Chapters How the Hell did we End up Like this?
Octavia turned over in bed and put a hoof out expecting to rest it on Vinyl's chest but there was no pony next to her. She figured she was just late as usual and must have had another late night at her job. She was mildly annoyed but it didnt change the fact that she still loved her. She was used to it when they first started dating. Now it was just a common annoyance that she lived with. Vinyl stumbled through the door a few hours after Octavia had woken up. She was completely drunk again tonight. As soon as Octavia walked into the living room Vinyl was snoring on the couch.
"That Mare," she thought to herself," wonder how her night went," she finished the thought while picking Vinyl up and carrying her to the bed. Octavia brushed a hair away from Vinyl's face before kissing her on the cheek. She climbed onto the other side of the bed before turning off the light on the nightstand.
"hmm, Love you Octi," She heard Vinyl mumble as she closed her eyes for the night. hearing that just made the cellist smile to herself more and more. Given their past and everything that's happened to them she was right where they wanted to be. .Octavia was witih the mare she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
Octavia looked around the apartment and observed the mess that was all over the floor. Another late night of Vinyl's life as a DJ and all she had to show was that she was a bit of a slob in Octavia's eyes. But she was her slob and she loved her regardless of stature.
It wasn't every day that you come across the mare that you'd spend the rest of your life with. But that was certainly the case for Octavia and Vinyl. Not only were they good friends, but they'd also soon discover that they were soul mates. Life would be a pain in the ass to them, but they'd see it through together.
That was until an accident would occur that would alter the life of one of them.
Octavia Melody Philharmonica was one of the best cellist in Equestria. She had gotten there through hard work and patience no less. Both of her parents were deceased, and for the early half of her life she spent some of it in the Royal Canterlot Orphanage. The few aunts and uncles that were left didnt have the time, nor money, to care for her. Yet they did have the time to refute her choice of life partners. She had known Vinyl Scratch, the pony with the stage name of DJ Pon3, since the Orphanage. Vinyl wouldn't go much into why her mother stranded her there. It wasn't something she liked to talk about at all, and Octavia got to know the White unicorn mare well enough to leave it alone.
During their youth, Octavia managed to get both her and Vinyl accepted into the Royal Canterlot Academy for Musical Arts. Vinyl had a bad habit though of staying out late at night and partying at some of most high class techno clubs that littered Canterlot. She respected her room mate, but there were times that she'd drag Octi along with her. Her excuse was always to "loosen you up Tavi", but she still hated that kind of 'scene'. Sometimes Vinyl would let her compromise and take Tavi to a restaurant of her own choosing. After all she did have her own image to maintain at times. She could be a bit "snooty" as Vinyl would describe it, but that didn't stop the two of them from deciding later on to live together.
Octavia got home to find her 'friend' and room mate Vinyl Scratch, passed out on the couch in the living room. She had DJ'ed at Twilight's party the other night, and didn't get home till later. Octavia had been out of town for a cello performance when she remembered that Vinyl had wanted her to come as well. Their jobs were always getting in the way of the two of them trying to find time with each other. When she closed the door, Vinyl woke up and asked her how the recital was. Octavia told her that the performance hall had been packed full. What happened next though was unexpected, at least Octavia thought so.
Vinyl casually walked over and just planted a kiss on her room mate. Octavia stopped her for a moment with a confused look on her face. Vinyl put a hoof over Tavi's shoulder as she stared deep into her eyes. What Vinyl told her was both a relief and a shock. Tavi couldn't believe what she was hearing at first.
"Tavi, I love you," Vinyl said it with such clarity. She had obviously been wanting to tell her for some time now, and tonight was as good of a start as any. Vinyl was known to be a party animal when it came to her job and career. Vinyl had loved her friend for the longest time, and Tavi knew that. She also knew that the knickname Vinyl had given her annoyed the hell out of her, but she could tolerate it more now then she used to.
