The Chance To Say

As BrickLayer awoke in the morning, she immediately felt the pounding headache of her hangover.

"Ugh, damn it, shouldn't've let them rope me into drinkin' all night."

BrickLayer practically fell out of bed and walked out to the living room, stretching and yawning as she did so.

"Morning Hail Toss."

When no response came, BrickLayer stopped in place and looked at the couch.

"Hail Toss? Where the hell?"

After a quick search around the apartment for any kind of note came up empty, BrickLayer walked over to the door and opened it. When her sleeping roommate rolled over right in front of her, she yelled slightly.

"Ah, wh-what? Oh, BrickLayer, Finally."

"Just what the hell are you doing sleeping on the floor? You just scared me half to death!"

"Sorry, I lost my key on the way home to Vinyl's."

"What? Why were ya goin' there?"

"She offered me the guest room."

"Alright, makes sense. But, if she offered the guest room, why are ya here?"

Hail Toss looked down in shame and sighed.

"I'll tell you about it over breakfast."

"Good morning Tavi."

"Morning Bonnie."

"How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty well. My damn head hurts though, no idea what the hell that's about."

"Is this your first night away from Vinyl?"

"Technically not. Where's Lyra?"

"Still sleeping."

Octavia yawned and sat down at a spot at the kitchen table. As she rubbed her sleepy eyes, she looked at the clock. Blurry at first but slowly growing clearer, Octavias eyes widened at the time.

"It's one thirty in the afternoon!?"

"Oh, yeah."

"What the hell happened?"

"I guess you wouldn't remember much after you passed out."

"Passed out?!"

Bon-Bon chuckled and put a plate of waffles on the table in front of Octavia.

"Yep. You and Lyra both. I'm used to being the responsible one with Lyra around though."

"Well, what happened after that? What happened before that?"

"Before, you got upset about not finding a dress, then you walked into a bar, sat down, and before we knew it, you and Lyra were both three shots in."

"Three sho-, I don't even like shots! I'm a wine mare myself."

"I guess you were really upset."

"I don't even remember. Ugh, I hope Vinyl is having a better time than me."

"Aw, don't worry, I'm sure she's fine."

"You did what?!"

WaveMaker's eyes shot open and followed Vinyls quick pace across his living room floor.

"I know, I know, I fucked up bad."

"I'd say. Well?"

Vinyl stopped and looked at WaveMaker for a second.

"Well what?"

"Well are you gonna call her or what?"

"Call her!? I get sick at the thought of telling her, let alone fucking calling her about it!"

"Alright, calm down. Just, wait till she gets back, wait for a good moment, and just be honest. You'll get in a hell of a lot less trouble than if she finds out on her own."

Vinyl sighed and put a hoof to her head.

"Alright, fine, I'll just see what happens. I gotta get going. Thanks for listening."

"No problem, good luck Vinyl."

"Thanks, I sure as hell need it."

Vinyl waved to WaveMaker and closed the door behind her. As she let out a long sigh, she closed her eyes.

"Fuck, why did things have to go wrong now?"

"Vinyl!"

Vinyl looked up to see a familiar, but at this moment rather unnerving face.

"Hail Toss, what's going on?"

"I seriously need to apologize for last night. It's just, I was drunk, your offer was so nice, I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry."

Vinyl heaved a sigh and looked away from Hail Toss. She then shook her head and started walking back to her house, not saying a word.

"Look, I don't know if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, but at least I'm trying!"

"Well you'd better hope there's something you can do that'll make Octavia understand what you did."

Hail Toss stopped when Vinyl snapped at her, and when Vinyl reached her doorstep, Hail Toss shuddered when her door slammed. She stood motionless where she stood for a few minutes before wiping the tears from her eyes and walking home.

"Well, thank you ladies for the wonderful time, we'll have to do this again soon."

"We sure will. Bye Octavia!"

"Bye Lyra, bye Bon-Bon!"

The three mares waved to each other as Octavia board the train. She took a seat at he window and let out a long sigh ad she closed her eyes and eased into the seat.

"It's been a hell of a weekend. I just can't wait to get the hell back home, where everything will be alright."

Octavia slept most of the way to Ponyville, and due to the minimal amount of passengers, Octavia was awoken by the conductor. All the way from the station to home, Octavia was smiling and thinking about Vinyl; how she'd rush to greet her at the door, and then they'd kiss, then they'd both sit down and talk about each other's weekend apart. She closed her eyes and pushed the door open.

"I'm home sweetie!"

After no response came, Octavia opened one eye, then the second, and looked around the room. On the couch was Vinyl, sitting with her front hooves gently resting on her back hooves, staring straight off into nowhere.

"We...need to talk."

"You did what!?"

Octavias eyes were wide opened as she stared at Vinyl.

"Look, it was a big mistake, w-we were drunk, I'm sorry!"

"You were.. Vinyl, you aren't making this any better for yourself!"

"Well I don't know what to say!"

"No, you never do, do you? Well let's start with this. You violated my trust just over three months before the wedding, you were drunk, when you just got out of rehab, and didn't think to call me about any of this!?"

"I..."

Octavia shook her head and sighed. After a few moments of silence, Octavia wiped her eyes and cleared her throat.

"I want you to go."

"Wh..what?

"Out. I want you out of my house tonight."

"Tavi... please."

"Out. I don't care where. Go sleep at her house for all I care. Just leave."

