After So Long

Chapters

Prologue: How to Make Friends in Homeroom
Missing You
Under The Sweet Moonlight
Lottery Odds
Epilogue: Under The Hazy Moonlight

Prologue: How to Make Friends in Homeroom

~~~~Five Years Earlier: Dragons Borrow High School, Delamare~~~~

The school was nothing to be proud of. It would sooner be on an eye witness news channel for a shooting than a slide show for a graduation. Likely one would be more plausible than the other considering the crowd. Vinyl smiled, a little shaken by the large group of other ponies in her path, but more excited about what options she had for classes, and what other ponies would be attending. Stepping off of the school bus that took her to the school, she stood in awe of the masses for a moment, and at the building in a less than enthusiastic manner.

It was a basic orange brick building, squat, with few windows, and a large doorway. It was really just nothing. It was hardly two floors. Vinyl rolled her eyes and shook her shoulders a bit to level her bag. Before she was able to take a single step, a group of ponies pushed past her violently, knocking her to the ground without the slightest bit of concern. Vinyl peeled herself from the pavement and checked her things to be sure nothing had fallen off.

For today, Vinyl came in to make an impression, and decided the best way to do that, would be to throw on her favorite things from past years in school. Regardless of the clashing styles. Vinyl had opted to wear a large baggy green hoodie with grey sleeves, a military book bag, and a leather spiked collar. Her mane? Her mane was a plain mess. The frizzy poofy fuzzball was nothing but an explosion having frozen and settled in place on her head, and just below her bangs, on her muzzle lay a trademark pair of shades to hide her eyes from harsh light.

Shaking her head, Vinyl trotted into the crowded school, and despite her intimidating height, she was pushed around the halls like a rag doll. The smells of cheap Axe body wash and spray overtook Vinyl's nose, paired with the smell of generic mane spiking gel. Almost all of the ponies looked and smelled like clones of each other. All of the pegasi had spiked gelled manes. There was something almost creepy about a whole, single race, having the exact same hair style. Vinyl ignored it and pushed her way into one of the History class rooms.

"This should be home room...." Vinyl whispered as she looked over the class. As to be expected, the young ponies were horrible. Disgusting, violent, and raunchy mares and colts were jumping from table to table, throwing things and swearing, and picking on the occasional pony not partaking in the antics. If you wanted to be cool, you had to do what everypony else was doing. Even being an idiot... mostly being an idiot. Vinyl gave them a quick once over before getting an army of curious eyes falling onto her. There were about seven ponies in the back of the class that went almost silent when she walked past. They ignored her as she sat down. Well, for the most part. Despite the hushed whispers and muffled chuckles Vinyl knew was aimed at her. With a huff, the alabaster unicorn yanked out a sketch book, and pencil, thinking about something to draw before looking around the room once more, being careful to avoid the looks of the less... desirable crowd. Vinyl finally set her eyes on a young mare that sat on the desk behind her in the next row to her left. Vinyl hadn't even noticed her really before now. She looked... interesting.

'Alright, Vinyl...' she began to ponder as she looked over the other mare, 'Look her over... can you talk to this pony?' This lovely mare beside Vinyl wasn't like any of the other ponies she had seen yet, she had a style that didn't fall under "Hood Rat". She was a lovely grey earth pony, curved, and eyes of a purple colour, her black mane long and hiding most of her face as she handled an automatic pencil in one hoof. Vinyl noticed the dark clothes, and the sketch book before the mare, and smiled. Well, if she wore dark clothes and drew, surely she would enjoy talking to another pony of similar interests?

"Hey there," Vinyl began with a smile, "I like your picture." She totally nailed it.

"Yeah..." the mare hardly even looked up. Well... maybe not as nailed as she thought. Vinyl frowned and turned back to her paper and sighed. Maybe there was a detail she missed? Vinyl turned back around to look at the grey earth mare, this time she seemed to be getting visibly tense, likely due to the creep of a unicorn hovering and trying to talk to her. Vinyl shuddered at the horrible thought of being so awkward. Vinyl finally gained her thoughts and took a quick peek at the chest of the mare behind her, seeing an image and acronym she knew well. The grey mare tensed up a little more under the stare, regardless of its short length. Vinyl thought it best to speak before this mare opted to punch her and run away.

"I like My Chemical Romance too."

That was the only sentence that needed to be said. When Vinyl saw those purple eyes light up, and that shy muzzle smile, her mane falling away from her face and finally seeing Vinyl for a pony to interact with as opposed to some obstacle. Vinyl shifted in her seat and for the first time ever the shy earth mare bombarded Vinyl with all of her favorite musicians, instruments, and songs, showing her drawings and stories and fan art. Vinyl engaged, and for the whole home room, the sound in the room was no longer just loud shouts and curse words, or banging on tables and rap lyrics being recited poorly. No, there was something more, the sound of a lasting friendship being created, the sound of two ponies with like hearts and like minds, a kind soul meeting with another and bonding, creating a friendship that would be stronger than Vinyl had ever expected.

Author's Note

Yes this is based on a true story. :twilightsmile:

Missing You