They had known each other since the Canterlot Musical Academy. they had been roommates there when they were younger. They had also shared a room at the Canterlot Orphanage when they had first met. Octavia had lost both of her parents in an accident when she was small, and Vinyl's mother had put her in the Orphanage after her daughter had found out that she was struggling with being a single parent and was also a drunk. Vinyl's mom decided it was best that her daughter not be witness to her downward spiral.
So much left undone, Octavia told herself. It had only been a month since the funeral but she found herself talking to the air as if somepony were still there in the apartment. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror in front of the bed and sighed.
"I look horrendous", she thought. For a moment she thought she could hear somepony telling her that she looked amazing the way she was. that a few strands of stray hair made her look sexy to them. It was Vinyl's voice, but there was no pony there. She got up to make sure that she wasnt just hearing things. Again, a voice was softly speaking to her. It was barely audible to anypony else but her.
"Come on babe, your gonna be late again," the voice said jokingly. Octavia looked around one more time before leaving. The room was empty save for her Cello case in the corner and the Entertainment center. She shrugged it off. It wasn't too long before she found herself lost in an old memory. She had been talking to Vinyl about doing some research on their family lineage. That was the one topic that always bored the mare, but she always seemed to fake interest just to make Octavia happy.
Vinyl didn't know though was that she was related to royalty, her mom never told her that they were descended from the line of Princess Platinum. But her mom had been a vagrant and spit in the face of her heritage. She wanted nothing to do with her own parents and nothing to do with who or what she was related to. To her all it meant was having somepony doting all over her, fetching her things and reminding her of every little thing, she hated that.
When Vinyl was born it had been the happiest day of her life, and then Vinyls' dad up and walked out on them. When Vinyl was a filly she blamed her mom for dad leaving, she said that if she hadn't been a drunk, her would of stayed. She slapped Vinyl across the face with her left hoof before the realization hit her and she started regretting it.
That was when she decided to give Vinyl up for adoption. Maybe she'd have a better life her mom had thought. It didn't work out that well. She ended being in and out of foster homes until the day she had met Octavia Melody. And from then on it had been just the 2 of them against the outside world.
That would be so much truer then Octavia would ever realize in her life. She had everything, a loving friend, a potential music career, and yet something nagged at her. Something she couldn't describe.
Maybe it was just the butterflies in her stomach, but that feeling returned again every so often. Like Time itself was trying to tell her something important but the words were barely audible for her to make out what they were. She realized she was sounding crazy now and just pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. She had to get the two of them ready for their entrance exam soon.
How the Hell did we End up Like this?
Octavia was gonna show Vinyl the best time of her life tonight. She bought 2 cruise ship tickets just for them. She had something special planned tonight on top of it. She didnt want to spoil it for her fillyhood friend. Octavia felt she could just lose herself in Vinyl's Magenta , almost crimson hued, eyes. There was just something but them that mesmerized her everytime. As soon as they were on board, the ship set sail for a course around the more tropical parts of Equestria's nearest oceans. There was food, dancing, and a onboard DJ that made it all the more perfect.
As they got settled into their cabin, Octavia trotted over to Vinyl and kissed her right on the lips. It was one of the most passionate kisses ever in her life, and she wasn't going to forget it anytime soon. Vinyl returned the favor as she pinned Octi against the nearest wall and locked lips with her as well. Vinyl locked legs with her as well and they just went to town, if you know what i mean. Half way into it, Octavia stopped and pulled a small box out of her travel bag. What did she have planned Vinyl thought to herself. That's when she saw what was in Tavi's hoof. It was a WEDDING BAND.
"Vinyl, I love you so much that i cannot put this off anymore," Tavi stared into Vinyl's Crimson eyes as continued to speak," I want to ask your hoof in marriage." She said it with all her heart. Now she just had to wait for an answer from an awe struck white unicorn.
"Yes, Tavi," She finally spoke, " Yes, I'll marry you."
The two hugged before going back to bed, together.
