aura surrounded the mirror and caused it to swing forward, identical to the movement of a door; it revealed a hidden compartment, hosting cobwebs, identifiable spiders, and...Octavia’s brush. Octavia’s muscles loosened as she sighed in relief to see her brush. Extending her neck to grab it, she cast a quick, infuriated glance at Vinyl, who was casually leaning against the wall. “Very funny,” Octavia mumbled, embarrassed at her overreaction. After all, it was just a brush. Vinyl chuckled and adjusted her glasses again. “You’re right. It was very funny.” Octavia rolled her eyes. ‘’We should be getting ready to go to the Bridleway Theatre. Coco would be upset if we stood her up, and dressing in formal clothing should do the trick.’’ Octavia adjusted her pink bowtie and collar, giving Vinyl the stinkeye. ‘’Why are you looking at me like that?’’ Vinyl placed her glasses on her muzzle and looked at Octavia, confuzzled, ‘’You’re not trying to make me dress all fancy, are you?’’ Octavia flashed her a quick, slim grimace, finishing the final touches on her appearance for the evening, and replied, feigning innocence, “Oh, no, no, no.” It was a lie. ‘’Good. We wouldn’t want a DJ walking around like an emotionless doll, or a stuck up Canterlot stooge.’’ Octavia whipped her head around, strongly offended. “And just what do you mean by that?” she grasped her brush in her hoof and began brushing it (for the millionth time), her strokes bitter and harsh; they caused tears in her eyes. ‘’Look, I’m sorry that I said that, Tavi. You know that I don’t mean it like that. You’re one of the most talented musicians out there. Not many ponies can say that they’ve played and toured with the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra.’’ Vinyl walked to Octavia’s side and wiped her dried tears away. She wrapped her arms around her, thinking deeply about what she said and how she should’ve realized how Octavia would react. Octavia and Vinyl walked out of the hotel room together and entered the hallway. They took the stairs down to the lobby of the hotel, seeing as the elevator was still requiring maintenance. They each nodded quickly to the bellhop, Octavia smiling gratefully, and they exited the building, out into the frigid night. ‘’I told you that we should’ve brought our coats,’’ Vinyl said, putting her hooves under her armpits. Her whole body shivered, the cold wind blowing in her face and wrapping around her; a blanket in a parallel universe. “Don’t worry, we’ll be there soon,” Octavia replied flatly, ignoring Vinyl’s accusation. Her teeth chattered as she started to trot down the sidewalk on her right side. Vinyl expeditiously followed, falling into step with her roommate. Most ponies were indoors due to the chilling weather; either in their furnished apartments, heated shops, or inside bus stops and supermarkets, waiting for their mode of transportation to arrive. Despite the radiant moon and the stunning stars, jeweling the midnight-blue sky, nopony seemed to want to come outdoors. They walked down the street towards the Bridleway Theatre, until a group of stallions, similar to lurking shadows, emerged from the shadows in an alleyway and grouped silently behind them. One of the stallions said, ‘’Hey, you two!’’ Vinyl’s heart began to race inadvertently and her pupils began to dilate as she turned around to the stallion’s call. There could only be one other reason that the three ponies she stood in front of were not in someplace heated, other than her own. Determined to protect Octavia from the horrifying sceptacle that she knew would occur, Vinyl sugar-coated her voice with arrogancy and courage. ‘’What do you guys want?’’ She tried her best to sound uninterested. Maybe then they’d leave Octavia alone. The stallion who had shouted drew a black poker card from his midnight-colored, tattered saddlebag, full of moth-eaten patches and unpleasant holes. This stallion had an enormous build; he loomed above the two mares, one of which was about to faint, and the other fighting to not cry. He an eyepatch on his right eye, and a lengthy, ragged cream-colored mane. Vinyl recognized him with a pang. His name was Eyepatch. He was accompanied by a mare and another stallion, both equally menacing. The other stallion, on his left, seemed to be almost identical to Eyepatch, minus the eyepatch and the fact that his mane was shadow-black