~~~~Present Day~~~~

"I don't know, I heard she was coked up and dead..." Neon said as his eyes stayed glued to his computer monitor. He switched from a window flashing weird porn to a window showing a song he had been working on the past few days.

"Neon, I highly doubt that's right, Octy was never the type to do something like that, she was so... focused." Vinyl sighed as she leaned back into the couch, a cat quickly coming up to her side and taking a seat on her shoulder.

It had been a whole five years. Vinyl was 20, and all of her friends were getting married and having children. Well, all except for her, Rarity and Neon. The home Vinyl sat in was a single studio apartment, clothes everywhere, and the house smelled of cooked rice, Magic cards and a lonely man and his cat. Vinyl would never make fun of her friend's poor ability to keep down a woman, as she wasn't doing any better, but something always made her chuckle at the thought of her friend being that single man with a cat, the shut in with a passion. That was Neon. Neon was also a horrible perv, but Vinyl liked that about him... most of the time. It was a trait they shared, aside from their love of music and art. In the home, aside from the two unicorns who sat looking into space despite their conversation, was a unicorn mare, a lovely figure of beauty, named Rarity.

Rarity had been a friend of Vinyl's since middle school, and a dear friend at that. Vinyl adored how Rarity, although she was aware of Vinyl's awkward shy and even off behavior, was able to put up with it and not shy away from making jokes. Unfortunately for the lovely Rarity, she was forced to endure a constant flow of Neon Light's "charm" as he tried numerous times to woo the lovely mare. Vinyl laughed at each advancement as they fell flat, and how much Neon had tried to charm her with promises of being allowed to borrow planes walkers in his deck. While that was indeed an honor, Rarity was not one for collectible cards and kindly refused. Again. Neon had just decided he would go back to watching his porn, and hoped that the screen would ease his pain, as it did every day.

"Well, if she's so straight edge, then why haven't you heard from her?" Neon began again, making Vinyl bite her lip nervously. Vinyl would have much rather her mind remain in space, as opposed to focusing on Octavia.

"It's not always drugs, Neon..." Vinyl said with a huff. The young DJ teared up as she thought about her friend, and how long it had been since they had last seen each other, her heart skipping when she remembered all of the jokes they made in class, how Vinyl flunked all of the classes except art, and how she wrote smiley faces on her finals to impress her friends. Vinyl remembered all of the times Neon would make a disgusting sex joke at lunch and they'd all just roll their eyes and continue like it was nothing, she even remembered how grossed out Octavia would get when Vinyl's coltfriend would come by and give her a kiss at her table.

"Honey, are you okay?" Rarity asked quickly. Vinyl shook her head, realising she had dozed off into a dream. When she looked around, Rarity had a worried look on her face, and Vinyl had noticed the stuffy nose and tears running down her own cheeks. With a quick wipe of her face, Vinyl rid herself of the weeping mess that had matted her fur.

"No... uh... I'm fine, I'm just thinking."

"If you're not feeling well, we can always just... go?" Rarity said in a low voice, however, no sound escapes the twitchy ears of a single stallion.

"Go?! Why? We were just getting started!" Neon chuckled spinning in his office chair. "You don't want to stay and.. you know.. have a little fun?" He gave a seductive raise of his brow. Rarity only gave a mortified look, her eyes darting back at Vinyl's, who had since began to rub at her puffy eyes and stand on her hooves.

