The Chance To Say

As the train slowed and eventually came to a stop, WaveMaker and Hail Toss both opened their eyes slowly. Hail Toss' were the first to shoot open when she saw how close WaveMakers red, white, and blue mane was to her. WaveMakers eyes soon shot open and he flinched backwards, falling off the bed that they were both on. Both ponies stood up and looked around the train car room.

"Nothing happened, right?"

"No, I don't think so."

"We should go?"

"Let's."

"Ok, you first."

WaveMaker held the room door open and Hail Toss quickly walked through it. Most of the other ponies had already exited the train, and the two quickly followed. There was a long awkward silence as they walked through the streets of Vanhoover, until Hail Toss heard her stomach growl.

"Hey, wanna stop somewhere to grab a bite?"

"Sure, you know any places?"

"I can think of one, it's pretty good, not too far either."

"Alright, lead the way."

Hail Toss nodded to WaveMaker and turned down a road towards the restraint she spoke of. It took them a while to get there, and until they sat down inside, it was an unfortunately long, awkward silence.

"Can I get you started with some drinks?"

"Whaddya say, alcoholic or no?"

"Little early isn't it Hail?"

"Eh, guess you're right. Iced tea please."

"Excellent, and you sir?"

"Just the same."

"Alright, I'll return with those soon, here are your menus."

As the waiter walked away, Hail Toss scoffed slightly.

"What's that for?"

"Ugh, I forgot how much I actually hated these kinds of places. Everyone's so snobby, it's too fancy, and the food isn't even great."

"I thought you said it was pretty good?"

"Well, it's alright, but it just kinda gets ruined by the downsides. Don't'cha think?"

"I guess you're right."

Hail Toss sighed and propped her head up with her hooves as she looked out the window.

"It's just, after being in ManeHatten for so long, I've grown so attached. I guess I get homesick easily."

"Ah. I see."

"Here are your drinks, and what may I get you today?"

Hail Toss looked at WaveMaker and smiled for a second before pulling a few bits from her purse and putting them on the table.

"Actually, we've lost our appetites. Thank you for the drinks. C'mon."

Hail Toss stood up and started towards the door. WaveMaker stood up and shrugged at the waiter, but then followed.

"So..that was?"

"We're ditching that place, let's just get something here."

WaveMaker looked up at the fast food building that they were at.

"Here?"

"Yeah, I like this place. My ex kinda hated fast food, but on the few solo trips I made out here, I kinda bonded with the guys who run the show. C'mon, they got some of the best burgers in town."

"Well, can't argue with that."

The two entered the restaurant and almost immediately, a tall earth pony with a blonde mane and a deep blue coat walked over.

"Hail Toss! You're back in town!"

"Hey Killswitch! Still keeping the place shop shape?"

"Oh, you know it. Who's your friend?"

"WaveMaker, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. So what brings y'all up to Vanhoover?"

"Oh, I just needed a little break from ManeHatten, and he came with me for the same reason."

"Huh. I see. Well, enjoy your stay here."

"I'm sure we will."

"Hey, is that crabby old bat still working here?"

"Hell no, ThunderBolt and I got that crotchety old bastards resignation letter two weeks ago."

"That's great! ThunderBolt, he still around?"

"Fuck, that boy's been everywhere twice, who knows where he is now."

"True, true. Well, guess we should eat then."

"Yeah, take a seat, I'll get the menus."

"Excellent."

Hail Toss and WaveMaker sat down at a booth close to the kitchen, and WaveMaker chuckled.

"You really do have quite a history here."

"Yeah, these guys are pretty nice to me. Then again, I think they're just nice to everypony. Might be a Vanhoover thing."

"Well, if we're stuck here all of today, I sure hope it's a Vanhoover thing."

"Amen to that."

After a few seconds, Killswitch returned and placed a couple menus down on the table.

"What drinks can I get ya?"

"Iced tea for the both of us. Right?"

"Yes."

Hail Toss smiled, and Killswitch nodded.

"Awesome, I'll get right on it."

As he walked away, Hail Toss looked back to WaveMaker.

"The ice tea here is marvelous. Good choice may I say."

"Well, I figured, that's what we ordered before."

"Well, ice tea is my favourite."

"Oh, that's good."

Killswitch placed the drinks on the table and pulled the pencil from behind his ear, placing the tip gently against the pad of paper.

"What can I get you?"

"You first."