instead of cream-colored. The mare on Eyepatch’s right seemed unfazed by what was occuring, her eyelids drooped halfway. She was an unnaturally skinny female, with an extremely short dark gray mane, and a faint turquoise coat. ‘’We’ve heard about your musical success and expertise, but that, my friends, is not why we’re here. Your friend,” Eyepatch gestured to Vinyl, a cold sneer spreading across his mouth, “right there sells drugs to my gang. Illegal drugs. After every gig that she has, Vinyl conceals herself and hides away all of the guilt. Octavia cocked her head to the side at Vinyl, her eyes burning with molten lava; the molten lava of fury. She glared straight into the DJ’s glasses, somehow breaking past the barrier and staring intensely into her roommate’s eyes. ‘’Vinyl, why have you kept this secret from me after all these years?’’ Her voice was a desperate, cracked whisper. ‘’You must be really disappointed in me, aren’t you?’’ Vinyl lowered her head down, her voice filled with despair and regret. She traced the gravel of the sidewalk as she felt the lava stored in Octavia’s eyes scorch the back of her neck. ‘’Not only did you keep this as a secret from me, but you also sold drugs illegally to a gang called…er...what is the name of your gang, exactly?’’ Octavia craned her head back. She glared at Vinyl and looked at the gang. ‘’We’re called the Aces and Eights. I’m Eyepatch, this mare right here is Sinister Melody, and the stallion to my left is Black Night,'' Eyepatch stated, rotating his attention back to Vinyl and Octavia.'' ‘’Look... I know that what I did to you guys was reprehensible, but that doesn’t give you the right to get back at me,’’ Vinyl retorted, rolling her eyes at the threatening stallion. On the outside, she may appear a roaring lion, but on the inside, she felt as vulnerable as a butterfly. ‘’All I have to say is, thank you.’’ Eyepatch grinned at the two musicians in front of him, w a perfect plan forming in his deceiving to get back at Vinyl for the unforgivable deed. ‘’Thank us? For what?’’ Vinyl rubbed her chin with her hoof, looking back at Octavia and back at the gang. Her stomach fluttered; Vinyl wondered, with a mental, nervous laugh, if there really was a butterfly in her stomach. ‘’For this!” Eyepatch threw out his hoof, punching Vinyl square in the muzzle. Vinyl flew back, landing with a dangerous CRUNCH, that suggested broken bones. Her entire body aching from the impact, Vinyl lay on the sidewalk. Sinister Melody and Black Night laughed maniacally as they grabbed Octavia’s forelegs to force her into the brick wall of the alley. “No!” Vinyl cried out weakly, attempting to rise to her forehooves...but it was impossible. Octavia struggled to break free from their grip, but that was out of the question when Eyepatch reeled his hoof back and punched her in the stomach. Vinyl gasped, choking as wheeze caught in her throat. “Octavia!” Eyepatch slapped Octavia across the jaw, the impact from the slap sent her to the ground. “OCTAVIA!” Eyepatch made a disgusting retching noise. Then he spat on Octavia’s face. ‘’Both of you are just the dirt under my hooves, meaningless to me. But if you ever cross us again, the next thing you’ll be seeing is a hospital bed.’’ Eyepatch walked over to the DJ and dug his hoof into her stomach, grinning, enjoying her reaction. He kicked her forward as she spat thick, crimson blood from her mouth. The Aces and Eights members left the scene, as quiet as shadows, as the crowd applauded Coco’s performance before she exited the theatre. The night was quiet. Coco galloped down the street where she saw two bodies laid out on the sidewalk. She surveyed the scene before her, horror filling her heart. She recognized their faces and dropped down on her knees next to them, she yelled out into the silence of the night, her voice cracking with tears. ‘’Help! Somepony help them!’’ They saw their lives flash before their eyes. An empty, white image came into their minds. Coco Pommel sat there, tears filling her eyes; a void devoured her soul as they fell, as heavy as raindrops. They’re going to die, she thought, the void swallowing her whole. They’re going to die. So absorbed in her own mind, she didn’t even realize what was happening when she was being hauled into an ambulance, the DJ and the cellist thrown in after her, placed on white stretchers. She didn’t even realize what was happening when they got to the hospital. All she could remember was crying. All she could remember was the endless, swirling void. Her only company. The one light in her life was now no more. Coco left a bottle of Flank Daniels and a bouquet of flowers near their hospital beds. ‘’You’ll always be in my heart.’’ The fashion designer left the hospital room, tears streaming down her face.
