Spiteful Sonnet

Chapter 5: Spiteful Sonnet
Melody slowly swam back into consciousness. Her head hurt a little bit, but nothing she couldn’t handle. She was aware of a soft feeling beneath her that felt ever so perfect, the sheets under her hooves. She hadn’t opened her eyes yet. She didn’t know what the sweet smelling thing beneath her was, but she was still a little sleepy... She snuggled into Vinyl’s chest, waking her up. Vinyl looked down at Melody and smiled lovingly. She was still not wearing her shades, but she didn’t care anymore. She ran a gentle hoof down Melody’s back and the sleeping mare shivered. “mmmm.... Vinyl....” Vinyl started slightly when she heard her name uttered from the sleeping form cuddling into her chest, her eyes sparkling. Both of them fell asleep once more. Both dreaming tantalisingly of the other. ~*~ “Mmm...” Melody woke up, this time her head not hurting and feeling refreshed as ever. She opened her eyes, yawning slowly. And freaked out. “Vinyl? Oh, by Celestia, what have I done?” She tried to escape the embrace of the ivory unicorn holding her in place, but it just wasn’t happening. She struggled, her wings flapping frantically and still talking to herself. “Melody you fool, what were you thinking? By Celestia, I hope you didn’t do anything stupid and this is just as innocent as it seems.... Oh you stupid, stupid filly!” Vinyl woke up suddenly and looked at the desperate Melody, letting go of her. Melody, not expecting the sudden lack of resistance, fell off the bed in her panic. She pressed herself into the corner of the room in fear. Vinyl stretched luxuriously and looked at the nervous mare. It struck Melody that she wasn’t wearing her shades and her eyes were glittering ruby red. All she wanted to do at that moment was sink into the floor, never to be seen again. “What’s up Mel? Did I do something?” Melody shook her head, fear practically dripping off her. Viny looked at her in confusion, getting out of the bed on Melody’s side in the process. “Then... What are you doing?” Melody whimpered as Vinyl got closer. She couldn’t help but notice those eyes... they were stunning. But her fear was overriding her thought processes and she tried to take another step back, realized she couldn’t and whimpered again. The two were inches apart now, Vinyl grinning her signature grin and Melody’s face contorted in fear. “Chill out Mel... Everything’s ok...” It was whispered affectionately into her ear, and that scared Melody even more. “Vinyl.... what happened last night? I remember dinner... walking home... but nothing after that...” Vinyl put a hoof over Melody’s lips to quieten her, noting the electric effect it had on her. “You confessed Mel. How you feel... It’s pretty clear now.” “H... How-?” Vinyl closed the distance between the two in an instant and Melody’s eyes went wide as Vinyl Scratch kissed her passionately. Her eyes filled with tears and she roughly pushed Vinyl back. Vinyl looked incredulously at the terrified Pegasus. “What are you doing Mel? I thought...?” Melody nodded quickly then looked at Vinyl desperately. “I... I can’t... I....” She yelped softly and fled, rushing past Vinyl with a streak of tears and grabbing her violin case before she left, sobs still wracking her petite frame. Vinyl stared after her, completely confused. “I... I guess she was more drunk than I thought....” ~*~ Melody lifted off as soon as she got out the front door, desperately flying away, her eyes leaking tears. Her thoughts were still on Vinyl Scratch, so she didn’t see the darkening sky. There was a crack of thunder, jolting Melody out of her tear stained reverie. The storm had started. Rain poured forth from the heavens, soaking the Pegasus in a matter of seconds, forcing her to the ground, protecting her violin fiercely. She felt utterly miserable as she found shelter underneath another porch, memories coming back to her. She saw herself pulled into Vinyl’s flat for the first and last time, the look of gratitude and surprise she’d gotten when she’d cleaned the place, the look of wonder she received every time she played her violin.... A door opened suddenly, frightening her further. A light brown unicorn stood in the doorway, his tan mane falling over his eyes. He smiled gently at her. “Come on then Melody. I’m not leaving you out here.” Melody looked at him in shock. The unicorn facehoofed. “Ugh, good one Tal. She’s new remember?” He looked at Melody again and smiled. “My name is Talisman. I’m the resident psychiatrist and mind reader. Now, please come in before more introductions are made, I know you’re cold.” He walked back inside, leaving the door open invitingly. Melody looked longingly at the warm interior of the library. She sighed heavily, picked up her violin and walked inside. The door shut behind her, wreathed in a purple light. Twilight Sparkle sat at a desk, staring pensively at a page in a large, leather bound tome. A steaming mug was brought to Melody by a small purple dragon with green spines. “There you go! Looks like you need it!” Melody accepted the hot chocolate gratefully, shivering from the cold. Talisman’s horn glowed and all the moisture from Melody’s pale red coat, feathers and her two toned mane lifted and dissipated. She smiled gratefully at the stallion, noting the purple glow moving his hair out of his eyes. “Tal, you really should get that cut.” Talisman smirked. “You know what happens when I do that Twi.” “It grows back the next day, I know.” Melody watched the exchange in interest. Her face morphed into a sad smile. Twilight looked up at her and smiled, her face screaming tired. “Morning. I’m Twilight Sparkle. You are?” Melody smiled. “Melody.” “Nice to meet you Melody. The dragon is Spike.” Spike nodded to the Pegasus from the ladder he was currently climbing. There was a muffled hello from him and Melody peered at him, sipping her drink. “Baby dragon?” Twilight, having looked back to her tome, smiled gracefully. “Yes. He’s like a little brother to me.” The reference to family made Melody smile and laugh softly. ~*~ Vinyl was worried. It had been almost