The white pony enters an olive hospital room, she was seeing a friend, possibly for the last time.
The hospital room was a simple, stereotypical room. Get well soon cards and gifts were placed on a coffee table on the far side of the room, and a large “Get well soon banner” was placed on the wall.
“Octavia?” She asked.
She walked over the the bed that housed her best friend, and kneeled over her.
“Octavia, you can do this, you just have to keep holding on” The white pony says to the gray pony, Octavia whom rests on the bed, hooked up to a machine that assists in her breathing cycles.
“Vinyl…” Octavia whispers.
“I’m here...”
“Before I… you know…” She breathes deeply, the machine making a soft buzz in response.
“Pass away… I want to tell you something…”
Octavia leans towards Vinyl’s ear, and murmurs something.
Vinyl nods.
Octavia whispers something more.
“I will… I will…” Vinyl says, tears dripping from her eyes.
3 months earlier….
“Miss Scratch, I am afraid that your friend has been diagnosed with an unknown variation of some kind of disease that affects the lungs. We specifically don’t know what it is, we’re not sure if it has several other symptoms or not”
“What?” Vinyl says in surprise. “Check up on her again! Maybe it’s just a bad cough, or just some allergy! Check it! Diagnose here again!!” She exclaims, jumping out of her seat.
“Miss Scratch please, calm down” A Grey pony dressed in a doctor’s coat with a stethoscope hanging around his neck, seats Vinyl back down.
“But, it can’t be possible! How did she get it?” Vinyl exclaims, on the verge of tears.
“Miss Scratch, I believe that it’s hereditary, if possible, this is the first reported case here in Canterlot and in nearby cities” The doctor says, fixing his glasses.
“But…But…”
A Grey Pony walks into the room, her eyes are heavy, a result of the many sleepless nights induced by her constant coughing, Vinyl kept on dismissing it as a cold, until she collapsed while practicing a piece of hers.
“Vinyl, stop freaking out, I’m still alive” She says with a chuckle.
“I’m afraid Miss Octavia, that you may only have 2 months to live” The Doctor says, reading from his clipboard. “Given the rate of-”
“Don’t you say that to her!” Vinyl grabs the doctor by the collar. “She’s just going to be fine!”
“Vinyl, calm down, I haven’t gone too far deep” Octavia says pushing Vinyl down on a seat. “Pardon her, Doctor, she’s just worried about me a tad bit much.”
“Well, she is pardoned, She’s not the first one to deny a diagnostic like that…” The doctor says, straightening his jacket.
“Octavia, this… this might be something else, like a really rare cold, or something!” Vinyl shouts.
“Vinyl, I’m going to be just fine” She sits beside the white unicorn. “If you’re going to keep acting like that, I should be the one that’s worried about you!” She says with a soft smile.
“How could she think like that? Didn’t the doctor say that she was going to die? I mean why? WHY?”
“Excuse me, if Miss Scratch would have allowed me to finish my diagnostic, If her situation worsens, then you have may only two months to live.”
“Oh.” Vinyl says in embarrassment. “Well if you put it that way...” Vinyl look at Octavia, a grin forming on her face. “Come on Tavi, let’s go drink some cider! Besides, it’s just a cough!”
“You shouldn’t jump into conclusions Vinyl...” Octavia murmurs.
“Jeez. Stop being silly, as I said, it’s just a nasty cough.”
“I know but- eeep!” Vinyl grabs Octavia, and rushes to the nearest bar.
============
“Vinyl...” Octavia whispers as she takes a seat on a barstool.
“Yeah?” Vinyl takes a seat beside Octavia and orders some drinks.
“I really think I should be resting now...” She says as she lazily sips from a mug of cider.
“Nonsense! It’s just a nasty cough! It’ll go away soon!”
“Vinyl... I’m really not sure... I mean it’s really worse to be sick and have a hangover than to be plain sick”
“Ha! Remember the gala?”
“Don’t remind me....” Octavia says with a smile. “How can somepony have a three day hangover anyways??”
Vinyl chuckles. “There are some things you really don’t wanna know Tavi... Anyways, back to drinking!” Vinyl swishes her mug in the air and then chugs it down. Octavia just quietly sips from hers.
“I’m just saying we should take this more seriously...”
“Pshhh... it’s just a cough Tavi, Just a cough!!”
“Fine. Whatever you say Vinyl” Octavia rolls her eyes and takes another sip from her mug.
Vinyl chugs down her third mug.
“Vinyl... I really don’t know how you manage to do that...”
“Well then don’t ask!” She says in a playful tone. “Come on, a classical musician and DJ-PON3 best friends? I think me chugging down 3 mugs straight deserves no explanation when compared to our relationship!”
“You have a point there. I mean, who wouldn’t become a DJ if it weren’t for her childhood friend?”
“Oh yeah! I remember that day....” Vinyl then recounts how Octavia showed her a “really fancy techy thing” which turned out to be Vinyl’s first turntable.
Octavia chuckles and takes another sip from her mug. “Oh, and remember when...” Octavia also recounts their mischievous antics when they were just fillies.