"Well, Neon, I guess we should get going, as there isn't much more of a reason for me to stick around..." Vinyl sighed.

"Are you really that beat up about it?" Neon asked, his mirthful tone a sudden and serious flat.

"Y-yes...."

"Why? You don't usually get this... weird about ponies?"

"..."

"I'm sorry...." Neon finally said quietly. Vinyl seemed as if she didn't even hear before turning to leave the small apartment. As she stepped out, Rarity followed close behind.

Author's Note

:heart:

Under The Sweet Moonlight

~~~~Five Years Earlier~~~~

The mixed sounds of a cello and drums could be heard rocking the back of the house unevenly, the "music" shaking the floor and wracking the brain of the poor earth pony upstairs. She had been happy to have her ever excitable daughter have fun with her classmate, but she had never guessed that the two girls would be making such a racket. Her white mane frizzled from the stress, and her sweater jumbled messily across her frame, she sat in the room chugging a beer, her third she had counted, as the fillies played in the laundry room. The mare, who had a lovely electric blue coat, and spiked white mane, went by the name of Gab, and she was a loving mother, if not a rather strange one, and even with her strict no company policy couldn't resist the look on her 15 year old daughter's face when she begged for her cellist friend to come over. She could still remember the conversation well, but then again it had only been a day ago.

"Ma! Ma!" the tall and lanky white unicorn was excited about something again, her frizzy poofy mane bouncing with her each step, a spiky black leather collar rattled around her neck, a thin black biker jacket falling off her shoulders as she moved about. Gab had been cooking with a beer close by, her smile grew wider as she heard her daughter calling for her.

"Yes, Vinyl, what do you want, honey?" Gab asked as she stopped her cooking to take a swig of beer.

"Ma! My friend Octavia wants t' come over! Can she?!" Vinyl asked, her smile wide. Gab looked at her and noticed she had opted to leave her trademark red shades in her room. Likely to give the full pouting effect in case she had decided to say no.

"Have I met Octavia before?"

"N-no... but you will!"

"Um-hm, so where so you know Octavia from?"

"School, she's super cool! She's in a band and everything! We made a comic and we became friends because we both like rock music and-"

"Okay, okay heh, yes, Octavia can come over, but you have to plan it, and you have to save your money to treat her like a guest."

"Like, cook for her and stuff?"

"Well, I don't know, would she like that?"

"Eeh... I don't think she'd like what I cook."

"What? You mean she doesn't like food burned beyond recognition?"

"Ma!" Vinyl whined. Gab only laughed at her daughter's antics and shook her head. She was sure that Vinyl could handle a simple visit, she was already half way into full adult hood, she'd have to learn sooner or later.

Gab took another sip of her beer after an especially loud guitar solo echoed through the house. Why had she decided it was a good idea to give a child as loud and crazy as Vinyl so many instruments? Gab just sighed and lit a cigarette, the spongy filter sticking to her lips as she took in a long puff and turned on her TV.

"We're gonna be a HIT!" Vinyl shouted with a wide smile. Her hooves worked on her computer shortly as she typed in a few simple commands, and dropping a few simple drum samples into their slots. Vinyl fiddled idly with her spiked collar as she worked, that wide smile stayed adorning her alabaster face. Beside her sat an equally happy grey earth mare, he cello balancing in a resting hoof while the other fussed with her mane. Vinyl loved the way Octavia looked, despite her rather "unconventional" style. Her mane had been cut to a buzz in the back, leaving what would be a crew if it wasn't long enough to touch her nose, and her body was softer than Vinyl's, her body and what revealed of her maturity hidden under a thick black hoodie, and under that hoodie was a lovely black shirt with a picture of a stump wearing a checkered fedora. There was a little text that read, "This isn't a scene, it's a Celestia damned T-Shirt!".

"What should we call ourselves?" Octavia asked not really paying full attention to Vinyl who was still typing away on her computer.

"Eh... why not... Dragons...."

"Dragons, Vinyl? You can't be more original?"

"I'm thinking, hold on..."

"Don't hurt yourself."

Vinyl blew raspberries at her friend, breaking with a small grin. "Why not Destroying Dragons?"

"I don't know, it doesn't sound that great.."

"Dragons Destroying Destroyers?"

"Eww..."

"Dragons... Before.... Destroyer?"

"Uh..."

"Yeah!" Vinyl shouted with a cheer, "We'll be Dragons Before The Destroyer! We'll be the best!"

"With a cello, a guitar, a bass guitar, and a computer, all being played by two ponies?" Octavia asked with a chuckle.

"Well... I mean... yeah! We could just record it all and then we'll sell it!"