Vinyl hung her hung and sniffles as she turned and opened the door.

"I'm sorry."

After Octavia heard the door close, she looked down to the floor and wept at a more audible volume.

WaveMaker sighed again as he looked out the window. It had been three hours since Vinyl left, and he was worried about how the conversation following Octavias arrival would go.

"Ah, I gotta stop worrying. It'll be fine."

He laid down on his couch and closed his eyes. He hadn't meant to doze off, but when he lifted his head, it was dark outside.

"Shit, I didn't wanna fall asleep!"

He shot off the couch and over to the window, tossing open the curtain and looking at the nearby house. No lights were on, and there wasn't any other sign of anypony even being home.

"I hope they figured it all out."

As he turned around, he gasped at the sight that met him. He saw a vision of himself lying on the couch, limp and lifeless, his pistol laying on the floor.

"You're such a great pony. But sometimes, you let your head get the better of you."

"What?"

WaveMaker looked over to see his late wife standing beside the couch. She smiled at him before a breeze blew her away like a pile pile of dust.

"No, no come back! I need you!"

You may now, kiss the bride

"What the?"

WaveMaker turned back to see that his tv was on, replaying the same part of his wedding footage.

May now kiss the bride
Kiss the bride
Kiss the bride

"Enough!"

Without a moment of question, the gun was in WaveMakers wing, aimed, and the trigger was pulled.

Octavia snapped awake in a cold sweat. Strange, Octavia hadn't had a nightmare like that since around the time she first met Vinyl. She looked around the room, but saw nothing. In this moment, the word nothing was hauntingly accurate. The roomed seemed so...empty to Octavia. Every piece of furniture was exactly where it should be, but it felt like there was something missing. Octavia shivered as she stood up and looked out the window at the adjacent house.

"Wow, it really isn't the same without Vinyl."

She smiled half-heartedly and sighed. Octavia was just about to turn away from the window when she saw a flash of light, accompanied by a muffled gunshot.

"WaveMaker!"

A light mist of rain was just starting, but Vinyl continued walking down the sidewalk. She shivered slightly and stopped to look at where she was. The sign above her read

ManeHatten Correctional Institute Visitors Clinic

"Maybe just a quick visit."

Vinyl walked up to the door of the small building outside of the prison and pushed it open. After quickly shaking herself off, she walked up to the desk. The mare looked up from her paperwork and smile at Vinyl as she took a seat.

"How may I help you ma'am?"

"Yes, I'd um, I'd like to visit somepony."

"Alright, well who is that?"

"Open Mind?"

"Ah, yes. Now, if I may, you look awful familiar. Weren't you a big music star once?"

"Yeah, a-actually yeah I was."

"I thought so, and aren't you with that other one? Octavia was it?"

Vinyls heart sunk, and she took in a deep breath.

"No. No, you must be mistaken."

"Ah shoot. Well, I suppose there are plenty of ponies who look similar. Anyways, right down this hall, you'll be looking for room C7."

"Thanks."

Vinyl stood up and forced a small smile at the mare behind the desk. She took the door to the left of the desk and started walking down the long, white hallway. Down te way, she could she a guard with a gun in his holster sanding beside one of the doors.

"C5, C6"

"C7"

Vinyl looked up at the guard, who looked back and smiled a little.

"Right here madam."

The guard pushed open the door to the visitors room and nodded her in. Vinyl walked into the room and sat down on the nearest chair.

"He'll be in shortly."

As the door closed, Vinyl let out a sigh and looked around the room. On the side opposite of her, there was a pane of what she assumed was one sided glass, and a large metal door. After a few minutes, she her muffled voices on the other side of the door, then it started opening. Seeing that stallion almost made it hard for Vinyl to breathe. He had put Octavia in the hospital, and he just As easily could've killed her, just as well as Octavia. As he sat down with a grin in the chair across from her, Vinyl quickly sorted through her thoughts.

"Hello again Vinyl."

"Hey."

"I take it you're doing well?"

"I'm fine. How's prison?"

Open Mind chuckled at Vinyl's cocky tone and leaned back in his chair.

"It's quite nice, I assure you. Three square meals, I don't have to pay bills. You know, I actually have quite a reputation around here for stabbing your mare-friend. Nothing like the reputation that you ruined!"

Open Mind stood up and slammed his cuffed hooves on the table. The guard standing in the corner looked over and clicked off the safety of his gun.

"Eh, take it easy pal."

"You know, you ruined your reputation yourself, I didn't need you."

"See Vinyl, that's what you think. But I can see it in your eyes. You still need help, you're pushing a lot aside."

"Oh please, what do you know?"

"I know that something's wrong with your relationship. The way you tensed up when I mentioned, Octavia is it? Anyways, I know that, I know that you lied to me about how you're doing, and I know that you probably lied to the secretary."

Vinyl just sat and stared at Open Mind. He was right, but how did he know? Did she make her emotions that obvious?

"That's crap and you know it."

"Keep lying to yourself Vinyl, maybe you'll end up here too. This was....pleasant. However, I feel you need my help. Should you not, then go from here and stay. Should you however require my help, then let's say, same time next week?"

Vinyl deeply hesitated as she looked at the slightly outstretched hoof. Her mind was reeling. Then, within seconds, she was shaking Open Mind's hoof.

"Deal."

Vinyl started walking towards the door that she had come in after Open Mind waved her out.

"And don't worry dear, I can help you."