Octavia could feel Vinyl's hot, whiskey laced breath on her neck as they made their way to the bedroom of their cabin. Vinyl had gotten a bit drunk on their way back and Tavi decided to see her 'friend' to bed, and her open hooves. She could also feel Vinyl's hips grinding against hers as they got into bed. It was something that she had gotten used to over the years. Vinyl had always been a party pony when she was in her DJ booth, or entertaining patrons at the club she worked at. It was something that Octavia tolerated most of the time. But this was their night. This was the mare she was going to spend the rest of her life with, and she didn't regret any of it.
They were going to spend the rest of their lives in the hooves of the one they loved, each other. It was the happiest thing ever to happen to mare like herself, Vinyl thought. She loved Octavia so much, that words could barely describe how she felt at times. Vinyl was content to live the life of a normal mare now more than ever, she was ready to put her DJ career behind her if it meant spending every waking second with her wife, Octavia. She decided that they would hold the wedding when they got back to Ponyville. It was that one thought that also kept her up that night. But, they were on a vacation of sorts after Octi bought those Cruise ship tickets. She also realized she'd have to consider Tavi's orchestral career if they decided to go through with the wedding. Vinyl didn't have any regrets for Tavi asking her something this important. She really did feel like the luckiest mare in the whole world.
The Ship felt as still as the night waters it was sailing through. Vinyl and Octavia came out onto the nearest deck to see why the cruise ship had come to a stop. The sky was as black as Nightmare Moon's coat, with the stars dancing their celestial orbits around each other as if in a harmonious rhythm. The night sky in Equestria was truly something to marvel at. Octavia and Vinyl continued on towards the reception area of the boat. Everypony else were dancing to the latest music as the on board DJ swapped out the worn records for new ones. Vinyl kind of wished it was her up there, but smiled when she looked back at Octavia, and thought ,'No this is your night to show her just much she means to you, and how much you'll cherish being with her for eternity,'.
The two of them entered the music/ballroom section of the ship to enjoy themselves before going back to their cabin to settle in for the night. " Good Bye Horses" by Pony Lazarus was being played over the intercom of the Cruise Ship by the on board DJ. Tavi and Vinyl had heard this song so many times before that dancing to it was like being swept away by ocean waves, they lost each other to rhythm of music as they swayed in each others hooves. At the same moment, Vinyl felt connected to a thousand other versions of herself through out the multiverse, one of which was waiting for their Tavi to wake up from a coma. Another had just asked theirs for her hoof in marriage too. As fast as that feeling came, it was gone just as quick. She wasn't going to make any mistakes this night. This was her chance not to repeat any of the mistakes of her past.
She wasn't going to abandon Octavia like her father did with Vinyl's mother. Vinyls life was only looking up after this night. The only protest she had ever gotten about possibly marrying OCtavia was from Tavi's Orchestra troupe. She herself couldn't stand the Stallion that ran it. He was the most over bearing, and pompus prick Vinyl had ever seen. At least that's how she regarded him. His name was barely worthing repeating right now. Besides, she didn't want to ruin her "special night" with Octavia right now. The last thing they both needed to be reminded of was of their troubles that were waiting for them both back home.
Both of them decided it was best to return to their cabin and find another way to enjoy the night. Octavia took off her bow tie and set it on the night stand next to the bed they were sharing. Vinyl did the same with her shades as well. Her hooves were caressing Tavi's flank as she moved right in and kissed her on the lips. Octavia returned the favor, and started to lick Vinyl in the "sweet spot" as it was called. She could her start to moan softly as Tavi continued to lick and then kiss her there between her thighs. Vinyl had managed to pack their favorite sextoy before they had left for the Cruise Ship when it was still docked in Manehattan.
A soft blue aura of magic enveloped the object as Vinyl inserted it into Octavia's vaginal cavity, and started to thrust it in and out. She laid there and listened to her marefriend as she started to moan, which only got deeper and longer, if not louder. They kissed some more as the moonlight filtered into their cabin through the medium sized porthole.
How the Hell did we End up Like this?