"But if we don't do live, how are we going to compete with School Yard Orgy?" Octavia asked as she tuned her cello, soon moving on to her bass guitar. Vinyl thought, knowing that School Yard Orgy was a very... "renowned" school band. She didn't think there'd be a day were she'd be good enough to challenge them. They had the looks, the beards, and the fan base.

"I guess we'll just have to practice mixing pre-made music and making it on stage? Like a DJ!" Vinyl smiled.

"Ech, I could never get into that DJ-ing stuff. You know I only like rock." Octavia gave a strum on her bass for emphasis. Vinyl let her shades slide down her nose and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah yeah, I know, you don't like mainstream." Vinyl gave her friend a wink that wasn't soon returned.

"What are you implying?" Octavia asked. She soon had to spin in her seat as Vinyl just stuck her tongue out and walked behind her, exiting the small laundry room and into the kitchen. Octavia only rolled her eyes with a smile and followed her friend.

The walk lead them through the living room and out into the brisk cold. Vinyl had a glimmer in her eye, Octavia only guessed she had some sort of idea. With a simple flash of light, a large blanket poofed beside her.

"What's that for?" Octavia asked, poking the blanket.

"It's a full moon tonight!"

"So we're..."

"Going to sit in the field and enjoy the view? Yes!" Vinyl was never fully proud of her home, as it was on the edge of a thriving city, meaning it was a row-home ridden ghetto. The streets were littered with trash, and there were always drugs and scary ponies about, the smog bothered her lungs and the guards were always lurking about. But even with all that, she managed to find some sort of bright side, and the park at night was a perfect example.

After a short walk over large rocks, trying not to trip over a large log, and climbing decaying wooden stairs, Vinyl and Octavia reached the small park. A playground at the tip of the hill Vinyl lived on, and a large wired fence to keep ponies from rolling down into the normally bustling street below. This late, there were rarely even taxi cabs running about. It was almost dead silent save for the sounds of distant towns, and the inner city, that was always bright, even from where Vinyl sat. At this peek, everything was visible, the tips of homes, the bridges, the rivers and towns, and a lovely view of the horizon and stars. Vinyl sighed as she looked over the site and lay the blanket down, taking a seat and patting the spot beside her as invitation for her friend. Octavia gave the blanket a quick once over before sitting down with Vinyl, and looking up at the sky as well.

"Isn't it lovely?" Vinyl asked, her tail swishing across the blanket in excitement. Octavia tilted her head and thought about it.

"It.... it kind of is..." Octavia smiled, despite her body shivering from the cold breeze rolling in. Vinyl looked at her friend with concern. "Uh, it's nothing, I'm just... you know." Vinyl simply smiled and placed the blanket over their shoulders, and snuggling up under the comfortable warmth.

"This is nice...." Vinyl commented quietly.

"Yeah... it is..."

Vinyl and Octavia sat quietly for a while before the silence was broken by a sudden question.

"Octy... do you remember when we first met?"

"Yeah, you mean how you suddenly started trying to talk to me in class?"

"Heh, yeah... I didn't seem weird did I?"

"Everybody is weird, Vinyl."

"Yeah, but you gave me this look like I just kicked a foal."

"Well... you know... I just don't like ponies." Octavia wasn't lying, regardless of her friendships, she was a hard pony to befriend without some basis to work off of. She liked specific things, and had unpopular opinions, and other ponies just seemed... intimidated. Vinyl never understood that.

"Well... you know why I started talking to you?"

"No, I still never figured out why you'd want to talk to me heh."

"To be honest, I didn't really know why either.... but I'm really glad I did." Octavia shuffled a bit under the blanket, Vinyl guessed she was just cold, but she didn't complain about being so close to her friend. Octavia simply smiled and looked back up to the sky and sighed.

"....Thanks...."

Lottery Odds

Vinyl sat on a bench enjoying the harsh sunlight on her pale fur, her mane blowing in the light breeze, and the smoke filling her lungs as she puffed at a freshly lit cigarette. The day was bright and reeked of summer, despite it being mid spring. The sky was clear and the idle chatter of ponies rustled the clear warm air. It was no latter ten in the morning and the mall was already busy with ponies getting lunch and running about. Vinyl had just finished a venue viewing for work with her manger, the time to revel in the small chaos had given her a much needed break. The only thing not giving her a break was her mind. Racing and aching with a probing thought, she took another strong pull of the cigarette, despite its dry and nasty taste (she would much rather be smoking a black menthol rather than a cowpony killer).