an hour and the storm was fading but Melody hadn’t returned. She was once again wearing a pair of shades and underneath them her eyes were stricken with fear. The storm had been pretty bad, and no matter what Vinyl did, she couldn’t focus on anything except Melody. Her reaction to where she’d woken up that morning and the reaction to Vinyl’s affections. It was Octavia all over again, and Vinyl couldn’t bear it. She’d cried for a while. She’d tried to forget her and delve into music. But there was something about the Pegasus Vinyl simply couldn’t shake from her mind. Now, she was sitting helplessly on the couch, staring out a window with the slow, melodious music that Melody had replaced her records with before the previous night had happened. She still had tears threatening to spill from her eyes underneath the deep purple shades and she felt pathetic. “What were you thinking Vinyl? She was scared... Obviously she was scared. Why were you so aggressive? You’re a fool Scratch.” A single tear spilled out from under the lens of her sunglasses and she wiped it away angrily. “I... I knew it was too good to be true. I told her I didn’t deserve her...” There was a light knock at her door and Vinyl looked up, hope flaring in her chest. She rushed over to the door, turning off the music as she went. She flung the door open. “Mel?” She felt a dead weight plummet into her heart, plunging down to her stomach. In the doorway stood Octavia, her face more than slightly shocked. “Vinyl Scratch. You really should be careful when you fling the door open like that.” Vinyl automatically flung up a daredevil grin. “Hey Tavi... What are you doing here?” Octavia shrugged nonchalantly. “I decided I wanted to see my friend again. Is there something wrong with that?” Vinyl wanted to scream in her face, tell her there was something wrong, that Octavia was the reason she had never had a partner to live with and love. But she didn’t. Instead she kept grinning. “Nah Tavi, no problem. Come on in?” Octavia walked imperiously into the flat and her eyes went wide. “Vinyl. Your house is clean! What in Celestia’s name happened?” Vinyl shrugged. “It got cleaned.” Octavia shot her a withering look as she closed the door behind her. “I can see that. But who cleaned it? It wasn’t you; you aren’t capable of keeping a house clean for ten seconds, even if it was to save your life!” Vinyl flinched at the insult. “Somepony else.” Octavia raised a curious eyebrow. “Oh? Finally found a stallion then?” Vinyl shook her head vehemently. “Nah, I’m a lone wolf Tavi you know that.” “How much did you pay then?” Vinyl flinched again, the tone of her voice cutting through her facade. “I didn’t pay anything.” “Accepting charity now?” “Hay no.” “Then how did you repay them?” Vinyl sighed, defeated. “I got them a full overhaul at Carousel Boutique.” “But the first is always free.” “Yes well, I didn’t know this at the time.” “Irrelevant. By not paying them back you-” There was another knock at the door a Vinyl raised her eyebrow at Octavia. Her voice had a venomous undertone to it. “Expecting company Tavi?” “No. I’d say it’s for you.” Vinyl rolled her eyes, irritated. Turning around, she opened the door and her eyes went wide, Octavia instantly forgotten. Melody stood in the doorway, her head lowered. “I... um...” Octavia peered over Vinyl’s shoulder. “Vinyl. Who is this?” Vinyl Scratch walked outside and slammed the door in Octavia’s face. “Mel... you came back!” Melody smiled slightly. “Of course I did V...” She looked up, still smiling. “I love you...” Vinyl smiled at Melody and caressed her cheek lovingly. “I’d certainly hope so. I’d hate for last night to be a onetime thing.” Melody blushed, her face turning a deeper red than the rest of her body. The door opened and Octavia stepped out, her face speaking volumes of offence. Vinyl’s hoof seemed to magically disappear from Melody’s face and reappear by her side. “Vinyl. Are you going to introduce me to your friend or not?” Vinyl sighed. “Melody, this is Octavia. Tavi, this is Melody.” Melody’s face suddenly turned outraged. “This is Octavia?” Vinyl gulped, realizing her mistake. She’d spoken about Octavia the previous day, when they were in town and over dinner. “Oh hay...” Octavia offered her hoof aloofly. “Pleasure to meet you dear. Am I to assume you play something less... Raw... than Vinyl?” Melody literally slapped the hoof away from her, a disgusted look on her face. “Don’t touch me you pathetic meat sack!” Octavia looked at the mare incredulously. “Well! I never. You’re even more foul mouthed than Vinyl!” Melody lost it. “What do you know!? Vinyl is a kind, caring and awesome friend! She’s not foul mouthed! Sure, her language is rough, but by Celestia, it adds character to her! And her music is NOT raw, it’s just different!” Octavia was shocked, but Melody wasn’t finished yet. “To think she once liked you! You should have been honoured! Instead you humiliated her and cast her away like a toy a foal no longer wants to play with! It’s disgusting! You’re narrow minded and-” Octavia tried to butt in. “Now look here young mare-” “SHUT UP AND LISTEN!” Both Vinyl and Octavia took a step back in fright. Melody was still talking. “You’re a narrow minded, uppity, arrogant BITCH! Even if I was paid a million bits per day to be your friend over Vinyl, I’d still choose V over you!” Octavia’s heart skipped a beat. “V? You call her V?” Melody, calming down but still angry, nodded sharply. Octavia looked at Vinyl incredulously. “I thought only I called you V!” Vinyl, her confidence boosted by Melody’s outburst scowled at her. “I think you lost that right when you ditched me Octavia.” Octavia looked at the two ponies in irritation. “Fine. Who wants to be here anyway?” She pushed Vinyl out of the way, making her collide with Melody and fall to the ground. With a final look over her shoulder, Octavia stormed off. Vinyl looked up at Melody from her arms where she’d caught her, her wings wrapped around her and smiled. “Thanks Mel.” Melody giggled and kissed Vinyl’s forehead, avoiding the horn as best she could. “Anytime V.”