Careers Intertwine Careers Intertwine We Need A Vacation PROLOGUE: CAREERS INTERTWINE Professional musicians take their time to compose their music and they make sure to go out with a bang. Canterlot and Manehattan are no exception to the glitz and glamor that come with fame, but it's not that all cracked up to be because fame comes with a price that makes you regret your decision and wish to take it all back. We all need a break every now and again. Once honing in our skills that we have crafted over the years, reflecting on how we climbed to the top comes to mind. In the early hours of the morning, Vinyl Scratch turned her attention to the sound of an alarm clock as she let out a loud groan. Octavia was busy on her last tour with the Canterlot Orchestra, before they would go on another tour next month to travel all over Equestria. As for Vinyl, she has to perform a gig tonight at a club that was just begging for someone to bring some excitement to the table, and she's the unicorn to do it. Vinyl's horn wrapped the alarm clock in her magical aura, clicking the button to silence the annoying device. She climbed out of bed to stretch her forelegs and made a cracking sound in the process, feeling a sense of relief to get out of bed. The DJ made her way into the bathroom, lowering her glasses down to her muzzle for a better view of the mirror. ''Octy would complain about my mane at this point if she was here,'' she addressed and levitated a brush to her mane, brushing her mane back to its original, straight state. ''Much better.'' Upon leaving the bathroom, she trotted into the kitchen for the intent of rummaging through the refrigerator for a quick breakfast. However, Vinyl scanned the letter on the exterior of the freezer, where the letter reads: Dear Vinyl, I know that you are aware of my last tour with the orchestra and that we're scheduled to have another tour next month. Hopefully you didn't set the house on fire while I was gone, hope to see you when I return. P.S. I left coffee and a croissant on the table for breakfast, do not drink any alcohol with it. Love, Octavia Philharmonica ''Typical Octavia, always keeping an eye on my intake of alcoholic substances.'' Vinyl scrunched her snout, giggling. Octavia's family thought that she would be a negative influence on her from the way she acts and staying out late at night to perform at night clubs, but she never gave up to leave an everlasting first impression. Vinyl opened the refrigerator door, taking a mug of hard cider out of the refrigerator. ''Usually I would take her advice, but sometimes loosening up never hurts.'' she said, taking each swig of the cider after swallowing every drop. After ignoring Octavia's warning on the letter, Vinyl walked out of the room and into the hallway of the apartment, closing the door behind her. Admiration and fame didn't equal money when it comes down to their living conditions, having lived in an one bedroom apartment with other occupants in their own rooms of the apartment. Octavia wanted to keep herself out of sight to avoid the paparazzi that follow her around like a pack of ravenous timberwolves. Vinyl on the other hoof didn't mind them if they don't interrupt her slumber or her drunken antics. She pulled her black glasses with the purple neon-colored lenses up to her face. Many ponies walked along the sidewalk to go their destinations for the morning commute: taking the train, doing the good old fashioned way of walking, or finding others on getting to work and school on time. Vinyl stumbled around on her hooves, still feeling the effects of the alcohol getting to her along with a splitting headache. With her head throbbing, she walked through the crowd of ponies and found a bar. The Fancy Canteen was a common hangout for Vinyl, where she would hang out after her gigs and many bartenders that work there know her as a regular who loves to have a good time. The raving DJ bursts through the double doors of the