"So, we've finished the viewing, you've had yer smoke, we should be ready to head back at some point." the manager mare said with a flick of her mane. The shorter manager was a typical pegasus mare, nothing special, a blowout black mane with burgundy highlights and a redish sheen to it, her fur a shade of light purple, and her green eyes hiding behind stylish shades. Her body was draped in a lovely lace dress shirt and in her lips she held a small cigar that was half puffed away. Vinyl simply shrugged and looked around the mall a bit more.

"I don't know.... I'm just happy we got to come here." Vinyl sighed a cloud of smoke from her nose, her magical grip grabbing the cigarette and flicking it hard to rid it of the excess ash.

"Why? What's on your mind?" the manager asked as she pulled the cigar from her mouth in curiosity. Vinyl simply took another drag and blew a sizable cloud before speaking up.

"Well... me and an old friend from school used to come here when we were young," Vinyl flicked the burned up cigarette into the parking lot beside her, "we would get fed up with the crowds in school and come here, only to face a crowd just as thick. Heh..." Vinyl shrugged and shook her head. "Guess I thought how funny it would be if I saw her here. Then again, the odds of me ever seeing her again are pretty slim..."

"That's a shame, I'm sure you'll see her again." The manager was busy tapping away at her phone, obviously brushing off Vinyl's feelings. The lanky unicorn could have reacted any way, but given her nature simply sighed and went back into her head. "Well, we better get you home, you have to get ready for that gig next week." Vinyl sighed and trudged across the parking lot and climbed into the car with her manager, opting to sit in the back seat and look out the window, avoiding having to speak to the mare.

Vinyl had decided, for once, that she would not sleep as she normally did, it might have been because she was asked to pump gas into the car, or maybe it was because she was busy mulling over thoughts of the past again. Why would she be thinking so hard on it now? Not that she hadn't been searching relentlessly for the past five years, and only two months or so ago had she been given the grisly news of a drug related death. Despite knowing better to succumb to such ludicrous ideas, Vinyl couldn't help but feel a lead pit in her gut drag her body down. Vinyl looked out the window as she watched the city drift by quickly, as if it were nothing to her, she had seen it all, smelled the smog, and walked over the trash and filth, waved to the homeless and lived among them, she knew the faces, the places, the ethnic stores and restaurants, the litter and polluted rivers, the schools the alleyways, the ponds, the trees and the cars, and she knew the buses that whizzed by fighting for road space with other cars and battling with the taxi cabs that had places to be. Sick of it all Vinyl simply sighed on the window and rolled her eyes, however they remained on the street and sidewalk beside her.

"So here we are at Rodney Square, what street do I turn on to get you home?" the manager asked half distracted with a phone in her hoof. Vinyl opened her mouth to answer until her eyes caught a familiar sight. It was vague but it was there, and it pierced like cold steel heating fast in her chest, a lump in her throat and a flutter of her chest Vinyl held her mouth agape as the car began to drive past the bus hub and a sudden shock! A jolt of energy burst from the unicorn as her eyes went wider.

"STOP THE CAR!" Vinyl shouted eagerly, the manager looking back in shock before pulling off the road in confusion.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PRO-" before the manager could finish, Vinyl had already grabbed her bags and jumped from the car, bolting to the Square with slight tears in her eyes. It was like a blur, it had all happened in a matter of seconds, but it felt like it took all day, the realisation, the flutter in her heart, the smile, the shout, the car, the running, she wasn't even out of breath, but that moment when Vinyl stood there with her mouth open and the bustling streets stopped around her and that lovely grey mare looked up with slight confusion, and then shock, and then a smile, that smile, the beautiful, beautiful smile! That impact, that call of her name, that hug, her arms tight around Vinyl's body and the lanky unicorn hugging her back. A flash unlike anything Vinyl had dealt with before.

"Octavia! Where... what... you have... no idea..."

"Wow! Vinyl you look..."

"I know, it's so weird isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's been so long!"

"Yeah like... oh I'm bad with math, how old were we? What year?"

"Oh yes, high school, I hated that place, we were 15."

"Yeah, I'm 20 now, so it's been 'bout five years?"

"Yeah, it's been so long."

"Too long."

"How is everything?"

"Had a gig t' attend, and I'm just, you know, doin' me...."

"Why are you.... are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, love."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, where've you been?"