"Uh, I guess I'll just get the hayburger and fries."

"Same here."

"Two hayburgers and fries coming right up."

Killswitch walked away and started talking to someone else in the kitchen. WaveMaker sighed and leaned back in the booth.

"Something wrong?"

"Well.. can, can I tell you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"I was, kinda thinking about moving out here."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah. Shit's been pretty rough for me back in ManeHatten, I needed a break. Was thinking about moving here but, I'm already homesick just thinking about it."

"Well, what is it about ManeHatten that you miss so much?"

WaveMaker took a deep breath in and held it for a long moment. He hadn't thought about any specific reasons why he loved ManeHatten so much.

"I..I don't know."

"Well is it the food? Shopping, sights? All the pretty mares walking around?"

Hail Toss chuckled a little bit at her joke, but WaveMaker didn't move. After moving his lips to a word Hail Toss couldn't make out, WaveMaker shot his gaze to Hail Toss.

"It isn't ManeHatten that's getting to me."

"Back again darlings? Oh! And is this the other lovely bride?"

"Yes, that's her."

"Lovely, are we picking out the next dress today?"

"We'll be trying."

"Alright, if you could follow me into the back room."

Rarity walked through the doorway to the back of the boutique. Vinyl and Octavia starte d following, but not before Derpy, Lyra, and Bon-Bon came through to door.

"Oh, you all made it. I see that you two have made up have you?"

"Yes, we're all better now. Not to say that Lyra won't do something wrong later down the road of course."

All but Lyra laughed at Bon-Bons joke, and then they walked into the back of the boutique. Vinyl looked around and saw a manniquenn with a wedding dress on it sitting alone in a corner.

"Uh, Tavi?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"I'm gonna go look around."

"Oh, alright."

The two quickly kissed each other on the lips, and Vinyl started towards the dress. It was a simple sheath dress with a decorative pattern embroidered along the side. Strangely, it appealed to Vinyl. She wasn't sure why, she hated the whole girly-girl dressy mare act in total. But something about this dress was just so...

"Perfect."

"Admiring my work dear?"

Vinyl snapped out of her slight trance and looked up at Rarity, who was smiling and walking towards her.

"Uh, y-yeah."

"I had quite the time with this one. The embroidering was just a pain in the flank to get perfect."

"I bet."

Vinyl quickly looked around, then leaned in closer to Rarity.

"How much?"

"Well, it's no more expensive then some in here, I'll say that. However, since I was swamped for time after completing it, I never put a definitive price on it."

"Well how much do these things usually go for?"

"Well, the highest I've sold was ten thousand bits. But, this one I'll put and six and a half thousand."

"Are you serious?"

"Completely."

"Jeez."

Vinyl shook her head as she looked at the dress more. She looked around the room again and then leaned in closer to Rarity.

"Look, you do payment over time?"

"Yes. We have a few plans."

"I'll put two and a half grand down in this now, I'll get the rest to you. One thousand bi-monthly work?"

"The thousand a month is actually one of the plans we have. So you are taking the dress?"

"Yeah."

"Splendid darling! Fitting rooms are just over to the right there."

Vinyl gulped as she looked at where Rarity was pointing.

"Could you actually do me a favour please?"

"What is it?"

"Could you distract them? I don't want them to see it."

"Oh, no problem. I'm quite used to having to do that actually. Be quick though, I don't quite know how long they'll wait."

"I'll try."

Rarity quickly ran off to the part of the store where the rest of the mares where. After a few seconds, Vinyl, with the wedding dress, ran to the changerooms. Once inside, she sat down and sighed.

"This sucks. I hate this."

Vinyl sighed and listened to the chatter happening outside the dessing room. She heard Octavia laugh, and she smiled a little.

"Well, I guess it's worth suffering just a little."

As Hail Toss and WaveMaker got off the train, Hail Toss stopped and cleared her throat.

"Uh, WaveMaker?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you care to, come over for a bit? Maybe have a some coffee? Tell me why you ran out of the restaraunt and didn't say anything to me until now?"

WaveMaker stopped and turned his full body to face Hail Toss. He sighed and walked towards her.

"Look, I'm sure I'll find a eay through this by myself."

"But what if you don't? That actually seems to be your problem."

"Excuse me?"

Hail Toss sae the anger on WaveMakers face and thought about not saying it, but sye needed to. It would benefit him, not just her.