bar, bobbing her head up and down before she popped a squat on a bar stool in front of the bartender's area. More ponies filled the bar sitting down on leather sofas and bar stools, in need to quench their thirst for liquid courage that most ponies would never let their lips touch. ''The usual, Gary.'' Vinyl told him, banging her hoof on the black bar. ''You got it, Vinyl!'' Gary exclaimed, filling the tall glass with a red liquid. He slid the glass across the black bar over to Vinyl, catching the glass with her hoof. Vinyl chugged the liquid down in mere seconds, swinging her head back and forth at Gary. Suds came out of her mouth as she was interrupted by a hiccup, falling off her stool to land on the floor at the time that her head made full contact with the floor. ''I... I guess I can't handle my alcoholic consumption today.'' Gary stopped serving ponies for a moment to pick Vinyl off of the floor, going by the fallen unicorn's side. ''Oh my goodness, are you alright Vinyl?'' the bartender grabbed Vinyl by her hoof and lifted her slowly off the floor, helping the DJ keep up her balance. ''I'm alright, Gary.'' Vinyl confirmed before a hiccup slipped out once again, feeling more woozy than before. She carefully grabbed the black bar near the bar stools, keeping her balance up. ''Good, making sure. Are you sure that you can't perform tonight?'' Gary inquired, still concerned about Vinyl's well-being for her performance scheduled for tonight. Vinyl nodded her head slowly, making her way out of the bar before tripping on the sidewalk. Her hooves were sprawled out on the pavement, looking around at the ponies stopping in their tracks to help her up. ''Thanks everypony, I'm going to walk home now.'' She reached the apartment slowly, walking up the stairs outside of the front door. Stumbling through the rotating doors, Vinyl walked to the elevator where a note was plastered on the up and down buttons of the elevator: Dear Residents of the Regal Apartment, The elevators are currently being fixed after a blackout earlier today, they will be fully operational tomorrow. Use the stairs as an alternative route to the room in your apartment. Sincerely, Landlord Leech Just perfect, Vinyl sarcastically thought in her head, stumbling again up to the stairs of her apartment. Directly after her karma came to bite her on the flank, she slid her and Octavia's apartment door open and closed it slowly. To her surprise, Octavia returned from the final tour with the orchestra. ''Octy, what are you doing back?'' ''The orchestra and I wrapped up the tour for this month tonight, what happened to you?'' Octavia placed her hoof on her cello case and locked the case. ''I got wasted twice today and my gig was canceled tonight.'' Vinyl walked to their bedroom and fell face first on the bed's soft covers. ''What kind of circumstance could have possibly caused your gig to get canceled?'' Octavia asked curiously, sitting down near her roommate. Vinyl's words came out muffled from the covers, ''I was too intoxicated to even perform, that was my fault since I got drunk at breakfast and at the bar where my gig was supposedly to be at.'' Octavia facehoofed at her roommate committing another intoxicated act. ''You're lucky that I love you, Vinyl.'' Her cheeks turned red with a small, red blush emanating on her face. ''We need a vacation, to at least unwind for us to escape the paparazzi and the pressures of fame.'' Vinyl flipped herself over on her back and pulled Octavia's face closer to hers, ''I'll even give up my drinking problem.'' Octavia knew that this was a one time thing. The last time that Vinyl swore to stop her drinking problem, she jumped on the stage of a rock concert and kicked the lead singer off the stage then the security guards had to carry her away. Maybe this time she meant every word. ''Alright, we can both agree on a place to go on vacation.'' Octavia declared. ''I can agree with that, we should go to Manehattan.'' Vinyl suggested, grabbing a brown paper bag. ''Alright, but try not to get too drunk.'' Octavia joked around with her roommate, she grabbed the covers and slipped under the covers of the bed. ''I'll try not---'' Vinyl's speech was cut off when she barfed the contents of her last drunken episode into the paper bag, hurling the bag to the side. ''I'll take that as a yes,'' Octavia scrunched up her snout at the foul stench of the barf, ''I'm not cleaning that up.'' the cellist turned over to her side and went to sleep, along with her roommate. The moon's glow painted the night sky as the stars twinkled in its direction, blowing the cold wind in the air waking most ponies in their homes, except two musicians who were sleeping soundly in its presence.