“Ha! But the best one ever was at the post graduation party! The hangover was totally worth it!”
“Vinyl... you broke 7 windows at 3 pots....”
“I know right?! It was epic!” Vinyl exclaims and jugs down yet another mug.
The two friends exchange stories and drink into the night.
============
“Octavia, you awake?” Vinyl asks as she enters Octavia’s room, with a tray of Orange Juice and toast floating above her.
“Vinyl? What… what happened yesterday?” The grey pony sits up and holds her head. “I feel... woozy...”
“Well uh... let’s just say you drank a bit too much, fell asleep on me, woke up in the cab, did something, got carried back into our apartment...”
“Ok, ok... I get it. I must have forgotten what happens when I drink too much”
“Yeah you only drank like 5 mugs then fell asleep on me. Anyways, the doctor said that you needed bed rest, so here’s toast and an OJ” Vinyl says as she floats the tray over to Octavia.
“This is some nice toast, but.. but... how did you cook it without my help?” She then takes a pill and washes it down with the OJ. “How did you cook it at all?”
“Fire Department.” Vinyl murmurs.
“What?” Octavia asks.
“Nothing. Anyways, since you’re excused from your work until you get better, how about we do some stuff you’d like?” Vinyl says, enthusiasm in her voice.
“Really? You would leave work just for me?” Octavia asks as she takes a gulp of the orange juice.
“Well, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo agreed to handle the club while I help you recover”
“Maybe I should create a list of the things we should do” Octavia says, scratching her chin.
“Yeah you should, we have the whole month to ourselves!”
3 weeks later…
Octavia has gotten a bit thin, and her eyes had slight marks, but otherwise she was just fine, she continued to take her medication and rest every now and then and it helped her condition a lot, but the time she spent with Vinyl could have been the most fun she had in… ever.
Everytime she coughed Vinyl kept on dismissing it as “Just a Cough” and usually followed it with a witty joke or pun. This actually made Octavia feel better. She was actually thinking that it might be a really bad cough herself.
“Okay, so are we almost done with your list?” Vinyl says as they exit a carnival, party hats and cotton candy in tow.
“Yes, we are almost done, you just have to teach me how to DJ, I was really curious how you do it...”
“Erm…. Is there anything else?”
“We could take another early walk in the park-“
“DJing it is!”Vinyl interrupts.
========
Vinyl always thought that teaching would be easy, all she had to do was point stuff out right?
Well it was different for Octavia, she kept on asking what do these ‘confounded dials’ do, she asks how she could turn the sliders, Vinyl kept on telling her that she does it with her magic, something that Octavia lacks.
“Well I guess I’m better off playing classical music” She says in a disappointed tone.
“Hey I have an idea, why don't we make a piece together?” Vinyl suggests excitedly.
“I really don’t think that your genre and my genre would go together….” Octavia scratches her head.
“Come on, it won’t hurt to try something new!” Vinyl says, jumping around excitedly.
“Worth a try” She shrugs.
The piece they had written sounded so beautiful, yet it was not finished, Vinyl added harmony to the instruments Octavia played, it took a lot of work, and many snacks were consumed, but there was always something missing…
“Octavia” Vinyl says as she reviews the piece over and over again.
“What is it Vinyl?” Octavia asks while she tones her cello.
“I just have no idea on how to conclude this, I’m really stuck on the ending part”
“Don’t worry, I’ll write something up for it”
“Thanks, this will surely be our best work ever!” Vinyl enthusiastically exclaims.
“Well it’s getting late, I’m going to bed…” Octavia yawns and stretches.
“Sure, I’m gonna hit the hay too”
Both Ponies said their goodnights and went to another peaceful sleep….
Or so they thought.
“Wha-? Sure, I’ll perform that concert in the gardens, what do you mean the princess also likes wubs?! w-“ Vinyl wakes up, her dream interrupted. “What’s that noise?”
A loud thud followed by the sound of breaking glass resonates around the corridors through her open door. Vinyl must have fallen asleep the moment she literally hit her bed.
“What in Equestria, what’s that noise??!” She exclaims, jumping off her bed.
She walks around for a few moments, trying to find out where the horrible noise is coming from, until she reaches the door to Octavia’s room. She tries opening the door.
Locked.
“Tavi, you ok?” She shouts.
“I’m ok!” Octavia shouts back from the locked door.
“Are you sure? I heard some weird noises in there!”
“Nope, I’M F-” Vinyl hears a chesty cough, followed by wheezing.
“Octavia, are you ok?? Octavia???”
Silence.
“Oh crud... get away from the door! I’m breaking in!” She charges into the door head first.
CRASH!!
Octavia was laying on the ground slowly wheezing with every breath she took, the room was a mess. It was if a struggle just occurred. Papers scattered, curtains ripped from their rods, and a broken lamp from an overturned end table.
“Oh crud crud crud crud!!!!”
“V-Vinyl.. I c-can’t... breathe...” Octavia wheezed. “Get... h-h-” She coughed.
“Hang on, I’ll uh... I’ll get some h-help!” Vinyl ran out of the door looking for somepony who could help. “Besides, it’s just a cough.... right?”
