Gone.
She was just... gone. Just like that. No warning, no signal, nothing... Just gone. A monolithic grave stone was erected over her burial site on the top of the tallest hill in Sweet Apple Acres, the Apple family donated the land for her grave without even being ask. Such kind people… I remember the Element of Honesty herself had given me the news. She had apparently known Vinyl herself through Pinkie, one of Vinyl's closest friends here in Ponyville. The grave was the shape of a DJ's turn table with large stone bass speakers on either side... She would have loved it, it even has her cutie mark engraved on each side.
The funeral was short and unbecoming of someone so kind and generous as her... She deserved more people to show up, but it was such quick notice and at such a terrible time of year, Hearth's Warming Eve was not the best time to say your farewells most would think, but to me, it was perfect.
Princess Twilight was at the funeral surprisingly, as well as the rest of the friendship council. I think Pinkie brought them, she and Vinyl were something of friends I suppose, but they soon left. Pinkie mentioned a play in Canterlot, Princess Celestia and a banana suit and I sort of stopped listening. I simply can't understand her in the way Vinyl can-...did...
“We're so sorry.” They all tell me, “We wish we could help.” They all assure me with a crooked frown, “We wish it hadn't happened-” I simply got tired of listening, all of their false sorrow was a disgusting insult. I'd prefer they hadn't even of come at all if all they wanted was to tell me how sorry they were and be on their merry way, I don't want their apologies, I want my Vinyl back. But... I don't suppose I'll be getting that now will I...?
It wasn't even half an hour had passed and I was alone already, everyone off to be merry and happy with their loved ones, leaving me here with no one else left to love. How could Vinyl be so cruel? Leaving me three days before Hearth's Warming... Why if she were still here, I'd hoof her upside the head for putting me through this. ...Though I don't suppose I would have any reason to if she were, I wouldn't be here in the start if that were the case.
The hard, wooden case had long ago began to chaff my back, but I didn't really care. What did it even matter anymore? But... I had a job to do, a final promise to Vinyl. I slid the case off my back onto the ground and flipped the locks, it had a spring system in it that would quietly open the case for me, so I was glad I didn't have to bother with that. Even Vinyl had a great love for this cello, she said it was majestic in a different way that what she did. I don't know if her kind of music is exactly majestic, but I'm not here to argue the words of a dead mare.
I gently lifted it out of the case and stood on my hind legs, I never could teach Vinyl how to stand like this for long periods of time. She always stuck her tongue out at me whenever I showed off my talent. The bow was light, yet it was balanced. I remember once I had to use Vinyls hair for the string in a hurry once when she had broke the previous string. ...I don't think this instrument will ever sound that good again...
I ran it across the strings of the cello, making sure the instrument was in tune, before starting off into the song.
The chords and the notes flowed around me, I could see the music almost. Not nearly in the way Vinyl could, but enough to play my sorrow tune. When Vinyl played her music... She became the music, she inhabited the music, as it inhabited her. She and the music became one and she felt the music, saw the music, heard the music in ways that I can never compare to. That no one ever has or ever will compare to. To her, she would tell me how each note could make the air warp, how each chord would make the space around it quake, but every shake and vibration was so... so tiny, so insignificant, who could ever notice except her?
Every passing second I could feel myself slowly being eroded away, what little control I thought I had was being silently murdered, just as she had been. A murder in Ponyville, who'd of thought? I can imagine what Vinyl would have said, “Well there's always gonna be a psycho somewhere. Though, maybe I can cure his messed up mind with some rocking music!” Yeah, sure Vinyl, like that could actually work. Oh look at me… For a moment I thought I could actually hear her over the low vibrations of the cello's music...
I clinched my eyes shut as I struggled not to mess up and finished the song, I could feel the tears welling and building up, as the final note waved to empty air. “V...Vinyl...” I choked on my words as they fell to dead ears six hoofs under, “Wh-Why...? Why did you... Do this to me you selfish horse...?” My words were painful to speak, I knew it wasn't right, but... Something made me have to ask, “How... After all we've been through, how could you just leave...?”
An armored hoof touched my shoulder, sending a horrid chill down my back. I flicked my back to whichever guard pony who had come to toss their false comforts to me, ready to shout them away. Recovering my control was a lost cause, this much I knew, “She wouldn't have liked for you to be acting like this because of her, Octavia.”
Shocked anger turned to horror, which then turned back to sorrow, “Princess Luna...” She was also Vinyl's friend, well they loved the same sort of music at least, and she occasionally appeared after having escaped the Night Court for a spot of tea and some loud music. Though she had an appreciation for my genre of music as well, so I can't really say much of my jealousy. “I thought you were asleep all day to rest for the night...”