Strange Circumstances CHAPTER TWO: STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES Octavia’s ears perked up at the sound of Vinyl’s body rolling off the bed with a loud thud. She turned off her alarm to get this morning started already. ‘’I shouldn’t be surprised that you are worn out, are you ready to go outside for a day in the city?’’ She asked. Walking over to the window to open the blinds, Vinyl Scratch removed her glasses and made sure to shield her eyes from the glaring sun. The brightness of it peeped through the blinds, and the white mare kept her eyes covered with her foreleg until the bright glare started to die down. ‘’I would, but I prefer to stay in the room or at least go to the pool,’’ Vinyl retorted, thinking of another excuse to stay in the hotel. ‘’You can’t just stay in here all day while I go out, besides, we’re going to a club tonight and then tomorrow night we can go to Hinny of the Hills,’’ Octavia had a huge smirk plastered on her face, adjusting her pink bowtie and white collar. ‘’Tavi, you do know that I only go out to clubs and other places that attract ponies like me, the partying, laidback ponies who rebel against authority,’’ Vinyl explained, proving her point firmly. ‘’I understand that, but you should really interact with more ponies other than those ponies you befriend that are always drunk at the bar.’’ Octavia lectured, looking into the cupboards of the kitchen for some coffee mix. ‘’Whatever you say, babe. I do enough interacting with you and other ponies, it took me years to get used to you. Honestly, was it worth it?’’ Vinyl asked with a cackle, walking over to the couch in the living room and kicked her hooves up on the coffee table. Vinyl wrapped her hoof around the lid of a soda can, turning on the metal center and releasing her hoof when a small click opened the lid. ‘’So don’t you worry your pretty little head, once we go out tonight to the nightclub. I’m sure that you’ll have fun.’’ The gray mare grabbed a bag of coffee mix from the cupboards, scooping a fair amount of its contents into the pot. She poured water into it and flicked the ‘ON’ button up. Soon the room was filled with the delicious smell of coffee, and the low rumbling noise it made. “Here, Vinyl,” Octavia said, handing her best friend a cup of coffee. Vinyl Scratch nodded her thanks and began drinking thirstily. Octavia herself took a cup, and together they enjoyed the peacefulness of the morning. Soon afterwards, the ponies got ready for an exciting day. Octavia added a few shiny bracelets to her attire while Vinyl polished her shades. “So, where first? Immortal 21? Goochee?” Vinyl thought for a minute. Shrugging, she replied, “Surprise me.” It had been a long day, shopping at expensive stores and eating at fancy restaurants. Now, the sun had set and the pair were heading back to the hotel, their bodies overloaded with bags of things they had bought. Vinyl had gotten a new iHoof Nano, and was bobbing her head up and down as she listened to her favorite Wubstep artist, ‘Grill X’. Together, the mares arrived in their room and unloaded. “Hey, Octy, you ready for a wild night?” “I guess, Vinyl.” The ponies dressed up, Vinyl brandishing a new shirt that read ‘The Wubs’, one of her favorite bands. Octavia simply changed her usually bland bowtie, now wearing a sparkly red one. She looked herself up and down in the mirror. Finally satisfied with her appearance, she turned to Vinyl. “Do you think I could make some bits if I had brought my cello from our apartment back at home?” Vinyl thought about this. “Hm,” she replied, “Maybe, but it’d probably get broken.” The mares smiled at each other, and headed down the hall to the elevator. Starting now, they were going to have a wild night. “WOOH, TURN IT UP, DJ!” Vinyl Scratch yelled at the top of her drunken lungs, causing Octavia to blush furiously at the bar. In response, the DJ did turn up the music, earning a scream of joy from Vinyl and a groan from Octavia. During her wild dancing, Vinyl bumped into another mare, who