"Moving around, you know the normal stuff."

"I see, y'know, I've been looking for you for that whole time?"

"Yeah, we used to go past the city and I'd think of you every time..."

Vinyl blushed and coughed.

"You missed me too?"

"Well duh, I mean.. yeah why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know.... have you... have you seen anybody from school around?"

"Saw our toaster child a little before I just stopped talking to people, but it was weird."

"Yeah, we still talk every now and again, but she's really into the trans thing now, so there isn't much else to talk about outside of her name changing and how thick testosterone is and how hard it is to inject."

Octavia made a face of mild disgust. Likely because injecting thick hormones into you body was not a decent topic.

"What brings you here? I mean, into the city?" Vinyl slowed down, her head stopped spinning, and things seemed to make more sense, her world slowed and her heart calmed.. but just a little bit. Octavia had smiled and calmed as well, likely the shock of seeing Vinyl after so long had created a similar feeling.

"Well, I'm on my way to the mall, you going that way?" Vinyl only chuckled thinking about it.

"I actually just came from there," the lanky unicorn simply scratched her mane a bit as she kicked a hoof on the ground, "I was actually thinking I would run into you while I was there. Weird I actually see you in the last place I expect to see you." Vinyl and Octavia simply laughed at the thought of it. They had talked the whole time, as if five years hadn't passed, as if it was another regularly scheduled visit into the laundry room and playing their bass and drums, strumming guitars and annoying Gab. Vinyl looked at her friend again and smiled, that's all she could really do was smile, it was surreal, almost too unlikely that such a thing could occur. What mathematical odds were there that this would ever happen. So many variables and options, so many things could have happened, and yet, this, this one thing, after so long, happened on this day.

"Yeah I haven't really having much else going on though." Octavia sighed as she looked out to the street watching for her bus. Vinyl simply chuckled and thought about it.

"But we've changed a lot, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Octavia asked curiously. Vinyl had only just now noticed, but from the last time they had seen each other, they looked different.

"I mean, look at us, we're 20 years old, we're adults, and we just look... y'know?" Vinyl wasn't lying, they had graduated from edgy emo teens to not as edgy nerdy adults. Vinyl was likely looking more like herself, with a biker jacket and her signature glasses still covering her eyes, but her mane had been groomed into a spiky mess unlike the frizzy pony tail, but still fitting of her friendly and adventurous personality. Octavia on the other hoof had completely changed, her wardrobe was more feminine, a bow tie adorned her neck with a white collar, and her mane long and draping over her shoulders. Octavia simply looked over herself and smiled.

"Yeah, I guess we did, didn't we?" was all that she could say before hearing the roaring of a bus engine storming its way down the street to gather the patrons. Vinyl panicked slightly and jumped up from her seat levitating out her phone.

"Uh, before you go... can I uh.. get your number?" Vinyl asked as if she were unsure if she would get a slap to the face for posing such a suggestion. Octavia only chuckled nervously before nodding and swapping information.

"I'll text you later, k? Maybe we can hang out tonight if you're not busy?"

"I was thinking the same thing." Vinyl said with a small smile before Octavia waved and ran to her bus. Vinyl stayed there with that goofy grin at the bus stop, the entirety of Rodney Square having gone on about their lives, ignorant of the magic that had just occurred beside them. But that was just to be expected in this city. Vinyl simply trotted off to sit by the large cast iron horse statue, a large memorial to the great Rodney that had done some amazing feat in the early years of Equestria, trotting through a storm or something to Fillydelphia to sign some treaty with them. But whatever amazing thing that pony had done was nothing compared to what Vinyl had accomplished.

Vinyl just relaxed on the stairs enjoying the sights and sounds of the city as if were all new to her, and promptly fell asleep beside the statue.

---- :heart: ----

Epilogue: Under The Hazy Moonlight

Octavia trotted briskly beside her cheery friend, the two bumbling about at night as if it were their town to run about in. I wasn't as dangerous as Vinyl's city, and she had known many ponies that lived here, this place being her home for most of her life. It was mostly middle class families and small businesses, the long main road lined with lights and forestry, trees and rivers and large homes dotted the area, small roads leading off into other settlements and a couple shopping centers that didn't stay open very late. The cool brisk air helped Vinyl ease her nerves, although there were other things she could be doing to ease them further, surely it would be a good night as those things had been offered for her to enjoy only a little bit ago.