“Aye, that was true. Yet missing the funeral of a dear, true friend is something I could not bring myself to do. Though it would seem as though I am already much too late...” She trotted past me, I could see only her hoofguards and her shadow as she nigh floated across the ground towards the tombstone, “It's truly befitting of her, she would have loved to have seen it.”
“I think so too...” Vinyl just... Everypony who met her just liked her instantly, she was just an amazingly likeable pony, so much unlike myself. To say she had friends in high places would be putting it mildly. Sniffing as I rubbed my inner fore-leg across my face, I prepared for the worst, “I apologize for my sorrowful appearance Princess... I was not expecting anyone else to appear...” I threatened my pitiful ego to look up at her, my eyes were probably bloodshot, and from her expression, I'm guessing they were.
“It is of no trouble, Octavia.” She placed a hoof on the grave, “We could not expect any more from you considering... Considering what has happened.” I only nodded as I again looked away, fearing just the sight of her grave would again throw me into a sobbing fit. “Will you be okay?” She steps away from the grave back towards me.
“Okay?” I glance back, “Okay… No, I'm not going to be okay. I don't think I'm ever going to be okay. I'm going to survive, yes, but 'okay'??” I choked on my laughter, tears flowing again. I'm probably gonna regret this one day, “What in Tartarus… What kind of thing to ask is that…?”
She winces, “I'm sor-”
“No, Princess Luna, I don't want to hear that anymore.” Not those disgusting words again... I threw my head back up at her and my instrument on the ground in rage, seething at her, “I don't want to hear those words anymore you hear me? Don't you dare tell me you're sorry. Don't you DARE tell me it'll be okay one day! DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME THINGS WILL GET BETTER BECAUSE YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THEY WON'T IMPROVE AT ALL!!” My voice breaks into a thousand little pieces as I sob loudly, broken words muttering out, “Do you… have any idea… how I feel right now…? How I really… hate hearing those words…?”
She gave me this stern, greater-than-thou look, “Octavia, I have lived for well over two thousand years. I know exactly how you're feel-” Shut up.
“That's just it!” I coughed, “You have lived for so long, you just forget… You don't really realize how I feel right now, because you are indeed over two thousand years old…” Her expression showed confusion while I take a moment to sniff and wipe my forehoof across my face, “Where as you have the time to grieve or you've simply gotten used to losing ponies,” She looked as though she was about to interrupt, “I do not have that time!” She closed her mouth, ”I don't have that familiarity to losing the ones I love, because I never have and never will love another pony as much as I loved her.”
She stumbled across her own speech for a moment, rather unprincess-like if you ask me, “I...” Seems I hit a soft spot. “You are… Correct Octavia. While I have lost many who I have loved, I never really thought about it like that…” ...What? I didn't expect that she would actually agree with me… “I really have lived for so long, it's… Difficult to imagine how I would feel if I were not as old as I currently am. If the years and decades spent with another pony could not be replaced, if life didn't just go on afterwards. Where as I am eternal and undying, I see it that I'll always find someone else..” She sighs deeply, “But you… You put so many years into Vinyl that you'll never get back, you'll never put the same times into another pony, she was irreplacable. It would be like if I lost my sister I suppose..”
She doesn't exactly understand, but I don't even care anymore. “Please spare me your awful words, please your highness...” I sighed loudly.
She gives me a soft gaze before activating her magic, lifting my cello and bow from the ground she brings it at a rest in the case and closes it. “Such a beautiful instrument shouldn't be treated so disdainfully.” She says quietly, perhaps more to herself than I.
Princess Luna gives the grave another glance before aiming her head towards Canterlot in the distance, “I'm afraid my visit must be cut short, I still have my responsibilities as co-ruler of Equestria after all.”
I give her a nod, “I understand..” I too glance at the city, “And… Thank you for coming Princess.”
She nods in response to me before lighting her horn with magic, “Things will improve with time, Octavia.” She gives me a small smile, “While you are correct, I have known ponies far weaker willed than you to get over much greater, you're a strong mare, you'll get back on your hooves soon enough.” Her horn flashes and she starts to fade away, “Until another time, Octavia.” She completely teleports away.
I sigh and turn away from wear she was a moment ago, walking over to Vinyl's grave. I sit and rest against it, breathing deep before closing my eyes. “Vinyl...” I murmur. Upon opening my eyes, my world has changed, “It'll never be the same, will it Vinyl?”
Author's Note
I have been writing a paragraph of this every like... three weeks for the past year or so. So it might not be my best work, but I finally finished something else so whatever. XD Also, let me know if I misspelled anything or something, I'm mostly writing these short fics to prepare for a longer one.
...And I have a bad history with never finishing long fics. Or most fics really. Because I always have a certain pacing I like to go at when story telling, but that's such a slow pace I often get bored before it gets into the meat of the story. This fic was a pacing experiment actually, seeing at what point I could shorten the pacing and still enjoy the fic I'm writing. ...Too bad I hate everything I write.