had been standing quietly, levitating a drink with her horn. The drink splashed all over the pony’s fancy dress, and she stared at Vinyl in horror. The drunk white mare, however, only smiled and hiccupped. “Sorry, hehe, didn’t- hic- see you there, hic!” Vinyl resumed her dancing and screaming, blending in with the rest of the club’s crowd. Octavia, horrified at what she had just seen, trotted over to the mare. She handed the other pony a hooful of napkins and apologized. “I’m terribly sorry, my friend’s a bit drunk right now,” she said, awkwardly smiling.The mare cocked an eyebrow and huffed, “A bit? Yeah, okay.” This harsh response caused Octavia to blush and glare at her friend, who was gathering quite a few stares when she attempted a hoof-stand. “I’m Octavia, by the way,” Octavia said, offering a hoof. The mare shook it. “Garnet Carnation.” After that, Octavia enjoyed herself a few cocktails and got slightly tipsy, saying things to stallions she would never had said if she’d been sober. Vinyl Scratch was as energetic as ever, laughing and drinking and dancing. One, in her dance, she’d bucked a stallion right in the face. Everypony could see that she’d clearly knocked one or two of his teeth out. “Okay, Vinyl, you need to go home,” Octavia said, hiccuping once. She dragged her friend out of the club, the stallion giving her an ugly stare. “Oh, you’re a mess,” Octavia’s nose scrunched up as she smelled countless types of booze on her friend’s breath. “I sure had- hic- fun,” Vinyl replied. With that, the two drunkenly made their way back to the hotel, Vinyl singing loudly in the dead of the night. Vinyl and Octavia wobbled on their hooves when they reached their hotel room door, they stumbled into it and forcibly slammed the door. Upon their entry into the living room, Octavia poked Vinyl and said, ‘’I had a fun time with you tonight, Vinyl. I’m going to go take a hot bath, I have the stench of perspiration and booze on me.’’ Octavia walked out of the room and into the bathroom, and closed the door behind her. Turning the faucet on the bathtub, water came streaming out of the shower head. The water washed all around her gray coat, as the liquid removed all of the sweat and booze on her body. Octavia sprayed the water on her mane, washing her mane with the soap and water to make sure that she would look nice for the next day. She turned off the shower head, wrapped the towel around her, and walked back into the room only to see Vinyl turning the volume up on the television. The hotel room was shaking vigorously, it felt like an earthquake hit them head on. Octavia covered her ears and dropped down on the floor, she glared at the distracted musician and her complaint was blocked out by the music, ‘’Vinyl, turn the music down!’’ Vinyl hopped around with the neon headphones, unaware of Octavia calling her. ‘’What?’’ She snorted and smacked her on the forehead, ‘’Turn it down!’’ Vinyl reached her foreleg over to the remote, lazily laying on the couch, and turned the volume down. ‘’Sorry about that Octy, I’m still drunk from that fun time we had at the nightclub.’’ ‘’That’s all fine and dandy, but I need to go to sleep. All I can say is, we’re going to see Hinny of the Hills tomorrow night to repay you for that fun night.’’ ‘’Okay then, good night.’’ Vinyl turned up the volume again, once Octavia laid in the bed. ‘’Nights like these make me want to play with my orchestra, but it could be worse.’’ Octavia closed her eyes, until she felt her body bumping up and down on the floor. ‘’Time to turn up the volume!’’ Vinyl danced along with the music, rocking her head back and forth. ‘’It just got worse.’’ Octavia sighed, as she laid on the floor near the bed. Octavia reminded herself to limit Vinyl’s ability to drink a lot of booze. “Yes, this is the best vacation ever! Booze every night, spending bits and having fun? Yeah, that’s paradise,” Vinyl Scratch said. Her and Octavia were sitting in a nice cafe, enjoying high-quality coffee. Octavia nodded, and poured some cream into her coffee. Vinyl dumped at least four packets of sugar into her own cup, and slurped from it greedily. “Hey, we should get some pho,” Vinyl said, “I heard it’s really good hangover food.” Octavia scratched her chin. “Hmm, okay. Is it good?” Vinyl shrugged. They finished their drinks in silence, wondering how good pho was. They’d soon find out.