Was she really too nice at times? Octavia thought to herself as their cruise ship docked back at the Manehattan Pier. Yes, she had left herself go when she and Vinyl had been on that cruise but was that going to be the only time that she allowed herself to be like that? Would their lives go back to normal despite being engaged to each other now? For once in her life, she realized that these were too many questions to ask herself at the moment. She needed to get back to Ponyville and practice for the next cello recital, which was at least 2 weeks away from now. It was going to be one of the most heavily packed orchestral concerts she had ever had the pleasure to be a part of.
No doubt Vinyl would miss it due to work of course. That pony was always so busy when she was on tour or working at one of the many clubs she had DJ'd for in the past. Octavia was used to it by now, but that didn't mean she still agreed with the company Vinyl kept most of the time. Lyra wasn't bad in Octavia's eyes, but that party pony Pinkie Pie always seemed to be up to something. She recalled bailing Vinyl, Pinkie, and Neon Lights, out when they had been sent to the local prison for causing a major disturbance of the peace the last time around. Sometimes it seemed like Vinyl had a lot of emotional baggage for one mare to deal with. Sometimes, even when the two of them were dating, she always played the victim card more often than not. Deep down she knew Vinyl well enough to know that it was just a front to hide her feelings. Vinyl's father had left her and her mother at a very young age, hence why Vinyl's mom had become a drunk.
It also seemed like she always let others drag her down and yet when she was alone with Octavia she could be a whole other mare. Almost like part of Octavia's reserved demeanor rubbed off on her at times. It was kind of cute in Octavia's mind, but only when they were alone together. That mare had more issues then most the cellist had ever had the pleasure of acknowledging, one of the most annoying ones was when Vinyl would inadvertently call Octavia by the name of an ex mare friend Vinyl had slept with when they were dating. Octavia knew Vinyl was that kind of a mare, and she didn't care really. In the end she was the one that Vinyl ended up coming back to after all.
She could recall all the times that mare called her where she worked, albeit drunk off her flank, with some random occurrence taking place in the background of the phone call, that was how Octavia had come to know that she was in jail on more than one occasion.
The things i do for her.
And in the blink of an eye it was all gone. Octavia woke up to the morning news and a chill ran down her spine. There on the screen was the image of a Unicorn with an electric blue mane.. and the words dead underneath. Octavia bolted out of bed and turned up the volume.
" and in todays news the mare known as Vinyl Scratch was killed in a tragic roadside accident earlier today. The mare was on her way home from a concert she had just finished performing at, when a vehicle lost control and pinned her to the side the building it had crashed into. She was pronounced dead at the scene". No.. No Octavia screamed into the confines of her own mind.
She was overcome with guilt. After that night on the cruise ship, when Vinyl had proposed to her, she had shown some hestiation before saying yes. Yes, she'd marry her. And then that joy disappeared. Vinyl was always working late, or some other excuse. It started to weigh on Octavia until she decided that they both needed some time alone to figure things out.
She had heard that Vinyl took their break up really hard, even though she had tried to put on a brave face. What Octavia didnt know was that she had become a heavy drinker. And she had almost committed suicide because of it. The more the news replayed in her mind, the more Octavia screamed at herself that she should of been there. She should of offered to meet Vinyl and drive her home.
It was so gut wrenching to see that kind of news in Ponyville , much less Equestria. As Octavia walked away from the TV she decided to get ready for the new recital that was being planned by Pinkie Pie. News reached the party pony fast of what happened and she wanted to do something amazing to remember Vinyl. It was at that "party" that Octavia ran into Starlight Glimmer. A pony that had tampered with time...
"Hi Starlight,", Octavia started pacing as they greeted one another.
""Octavia, im so sorry for your loss, i know you and Vinyl were close friends,", Octavia stopped her after the words close friends.
"Vinyl and I were more than friends Starlight, she was my fiance until recent events. I had told her that I needed some space to reflect on a few things, I never realized how hard she took it,", Octavia put a hoof to her chest, let out a slow breath, and asked Starlight the question that was burning in her mind right now.
"Can you send me back in time prior to the car crash that killed her?", She was very forward with it. Time travel wasn't something to fool with. But neither was love. She realized that while seeing that image become seared into her mind. She could not live without Vinyl.