Present Day.
“So, how’s Octavia?” A mint green pony asks, comforting her friend, a white unicorn.
“She’s… I don’t know… she keeps on telling me that she’s fine…” Vinyl says, after taking a large gulp of cider. “I don’t know if she’s going to be okay…” She pauses for a moment. “What should I do Lyra?”
“Does Pinkie know about this?” Lyra asks.
“No… but…”
“Shhh.” Lyra interrupts Vinyl. “I think you should go tell her, at least let Octavia spend her last moments with her sister”
“But Pinkie is… kinda… emotionally unstable… if you get my drift”
“Relax, Vinyl, I’ll tell her other sister so you won’t have too much guilt on your back”
“Thanks.” Vinyl says after she finishes her cider. “Well… time to be the bearer of bad news…”
Ponyville.
Vinyl walks up to a familiar bakery, the smell of freshly baked pastries hang in the air.
“Gulp.” She knocks onto the pink wooden door.
A familiar pink pony bursts out the door. “Hey! Oh it’s you Vinyl! Whatcha need? Do you need help setting up another rave party?” She says in her hyper, cheery mood.
“Pinkie, I have to tell you something… mind if I come in?”
“Oh sure, come on in! Why so glum?”
“You see, it’s about your sister…”
Pinkie’s smile widened. “Oh is she coming to visit? Ooooh! I have to make some more cupcakes if we’re having a party! And I would love to let her try my new super duper uber nuper--“
“Pinkie, this is serious” Vinyl cuts off Pinkie Pie, a grim tone in her voice.
Vinyl tells Pinkie Pie about her sister’s condition, Pinkie’s smile fading after every bit of detail she says, until eventually she’s reduced to tears. After an hour of comforting Pinkie, Vinyl asks if she can come visit the next day. Pinkie agrees.
Canterlot.
“Octavia?” Lyra asks, peeking inside Octavia’s confinement room.
“Yes Lyra.. what... Is it?” The weak pony responds.
“I um… have someone here who wants to see you…” She says as she brings in another pony.
“Sister… H-how?” Octavia’s Eyes widened in surprise.
Lyra merely observed the saddening reunion of the two sisters, it had been years ever since Octavia met her big sister, and the only chance they could meet was when she was fading away.
=======
Vinyl can feel the breeze in her mane, her head poking out the window as she’s sitting in a chariot with a straight haired Pinkie Pie.
“Why… why does it have to be this way?” Pinkie asks.
“What?” Vinyl puts her head back into the chariot.
“You see, Octavia’s sickness… was… the one that took mother away” Pinkie Pie says in a serious tone unknown to Vinyl.
“You mean…”
Pinkie Pie nods silently.
“There is no cure, since we lived in a rock farm when we were fillies, we were far away from modern cities like Manehattan and Canterlot, so the doctors had trouble reaching us.
“That’s why she was the only reported case here in Canterlot…”
Pinkie’s eyes begin to tear up as she sobs in Vinyl’s shoulder.
=======
After a few minutes of discussion, they finally make it to the hospital, Vinyl, and a very sad Pinkie Pie.
“Well her room is up ahead” Vinyl says, pointing to a door.
“Will you… accompany me…?” Pinkie asks.
“I’d rather not, you should spend some time with your sister”
Pinkie slowly opens the door and walks in the room. Lyra spots Vinyl and invites her to sit beside her.
“Over here!” Lyra whispers.
“Oh, hey… how did it go with her… other sister?”
“I’d rather not talk about it.”
Lyra and Vinyl chat for a few minutes then Pinke Pie bursts out of the room, a bit sad, but with a soft smile on her face, she looks at Vinyl for a few moments, and approaches her.
“She wants to talk to you…”
Pinkie Pie then bounces away, with less spring on her step, but she seems a bit happy.
=======
She was dying.
Octavia lay there in bed, preparing for the inevitable, she wanted to spend her last moments with her best friend, the pony who helped her through most of her troubles in life.
Her sister Pinkie Pie had thrown her a get well soon party, evident by the banner on the wall and some confetti on the ground, it really wasn’t a party, Octavia just wanted her little sister to feel a bit better about her inevitable demise.
“Octavia?”
A white pony enters her room, and kneels over her bed.
“Vinyl…” She whispers to the pony.
“I’m here....”
“Before I… you know…” She pauses for a moment and Inhales, the machine beside her assisting in the process. “Pass away… I want to tell you something…” She leans towards Vinyl’s ear.
“Finish the piece” She whispers as she withdraws gives Vinyl a soft smile.
“I will… I will…” Vinyl says, tears dripping from her eyes, she takes out a piece of parchment out from her bag.
Octavia exhales deeply, the heart monitor closing to a streamline. Her vision slowly fading, she smiles at her friend for the last time.
=======
Octavia slowly smiled at her, a tear in her eye, the white pony suddenly felt that this was it.
“Octavia please... Don’t die...” Vinyl sobbed. “It’s just a cough.... you’re going to be j-just fi-”
Beeeeeeeee....