Vinyl grasped her phone in her magic and dialed a few numbers before putting it to her ear. "Yeah," Vinyl began with a smile, "Sup, man, you busy? No? Good, you wanna make a few bits? 'Course man, y'know I only call you fer one thing. Yup. 20's worth. Yeah we'll be by Doughnut Joe's. Yeah, just me and a few others. Yeah you remember Big Mac? Yeah, he'll be there. He's gettin' it actually. Yeah, I'll see you then, man, you be safe. Thanks." Vinyl put the phone into her pocket, her smile getting bigger. "You gonna join us?" Vinyl asked turning to her friend who had enjoyed staying in silence, likely just in her head again. Octavia looked slightly confused.

"Join you in what?"

"Well we're getting a nice bag of green and I guess I was curious of you wanted to smoke with us?"

"Oh, I don't smoke, heh."

"Oh, really? I mean, I knew you were clean, I didn't know you were that clean. So no cigarettes, no weed... do you drink?" Vinyl was almost sweating at this point. Vinyl didn't want to admit it, but at this point she was feeling like a shitty friend.

"No, I've had like, one glass of champagne ever, at a baby shower. I guess it's just not my thing." Octavia seemed pretty okay with all of this, it didn't seem like she was trying to be rude or disconnect over it. Vinyl gulped, either way she felt as if she had done some horrible wrong.

"I-I guess... I mean, I just feel like you'd think less of me for doing this."

"Why? You're not doing anything wrong, I just don't like it myself." Octavia was right, but Vinyl still pressured herself to be the best that she could be. The fluttering in her chest wouldn't let her do otherwise.

"I-I guess you're right." Vinyl finally said before continuing on their path.

If there was anything to note about the friendship of Vinyl and Octavia, it was the long silences and the sudden jokes between them. They could, at any given moment, begin to talk and laugh like idiots, hardly able to breath, and just as quickly fall into a satisfying silence. There was no building up to anything, it would be so sudden, and so amazing. It was something Vinyl never had with anypony other than her. Vinyl sighed with contentment in her chest, there was safety here, but also chaos, but safe chaos.

It seemed as if it had taken no time to get to Doughnut Joe's, and with a smile, Vinyl waved to her friend who had waited for her. Big Mac waved back, his large form a notable contrast to another pony that stood beside him. A smaller mare waved back with a chuckle.

"I knew it was you, Vinyl! We finally meet in person!" the small mare shouted as Vinyl closed the distance between the other two ponies. "You know, I saw you earlier and you were dancing with your headphones on, and I said to Big Mac how weird Delamare was with patrons just dancing in the streets, but then I saw the crazy mane and smile, and was surprised to recognize you!"

"Yeah!" Vinyl began with a chuckle, "You really didn't have much to go on, I think I've posted a whole four pictures of myself from this year on Muzzle Space. So you here to visit? I'm really happy we get to actually see each other, no offense but I could have sworn you would be taller!" The other mare laughed with a wave of her hoof. Vinyl was right, the tiny purple earth mare seemed almost frail compared to the towering stallion she stood beside.

"Oh yeah, no, I'm really tiny!" she agreed with a hearty laugh. Vinyl shook her head with a smile and looked back to Octavia who had been standing by quietly, observing the three.

"Ah! Octavia, this is Big Mac, I do gigs at this bar he works at, and this is his mare friend, Cheerilee. Cheerilee, Big Mac, this is Octavia, we met in freshman year of high school."

"Wow, you guy's have been friends for a long time!" Big Mac chuckled.

"You have no idea," Vinyl said in a whisper. Before the friends could get deeper into conversation, a stallion came staggering up, his breath a little lost and his eyes bloodshot red. He was small, his messy black mane and dingy orange fur matted a bit. He smelled of weed and cologne, and his voice was a deep bubbling sound, as if he had just woken up.

"Yo, wassup Vinyl!" He said with a small smile, he looked as if he had been through hell and back.

"Hey, Nug, I'm glad to see you made it!" Vinyl with only a slight hitch in her enthusiasm looked over the stallion, "You okay? You look like you just got done fighting a manticore?" Nug shrugged and smiled.

"Nah, just takin' care of the little ones, you know how it goes." The group just nodded, none of them having children of their own, but having a decent idea. Nug simply handed over a large packed bag of the desired sticky icky and trotted off to his car with a wave, "Ya'll be safe out here, it's been getting pretty rough lately!" The group smiled and waved back, starting off into the dark of the night, and trotting towards Vinyl's favorite smoking spot.