"You never let anyoje help you. Everytime you have to deal with something, its always alone."

"You know what?"

WaveMaker tried to put on a tough look, but Hail Toss could see in his eyes that she was right. WaveMaker huffed and started walking away, and Hail Toss let him.

Hail Toss threw her bag down onto the floor and flopped onto the couch in her apartment. BrickLayer was sitting in the chair next to her, and looked over at her friend.

"Somethin' the matter sweetheart?"

Hail Toss raised her head up to speak, but the phone rang before she could say anything.

"Don't worry, I'll get it. Hello? Yeah, she is. Ok. It's for you Hail."

Hail Toss sighed and picked herself up off the couch. BrickLayer passed the phone to Hail Toss and sat back down.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Hail Toss?"

It was WaveMaker. Hail Toss could hear the emotion and pain in his voice, and could only imagine what he had put himself through before calling.

"WaveMaker? What's going on?"

"I think I'd like to..take you up on that offer, from before. You.. you were right, I try to do this myself too much. Could you maybe come over here so we can talk?"

"Yah sure, I'll be right over."

"Thank you, I'll see you then."

"Yep, there in a flash. Bye."

Hail Toss hung up the phone and quickly started towards the door.

"Where are you off too now?"

"WaveMakers. Finally he realizes he needs somponys help. I'm just glad I can be there."

"Well, good luck."

"Thanks."

As Hail Toss left the apatment, BrickLayer chuckled to herself.

"Mare ain't as smart as she looks. Still too damn to realize how smitten she is with him."

"Well, another unsuccesful trip to Ponyville."

"I really do think you're being too difficult with the whole wedding thing."

"Sorry, it's just that I hate the whole frilly thing. Getting all dressed up and acting proper isn't my idea of a fun time."

"Well it's only for one night Vinyl, surely you can suffer through just one night. For me?"

Octavia made a joke sad face and Vinyl chuckled. Then she remembered something, and stopped.

"That, that reminds me. I still got one favour I gotta call in."

"What for?"

"It's actually something for our wedding. An old friend of mine owes me like two and a half thousand bits, I'm gonna go call it in."

"Oh. Well alright, just be careful, ManeHatten sure gets dangerous at night it seems."

"Don't worry sweetie, I'll be fine. Love you."

"Love you too."

The couple quickly kissed, then Vinyl started off towards ManeHatten Correctional Institute. She had a small amount of hope in her heart as she softly repeated the last words she had heard from him.

"I can help you. I can help you. I can help you."

She entered the building and was immediately greeted by the same receptionist fom the last time.

"Vinyl is it? He's been waiting for you. Same room."

"Thanks."

Vinyl quickly made her way down the hallway, and saw a guard standing by the door to the room she had been in before. He nodded to her and opened the door, following her in once sje was through. He closed the door and made his way through the one on the opposite side of the room as Vinyl sat down. Letting out a long breath, Vinyl tried to organize her thoughts. She had a few things she knew she needed to get out now, that she should've the first time, that she may never get off her chest if she didn't say them now. Minutes after minutes passed, but the door in front of her remained closed. Nearing the half-hour mark, she started to worry. A few times she heard voices, but nothing more than that.

How long does it take to get that sick fuck out of his cell?

Vinyl let out another sigh just as the guard from before came and stood in at the doorway. She stood up, looking at the guards solemn face.

"Miss Scratch, I'm here to inform you that Open Mind has just been found dead in his cell."

Vinyls mouth opened in shock. He was really dead? Her emotions were conflicting on a strange level. On one side, he was dead, and out of her life, never to torment her or Octavia again. However, what he had promised last time she came here was now gone. She had to take a seat again, to collect her thoughts. In her confusion, Vinyl had failed to notice the second pony that had walked in and gave something to the guard. The guard placed what looked like a letter down on the table, and Vinyl took it in one hoof.

"Miss Scratch, it seems he left this for you, but we ask you to leave the facility at once."

Vinyl shakily stood up, gulped, and nodded to the guard before she turned and quickly walked out of the room. A blank, expressionless look remained on her face as she quickly left the building. Once outside, Vinyl fell with her back against the brick wall and opened the letter.

Dear Vinyl

You didn't think it would be that easy did you? Perhaps you really are dumber than you look. Well, either way, thanks for showing up, but it looks like you'll be dealing with your problems stuck in you own head.

Sincerely, Open Mind