Flying Emberby FentonChaptersDown to the WaterlineYou and usCrazy SpinelNon Dialogue of Inner VoicesDown to the WaterlineFinally, the intermission. Despite her training, Octavia always felt some relief when she could get back on her four hooves. Having to stand to play cello could be exhausting, especially when she was performing and had to focus harder than during practice, in order to not make the slightest mistake. Thankfully, the first half of the concert was uneventful. Every musician had played their part perfectly, for the greatest delight of the audience. She bowed before it, enjoying the applause filling the concert hall. I might only be a small part of the orchestra but I am proud of what we can accomplish together, moving ponies by reaching their heart with music, she thought. Music was always tugging at her heartstrings. They had now a twenty minutes break and Octavia went straight to her green room. Some of her colleagues would rather spend that time together but she wasn't that kind of pony. She needed to be lonely during those moments, it was her way to let off some steam and not losing her concentration at the same time. Fortunately, they were understanding and, emergencies aside, she wouldn't be disturbed. She gazed at her own reflection in the mirror. A perfect cut mane, a pink bow-tie and just enough make-up to highlight the light purple of her eyes. She smiled at herself, happy to see that her appearance was still good, remembering her first music teacher's credo. "Octavia" he had said, "if you want to succeed in life, you have to choose a garment to wear everyday." She was young the first time she had heard that sentence and she hadn't understand it at the moment. She had to grow to fully grasp the beautiful wisdom it contained. Indeed, to wear that garnment, it had to be clean. To be clean, you had to wash it, so you needed a sink with running water and washing powder. And all those things required bits you had to earn. And a house. And a job. One thing leading to another, it took a lot of commitment just to wear a simple garnment, and her bow-tie was both the reminder and the evidence of success of that credo. Of course, money had never been a problem for her, her parents were wealthy enough to allow her to live comfortably during her youth. However, when she had left them to live on her own, she had forbidden them from financially helping her. That's why she had to look for a house share in Canterlot because, even if she were already a member of the orchestra she was still performing with today, her income wasn't enough to pay for the insanely high rents the accommodation providers were asking. She found herself lucky in a certain way, for coming across the path of that white unicorn. They had met during a viewing of a flat, after Octavia had placed a classified ad in the Canterlot Time. She wouldn't have bet one bit on a good agreement but, somehow, it had worked since then. "Here, we are in the living-room, the main and biggest room." Octavia contemplated all that empty space. Even if she would have only the half of it, she could easily set up a few instruments. Maybe even bring her piano. "And as a bonus, you have a clear view on the rising sun in the morning" added the real estate agent. "I must say, sir, that the flat is quite appealing. But what about the noise insulation? I'm a musician and I practice everyday. Won't that be a problem?" "Don't worry Miss, the wall are thick. Moreover..." A loud knock on the door interrupted him. "Ah, that must be her" commented Octavia. She walked to the door and opened it, revealing a white unicorn mare with a spiky mane and purple shades. "Good evening, you must be Miss Scratch?" "The one and only. And you are?" "Octavia Melody, the pony you called about the ad." "Oh yeah, Sup' Tavi?" she said, handing her hoof. "I'm... fine, thanks for asking" replied Octavia with a nod, a bit surprised by the familiarity. "Awesome. Now, let's see that hovel." The stallion winced. "Miss, I can assure you that this is a first-choice flat and it is far from insalubrious. As a matter of fact...," "Ceez, chill out, 'was joking" she replied. Seeing that he wasn't 'chilling out' at all, Octavia decided to take matters in her own hooves. "Could you excuse us for a moment? I need to speak with Miss Scratch" she said putting on her best smile while leading the white mare to the kitchen. "Nice!" commented Vinyl looking at the room. "A bit small if you ask me, but that will do." "Miss Scratch..." "Please, call me Vinyl." "Vinyl, can I ask you what you are trying to do?" she whispered. "Don't know what you mean." "Look, if you want that flat, don't upset him." "I did?" she snorted. "Wasn't my intention. This guy really need to go out more often." "That's not the point. So stay quiet, and let me handle the rest. And no comment." "Your wish is our command m'lady." Octavia rolled her eyes and left the kitchen, followed by Vinyl. "Mister Denizen was telling me about the view" she resumed. "And that we can enjoy the morning sun from the living-room. Charming isn't it?" Vinyl stayed silent until her eyes locked with Octavia's. "Oooh, I'm supposed to answer to that? Yeah amazing. But I'm not gonna enjoy that sun very often though." "Why's that Miss Scratch?" asked Octavia. "You know, mixing at clubs rarely happens in the middle of the day so, I'm kind of a late riser." "So you're a DJ?" asked the stallion with all the disdain that could fit in his eyes. "DJ-PON3, call me and get ready to party!" she replied with a smirk, unaware of his look. Seeing the direction the conversation was taking, Octavia tried to point it to another one. "And what about the bedrooms? I'm sure they are lovely." Fortunately, he bit the hook. "They aren't the largest you could find but larger than the average" he said, returning to his sweet business voice. "I'm sure you'll find them cosy" he added while leading the two mares to the said rooms. "This one is the largest. And they both have an outstanding view on..." "The Royal Palace?" finished Vinyl, her mouth agape. "That's aw... nice" she added, seeing Octavia's disapproving look. A ring tone put an end to their contemplation. "Excuse me, I have to answer the call. You'll find the bathroom between the two bedroom doors. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything" he said, leaving the two mares. "Holy buck, that place is wicked! Where do I sign?" she asked after he had left. "Not so fast Miss Scratch, are you really sure? It's the only viewing we have done so far. We can still view some more and take a decision after that." "I told you it's Vinyl and no way. I won't canter throughout all of Canterlot while this little gem is waiting for PON3 to blast the place" she said, raising her shades on her forhead. "But..." "Leave your pretty butt out of this, that's an awesome place. What's holding you back?" Many things, thought Octavia. The fact she hadn't the opportunity to know her future roomate, that she seemed raw and noisy, and that wasn't taking into account her maners. And the fact that she had never made a decision so quickly, prefering weighing up the pros and the cons before. She didn't know what had made her say yes. Was it because she had fallen in love with this apartment? Was she challenging herself with the unknown, take a step forward and see what comes next? Or was it because of the big smile and the eyes glittering with mischief that Vinyl was giving to her? She would never know, maybe all the three at once, maybe none, but her answer was unmistakable. "Yes." Vinyl's grin grew bigger, if that was even possible. "Perfect! Gimme one!" she said, lending her hoof once more. Octavia, not knowing what to do, looked to Vinyl with curiosity, her hoof still raised. "Hmmm, you're supposed to bump your hoof with mine." "What does that mean?" "Celestia! You've never hoof bump before? Look, just do it." Octavia complied. "It isn't much clearer." "It's just a thing friends do, when they make a deal or when they share a good inside joke or..." "So, have you thought about it?" asked the the real estate agent from the door. "We take it" they answered together. She cut herself from her daydream, remembering that Vinyl had told her she would probably come to see the performance. She grabbed her phone in her saddlebag next to the vanity. Vinyl was mixing at a club earlier tonight and she had to have finished by now, counting she hadn't forgotten herself in the after party. Unlocking her device, she noticed she had missed four calls from Vinyl. And there wasn't any vocal message. She found it odd but called back, expecting to hear her roomate's voice trying to find excuses for her absence. She could already hear her. "Hey Tavi, I'm sorry but I won't be there. I've just stumble accross one of my friend and he offered to buy me some drinks and I couldn't say no. We haven't seen each other for a long time. You know how it is." And she would reply "That's fine Vinyl, enjoy your night. I'll see you tomorrow." And that would be true. Even if Vinyl usually had her head in the clouds, Octavia knew she could rely on her for the things that really mattered. And it wasn't like there would not be other performances. She was more than surprised to hear a stallion's voice. "Hello Miss Octavia?" "Yes, it's me. To whom am I speaking?" "This is the Canterlot General Hospital. Are you one of Miss Scratch's relative?" "More or less, I'm her roomate" she answered, her concern growing. "Why? What happened?" "Miss Scratch has been brought to us an hour ago. She was inconscious and likely under the influence of massive dose of alcohol. Are you busy at the moment?" "Not anymore. I'll be there in twenty minutes." The atmosphere of the Canterlot General Hospital looked like any other hospital. White, sterile and depressing. The staff was trying her best to put on their best smile for the ill ponies. The kind of smile that, for a trained eye, meant "We'll do our best, but it might not be enough". That was all that they could give, even if it was like trying to fight a forest fire with a bucket of water. Some had resigned themselves to not even trying anymore. It was only a matter of weeks before they left. Octavia was hit directly by this atmosphere and it wasn't helping her ease her mind as she followed the nurse to Vinyl's room. She had warned her colleagues that an emergency would prevent her from performing the second half of the concert. She had remained vague on why she had to leave, they didn't need to know the whole story, even if there wasn't much to tell. The only pony aware of the situation was also the only one Octavia could trust. Lyra Heartstrings, unlike the other musicians, was friendly, welcoming and, above all else, wasn't keeping her high-class attitude when she was interacting with others, except during some public events, where that kind of behaviour was expected. That was certainly why she and Octavia got along so well when they first met less than one year ago. Each one had seen behind the mask and they had recognized the humbleness and the simplicity that made trust-worthy ponies. Moreover, she deserved to know her condition because Vinyl wasn't a stranger to Lyra. In fact, they had become friends the very first time they had met. Vinyl had joined Octavia for a small gathering after a rehearsal.She had introduced them to each other and, by the time she noticed her empty glass, went to the buffet to refill it and came back, they were laughing at one of Vinyl's joke about the poor conductor's baton which had the chance to see the sunlight only when its owner was performing and, therefore, took it out from his rump. "There you are Miss Melody, room 179. I won't be far if you need anything." "Thank you very much Mister." She gazed at the closed door, took a deep breath and entered. She saw Vinyl laid in bed and... reading? "Hey Octy!" she greeted with a big smile, putting away the magazine. "Vinyl? You're okay?" "I'm good, why do you ask? And what are you doing here? Did you miss me?" she asked nonchalantly. "Are you pulling my leg?" she said, incredulous. "The hospital called to tell me that you were so drunk you passed out! What happened?" "Nothing much, I may had a glass too many and Neon has brought me here. You know how he can freak out for every little thing." "Every little...? Vinyl I was worried sick!" she exclaimed. "Aaww, that's so cute. Did you fear that I wouldn't pay my share of the rent?" "Ugh! Vinyl, I'm serious." "I know, I know, don't worry, I feel fine. In fact, I could leave right now but they said they got some things to do before." Octavia let out a loud sigh. She scold herself for having reacted so fast and dropped her orchestra. Apparently, her roomate wasn't in danger. And yet, here she was, cantering through all the city because she feared for Vinyl's life. She felt stupid. A knock on the door interrupted her. "Come in!" replied Vinyl. A light yellow stallion entered with a notepad in his telekinetical grip. "Doc! What are the news? Should I stay or should I go?" she asked, adding some notes to her question. It seemed that, like Octavia, he hadn't the reference, or maybe he hadn't heard because he didn't move his eyes from his notes. "Your state is stable so you can leave us tomorrow. We will keep you under surveillance for the night in any case." "Can't I just leave now?" "No you can't. I have one more test to run." "Do I have to pee in a bottle?" Octavia blushed slightly at the mention. "Far from it" he replied. "I need a sample of your horn." "Then proceed Doc, I'm all yours" she said with a bow. Once again, he seemed to be immuned to Vinyl's antics. Maybe he had already seen far worse, thought Octavia. I should take lessons from him. Even after living with her for one year, I'm still not used to it. But that's a part of her charm after all. Vinyl wouldn't be entirely Vinyl without it. She covered her mouth with a hoof to hide a giggle that didn't go unnoticed. "What's funny Tav... Aouh!" she winced. "Doc, I know that pain is close to pleasure but we just met. Isn't it a bit early for that kind of thing?" He didn't replied and put the sample in a small glass box which he put away in one of his white lab coat's pocket with his scalpel. "You will have the result tomorrow morning" he added, writing something on his notepad. "Try to rest Miss Scratch. And Miss...?" he asked, looking at Octavia. "Oh, Miss Melody." "Miss Melody, can you come with me for a moment? There are some papers you need to fill." "I'm coming. I'll be right back Vinyl." "Sure, don't mind the poor sick mare in the hospital bed" she said dramatically, adding loud coughs to perfect the role. Octavia rolled her eyes and followed the stallion outside. Once some distance covered he stopped and turned to the cellist. "Miss Melody, there are some matters that we need to discuss and, I have a few questions." She nodded, taken aback by the firm tone in his voice. "How close are you to Miss Scratch?" he asked. "We are... roomates" she simply replied. The doctor looked straight in her eyes and it seemed he was waiting for something else. Octavia didn't know what he was expecting but decided to be more precise. "I... can only speak for myself" she resumed, "but I consider her as a friend. Not the closest friend you could have but still a friend though." "I see." He looked away, his eyes jumping from one thing to another, searching for the right words. His years of experience dealing with patient's relatives wasn't a big help, each situation being unique. And this one was quite unique. He normally had to deal with the parents or the siblings, not with the roomate. For her part, Octavia's concern had grown to a point where she couldn't bear the silence any longer. "What is it Doctor?" "Your friend's condition is... worrying." "Worrying? But you said she was fine and she does look fine" she cut him short. "Her life is not in danger at the moment. But I'm afraid it won't be so anymore if the situation doesn't change." "What do you mean? Please Doctor, stop beating around the bush." "I'm almost certain she is an alcoholic, and not a small one. She shows all the signs. From the early tests we've run, her organs are deeply damaged. The horn biopsy will tell us about how bad her magic is affected." Octavia didn't know what to answer. The idea of Vinyl as an alcoholic was unthinkable. It was true, she was kind of a party animal and she was able to gulp one drink after another but an alcoholic? No, it had to be a mistake. But she had never seen her or heard she had drunk to the point she would fell inconscious. That was the first time. "Are you... sure about that? Maybe the tests..." "The tests don't lie Miss Melody" he sighed, expecting this reaction. "Trust me, she isn't the first one and, unfortunatly, she won't be the last." "I... I don't know what to tell you. I..." she stopped. What could she say? If Vinyl was indeed an alcoholic, how she could have missed that? Even if they didn't spend that much time together, having their rehearsals or performances that warded them off home or usually locking themselves in their room for practice, they shared some meals daily, wich were often the occasion for big discussions about music. They even found some time to go outside together, visiting the capital of Equestria and enjoying its beauty, or taking a coffee on the terrace of that cafe Octavia loved to go when it was sunny. How could she have been so blind? Seeing the state in wich she was, the physician put a hoof on Octavia's shoulder to cut her off from her guilt. "Don't blame yourself Miss Melody" he said gently. "You're not responsible. Alcoholics have this unfortunate tendency to know very well how to hide their addiction to others. Expecially to those who live with them." She felt the knot in her stomach loosen a bit. "Okay... okay..." she whispered, her head low. "But what can we do?" "If you're willing to help her, I must warn you. It will take time and it will be hard. Facing that kind of struggle is as difficult for the patient as it is for those who support him, even if it is not in the same way." She nodded, showing she was acknowledging the difficulty. "But you won't be able to do anything if she doesn't admit she has a problem." "I... I'll try to talk to her." "Good. I've already tried myself to subtly address the topic with her but she had avoided it so far. She seems to have problems around personal topics." "You're right. I can't say I really know her aside from the everyday life we share. She's... not easily open-hearted about herself or her past." "That will be your first task." "But how do I do that? I'm not a doctor. Isn't it a part of your job?" she asked, suprised by this seemingly disempowerment. "Miss Melody. Don't pretend that I do not care about my patient" he said sharply. "I may be a doctor but I'm not a therapist. This, is outside of my field of knowledge." "I... I apologize, I didn't want to imply that you weren't concerned by their well being. It's just... I feel... powerless." "Apology accepted. And you better get used to that feeling" he added softly, "because you'll find yourself more than once in similar situations where all you'll be able to do will be to wait, and do nothing. Now, you may feel powerless sometimes, but you are not alone. I have some colleagues Vinyl should see. One of them is Mister Pegliacci, here is his number" he said while writing on a paper and tearing a piece of it from his notepad. "He is a psychologist, specialized in addiction disorders. I highly recommend you to make an appointment with him, alone first. He will tell you what you can do for your friends and what is out of your reach." "Thank you Doctor" she replied, taking the paper from his hoof. "Well Miss Melody, I'm sorry but I have to leave you here. There are other ponies to take care." "Thank you again." "You're welcome. And remember" he sais as he was trotting away to his next patient, "you don't have to face it alone." "I'll remember" she said more to herself, the stallion being too far to hear it. "I'll try to." Author's Note Here we are, hope you've enjoyed it. As always, please leave a comment about why you like or dislike it. It helps to improve on so many things, you have no idea (or maybe you have). Ceez is a slang-term for Celestia You and usOctavia refused to open her eyes. The morning-call melody had been long silenced by a swift blow on the big button. The warmth of her bed sheets and the softness of her mattress was keeping her as a prisoner, a prison where she could see herself being hold for the rest of her life. Maybe not for the rest of her life, but just for the rest of the day. She hadn't anything planned today, no rehearsal, no perfomance, nothing but a full day off. But the slumber had no intention of coming back. She turned in her bed, groaned and, finally, opened one eye to look at the clock. It was displaying a mocking 10:07. Darn it Octavia, you are better than that. She tried to shut the little voice of guilt but it was to no avail. That little voice had often been the guide she had followed both during the big and the small events in her life, and today would not be different. She slowly rose from her bed and sat at the edge, letting the last vestige of sleep trickle from her hind legs now linked to the floor. She didn't know if it was an earth pony trick or simply the way she got used to wake up, but it was definitely helping her being an early bird the other days. After having slipped on her robe, she went to the kitchen to make herself some tea. While the water was boiling, she opened the cupboard to take the box filled with the precious flavored leaves. She noticed that it was almost empty. She came to the same observation with the fridge. Here is one thing to do today, the groceries. But for now, there was a spot on the couch that was waiting for her. She took small sips after small sips, enjoying the morning light coming from the window that was facing her. Sometimes, bliss can be so easy. She heard some repeated thumps coming from her roomate's room. Well, all good things must come to an end. Vinyl. She was recalling their talk at the hospital while she went for a shower. It had been two weeks since the incident and it was like nothing had ever happened. She had tried to talk to Vinyl at the hospital about her 'problem'. But Vinyl hadn't wanted to listen to reason, pretending that the tests had to be wrong. And even if they weren't, she could stop anytime. It wasn't like she was addicted, she only drank after her gigs with the staff and sometimes with friends she had invited. Of course, Octavia had doubted the veracity of these statments at the beginning. How could she not, when the doctor had strongly asserted that Vinyl was an alcoholic? But the two mares had resumed their daily routines and nothing had come up to Octavia's mind to readress the topic. Moreover, the mix of guilt and concern she had felt the first days was now over, seeing that Vinyl seemed to be doing well. It looked like it was a false alarm after all. In any case, the groceries weren't going to do by themselves. She made a quick list after her shower and thought that maybe Vinyl would want to add some things on it, like those morning cereals full of sugar she loved so much. She reached her door and knocked. "Vinyl? I'm going to the market. Do you need..." "Just a minute." " I just want to know if-" "Just a moment!" Octavia waited and after a minute or so, the door half-opened, leaving only the unicorn's face with a big smile and her shades to be visible. "Hi Octy, what do you want?" "I'm going to refill our food stock. Do you want me to buy something specific?" "Nah, I'm good. Thanks." "Very well. I'll be back in..." She cut herself. She had smelled something odd. Something... "Vinyl....?" she asked shyly. "Yes?" "Have you... drunk?" The smile on Vinyl's face became tighter. "Nooo... what makes you think that?" "Vinyl, I can smell your strong breath from where I stand. I believed you only drank after your perfomances." "I just took only one, you know, just to enjoy the taste. Don't you sometimes drink a glass of wine?" She didn't answer. Instead, she turned and crossed the living-room, towards the window. She had to check something. Her mind, in an attempt to save her from her growing concern,was telling her that she would find it unchanged. Please, be unchanged. "Where are you going Octy?" asked Vinyl at the strange behaviour of her roommate. "Octy?" She wasn't listening. Instead, she opened with a shaking hoof the piece of furniture right next to Vinyl's turntables, where they kept the bottles. There was only one remaining. Half empty. "Where are they?" asked Octavia, her back still turned to Vinyl. "Where are what? What are you talking about?" "Where are the other bottles?" she said, facing her roommate and pointing to the almost empty cupboard, without being able to prevent a bit of anger from reflecting in her voice. "Oooh that... hmmm..." "I'm waiting." "It's just... Look, don't be mad okay? I brought them to the party after my hundredth gig to mark the occasion. I swear I wanted to replace them, but I just... forgot." "Vinyl, don't lie to me." "What? I'm not lying!" "Ugh please..." "How's that 'please'? Who do you think you are? Miss perfect?" "Listen, Vinyl, I..." "SHUT UP! You think you're special, huh? Better than anypony else? I won't listen to you! Because anything I could say would be a lie apparently. You know what?" she asked returning to her room and coming out again with something in her telekinetical grasp. "Here, take this," she said, throwing bills to Octavia's face, "And shove it right up your ASS!" she yelled, slamming her door. Octavia saw the bills gently falling to the floor in a scattered stack. Well done, Octavia, very well handled. She gathered the bills and put them on the low table. The sun was high in the sky and shone intensively, its warm alleviated by several clouds that the weather team had set to cool the temperature. Residents of Canterlot were enjoying this beautiful day, some sitting in terrace and savouring their beverage, others trotting aimlessly through the streets, while the workers were humming a melody only known to themselves. The shopping district was crowded with ponies and a few griffons, going from one shop to the other, buying things that they didn't need but wanted nonetheless, and trying to bargain prices with the shopkeepers who, from their part, were rubbing hooves together at the incoming profits. Two mares exited a restaurant located in the main street of the district, the first one, a grey earth pony, waving goodbye and thanking the waiter, and the other one, a white unicorn, following her. "So where are we gonna go next?" asked Vinyl. "I need new strings for my cello and I was hoping to go to the store today. Shall we do this now?" replied Octavia. "Sounds good." They headed for the music store they knew well. During the journey, Octavia glanced at her friend out of the corner her eye. Vinyl hadn't held a grudge against Octavia from their fight. When Octavia had tried to apologize, Vinyl hadn't let her finish her sentence and had gently but firmly told her that it was in the past and to forget about all this. She had been more than happy to comply and make up with her friend but small details had been keeping her concerned. Vinyl seemed to be more irritable this past weeks. Where she only would have settled for making a joke about the things that didn't go her way or simply dismiss them, she now made sarcastic comments instead. She also locked herself in her room longer and more often, exiting it only for meals. Their present outing was due to the fact that Octavia had convinced her to come with her to enjoy an afternoon walk. "So, do you have any performance planned this week?" asked Octavia, not wanting Vinyl to notice her worrying look. "Yeah, I got two." "Aaannnnd, when will they take place?" "Hugh," she sighed, "one tomorrow night and the other in four days at the same club." "That's good news." "Yeah, whatever." That was one more thing that seemed off to Octavia. The usual contagious energy that Vinyl used to show to everyone, friends or acquaintances, was weaker. She used to always be full of enthusiasm for everything, even the small ones and even when she would wake up after midday. Now, she sometimes displayed apathy towards the things that made her happy. There had to be something I can do to help lift up her mood. Maybe I could go to her next performance. I 'm not really a big fan of the atmosphere of those dancing clubs, but the music isn't that bad. It can be quite enjoyable to listen to. Maybe Vinyl could find me a place where I won't be disturb by all the party goers and where I could enjoy her mixing. "Vinyl! Octavia!" She was cut from her thought by the voice of a green mint unicorn exiting a flower shop with a bouquet held in her magic and calling to them. "Lyra!" exclaimed Octavia with a smile. She exchanged a quick hug with the lyrist. For her part, Vinyl just waved to her. "Sup'," she added casually to her motion. "What are you doing here? Enjoying the beautiful weather?" asked Lyra "Partly," replied Octavia, "I also needed to replaced my cello strings." "So you gonna go to Luthier's shop right?" "Yes, of course." "Say hello for me when you'll see him. I owe him a last minute strings replacement." "So that's why you were a bit late last time." "Yeah, I kinda forgot about it and only remembered the night of our concert. He saved me on this one." "That's not like you to forget about that kind of thing. What did you have on your mind?" "Oh, nothing really important," replied Lyra with a fake smile. "Are you sure?" asked Octavia with a smirk. "Wouldn't it be related, by any chance, to that pretty mare that came to see you that night and you talked to after the performance, without any words for your colleagues?" "N...no..." "Tell me, to whom this flowers you're holding are intended for?" "Nopony!" she exclaimed, trying to hide the bouquet behind her. "Sure, and I'm Princess Celestia's secret foal." "Ugh fine, you guessed well," she muttered, "They are for her. In fact, I was about to go to the train station and go see her for the week-end." "The train station? She is not from Canterlot?" "No, she is from Ponyville, a small town, less than two hours from the capital." "That's lovely, I'm happy for you. You should introduce her to us next time" "Hmm thanks, I'll keep that in mind. And what about you Vinyl?" she said turning to the white mare. "You barely said anything, how are you?" "Sorry, I feel a bit too hot. I'm fine actually, but nothing new, same routine." "Still mixing at clubs right? When is your next? I may come to see you." "One tomorrow night and the other is Tuesday night, at Pepperoni's club. Sorry, can we move in the shade?" she added. "I'm starting to get really hot under that sun." "No problem." They went under the flap of the flower shop. "Are you okay Vinyl? It looks like you're sweating," asked Octavia. "I'm fine. Anyway Lyra, if you wanna come with your marefriend, just tell me and I'll tell the security to let you in." "Thank you but she is not my marefriend. Yet," she said without being able to prevent a smile from appearing. "In any case, I'm glad you seem fine after all what happened." "What? What are you talking about?" "You know, you little accident and everything..." "And what's that suppose to mean?" she asked raising her shades and looking fiercely to Lyra. "Octavia told me that you..." she tried, seeing that Vinyl's expression became tenser, "had your accident because of... things" she chose to say after a look on Octavia's face, "... and I guessed that, with you looking fine and everything, you have dealt with... them and... put them behind you." "And wh... what are these things Octavia told you about?" she asked in a short breath. "Come on Vinyl," intervened Octavia, "let's not bother Lyra anymore, she has a train to catch." "No no, I want to hear about the bullshit you keep on telling to everypony. What did she tell you, that I... I was a fucking alky?" "She is worrying about you, Vinyl" she said softly, "And so am I." "Well, you can keep your worries for yourself, I don't need them! I'm a grown mare!" she said raising her voice. "Vinyl..." whispered Octavia, gently putting her hoof on Vinyl's shoulder. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" she yelled, pushing away her friend's leg with too much strength. Caught by the sudden push, Octavia didn't managed to stand and crashed on the flower pots behind her. She coughed dirt while Lyra, who had rushed to help her, was moving away the pots covering her body and cleaning off the dirt from her fur. "Octy, I..." "Vinyl!" screamed Lyra, "how could you-" "Easy Lyra," firmly said Octavia who was getting back on her hooves, "I'm fine." Taken aback by the unexpected order, she froze and kept her mouth shut. "I'm sorry Tavi, I... I didn't want it to h... hurt you." Vinyl's breath was getting shorter and shorter while she was muttering apologies. "I... I'm so s... sorry..." She was now panting heavily, her eyes jumping from one thing to another. "Vinyl?" asked Octavia. "Are you okay?" "I... huh... so... y... T..." "Vinyl?" "...avi..." She collapsed. "VINYL!" screamed Octavia. She rushed to her friend laid on the street. Her body was shaking. "Vinyl, can you hear me?" No answer came. Her body kept on shaking for a minute, until it suddenly stopped. "Vinyl?" Octavia tried to slap her cheeks to wake her but Vinyl stayed unconscious. What is happening? A dreadful thought came to her mind. She quickly put her hoof on Vinyl's neck. There wasn't any pulse. "VINYL!" she screamed again. "LYRA! Quick, call an ambulance!" Lyra, who had watched the entire scene without being able to move, came back to her senses and took her phone to make the call. Octavia put her two forlegs on Vinyl's chest and started to push hard in repeated motions, only stopping to give her the kiss of life before resuming the cardiac massage. She barely noticed that her friend's breath tasted like alcohol. Come on Vinyl, breath. Damn it, breath! The small crowd that had watched the fight was now looking horrified at the two mares, one of whom was vainly and desperatly trying to preserve the small sparkle of life inside her friend. A siren echoed through the streets, screaming to ponies' ears closed enough to hear it, about the silent tragedy that had occurred in their own neighbor. Soon enough, the ambulance came and took on the three mares. The only clue an incident had occured was the pieces of broken purple shades that a cleaning pony would sweep with an uncaring look. Crazy SpinelThe sound of hooves on the floor echoed through the waiting room. Octavia was watching Lyra pacing nervously. Both of them were waiting for news about Vinyl, but while Lyra wasn't able to stay still, Octavia was sit, her eyes half closed, taking slow and deep breaths. She's gonna be okay. In a moment, the Doctor will walk through the doors with a big smile and tell us she is out of danger. She had lost the count of how many times she had told that to herself, but she kept on repeating it. When Lyra will reach ten back and forth, the Doctor will come out with the good news. She began to count them. “What is taking so long?” asked Lyra to nopony. “I don't know,” she answered. “If only they could tell us something, anything.” She didn't bother to reply this time. There was nothing to reply after all, or to do except wait. Wait for any movement from the doors she had gazed at for several hours. When the tenth was about to be, her whole body tensed up and she stared intensely at the doors. But no one came out. She turned her head on her left, then on her right. And after remembering they were alone in the room and nothing would help her mind to focus on something else, she restarted watching Lyra. After two other back and forth, Lyra stopped, came closer and faced her. “How did you do this?” asked the green unicorn shyly. Her head was low and her eyes fixed on the floor. “What? What do you mean?” “I mean... Vinyl fell and I didn't know what to do, I could just staring at her like... I don't know, like, if it was all a dream and...” The words seemed to fail her at the moment, when she usually was so talkative. Octavia contemplated her friend, not knowing where she was getting at. “It's ok,” she tried. “We did what we had to.” “No, you did. I was... useless,” she dropped. “And... I'm sorry.” “There is nothing to be sorry about Lyra,” she assured. “In fact...” She cut herself the moment she saw a movement of the dreaded doors. A doctor with a tiring look scanned the room and, seeing the two mares, he delivered a sentence that Octavia would never forget. “She will make it.” She didn't remember that she had stoodwhen the doctor came in but she felt the cold floor in her hind legs, telling her she hadn't been able to keep standing. Wetness was slowly spreading on her cheeks and a soft contact of Lyra's hoof on her shaking shoulders was the last straw. Her composure broke and she cried in Lyra's embrace, like she had never cried before. The vision of Vinyl in a hospital bed, her body connected to medical machines, was hard to maintain so Octavia focused on Vinyl's face. Aside from all the tubes, she looked so peaceful, just like that time Octavia had caught her taking a nap on their couch. She quietly walked to the bed like if the simple fact of making sounds was connected to her friend's survival. “Stupid,” she whispered to her friend. “You are fucking stupid Vinyl.” She didn't know if Vinyl could hear her but she kept on nonetheless. “Why didn't you ask for help, you idiot? No, of course not, you're a big pony, you can take care of yourself. Look where it has gotten you. You almost died!” Her voice was raising. “Have you only thought about your friends? About... me?” She raised a hoof. She wanted so hard to punch her, thinking that, maybe, it would put some common sense in her mind. “You... reckless mare!” she added, “The world could burn around you, you wouldn't bat an eyelid and you would dance on the ashes.” Seeing she was on the verge to scream and hurt her friend, she lowered her voice and her hoof, putting it on Vinyl's cheek instead. “Celestia be my witness, I will NOT let you destroy yourself any longer,” she asserted. “I've failed you once, Vinyl and I'm sorry. But it's over. I won't let you down this time, no matter if you don't want my help.” Her eyes began to stung and she felt tears were about to come out, but the sound of a clearing throat made her keep her nerve and turned her head. She thought it was Lyra at first but it was in fact the same doctor who had taken care of Vinyl the last time. This time, it seemed that his coat was even lighter, the yellow almost the same color of his doctor's coat. His eyes were also red from tiredness. “Miss Melody...” he said once he caught her look, nodding. “Doctor...” He walk to the bed and looked to some of the medical devices, sometimes writing something on the notepad he had grabbed from the bottom of the bed. “How is she?” asked Octavia after he had finished the checkup. “Physically , she is recovering pretty quickly,” he replied with a neutral tone. “She should wake up in a couple of hours.” “That's... not all, is it?” she asked after a moment, looking at the mare in the bed. He let out a sigh “I can't say. She'll probably wake up as the same pony she was but there is a chance that her brain has been damaged. Even if your first instinct of performing a cardiac massage was the right thing to do, you can never be sure how somepony will recover from having the brain not irrigated for a certain time. Her brain function could be altered, her magic weakened.” “And let me guess... there is nothing we can do about it, correct?” she said in a dreary tone. “Indeed,” he replied, apologetic. "We'll have to wait and see what will happen when she regains consciousness.” “Okay...” she whispered, feeling the tears coming back. “Don't worry miss,” he said, putting his hoof on Octavia's shoulder the same way he did the last time, “Your friend is a tough pony. It is my job to keep you aware of all the possibilities but from my experience, the chances are good she won't suffer any permanent damage.” His words were enough to sooth some of Octavia's worries and her body loosened a bit. “I'll leave you for now,” he added. “Call me if you need anything.” “Thank you Doctor... for everything,” she said, keeping her look on Vinyl. He nodded and Octavia watched him walking calmly to the exit, until a thought which had occupied her mind since Vinyl's first accident came back in full force. Something she shouldn't have put aside. “Hmm... Doctor?” she called. “Yes miss?” he said, turning his head to Octavia. “Do you...” she hesitated, “Do you know if Mr Pegliacci would be free at the moment?” “I think so. Follow me, I'll lead you to his office.” Octavi took a deep breath to ease her worries. She didn't really know what to expect but she had come too far to back up, so she knocked on the door labelled “Mr Pegliacci, psychologist, psychoanalyst, specialized in addiction disorders". "Come in," said a voice from beyond the door. She entered. Inside, the room was almost exactly like she had imagined what a psychologist's office would be. A large couch next to an armchair and a big desk formed the main furniture. Some trinkets were put here and there on tables and the bookshelf on her right, and a few paintings were adorning the white walls. She even recognized one of them to be Chogoll's work, two ponies looking at a beautiful garden through a window. What was unexpected was, instead of an old bearded stallion with spectacles, the pegasus behind the desk was pretty young. His dark mane and his grey coat highlighted his deep blue eyes, eyes from whom Octavia could sense serenity and some wisdom. Not to mention the spectacles weren't on his muzzle but on his flank, as a cutie mark. "Good evening miss, how can I help you?" asked the pegasus. "Good evening sir. I'm Octavia Melody and I wanted to discuss some things with you," she replied with a tone she tried to keep neutral. "Are you here for a consultation?" "I... don't know but I... think so." "We'll see. Please have a sit," he said pointing to the couch while he left his desk with a notepad under his wing to sit on the armchair. Octavia complied before asking "Should I lie down?" "Whatever makes you feel comfortable," he said with a smile. "I'm listening," he added after Octavia decided to remain seated. She took a breath, sat comfortably and tried to open her mouth but the words didn't come out. Every time she thought she had the right beginning, she stopped, unable to speak. She felt the lump in her throat getting bigger each time until she could no longer bear it and she cried. She saw through her tears that Mister Pegliacci was offering her a box of tissues. "Thanks, I'm sorry," she managed to say between two sobs, grabbing the box. "That's alright miss, take your time." She didn't understand why she was crying. She should be happy, Vinyl was out of danger. It was true that it wasn't one hundred percent sure but the Doctor seemed confident in Vinyl's recovery and everything was going in the right direction. So why, why for Celestia's sake, why was she feeling so bad? She hadn't the answer and Pegliacci didn't seem he was about to provide one. He was patiently waiting, his eyes fixed on her. After a moment, her cries stopped. She realised she had kept so much in her and she she had needed to let this all out. She somehow felt relieved. "I apologize for making a scene," she said after she was sure she had enough control over her voice. "I didn't want to waste your time." The clock on the wall was indeed showing that she had been here for almost twenty minutes. "As I already told you Miss Melody, that's perfectly fine. And because I believe you are here for a consultation, there is one thing you must remember above all else, especially if you're willing that we meet again after today. Your time here can be spent however you want. If you want to talk, we talk. If you want to stay quiet, we stay quiet." "I... don't understand," she said hesitantly. "You don't have to for now." The idea was surprising but she was here to talk. Maybe she would figure that out later. And thus, she started explaining to a total stranger what happened to her roommate – no, her friend-, how it had started with a phone call, and how it had lead Vinyl to be in this state. During her talk, Mr Pegliacci didn't barely say anything, simply nodding or encouraging her to continue the story. "That covers pretty much everything," concluded Octavia. "I see," was all she got for an answer. She looked at the pegasus. She couldn't find any clue about what he was thinking of her story. Furthermore, because he wasn't saying anything, Octavia supposed she had to keep on speaking. But about what? She hadn't the the time to figure out a new topic, Mr. Pegliacci surprisingly resuming the conversation with a question. "Miss Melody, what did you expect when you come to see me?" "What did I...?" she repeated. "I... suppose I expected some help... and a chance to vent a bit. I don't really know." "Is that all?" he asked. "Maybe some advice too. I want to know what I could do to help Vinyl." "Well, from what you and my colleagues have told me, I'm afraid there isn't any advice I could provide today. Because I've not met your friend yet, all I could do is guessing why she started drinking and which form her addiction takes. And believe me" he added, "even if there is a lot of guessing in my field, the chances are pretty high that whatever I could tell you about Miss Scratch wouldn't help her. Even worse, I would be completely wrong and it could hurt her." "So what can I do?" she pleaded, feeling she had repeated that question too often. "For your friend, nothing much." "You're telling me that I'm wasting my time here?" she retorted sharply. "If you think so, feel free to leave," he suggested, pointing to the door. She started to get up. Everypony seemed to be helpless -so why bother?- but she stopped mid-course. She was here for Vinyl and maybe she could get something from all this. Moreover, his comment felt more like an observation than an order. So she sat back and the pegasus spoke again before she could formulate any apology, as if nothing had happened. "Even if there isn't much you can do for Miss Scratch, you can do much more for yourself, as long as you're willing to invest in our interview. You have told me you were seeking advice and you will need them if you are going to deal with your friend. Tell me, what do you know about addiction?" She thought for a moment. "I guess the addicts can't stop by themselves, and... the more they take, the more they need..." "This is both correct and wrong," he commented. "You see, this phenomenon is indeed very powerful. It can lead ponies to do some hurtful things they would have never thought they would do just to get what they need but I've already seen some ponies able to quit by themselves. And it's true that usually, addicts tend to need more as their addiction grow, but sometimes, they can take the same amount for twenty years and never realize they have a problem, until the day they don't have access to it and suffer withdrawal for the first time. For the alcoholics, it's more pernicious because of the simple fact that alcohol is legal and can be bought in pretty much every store. Moreover, you can't really attend any party or any gathering without finding some. That's one of the main reason why alcoholism is the hardest addiction to quit. Only a third manages to never drink again." This information felt like a slap on her hope. "Only a... third?" she asked, only answered by a nod from the pegasus. "And... what are the other reasons?" "Unlike other drugs like heroin, alcohol leaves a strong memory trace. A pony who has quitted for twenty years will feel the same withdrawal than when it was his first day without it. Unfortunately, when you are an alcoholic, it's for life." "Holy Celestia..." she whispered. "This is hopeless." "Indeed," he replied to Octavia's surprise, "because there is no place for hope in curing an addiction. Only with time, patience and abnegation. Are you sure to be ready for all this?" She pondered the thought, remembering the vow she made earlier. "I am" she assured without any tremor in her voice. "Good. I'm afraid that our conversation has to end here," he said looking at the clock, "but I suggest we meet again next week, at the same hour. Will you be free?" "I'll manage to be so. Thank you Doctor," she said, standing from the couch and shaking the pegasus' hoof. "One last thing before you go, something more down to earth" he called while Octavia was at the door. "From next week, the therapy session is seventy bits. And before you ask, there are reasons why it's this way, reasons that we can discuss next time if you want." "That's fine," she simply replied before leaving the office. Once the door closed, she let out a long sigh, feeling her tension loosening for the nth time today. She regretted she hadn't take a moment to speak about her fear or her angst but she had somepony else to talk to. Lyra was waiting so she went to meet her, hoping that Vinyl would soon wake up so that she could finally start doing something for her. Author's Note Aaaaaand, it's done. After two months. As usual, feel free to leave a comment on what you thought of the story. The painting that Octavia recognizes is this one here from Chagall. And there is a bonus point for the one who find the reference hidden in this chapter. Non Dialogue of Inner Voices"So, how are you today?" asked Mr Pegliacci in his usual neutral tone. "I'm fine," simply replied Octavia. She looked around, thinking that the psychologist's office was becoming familiar; maybe too familiar. She had learned to like the comfort of the couch she was sitting on and the way it had to help her to relax, but it also meant she could easily open up to the psychologist, an idea she wasn't still comfortable with. She was used to hide her emotion, except for a few friends. And even with them, there were some things she wasn't ready to talk about. It was only the third time that she came here and he had already made her talk about some of her deepest feelings. At first, she had feared of what he could do with this knowledge but she had convinced herself he only had his patient's well-being in mind. "I guess it means your small outing with Miss Scratch went well?" he asked. Octavia froze. "I... won't use well to describe it. In fact, there has been a little incident." "Oh, would you mind if I ask you what happened?" "No, not at all," she replied. She took a breath to gather her thoughts. "Three days ago, we went to that café in front of the hospital and were simply chatting, talking about everything and nothing..." "You can't expect everypony to be able to enjoy a piece only because the musician is skilled!" exclaimed Vinyl. "You make music to make ponies feel," she added, knocking her hoof several times on the table to strengthen her argument, "not to teach them!" "But then you are stuck with an uneducated audience that will accept whatever you will give them, be it a masterpiece or a row of noises." "Is that a disguised comment on my music?" asked the white unicorn. Octavia noticed that Vinyl hadn't been entirely able to prevent a smirk from playing at the corner of her lips. She didn't need to see it anyway to know that Vinyl wasn't mad, quite the opposite. They had already had this kind of argument before, this wasn't new so she played along. "You know well that even I, a snooty arrogant pony from the upper-class, has learned to enjoy your music and its inherent qualities. That's because I've seen you mixing and crafting a tune that I've understood how it was made. And that has made this kind of music enjoyable for me." "Yeah, I know I am the best teacher but..." "Good evening misses," interrupted a waiter. "May I take your order?" "Oh, hum... yes," stammered Vinyl. "I'll take an orange juice." "And a green tea for me please," added Octavia. The waiter left and Vinyl didn't waste any time, locking her eyes again with her friend. "What was I saying again? Ha, yeah. I may be a great teacher but I believe it isn't because you saw how it works that you can know listen to my electronic music." "And what, pray tell, has made this possible? Please enlighten the poor mare, I'm all ears." Octavia didn't try to hide her own smile. "Now don't be so hasty young student," replied Vinyl grinning from one ear to the other. "All things come to those who wait." "Will you spit it out?" she groaned half-amused and half exasperated. "That's simple," said Vinyl her smile now looking more like one of a predator that had caught his prey. "It's because you finally removed the stick stuck in your rump. Don't believe that I haven't seen you sometimes tapping your hoof or nodding in rhythm with my music." Octavia blushed slightly at the truth her roommate had uncovered. "Guilty as charged" she admitted. "Give me a few more months and I'll make you dance like you've never danced before," added Vinyl. Octavia took her cup of tea between her hooves and raised it towards Vinyl. "Then, to my future jumps and body shakes that you dare call dancing," she solemnly declared. "And to what truly matters," replied Vinyl. "Music." She tried to take her own glass with her hooves but it slip from her grasp, spilling its contents all over the table. Octavia was about to gently laugh at her friend's clumsiness but the look of anger she saw on her face stopped her. More than angry, her friend looked frustrated. "That's okay," she said carefully. "I'll ask the waiter some towels to clean..." She couldn't finish her sentence. "Fuck. This. SHIT!" Vinyl violently stroke the empty glass on the table, smashing it in several pieces. "Vinyl!" she exclaimed, shocked by the sudden burst of her friend. She started noticing that they had become the center of attention of all the terrace. "Get me back to the hospital," grumbled Vinyl, standing from her chair."We're leaving." "But..." "We're. Leaving." Octavia quickly took a few bits from her saddlebags, with a little extra to cover for the broken glass, and put them on the table. She had to trot to caught up her friend who seemed eager to put some distance between herself and the café. "Vinyl, wait!" she called. "What, in Equestria, has gotten into you?" Octavia saw she was slightly limping, telling her she had had to hurt her hoof by smashing the glass. "Are you hurt?" she asked. "Of course I am!" she snapped. "But that's okay, because we're heading to the hospital where they can fix me." Octavia looked at her, dumbfounded. "No, forget about that," she added. "They can't do shit." What was supposed to be a chance for Vinyl to leave the hospital and the cure for a few hours had ended badly, and Octavia couldn't prevent herself from feeling guilty. She followed Vinyl to the hospital, unable to even utter a word. "... and I still don't understand why she reacted like that," concluded Octavia. "I mean she was normal and the second after she was mad... Do you have any idea?" Peggliacci's look was unreadable. "I have a good guess on why but if Miss Scratch hasn't told you about it, I can't really tell you either. I'm bound by professional secrecy. All I can tell you is that it's not unusual to see alcoholics go through mood swings." "It's her magic, isn't it?" Seeing a little twitch of his right wing, she was certain she had guessed well. "She told me that she hadn't been able to use it since she was admitted to the hospital-" she sighed heavily "-she also told me that it was only a matter of time before she would get it back." "Since you're aware of this, you should understand why your friend has acted like that." "Not... really." "You're a cellist, right?" he asked, looking briefly to the cello case Octavia had brought with her. "Hmm yes..." she answered, surprised by the topic switch. "Now try to imagine your life if, suddenly, you lose the use of your hind legs.” He paused to let her grasp the idea. “You wouldn't be able to stand to play your instrument. I know that you could still find a way to perform but it would take some time to accept that fact, a time during which you'd probably feeling as if a part of your purpose in life has been torn apart. I'm just guessing, I may be wrong and maybe you would recover immediately. And, moreover, unicorn's magic is deeply linked with the unicorn's talent." "Hold on a minute," she said horrified. "You're telling me that Vinyl has lost half of her talent?" "Yes and no” he sighed. “You need to understand that the unicorn's magic reflects the talent. The spells one can learn is connected to it. Ponies tend to think that there are some basic spells, like telekinesis, which every unicorn can learn, but that's wrong. I've seen some unicorns able to cast such complex spells, because they were related to their inner talent, but unfortunately unable to levitate a simple small object like we expect every unicorn to do. Clearly, they aren't the majority and that's why we may think this way." Octavia recalled every time she had seen Vinyl playing with her turntables. She remembered Vinyl was almost always using her magic to push the buttons, to turn the knobs or to move the vinyls, rarely using her hoof. And every time she had seen her mixing, Vinyl seemed... complete. Every move she made, every motion, all was aimed towards a single direction. Both her body and her magic worked together to create a powerful harmony, vibrant and lively. A dreadful thought came to her mind. "And what if it's permanent? What will she become?" "No one can tell. She'll learn how to use her hooves without breaking everything around her or she'll never cope with the loss of her magic. I've seen so many different ponies in my career, each one of them with their own difficulties and their own talent. Some of them have changed so much from what they once were that you couldn't have even started to imagine what they could become at that moment. And I wouldn't be surprised to see them being even more different today than the last time I saw them. For now, your friend is a DJ who mix tunes in clubs. What will she be in five years? No one can tell." "I... I see." "You should also be aware that your friend may become a total different pony, so different that your friendship may not last." She winced. Apparently, Peggliacci had noticed her reaction but he didn't comment and Octavia tried to grasp the idea. "I don't know why but thinking about the end of our friendship is... unpleasant," she tried to explain. "I..." She wasn't able to carry on and she felt her eyes stinging. Soon enough, she was fully crying, a nagging voice in her head mocking her, saying she had failed once more to go through an entire session without falling apart. Peggliacci offered the box of tissue she was also becoming familiar with and waited. "I'm sorry for that." "That's fine, but I see that ‘unpleasant’ might not have been the best choice of words." "Indeed," she replied with a half smile. "Do you know why thinking about this has put you in this state?" he genuinely asked. "Maybe, it's... it's a thing that I... hadn't wanted to face. I..." She felt her tears were trying to come back but she kept them inside. Now was the time for thinking and talking, not crying. "Vinyl is my only real friend... I've never formed such a deep bond with somepony before her. As I've already told you, I've been raised in a wealthy environment and I was supposed to act like a proper lady. In every school I've gone, in every class I've attended, I've always kept some distance with my classmates. I've made a lot of acquaintances but not a single friend. The year spent with Vinyl... I don't know if it's only because we've lived together or because it's inherent to our personality but..." She didn't finish her sentence and stared into space instead. Her eyes closed, Octavia put her bow on the string. She let it stand for a moment, taking a deep breath and finally, she started to play. The first note, slow and gentle. She hold it longer than expected, as if she wanted to make the moment last, that exact moment when she starts to play and her soul is split between the fear of failure and the thrill to play before an audience. Today's audience only consisted of a single pony, a white unicorn for whom Octavia had never played before and that added to her desire to have everything perfect. Of course, Vinyl had already heard her play, whether it was the cello, the double bass or the piano, the Holy Trinity of Octavia's instrument, but it was the first time she was playing for her and only her. The next notes followed, bouncing one after the other, getting higher and higher before Octavia went back to a lower one and starting again the gradual musical climb, each time with a different low note. Every time she played her cello, she could feel the vibration of her instrument resonating with her chest but today, she could feel it was reaching her heart. She forced herself to maintain her focus but it seemed that her heart had decided otherwise and she surrendered to it. Fortunately, it didn't impact on her play and she was surprised to hear that it was not only as good as usual but it was also different. She hadn't the time to decide if it was in a good or a bad way, she had reached the end of the piece. She raised her face and finally opened her eyes. Vinyl was looking straight at her and her deep violet eyes seemed enthralled. "Whoa... Octi that was... incredible," stammered Vinyl. "Whoa." "Thank you," replied a blushing Octavia. "What was that song you've just played? I've never heard it before." "It's a... it's a suite for cello I've composed myself. Did you... like it?" she asked blushing. "Like it?" replied Vinyl, wide-eyed. "Filly, this was perfect and not perfect like you usually are when you perform and sound a bit too mechanical, perfect like... I don't know, perfect like the true meaning of perfect." That wasn't helping Octavia understanding what her friend meant but she was happy with it nonetheless. She kept on playing for Vinyl who settled for listening, commenting sometimes how great were the pieces Octavia was playing, even if, unlike the first one, they weren't original compositions. When Octavia left her friend a few hours later, she felt complete. She had found a way to help her friend through her cure. She could distract her from her dark thoughts with her music. She hoped it would be enough. Author's Note I thought I would never be able to finish it before the end of February but I did it. And I finally managed to end a scene between Vinyl and Octavia without everything going down and ending in tears. As for the next chapter, it should be published during March. It seems that I've found a pace of a chapter per month. I hope it's worth the wait. See you next time!
Down to the WaterlineFinally, the intermission. Despite her training, Octavia always felt some relief when she could get back on her four hooves. Having to stand to play cello could be exhausting, especially when she was performing and had to focus harder than during practice, in order to not make the slightest mistake. Thankfully, the first half of the concert was uneventful. Every musician had played their part perfectly, for the greatest delight of the audience. She bowed before it, enjoying the applause filling the concert hall. I might only be a small part of the orchestra but I am proud of what we can accomplish together, moving ponies by reaching their heart with music, she thought. Music was always tugging at her heartstrings. They had now a twenty minutes break and Octavia went straight to her green room. Some of her colleagues would rather spend that time together but she wasn't that kind of pony. She needed to be lonely during those moments, it was her way to let off some steam and not losing her concentration at the same time. Fortunately, they were understanding and, emergencies aside, she wouldn't be disturbed. She gazed at her own reflection in the mirror. A perfect cut mane, a pink bow-tie and just enough make-up to highlight the light purple of her eyes. She smiled at herself, happy to see that her appearance was still good, remembering her first music teacher's credo. "Octavia" he had said, "if you want to succeed in life, you have to choose a garment to wear everyday." She was young the first time she had heard that sentence and she hadn't understand it at the moment. She had to grow to fully grasp the beautiful wisdom it contained. Indeed, to wear that garnment, it had to be clean. To be clean, you had to wash it, so you needed a sink with running water and washing powder. And all those things required bits you had to earn. And a house. And a job. One thing leading to another, it took a lot of commitment just to wear a simple garnment, and her bow-tie was both the reminder and the evidence of success of that credo. Of course, money had never been a problem for her, her parents were wealthy enough to allow her to live comfortably during her youth. However, when she had left them to live on her own, she had forbidden them from financially helping her. That's why she had to look for a house share in Canterlot because, even if she were already a member of the orchestra she was still performing with today, her income wasn't enough to pay for the insanely high rents the accommodation providers were asking. She found herself lucky in a certain way, for coming across the path of that white unicorn. They had met during a viewing of a flat, after Octavia had placed a classified ad in the Canterlot Time. She wouldn't have bet one bit on a good agreement but, somehow, it had worked since then. "Here, we are in the living-room, the main and biggest room." Octavia contemplated all that empty space. Even if she would have only the half of it, she could easily set up a few instruments. Maybe even bring her piano. "And as a bonus, you have a clear view on the rising sun in the morning" added the real estate agent. "I must say, sir, that the flat is quite appealing. But what about the noise insulation? I'm a musician and I practice everyday. Won't that be a problem?" "Don't worry Miss, the wall are thick. Moreover..." A loud knock on the door interrupted him. "Ah, that must be her" commented Octavia. She walked to the door and opened it, revealing a white unicorn mare with a spiky mane and purple shades. "Good evening, you must be Miss Scratch?" "The one and only. And you are?" "Octavia Melody, the pony you called about the ad." "Oh yeah, Sup' Tavi?" she said, handing her hoof. "I'm... fine, thanks for asking" replied Octavia with a nod, a bit surprised by the familiarity. "Awesome. Now, let's see that hovel." The stallion winced. "Miss, I can assure you that this is a first-choice flat and it is far from insalubrious. As a matter of fact...," "Ceez, chill out, 'was joking" she replied. Seeing that he wasn't 'chilling out' at all, Octavia decided to take matters in her own hooves. "Could you excuse us for a moment? I need to speak with Miss Scratch" she said putting on her best smile while leading the white mare to the kitchen. "Nice!" commented Vinyl looking at the room. "A bit small if you ask me, but that will do." "Miss Scratch..." "Please, call me Vinyl." "Vinyl, can I ask you what you are trying to do?" she whispered. "Don't know what you mean." "Look, if you want that flat, don't upset him." "I did?" she snorted. "Wasn't my intention. This guy really need to go out more often." "That's not the point. So stay quiet, and let me handle the rest. And no comment." "Your wish is our command m'lady." Octavia rolled her eyes and left the kitchen, followed by Vinyl. "Mister Denizen was telling me about the view" she resumed. "And that we can enjoy the morning sun from the living-room. Charming isn't it?" Vinyl stayed silent until her eyes locked with Octavia's. "Oooh, I'm supposed to answer to that? Yeah amazing. But I'm not gonna enjoy that sun very often though." "Why's that Miss Scratch?" asked Octavia. "You know, mixing at clubs rarely happens in the middle of the day so, I'm kind of a late riser." "So you're a DJ?" asked the stallion with all the disdain that could fit in his eyes. "DJ-PON3, call me and get ready to party!" she replied with a smirk, unaware of his look. Seeing the direction the conversation was taking, Octavia tried to point it to another one. "And what about the bedrooms? I'm sure they are lovely." Fortunately, he bit the hook. "They aren't the largest you could find but larger than the average" he said, returning to his sweet business voice. "I'm sure you'll find them cosy" he added while leading the two mares to the said rooms. "This one is the largest. And they both have an outstanding view on..." "The Royal Palace?" finished Vinyl, her mouth agape. "That's aw... nice" she added, seeing Octavia's disapproving look. A ring tone put an end to their contemplation. "Excuse me, I have to answer the call. You'll find the bathroom between the two bedroom doors. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything" he said, leaving the two mares. "Holy buck, that place is wicked! Where do I sign?" she asked after he had left. "Not so fast Miss Scratch, are you really sure? It's the only viewing we have done so far. We can still view some more and take a decision after that." "I told you it's Vinyl and no way. I won't canter throughout all of Canterlot while this little gem is waiting for PON3 to blast the place" she said, raising her shades on her forhead. "But..." "Leave your pretty butt out of this, that's an awesome place. What's holding you back?" Many things, thought Octavia. The fact she hadn't the opportunity to know her future roomate, that she seemed raw and noisy, and that wasn't taking into account her maners. And the fact that she had never made a decision so quickly, prefering weighing up the pros and the cons before. She didn't know what had made her say yes. Was it because she had fallen in love with this apartment? Was she challenging herself with the unknown, take a step forward and see what comes next? Or was it because of the big smile and the eyes glittering with mischief that Vinyl was giving to her? She would never know, maybe all the three at once, maybe none, but her answer was unmistakable. "Yes." Vinyl's grin grew bigger, if that was even possible. "Perfect! Gimme one!" she said, lending her hoof once more. Octavia, not knowing what to do, looked to Vinyl with curiosity, her hoof still raised. "Hmmm, you're supposed to bump your hoof with mine." "What does that mean?" "Celestia! You've never hoof bump before? Look, just do it." Octavia complied. "It isn't much clearer." "It's just a thing friends do, when they make a deal or when they share a good inside joke or..." "So, have you thought about it?" asked the the real estate agent from the door. "We take it" they answered together. She cut herself from her daydream, remembering that Vinyl had told her she would probably come to see the performance. She grabbed her phone in her saddlebag next to the vanity. Vinyl was mixing at a club earlier tonight and she had to have finished by now, counting she hadn't forgotten herself in the after party. Unlocking her device, she noticed she had missed four calls from Vinyl. And there wasn't any vocal message. She found it odd but called back, expecting to hear her roomate's voice trying to find excuses for her absence. She could already hear her. "Hey Tavi, I'm sorry but I won't be there. I've just stumble accross one of my friend and he offered to buy me some drinks and I couldn't say no. We haven't seen each other for a long time. You know how it is." And she would reply "That's fine Vinyl, enjoy your night. I'll see you tomorrow." And that would be true. Even if Vinyl usually had her head in the clouds, Octavia knew she could rely on her for the things that really mattered. And it wasn't like there would not be other performances. She was more than surprised to hear a stallion's voice. "Hello Miss Octavia?" "Yes, it's me. To whom am I speaking?" "This is the Canterlot General Hospital. Are you one of Miss Scratch's relative?" "More or less, I'm her roomate" she answered, her concern growing. "Why? What happened?" "Miss Scratch has been brought to us an hour ago. She was inconscious and likely under the influence of massive dose of alcohol. Are you busy at the moment?" "Not anymore. I'll be there in twenty minutes." The atmosphere of the Canterlot General Hospital looked like any other hospital. White, sterile and depressing. The staff was trying her best to put on their best smile for the ill ponies. The kind of smile that, for a trained eye, meant "We'll do our best, but it might not be enough". That was all that they could give, even if it was like trying to fight a forest fire with a bucket of water. Some had resigned themselves to not even trying anymore. It was only a matter of weeks before they left. Octavia was hit directly by this atmosphere and it wasn't helping her ease her mind as she followed the nurse to Vinyl's room. She had warned her colleagues that an emergency would prevent her from performing the second half of the concert. She had remained vague on why she had to leave, they didn't need to know the whole story, even if there wasn't much to tell. The only pony aware of the situation was also the only one Octavia could trust. Lyra Heartstrings, unlike the other musicians, was friendly, welcoming and, above all else, wasn't keeping her high-class attitude when she was interacting with others, except during some public events, where that kind of behaviour was expected. That was certainly why she and Octavia got along so well when they first met less than one year ago. Each one had seen behind the mask and they had recognized the humbleness and the simplicity that made trust-worthy ponies. Moreover, she deserved to know her condition because Vinyl wasn't a stranger to Lyra. In fact, they had become friends the very first time they had met. Vinyl had joined Octavia for a small gathering after a rehearsal.She had introduced them to each other and, by the time she noticed her empty glass, went to the buffet to refill it and came back, they were laughing at one of Vinyl's joke about the poor conductor's baton which had the chance to see the sunlight only when its owner was performing and, therefore, took it out from his rump. "There you are Miss Melody, room 179. I won't be far if you need anything." "Thank you very much Mister." She gazed at the closed door, took a deep breath and entered. She saw Vinyl laid in bed and... reading? "Hey Octy!" she greeted with a big smile, putting away the magazine. "Vinyl? You're okay?" "I'm good, why do you ask? And what are you doing here? Did you miss me?" she asked nonchalantly. "Are you pulling my leg?" she said, incredulous. "The hospital called to tell me that you were so drunk you passed out! What happened?" "Nothing much, I may had a glass too many and Neon has brought me here. You know how he can freak out for every little thing." "Every little...? Vinyl I was worried sick!" she exclaimed. "Aaww, that's so cute. Did you fear that I wouldn't pay my share of the rent?" "Ugh! Vinyl, I'm serious." "I know, I know, don't worry, I feel fine. In fact, I could leave right now but they said they got some things to do before." Octavia let out a loud sigh. She scold herself for having reacted so fast and dropped her orchestra. Apparently, her roomate wasn't in danger. And yet, here she was, cantering through all the city because she feared for Vinyl's life. She felt stupid. A knock on the door interrupted her. "Come in!" replied Vinyl. A light yellow stallion entered with a notepad in his telekinetical grip. "Doc! What are the news? Should I stay or should I go?" she asked, adding some notes to her question. It seemed that, like Octavia, he hadn't the reference, or maybe he hadn't heard because he didn't move his eyes from his notes. "Your state is stable so you can leave us tomorrow. We will keep you under surveillance for the night in any case." "Can't I just leave now?" "No you can't. I have one more test to run." "Do I have to pee in a bottle?" Octavia blushed slightly at the mention. "Far from it" he replied. "I need a sample of your horn." "Then proceed Doc, I'm all yours" she said with a bow. Once again, he seemed to be immuned to Vinyl's antics. Maybe he had already seen far worse, thought Octavia. I should take lessons from him. Even after living with her for one year, I'm still not used to it. But that's a part of her charm after all. Vinyl wouldn't be entirely Vinyl without it. She covered her mouth with a hoof to hide a giggle that didn't go unnoticed. "What's funny Tav... Aouh!" she winced. "Doc, I know that pain is close to pleasure but we just met. Isn't it a bit early for that kind of thing?" He didn't replied and put the sample in a small glass box which he put away in one of his white lab coat's pocket with his scalpel. "You will have the result tomorrow morning" he added, writing something on his notepad. "Try to rest Miss Scratch. And Miss...?" he asked, looking at Octavia. "Oh, Miss Melody." "Miss Melody, can you come with me for a moment? There are some papers you need to fill." "I'm coming. I'll be right back Vinyl." "Sure, don't mind the poor sick mare in the hospital bed" she said dramatically, adding loud coughs to perfect the role. Octavia rolled her eyes and followed the stallion outside. Once some distance covered he stopped and turned to the cellist. "Miss Melody, there are some matters that we need to discuss and, I have a few questions." She nodded, taken aback by the firm tone in his voice. "How close are you to Miss Scratch?" he asked. "We are... roomates" she simply replied. The doctor looked straight in her eyes and it seemed he was waiting for something else. Octavia didn't know what he was expecting but decided to be more precise. "I... can only speak for myself" she resumed, "but I consider her as a friend. Not the closest friend you could have but still a friend though." "I see." He looked away, his eyes jumping from one thing to another, searching for the right words. His years of experience dealing with patient's relatives wasn't a big help, each situation being unique. And this one was quite unique. He normally had to deal with the parents or the siblings, not with the roomate. For her part, Octavia's concern had grown to a point where she couldn't bear the silence any longer. "What is it Doctor?" "Your friend's condition is... worrying." "Worrying? But you said she was fine and she does look fine" she cut him short. "Her life is not in danger at the moment. But I'm afraid it won't be so anymore if the situation doesn't change." "What do you mean? Please Doctor, stop beating around the bush." "I'm almost certain she is an alcoholic, and not a small one. She shows all the signs. From the early tests we've run, her organs are deeply damaged. The horn biopsy will tell us about how bad her magic is affected." Octavia didn't know what to answer. The idea of Vinyl as an alcoholic was unthinkable. It was true, she was kind of a party animal and she was able to gulp one drink after another but an alcoholic? No, it had to be a mistake. But she had never seen her or heard she had drunk to the point she would fell inconscious. That was the first time. "Are you... sure about that? Maybe the tests..." "The tests don't lie Miss Melody" he sighed, expecting this reaction. "Trust me, she isn't the first one and, unfortunatly, she won't be the last." "I... I don't know what to tell you. I..." she stopped. What could she say? If Vinyl was indeed an alcoholic, how she could have missed that? Even if they didn't spend that much time together, having their rehearsals or performances that warded them off home or usually locking themselves in their room for practice, they shared some meals daily, wich were often the occasion for big discussions about music. They even found some time to go outside together, visiting the capital of Equestria and enjoying its beauty, or taking a coffee on the terrace of that cafe Octavia loved to go when it was sunny. How could she have been so blind? Seeing the state in wich she was, the physician put a hoof on Octavia's shoulder to cut her off from her guilt. "Don't blame yourself Miss Melody" he said gently. "You're not responsible. Alcoholics have this unfortunate tendency to know very well how to hide their addiction to others. Expecially to those who live with them." She felt the knot in her stomach loosen a bit. "Okay... okay..." she whispered, her head low. "But what can we do?" "If you're willing to help her, I must warn you. It will take time and it will be hard. Facing that kind of struggle is as difficult for the patient as it is for those who support him, even if it is not in the same way." She nodded, showing she was acknowledging the difficulty. "But you won't be able to do anything if she doesn't admit she has a problem." "I... I'll try to talk to her." "Good. I've already tried myself to subtly address the topic with her but she had avoided it so far. She seems to have problems around personal topics." "You're right. I can't say I really know her aside from the everyday life we share. She's... not easily open-hearted about herself or her past." "That will be your first task." "But how do I do that? I'm not a doctor. Isn't it a part of your job?" she asked, suprised by this seemingly disempowerment. "Miss Melody. Don't pretend that I do not care about my patient" he said sharply. "I may be a doctor but I'm not a therapist. This, is outside of my field of knowledge." "I... I apologize, I didn't want to imply that you weren't concerned by their well being. It's just... I feel... powerless." "Apology accepted. And you better get used to that feeling" he added softly, "because you'll find yourself more than once in similar situations where all you'll be able to do will be to wait, and do nothing. Now, you may feel powerless sometimes, but you are not alone. I have some colleagues Vinyl should see. One of them is Mister Pegliacci, here is his number" he said while writing on a paper and tearing a piece of it from his notepad. "He is a psychologist, specialized in addiction disorders. I highly recommend you to make an appointment with him, alone first. He will tell you what you can do for your friends and what is out of your reach." "Thank you Doctor" she replied, taking the paper from his hoof. "Well Miss Melody, I'm sorry but I have to leave you here. There are other ponies to take care." "Thank you again." "You're welcome. And remember" he sais as he was trotting away to his next patient, "you don't have to face it alone." "I'll remember" she said more to herself, the stallion being too far to hear it. "I'll try to." Author's Note Here we are, hope you've enjoyed it. As always, please leave a comment about why you like or dislike it. It helps to improve on so many things, you have no idea (or maybe you have). Ceez is a slang-term for Celestia
You and usOctavia refused to open her eyes. The morning-call melody had been long silenced by a swift blow on the big button. The warmth of her bed sheets and the softness of her mattress was keeping her as a prisoner, a prison where she could see herself being hold for the rest of her life. Maybe not for the rest of her life, but just for the rest of the day. She hadn't anything planned today, no rehearsal, no perfomance, nothing but a full day off. But the slumber had no intention of coming back. She turned in her bed, groaned and, finally, opened one eye to look at the clock. It was displaying a mocking 10:07. Darn it Octavia, you are better than that. She tried to shut the little voice of guilt but it was to no avail. That little voice had often been the guide she had followed both during the big and the small events in her life, and today would not be different. She slowly rose from her bed and sat at the edge, letting the last vestige of sleep trickle from her hind legs now linked to the floor. She didn't know if it was an earth pony trick or simply the way she got used to wake up, but it was definitely helping her being an early bird the other days. After having slipped on her robe, she went to the kitchen to make herself some tea. While the water was boiling, she opened the cupboard to take the box filled with the precious flavored leaves. She noticed that it was almost empty. She came to the same observation with the fridge. Here is one thing to do today, the groceries. But for now, there was a spot on the couch that was waiting for her. She took small sips after small sips, enjoying the morning light coming from the window that was facing her. Sometimes, bliss can be so easy. She heard some repeated thumps coming from her roomate's room. Well, all good things must come to an end. Vinyl. She was recalling their talk at the hospital while she went for a shower. It had been two weeks since the incident and it was like nothing had ever happened. She had tried to talk to Vinyl at the hospital about her 'problem'. But Vinyl hadn't wanted to listen to reason, pretending that the tests had to be wrong. And even if they weren't, she could stop anytime. It wasn't like she was addicted, she only drank after her gigs with the staff and sometimes with friends she had invited. Of course, Octavia had doubted the veracity of these statments at the beginning. How could she not, when the doctor had strongly asserted that Vinyl was an alcoholic? But the two mares had resumed their daily routines and nothing had come up to Octavia's mind to readress the topic. Moreover, the mix of guilt and concern she had felt the first days was now over, seeing that Vinyl seemed to be doing well. It looked like it was a false alarm after all. In any case, the groceries weren't going to do by themselves. She made a quick list after her shower and thought that maybe Vinyl would want to add some things on it, like those morning cereals full of sugar she loved so much. She reached her door and knocked. "Vinyl? I'm going to the market. Do you need..." "Just a minute." " I just want to know if-" "Just a moment!" Octavia waited and after a minute or so, the door half-opened, leaving only the unicorn's face with a big smile and her shades to be visible. "Hi Octy, what do you want?" "I'm going to refill our food stock. Do you want me to buy something specific?" "Nah, I'm good. Thanks." "Very well. I'll be back in..." She cut herself. She had smelled something odd. Something... "Vinyl....?" she asked shyly. "Yes?" "Have you... drunk?" The smile on Vinyl's face became tighter. "Nooo... what makes you think that?" "Vinyl, I can smell your strong breath from where I stand. I believed you only drank after your perfomances." "I just took only one, you know, just to enjoy the taste. Don't you sometimes drink a glass of wine?" She didn't answer. Instead, she turned and crossed the living-room, towards the window. She had to check something. Her mind, in an attempt to save her from her growing concern,was telling her that she would find it unchanged. Please, be unchanged. "Where are you going Octy?" asked Vinyl at the strange behaviour of her roommate. "Octy?" She wasn't listening. Instead, she opened with a shaking hoof the piece of furniture right next to Vinyl's turntables, where they kept the bottles. There was only one remaining. Half empty. "Where are they?" asked Octavia, her back still turned to Vinyl. "Where are what? What are you talking about?" "Where are the other bottles?" she said, facing her roommate and pointing to the almost empty cupboard, without being able to prevent a bit of anger from reflecting in her voice. "Oooh that... hmmm..." "I'm waiting." "It's just... Look, don't be mad okay? I brought them to the party after my hundredth gig to mark the occasion. I swear I wanted to replace them, but I just... forgot." "Vinyl, don't lie to me." "What? I'm not lying!" "Ugh please..." "How's that 'please'? Who do you think you are? Miss perfect?" "Listen, Vinyl, I..." "SHUT UP! You think you're special, huh? Better than anypony else? I won't listen to you! Because anything I could say would be a lie apparently. You know what?" she asked returning to her room and coming out again with something in her telekinetical grasp. "Here, take this," she said, throwing bills to Octavia's face, "And shove it right up your ASS!" she yelled, slamming her door. Octavia saw the bills gently falling to the floor in a scattered stack. Well done, Octavia, very well handled. She gathered the bills and put them on the low table. The sun was high in the sky and shone intensively, its warm alleviated by several clouds that the weather team had set to cool the temperature. Residents of Canterlot were enjoying this beautiful day, some sitting in terrace and savouring their beverage, others trotting aimlessly through the streets, while the workers were humming a melody only known to themselves. The shopping district was crowded with ponies and a few griffons, going from one shop to the other, buying things that they didn't need but wanted nonetheless, and trying to bargain prices with the shopkeepers who, from their part, were rubbing hooves together at the incoming profits. Two mares exited a restaurant located in the main street of the district, the first one, a grey earth pony, waving goodbye and thanking the waiter, and the other one, a white unicorn, following her. "So where are we gonna go next?" asked Vinyl. "I need new strings for my cello and I was hoping to go to the store today. Shall we do this now?" replied Octavia. "Sounds good." They headed for the music store they knew well. During the journey, Octavia glanced at her friend out of the corner her eye. Vinyl hadn't held a grudge against Octavia from their fight. When Octavia had tried to apologize, Vinyl hadn't let her finish her sentence and had gently but firmly told her that it was in the past and to forget about all this. She had been more than happy to comply and make up with her friend but small details had been keeping her concerned. Vinyl seemed to be more irritable this past weeks. Where she only would have settled for making a joke about the things that didn't go her way or simply dismiss them, she now made sarcastic comments instead. She also locked herself in her room longer and more often, exiting it only for meals. Their present outing was due to the fact that Octavia had convinced her to come with her to enjoy an afternoon walk. "So, do you have any performance planned this week?" asked Octavia, not wanting Vinyl to notice her worrying look. "Yeah, I got two." "Aaannnnd, when will they take place?" "Hugh," she sighed, "one tomorrow night and the other in four days at the same club." "That's good news." "Yeah, whatever." That was one more thing that seemed off to Octavia. The usual contagious energy that Vinyl used to show to everyone, friends or acquaintances, was weaker. She used to always be full of enthusiasm for everything, even the small ones and even when she would wake up after midday. Now, she sometimes displayed apathy towards the things that made her happy. There had to be something I can do to help lift up her mood. Maybe I could go to her next performance. I 'm not really a big fan of the atmosphere of those dancing clubs, but the music isn't that bad. It can be quite enjoyable to listen to. Maybe Vinyl could find me a place where I won't be disturb by all the party goers and where I could enjoy her mixing. "Vinyl! Octavia!" She was cut from her thought by the voice of a green mint unicorn exiting a flower shop with a bouquet held in her magic and calling to them. "Lyra!" exclaimed Octavia with a smile. She exchanged a quick hug with the lyrist. For her part, Vinyl just waved to her. "Sup'," she added casually to her motion. "What are you doing here? Enjoying the beautiful weather?" asked Lyra "Partly," replied Octavia, "I also needed to replaced my cello strings." "So you gonna go to Luthier's shop right?" "Yes, of course." "Say hello for me when you'll see him. I owe him a last minute strings replacement." "So that's why you were a bit late last time." "Yeah, I kinda forgot about it and only remembered the night of our concert. He saved me on this one." "That's not like you to forget about that kind of thing. What did you have on your mind?" "Oh, nothing really important," replied Lyra with a fake smile. "Are you sure?" asked Octavia with a smirk. "Wouldn't it be related, by any chance, to that pretty mare that came to see you that night and you talked to after the performance, without any words for your colleagues?" "N...no..." "Tell me, to whom this flowers you're holding are intended for?" "Nopony!" she exclaimed, trying to hide the bouquet behind her. "Sure, and I'm Princess Celestia's secret foal." "Ugh fine, you guessed well," she muttered, "They are for her. In fact, I was about to go to the train station and go see her for the week-end." "The train station? She is not from Canterlot?" "No, she is from Ponyville, a small town, less than two hours from the capital." "That's lovely, I'm happy for you. You should introduce her to us next time" "Hmm thanks, I'll keep that in mind. And what about you Vinyl?" she said turning to the white mare. "You barely said anything, how are you?" "Sorry, I feel a bit too hot. I'm fine actually, but nothing new, same routine." "Still mixing at clubs right? When is your next? I may come to see you." "One tomorrow night and the other is Tuesday night, at Pepperoni's club. Sorry, can we move in the shade?" she added. "I'm starting to get really hot under that sun." "No problem." They went under the flap of the flower shop. "Are you okay Vinyl? It looks like you're sweating," asked Octavia. "I'm fine. Anyway Lyra, if you wanna come with your marefriend, just tell me and I'll tell the security to let you in." "Thank you but she is not my marefriend. Yet," she said without being able to prevent a smile from appearing. "In any case, I'm glad you seem fine after all what happened." "What? What are you talking about?" "You know, you little accident and everything..." "And what's that suppose to mean?" she asked raising her shades and looking fiercely to Lyra. "Octavia told me that you..." she tried, seeing that Vinyl's expression became tenser, "had your accident because of... things" she chose to say after a look on Octavia's face, "... and I guessed that, with you looking fine and everything, you have dealt with... them and... put them behind you." "And wh... what are these things Octavia told you about?" she asked in a short breath. "Come on Vinyl," intervened Octavia, "let's not bother Lyra anymore, she has a train to catch." "No no, I want to hear about the bullshit you keep on telling to everypony. What did she tell you, that I... I was a fucking alky?" "She is worrying about you, Vinyl" she said softly, "And so am I." "Well, you can keep your worries for yourself, I don't need them! I'm a grown mare!" she said raising her voice. "Vinyl..." whispered Octavia, gently putting her hoof on Vinyl's shoulder. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" she yelled, pushing away her friend's leg with too much strength. Caught by the sudden push, Octavia didn't managed to stand and crashed on the flower pots behind her. She coughed dirt while Lyra, who had rushed to help her, was moving away the pots covering her body and cleaning off the dirt from her fur. "Octy, I..." "Vinyl!" screamed Lyra, "how could you-" "Easy Lyra," firmly said Octavia who was getting back on her hooves, "I'm fine." Taken aback by the unexpected order, she froze and kept her mouth shut. "I'm sorry Tavi, I... I didn't want it to h... hurt you." Vinyl's breath was getting shorter and shorter while she was muttering apologies. "I... I'm so s... sorry..." She was now panting heavily, her eyes jumping from one thing to another. "Vinyl?" asked Octavia. "Are you okay?" "I... huh... so... y... T..." "Vinyl?" "...avi..." She collapsed. "VINYL!" screamed Octavia. She rushed to her friend laid on the street. Her body was shaking. "Vinyl, can you hear me?" No answer came. Her body kept on shaking for a minute, until it suddenly stopped. "Vinyl?" Octavia tried to slap her cheeks to wake her but Vinyl stayed unconscious. What is happening? A dreadful thought came to her mind. She quickly put her hoof on Vinyl's neck. There wasn't any pulse. "VINYL!" she screamed again. "LYRA! Quick, call an ambulance!" Lyra, who had watched the entire scene without being able to move, came back to her senses and took her phone to make the call. Octavia put her two forlegs on Vinyl's chest and started to push hard in repeated motions, only stopping to give her the kiss of life before resuming the cardiac massage. She barely noticed that her friend's breath tasted like alcohol. Come on Vinyl, breath. Damn it, breath! The small crowd that had watched the fight was now looking horrified at the two mares, one of whom was vainly and desperatly trying to preserve the small sparkle of life inside her friend. A siren echoed through the streets, screaming to ponies' ears closed enough to hear it, about the silent tragedy that had occurred in their own neighbor. Soon enough, the ambulance came and took on the three mares. The only clue an incident had occured was the pieces of broken purple shades that a cleaning pony would sweep with an uncaring look.
Crazy SpinelThe sound of hooves on the floor echoed through the waiting room. Octavia was watching Lyra pacing nervously. Both of them were waiting for news about Vinyl, but while Lyra wasn't able to stay still, Octavia was sit, her eyes half closed, taking slow and deep breaths. She's gonna be okay. In a moment, the Doctor will walk through the doors with a big smile and tell us she is out of danger. She had lost the count of how many times she had told that to herself, but she kept on repeating it. When Lyra will reach ten back and forth, the Doctor will come out with the good news. She began to count them. “What is taking so long?” asked Lyra to nopony. “I don't know,” she answered. “If only they could tell us something, anything.” She didn't bother to reply this time. There was nothing to reply after all, or to do except wait. Wait for any movement from the doors she had gazed at for several hours. When the tenth was about to be, her whole body tensed up and she stared intensely at the doors. But no one came out. She turned her head on her left, then on her right. And after remembering they were alone in the room and nothing would help her mind to focus on something else, she restarted watching Lyra. After two other back and forth, Lyra stopped, came closer and faced her. “How did you do this?” asked the green unicorn shyly. Her head was low and her eyes fixed on the floor. “What? What do you mean?” “I mean... Vinyl fell and I didn't know what to do, I could just staring at her like... I don't know, like, if it was all a dream and...” The words seemed to fail her at the moment, when she usually was so talkative. Octavia contemplated her friend, not knowing where she was getting at. “It's ok,” she tried. “We did what we had to.” “No, you did. I was... useless,” she dropped. “And... I'm sorry.” “There is nothing to be sorry about Lyra,” she assured. “In fact...” She cut herself the moment she saw a movement of the dreaded doors. A doctor with a tiring look scanned the room and, seeing the two mares, he delivered a sentence that Octavia would never forget. “She will make it.” She didn't remember that she had stoodwhen the doctor came in but she felt the cold floor in her hind legs, telling her she hadn't been able to keep standing. Wetness was slowly spreading on her cheeks and a soft contact of Lyra's hoof on her shaking shoulders was the last straw. Her composure broke and she cried in Lyra's embrace, like she had never cried before. The vision of Vinyl in a hospital bed, her body connected to medical machines, was hard to maintain so Octavia focused on Vinyl's face. Aside from all the tubes, she looked so peaceful, just like that time Octavia had caught her taking a nap on their couch. She quietly walked to the bed like if the simple fact of making sounds was connected to her friend's survival. “Stupid,” she whispered to her friend. “You are fucking stupid Vinyl.” She didn't know if Vinyl could hear her but she kept on nonetheless. “Why didn't you ask for help, you idiot? No, of course not, you're a big pony, you can take care of yourself. Look where it has gotten you. You almost died!” Her voice was raising. “Have you only thought about your friends? About... me?” She raised a hoof. She wanted so hard to punch her, thinking that, maybe, it would put some common sense in her mind. “You... reckless mare!” she added, “The world could burn around you, you wouldn't bat an eyelid and you would dance on the ashes.” Seeing she was on the verge to scream and hurt her friend, she lowered her voice and her hoof, putting it on Vinyl's cheek instead. “Celestia be my witness, I will NOT let you destroy yourself any longer,” she asserted. “I've failed you once, Vinyl and I'm sorry. But it's over. I won't let you down this time, no matter if you don't want my help.” Her eyes began to stung and she felt tears were about to come out, but the sound of a clearing throat made her keep her nerve and turned her head. She thought it was Lyra at first but it was in fact the same doctor who had taken care of Vinyl the last time. This time, it seemed that his coat was even lighter, the yellow almost the same color of his doctor's coat. His eyes were also red from tiredness. “Miss Melody...” he said once he caught her look, nodding. “Doctor...” He walk to the bed and looked to some of the medical devices, sometimes writing something on the notepad he had grabbed from the bottom of the bed. “How is she?” asked Octavia after he had finished the checkup. “Physically , she is recovering pretty quickly,” he replied with a neutral tone. “She should wake up in a couple of hours.” “That's... not all, is it?” she asked after a moment, looking at the mare in the bed. He let out a sigh “I can't say. She'll probably wake up as the same pony she was but there is a chance that her brain has been damaged. Even if your first instinct of performing a cardiac massage was the right thing to do, you can never be sure how somepony will recover from having the brain not irrigated for a certain time. Her brain function could be altered, her magic weakened.” “And let me guess... there is nothing we can do about it, correct?” she said in a dreary tone. “Indeed,” he replied, apologetic. "We'll have to wait and see what will happen when she regains consciousness.” “Okay...” she whispered, feeling the tears coming back. “Don't worry miss,” he said, putting his hoof on Octavia's shoulder the same way he did the last time, “Your friend is a tough pony. It is my job to keep you aware of all the possibilities but from my experience, the chances are good she won't suffer any permanent damage.” His words were enough to sooth some of Octavia's worries and her body loosened a bit. “I'll leave you for now,” he added. “Call me if you need anything.” “Thank you Doctor... for everything,” she said, keeping her look on Vinyl. He nodded and Octavia watched him walking calmly to the exit, until a thought which had occupied her mind since Vinyl's first accident came back in full force. Something she shouldn't have put aside. “Hmm... Doctor?” she called. “Yes miss?” he said, turning his head to Octavia. “Do you...” she hesitated, “Do you know if Mr Pegliacci would be free at the moment?” “I think so. Follow me, I'll lead you to his office.” Octavi took a deep breath to ease her worries. She didn't really know what to expect but she had come too far to back up, so she knocked on the door labelled “Mr Pegliacci, psychologist, psychoanalyst, specialized in addiction disorders". "Come in," said a voice from beyond the door. She entered. Inside, the room was almost exactly like she had imagined what a psychologist's office would be. A large couch next to an armchair and a big desk formed the main furniture. Some trinkets were put here and there on tables and the bookshelf on her right, and a few paintings were adorning the white walls. She even recognized one of them to be Chogoll's work, two ponies looking at a beautiful garden through a window. What was unexpected was, instead of an old bearded stallion with spectacles, the pegasus behind the desk was pretty young. His dark mane and his grey coat highlighted his deep blue eyes, eyes from whom Octavia could sense serenity and some wisdom. Not to mention the spectacles weren't on his muzzle but on his flank, as a cutie mark. "Good evening miss, how can I help you?" asked the pegasus. "Good evening sir. I'm Octavia Melody and I wanted to discuss some things with you," she replied with a tone she tried to keep neutral. "Are you here for a consultation?" "I... don't know but I... think so." "We'll see. Please have a sit," he said pointing to the couch while he left his desk with a notepad under his wing to sit on the armchair. Octavia complied before asking "Should I lie down?" "Whatever makes you feel comfortable," he said with a smile. "I'm listening," he added after Octavia decided to remain seated. She took a breath, sat comfortably and tried to open her mouth but the words didn't come out. Every time she thought she had the right beginning, she stopped, unable to speak. She felt the lump in her throat getting bigger each time until she could no longer bear it and she cried. She saw through her tears that Mister Pegliacci was offering her a box of tissues. "Thanks, I'm sorry," she managed to say between two sobs, grabbing the box. "That's alright miss, take your time." She didn't understand why she was crying. She should be happy, Vinyl was out of danger. It was true that it wasn't one hundred percent sure but the Doctor seemed confident in Vinyl's recovery and everything was going in the right direction. So why, why for Celestia's sake, why was she feeling so bad? She hadn't the answer and Pegliacci didn't seem he was about to provide one. He was patiently waiting, his eyes fixed on her. After a moment, her cries stopped. She realised she had kept so much in her and she she had needed to let this all out. She somehow felt relieved. "I apologize for making a scene," she said after she was sure she had enough control over her voice. "I didn't want to waste your time." The clock on the wall was indeed showing that she had been here for almost twenty minutes. "As I already told you Miss Melody, that's perfectly fine. And because I believe you are here for a consultation, there is one thing you must remember above all else, especially if you're willing that we meet again after today. Your time here can be spent however you want. If you want to talk, we talk. If you want to stay quiet, we stay quiet." "I... don't understand," she said hesitantly. "You don't have to for now." The idea was surprising but she was here to talk. Maybe she would figure that out later. And thus, she started explaining to a total stranger what happened to her roommate – no, her friend-, how it had started with a phone call, and how it had lead Vinyl to be in this state. During her talk, Mr Pegliacci didn't barely say anything, simply nodding or encouraging her to continue the story. "That covers pretty much everything," concluded Octavia. "I see," was all she got for an answer. She looked at the pegasus. She couldn't find any clue about what he was thinking of her story. Furthermore, because he wasn't saying anything, Octavia supposed she had to keep on speaking. But about what? She hadn't the the time to figure out a new topic, Mr. Pegliacci surprisingly resuming the conversation with a question. "Miss Melody, what did you expect when you come to see me?" "What did I...?" she repeated. "I... suppose I expected some help... and a chance to vent a bit. I don't really know." "Is that all?" he asked. "Maybe some advice too. I want to know what I could do to help Vinyl." "Well, from what you and my colleagues have told me, I'm afraid there isn't any advice I could provide today. Because I've not met your friend yet, all I could do is guessing why she started drinking and which form her addiction takes. And believe me" he added, "even if there is a lot of guessing in my field, the chances are pretty high that whatever I could tell you about Miss Scratch wouldn't help her. Even worse, I would be completely wrong and it could hurt her." "So what can I do?" she pleaded, feeling she had repeated that question too often. "For your friend, nothing much." "You're telling me that I'm wasting my time here?" she retorted sharply. "If you think so, feel free to leave," he suggested, pointing to the door. She started to get up. Everypony seemed to be helpless -so why bother?- but she stopped mid-course. She was here for Vinyl and maybe she could get something from all this. Moreover, his comment felt more like an observation than an order. So she sat back and the pegasus spoke again before she could formulate any apology, as if nothing had happened. "Even if there isn't much you can do for Miss Scratch, you can do much more for yourself, as long as you're willing to invest in our interview. You have told me you were seeking advice and you will need them if you are going to deal with your friend. Tell me, what do you know about addiction?" She thought for a moment. "I guess the addicts can't stop by themselves, and... the more they take, the more they need..." "This is both correct and wrong," he commented. "You see, this phenomenon is indeed very powerful. It can lead ponies to do some hurtful things they would have never thought they would do just to get what they need but I've already seen some ponies able to quit by themselves. And it's true that usually, addicts tend to need more as their addiction grow, but sometimes, they can take the same amount for twenty years and never realize they have a problem, until the day they don't have access to it and suffer withdrawal for the first time. For the alcoholics, it's more pernicious because of the simple fact that alcohol is legal and can be bought in pretty much every store. Moreover, you can't really attend any party or any gathering without finding some. That's one of the main reason why alcoholism is the hardest addiction to quit. Only a third manages to never drink again." This information felt like a slap on her hope. "Only a... third?" she asked, only answered by a nod from the pegasus. "And... what are the other reasons?" "Unlike other drugs like heroin, alcohol leaves a strong memory trace. A pony who has quitted for twenty years will feel the same withdrawal than when it was his first day without it. Unfortunately, when you are an alcoholic, it's for life." "Holy Celestia..." she whispered. "This is hopeless." "Indeed," he replied to Octavia's surprise, "because there is no place for hope in curing an addiction. Only with time, patience and abnegation. Are you sure to be ready for all this?" She pondered the thought, remembering the vow she made earlier. "I am" she assured without any tremor in her voice. "Good. I'm afraid that our conversation has to end here," he said looking at the clock, "but I suggest we meet again next week, at the same hour. Will you be free?" "I'll manage to be so. Thank you Doctor," she said, standing from the couch and shaking the pegasus' hoof. "One last thing before you go, something more down to earth" he called while Octavia was at the door. "From next week, the therapy session is seventy bits. And before you ask, there are reasons why it's this way, reasons that we can discuss next time if you want." "That's fine," she simply replied before leaving the office. Once the door closed, she let out a long sigh, feeling her tension loosening for the nth time today. She regretted she hadn't take a moment to speak about her fear or her angst but she had somepony else to talk to. Lyra was waiting so she went to meet her, hoping that Vinyl would soon wake up so that she could finally start doing something for her. Author's Note Aaaaaand, it's done. After two months. As usual, feel free to leave a comment on what you thought of the story. The painting that Octavia recognizes is this one here from Chagall. And there is a bonus point for the one who find the reference hidden in this chapter.
Non Dialogue of Inner Voices"So, how are you today?" asked Mr Pegliacci in his usual neutral tone. "I'm fine," simply replied Octavia. She looked around, thinking that the psychologist's office was becoming familiar; maybe too familiar. She had learned to like the comfort of the couch she was sitting on and the way it had to help her to relax, but it also meant she could easily open up to the psychologist, an idea she wasn't still comfortable with. She was used to hide her emotion, except for a few friends. And even with them, there were some things she wasn't ready to talk about. It was only the third time that she came here and he had already made her talk about some of her deepest feelings. At first, she had feared of what he could do with this knowledge but she had convinced herself he only had his patient's well-being in mind. "I guess it means your small outing with Miss Scratch went well?" he asked. Octavia froze. "I... won't use well to describe it. In fact, there has been a little incident." "Oh, would you mind if I ask you what happened?" "No, not at all," she replied. She took a breath to gather her thoughts. "Three days ago, we went to that café in front of the hospital and were simply chatting, talking about everything and nothing..." "You can't expect everypony to be able to enjoy a piece only because the musician is skilled!" exclaimed Vinyl. "You make music to make ponies feel," she added, knocking her hoof several times on the table to strengthen her argument, "not to teach them!" "But then you are stuck with an uneducated audience that will accept whatever you will give them, be it a masterpiece or a row of noises." "Is that a disguised comment on my music?" asked the white unicorn. Octavia noticed that Vinyl hadn't been entirely able to prevent a smirk from playing at the corner of her lips. She didn't need to see it anyway to know that Vinyl wasn't mad, quite the opposite. They had already had this kind of argument before, this wasn't new so she played along. "You know well that even I, a snooty arrogant pony from the upper-class, has learned to enjoy your music and its inherent qualities. That's because I've seen you mixing and crafting a tune that I've understood how it was made. And that has made this kind of music enjoyable for me." "Yeah, I know I am the best teacher but..." "Good evening misses," interrupted a waiter. "May I take your order?" "Oh, hum... yes," stammered Vinyl. "I'll take an orange juice." "And a green tea for me please," added Octavia. The waiter left and Vinyl didn't waste any time, locking her eyes again with her friend. "What was I saying again? Ha, yeah. I may be a great teacher but I believe it isn't because you saw how it works that you can know listen to my electronic music." "And what, pray tell, has made this possible? Please enlighten the poor mare, I'm all ears." Octavia didn't try to hide her own smile. "Now don't be so hasty young student," replied Vinyl grinning from one ear to the other. "All things come to those who wait." "Will you spit it out?" she groaned half-amused and half exasperated. "That's simple," said Vinyl her smile now looking more like one of a predator that had caught his prey. "It's because you finally removed the stick stuck in your rump. Don't believe that I haven't seen you sometimes tapping your hoof or nodding in rhythm with my music." Octavia blushed slightly at the truth her roommate had uncovered. "Guilty as charged" she admitted. "Give me a few more months and I'll make you dance like you've never danced before," added Vinyl. Octavia took her cup of tea between her hooves and raised it towards Vinyl. "Then, to my future jumps and body shakes that you dare call dancing," she solemnly declared. "And to what truly matters," replied Vinyl. "Music." She tried to take her own glass with her hooves but it slip from her grasp, spilling its contents all over the table. Octavia was about to gently laugh at her friend's clumsiness but the look of anger she saw on her face stopped her. More than angry, her friend looked frustrated. "That's okay," she said carefully. "I'll ask the waiter some towels to clean..." She couldn't finish her sentence. "Fuck. This. SHIT!" Vinyl violently stroke the empty glass on the table, smashing it in several pieces. "Vinyl!" she exclaimed, shocked by the sudden burst of her friend. She started noticing that they had become the center of attention of all the terrace. "Get me back to the hospital," grumbled Vinyl, standing from her chair."We're leaving." "But..." "We're. Leaving." Octavia quickly took a few bits from her saddlebags, with a little extra to cover for the broken glass, and put them on the table. She had to trot to caught up her friend who seemed eager to put some distance between herself and the café. "Vinyl, wait!" she called. "What, in Equestria, has gotten into you?" Octavia saw she was slightly limping, telling her she had had to hurt her hoof by smashing the glass. "Are you hurt?" she asked. "Of course I am!" she snapped. "But that's okay, because we're heading to the hospital where they can fix me." Octavia looked at her, dumbfounded. "No, forget about that," she added. "They can't do shit." What was supposed to be a chance for Vinyl to leave the hospital and the cure for a few hours had ended badly, and Octavia couldn't prevent herself from feeling guilty. She followed Vinyl to the hospital, unable to even utter a word. "... and I still don't understand why she reacted like that," concluded Octavia. "I mean she was normal and the second after she was mad... Do you have any idea?" Peggliacci's look was unreadable. "I have a good guess on why but if Miss Scratch hasn't told you about it, I can't really tell you either. I'm bound by professional secrecy. All I can tell you is that it's not unusual to see alcoholics go through mood swings." "It's her magic, isn't it?" Seeing a little twitch of his right wing, she was certain she had guessed well. "She told me that she hadn't been able to use it since she was admitted to the hospital-" she sighed heavily "-she also told me that it was only a matter of time before she would get it back." "Since you're aware of this, you should understand why your friend has acted like that." "Not... really." "You're a cellist, right?" he asked, looking briefly to the cello case Octavia had brought with her. "Hmm yes..." she answered, surprised by the topic switch. "Now try to imagine your life if, suddenly, you lose the use of your hind legs.” He paused to let her grasp the idea. “You wouldn't be able to stand to play your instrument. I know that you could still find a way to perform but it would take some time to accept that fact, a time during which you'd probably feeling as if a part of your purpose in life has been torn apart. I'm just guessing, I may be wrong and maybe you would recover immediately. And, moreover, unicorn's magic is deeply linked with the unicorn's talent." "Hold on a minute," she said horrified. "You're telling me that Vinyl has lost half of her talent?" "Yes and no” he sighed. “You need to understand that the unicorn's magic reflects the talent. The spells one can learn is connected to it. Ponies tend to think that there are some basic spells, like telekinesis, which every unicorn can learn, but that's wrong. I've seen some unicorns able to cast such complex spells, because they were related to their inner talent, but unfortunately unable to levitate a simple small object like we expect every unicorn to do. Clearly, they aren't the majority and that's why we may think this way." Octavia recalled every time she had seen Vinyl playing with her turntables. She remembered Vinyl was almost always using her magic to push the buttons, to turn the knobs or to move the vinyls, rarely using her hoof. And every time she had seen her mixing, Vinyl seemed... complete. Every move she made, every motion, all was aimed towards a single direction. Both her body and her magic worked together to create a powerful harmony, vibrant and lively. A dreadful thought came to her mind. "And what if it's permanent? What will she become?" "No one can tell. She'll learn how to use her hooves without breaking everything around her or she'll never cope with the loss of her magic. I've seen so many different ponies in my career, each one of them with their own difficulties and their own talent. Some of them have changed so much from what they once were that you couldn't have even started to imagine what they could become at that moment. And I wouldn't be surprised to see them being even more different today than the last time I saw them. For now, your friend is a DJ who mix tunes in clubs. What will she be in five years? No one can tell." "I... I see." "You should also be aware that your friend may become a total different pony, so different that your friendship may not last." She winced. Apparently, Peggliacci had noticed her reaction but he didn't comment and Octavia tried to grasp the idea. "I don't know why but thinking about the end of our friendship is... unpleasant," she tried to explain. "I..." She wasn't able to carry on and she felt her eyes stinging. Soon enough, she was fully crying, a nagging voice in her head mocking her, saying she had failed once more to go through an entire session without falling apart. Peggliacci offered the box of tissue she was also becoming familiar with and waited. "I'm sorry for that." "That's fine, but I see that ‘unpleasant’ might not have been the best choice of words." "Indeed," she replied with a half smile. "Do you know why thinking about this has put you in this state?" he genuinely asked. "Maybe, it's... it's a thing that I... hadn't wanted to face. I..." She felt her tears were trying to come back but she kept them inside. Now was the time for thinking and talking, not crying. "Vinyl is my only real friend... I've never formed such a deep bond with somepony before her. As I've already told you, I've been raised in a wealthy environment and I was supposed to act like a proper lady. In every school I've gone, in every class I've attended, I've always kept some distance with my classmates. I've made a lot of acquaintances but not a single friend. The year spent with Vinyl... I don't know if it's only because we've lived together or because it's inherent to our personality but..." She didn't finish her sentence and stared into space instead. Her eyes closed, Octavia put her bow on the string. She let it stand for a moment, taking a deep breath and finally, she started to play. The first note, slow and gentle. She hold it longer than expected, as if she wanted to make the moment last, that exact moment when she starts to play and her soul is split between the fear of failure and the thrill to play before an audience. Today's audience only consisted of a single pony, a white unicorn for whom Octavia had never played before and that added to her desire to have everything perfect. Of course, Vinyl had already heard her play, whether it was the cello, the double bass or the piano, the Holy Trinity of Octavia's instrument, but it was the first time she was playing for her and only her. The next notes followed, bouncing one after the other, getting higher and higher before Octavia went back to a lower one and starting again the gradual musical climb, each time with a different low note. Every time she played her cello, she could feel the vibration of her instrument resonating with her chest but today, she could feel it was reaching her heart. She forced herself to maintain her focus but it seemed that her heart had decided otherwise and she surrendered to it. Fortunately, it didn't impact on her play and she was surprised to hear that it was not only as good as usual but it was also different. She hadn't the time to decide if it was in a good or a bad way, she had reached the end of the piece. She raised her face and finally opened her eyes. Vinyl was looking straight at her and her deep violet eyes seemed enthralled. "Whoa... Octi that was... incredible," stammered Vinyl. "Whoa." "Thank you," replied a blushing Octavia. "What was that song you've just played? I've never heard it before." "It's a... it's a suite for cello I've composed myself. Did you... like it?" she asked blushing. "Like it?" replied Vinyl, wide-eyed. "Filly, this was perfect and not perfect like you usually are when you perform and sound a bit too mechanical, perfect like... I don't know, perfect like the true meaning of perfect." That wasn't helping Octavia understanding what her friend meant but she was happy with it nonetheless. She kept on playing for Vinyl who settled for listening, commenting sometimes how great were the pieces Octavia was playing, even if, unlike the first one, they weren't original compositions. When Octavia left her friend a few hours later, she felt complete. She had found a way to help her friend through her cure. She could distract her from her dark thoughts with her music. She hoped it would be enough. Author's Note I thought I would never be able to finish it before the end of February but I did it. And I finally managed to end a scene between Vinyl and Octavia without everything going down and ending in tears. As for the next chapter, it should be published during March. It seems that I've found a pace of a chapter per month. I hope it's worth the wait. See you next time!