~~~~~~~~

The cold didn't bother them, as the had pot and the sweet nectar of Tatarus itself to keep them warm, and their excitement and good vibes made the fun last. But all too soon, after Vinyl had chugged a bottle of beer and the group danced bathed in silver moonlight in the woods, their skin cooling in the night breeze and their faces flushed with crimson, they had to leave, as Big Mac and his lovely dainty mate had gotten cuddly and smoochy, and it was all too likely what their intentions were. Vinyl waved goodbye as they parted ways, Big Mac heading to his farm, Cheerilee under his hoof, as they wobbled and giggled up the road. Vinyl opted to take Octavia home through the thicket of woods, leading to the freeway, walking up the cold pavement. As they walked, Vinyl seemingly fine, although Octavia stayed cautious of the inebriated unicorn, had struck a thought in her mind, as its gears struggled to turn in the weed and booze fueled haze.

"Oh!" Vinyl said suddenly, shaking her grey companion in shock, "I'm so sorry!" Octavia shook her head and looked up in confusion. "I mean, I'm a horrible pony, I sat there with my friends and got high while you just watched on. We must have looked like an after school PSA." Vinyl wasn't lying, with the way they were swaying and laughing at leaves, chasing their shadows and dancing around, Vinyl was sure she had seen something like it on TV in her youth. Octavia laughed and shook her head again, but with a smile.

"No, Vinyl you're fine, it's not like you're being an ass or anything."

"I try my best."

"But you guys did look pretty goofy dancing around in the woods like that."

Vinyl sighed with a light smile and looked for a place to sit as they walked. Soon enough, a nice little bench, near a bus stop was calling her name. Vinyl nodded her head, silently inviting Octavia to sit with her. Octavia rolled her eyes and joined, the two sitting and getting comfortable as they looked into the sky.

The moon was full, pulsing with magic and showering them in its glow. Vinyl moved over a bit, allowing herself closer to Octavia. It was strange, just sitting there, smiling into the sky.

"Do you... do you think this is weird?" Vinyl asked quietly. Octavia shrugged.

"What?"

"This... I mean.. the last time we really saw each other, we were sitting and looking up at the sky. It's weird.."

"Yeah, it is..."

"It's almost like... the end of a chapter, huh?"

"Vinyl, you're high, stop looking so far into this." Octavia snorted a light laugh and Vinyl joined, the two snuggled together under the moon, just like they had done so long ago.

:heart: :heart:

~fin~

Author's Note

:heart: