Chapters Vinyl sat in the loud mess tent, cheering with the others as the announcement was officially made. They had been expecting it ever since the messanger had arrived from General Rainbow Dash, but it still was good to hear: they were heading home! The unit's term of deployment was over!
She was happy to serve equestria to aid Gilda's rebels, especially after twilight's assassination, but it had been a long deployment with a lot of losses, and now she could go home. It would be almost hearthwarming. She could see it already, her and Octavia troting through town, the light snow making the town even more beautiful, Tavi wearing that cute scarf, blushing slightly from the cold. She would take her out to dinner at that restaurant she loved and apologize for that fight when she volunteered...
Oak spear, who sat next to her, nudged her out of her fantasy.
"Hey, V, what'cha gonna do when we get back? Got any stallions ya got your eye on." with this he winked.
"Nah, I don't look in that direction, if you know what I mean"
He looked disappointed.
"Hey now, I'm sure there's some mare that would be glad to have you, it's just not gonna be me."
He perked up a little, maybe from her consolement, maybe because chef delivered a round of beer to the table.
No pony knew chef's name, and he kept his cutie mark hidden. He was a chestnut colored earth pony with a slightly darker mane, a rather typical pony. The one major clue to the stallion's identity was the gold wedding band around his hoof.
As chef walked away, commander greywing, leaning on the medic gentle hoof due to a recent injury, tapped his hoof on the table. A hush fell on the room. He cleared his throat and raised a beer bottle.
"As you all know, we are to return home tomorrow. So tonight we celebrate! So now, despite my injury , which certain ponies, I'm looking at you, doc, have exaggerated, I now propose a toast: to the Princesses!"
"HUZZAH!!!"
He raised his bottle, but it never touched his lips.
Instead, an arrow burst through the side of the tent, lodging itself in commander grey wing's throat. Then all hay broke lose...
Vinyl woke with a scream, staring into the hot July canterlot night. She heard the approach of the 3:00 am train, clicking and clacking onward, past the empty building on it's way to manehattan, carrying cargo and the passengers who couldn't afford day service. Vinyl, who couldn't afford any service, groaned, and, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep again tonight, got up and got ready for the next day. It would be the usual Wednesday, beg at the street corner until 1:30, go too the welfare office to get her weekly veteran check, and spend most of it on beer to ease her nightmares. If she wasn't drunk when she went to sleep, like that night, then she would have nightmares all night...
12:30, Canterlot train station
Vinyl ran after the jerks who stole her saddle bags. She didn't really care about the cheap bag, it was falling apart anyway, no, it was the medals in the bags that she cared about. She had earned them through sweat and lots of blood.
This wasn't the first time these two had messed with her either. No, they were always playing all sorts of mean pranks, like throwing pebbles at her or droping a dead rat in her collections jar. But this, this was too far.
She was so angry that she didn't even see the grey earth pony crossing the station until they collided, vinyl landing on top of the mare, who didn't immediately recognize her. The two theives laughed, and droped the bag, running off.
"What's the rush, where are you headed Miss..."
Then it hit her!
"V...Vinyl, you look like a wreck, what happened to you!?!"
Vinyl didn't answer, getting up to pack the bag.
"Do you at least have a place to live?"
Again, Vinyl didn't answer, but this time, she paused.
"Ok Vinyl, You're coming with me."
She then grabed Vinyl's hoof and drug her towards Uptown. She wasn't just going to leave her friend in a state like this...
Canterlot heights apartments, 5 Minutes later.
As Ocatavia troted into the apartments, Vinyl following behind, she was greeted by the doorstallion, a greying chestnut stallion.
"Hey! Miss Melody! Who's this you've brought in here?
"An... Old friend.
"Ahh, I see. I take it you don't want your mom to know."
"Definitely."
"Alright, my lips are sealed."
Octavia smiled and took Vinyl into the elevator. Vinyl then broke her silence.
"I take it your mom is still as prejudiced and controlling as she was when we were together."
"Yep. She has gone so far as to make sure she has somepony keeping an eye on me at all times. Thank the Princesses I got lucky this time. The doorstallion here was her spy, but he thinks differently than her. I usually can get away with just about anything. Still, I'm careful. You know how my mom can get."
Vinyl shuddered, memories of the mare coming back to her.
After a few seconds of silence, Octavia decided to change the subject.
"So, what were you running after?"
"Two jerks who stole my bags just for laughs. I don't care about the bags so much as the medals in them."
The elevator doors opened, and the two walked down the hall. They stoped in front of apartment 715. Octavia opened the door and they both entered.
The apartment was well furnished. It was small, but not too small, ideal for one or two ponies. Octavia turned to Vinyl.
"Now, if you're going to stay here, I don't want you to drink. You can come and go as you please, but I better not find you in a bar."
Vinyl opened her mouth to protest, and then shut it. She realized that Octavia was giving her a place to stay for free, and she couldn't watch her all of the time.
"So, do we have a deal?"
Vinyl paused.
"Listen, Vinyl, I'm not going to try to change you like last time."
"Octavia, we both know that's not what happened."
"Well, do we have a deal or not?"
Vinyl grasped her hoof and shook it.
"We have a deal."
Octavia pointed down the hall.
"Bathroom's down there, you smell like you could use a shower."
Author's Note
And so it begins. I've been sitting on this one for most of the summer, and hopefully I'll have a better chance to keep it up
Vinyl stepped out of the bathroom, her mane wrapped in a towel, and walked into the living room. She had forgotten how nice a warm shower felt.
"Octavia! You kept the couch?"
"Yeah. There were too many memories in it to just give it away."
Vinyl smiled and sat back down. She watched TV with Octavia for an hour, and suddenly remembered her appointment.
"Octavia! I'm late to pick up my Veteran's check!"
"Than let's go!"
701 3rd street, 3:40
Octavia stepped out into the street, Vinyl close behind. As they crossed the street, Vinyl struck up a conversation.
"So, how is everypony doing?"
"Derpy and the doctor got married, last I'd heard they were about to have their second kid. Dinky is in college, studying to become a teacher. Lyra and bonbon are the owners of a big candy store chain, along with Pinkie Pie. Last I heard of Berry punch, she was receiving treatment for her alcoholism, and she and Colgate were finally going steady. It's about time."
"And what about you. How did you end up back in Canterlot?"
"Well, after you left, I started having trouble keeping up on the rent on the house. And since I didn't really need a place that big for just me, and since mom was willing to help me now that you were out of the picture, I decided to come back to Canterlot. It is home, after all. Mom wants me to join the family business, but I really don't care for it. Mom's been paying for the apartment, and I've been picking up a few performances here and there for spending money." She looked off into the distance, a forlorn look on her face.
Vinyl sensed she was holding something back, but decided not to pry.
"I know it's a little early for dinner, but I haven't had anything all day."
"Sure. Any place you have in mind?"
"How about that restaurant where we had our first date."
She blushed "Sure"
The Prench Terrace, 4:10
Vinyl and Octavia entered the restaurant, and both were struck by nostalgia. It had been two decades since that date, but the place had hardly changed. The brick walls, adorned with vines, the old wooden tables, even the carpet was the same. For a brief moment, they both were teens again...
"Tavi! Darling! You're a little early this evening! And I see you've brought some company!"
Vinyl turned her head to see a short red pony with an impressive mustache hurrying to greet them. Octavia smiled, and shouted out:
"Hey Cheval! My friend here was hungry and we thought we'd drop in for a late lunch."
Cheval looked at Vinyl for a second.
"Why, she is all skin and bones! Come, sit! I will make you some thing to eat. Any friend of Tavi's is a friend of mine!"
He hurried back to the kitchen. Vinyl and Octavia picked a table beside a window and sat down.
"So, he's the new owner?"
"Yeah. The last one retired three years ago. Cheval bought it as is, and I played on the first night he re opened. We've been close friends ever since."
"He didn't change anything?"
"Nope. He liked it as it was. I've been coming in every thursday since he bought the place."
Cheval approached the table, wine glasses in his magic field following him.
"Shall there be any wine tonight?"
Before Vinyl could answer, Octavia reached across the table and put her hoof on Vinyl's lips.
"No, thank you. Water will be fine."
Cheval smiled and walked away, leaving behind the glasses.
Vinyl, however, was not amused.
"What in tartarus was that about!?!"
"I told you: If you're going to stay with me, I'm not going to let you drink."
"I have a damn good reason to want to drink!"
"I don't care! I'm not going to let you waste yourself like you did when you got back! It's not good and you know it."
Vinyl was standing now.
"Here we go again, you always know best! No matter what, you refuse to see things from my point of view! I'm going back to the apartment." She turned and walked away.
"Yeah run away, like you did back in ponyville those years ago!"
Vinyl turned, a fire in her eyes, and slowly walked up to Octavia.
"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME A COWARD AGAIN!!!" She was right in front of Octavia now, almost touching her. "You weren't there when your close friends, ponies who you had known for months, with whom you shared every trial and hardship, every triumph and joy, were bleeding to death on some faust-forsaken field, moaning out in pain, and there is nothing you can do to help them, or even comfort them. Because if you show so much as a hoof to the enemy, you'll join them in the mud and blood until you die! I faced death at stony creek. There were more than a thousand of us when the night began. By the time the sun rose, by the time the reinforcements arrived, there were seventeen of us, all surrounded on the top of martyrs' hill. I survived the massacre of stony creek. So don't EVER call me a coward again."
As Octavia sat in stunned silence, Vinyl walked out, an angry look on her face. By the time Cheval returned, she was sobbing into the table, remembering that painful night years ago...
Ponyville, 5 years ago.
A door opened, spilling light onto the cobblestone street. Vinyl, clearly drunk, sauntered out of it. Turning, she yells into the opened door.
"I don't need this, damn it! All you want to do is try to make me perfect. You don't care about me as I am. You're...You're just as bad as your mother. I HATE you. I never want to be near you again. You weren't with me in the war. How can you think that you can understand me."
Octavia watched from the window as Vinyl disappeared into the night, a terrible feeling coming over her. She somehow knew that she wouldn't see Vinyl again. And if she did, she obviously wouldn't want to be with her ever again. She walked into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub and wept for over an hour. When she looked up, the first thing she saw was a bottle of pain killers. Vinyl had come home drunk and cut up, like many nights recently, and Octavia had set out the pain killers for the next morning, when Vinyl was in pain from her many cuts.
"Maybe they can get rid of my pain, if I take enough."
The Prench Terrace, 10:30 PM
Cheval, having let his staff go home after they closed at 10, approached Octavia's table.
"Madame Octavia, I know you've had a rough night, but I need you to go home. Maybe a good night's rest will help you feel better."
"I'm so sorry Cheval! I didn't realize it was so late!"
"Non non non, you had a rough night. Do you want me to help you get home?"
"No, that's alright. What about you? Are you headed out yet?"
"No, I've got some dishes to wash, and a few phone calls to make."
"Alright then. I'll go home."
"Take care!"
"I will!"
She sighed as she went out the door and into the night.
Canterlot Heights Apartments, 11:10 P.M.
Upon seeing Octavia approach, the door stallion sprang to attention.
"Miss Melody, what are you doing out this late!"
"I'll tell you about it later, right now I just want to sleep."
He opened the door for her, and she made her way up to her apartment, entering without realizing the door was unlocked.
She walked in to her room and was surprised to find Vinyl lying on her bed. She stood, astonished, for several seconds before remembering their deal. Once she did, she turned to leave, only to hear Vinyl whimper in her sleep.
She turned back around, and saw Vinyl twitching, her face conveying a sense of fear.
As Octavia watched, Vinyl tossed and turned, crying out in her sleep, shivering despite the warmth of the room.
This awoke pity in Octavia's heart, as she watched Vinyl's distress grow. She climbed onto the bed, right behind Vinyl, and began to stroke Vinyl's wild, tangled mane. This seemed to calm the mare down, as she quit moving as much. Octavia lost track of time as she lay there, enjoying the presence of one so dear.
Canterlot Heights Apartments 3:00 A.M.
Vinyl awoke, chased by the same nightmare as most nights. It was the night of the attack, complete in every detail, down to the last drop of blood. But this time was different. It was as though there was a presence close to her, reminding her that it was just a nightmare, a haunting echo of the past, nothing more. As she reflected on this, she realized there was somepony in the bed with her.
She quickly rolled over, and quickly realized that it was Octavia, who was still awake.
She spoke in a soft voice: "Hey V, listen, I'm sorry about this whole thing with us..." Vinyl put a hoof on her lips.
"Food first, apology later."
"Um, I've got some microwaveable meals. Will that do?"
"Sure!"
10 minutes later
Octavia and Vinyl sat and ate their impromptu meal, both happy to have something to eat. About halfway through, Octavia spoke up.
"You were having a nightmare, weren't you."
Vinyl dropped her fork. "Yes, I was. It happens when ever I try to sleep without getting drunk first."
"Have you ever tried to get counseling?"
"Once. It didn't work out."
"Oh."
"Listen, I know that, after the argument we had earlier, you probably don't want me around here, but..."
"No, It's alright."
"Seriously!"
"Yes. I don't think you meant what you said, either last night or that night 5 years ago. You were hurting, and I didn't make things any better."
"No it wasn't your fault. I was so engrossed in my hurting that I didn't notice you were trying to help. And you did help. It was memory of your love that kept me going, even when I hit my lowest. When I was suicidal, I would think of you, and it would snap me out of it..."
She trailed off as she caught sight of a far away look in Octavia's eyes.
"What?"
"I was remembering the night you left. I nearly... Killed myself."
Vinyl gasped.
"I took the painkillers from the bathroom into my room, and set them up on the night stand. I spent the rest of the night trying to work up the nerve to take them. I was up all night. I had almost worked up the nerve when Lyra came over. Apparently we made enough noise to wake up the neighbors."
"Did you tell her what you were thinking about?"
"No, I didn't want to make her worry about me. And by the time she left, I had come back to my senses. But I never told anyone. You're the first to hear this."
"Tavi, I'm sorry..."
"I came back to Canterlot because I was hoping to run into you. I figured you would make your way back to Canterlot eventually. So, when mom wanted me to move back here, I was quick to accept. All, these years, I've been waiting on you."
"Tavi, I don't know what to say."
"We both have problems, and we're both going to fight from time to time, but we both love each other, and we both need somepony. So maybe we can help each other get through this. No judging, no more attempts to change you in a way you don't want. What do you say?"
"I feal like it's time for me to change."
"So, do we have a deal?"
Vinyl thought on it, and for Octavia the seconds seemed like an eternity. Then, without a word, Vinyl leaned in and kissed her. Octavia took that as a yes...
The Prench Terrace, 10:45 P.M.
"Yes, Mademoiselle Melody, I'm absolutely sure. I have no doubt it was her with your Daughter. Yes, it was Vinyl. Setting aside the fact that your daughter introduced her, she matches the picture perfectly. If you doubt me, I have several waiters who could attest to this...Yes ma'am, they came in together. They seemed pretty happy coming in. They had a blowout not long after they came in, but your daughter seemed genuinely sorry about what had transpired...if you want my opinion, if the two can get over their differences, they would make a good couple... No, your daughter didn't drink any... No, I don't know where miss Scratch is staying... Listen, what do you have against this mare, she doesn't seem all that bad, she's just got a lot of issues. And your daughter is a patient mare. She's probably just what this mare needs...Yes ma'am, I'll let you know if they come in together again."
With this he hung up the phone and sighed. "Tavi, dear friend, I hope I haven't gotten you and your friend into too much trouble. Your mother is a very powerful mare, very powerful indeed. And her anger is a very dangerous force.
